Proper 18, Yr C (Sept 4, 2022) The Rev. Karen C. Barfield
Proper 18, Yr C (2022)
Jeremiah 18:1-11
Psalm 139: 1-5, 12-17
Philemon 1-21
Luke 14:25-33
In the name of the one, holy, and living God:
in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Amen.
This past Wednesday a confluence of three events caught my attention.
When I opened up my email,
I saw a beautiful picture of a butterfly that Anna-Catherine had sent.
The colors were magnificent:
brown and orange and black with specks of purple.
She sat on a large purple bloom
drinking its nectar.
Nearby I could see yellow and orange flowers and green leaves.
It was a vision of life!
A few moments later I walked into our study
and high up on a wall was the largest praying mantis I’ve ever seen:
she must have been five inches long.
We named her Geraldine.
She reminded me of the last praying mantis that had caught my attention,
albeit a much more petite version.
When we went to remove the last of our belongings from our home in Carrboro,
when we first arrived, I had tossed my work gloves on the pillar on our front porch.
When I went to pick them up and start working,
there was a praying mantis sitting on top of one of my gloves.
It seemed to me that she was busy praying,
so I let her be.
I didn’t even move my glove so that she could stay where she was.
Throughout the day as I walked by the post,
there the praying mantis stood…
still praying.
To this day I believe that through that praying mantis God was saying,
“I am with you.”
When we left that day,
the praying mantis had not budged an inch.
I very slowly and gently removed my glove so that she could step off onto the post.
We drove away,
and she was still praying.
“I am with you.”
I am with you in Carrboro.
I am with you in Savannah.
I am with you in Asheville.
I am with you…always!
The third thing that caught my attention on Wednesday morning was Richard Rohr’s meditation.
He was talking about the Kingdom of God as a feast
and the number of times that the Kingdom is referred to as some form of great banquet.
Last week’s gospel was about a wedding banquet.
The story between last week’s gospel story and this week was about a great dinner as well.
Rohr says that, in fact, there are 15 references to eternal life being a great, big party!
And, by the way, only one story about a courtroom of judgment.
In story after story of the great feast
we hear people coming up with all kinds of excuses why they cannot attend.
Rohr’s point is that it is God’s intention to give us Life!
All are invited to the great feast…
abundant life is here for the taking…
for the pure enjoyment of it.
It is up to us to choose whether or not to attend.
And…
it seems we also want to choose whether others are invited or not!
It seems to me that today’s scripture readings all converge around this theme:
God’s abundant life.
Today’s scriptures tell stories of creation,
re-creation,
and restoration.
Today’s Psalmist is filled and overflowing with life,
with the image of creation:
“Lord, you have searched me out and known me;
you know my sitting down and my rising up;
you discern my thoughts from afar.
“…you yourself created my inmost parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
“I will thank you because I am marvelously made;
your works are wonderful, and I know it well.” (Psalm 139:1, 12-13)
We have been created in the image of God…
and that image does not leave us.
What a joy!
In our story from Jeremiah, we hear that we have opportunity for re-creation.
Sometimes we make poor choices –
harmful choices for ourselves and toward others –
and our lives become spoiled.
But…the Potter can re-form us.
We are not tossed out
but reshaped into a more fruitful vessel.
So, you see, we are never without hope.
We are never without the option for new life.
Never.
And we are never without the choice to help bring new life to others.
Paul, in his letter to Philemon, invites Philemon to restore the life of Onesimus.
Onesimus is a slave,
and Paul offers to Philemon, his slaveholder, to pay Onesimus’ debt
so that Onesimus’ life may be restored to him and he may be free.
Paul entreats Philemon with these words:
“though I am bold enough in Christ to command you to your duty,
yet I would rather appeal to you on the basis of love.”
Apparently, Paul’s appeal based on love worked.
Church tradition has it that Onesimus became the Bishop of Ephesus many years later…
a man freed for the work of Christ in the world…
a man freed on the basis of love.
These three Scriptures encapsulate our purpose of gathering together as a church.
As the church we gather here as a community to remind each other that God has created us,
that God loves us and redeems us,
that God calls us to new life.
The Church is place of re-creation and restoration!
So…Let’s party!
And give away what we have!
The questions we are invited to ask are:
What truly brings life?
Not only to ourselves, but to the world?
In today’s gospel I think Jesus’ point is to just dive in…
Don’t count the cost.
Discipleship requires whole-hearted, singular commitment to following Jesus,
wherever it may lead us,
whatever it may cost us.
If we spend our time counting the cost
or making excuses, as we hear the invitees to the wedding banquet do,
then we are wasting precious time….
Time we can be spending loving our neighbor as God already loves us.
We gather together as a community to encourage one another as faithful disciples of Jesus.
The road is long,
and the road is sometimes difficult…even painstakingly difficult.
Take up your cross and follow me, Jesus says.
Don’t sit and count the cost.
Just come and find life…
Life abundant!
I am with you – always and everywhere.
Amen.
