A Better Epilogue: January 21, 2024

 Year B, Epiphany 3                                        Jonah 3:1-5,10              

               We all know the story of Jonah and the whale.  It’s in every children’s Bible.  There are songs, movies, shows.  But they usually focus on the whale part, maybe a little before and after, but mostly the whale.  I mean, what’s cooler than a picture of the inside of a whale? Our reading from today comes after the whale…when Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh.

 You see, Jonah had never wanted to go to Nineveh in the first place.  When God called on Jonah the first time he said, “Set out for the great city of Nineveh, and preach against it; their wickedness has come up before me.” The beginning of that request doesn’t sound so bad.  God is asking him to visit a great city. 

Yet this was Nineveh, the heart of the Assyrian Empire, the empire that had destroyed Israel and was thus the enemy of God.  It was great because it was big and powerful, which is wonderful when that big and powerful entity is on your side, not so much when they are your mortal enemy. And God’s wasn’t just asking Jonah to do some reconnaissance.  He was asking---no telling Jonah to go and preach against the city telling them how wicked they were. 

            Jonah did what any sensible person would do, he ran the other way.  He ran as far as he could on dry land and then hopped on a boat.  God was not pleased and sent a great storm.  When the sailors on the boat realized that this storm was sent by God, they called upon Jonah who explained to them that he had fled the call of God.  Jonah decided that the only way to save the boat was for the crew to throw him into the sea and they complied. 

However, we know God is persistent---hence the absurdly big fish.  Once he was swallowed by the big fish (or whale depending on what version you are reading), Jonah had three days to think about the situation. He finally prayed to God (you see that is one of the things that had been missing thus far-prayer) and the fish vomited him onto dry land---right next to Nineveh. One can only imagine that this was a traumatizing experience, but things were about to get deicer, because now, he was behind enemy lines.  

            The first line in today’s reading is, “The word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time….”  This seems like a benign statement. It’s not.  God wasn’t accustomed to being disobeyed by one of his prophets.  Sometimes the prophet would resist, or take awhile to catch up…but to run in the opposite direction of God’s call…that was a new one. Jonah finally realized that he had no choice but to follow the call of God. 

Jonah went and did what God asked.  He walked through the entire city and told them, "Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" Then a funny thing happened, the people actually believed him.  This was an unusual response to a prophet.  Prophets were often ignored, usually by their own people.  The idea that this superpower would hear eight words from a man they had never seen before (and probably still smelled like fish guts) and pay attention is harder to believe then a grown man being swallowed by a fish and surviving.  The people of Nineveh not only listened, they took action.  They immediately proclaimed a fast and sat in ash, which was the ancient way of repenting.  Even the king removed his robe and all his royal jewels and sat in ash.  (They skipped that part in our reading.)

When God saw that change of heart, God forgave them and didn’t punish them. Do you think Jonah was happy about that?  Did he find any joy in knowing that he had saved a whole city of people with his words? Of course not.  He got mad.  He told God that he was being too merciful.  I mean, look at all that Jonah had to go through and he started on God’s good side.  Yet he was punished more than the people of Nineveh.  He was so mad, he sat down in the hot sun and wished he could die.

God is loving, so he gave him a bush to protect him from the sun.  Jonah was happy about the bush, so God sent a worm to kill the bush and Jonah was sad again.  It all seems rather cruel of God, but he had a point.  He always does.  He said, “You are concerned about the bush, for which you did not labor and which you did not grow…And should I not be concerned about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are more than a hundred and twenty thousand people… and also many animals?”

You know the worst part…for me at least?  That’s the last line of the Book of Jonah.  We have no idea how Jonah responded.  Did Jonah realize that God was right or did he stay mad and bitter?  We will never know.  There is no epilogue.  That often happens in the Bible.  We never hear the whole story. In the Gospel of Mark, we hear the calling of 4 of the apostles.  We know that they dropped their nets as soon as they were called and followed Jesus.  They behaved much better than Jonah.  But we also know that that they all had their moments of doubts.  They all did some stupid things. Peter would deny him. They would all abandon him at the cross.  But Jesus forgave them all, which is why I think Jonah did ok in the end as well. 

We won’t know their full stories.  But we know ours and we even have some control in our stories.  While many of might not admit it, we want life to be easy, fair and completely linear.  As Christians, we want to follow Jesus, as long as he is going in about the same direction that we are.  I mean, we will deviate a little, but let’s not go too far off the path Jesus. We each have a life plan and we can’t let God mess with that too much. 

