September 28, 2008
Exodus 17:1-17
Psalm 78: 1-4, 12-16
Phillippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21: 23-32
I had a very enjoyable time preparing for this by discussing the scripture readings with Elaine and Marie. It was very helpful, but I will put in a disclaimer right away: any errors in theology are mine!
We were looking at connections between the readings: what ties these readings together? Is there a theme?
Of course, there is no need to ‘tie’ them. All are part of the same book, and so are of course linked. But, since I’m fascinated by connections in general, I’m going to peek into each of the readings through the lens of ‘miracles’ and of ‘right relationships’. Perhaps this will come together as a house...but maybe each is just a little story room by itself...that’s for you to choose.
MIRACLES
Exodus
First, the Exodus passage, and miracles: water gushing forth from the rock. The provision of life in the desert. To me, this isn’t just a long ago story. It’s also a description of the land just outside our city...rock scraped bare by glaciers, semi-arid (though perhaps...who would know that this September?) an abundance of water: in amounts almost beyond imagining. And the provision of life... indeed the abundance of life. Caribou (though declining) still travel in impressively vast herds. Ptarmigan (that we can laugh with in the winter), lichens, berries, fish. All amazing in this land of rock.
Albert Einstein said “Either you see it all as a miracle, or nothing is”....and when I look at that birch seedling spouting out of what appears to our ‘outside eye’ as something growing from bare rock... that’s a little miracle.
Psalms
Now to the Psalms: “God performed miracles: he made the waters stand like walls.” “He led them all the night with the light of the fire.” And he gave them “water from the depths of the rock”.
Those too are descriptions that I see as miracles that are present to this day.
Have you been out on the great lake, and seen the frozen water stand like walls?
Have you seen yet this fall the curtains of fire: green, white, purple and red that light our night?
Or perhaps you paused at the brilliance of our September full moon, the fall moon now so visible as our time of darkness approaches.
And water from the depths of the rocks: the water in this great lake is the deepest in North America. This is ancient, ancient water. This water that isn’t renewed by rainfalls...it is left from the glaciers 10,000 years ago. Isn’t this indeed a miracle to be surrounded by this...to be reminded that even in this land, so different in scale and demeanour than the land of the bible...this land too can remind us each season and even each day of miracles.
Philippians
I was very drawn to the Philippians reading “Jesus, of his own free will... gave up all he had, and took the nature of a servant”. Isn’t this a miracle too? In some versions, the translation is ‘he took the nature of a slave”.
In our society we make a lot our ‘right’ to choose. Choice is all around us, choice is highly valued. We seem to need to choose from dozens (at least) of breakfast cereals. And how many banking choices do we have? We
hold our rights very dear...including the right to complain (or perhaps this is a particularly northern virtue? Especially at election time?)
Yet Jesus “did not cling to his rights and privileges.”
So isn’t that a miracle, give up one rights and privileges, and accept someone else’s choices?
But I see this miracle played out today, even in the face of our ‘consuming/me’ society. I look to this room, each one here has freely and willingly served others: at a family level, at the church level, at the larger community level. Luckily I think we want to give respect to those serving us, We don’t use the term slave or servant much. The word volunteer comes from Latin, and can be translated as ‘will’ (as in doing something out of one’s own free will) for the benefit of people or the land.
So I thank you for each little miracle of giving up your choice, your rights, your privileges, for the benefit of others.
Matthew
Now to the reading from Matthew: I love these two parables. It just seems a wonder to me how with a tiny simple story, Jesus points the religious leaders in the direction of humility.
“I will ask you just one question”. No long explanations, just one question. How powerful one question can be. I’ve seen that too, here in Yellowknife. Sitting at the BHP hearings in the museum...maybe some of you were there too...it was anything but brief. Many long winded descriptions of what the benefits of this project would be, and why this mining development would be so good for each of us and for the north. And many questions too about whether htis was the case. This is not to deny the good these companies have brought, but there was one question that pulled things into perspective for me. Terry Woolf came up to the microphone, and asked
“Are you going to make a lot of money on this?”. The proponent said “I hope so”.
