This sermon has the same title as another sermon I preached on this Sunday several years ago, but it is quite different. Praise God and enjoy!
Isaiah 61:10-62:3
Psalm 148
Colossians 3:12-17
Luke 2:41-52
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts
be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen.
Occasionally I begin a sermon with
a caveat, today will be one of those days. Homiletics is the study of all
things preaching. My homiletics professors would say that definition is too
narrow, but that’s why they are professors. The professors say we should not
share too much of ourselves and today I will probably share too much. They say
our experiences should not be used to typify the experience of the gospel and I
hope I don’t do that. You’ll be the judge.
They also teach scripture and the
glory of God must be central to the sermon. If I fail in this, that’s my fault,
not theirs.
You see, about a million years ago,
when I was in high school, I was a stage rat. Most waking hours after school
would find me in the theater. When I wasn’t on stage in supporting roles,[1] I
was working in the sound booth on a board so old it had tubes. (See, I told you
it was a million years ago!) One of the shows I was in was “The Night Thoreau
Spent in Jail” where I played the unnamed “Farmer.”
If you’ve never heard of it,
neither had any of us. It was written by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, the
team that wrote “Inherit the Wind” based on the Scopes “Monkey Trial.” “Thoreau”
is about the life of Henry David Thoreau seen through a series of flashbacks during,
yes, the night Thoreau spent in jail for failing to pay a poll tax. This is
neither here nor there really; this is a transition to share something Thoreau
wrote.
One of Thoreau’s many books was
“Walden.” The introduction to a Thoreau collection calls “Walden” “part
personal declaration of independence, social experiment, voyage of spiritual
discovery, satire, and manual for self-reliance.”[2] To
judge by this sentence, I see it as Thoreau’s assertion that he was the
smartest kid in the class. From Lawrence and Lee’s dramatic treatment, I’d say
Thoreau thought he was the smartest kid in the class. I say this with
confidence because now with humility I have to admit that I have spent most of
my life thinking I was the smartest kid in the class.
I say it with humility because in
retrospect I know I’m not the smartest kid in class, but like Thoreau, I still
try to come up with novel declarations of revelation, interesting spiritual
discoveries, and satire. Let’s face it, I’ve given you Pastor Jim’s grandfather
sowing his fields riding his bicycle backwards, the Nun-Bun, and RefuJesus. Anyway,
I say all of this to share one of the most famous quotes from Walden which is
often shortened to “beware of enterprises that require new clothes.” Maybe what
Thoreau was getting at is that who we are is more important than what we wear.
To make that point from a
theological prospective, this story comes from the introduction of a short book
called “Transformational Ministry, Church Leadership and the Way of the Cross:”
In a recent class discussion, a student
mentioned a workshop she had attended in which an “image consultant” spoke to
the gathered ministers (or church professionals as they referred to themselves). The consultant pointed to the need for clergy
to project a positive professional image.
She told them that, because they are made in the image of God, they
should buy only the best clothes, jewelry and accessories, and should make
every effort to look as chic and smart as possible. After the student related her (all too true)
story, I paused for a very long time. I
was frankly appalled and, momentarily at a loss for words.
The students sat as the silence hung heavy
around us. Finally, I said: “I guess
what I’m trying to picture in my mind is this: how should we look if we are
supposed to reflect the image of the God who has revealed himself to us in the
tormented shape of a Jewish man named Jesus, crucified on a city dump and
discarded by the powers of his world?”[3]
Beware of all enterprises that
require new clothes indeed.
Isaiah declares:
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord,
my whole being shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of
salvation,
he
has covered me with the robe of righteousness.
In Colossians we read:
As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved,
clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.
Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive
each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. Above
all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect
harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you
were called in the one body.
Thoreau tells us it’s not about the
suit we wear but the one who wears the suit. Scripture doesn’t. Scripture has
us take a hard look at the clothes we wear. But more than that, scripture has
us look at the clothes we are given and the one who gives them to us. Isaiah
tells us that the Lord our God gives us the most glorious clothes. Isaiah tells
us that we are given the garments of salvation. We are given the garments of
salvation.