When I have had to make difficult decisions, I prayed that God would give me peace so I knew I was making the right decision.  Yet peace has often evaded me and I have begun to I wonder if the way we know we are following God is not a sense of peace, but a sense of urgency. That is what Jonah had.  That is what the disciples had. And while urgency is not the same thing as anxiety, it’s also not the most comfortable feeling.  Sometimes it means doing something that is harder than we anticipated.

I’ve always identified with Jonah under that bush, being so angry that it didn’t work out the way he expected…even though it worked out exactly how God expected because Jonah finally…finally followed God’s directions.  The problem with Jonah was he thought he knew what God was going to do---what God should do.  The wicked would be punished and he would get to be the righteous servant of God.  But God was merciful and loving to the enemy of Israel and that didn’t fit Jonah’s expectations.

So often, we let our expectations lead us.  We think we know how something should go and we are pretty sure God is with us on this.  When that doesn’t happen, we can get angry and bitter like Jonah. Maybe that happens once and you get over it.  But maybe it happens over and over again and then you are sitting in the sun cursing a bush and the worm that killed it. 

Fortunately we all have our own epilogue.  God is the author, but I like to think that we have some sway in the editing process.  We get to decide whether to stay bitter and angry or progress to a place where a mere bush cannot dictate our happiness, a place where God’s mercy is not just a gift to others, but to us as well.  A place where God calls us not just to warn the enemy, but befriend the enemy.  God’s plan for us---God’s call for us---is rarely predictable or easy, but it’s a call worth following, wherever and to whomever it may lead us.

If you find that you have some bumps in your life, some things that don’t go as expected---instead of cursing those moments, consider those interruptions as God breaking through. Don’t wait for a major calamity to pray to God’s for help and direction.  God is with you through all of it.  We don’t get to write every detail of our story, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t our story. It doesn’t mean we aren’t going to have one fantastic epilogue.

January 25, 2015: Mark 1:14-20

A Different Kind of Call

Year B, Epiphany 3                                  

                                                                 

I served on the Commission on Ministry for the diocese for six years.  One of our jobs was to interview people who felt that they were called by God to ordained ministry.  One of the things that we typically asked people to share with us was their call story.  How did they know that they were called by God to ordained ministry?  I think most people, when they imagine a call, think of something really clear like a burning bush or a voice from heaven which would leave someone with no doubt about their call.  Yet in my personal experience, and hearing many many call stories, this is rarely the case.  Usually people perceive a call over a period of time.  It’s more like a debate with God as opposed to a call.  Yet what I learned while serving on the Commission on Ministry was that even the people who were experiencing this call seemed to think that this extended call process was unique to them.   They were all expecting something like a lightning bolt…that moment when they would drop the proverbial net and follow Jesus.  

There is a good reason why people expect this kind of call. That is how it worked in the Bible.  There was no period of discernment in the Bible. People did not take time to get to know Jesus before joining the disciples.  There was no extended time in thought and prayer.  No disciple responded to the call by saying, “Let me take some time to prayerfully consider this.”  Consider the Gospel reading for today. Jesus was walking along the Sea of Galilee and he saw Simon and Andrew casting nets into the sea, because they were fishermen. He said, ‘"Follow me and I will make you fish for people." And immediately they left their nets and followed him.’ 

He walked on and saw James and John mending their nets with their father.  He summoned them and we don’t even know what he said.  They too immediately left their father with the nets and followed Jesus.  Preachers often use this story to depict the faith of the disciples. They did not need to be convinced.  They did not need to weigh the pros and cons.  They heard the call and they left their old lives behind to follow Jesus.  I have always thought that they were able to do this because there was just something about Jesus.  They knew from seeing him and hearing a few words that this man was worth dropping everything and starting a new life.

And you know what, that’s really not very helpful for most of us.  We cannot imagine doing something that drastic, that irresponsible.  They were giving up their livelihood. They were leaving their families behind just because they sensed there was something special about this person.  What if that was not really how it happened?  What if these men already knew Jesus? I mean, this was not a big city they were in.  They were in a small town where most people knew one another. At this point, Jesus was 30 years old. He hadn’t just moved into the area. This was his hometown.  Also, at least some people had probably heard about his baptism and the heavens splitting open.  John the Baptist had been arrested and one would imagine that people were on the lookout for this person that John the Baptist had prophesized about.  

It does not say anywhere that this was the first time that they had seen or encountered Jesus.  We have just assumed that.  So let’s consider for the sake of this conversation, an alternative.  What if these potential disciples already knew Jesus? Perhaps they had already spoken with him.  He had planted the seed and they were thinking as they went about their day fishing and mending nets that maybe, just maybe there was something more to this Jesus of Nazareth.  It could have been days, weeks, years, who knows how long they had been watching Jesus and wondering if he would call on them one day.

