Readings

FIRST LESSON

The first lesson is from Isaiah Chapter 43, verses 18 through 25

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people,
the people whom I formed for myself
so that they might declare my praise.

Yet you did not call upon me, O Jacob;
but you have been weary of me, O Israel!
You have not brought me your sheep for burnt-offerings,
or honored me with your sacrifices.
I have not burdened you with offerings,
or wearied you with frankincense.
You have not bought me sweet cane with money,
or satisfied me with the fat of your sacrifices.
But you have burdened me with your sins;
you have wearied me with your iniquities.
I, I am the One
who blots out your transgressions for my own sake,
and I will not remember your sins.

SECOND LESSON

The second lesson is from the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 25, verses 34 through 40

“Then the realm of God will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept.

But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids got up and trimmed their lamps.

The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’

And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut.

Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But the bridegroom replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

This Week's Sermon

Date: SUNDAY, November 9, 2008

Title: Making Ready

Message Delivered By: Rev. Joe Mc Murray

Eric and I are so grateful for the warm welcome we’ve received here in Key West. We’ve only been here a couple of weeks, yet we know more than ever about the certainty of this calling, and how eager we are to engage and participate in this community.

Everywhere we go, people are saying “they’ve heard good things about us” which is amazing. I know it’s a small island. And I know Steve really gets around. But I think it’s been more than just his kind words … it has also been members of this church who have anticipated our coming with joy, and have shared that with others in the community. We thank you for that – for making our landing here so pleasurable. It means a great deal to us as we settle into our new lives.

And I look forward to a future of creating ministry with you and working together to forward the mission of this church and grow its presence in the community.

The possibilities are endless. There are many things we will explore together – and we will learn from each other as we teach each other about love and life and community; always leaving ourselves open to what God wants us to learn, and how God wants us to engage God’s mission in the world.

I know that this community has faced many challenges. But we are all intelligent and practical and realistic people. We know there will be other challenges for us in the future, as well. Because life continues to go on despite whatever plans we make.

There’s an old saying, “If you want to make God laugh, just tell God what your plans are.” It’s so true, isn’t it? Now that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t plan anything. And besides, God needs a good laugh every now and then.

Which reminds me of a story: A minister was trying to get a large, heavy pulpit through the door of a church. A church handyman, seeing his struggle, offered to help. They pushed and tugged until they were exhausted but it wouldn't move.

Then some church members arrived for a meeting. Half of them went inside to assist the pastor, and the other half stayed outside to assist the handyman. There was more pushing and pulling, and struggling, until finally, the pastor on the inside said, "We'd better give up, we'll never get this thing outta here."

Just then, the handyman on the outside said, "What do you mean, get it out? We thought you were trying to get it in!"

Yes, it’s a wise thing to plan, just as it is wise to tell each other what we’re doing and agree on what our goals are. The more flexible we are, the more we leave ourselves open for possibilities. There can be great wisdom in choosing paths at one time we never thought possible or desirable.

The bottom line is, there’s much we can offer one another, and I hope you look forward to those challenges as much as I do. If we always do our best and work together with the best of intentions – God will see us through.

Will you pray with me?
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God, Goddess – your goodness and mercy follow us wherever we go. Your benevolence has blessed this church and this community. We are grateful that you continue to protect this church and all its people. Give us the wisdom to understand your will, and the strength to do your will no matter the challenges that come. Thank you, God for all your blessings. And may my words and all of our thoughts be filled with honor and praise to you. Amen.
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A friend of ours in Gainesville invited us over for dinner before we relocated to Key West. As we shared pleasant dinner conversation, she said: “So, Joe – how will you begin your new ministry?” I said, “How do you mean?” And she said, “Well, what are you going to preach about? What will you say? What do you want to say? How will you talk to your new congregation about what you feel is most important?”

And I replied, “Wow, those are great questions!”

And then I thought, “Oh my God, what am I going to say in Key West that they haven’t already heard?”

But as I answered her question, I realized there were several things going through my mind all at once. And I was thinking, “If I say all of this right from the start, I’ll probably scare people!”

But seriously, other than some of the most obvious things to address—those places where our beliefs and our understandings about God intersect with community, in worship, in our corporate spirituality, and in life in general, there was another list I assembled.

As we begin this new journey together, I believe there are several principles to consider.