Terry sat down. That was it. I wasn’t the only one that though “What was that all about?” “Isn’t there some follow-up to that?” But no, there was no follow-up. And to me, it was a little miracle: that someone could stand up to the authorities in that room, and ask “Why are you doing this? Really, by what authority?” in such a simple way.
RIGHT RELATIONSHIP
Exodus
Now, backtracking to Exodus, and on to right relationships.
Here’s one take on the relationship portrayed in the Exodus reading: Whine whine whine. Complain complain complain. Not enough water. O.K., so here’s the water (and not a trickle, but gushing). In terms of relationship, which is easier for you: to think of resources, the land, our personal relationships in terms of scarcity? Or to notice the abundance God provides?
But I think this reading has a very different view: a way that points out the importance of testing or complaining in any relationship. The chapter is almost a little study in bureaucracy. Here’s Moses...head guy. Up the ladder come the complaints. So he in turn asks God what to do. God has him take leaders with him (perhaps senior-management?) while Moses strikes the rock for the water to be brought forth.
So would the water have come without the complaining? The people are ‘very thirsty’. It’s not that they just want water, or want more. It’s not a question of wanting French roast instead of decaf. They have a very legitimate complaint. Maybe it’s curious Moses doesn’t notice this, but he has a lot of things to do. He’s the one listening to the Lord and figuring out each day where to camp. He’s the big picture guy.
Would he necessarily notice the nursing mother who would need so much more water than most? Or those with responsibility for an elderly parent? And what about those who have to take care of the livestock? It’s a good
thing that he does not have to know every detail…that he can rely on his people to let their needs be known.
It’s a reminder: there is no point in going in the direction of freedom if you die of thirst along the way. It appears that right relationships do require some testing and complaining.
Philippians
Philippians 2: verse 12 says: “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” This isn’t a hallmark greeting card type of sentiment.
Again, I can relate this most easily by looking at this land. Abundance, yes; beautiful, yes; and peaceful. But the relationship requires reverence and respect. Anyone going on the land knows they need to exercise ongoing awareness and submission to the power of the land. This is not a place to be taken lightly.
To me that is the physical description of the ‘fear and trembling’ expected here: the right relationship with God includes love and gratitude, but also being humbled and in awe.
Psalms
The first four verses of Pslam 78 have a very ‘northern’ feel to me. It is about listening and paying attention to our ancestors, and not keeping the ancient stories and wisdom from our children.
This is so much the story of this land and the people here, that this word is central to my work every day.
Respectful relationship here means respect for elders, for their teachings, and for the need for youth and elders to be together.
Matthew
Right relationships pretty well leap out of the Matthew parables. To me, the Parable of the Two Sons can be summed by ‘if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk” or even more bluntly, “actions speak louder than words”.
There are a few parents in this crowd, and probably each of us has either said, or felt like saying “Just do what I tell you, not what I do”. Kids are oh so good at picking out hypocrisy...but they too are also very good at being hypocrites. It is easy to do as the one child in this story does: say “Yes, I’ll do it”, but then don’t.
The scribes, the Pharisees, and other self-righteous people might say they’re enthusiastic about the law of God, but are not listening to (or acting on) the message.
Jesus points out that it is better to be openly disrespectful, but then come to the work required, than it is to profess zeal for the law and good works, but do nothing. He is not so worried about disrespect: in fact, he seems to expect some disrespect. It is hypocrisy that is the more sever sin.
Conclusion:
So those are my little glimpses into these ‘rooms’ in the overall bible story. I did say I like connections, so here’s my take on connecting them:
“Either you see it all as a miracle, or nothing is”: Even when the big picture is a miracle, it doesn’t mean that there isn’t need for some day-to-day corrections.
We are asked to name our needs: and we should do so. But we need to recognize the difference between wants and needs. That can be helped by recognizing and being thankful for abundance and for our role as willing servants.
A little spoken disrespect with rightful action, is a lot better than loudly professing action but doing nothing.
Finally:
We are all called to be in right relationship with each other, with the land and with God...and that is a miracle for which I am truly grateful.
Amen