It would seem that Jesus too had been waiting for a specific moment.  In all of the Gospels, there is only one mention of Jesus’ life between infancy and the beginning of his ministry at age 30.  Surely, things had happened during that time that built up to this moment when he would call his disciples and begin his public ministry. The first line from the Gospel reading is: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.’"  It would appear that even for Jesus, there was a moment where things changed and that moment was now. 

I still remember the exact moment when I realized I had to leave the Catholic Church and seek ordination.  I usually don’t even include it in my call story because it is so very unremarkable.  It was after my 2^nd year in seminary. I was swimming laps at the gym and I realized that I was writing a letter in my head to the Episcopal priest whose church I had interned at.  I was writing about how I had made my decision and how excited I was to finally know.  And that was it. I knew I had decided.  There had been dramatic things that led to that moment.  There was prayer, conversation, arguments, tears, endless hours of studying.  Yet it was there in the monotony of counting laps that I knew.

I wonder if something similar happened with Simon, Andrew, James and John.  I believe that they had known Jesus for some time.  They saw him around town with his mother.  They were friendly but not close.  Slowly, so slowly they did not even see it coming…they started to believe, they felt a pull towards Jesus.  And it was when they were doing something monotonous like mending nets or counting fish that they heard the call clearly and dropped what they were doing to follow.  

It’s easier for all of us if we read the Bible as a book full of people who lived a long time ago, a book full of people who we could not possibly identify with.  But what if the Bible is more than that?  The Bible is a living document. What makes it holy is not merely who it is about or  the people who wrote it, but the people who read it now.  We are meant to see ourselves in these pages.  Perhaps you are like Jonah and when God calls, you run as far as you can and jump in a boat to avoid the call of God.  Or maybe you are Paul, and you really did have a dramatic conversion experience.  Perhaps you are like the disciples who knew Jesus all your life and woke up one day to realize that he was more than you ever realized.

It is not just the ordained who are called to ministry.  We are all called by God to a ministry.  But more importantly, we are all called to be disciples of Christ, to continually seek a deeper knowledge of God.  Don’t wait for a spectacular moment when your faith will solidify and you will never doubt again.  That probably won’t happen.  Instead, prepare for that moment and search for that moment of clarity.  You might find that the moment passed.  It might have passed a dozen times because you were too preoccupied to notice. But God will always give you a second chance.  God will never stop calling you.

Jan. 18, 2015: John 1:43-51

You too can evangelize like the disciples!

Year B, Epiphany 3                                           

                                                         

            I am a pretty big fan of church humor.  I have a bumper sticker collection devoted to such humor in my office. It’s not making fun of God.  It’s occasionally poking fun at the silly things we do as Christians.  As you can imagine, I love seeing those billboards on the highway with quotes signed by God.  There is a black background with white letters.  Among my favorites are: "That "Love Thy Neighbor" Thing, I Meant It." or "Keep Using My Name in Vain And I'll Make Rush Hour Longer."  Of course there are some that are less about making you laugh and more about making a point.  One just says: “I love you. I love you. I love you.”   What is interesting about these signs is that they are not attributed to anyone.  No one takes credit for them.  There is no web address under them to direct you to a page where they ask for money.  Nothing.  I find that admirable for numerous reasons.  

However, there is one billboard that I feel needs additional information.  It just says, “Follow me.”  As a Christian, we might look at that and consider it to be a good reminder.  But if you are not a Christian, it would make no sense and probably not have any effect at all.  It makes a little more sense on a bumper sticker when it says, “Follow me to St. John’s’,” but then I always worry that some person will follow someone and find they are just going home.  That could get weird. 

            Yet I wonder sometimes if we are just as vague in the Episcopal Church.  We put out signs that say, “The Episcopal Church welcomes you!”  Underneath is the Episcopal shield and the name of the church.  First of all, what are we welcoming people to? Are we welcoming them to a church, worship, prayer, volunteer work?  And what is up with the shield?  If you are not an Episcopalian the first question you might have is, “Why does a church need a shield?”  Most Episcopalians don’t even know what it means. 

