The weather was beautiful, the sun shining and the air temperature
a very comfortable 78. A few clouds added perspective to the sky.
We had arrived at Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC this
past Thursday evening with plenty of time to spare. We boarded
the jet back to Chicago without incident--settled into our seats--I
checked my watch as the plane backed away from its gate and we
began to move toward the runway. We would be home by 6:30--7:00
at the latest.
And then the plane stopped moving and the pilot
announced that a hold had been placed on our departure--a hold
placed on our departure by our destination--O'Hare Airport. We
were told that a violent storm hundreds of miles away had closed
the airport and we began to wait
Immediately the cell phones were flipped open and efforts were
made to find out about connecting flights--alternative plans--to
warn those expecting us to wait before heading for the airport.
This increasingly familiar experience of plans hindered by unseen forces is all too well known by the regular air traveler--but actually much of our lives are being increasingly shaped in this manner. A power shortage in one part of the country takes out a computer server that blocks e-mail from reaching another part of the country and cash registers stop working companies are frustrated from doing business--schools are unable to teach the lesson for the day--a grandmother misses the picture that a grandchild was sending.
There was a time when the unseen forces that directed lives were identified not with digital networks but with angels and the power of God. The daily routines of life were lived in the ordinariness of surviving from day to day. Few people expected or ever encountered things that were truly beyond them. Food came from the fields, gardens, root cellar, barn or maybe the market--clothing was a product of the resident seamstress or maybe the skilled work by a gifted neighbor--entertainment was self generated or provided by family members. All things familiar and of meaning in life were local. And the faith of the Jewish community was grounded in the strict and defining categories of the familiar--the known law.
In our first lesson for today we encounter a description of events in the early Christian church of the first century. What we often forget is that all of Jesus' disciples were Jews--the greatest missionary apostle of the early Christian community--Paul--was a Jew. When the disciples came to a new community to talk about Jesus they went first to the synagogue--to talk with and to the Jewish community. Some whom the disciples preached to resisted the message but clearly many embraced the good news the disciples brought. Without the first century Jews there would have been no Christianity.
And the faith that was embraced was built on the faith of Israel now given new direction and meaning from the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. But others outside the Jewish community also were captured by the words they heard and wanted to hear more. But the Jewish community was a very tight community--the closeness had carried them through the various times of their history when the forces and society around them had not been friendly to the faith. Conquered by the Babylonians and carried off into captivity--rescued by the Persians and returned to Israel--conquered again by the Romans and placed under the strict rule of Roman governors and the military--the Jewish community continued to survive and sustained the faith by keeping that faith closely controlled. This was not a religion for everyone. When Jesus--such a good Jewish boy and then a Rabbi--announced a new commandment the community of followers approached these words from within their restricted and closed faith perspective. Love one another--that the disciples could do--Just so long as no mention was made of loving others--those outside the "one another" circle they were slow to embrace.
But after Jesus' death and resurrection something surprising begins to happen. People from outside the familiar faith community begin to show increasing interest in following Jesus. The disciples struggle with this. What is to be done with these non-Jewish believers? A distant storm begins to stir the lives of the disciples--word is received that Gentiles--people from outside the tradition--have accepted the word of God. It is reported that Peter--one of the leading disciples--has been visiting with and ministering to--Gentiles. In our first lesson for today we find Peter explaining himself and the events.
When our plane was delayed and we eventually wound up back at the terminal awaiting a new flight crew, many passengers began to compare notes on what they had heard from Chicago in their phone calls. One business man indicated he lived 60 miles north of O'Hare and his wife had said there had been no rain there all week--another younger man from the south side said his sister indicated that there were reports of storms but she had not seen any--I reported that in talking with my sons they indicated that there had been a pretty good storm come through the northern suburbs--but the cable was still on. While we were all comparing notes--and our feelings about the delay--the airlines announced a new departure time.
The understanding and meaning we bring to every
moment in life depends on our sources
and our willingness to consider other perspectives. Peter had
a vision from God and a Gentile named Cornelius had a visit from
an angel telling him to get in touch with Peter. While they were
comparing notes about their understanding of the word of God the
Gentiles were visited by the Holy Spirit.
Now Peter had been about the business of explaining to the Gentiles why it was important for them to understand that Jesus was a Jewish messiah when the Holy Spirit visited the Gentiles. Actually Peter says the spirit "fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning." It was then that Peter realized that once again he might not have been doing his utmost to further the kingdom of God but he was now resolved not to hinder it further.