We are given clothes more valuable
than any we can imagine. Scripture compares this garment to wedding clothes.
The adornments are compared to jewels, jewels more costly, rare and plentiful than
we can possibly imagine. This is the value of the garments of salvation, not
their appearance but their value; more than we can imagine. Receiving these
garments, these wonderful garments, our praise shoots forth like the fruit of a
miraculous garden, perhaps a garden not seen since the days of Eden.
For this we rejoice, yes we
rejoice. Receiving these garments brings joy; joy in receiving salvation; joy
that the Spirit of the Living God continues to indwell us. “Joy to the world,
the Lord is come, let Earth receive her King!” [4]
As Isaiah prophesies, the Lord clothes us in his righteousness so that our
praise may inhabit Zion, Jerusalem, and all creation. Our righteousness? Never.
It is Lord’s righteousness that we receive.
Given the garments of salvation, we
are to do more than model them on the fashion runways of Milan and New York. We
are to more than just wear them. It seems that some folks, especially in some
of my least favorite contemporary Christian music, treat salvation and the
coming of Christ like waiting on a bus. This is not the purpose of the
salvation we receive. We are given a blessing to be a blessing. We are to be a
blessing, not a spectator.
Oh yes, the Great Commission tells
us, entreats us to go. Go and make disciples… then the rest of Matthew’s gospel
tells us of ways to go and make disciples. In his life and his writing St. Paul
shows us more ways. Isaiah gives us an image of the garments of salvation like
the fine clothes of a bridal party. Paul’s image gives us something more of a work
shirt or coveralls.
The man who was one of the greatest
Rabbis of the ancient world, a man who had more to brag about than any other
man who would boast about his rabbinic pedigree, Paul teaches that being a part
of Christ’s body is not something to lord over others, it is for service to others.
Thus we dress in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. We bear
with one another and forgive as our Lord forgives us. Our clothes are not silk
and linen; our clothes are love which binds everything together in perfect
harmony.
This is what we wear into the
world. This is the gift we receive. This is the gift of our Lord God, which is perfected
in Christ, which remains with us in his Holy Spirit and gives great joy. Yet Paul’s
life shows us that this joy may not bring happiness, not in the way our world
defines it. Saul of Tarsus was blinded. The Apostle Paul was bound, arrested,
and flogged. He was left by travelling companions and shipwrecked. But in his
faith, faith in the Lord Christ there is joy. Even in our pain we are to share
God’s joy with the world. Joy we are to take away from our Walden’s and share
with the world. Yes, in our world’s ways we will be crucified; but in Christ,
when we choose to seek it, we will find joy.
Back to the oversharing: The past
two years have been very difficult for my family. Unemployment (mine),
disability (Marie’s), and poverty (shared together) have been our constant
companions since the closing of the church in Marshall two years ago. I have
been challenged by the despair of grief and sorrow of depression and more.
People I thought were in our corner abandoned us. Support I thought would
uplift us was nowhere. Grief, sorrow, pain, rejection have been constant
companions.
Happiness, well, that was something
that left the building a long time ago. Sharing joy is difficult when you feel
no joy, but happiness and joy are not the same thing. That was a turning point
when the Lord revealed joy and happiness were not only different but oftentimes
unrelated. Oh it’s a lesson I continue to learn, but at least I God has not
given up on me, nor I on God. So please share my joy as I tell you when I was
at my lowest, it was your Pastor Jim who came to see me in the hospital; thanks
to you all and praise to God. I treasure that memory.
On that note, there’s a sentence in
our gospel reading that gets to me every time I read it. This particular phrase
is seen twice in scripture. Once here after the young Jesus is found schooling
the Scribes and Pharisees but once earlier when the shepherd boys come at
birth, the birth we celebrated a scant three days ago. Each of these times,
scripture tells us that Mary “treasured all these things in her heart.” Mary
preserves and protects; Mary guards these memories[5] in
her heart.
