These are difficult and troubling times. We’re still living in the aftermath of 9/11. We’re enmeshed in a war and occupation that doesn’t appear to be going very well. There are new terrorist threats, and apparent increasing nuclear proliferation in a growing number of nations. Everyday we hear of more of our soldiers dying, and civilian casualties are referred to as collateral damage. Peace in the Middle East seems beyond reach, and a dividing wall is being built through the West Bank. At home many of our nation’s peoples have been ravaged by hurricane, wind and fire; a growing national debt; a cutback in needed programs and services; corporate fraud and obfuscation and deceit in government; an erosion of environmental laws easing pollution and clean water standards; the detainment and diminished rights of the foreign born; and a unilateralism that has created a lack of international cooperation. The Pew Research Center says that this is a time of great emotion and problems for the country, a time when the electorate is more polarized and the nation deeply divided in ways resembling Civil War days. It’s in troubling and disheartening times like these when we too might cry out in that familiar lament, "How long, O Lord?" And some of us would add, "Please, not four more years!" All of our scripture passages today emerged out of such times, times of turmoil, persecution and change. The Gospel of Mark, believed to be the oldest of our four gospels, was written sometime prior to or around the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 C.E. The writing in this morning’s passage suggests that Jesus predicted this downfall. Did he know it would fall, or was he speaking of necessary change? Because things were changing, and Jesus himself had been challenging the authority and power that was being exercised in the existing structure of things. Things were coming apart during this latter part of Nero’s rule. And there was persecution, and this was causing discord within the Christian community. Mark’s gospel portrays Jesus attempting to prepare his followers for such a time as this. Jesus had just come out of the Temple, and one of his disciples remarked about this magnificent structure, whereas Jesus had just observed and commented on the poor widow dropping in her two small coins. He was focused instead on the quality of the life and culture of the Temple that was failing to really serve the people, and he said that it would not last. And he was saying that in fearful and uncertain times like these, not unlike what we are experiencing, people are easily deceived and led astray. Others will come in his name, and in God’s name, and they will preach absolutes and claim to know what’s happening and to have the answers. So Mark draws upon apocalyptic motifs from older Jewish writings, predictions from the past to address present concerns, and he attributes them to Jesus. This apocalyptic passage is like all apocalyptic literature, alluding to the end of time with descriptions of disasters and destruction, and of things coming undone. This is no different in our time, with books and preachers pointing to current natural disasters, wars and more specifically to the conflict in the Middle East as signs that we are on the threshold of the end of time. But to invoke and invite the apocalyptic is to take refuge from present reality. Such religious dogma is illusion flowing out of anxiety, and preoccupation with this will lead us astray from the vision of God that has come to us in Jesus. The final words of Jesus in this passage are, "Do not be alarmed. This is not it. This is not the end. These are "birth pangs" of something new that is about to emerge." The point is to stay focused not on the end of time, but on the way of Jesus. But the question is, in times like these, what is lasting? What lasts and endures and sustains us through difficult times and gives us hope? And what is the ground of our hope? Our scriptures are saying that it is being grounded in God’s presence, the presence of love. Those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. The Psalmist’s prayer today is affirming that even when other things change or vanish, God is still present. And today’s passage from Hebrews is part of a letter written to Jewish Christians who were going through difficult times. Some were drifting away and on the verge of giving up their faith and returning to past beliefs and practices. The passage is saying to stay focused on the new and living revelation of God in Jesus, the way of love; and continue to gather and find encouragement in one another; and continue to do the work of love. This is a reminder that it is in our relationships that we really find the meaning of life. It’s in our relationships that we actualize the sacred. As love touches our lives and empowers us to love, this is the experience of grace and what it means to participate in the love of God. And it is in this experience of the joy of sharing life that we are able to hold fast to hope even in difficult times such as these we are facing now. Increasingly research is confirming what we’ve experienced and take seriously in our faith community and our life together here. Perhaps you read about that commission of research scientists, children’s doctors and mental health professionals that produced the report, "Hardwired to Connect." It says what we affirm, that human beings are made for each other. We need human connection and emotional intimacy, and life in loving communities, communities that provide support, nurture, affection and moral and spiritual meaning. And it’s about reaching out to one another, even in the worst of times. One observer on 9/11, when the Trade Center buildings were burning, said he saw two people, who were stranded, reach out to each other, take each other’s hand and plunge to their death together. This he saw as an affirmation in the face of such evil. And there’s the Henri Nouwen quote that was an inspiration to Muriel Killerlain throughout George’s illness: "The one who cares makes it clear that whatever happens in the external world, being present to each other is what really matters…It matters more than pain, illness, or even death." Well, this is what we are about here. This is what is most enduring in life, what lasts and keeps hope alive. Without such hope we live in fear, hunker down, pull back and focus on endings. As a congregation we will be facing a time of change in the next few months. Linda and I will be leaving early in the new year. I know that this is of concern to many of you. It’s true that this will be a time of change and some loss, and for Linda and me as well. But this is not the end, for it will also be the "birth pangs" of something new that is about to happen here. So, as we see that day approaching, let us encourage one another, and rejoice in our life together and hold fast to what we have accomplished and created here. Programs are in place which provide support and nurture across the generations, providing connection and loving community. This is reason to celebrate. We have grown and continue to grow, taking in new members as we have yet again today. And today we also will commission 25 of our folk who are training and committed to carry on and expand the ministry of pastoral care, so that those they are present to may continue to experience the continuity of this church’s love. Dick Meyer has retired, and Jackie Walters has stepped in to oversee the care of this wonderful facility that serves us so well, and that the wider community is discovering. So, exciting things are happening here. You have strong lay leadership and in Jim and John you are fortunate to have the continuity of two very special and loving people, two of the finest professionals in their fields. So this is not a time for lean thinking and cutting back. Rather, hold fast to that which lasts, your life together and the love we share. Remain faithful in your giving and serving in order to carry on this ministry. The world needs our message and this model of life together. And it needs our voice and our votes and our continuing efforts for justice and peace and the care of the earth. And remain open to what is next, to the new life, new staff members and the fresh possibilities God presents. As my 95-year-old friend put it, "I’m not ready to let go of life yet. I want to be around to see what happens next!" So, as we are about to enter the Advent season, with its promise of something new on the horizon, let us encourage one another and live with expectation and in anticipation of the days ahead, holding fast to hope, because God will be with us, because the love we have experienced stays. Amen. |