We must engage the spiritual practice of truth-telling—always agreeing to tell the truth to each other, gently, of course, but however painful it may be at times, and wherever it may lead us. This includes a willingness to seek the truth in all things, even when that means admitting we’re wrong or that someone else’s ideas are better than our own.

We must promise to be honest in our dealings with each other; always being up-front with one another by rejecting hidden agendas, ulterior motives or putting up smokescreens to get our way or camouflage the truth.

We must, as a community, always pursue a life-giving agenda, employing the best of our Christian principles as we engage the rest of humankind. This means holding ourselves accountable to God, to the Universe, to the great gift of our planet, and to all of humanity. And the best place to start that is right here in our faith community.

Almost every one of the issues and problems we have with others is due to our failure to communicate. When we fail to communicate, resorting instead to stoking our egos in our effort to be right, we begin a dangerous pattern of withholding, resentment, bitterness, and ill will. This will bring us nothing but misery, despair and isolation.

We must always be transparent. This church knows very well what happens when full disclosure is not practiced. Many people are wounded as a result, and it rarely turns out well. Besides, it’s so much easier to trust than it is to doubt. Faith is much more palatable than suspicion.

And something I think is very crucial—direct dealing. You know, I was part of a church community once that believed direct-dealing was so important, they put it in their bylaws. But sadly, just because it’s in the bylaws doesn’t mean people practice it. It takes a lot of work, especially since most of us are hard-wired to triangulate—that is, going around the problem by complaining to other people about it instead of going directly to the source.

And last, but not least—we must promise to be kind to one another and compassionate toward one another. That old adage is so true: you can’t judge a person until you walk a mile in their shoes. And even then, I would highly recommend that after you’ve walked that mile, withhold judgment. The slogan for Greyhound is “leave the driving to us.” And God might say, “Leave the judging to me.”

These things I mention are not just fluff. They are not just menu items in a smorgasbord. In truth, none of the issues I mention here are options—not if we are who we say we are as Christians.

I hope to preach more substantively in the coming weeks on what makes wholesome, inclusive, collaborative ministry by exploring these elements that are essential for a community to grow in love and in faith.

My sermon series, Making Ready, comes at a time when many of us are in a state of great anticipation: a new president has been chosen for our country who has promised a new direction and a new way of being and communicating in the world; a new pastor has arrived in Key West for you, and a new congregation has called Eric and me; and the upcoming Congregational Meeting will choose the next Board to lead this church into its future.

Spiritually, the time of preparation is near as Advent is just around the corner. And a new year awaits us in which we will offer thanksgiving and praise to our God together with beautiful music and creative worship.

Something new is about to happen—right here. And the prophet Isaiah reminds us what God reminded the Israelites: that they should trust God; that they should be mindful of looking toward the future, rather than dwelling on the past:

Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness
and rivers in the desert.
The wild animals will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches;
for I give water in the wilderness,
rivers in the desert,
to give drink to my chosen people …

The images that arise from these verses clearly speak to faith and to hope – because God can make something possible out of what was before impossible.

God will make a way in the wilderness, an area so immense one can barely sense there is any direction. Yet God will make a way.

The barren dessert is hot—a very unkind, even cruel place where little if any vegetation grows. Yet Isaiah says that God will run rivers through the dessert. God will make a way.

Wild animals are impossible to control—those of us with animals at home might even testify that some domestic animals are impossible to control. Yet even jackals, the merciless scavenger-predators of Africa and Asia, are humbled before God because God will make a way.

God makes the impossible – possible. We place limitations on God only in our minds. And when we realize this, we come to know it is important to ready ourselves to receive God, however God comes to us.

This gospel reading from Matthew has always troubled me. I really hate it when things don’t turn out well for everyone. But then I always bring myself back to center, take a deep breath and realize – ah, it’s just a parable. Nobody was really left out.

But the point is well taken. The point is to make ready – make ourselves ready spiritually to welcome God into our lives.

That’s why the principles I mentioned earlier are so vitally important. By doing these things, by examining our behaviors, by holding ourselves accountable, we meet the criteria through which we ready ourselves, humble ourselves, really, to prepare for God.

As the Advent season approaches, let us not get completely lost in the “holiday” season, but immerse ourselves in the “holy day” season – the coming of Christ in the world and in our lives.

One of the most beautiful things about the Christian tradition, as it was practiced by Jesus: what happened in the past is history. We always have God’s blessing to begin again.

May it be so. Amen.