Homily for Lenten Vespers Week II 2014 Change of Habit Anybody know why I ve been thinking about Elvis Presley and Mary Tyler Moore for the past few days? Yes? No? It s because Change of Habit is the title of Presley s last film which introduced Mary Tyler Moore as his love interest. (A little movie trivia: It was his very last film and it was her first.) Elvis plays a physician. Mary Tyler Moore played one of three nuns who were about to take their final vows. The three nuns worked as missionaries in street clothes in a rough inner city clinic run by a handsome young doctor. If you haven t seen the film, you ve probably already guessed the basic plot... Can the doctor change her life? Could she forget her vows and follow her heart? Will this dedicated nun experience a change of habit? (I won t tell you what she does but I will tell you that while she is making up her mind about whether or not to take her final vows, Elvis is singing his heart out in the chapel praying she won t.) 1
Now we know there are both good habits and bad habits. Actually much of what we do every day are a series of habits for instance: the time we get up in the morning, when we brush our teeth, when and how we bath, when and how and what we eat, when and what we watch on TV or listen to the radio... These are just a few but I think you all get the idea. The dictionary defines habit as a regularly repeated behavior pattern. Synonyms for the word habit are uniform custom, routine, practice, tradition, convention, pattern, or even addiction. Now some of these have kinder, gentler associations and connotations don t they? Words like custom or practice and pattern are more attractive and seem more comforting in thinking about our habits. But words like convention, routine and addiction are rather negative even off-putting in thinking about our regularly repeated behaviors. 2
It might be interesting to assign one of these lists to our various behavior patterns throughout the day to see if some of them need changing, transforming. It is appropriate to think about our behavior patterns throughout the day as habits since the root or etymology of the word habit is from the Latin habitus which means to have frequently hence live in a place. In a sense our lives are habitats or dwelling places made up of our uniforms, customs, practices, conventions, addictions, routines, and patterns. The parable we heard from Jesus tonight and Paul s words to the Galatians seek to shine some light on our habitual ways of being. Jesus warns his disciples that it is not enough to hear and even agree or assent to his teachings, we are called to put them into practice. When we love and serve one another as Jesus has loved and served us just as he commanded his disciples to do we build on a foundation that will give us a strong dwelling place within which we live and face the storms of changing seasons and circumstances. 3
Paul gives us some great clues for knowing when the architecture of our lives has not been properly grounded we are battered about and eventually succumb to things like envy and enmities, anger and quarrels, and seek temporary fixes and self-medicate with alcohol or sex or drugs. So what do you do when we realize the habitats of our lives are in need of a new foundation? Even psychologists will tell you that when you want to break a bad habit you have to replace it with a good one. (Remember that when you give up something that is bad for you it is so that you can add something that is good. ) You also have to know that it will be hard work. (Remember Jesus telling us that if we wanted to follow him there would be a cross to carry?) And we have to plan what we will do when our will gets tired. (Remember Jesus invitation come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.) All of this takes intentionality. Intentionality in religious or spiritual terms is repentance. Repentance is the willingness to keep listening to Jesus and turning away from whatever siren is calling us away from him. Repentance is the willingness to admit that we have taken some wrong turns, made some poor choices about what will make up the dwelling place of our lives, our souls. 4
It is putting into practice those things that will be fertile ground for the fruit of the Spirit the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Isn t that the place we all want to dwell in? Isn t that the place we d long to see the entire world dwell? Thanks be to God we don t do any of this alone. First, it is God s work in, with and through us. But it isn t magic or as Paul would say sorcery. God invites us into partnership with the Spirit. We are born made in the image of God and in baptism we are reborn in the image of Christ. This is the foundation of habitus. God wants to be in a relationship with us Jesus promises us that God will make his home with those who love him and keep his word. God is love and God is the source of all goodness that is a wonderful and awesome dwelling place for our lives. In Pulpit Digest Methodist Bishop, William H. Willimon wrote about habits using this illustration: "Philip Haille wrote of the little village of Le Chambon in France, a town whose people, unlike others in France, hid their Jews from the Nazis. Haille went there, wondering what sort of courageous, ethical heroes could risk all to do such extraordinary good. He interviewed people in the village and was overwhelmed by the ordinariness. 5
They weren't heroes or smart, discerning people. Haille decided that the one factor that united them was their attendance, Sunday after Sunday, at their little church, where they heard the sermons of Pastor Trochme. Over time, they became by habit people who just knew what to do and did it. When it came time for them to be courageous, the day the Nazis came to town, they quietly did what was right. One elderly woman, who faked a heart attack when the Nazis came to search her house, later said, 'Pastor always taught us that there comes a time in every life when a person is asked to do something for Jesus. When our time came, we knew what to do.'" May God grant that we acquire such habits and when our time comes, may we too know what to do for Jesus. 6