Lent 5 B March 25, 2012 Family of Christ Lutheran Church Chanhassen, Minnesota Pastor Kristie Hennig Jeremiah 31:31-34; John 12:20-33 Paying Attention In Washington D.C., at a Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played Bach for about forty-five minutes. During that time, over 1,000 people went through the station, most on their way to work. After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule. After 4 minutes The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk. At 6 minutes A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again. At 10 minutes A 3-year old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly. 1
For 45 minutes the musician played continuously. Of 1,097 people who walked by, only seven stopped and listened for a short while. Twenty more gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.17. He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all. The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played some of the most intricate music ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold-out a theater in Boston, where the seats averaged $100 each to sit and listen to him play the same music. This is a true story, and I m sure many of you have heard it before. Joshua Bell, playing incognito in the D.C. Metro Station, was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people's priorities. And it begs this question If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made... How many other things are we missing as we rush through life? 1 1 Story found in this form on the internet and tweaked slightly. 2
Today in the last of our Lenten Sunday sermons on Sabbath keeping, we re stopping to take a look at the spiritual practice of mindfulness. The concept of mindfulness is a gift to the world from the tradition of Buddhist meditation. It s a simple thing, really. Mindfulness is about paying attention. 2 It s about looking inside, examining who we are, taking note of where we are, and cultivating an appreciation for the fullness of each moment we are alive. Mindfulness has to do with being in touch and being present, moment by moment as our lives unfold. It s about waking up and living in harmony with our self and the world. Mindfulness is about living awake, taking whatever comes as it comes and holding it without judgment. Mindfulness is about stopping long enough in the midst of our busyness to hear the music. It s the opposite of taking life for granted. It s the difference between lunch on the run and a dining experience in which we savor our food, delighting in the company we keep at the table. Or standing in line for a morsel of bread and a sip of wine and meeting Jesus there. Mindfulness is not the same as positive thinking; it s not about filling the mind with positive thoughts 2 Much of the material on mindfulness comes from Jon Kabat-Zinn in his book Wherever You Go There You Are. 3
so as to push out scary ones. On the contrary, mindful living may even involve some dying, as Jesus knew well. In our reading from John s gospel this morning, Jesus starts talking like a farmer about seeds falling and dying and fruit rising up. What he s really talking about, of course, is his own death and the harvest that will come from that. He is the grain of wheat that will fall into the earth and die And rise up to bear more fruit. Of course, all the talk about mindfulness, about paying attention, is of little use if all we do is talk. Mindfulness is not just an idea; it s a practice that can nourish hungry spirits and quench thirsty souls. But only if we actually give it a try. Sabbath is a great time for that. Worship calls a halt to our busyness once every seven days, as God has commanded for our own good. And stopping is the first step in practicing mindfulness. Here, right now I invite you into an experience of mindfulness, into a simple moment of stopping, of being present, of paying attention. That s all that mindfulness really is -- stopping and being present. It s really very simple. There s not a wrong way to do it. But it can be hard for us at times. 4
Mostly we run around doing, don t we? We are human beings, not human doings, yet we expend most of our energy, most of our attention doing. Right now, right here where it is safe, I invite you to stop. Close your eyes. Become aware of your breathing. Stop all the doing -- all the planning and fretting, and thinking. Especially thinking. Shift into the being mode for a moment. 3 Let go into full acceptance of the present moment, including what you are feeling and what you perceive to be happening. Think of yourself as an eternal witness, as timeless. Just watch this moment, without trying to change it at all. Just breathe and let go. Breathe and let be. [short pause] What is happening? What do you feel? What do you see? What do you hear? You are. You are here. You are now Things are simpler already. Can you sense that? In some ways it s as if you died and the world continued on. As if all your responsibilities and obligations have evaporated. As if things get worked out without you. So there s no need for you to worry in any kind of absolute way. Maybe you don t need to plan your afternoon just now, even if you think you do. 3 Meditation adapted from Jon Kabat-Zinn, Wherever You Go There You Are, 11-13. 5
Maybe you don t need to make a list or review a conversation or think about doing another errand on your way home from church today. By taking a few moments to die on purpose to the rush of time while you are still living, you free yourself to have time for the present. By dying now in this way, you actually become more alive. This is what stopping can do. For these moments, don t try to change anything at all, just breathe and let go. Breathe and let be. Die to needing anything to be different in this moment. In your mind and in your heart, give yourself permission to allow this moment to be exactly as it is. Allow yourself to be exactly as you are. Take the deepest breath you can let it out and open your eyes. You are awake, aware. Now listen to your heart: Remember the Sabbath day, and keep it holy. Amen. 6