SERMON ~ 09/21/ 2014 ~ “Repentant and Lost”

09/21/ 2014 ~ 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ (Proper 20) ~ Exodus 16:2-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 37-45; Jonah 3:10-4:11; Psalm 145:1-8 Philippians 1:21-30; Matthew 20:1-16.

Repentant and Lost

“...Yahweh, God, said to Jonah, ‘What gives you the right to be so angry?’” — Jonah 3:4.

Most Protestant denominations identify just two sacraments: the Eucharist, sometimes called Communion, sometimes called The Lord’s Supper, and Baptism.  But Roman Catholic teaching holds there are seven sacraments entrusted to the Church.

Now, the classic definition of a sacrament is fairly straightforward.  A sacrament is an outward and visible sign of the presence of God, an outward and visible sign of the channels of the grace of God.  I, personally, would argue if a Sacrament is the outward and visible sign of the presence of God and the grace of God, there are not two sacraments or seven sacraments but seventy times seven.

But I digress.  This is the sevenfold list of sacraments of Catholicism organized into three categories.  There are three sacraments of initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist.

There are two sacraments of mission, sacraments of journey: Holy Orders, sometimes called Ordination, and Matrimony.  (And all of you married folks will understand that matrimony is a journey, right?  O.K.)  Last, there are two sacraments of healing: the Anointing of the Sick and Penance, sometimes called Confession, sometimes called the Sacrament of Reconciliation. [1]  (Slight pause.)

There is something we in American Main Line Churches tend to push a little to the side.  It’s that there can be outward and visible signs of the presence of God and channels of the grace of God in rites of reconciliation.  And such rites, these liturgies, are readily available.  (Slight pause.)

This [the pastor holds up a book] is the Book of Worship of the United Church of Christ.  My guess is there are some life-long Congregationalists who don’t even know this exists.  Among the orders for worship in it there is a whole section of Services of Reconciliation and Healing.

That the Book of Worship of the United Church of Christ contains such rites is quite normal.  The Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church and The Book of Common Worship of the Presbyterian Church also contains sections with these kind of services.

Now, if there is any common American heresy— and there are plenty of American heresies, believe me— if there is any common American heresy, it’s the claim that we are perfect, flawless.  As I have said here before, if anyone here is perfect and present today, please leave— especially Bonnie.  (There is laughter among the congregants, as Bonnie, the wife of the Pastor and a member of the choir, has made a move to stand, only to be restrained by her fellow choir members.)  Church is where imperfection finds a home and resides.

So, the bottom line is simple.  We are all standing in the need of— choose the word you like— reconciliation, repentance, confession, penance... healing.  We are all in need of healing.

Please note: rites of reconciliation are about healing.  Therefore, rites of reconciliation are not about making a list of our sins and naming them, although that can be psychologically helpful in the healing process.  Additionally, as humans, I suspect if we need healing of anything— if we need healing of anything as humans— it’s anger.  (Slight pause.)

One of my mentors in ministry, the Rev. Carol Anderson, and I had long conversations about the healing available in rites of reconciliation.  For me, what made those conversations especially meaningful was the realization that we all have and we all hold some level of anger within us.  That is a piece of our imperfection.

That we all harbor some anger is an unquestionable psychological truth— an unquestionable psychological truth.  That most of us strive to keep anger tapped down because we strive to behave in socially acceptable ways is probably also true.  But that we know there is anger within us is simply a truth.

Now, in those discussions I had with Carol what I discovered is, in a real sense, the only one with whom we should be angry... is God.  Why?  God can take it.  (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Jonah: “...Yahweh, God, said to Jonah, ‘What gives you the right to be so angry?’”  (Slight pause.)

I was glad Mary Williams decided to use the anthem Jonah by Paul Lee Johnson. [2]  Why?  Because it tells the whole story of Jonah right up to the point where the lectionary reading of Jonah for today starts.

So, for a moment, I am going to recapitulate the story.  God said to Jonah “go to Nineveh.”  And Jonah flees.  Why?

Jonah knows God is (quote:) “...gracious and merciful, tender and compassionate, slow to anger, rich in kindness and abounding in steadfast love, a God ready to relent from punishing or violence.”  And Jonah is not pleased.  Jonah is angered by that.  So Jonah flees.

The story continues that the ship on which Jonah sails runs into foul weather.  The storm ceases when Jonah is thrown overboard and devoured by a large fish.  Please note: whatever it is that swallows Jonah, it’s probably not a whale.

The words of the original language— and whales were certainly known in antiquity— the words of the original language indicate it is a ‘great fish’ or ‘big fish’ or a ‘huge fish.’  Indeed, one credible interpretation is this is some kind of sea monster.

Therefore, it is also a credible interpretation that the tale of being swallowed is meant simply to be a mythological allegory.  And sea monsters were a common part of myth and allegory in ancient times.  What’s an allegory?  An allegory is a story which can reveal a hidden meaning, a lesson.

So, for me, the story Jonah— in terms of literature, a short story, the kind of tale which readily conveys mythology and uses allegory— for me, the story of Jonah works on a number of levels as it conveys its message.  Let’s start with repentance.

