Readings

FIRST LESSON

The first lesson is from A Harmony of James 1 & 2 (a paraphrase) by J. Philip Newell in Celtic Treasure

James, the brother of Jesus and servant of God, to those living in exile: "Sisters and brothers, welcome with humility the word of God that has been planted within you. It has the power to save your souls. Every generous act of giving, like every perfect gift, is from above. It comes from the Giver of lights in whom there is no shadow of falseness. Understand this, my dear ones, let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow in anger, for anger does not lead to right relationships. Be doers of the word and not merely hearers. For the golden rule of scripture is, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' What good is it, beloved, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith alone save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and eat well," what good will it do if you do not also help them practically? So faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Faith without action is barren. Just as the body without spirit is dead so faith without works is dead."

SECOND LESSON

The second lesson is from the Gospel of John, Chapter 6, verses 23 through 34

The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after Jesus had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, "Rabbi, when did you come here?" Jesus answered them, "Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Child of God will give you. For it is there that the seal of God has been set." Then they said to Jesus, "What must we do to perform the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one God has sent." So they said to Jesus, "What sign are you going to give us then, so that we may see it and believe you? What work are you performing? Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'God gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Then Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is God who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world." They said to Jesus, "Sir, give us this bread always."

This Week's Sermon

Date: August 16, 2009

Title: The Real Thing

Message Delivered By: Rev. Dr. Joe McMurray

There was a minister that lived in a small rural New England town. She was out to her congregation, and she and her partner felt quite comfortable attending various church functions and community events. They’d been invited to dinner several times, and the minister knew that her partner, in particular, was beginning to feel a bit awkward about her limited wardrobe.

Her partner was out of work, and they were living on just the minister’s salary, which was not terribly huge. Her partner was a bit self-conscious because she’d been forced to wear the same outfits while dining with some of the same people. They were able to make ends meet, but that was about it. They had placed themselves on a fairly rigid budget.

At the end of the month, as the minister was going through the monthly household bills, she noticed that her partner had spent $150 at a clothing store. “What is this? This bill for $150.49 from Dresses for Less?”

“Well,” her partner began, “I bought a new outfit that was on sale. I thought you’d be pleased that I didn’t pay full price,” she said. "How could you do this?" she questioned. “You know we don’t have the money for this right now.”

"I know, I know" the partner said, "But I looked so good in the outfit. You told me you want me to look good when we spend time with the congregants in their homes, didn’t you?”

“Well, of course,” said the minister, “But $150? How did this happen?”

“Well,” her partner said, “There I was standing in the store. I didn’t even know how I got there or what I was looking for. Then all of a sudden, I looked up. And there was the outfit, staring back at me. And before I knew it, I was trying it on. It was like the devil was whispering in my ear, ‘Gee, you look mighty fine in that outfit. You should buy it.’”

“The devil, huh?” the minister said. “Perhaps you should have listened closer to my Sunday sermon when I preached about temptation. “Remember? When Jesus said, ‘Get behind me, Satan?’”
"I did hear it," said her partner. "But Satan said 'Honey, you look even better from back here.'"

To avoid temptation, always go shopping together. That way, if both of you weaken, nobody takes the blame, including Beelzebubba.
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Will you pray with me? God, we are grateful for all you have placed before us. Keep us steadfast in our trust and faith in you. When we question your wisdom in the events of our lives, give us the strength necessary to face our challenges honestly without the need for blame or regret. Help us to accept the reality of what is, and give us the courage to dream of what might be. May my words and all of our thoughts be filled with praise and glory to you. Amen.
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Today’s scripture is preceded by two big stories, two major miracles of Jesus’ early ministry: the multiplication of the loaves and fish, and Jesus walking on the water to calm the wind as the disciples feared the oncoming storm.

The crowd, who had been looking for Jesus, knowing that he had gone to the mountain in isolation instead of initially boarding the boat with the disciples, were mystified when they found him in Capernaum. And Jesus said to them, “… [Y]ou are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life.” In other words, you’re looking for the magic that made life easier for you, even in the moment. The crowd was content to raise the issue of the miracle, but they were more interested in the practical part of it: the tangible, visible reality rather than the spiritual reality. In other words, they were more interested in what they got out of it.

Jesus focuses their attention on the spiritual dimension and on the mystery of the miracle rather than the miracle itself and its result.

Too often we allow ourselves to skip a step. We jump ahead to that reactionary place of wonder and disbelief about a miraculous experience rather than holding onto the spirituality of the moment we’ve witnessed in the wonder and awe and mystery with which it occurred.
How often do we really ever stop to relish the miraculous moment? And why are we in such a rush to move on to the practical things?

I could give you about twelve excellent examples from people right in this church, but it would be such a dead giveaway, you’d know who I was talking about and I don’t want to go there. So I’ll give you an example of something a little closer to home.

You know, it was one year ago that I preached for the first time from this pulpit. The Search Committee chose us to come down to candidate, and it was almost exactly to the day that I preached. That was such a memorable day for us and it literally changed our lives.

We were in shock, I think, because this was a miracle come true for us. And for many weeks and even months to come, we kept pinching ourselves that we were actually here. So we saw and felt and appreciated this small miracle in our lives—I know we both did. In fact, we still do, but perhaps not as often.

But it isn’t because it wasn’t a miracle for us. It isn’t because we don’t appreciate being here. It’s that we have become so totally focused on the practical things here in Key West. We, like most of you, are doing our best to get through challenging times. We are busy. Eric works two jobs. And I feel like I’m working two jobs, but jobs that I love.