Especially during this time, during
this season, we too need to remember who provides us with the garments of
salvation, and what is expected of us when we wear them. We are to take this
most valuable of garments and wear it into the world like a work shirt so all
God’s creation may be blessed by God’s greatest gift. We need to treasure this.
Then we need to share what we treasure with those who need to hear this very good
news.
As a theater rat, I was a member of
our school’s repertory theater company. We would go out and perform at grade
schools and nursing homes. I was Linus and Schroeder in “You’re a Good Man,
Charlie Brown;” the Shoe Salesman in “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible,
No-Good, Very Bad Day;” and Weaver #2 in “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” I can’t
know, but I imagine Thoreau would have been a fan of “The Emperor’s New
Clothes.”
Thoreau enjoyed puncturing the
pompous. To have a wee tot declare the Emperor is naked would have been right
up his alley. Thoreau was truly onto
something if he was saying who we are is more important than what we wear. But in
Christ we say more. We show the world that what’s important is not just who we
are but the one who makes us who we are.
I shared a shortened version of a
quote from “Walden” earlier, but now I want to add a bit more to give it some
extra context:
“A man who has at length found something to
do will not need to get a new suit to do it in; for him the old will do, that
has lain dusty in the garret for an indeterminate period. Old shoes will serve
a hero longer than they have served his valet—if a hero ever has a valet—bare
feet are older than shoe, and he can make them do… But if my jacket and
trousers, my hat and shoes, are fit to worship God in, they will do; will they
not? …I say, beware of all enterprises that require new clothes, and not rather
a new wearer of clothes.” [6]
I think Thoreau has a good point,
but it’s not a good theological point. In Christ we are called to more. I want
us to consider our clothes. I want us to be clothed in the garments of
salvation from Isaiah. I want us to intentionally be clothed with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. And there is no better piece of
clothing to remind us of this than our baptismal gowns.
To quote Henry Nouwen:
In the waters of our baptism, we are covered
in a newness of life. The world of our old life is washed away. When washed, we
are fully reconciled to Christ. We are free to fully trust that we belong to
God. Dressed in the robe of Christ, we are to free our minds, hearts and souls
to be truly free in this world to be ministers of His reconciliation. But it is
only in this sacramental relationship that we can accomplish this, otherwise we
fall back into our self doubt and self rejection.[7]
This has been a tough year for us,
and I want to thank you. I want to thank all of you for truly being the Body of
Christ for my family this year. Happiness, well… but in Christ we are clothed
in joy. In retrospect, I wonder if in knowing himself Thoreau denied himself the
joy of a life in Christ, and contrary to his public personae falling into
self-doubt and self-rejection. Thoreau seemed to be more influenced by the religious
than the faithful. This is truly a shame but not so uncommon in his day nor in
ours. But judging from his literary works, faith doesn’t seem to be the kind of
suit Thoreau would wear anyway. As for me, as for us, as for the Body of
Christ, we’ll take joy in the community of our baptism in of Christ over a
private Walden any day.
[1]
Remember, there are no small roles, only small actors.
[2] Thoreau,
Henry David. Henry David Thoreau : A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers /
Walden / The Maine Woods / Cape Cod. Library of America.
[3] Jinkins,
Michael, Transformational Ministry, Church Leadership and the Way of the
Cross. Edinburgh : Saint Andrew Press, 2002, page xi.
[4] This
morning’s opening hymn was “Joy to the World”
[5] thre,w,
Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, vol. VIII, Grand Rapids , MI
[6] Thoreau,
Henry David. “Walden, An Annotated Edition.” Walter Harding, Ed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin. 1995, page 20-21.
[7] Nouwen,
Henri, Bread for the Journey, A Daybook of Wisdom and Faith, December 26 entry.
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