We moderns commonly think of repentance as being sorry, asking for forgiveness.  That is not the Biblical meaning.  In the Bible repentance means turning one’s life over to God, turning one’s life toward God, in the direction of God.

Which brings up another American heresy.  ‘You mean my life is not turned toward God?’  How dare you?

Well, remember what I said earlier?  If anyone here is perfect, please leave?  Church is where imperfection finds a home and resides.

Yes, we all need to turn our lives toward God.  Turning toward God needs to be and should be a consistent, continual exercise, something done daily.

“But,” the observant among you will say, “Jonah is a prophet of God.  Has not Jonah— a prophet of God— by definition, already turned toward God?”  Why yes.  I quite agree.  I believe Jonah’s life is turned toward God and Jonah wants to do the will of God.

However, that is the very place things start to break down for Jonah.  You see, if there is one constant for Jonah throughout the whole story, it’s that Jonah is angry.

Jonah is angry with the world.  Jonah is angry with nearly everything that happens.  And, most important, Jonah is angry with God.

Again in the words of Paul Johnson, Jonah is pictured as saying this: “I am cast out; submerged with doubt.”  Why submerged with doubt?  Here doubt is simply a symptom of anger.

Therefore, Jonah is both repentant— has turned toward God— and Jonah is lost, quite lost.  Jonah is so angry that Jonah cannot see straight.  Jonah is in need of healing.

Which leads us to something we discussed in Bible Study this week— the fish.  Is Jonah swallowed by a big fish?  Yes.  And the name of that fish is anger.

Throughout this story Jonah is not only swallowed by anger, Jonah is consumed with anger.  Jonah is lost, lost because Jonah has not turned that anger over to God.

And God has actually been confronting Jonah about anger throughout the story.  But here, in this chapter, God very directly confronts Jonah about anger.  (Slight pause.)

There are two things of interest to note here: Jonah is never angry with anyone except God.  And God can take it.

But I think it’s even more interesting that Jonah can be counted among the repentant, among those who have turned their lives over to God.  And yet Jonah is still lost, submerged with doubt, angry with God.

So, for me, because of the reality of anger— and I don’t think any of us can deny that anger is real— because of the reality of anger, the story of Jonah— whale or no whale— is quite real.  You see, once you grapple, once we grapple with the allegory that abounds in this story, then the reality of the struggle we call life presents itself.

And indeed, once we grapple the allegory that abounds in this story, the reality of the struggle we call life not only presents itself, it becomes more than simply an interesting story.  It becomes quite real since the story addresses not fantasies we might have about the Bible, and not fantasies we might have about life.  Bottom line: this story addresses the reality of life— what’s out there, what we face, daily.  Amen.

09/21/2014
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, NY

ENDPIECE— It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction.  This is an précis of what was said: “A Native American pastor/storyteller about whom I know says this: ‘I will tell you a story.  It is a true story.  I do not know if it happened.’  You see, the foundation of all theological discourse and all Biblical scholarship is this: God is unknowable. Therefore, all language which addressed God is, by definition, metaphor.”

BENEDICTION: God surprises us and provides for us.  Let us trust God and give thanks.  Let us seek God’s will.  And May we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much.  May we be so in awe of God, that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else.  Amen.

[1]   All this about sacraments is commonly known.  As it happens, I consulted the Wikipedia pages and stole some of the verbiage.

[2]

Jonah
    words and music by Paul Lee Johnson

The Lord said: “Go to Ninevah”
    but Jonah chose to flee,
and took a sailing
    ship across the sea.

And there he hid below the decks,
    not one among the crew
had any knowledge
    that Jonah was a Jew.

The storm was raging overhead
    the waves were crashing in;
the sailors’ prayers
    were drowning in the din.

Poor Jonah was discovered,
    an omen in their eyes
that they should suffer
    a Hebrew in disguise.

Jonah, Jonah, where you going to?
Don’t you know that God will follow you
    to the ends of the earth,
He will follow you,
    He will follow you.

Jonah, Jonah what was that you said?
Aren’t you really wishing to be dead
    to the love of the Lord,
what He wants for you,
    what He wants for you?

The captain asked, “What shall we do? 
    We wish our lives to keep.”
Said Jonah “Throw
    me in to the briny deep.”

They feared his blood was innocent,
    and on their heads would be
the dreadful onus
    of acting out the deed.

The sailors rowed with all their might,
    they failed against the wind.
When all was lost
    they threw poor Jonah in.

And as he plunged into the waves,
    the hurricane was through.
The sailors knelt and prayed
    to the God that Jonah knew.

I am cast out.
    Submerged in doubt.
But if I pray and turn about,
    my God delivers me.

And from the belly of a whale
    prayed Jonah day and night.
The Lord was well
    aware of Jonah’s plight;

for soon the whale had spit him out,
    he lay upon the sand
a sinner saved
    by God’s almighty hand.

I was cast out.
    Submerged in doubt.
And when I pray and turn about;
    my God delivers me,
        my God delivers me,
            my God delivers me.