But you have to stop and smell the roses. You have to stop and take it all in and remember the miracle, not for what it brought you but that it happened at all. And the grace and gratitude return. And the mystery returns. And the wonder and awe of how so many pieces aligned themselves in such a way that we were able to come here—it just never ceases to amaze me.

Now while I can honestly say we don’t forget that—there are times we have failed to live it from day to day. And that’s the point, isn’t it? Feeling the miracles that happen to us and to those we love and those a world away and saying, “Thank you, God, for helping me witness these things amidst all the turmoil and strife. Thank you, God, for allowing me to appreciate and to keep on appreciating who I am, what I have, and how it all came to be.

So for the past several busy months, we forgot. We forgot what all this is. We forgot what all of this means.
Now this part is simple. It’s ridiculously simple and yet it was such an eye-opening experience for us both that I have to share it with you.

Friday started like any other Friday. We went out to breakfast, which we like to do on my day off. We rode our bikes, we took our time, and read the newspaper. We decided to go to a movie in the early afternoon. But then Eric said, “Do you feel like doing one of those Key West touristy things we haven’t done yet?”

So we rode our bikes home via Higgs Beach to see the new mural there. Then we rode back to the Hemingway House (it’s free for locals, by the way), went to lunch at Lobos for the best burger in Key West. Then we rode out to see “Julie and Julia” before heading home. What a beautiful day it was.

And it all came back to us. Where we are, why we’re here, the little miracles that brought us here, what being here means … and that’s what we’ve been talking about and thinking about all weekend.

But we realized something else. It was all right here. But we had to create it. It has been here every single day, maybe in a different shape or form. But we had to create it. We had to make it happen. And we were the only ones who could make it happen.

And there’s an even better analogy I can use—several of them, actually, all rolled into one. It’s known as MCC Key West.

Do you ever stop to realize—to appreciate, really—the miracles that happen in this church in just a little over a week? I mean, really, do you ever stop to think about what all this is for, what it means, not just for us but for people we don’t even know? It is amazing the number of little miracles that are generated out of this building in a very short period of time.

Last week, a bunch of us who care deeply about the financial stability of the church got together. It took a few meetings and a lot of planning and research. But we created a meal. We created a delicious meal that was sent throughout the community. We did. There were about 11 of us in charge and 6 others who were just eager to take the food out of the building and deliver it, but we got it done.

And some of our meals went to individuals who didn’t have to cook for themselves that night. Some went to families and friends who had a reason to come together and sit around the table and eat together without having to put the meal together themselves. There were even one or two people who couldn’t afford to pay for such a meal who were able to enjoy it.

During the week, we provided meals for nearly 400 people. 400 meals. And we provided space for people to come together and talk about their addictions and to support one another and care for one another. In our space. We provided that.

We gave our space on Friday so that people could come and learn how to cook nourishing meals to keep themselves healthy and vibrant and thriving.

We provided meals for over 100 people—a home-cooked meal for hungry people who are, for the most part, unable to provide it for themselves, to go out, to shop or to cook and do all that it takes to prepare such a meal.

And yesterday, a few of us got together, again for the financial nurturing of our church, and we stood out in the rain and washed and dried, and kept drying about a dozen cars. And we did that because of our passion. And we did that because we believe in miracles—even little miracles that can make a small difference in somebody’s life.

“What’s the big deal?” you say. You washed a car. No miracle in that.

Not so fast, my friend. We sowed seeds of goodwill with water, and soap in buckets, and towels, and a footstool and lots of elbow grease; and a few cookies and cupcakes and a few loaves of bread. And we laughed and joked and in our own way put some positive energy back into the world. And we put at least a little smile on the face of our treasurer, Sandee Carlile, who knows we’re workin’ our butts off for the financial stability of our church during the dry and lonely summer months.

And we do it because we love the church so much. We love each other so much. And we can get all these “take charge” personalities together and agree and disagree on the how and the who and the what and the why and the where—and we still come out loving each other, loving our church, and working together so that both will be fed practically, emotionally and spiritually.
And then, the pièce de résistance. We come together on Sundays to worship; to pray; to give thanks; to share our spirits with God and one another; to find connection; to seek hope; to share from our abundance; to break bread together, symbolically through the communion meal, and then practically through our fellowship hour.

And we repeat this week after week after week. Different programs, different faces, different fundraisers, different volunteers. And we do it because we know the value of the little miracles.

J. Philip Newell, in Celtic Treasure, gets to the gist of this understanding, with the help of James I and II: “What good is it, beloved, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith alone save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, 'Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,’ what good will it do if you do not also help them practically? So faith, by itself, if it has no works, is dead. Faith without action is barren.”

This is the real thing. Putting the muscle behind what we believe in faith. Putting the action to our words about justice and righteousness. Doing what Jesus would do instead of wondering what Jesus would do until we are distracted by the next thing and the opportunity has passed us by.

This is the real thing: to capture the moment when miracles happen, to create miracles in the lives of others, to put into motion what we most sincerely believe is our calling, our response to the missio Dei—the mission of God.

This is the real thing.

To struggle together until there is no more struggle; to welcome the marginalized until there are no more marginalized; to help the hungry and the poor until there are no longer hungry or poor; to support and nurture and strengthen this church, until there is no longer any need for this church to exist. And I don’t believe that will happen anytime soon, so may we persevere together through the struggle, and may we continue to follow where God is leading. Amen.