To hinder God--it is so easy to do. Peter
and the early Christian church initially attempted to define their
categories for faith and faithfulness--the fruits of that effort
continue to this day in the forms of denominationalism and exclusive
truth claims made by various faith communities. There has never
been a human being who did not believe at least in passing that
they knew just a little bit more than anyone else about the mysteries
of the universe--the meaning of life
--the categories of right and wrong--good and evil--and that God
would look just a little bit kinder on them if they held to their
beliefs. So we find that we have religious communities centered
in the reading of God's word--but with all kinds of understandings
about how literal and precise that word is. We have communities
that emphasize traditional worship rituals, hymns and prayers--while
others stress contemporary, praise based entertaining presentations.
There are faith communities that stress the need to feel
God's presence--while other communities focus on the understanding
or meaning of God's call to discipleship. There are communities
that find God through contemplative quiet and peaceful withdrawal
from the world--while other communities are compelled to proactive
social Gospel acts of service and good works.
At times we advance God's care for the world with great power and commitment but just as easily we hinder God by wanting others and God to think, feel and act the way we think--with our priorities--recognizing our wants and needs. Why else do we pray?
Peter has this vision of all kinds of food coming down from heaven--some of the foods he knew he was not allowed to eat according to kosher rules for the Jewish community. Peter calls some items profane--unfit for him--but God replies that the only thing profane in the world was the voice and action that denies the created ness--the Godliness of all things.
The caution to Peter was that there is no human who can claim to know the mind of God and yet we strive to assert that position and live our lives accordingly every day.
The baptism we celebrate this morning is our
weak attempt at granting to God the power that God already has.
While there are some who might like to claim that they were baptized
into a particular faith community that God smiles just a little
bit more on than any other--the fact is that we baptize into the
Christian faith (not Lutheran, Episcopal, Roman, Baptist
or Orthodox) and we call upon the parents to see to it that the
Child receives instruction
in the Christian faith. We make no exclusive claim in baptism
that Jesus did not already make. We assert no more in baptism
but the truth Jesus asserted--that anyone who believes and is
baptized will be saved.
When we see an infant baptized we like to think that this infant is now safely anchored in the faith. While it is true that God's claim on this child is now complete, it is almost overwhelming to consider all the things that can occur in life to hinder that child from growing up to know God and the gifts that Christ would have them claim.
Next Sunday is confirmation Sunday. The young people who will affirm their faith will be doing so in the face of unbelievable odds. There are storms in the world far from this place that threaten to hinder the faith--that would keep our young people from soaring into God's world. The unseen hindrances to the faith surround us every day shaping our lives--our thinking--our priorities--our feelings. This child baptized today will spend more time in front of a television from birth until 16 years of age then they will spend in church their entire life--unless, according to our sons, their parents happen to be pastors. Who do you think they will be more likely to believe? Which values will influence them the most?
As one of the speakers observed at the conference we attended this week: take a five year old to Toys R Us and let them loose and they know exactly what to do. Bring a five year old to church and let them loose and what happens? The television ads and consumer training by the parents is far more complete than any type of spiritual instruction, if any has even been attempted in most five year olds.
Peter was amazed when the Spirit of God fell on the gentiles--the others. At least he was quick enough to realize that if God was choosing these to be his people than he would no longer get in the way. It is not always easy to get out of the way.
Tony Campollo tells of the time that television reporter Dan Rather was interviewing Mother Theresa, the Nobel peace prize winning nun who cared for the poorest of the poor on the streets of India. Reporter Rather asked the devoutly spiritual nun, "When you pray to God, what do you say?" Mother Theresa replied that when she prayed she did not say anything, she listened. There was a pause and then Rather said, "Oh, all right. Then what does God say?" She said, "God doesn't say anything, God listens. And if you can't understand that I can't explain it to you."
Peter realized that he needed to stop hindering the spirit--and let the spirit through. Sometimes that is what we need to do also--just open our selves to God's spirit.
This morning in the service of Holy Baptism there is a moment when we declare that this child has been marked by the cross of Christ and sealed by the Holy Spirit for ever--forever. That's a very long time. If this Spirit means anything we better be careful--we have just set loose upon the world another Christian--Jesus rejoiced in the possibilities--another bold new creative moment that will once more make declaration to the world. As Jesus said, "By this everyone will know that you are my disciples"
We are the marks of discipleship--we witness to the power of God's love--through us the spirit moves--and if it doesn't then we must be a hindrance to God--but we can rest assured that that won't be for long. If Peter could not hinder God, we certainly aren't going to be much of a challenge.
The unseen moments that limit and shape our
lives are not the only forces loose in the world.
Pastor Chris and I returned to Chicago to find that while we were
gone the ministry of the church had continued to move forward--there
had been Bible study--visits that built up the faith--choirs practicing
and worship planned--building dreams had been shared--the CROP
Walk plans moved ahead and new gifts offered. The spirit of Christ
alive in His church continued in this place. All unseen and unknown
to most of the world. Such is the power of God's spirit--such
is the wonder of God's grace--such is the mystery of the sacraments
offered by God.
We are not stuck at the end of some runway--we
are set free to fly.
Amen.