What I said last Sunday: July 5

Pentecost P+6, L14

July 5, 2015

2 Corinthians 12:1-12,

Mark 6:1-13

 

GOD’S GRACE IS ENOUGH…

 

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.

 

God give me grace to accept the things that I can’t change because your grace is enough.

 

Sounds good.  Sounds like a plan.

 

Until you try to actually live it in an overconsumed,

oppressive, dog eat dog world.

(or the hot dog eating contest on Coney Island)

 

There is never enough.

It’s about what you do to make it big –

pick yourself up by your bootstraps –

but really, are you seeing a return on your 60 hour work weeks?

2 hour commutes?

Downsizing staff but upsizing work?

 

The courage to change the things which should be changed because your grace is enough.

 

Coming on the heels of a lesson about giving our of joy –

of giving until it feels good,

we now have a lesson about grace, hospitality, trust, and humility

all rolled into one on a weekend where our nation celebrates being free of

an oppressive, overconsuming empire.

 

The text from Paul’s letter starts in the middle of an argument

he has begun about false prophets or super-pastors.

Not the kinds of pastors with capes and special abilities to fly and leap buildings

but the ones who brag about what they have done for God.

 

Paul decides to take a lesson from their page and to use their argument (which is foolish in his mind) against them –

to show them their folly.

And if you don’t know that going into the reading –

then this text can be difficult.

 

Paul’s been ‘bragging’ about how weak his preaching is in comparison to those super pastors.

The beginning of Ch 12 moves into Paul’s life.

Paul talking about how he has been shown revelations and grace –

but they are not to be shared with the Corinthians.

 

His experience is personal –

what he’s been called to do is public.

 

And part of that public call is to proclaim God’s glory even as Paul suffers for the sake of the Gospel –

that very familiar verse where God says:

my grace is sufficient (enough) – in your weakness there is power.

That seems like an oxymoron – how can weakness bring power?

It appears foolish – like the rest of the chapters 11 & 12.

 

No matter what befalls Paul in the proclamation of the Gospel –

jail, persecution, poverty, pain…

God’s grace for Paul is enough.

 

Without saying it in those words,

the reading from Mark demonstrates that idea

both in how the folks of Nazareth react to Jesus

(by whose authority does this carpenter’s son preach us the scriptures)

and how Jesus sends the disciples on two by two to other towns…

with only their staff.

They are to trust that God will provide for them in the hospitality and belief of those that they would meet along the way.

To shake off those who don’t believe and to carry on in faith.

A true mission that God’s grace is enough no matter what.

 

Huh.

 

And the wisdom to know the difference because your grace is enough…

 

The first thing that I recognize here is that its not about us –

our faith, our revelations, even our plans.

 

It’s about God’s work in, with, and under us in this time as God’s children.

 

That’s not where we – or our culture –

first draws other’s attention.

“Look what I did.”

“Without me you’re nothing.”

 

I think of team sports with a few stand out players that make headlines –

Where the team’s success stands on the play of those few folks –

instead of the team working together.

 

Our sinful nature want to make us gods in our own right…

forgetting that all that we are and all that we will be is

because of God’s grace and presence in our lives.

 

And as God’s beloved – we are communal folks –

not individual players in a team sport.

We are meant to live together, work together, worship together…(Together).

It’s not about what I do or did or will do –

but about what we do as the body of Christ.

 

Paul didn’t want the folks to look up to him –

to place him in a position over them –

but to walk with him in ministry and life.

Paul understood that all he had was from God

and that nothing would ever change that.

 

Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time, accepting hardship as a pathway to peace…

 

And the second thing that Paul makes very clear –

in acknowledging our weakness,

our thorns, our – gulp – vulnerability –

we are opening ourselves not to ruin but to the amazing power of God.

And that it really kind of nuts.

To be strong we exercise.

To show strength we internalize and avoid our feelings.

Go it alone.

But that’s not real strength.

 

Strength comes in trusting the One who is all –

and through the One –

we are joined together as a community.

And as community – we are strong.

We can’t do it all by ourselves –

and boasting about our greatness in law & gospel – spiritual pride –

doesn’t help the cause of God’s grace and mercy…

go do this – believe this – OR ELSE.

 

It takes a community –

in the midst of its own struggles with attendance and doctrine,

building issues and vision –

to continue to proclaim the Good News to those around us.

Not when things all fall into place –

its about now…how we interact as God’s own NOW.

 

Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it, trusting that you will make all things right…

 

And we’re left with the “now what?”

 

We proclaim that we can’t do it all when we remember our baptism –

the water and the Word proclaiming us new.

And we proclaim our vulnerability as we approach the altar with our hands out to receive the bread and wine,

the promise of forgiveness and grace…

 

And in that we balance our lives in the secular with that of the sacred…

We surrender our lives to God with the help of the Holy Spirit,

We trust that God is with us –

And that encourages us to admit that alone we can’t do it all.

That we can’t be it all.

And that’s ok.

 

I’m gonna share a pastor myth –

Pastors can do it all – administrate, preach, teach, create, lead…

Where we are super-pastors with capes and special powers.

 

I know it’s a myth and maybe you do too.

But there are times when you and I succumb to that myth.

 

There are times when trying to do it all and be it all just doesn’t work.

And the doing doesn’t get at what is most important to God –

the relationship that God desires with us and with one another.

The relationship that can be derailed by prejudice,

demarcation lines, oppression, and fear.

 

We put wedges between each other in how we interpret and live out scary issues instead of listening with open minds and hearts.

Heck we don’t even want to see what’s wrong because

it would mean change for us.

Who has rights to basic health care, marriage, education, safe neighborhoods?

We get caught up in security and distinctions that

we don’t see that we’ve taken God out of the equation –

and put ourselves in.

 

I believe that Paul was getting at that when he spoke of the super-pastors

boasting of their work instead of God’s.

I believe that Paul was also poking at the powers of the empire who also strove

to get the most out of the folks – with little benefit to those same folks.

I believe that Paul knew that admitting his inability to do it all –

to understand it all – allowed God to use him to bring others together – which builds strength in diversity and community.

 

God’s grace is enough.

There is power in our weakness.

Admitting that allows God to enter and to strengthen us.

The things that we take for success here in this world are not the same for God.

 

And as we pray for God to lead and guide us,

we allow ourselves to come into this place and time

to receive God’s grace and mercy –

with one another as the people of God.

 

I’m going to end with the prayer that we have been using today.

The Serenity Prayer is attributed to Reinhold Niebuhr and is one that has been adopted by 12 Step Groups.

 

In your pew is a small notecard and a pen.

The first three lines of the prayer are listed there for you to reflect upon –

to accept, the change, and to know…

You are invited as you pray and discipline this week to use this in your devotions.

(give time to hand out and for thought)

 

Let us pray…

God, give me grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

Surrendering to Your will,

I may be a fool for Christ in this life,

And rich with you forever in the next.

Amen.