Wouldn't that be a kick -- you go to church some Sunday morning, and when it comes time for the sermon the clergyperson just shrugs, says, "Got nuthin'!" and announces the Hymn of the Day instead?
Well, that's where I was this weekend. I think it's because, on face value, Sunday's Gospel lesson brings to mind all the legalistic churches out there that try to micromanage everyone's behavior, where everyone is constantly snooping into everyone else's business and tattling to the authorities and denouncing/shunning/excommunicating. I remember reading, in an autobiography of an ex-Amish woman, about another young Amish woman of her acquaintance who, one day while helping make hay, had the audacity to continue working with uncovered hair after her scarf fell off...and she wound up having the local bishop and elders pay her family a formal visit for a frowny-faced scolding on female modesty. Stupid crap like that. If that's what Jesus had had in mind, I think I'd say, "No thanks -- heathenism works for me fine."
But is this the dynamic that Jesus meant? My pastor came away from this text with a completely different spin. And his spin focused on...the two or three friends. You know; the ones you bring with you when the person who's done you wrong doesn't want to work things out with you one on one. Presumably the same two or three friends who come with you when you talk to the church muckety-mucks, and then, if they won't listen you, to your entire faith community.
One point our pastor made: If the church, individually and collectively, fails you -- "gather the tribe." Hang on to your Christian friends who get it, who are there for you. All it takes is one or two others: "There am I in the midst of them."
Another point our pastor made: How ironic that Jesus tells his followers, in his scenario of being the Church, to treat the obstinate and unreasonable perpetrators of wrongs against us "like a Gentile or a tax collector." Because who hung out with Gentiles and tax collectors? Jesus. What Jesus is saying, said our pastor, is not only that we have a right -- a right -- to redress our grievances with others and with our faith communities, but that when all else fails we have the option of saying, "You know what, Jesus? I can't deal with this anymore. It makes me too crazy. You deal with this person. You deal with these people."
Gather our friends around us; commend our foes to the One who can turn foes into friends in God's good time. Sounds like a plan to me.
"At Church," Carl Larsson
11 comments:
That is good stuff. I must admit I abandoned the lectionary due to Katrina and what felt important to say in my particular context. (I leapt ahead to Matthew 25:31-46.) Thanks for the Larsson image. My late Swedish mother-in-law was such a Larsson fan, as am I.
My pastor had a couple of interesting takes on these scriptures. He said that when the Gospel says to treat those who have sinned against you as a Gentile or a tax collecter, Jesus was saying you need to start all over with them in sharing the good news.
He also said that another good analogy for this Gospel was the idea of sining in harmony, and how we sometimes need the blending of many voices to make an impact. That was particularly moving in our congregation as we had many worshipping with us who were refugees from Orleans and surrounding parishes.
interesting point he made. thanks for sharing it!
btw one Sunday our pastor did just that - said that she'd prayed for a word and got none -so there would be no sermon and did anyone have a testimony instead :)
not sure if you read penni's blog (martha martha - the link is on my site) but she was bemoaning the fact that her priest didn't even refer to hurricane Katrina ... wondering what other Rev Gals think about that. (songbird's comment reminded me :) )
I ended up dumping my plans to do the Matthew 18, but I explained why to them. I preached my first "contextual" as opposed to "textual" sermon ever, based very, very loosely on a Psalm. But I had plenty of "I got nuthin'" moments before that!
I can't fathom *not* talking about Katrina. Wouldn't it be tough to worship with a 5-ton elephant in the room?
In the context of talking about "gathering the tribe," our pastor said something to the effect of, "Maybe our tribe here in this neighborhood could benefit from taking in some of the displaced people from the Gulf states." I saw a few people look at one another, "Whaaaa...what does he want us to do?" Actually, there's an old empty motel down the road that would be a good place to house people. Except that we are in the economic armpit of our economically moribund state, so we wouldn't have any jobs to offer them, not even burger-flipping jobs.
Songbird: I just love the expression on the usher's face.
Our sermon came at a good time for me because over the past week I've kept encountering people who want to frame Hurricane Katrina in terms of God "teaching us a lesson" -- or, more accurately, "teaching them a lesson" -- you, know, those Bad Other People Over There. (Well, I guess it's teaching all of us a lesson, since evidently I am a reason for the hurricane.:P) These punitive folks actually seem happy about the hurricane, because in their heads it's a confirmation of their own primitive, hateful, vengeful theology...sort of a faux-sanctified Schadenfreude. I let 'em have it verbally.;-) (I have been known to do that sometimes.) But I had just had enough. So in a way hearing what I probably knew deep down but needed to hear someone else tell me again -- that some situations we commend to God and walk away -- was a good thing.
or, more accurately, "teaching them a lesson" -- you, know, those Bad Other People Over There
Yeah, that's Al Qaeda's take on it. Good recommendation for that exegesis?
{sarcastic snark-mode Off!}
Yeah, I heard that Al Quaeda was quite thrilled about the hurricane -- God on their side and all that. More evidence that religious extremists, no matter what their religious affiliation, are all pretty much the same...IMHO it's more of a personality disorder than a theological point of view.
(It's my blog, so I can keep my snark-mode on.;-))
Al-Qaeda. Gaaah. I used to be a proofreader, too.
In Peterson's The Message the instruction about discipline that says "treat him like a Gentile and tax collector" reads:
"If he won't listen to the church, you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentance, and offer again God's forgiving love."
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