The Wisdom Sermons Part 2 of 2. James 3:13 4:3, 7-8a. I want to begin with an amusing personal story about whether or not wisdom

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1 The Wisdom Sermons Part 2 of 2 James 3:13 4:3, 7-8a I want to begin with an amusing personal story about whether or not wisdom can be detected in terms of appearance. Can you look at a person and tell whether s/he is, in fact, wise Earlier this month -- September 2 nd -- I visited Dunkin Donuts on Main Street in Glastonbury. It s probably my favorite location among the many options in the area. The employees are courteous and super efficient and the atmosphere in that particular store is almost always buzzing with kindly energy. I often notice groups of people chatting with each other across the tables and lingering in the lounge area. That day -- September 2 nd -- I struck up friendly small talk with an older gentleman and his wife. It was before noon, so I was still dressed in my shirt and tie. Somehow, there was a turn in our chat that presented an opportunity for me to mention that I work here at South Church. He said that he regularly attends Catholic mass here in town; and that he was familiar with our church and some of our folks, including Pastor Al. It was a lovely little exchange. I was so grateful to have made a random connection with a fellow believer. It was like meeting a long-time acquaintance

2 2 for the first time. And I imagine that maybe our banter may have indicated to others that we were pals or peers two of a kind men of a certain age. Anyway, I placed my order with the young lady behind the counter: May I please have a medium hot chocolate and one glazed donut? She rang up my order and told me the total: $3.61. Not because the amount was unusual or anything; but I asked her to verify: How much...? She said, Oh, I m sorry and reentered my order. Seconds later I glanced down at the register display which read: SENIOR DISCOUNT. I don t think I was offended. I saved 17 cents, after all! I did feel some kind of way, though. This was a moment of reckoning the kind wherein you try to make sense of what has just happened and why. Was I the recipient of this young person s sympathy...or honor? I want to believe...i choose to believe...that there was something about my facial expression (and not necessarily my facial hair) that conveyed an ease of manner and mildness of temperament and refinement of spirit, like Scotch Whiskey aged in a barrel. Or maybe I need to start dying my beard again? I ve hung onto the receipt from that day -- September 2 nd. I ll make sense of the episode eventually. Meanwhile, I want you to pray with me on the second part of the sermon series on the subject of wisdom entitled: GENTLENESS

3 3 BORN OF WISDOM. [prayer] NOT APPEARANCE. NOT AGE. ACTION INDICATES WISDOM! I think we can agree that there is no real connection between wisdom and appearance. It is pure prejudice to think that everyone with gray hair or glasses or a tweed sport coat is a sage soul. We do that very thing, though. We make conclusions about folks based on their physical attributes. That s unthinking and unfair and unwise. Friday, I was searching for an entirely different coffee shop in Glastonbury (not because I have grudge against anyone at my favorite Dunkin Donuts location...as far as you know). I stopped to ask a woman on a nearby street if she was familiar with the place. In my mind, she looked like she knew where it would be. I made that assumption. Which is rather hypocritical since I would be upset if someone made a similar assumption about me based on something as arbitrary as my outfit. She politely said, I m not from here. I don t know. There is no way to know what someone knows (or has experienced) by looking at her. Similarly, people who use big words are not necessarily big brains. Say, for example, you heard someone use the word deuterocanonical in casual conversation last week. Say, you were that person. It would be a mistake to assume intelligence or understanding.

4 4 Nor is there is any linkage between wisdom and age. Again, we practice that kind of partiality all of the time. It s a social convention to associate the number of years a person has lived with the amount of knowledge or awareness s/he possesses. It s a faulty formula, though. Because the truth is that some folks reach advanced age without figuring out very much. Conversely, there are young people who have acquired wisdom beyond their years. You re, no doubt, familiar with both types. FROM BELOW So, it s not true that appearance or age equals wisdom. The writer of James suggests that action indicates wisdom. Who is wise and understanding among you? Show by your good life that your works are done with gentleness born of wisdom. The idea is that your life the way you behave -- will reflect how much you ve figured out in terms of how to rightly manage yourself and relate to others. And further, the way you behave will reflect the source of your wisdom. If your wisdom is earthly it will send you in one direction. It will invoke attitudes and actions that lead to brokenness and bitterness. Why is that? Well, mostly because the pursuit of earthly wisdom is selfish. It arises from an empty and envious place within us. Empty: I m lacking. I don t have what I think I need to be contented, successful, popular or prosperous. There is a big hole in the center of my being and I m always hungry for attention and affirmation. Envious: I wish I had what s/he has or, better yet, I wish had more than s/has

5 5 because I d feel better about me. Earthly wisdom is worldly wisdom. It s unspiritual and devilish, according to the writer. But, its lure seduces us. Not some of us. All of us to varying degrees set our minds on fulfilling self-serving desires and, thus, we compete against each other; and criticize; and complain. We practice self-loathing. We judge ourselves harshly and withhold affections and hold onto grudges. We exclude. We wage war with words and weapons. We re always in attack mode. This chase for what we think we need is very natural; but it does create divisions and unrest. At home. In the house of God. Around the world. Earthy wisdom separates the people of God from each other and from God. It doesn t allow justice and righteousness to abound or peace to prevail. For where there is envy and selfish ambition, there will also be disorder and wickedness of every kind. Yikes. FROM ABOVE But the wisdom from above will send you in an entirely different direction. There are cases where but is the most beautiful word in the lexicon of faith. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. It will invoke attitudes and actions that lead to wholeness and wholesomeness.

6 6 Why is that? Well, it originates from a gracious and generous place beyond us. Gracious: The one who created the universe and the sun and the stars is inclined to care for you; to fill the God-sized hole in the center of your being. Generous: If you ask rightly with a spirit of humility and sacrifice God will provide more than enough assurance that you are important and that your life matters and that you are deserving of forgiveness and mercy and all good things. Wisdom from above will change your heart and your mind so that you are less inclined to punish and more inclined to pardon; less likely to condemn the opposition and more likely to appreciate their perspective; and less apt to look at a situation through the narrow lens of what you want and more apt to take a wide view of what benefits the body. We can be agreeable when we disagree. We can yield somewhat without abandoning our convictions entirely. That s not weakness. It takes real strength to demonstrate gentleness born of wisdom. Whereas earthly wisdom can cause you to beat up on yourself when you fall short of your established ideals, wisdom from above allows you to be gentle with yourself. And that might be the best blessing ever. I m trying to develop the practice of gentleness because it s such a helpful and healing habit. Those of us who are believers -- laity and clergy alike abide by this idea that being imperfect necessitates penalty. So, we flog ourselves when we fail. We get swamped in shame. We make promises to be more perfect next time. Now,

7 7 if that s how we deal with ourselves, it follows that we relate to other people in similar fashion. We thrash them shame them measure them against unreachable standards. If your wisdom is earthly it will send you in one direction. It will invoke attitudes and actions that lead to brokenness and bitterness. Wisdom from above will set your life on an entirely different course. It will invoke attitudes and actions that lead to wholeness and wholesomeness and gentleness. Give yourself, I pray, to God. Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you. May it be so. Amen.