Readings

FIRST LESSON

The first lesson is from Compassion: A Reflection on the Christian Life by Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill and Douglas Morrison

As long as we live on this earth, our lives as Christians must be marked by compassion. But we must not conclude these reflections on compassion without observing that the compassionate life is not our final goal. In fact, we can only live the compassionate life to the fullest when we know that it points beyond itself. We know that he who emptied and humbled himself has been raised high and has been given a name above all other names, and we know too that he left us to prepare a place for us where suffering will be overcome and compassion no longer necessary. There is a new heaven and a new earth for which we hope with patient expectation.

This is the vision that guides us. This vision makes us share one another’s burdens, carry our crosses together, and unite for a better world. This vision takes the despair out of death and the morbidity out of suffering, and opens new horizons. This vision also gives us the energy to manifest its first realization in the midst of the complexities of life. This vision is indeed of a future world. But it is no utopia. The future has already begun and is revealed each time strangers are welcomed, the naked are clothed, the sick and prisoners are visited, and oppression is overcome. Through these grateful actions the first glimpses of a new heaven and a new earth can be seen.

In the new city, God will live among us, but each time two or three gather in the name of Jesus he is already in our midst. In the new city, all tears will be wiped away, but each time people eat bread and drink wine in his memory, smiles appear on strained faces. In the new city, the whole creation down, poverty is dispelled, and wounds are carefully attended, the old earth is already giving way to the new. Through compassionate action, the old is not just old anymore and pain not just pain any longer. Although we are still waiting in expectation, the first signs of the new earth and the new heaven, which have been promised to us and for which we hope, are already visible in the community of faith where the compassionate God is revealed. This is the foundation of our faith, the basis of our hope, and the source of our love.

SECOND LESSON

The second lesson is from the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 10 verses 35 through 45

James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came forward to him and said to Jesus, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” And he said to them, “What is it you want me to do for you?” And they said to Jesus, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.” But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” They replied, “We are able.” Then Jesus said to them, “The cup that I drink you will drink; and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized; but to sit at my right hand or at my left is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared.”

When the other ten heard this, they began to be angry with James and John. So Jesus called them and said to them, “You know that among the Gentiles those whom they recognize as their rulers lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. But it is not so among you; but whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be servant of all. For the Child of God came not to be served but to serve, and to give up life as a ransom for many.”

This Week's Sermon

Date: October 18, 2009

Title:There Are No Small Parts: Only Small Actors

Message Delivered By: Rev. Dr. Joe McMurray

You know, you’ve got to love the children. I miss the consistent sound of children in church. And besides, they have a different insight and perspective that can really force you to look at things from another vantage point.

For example, one Sunday morning, the Pastor of the church noticed that little Alex was standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a huge plaque that hung on the wall.

The plaque was covered with hundreds of names and small American flags were mounted on either side of it. The six-year old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the Pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy, and said very quietly not to startle him, “Good morning Alex.”

“Good morning Pastor,” Alex replied, still focused on the plaque. “Pastor, I’ve been looking at this for awhile now, but I can’t figure out what it is.”

The pastor said, “Well, Alex, it's a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service over the years.”

Both of them were quite sober and silent, and they just stood together, the Pastor and Alex, staring at and admiring the large plaque.

Finally, Alex's voice, barely audible and trembling with fear as he asked, "Which service killed them, Pastor? The 8:30 or the 10:15?"

As they say, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
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Will you pray with me? Loving God, thank you for MCC Key West; for its generous spirit; for its desire to find and speak the truth; and for its mission to include everyone in the family of humankind. May we continue to reach into the shadows where fear and oppression wield power; and may we shine your brightest light of hope in those places, announcing to the world that we will not rest until everyone is invited to dine at your table. And may my words and all of our thoughts be filled with honor and praise to you. Amen.
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When I was a young boy attending Holy Family Catholic Church, I believe I was in the fifth grade, and it was the first time I ran for office: I ran for president of the Dominic Savio Club. There had always been a Dominic Savio Club since first grade, and to be president was quite an honor.

Dominic Savio was the patron saint of boys, since he was only fourteen years old when he died. He was one of the youngest canonized saints that served as a model for young boys and teenagers to look up to and try to imitate.

Dominic was thirteen years old when, as the story is told, Mary appeared to him and told him his mother was very ill. He was living at St. John Bosco’s school at the time and didn’t hear much news from home. He hurried home and found his mother in bed with a high fever, just as Mary had told him.

Dominic reportedly gave his mother a kiss and placed a Green Scapular of Mary around her neck. A scapular is like a medal, but it is usually made of fabric, and contains a picture of a saint with a little plastic cover to protect it. The legend continues that as soon as Dominic headed back to school his mother’s fever left her and she was completely cured! And so he was canonized a saint.

So, I was hoping that my classmates found me worthy to finally be elected President of the club. Well, I was elected. I never felt so joyful or admired. I never felt so fulfilled. I knew that great things lay ahead for me. This was only the beginning.

I remember the first time I led a meeting. I didn’t have a clue as to what do or what to say. People looked at me, and I looked at my teacher, Sr. Maureen (who is still alive, by the way). And Sister Maureen, sighed, rolled her eyes, and the Dominic Savio Club, as we had come to know it, had come to a screeching and disappointing halt.

I don’t know what I was thinking. I thought that this tremendous power, the will of the people (even if they were only fifth graders) would somehow propel me to new heights, that their votes would somehow instill in me all the knowledge I would need, and I actually believed that some switch would be thrown inside of me that would carry me great things.

