Text Luke 12:32-40; Genesis 15:1-6; Psalm 33:12-22; Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Theme The Focal Point
Subject The treasure of the kingdom
Occasion August 12, 2007 – Lectionary 19 – Zion – Iowa City (Kids Against Hunger event)
Grace
and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ
Today we
are joining the ministry of Kids Against Hunger:
preparing packets of food that will be distributed around
the world for starving people
Ironically
the appointed gospel reading for today begins with these words,
"Do not be
afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the
kingdom” (Lk
12:32)
Seems to
me that this is not the occasion for
a scholarly side-step
not the time to talk about the
culmination of time and the ushering in of God’s eternal kingdom
How can
this Word of God be announced to starving people?
Maybe considering what precedes the
reading could help
So
I looked back a few verse
Back 7 verses where it is written
can any of you by
worrying add a single hour to your span of life? … Consider the lilies, … if
God so clothes the grass of the field, … how much more will he clothe you … And
do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do
not keep worrying. … Instead, strive
for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well. (Lk 12:25-31 selected)
You
understand the dilemma, yes?
Visualize a congregation of emaciated,
starving people hearing this word
Skin
hanging from bones
Eyes with no luster
Children
leaning against parents to weak to hold them
What could the words, “Do not be afraid” or “Do not keep
worrying” mean?
And
where is the relief or rescue from the desperate reality of starvation?
Then too
is our reality
Though we are not starving
We
are sometimes afraid
We do worry
Big, barking, snarling dogs with ears
laid back raise my anxiety
The
mystery surrounding real estate and finance (buying and selling) has been
known, in recent time, to keep me awake at night
Every
anxious person is in good company as reported in today’s first reading
Seems Abraham had a sleepless night in
his tent 4000 years ago
“O Lord GOD, what
will you give me, for I continue childless, …You have given me no offspring,
and so a slave born in my house is to be my heir." (Gen. 15:2-3)
Abraham is calling God to keep God’s
promise
How’s
he going to be the father of a great nation if he has no children?
(God) brought (Abraham) outside
and said, "Look toward heaven and count the stars, if you are able to
count them." Then (God) said to him, "So shall your descendants
be." (Gen.
15:5)
God invited Abraham to get a bigger view
A
view outside of himself
Life is more balanced, more stable, with a view outside
one’s self
Yoga
instructors teach early on the importance of the focal point
An immovable point – maybe on a wall,
or a tree
The
focal point is beyond
The focal point provides something else to hang
on to
The mere physics is intriguing
The
most solid of geometric forms is the triangle
Each angel depends on the other
Each side depends on the other
The focal point establishes a
triangle for a heel/toe pose
A
triangle for a hand/foot pose
God tells Abraham to renew his
commitment to the focal point
“Abraham, look at the stars;
see beyond the now;
beyond your finitude;
Look
light-years away
Trust God’s majesty
Let the promise be the focal
point”
By taking Abraham outside the tent,
God invited Abraham to believe (have faith)
Our 2nd
reading comes from what has been called “The Faith Chapter” in the Bible
Now faith is the
assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Heb. 11:1)
Then faith is illustrated by
telling of Abraham
Abraham
got past his late night worries
By faith he
received power of procreation, even though he was too old-- and Sarah herself
was barren – because he considered (God) faithful who had promised. Therefore from one … as good as dead,
descendants were born. (Heb. 11:11-12b)
The focal point is God and
God’s promise
I’m
still preaching with a starving congregation in mind
Maybe you can imagine the silence of
the children and the groans of parents
Maybe
you can smell the acetone on their breath
Can the
focal point of God’s promise still have meaning to people on the brink of
death?
Last
week I went to Prairie Lights Book Store and bought a copy of Christopher
Hitchens’ book god is not Great (How
Religion Poisons Everything)
I’ve only begun the reading but I have sensed that he is
very much in league with Friedrich Nietzsche who is noted for announcing “God
is dead”
It brought
to mind a Time magazine cover
The cover was black with the same
words: “God Is Dead”
Within were
reports of flooding, famine and death
Editorials
and articles wondered, “Where is God?”
Friends
in Christ,
God lives in the world through us
The
people of the world will never see Jesus or God’s promises as the focal
point
unless the people of God bring God to life
Because
we belong to the Body of Christ,
we are the ones bringing the power of Jesus Christ into the
world
During
July the Art Guild here at Zion fashioned these paraments and stole that I am
wearing from fabric that could pass for a picnic table cloth
I hope the fabric brings mind the times Jesus fed 1000s
with 2 fish & 5 loaves
I
hope you’ve come close enough to see the countless crosses in the fabric
Let the fabric invite you again to the focal point
His cross and his invitation to
serve
In the 1st
week of my arrival I was asked how to respond to the many people who seek help
I couldn’t recall any time that Jesus turned people away
So the principle we follow here
is
Anyone who asks will get
something
In the past week we’ve helped
a
woman get medication
a family of 8 avoid eviction
a family of 6 to buy groceries
a family needing gas to get to
Allen Hospital in Waterloo
Were any of them lying or stretching
their truth?
Maybe
Our ministry as the people of Zion thrives as we keep our
eyes on the focal point
Mickey
Rivers, in the company of Yoga Berra and other New York Yankee wisdom, is
reported to have said,
If there’s nothing
you can do about it, there’s no sense worrying about it;
If there’s
something you can do about it, there’s no sense worrying about it
For the
starving ones, this wisdom can be their security
Likely they have no energy to think
much less worry
Likely
believing in Jesus Christ is far from their minds
For
privileged ones like us, Yankee wisdom can be our joy
We can do something about a lot of
things
Today
the work of Kids Against Hunger is here among us
Our generosity and effort is going to extend lives
Beyond today is our support of
Lutheran World Relief
the ELCA Hunger Appeal
the annual CROP Walk
the Free Lunch program
All of
these servant ministries and acts of generosity
Are grounded in our faith in Jesus
Christ
He
is our focal point
Inviting us to look beyond ourselves
Trust
that Jesus has prepared the eternal kingdom for each of us
Let heaven be as lavish and rich as
you like
Have
no fear; heaven is prepared
Surrender
to the focal point that your life can be balanced and believing
In the name of Jesus Christ we are
changing lives
For
many we will be taking them from the brink of death to the joy of life.