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Epiphany Lutheran Church Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, July 6, 2003 Strategy for building a community Driving to church from our home on the west side of town, I usually drive at or near the speed limit on I-70, Route 29; But the other drivers make me look like I am standing still. Some drivers don't give a whit for the law; they are what we call scofflaws. Staying at 55 mph on the Beltway, where that is the speed limit, is a joke. Drivers of both trucks and cars are doing 70 and 80 mph. If they can't get around you, they'll drive on the berm to pass. Many pass on the double yellow line, run stop signs, stop lights, Cut in front of you to get off at their exit. Some drivers not only do not respect the law but do not respect other drivers on the highway. Jeannine thinks that I'm a pretty fast driver, but this summer other drivers are making me feel like an old fogy - very slow and deliberate. Well, we just say that "they are rude and impatient." Some are arrogant, some are vicious. I was wondering if this is a new thing - this disregard for laws and rights of others? In Ezekiel, God found the people of Israel to be rebellious to be impudent and stubborn they were rude and they didn't even drive. But they disregarded God's laws, they refused to hear God's word, and they did exactly the opposite of what God wanted them to do. We don't often see the rebelliousness in ourselves, but we can sure see rebelliousness in our children and grandchildren. At our family picnic, three of our children's families were there, a total of nine of our 14 grandchildren. Of course, when they get together, you can expect some rivalry or more specifically, it really is sibling rivalry. The cousins all seem to appreciate each other, but the brothers and sisters get into little scraps. The older kids say that their younger brothers and sisters get on their nerves. I found that I had to lead one four year old around by the hand to keep order. They all seem to want to have their own way (they want to be the law of the land) But they are children and they are learning by doing. Of course, when you have that many people together, there's bound to be some frayed nerves. On these occasions, I can get pretty "up tight." And, it can lead to some sharp words between Jeannine and myself. If we do have sharp words, we've learned to laugh at ourselves. Laughing relieves the tension and we get back together. We've learned to settled our little disputes rather quickly because if we don't, Satan seizes the opportunity and guides us into being impudent and stubborn. Satan loves stubbornness because when we are stubborn, we're in it for the long haul - the longer we hold on, the worse it gets. It is not easy to give up - that hurts our pride. This rebelliousness and stubbornness is not limited to individuals. This is something that a community can get into. In our Gospel lesson, Jesus was going home. He had been on the road quite some time. Every place that he went, he drew large crowds, his fame had spread and people went looking for him. He healed many people, he preached God's kingdom. He even handled the antagonists from the temple. But when he arrived, he visited with his family and friends, and then on the Sabbath, he went to the Synagogue and taught. The account says, "and many who heard him were astounded." They didn't take Jesus' words to heart; they could have asked, "what does this mean for me or us?" No, they asked, "how does this guy get so high and mighty?" "Isn't he one of us?" "Isn't he just a carpenter?" "Isn't he Mary's son?" and "Aren't his brothers and sisters right here among us?" They took offense at him! Why? Why the big put down? It seems they had to bring him down to size because he had become too big for their little town. They couldn't handle the thought that they had someone important from their little village. I think it shows how little they thought of themselves. After all, it takes a big person to recognize that someone might be smarter, more important, more popular, better looking, more successful than you! Some may think it is only a couple of people who influence the rest of the people. But the people have to be thinking alike, thinking poorly of themselves to agree with their negative leaders. On the other hand, not long ago, I was in a meeting of about fifty people. We were considering building a swimming pool. It was pretty obvious that about 6 people didn't want us to spend the money. But we had talked about it for ten years and a committee had worked on the proposal for four years. I finally decided to get up and told the committee that I appreciated their efforts to give us a pool that would work. It was the first positive thing that was said and with that the audience applauded and approved the proposal. If the group hadn't been of a similar mind set, feeling entitled, and ready to move forward, they would have let me know and voted down the proposal. But I really didn't know what the feeling of the group was because the majority was silent; all we were hearing were the negative comments and complaints. A community takes on "an attitude." It could be positive or it could be negative. I like the way the town of Aberdeen has embraced one of its sons. Some people in Aberdeen could take offense at Cal Ripkin but they would be saying more about themselves than about Cal. I think Aberdeen has celebrated one of its own in a way that is a tribute to the people of Aberdeen. Jesus said "Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown." In other words, people elsewhere hear what the Prophet says... But in his hometown they see the little boy who lived among them. All Jesus was able to do in his hometown, we are told, was to heal a few people. They wouldn't even listen to him. Jesus was amazed at their unbelief; they were blinded to the truth; they had an attitude, a stubborn, impudent attitude. Satan had closed their hearts. What does God expect of us personally and as a community? Nazareth was a negative example; we don't want to be like them! But let's put the positive spin on this lesson; there are four things to consider: First, think well of yourself. Remember that you are God's child. you were baptized and sealed with the cross of Christ. Christ has already shown that he loves us in sending his son to us; he thinks that much of us! Shouldn't we think well of ourselves, too? And, Jesus gives himself to us in the Lord's Supper. Each time we eat and drink the bread and wine, we are reminded of his love for us. Second, think well of your community; appreciate what your community has to offer. Jeannine and I live in the city, in a neighborhood that seems to appreciate itself and what the city has to offer. We often hear a lot of negative comments about the city which are not true of the city as a whole. We live near Leakin Park where the standard joke is about finding dead bodies. It is a tired and bad joke because every morning for a long time. Jeannine and I walked the new trail for a mile for exercise. Leakin Park is a great place to be in the country and yet completely in the city. It has a bubbling brook, wild flowers, trees, birds, foxes, even deer in the city. Those who complain about the city are very short-sighted. They fail to see that our city and surrounding counties' futures are intertwined. Third, think well of others. When I was young, I had an uncle who was VP of engineering & sales in a machinery manufacturing company. I went to work for him because he was a straight shooter. I learned to think well of others through his example. He would celebrate with you any accomplishment you had. What a great guy to work for! Fourth, be respectful to everyone: children, parent, husbands, wives, neighbors, even strangers. Respect others not only in words but also in deeds. Jesus set the tone in his new strategy for sending his disciples out 2 by 2. He said, stay with one family during your whole stay in a town. Don't move around to the best place. And if they don't respect you, don't get upset; just shake the dust from your sandals and be on your way. Jesus strategy was very successful. We know about God's love for us today because his disciples went out to the surrounding villages and taught them about God's love. Now it is up to us to pass it on. Amen. |