            Both of these things are attempts at evangelism and I would agree that any attempt is a good one; but the big flaw is that they lack follow up.  Episcopalians respond to the word evangelism the same way they do to a flying object about to hit them…duck and cover. Evangelism is sharing God’s love with others.  That’s really not that scary.   I know that it’s harder than it seems. Only 77% of Americans identify as Christians and many of those do not engage with their faith.   People are faced with many alternatives, many different ways to spend their time.  Even some people who identify as Christians don’t go to church or pray regularly. It is no longer safe to assume that if someone is not in church it’s because they haven’t found one they like.

            Yet imagine how difficult evangelism was in Jesus’ day.  There were two main faiths in the place where Jesus was living.  There was the faith of the Hebrew people, Judaism, and whatever god the Romans were worshipping.  There were smaller variations, but those were the main faith traditions.  Because of that, it was pretty risky to move beyond those two options. It was not like now when we have over 10,000 denominations to choose from.   If you want something different, just create your own church and you can do whatever you want.

            When Jesus called his disciples, he was not calling them to a new religion.  We often consider the disciples or even Jesus to be Christian, but that word did not even exist until many years after Jesus died.  These men were all devoted Jews.  Jesus was not trying to convert them.  He was simply asking them to follow him. First he had to find the people. 

Jesus, being all knowing did not have to consult demographics or send out postcards inviting people to hear about this new great thing.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus’ first disciples come from John the Baptist’s group of disciples.  John the Baptist was with a couple of his disciples when Jesus passed. He told them, “Look there is the Lamb of God.”  That was all these two men needed.  They followed Jesus.  Jesus turned around and asked them what they were looking for.   They answered by asking where he was staying. He simply said, “Come and follow me.”  They followed him to his home and stayed with him.  The next day, one of the new disciples (Andrew) went to his brother and said, “We have found the Messiah.” Then he immediately brought his brother to Jesus. 

            So far the disciples have found Jesus with the help of others.  In the next story, Jesus finds Philip and simply says, “Follow me.” (I guess when you are Jesus, you don’t need to explain.)  After spending some time with Jesus, Phillip finds his friend Nathanial and tells him, “We have found the one Moses spoke of in the law-the prophets too-Jesus, son of Joseph from Nazareth.”  Here Philip is meeting Nathanial where he is.  He’s Jewish and knows all about Moses and the prophets.  This is a pretty compelling reason to at least listen to Philip.  Nathanial needs a little more and questions Philip.  Philip realizes that he could tell him all that he has seen and heard or he could introduce him to the man himself.  So he replies the same way Jesus did when he was questioned by John’s disciples.  He  said “Come and see.”

            What we have here are four examples of evangelism.  The first two men to follow Jesus are encouraged by someone they trust, someone who knows a lot about God, someone who has proved himself to be an honest and faithful man.  Andrew then calls the next disciple, his brother Peter.  Since he was his brother, someone he knew intimately, he didn’t have to say much….just enough to get his interest.  Andrew brought him immediately to meet Jesus.  The next example is an invitation from Jesus himself.  The last one is a friend sharing with another friend and then asking him to come and see.   That is how it all began for Jesus’ disciples and inevitably for Christianity itself.

            Some of you may know that the number one reason that people visit a church is because they have been invited by a friend. That seems deceivingly simple.  It is and it isn’t.  In all of these examples with the disciples the men were offering both a reason and an invitation.  Jesus was the only one who got away with “follow me.” The others needed to tell the person why they should come and see.  Not only did they provide information and an invitation, they went with the person to find Jesus.  

            No, it’s not as simple as inviting someone.  You need to consider your relationship with that person.  If it’s a good friend, you might be able to say, “Hey, I really love my church and I think you might too.”  If it’s more of an acquaintance, you might have to talk to them about why you go to church.  That is one of the reasons I have asked people to write about their reasons and submit them to the bulletin.  Today, you can read why Bill Saunders attends.  Then after you have invited them, you need to take the next step and say something like, “It’s kind of hard to find the parking lot, perhaps I can pick you up or meet you somewhere convenient.” Then that person is accountable to you and they don’t have to walk in alone.  They are guaranteed that they will know at least one person and that is a huge comfort for people. 

            I hear from a lot of people that we want to grow the church.  I understand that and agree.  But what we are really looking for is disciples of Christ.  We don’t just want numbers to sit in the pews and turn in their pledge on time.  We want disciples.  People come to church for all kinds of different reasons and I encourage you to talk to people about that.  But as a community, I think we need to consider why we want people in our church, more important why we want people in God’s church.  Let’s consider that in the context of the Gospel we heard today.  Jesus wanted people to know him and follow him.  So how are we, as St. John’s Episcopal Church going to help people know Jesus and be disciples of Jesus? If we can talk about that, then evangelism won’t seem nearly as frightening.