Eleventh Pentecost

             August 12, 2007

     A young man received a parrot as a gift from his girlfriend.  The parrot had a really bad attitude and an even worse vocabulary.  Every word out of this bird’s mouth was rude, obnoxious, or laced with profanity.  The young man tried and tried to change the bird’s attitude by constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, and anything he could think of to set a good example.  Nothing worked.

     Finally, the man got fed up one day and yelled at the parrot.  And, the bird yelled back.  The young man shook the parrot, and the bird got angrier and ruder.  Finally, in a moment of desperation, the man put the bird in the freezer.  For a few minutes, the man heard the bird squawk and kick and scream.  Then, there was total quiet.  Not a peep for over a minute.

     Fearing that he’d hurt the bird, the young man quickly opened the door to the freezer.  The parrot calmly stepped out onto the man’s arm and said, “I believe I may have offended you with my crude language and rude behavior.  I am truly sorry and I’ll do everything to correct my poor behavior and clean up my language.”

     The man was astonished at the bird’s change of attitude and was about to ask the parrot what had made such a dramatic change in his behavior, the parrot continued, “May I ask what the chicken did?”

     Examples are important.  I suspect we learn more from sermons that are lived than from those that are spoken.  It is one of the deepest sources of gratitude in my life that I have had living sermons from which to learn in my life.  Parents, grandparents, wife, children, and faithful church members have allowed me to witness positive examples of Christian living.  For that I am more thankful than words can express.

     The Gospel for this Sunday is a continuation of Luke’s sharing of the Good News.  Jesus said to the disciples, both then and now, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  What does that knowledge do for our living?  What is that statement of the best Good News ever to reach human ears suppose to do for the way we live in this upside down world?  How are Christian sheep being led in this interim time between the first coming of the Good Shepherd and the second time he shall appear to establish the Kingdom?

     I would want to suggest that this Good News can mean something in the day-to-day living in this world.  We can live confident lives.  We know that God keeps the promises made to God’s people.  It is God’s good pleasure to give the Kingdom to the sheep.  That battle has been won, the obstacles that stood in the way have been torn down by an obedient son, and we are moving toward our destiny.  What we are invited to do, by following the advice that come after this proclamation, is to put ourselves and everything we have and everything we are on the side of God in this world.  Confidence comes from remembering whom we serve.  The Israelite soldiers stood trembling in front of the Philistine Goliath and said, “He’s so big!  We can’t possibly kill him.”  David stepped forward and said, “He’s so big!  I can’t possibly miss him.”

     Our freedom to choose is both our greatest burden and the greatest demonstration of God’s love for us.  Our confidence can come from putting ourselves squarely on God’s side, knowing that God is the one who leads us along still waters and restores our soul and puts healing oil on our wounds when we stumble and fall.

     I also believe we can live wisely in this world.  That has very little to do with the worldly definition of that word.  As a matter of fact, what the world calls wisdom is labeled foolishness by God.  Last week’s story of the rich man who built bigger and bigger barns only to amass more and more stuff might remind us of the proliferation of storage buildings in our own culture.  Wise living is based on acceptance of the truth of the Lord’s words, “for where you treasure is, there will your heart be also.”  We really are shaped by what we give ourselves to as first priority. 

     A wealthy man retired and one of his friends asked him what he did now during the day?  “I go down to my broker’s office every day and watch the stock ticker.”

     “Every day,” the friend asked?

     “Every day the market is open,” the wealthy man said.

     “Why go every day,” the friend asked?

     “Because that’s where my money is, so I go down to keep a careful eye on it,” the man replied.

     That’s where his treasure is and that’s where his heart is also.  I believe it is in keeping with the mind of Christ to call such behavior foolish.  Wise living, on the other hand, means we take all we have and all we are and invest it with God and God’s people.

     Finally, I believe we are to live with our eyes fixed on what is to come.  We are to expect joyful living.  Those who live with their gaze forward are usually the ones who seek out ways to serve; those who step forward when they see something that needs to be done in the church and community, and those who say “Yes!” when asked to take on a job that needs to be done.  This church has a large number of joyful, forward-looking members and I am profoundly grateful to them and for them.  They make my job easier and help make me look like I know more than I do.  Of course, we have a way-to-large group who expect the church to be here when they have need of its ministry.  Marriages, baptisms, and death call them forth.  Now, I believe we have to be as pastoral and loving as we can be to those who come for whatever reason.  I invite you to be welcoming and nonjudgmental of such folks.

     Those who live with their eyes fixed on what to come also allow that attitude to carry over into worship.  When we live that way we come together with family and friends to give and not to get.  We do not assume that God was captured in some golden age in the past but we look for the one who said, “I have yet many things to reveal to you.”  What this, or any other church, does for you in terms of your spiritual life is directly related to what you give to it.

     Living with our gaze fixed on what is to come means we intentionally place ourselves in the Lord’s path and expect to be used in service.  The call can come at any time and the servants who are alert will be blessed.

     So, dear friends of St. John’s, where are you in your Christian living?  Are you living confidently, wisely, and looking for the future?  We don’t have to; just as we don’t have to tithe.  But, by the grace of Almighty God, you and I are allowed to do so.  God loves us enough to give us the freedom to give, to live confidently, wisely, and looking for what is to come.  We have God’s promise and it is always true, “Do not be afraid, little flock, for it your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”  Each one of us has a sermon like that to live.  Amen.      

   ~The Rev. G. Thomas Mustard