I was wrong.

I didn’t understand that you had to work, and work hard, for what you earned. I didn’t realize that the beauty contest of running for office meant nothing—it was what came after that mattered. And I also failed to realize that people had put their faith in me when they voted for me—and I let them down.

It was a hard lesson. Remembering it as vividly as I do means two things to me: first, that it meant something at the time; and second, that it still means something now.

I also noticed something very familiar about today’s scripture when I was preparing my Worship Plan prior to leaving on our trip. I noticed that there was a key line from scripture that repeated from the last Sunday I preached before we left. The scripture then was from the 9th Chapter of Mark and today’s is from the 10th Chapter of Mark: Jesus tells us we ‘whomever wants to be first must be last,’ and/or ‘whomever wants to be greatest’ must first be servant of all.” That’s quite a statement for those of us who live in a culture where we constantly fight to be first person in line and where only the strong survive.

Jesus is placed in a position here of being able to have one of those brutally honest discussions with his disciples—maybe it was the very first “come to Jesus” conversation. It happens when James and John first ask Jesus to provide them an easy road toward salvation. It’s as if they’re asking him, “Give us a royal escort so that we don’t have to wait in traffic when salvation comes.”

Jesus admonished them, basically saying, “You don’t seem to get it. The road to salvation is hard work.” Jesus tells them that in reality, they’re not even close to being ready.

Amidst their disappointment, just for asking this question, the other disciples get angry with James and John whom they seem to think are starting to sneak in front of them in the line.

Jesus admits there is no comparison between the disciples and the Gentiles whose rulers treat their own people badly. This would be the Roman authority to which Jesus refers, calling them unfeeling tyrants who “lord it over” their own people.

“You’re not quite that bad,” Jesus seems to say. “But you still have a long way to go.”

Then Jesus makes it very clear: if you wish to be great, you will be one who serves others. And if you wish to become really great, you will be one who serves everyone.

Indicating himself, Jesus again points to the fact that he came not to be served, but to serve humankind. This was difficult for the disciples who were, along with others of the Jewish faith, seeking a Messiah, a great one, a ruler whose armies would gather and in victory, would decimate the enemy. They believed that this deliverer would come and liberate them from their captors (the Romans) just as God had delivered the Israelites from their captors (the Egyptians).

What happens to us when we claim to offer ourselves as servants, but instead, expect to be served? Those who have a conscience tend to realize the error of their understanding and remedy the situation. Those without conscience continue to make claims that they are servants of the people, though they show no sign of that in their speech or their manner.

Politicians constantly ask us for our money and our votes, our time and our other resources. Yet many, after achieving office, seem to become something other than who they were when they were seeking office. Many lose touch with those that “brought them to the dance” and listen instead to the lobbyists, the big corporations, the money people – instead of the hearts of the people themselves.

I daresay many of us who are fortunate to hold positions of religious authority—that is, pastors, priests, bishops, and so on—who are often not even elected to their posts—seem to glorify God and Jesus in word, but glorify themselves or some deep-seated conviction to their own narrow beliefs in deed, regardless of who might be hurt by their actions.

So who among us is the real deal? Who among us offers us the truth? Who can be trusted to carry forth our hopes and our dreams, while at the same time address our real needs?

The good news is: we have clues. And the clues were not only written throughout the scriptures, but these clues are still spoken of today.
You see, the God we worship every Sunday—the God we sing about and pray to—the God we turn to in times of need—the God we glorify in the midst of our joy, is a compassionate God.

Jesus, the child of God who brought comfort and solace to the oppressed; Jesus, the one who healed the sick in body, mind and spirit; Jesus, the one who cried at the loss of his friend and cared more about the welfare of his mother even as he lay dying on the cross—is our compassionate brother.

The emphasis could not be so stark and obvious to us.

A few weeks ago, Joan spoke about the meaning of compassion, which is to suffer with—a sympathetic awareness of another’s distress and a desire to remedy that distress.

This is what true leadership is all about: leadership means that I possess or promise to acquire a passion about the needs of others. It means that I will strive to understand others and bring remedy to them as they require. Leadership means that I will do my best to deliver my companions—my sisters and brothers—from those things that afflict them.

As the Pastor of this church, I have pledged myself to help everyone I possibly can—particularly in this church, but also outside of this church—who may be in need or who ask for my help. The Board Members of MCC pledge to do everything in their power, as elected leaders representing the congregation, to ensure that this church has the resources it needs to respond appropriately to those who ask for our help. You, as members and friends of MCC and as leaders in the community, through your gifts, your time and your prayers, help to ensure that our church becomes that safe haven for all sisters and brothers to receive what they need to sustain themselves physically, spiritually and emotionally.

Each of us play a role in leadership. But to do so effectively, to do so in a way that connects us to the heart of God, we must do so with compassion—every day, and in every way.

“In order to be the greatest we must be the servant of all.”
Henri Nouwen, Donald McNeill and Douglas Morrison offer us a glimpse of what Christian leadership is. They write:

“The future has already begun and is revealed each time strangers are welcomed, the naked are clothed, the sick and prisoners are visited, and oppression is overcome. Through these grateful actions the first glimpses of a new heaven and a new earth can be seen.”

They speak of the future, and of what can be if only we listen, hear, and respond. We have everything to gain by pledging our lives to do so.

May we continue to follow where God is leading. Amen.