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“Do Not Worry!”
Isaiah 49:8-16; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34
Rev. Sandy Nuernberg
Oakland-Cambridge Presbyterian Church, Cambridge, WI
8th Sunday of Easter in Ordinary
Time - 2nd Sunday after Pentecost
Presbyterian Heritage Sunday
May 25, 2008
Please pray with me, O
God, let the words of our mouths, and the meditations in our hearts be with
all of us as we are filled with your Holy Spirit in our desire for you and
your reign; fill us with strength and gratitude for the ways that you
provide for our every need. AMEN.
One of the things I had been
cautioned about in seminary and recently by my colleagues in ministry is that
pastors worry, in general, about taking time away from ‘their flock’ for any
length of time. In fact, some don’t leave their parish for long time periods for
fear of what is to come when they return! I didn’t much think about it until I
was in that situation. Perhaps I knew that I didn’t have to worry.
After just returning from a
wonderful R & R of which your Session granted me, and which I am grateful for,
and where I promised myself I wouldn’t take my cell-phone or lap-top with me, it
was a real vacation! You probably recognized my wanting to feel all right about
leaving, and, also my worrying of what happened in my absence; visits to those
ill, pulpit-supply, office responsibilities, church meetings that continue, and
other community and church happenings in the calendar year. You may be
comfortable in knowing that all went well; Ruth
(Ruth Poole, our business manager) keeps this ship on course, doesn’t
she? Our Deacons contacted those in need, the Session responded with hospitality
for and with our visitors, and our musicians collaborated at a time of illness.
In celebration in Sunday worship, in concern and even death and a funeral here
last week, Pastor Bette Duff shared her pastoral care with you, and she told me,
“Everyone had their duties and it all fell in place, from the worship services
to the fellowship afterwards.” Truly, we are blessed, I was blessed, with not
having to worry, as God provides in our time of need.
And so in our recognizing
Presbyterian heritage in our denomination today, in celebration after Pentecost,
we find in our church lectionary texts exemplary in what God provides for us,
from the time of creation and in our mother’s womb, to becoming a servant, never
hungering or thirsty, and unto salvation; all this for what we might strive. We
find, upon closer glances that we might not be aware of, or even want to admit,
there is evidence of God’s providence all around us.
Here in Isaiah’s second servant
song God is acknowledging steadfast love and faithfulness to Israel, God’s
servant. God says, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion
for the child of her womb? I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on
the palms of my hands...” It sounds quite permanent to me, does it to you? Here
Yahweh is steadfast in promising deliverance, establishing the land for them;
God has taken them by the hand and keeps them in their heritage, their
tradition. God is God and God will not forget them. Interestingly, God uses
imagery of creation to defend God’s promises...‘guided by the springs of water’
and ‘mountains made into roads’, the ‘trails shall be their pasture’ with ‘no
hunger or thirst’ or ‘scorching winds and sun to strike them down.’ God was
telling them, is telling us, not to worry, because of God’s promises God created
with God’s hands and that will be kept.
One of our trips ashore was Sunday
morning of May 11th, our (34th) anniversary, where we
visited the Principality of Monaco, an independent sovereign state located
between the foot of the Southern Alps and the Mediterranean Sea. It allowed us
to discover its fantasy land of perfectly groomed streets, lush gardens, chic
boutiques, and 19th century palaces. But the toughest part of the
entire day was tendering to its shores; high winds prevent large ships, like
ours, from porting seaside normally and, with no exception for us, we tendered
and I worried myself, almost sick, before we got there. Since a little girl,
I’ve fought with motion sickness, but this day proved valiant in us tourists not
letting God’s creation, the waves and wind, bother our views. I chewed a
Dramamine quickly as we boarded the bouncing tender and worried no more (well, I
did a little!!) as I made pictures up and down the coast of the French Riviera,
The Rock, Royal Palace, sailing vessels and watched the local police prepare for
the Grand Prix race which took place in a few hours. Because of this famous race
being held on our visiting day, the Monte Carlo Grand Casino and some streets
were closed for any visitors. Not to worry though, as we strolled Nice and its
art museums, the medieval village of Eze, its original walls still there, its
bright sun and flower markets.
Monaco’s history has been
turbulent, just like the seas, to say the least, with wars and pirate attacks,
all amid the grandiose life-style and gorgeous landscapes of today in which we
engaged our time and yes, spent a few euros. Monaco was first a Greek
settlement, then the Romans occupied, then the Genoese (Genoa is a NW seaport in
Italy near the Ligurian Sea ), and finally the Grimaldi dynasty purchased it in
1297. In 1878 Charles III instituted and abolished taxation for his people where
today Monaco is a tax haven for thousands and where residents have the highest
per capita income in the world! (Our trip 5-6-08
to 5-19-08, our tour-guide’s information, my journal notes)
This most interesting ancient and
present history I relate to you in response to Matthew’s text for us where Jesus
is talking to the Jewish community in his Sermon on the Mount
(Ch.5-7), specifically about wealth and
possessions. He mentions Solomon, perhaps the richest person in the Bible.
Ironic, isn’t it, that even today wealth can kind of distract us from what
Jesus’ wanted for his disciples and us and that was and is for our focus upon
God’s reign in the Kingdom of Heaven. We have the reign of God to strive for,
and in our trust there is no time to worry or most of all, gather material
things. God’s reign is God with us, so there is no worry.
As did Isaiah, in stressful times
of worry Jesus used images of creation, in the nature of the birds of the air,
the lilies of the field where they grow and are nurtured and fed. In Rev. John
E. Haggai’s book, “How to Win Over Worry” he suggests that worry is a sin, and
that we ‘should go to the Word of God’ to find the solution to worry. For our
text Haggai sights a simple formula, the 3 P’s,
PRAISE+POISE+PRAYER=PEACE, a peace formula that is, along with
Philippians 4:4-8, ‘the peace which passes all understanding’ the biblical basis
for his book. (Haggai, J. Edmund, How to Win Over Worry, Harvest House
Publishers, Eugene, Or, 2001, p. 40-43). I find his formula in
each worship service we encounter; the strength of praise to God and
God’s nearness, positiveness in our poise in God’s presence, and
prayer that sustains us in God’s Word. Our peace is in knowing that
the peace of God shall keep our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
In some ways, it’s hard to believe
we haven’t changed much in over 2,000 years, have we? Like Abraham we want to be
provided for and not to worry. Like Abraham, as a people, as a nation, we long
for relationships with families, offspring, and the desire for land ownership.
Yet, even in our consumerism society of today we especially want peace, harmony,
unity among us and our neighbors. Even as God promised Abraham that God would
provide land and an offspring, Abraham followed and God provided, even in giving
Abraham his son Isaac back (Gen. 22).
It is in God’s nearness that we
ask for and listen to and can focus in worrisome times and stress. The good news
for us from the gospel is that in our presence and absence among loved
ones, even our offspring, in our travels of viewing beautiful landscapes, in
staring out the window at the colorful birds of the air, or the precious flowers
that grow, in the sound of the waters and streams where lilies sway in the
breeze, God is faithful still. In our heritage God’s providing for our every
need is likened to images of creation we take for granted, but also that we can
enjoy as the nearness of God towards our every need. Do not worry!!
Thanks be to
God. AMEN.
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