Sermon 17a 2017: God s Call to Greatness and the Power to Live Into It Introduction: Something in the Human Spirit The scenes of devastation from Houston with Hurricane Harvey Have been dominating the news cycle and our thoughts and prayers these days; Many of us have been reminded of the power of water; And are saddened by the loss of lives and of livings; The damage to property and businesses destroyed. The rescues continue; along with the loss of loved ones; And the need for immediate and ongoing help with the clean-up And the rebuilding of lives and property seem overpowering. And though we re going to begin to help them ourselves By gathering and distributing needed supplies and funds; And later physically go there ourselves to help rebuild in the coming months and years; The task looks enormous, while our personal and parish commitment Seem like a drop in a bucket. Well a bucket gets filled drop by drop and together we will make a difference By offering our prayers, helping to restore hope; and giving of ourselves for others; Our challenge reminds me of St. Paul s promise from God that God working through us can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Alongside the images and stories of devastation and loss we ve been watching and reading about Many of us, including me, have been mesmerized and amazed; By the many acts of heroism and greatness of our Coast Guard, Police, Fire and Rescue services and especially by neighbors and strangers Braving the conditions to rescue and save so many people. 1
The image of one such volunteer carrying a mother and her baby through waste deep water; Is emblazoned in my heart and mind as a great act of kindness; Regular people from all over the region leaving their homes and work; Lined up with their boats attached to their trucks along the side of the highway; Waiting to be released to help with the rescue; And then watching videos of rescuers driving their boats Down flooded residential streets helping strangers; Rescuing a cancer patient needing oxygen; Boats filled with people and their dogs and cats; And human chains drawing people to higher ground and safety. A priest acquaintance of mine, who just moved to the Houston area recently; Posted on Facebook this week that she and he family were on the second floor of their house, Just above their flooded first floor, praying for their next door neighbors Who lived in a one story house; Later she posted that they and their neighbors had been rescued And were safe. I was also moved by the business and corporate outpouring of help; Like the video of over a mile of refrigerated semi-trucks Belonging to the large Texas grocery chain, H-E-B; Waiting to be released to bring free food to designated shelters. There s a greatness in the human spirit that rises up in moments of disaster and devastation; A greatness that sets aside self and self-concerns for the good of others; A greatness that draws on all of our physical and spiritual resources To be a light in the midst of darkness; to bring restoration and hope; And a better world for everyone. 2
But the greatness of the human spirit and human life Is not limited to disaster or momentous moments and events; That same greatness rises up in our everyday lives; As a wife cares for her husband who doesn t always remember who she is; In parents loving and caring for a grown up child Who has gone astray and is struggling physical and emotionally; Or a parent sitting up through the night rocking a crying baby. There s an everyday greatness and a potential for greatness in every one of us; And that potential becomes reality when we become the persons God created us to be, With all our gifts and challenges; When give ourselves away physically, emotionally and financially For a person or a cause greater than ourselves; For in becoming who we are and giving ourselves away; We become God s children and make the world more like the world God intended from the day of creation. All the Scripture Points to Lives of Greatness That s the life God is calling us to live lives of greatness; We have not been created to hold back and to hold on to what we have for ourselves alone; Nor do our lives of greatness require fame and notoriety or obvious success; No, God created us to live lives of greatness that reflect God s love And are in response to God s general and specific call and presence in our lives. That s the kind of greatness that all three readings address this Sunday s; A greatness found, not in seeking ourselves alone; Not in our comfort, our popularity, or in fulfilling our personal desires and preferences; But a greatness that is found in answering God s call And living each day, each moment for purposes bigger than ourselves. 3
The reading from Exodus this morning finds Moses in a pretty comfortable life; He s the son-in-law of a wealthy rancher named Jethro, tending Jethro s herds; He s married with two sons and is likely to receive quite an inheritance. And in that place of comfort, God speaks to Moses out of a burning bush, Calling him to a much greater and challenging life; Calling Moses to return to Egypt as God s spokesperson; Calling him to a life of using his gifts and relying on God for other gifts; To free the Hebrew slaves in Egypt; to help form them into a viable community; And to lead them to the Promised Land. St. Paul is a person who sought after God and God s call all his life; And in that frame of mind, God turned Paul to a greater calling As a follower of Jesus, builder of Christian community and a prolific writer. In this reading from the Letter to the Romans, Paul lays out some of the pattern of the life of greatness You and I are called to live, not for ourselves and our loved ones alone, But for the good of all people and for God s purposes. Part of that pattern of the greater life includes genuine love, a life lived in hope; Patience in suffering, steady prayer, financial generosity, feeding the hungry; And overcoming evil with goodness. And in the Gospel today, Jesus challenges Peter and all of us To the greatness of Gods higher calling on our lives and living for God s purposes; Rather than our personal desires and wishes. 4
Peter is one of Jesus closest followers and friends; And when Jesus starts teaching them about His coming arrest and suffering and death and resurrection, Peter has a word for Jesus; Peter rebukes Jesus. Now we don t actually know why Peter rebuked Jesus when Jesus laid out God s plan; It may have been out of love for his friend; But if human nature is constant through history and I believe it is; Then Peter might have been responding to a loss of earthly greatness And position as one of the Messiah s closest advisors; When Jesus became the earthly king so many expected Him to become. But Jesus in turn rebukes Peter, calling him Satan, the personification of evil, of Godlessness; Because Peter s mind is on earthly things, earthly comforts, earthly greatness; And not the greatness that God intends for Jesus; To save all of humankind from the power of sin and death; And the greatness God intends for all who come after Jesus, Carrying their cross, carrying their lives; For God s purposes of forgiveness and love and hope for all. For what will it profit any of us to gain the whole world; And the fleeting greatness the world and life have to offer; And lose our lives and the greatness that God intends for every one of us? God s Call to Greatness God is calling us all to a life of greatness; It may not come with fame and notoriety, though it might for some of you; No, the greatness God is calling us to is a greatness founded in God. 5
It is a greatness and a life of purpose that makes a real difference in the world That begins and continues when we seek God and listen for God s call; When we seek and listen for God s will and purposes in our lives; When we allow God s purpose and power to change our daily living; And receive God s power for ourselves and our community. So that God s vision for this world may become the reality of this world. So let me invite you to the life of true greatness; Take some time today and every day to listen for God s call; Listen through your prayers and through reading your Bible And through coming to church. Pay attention to what s going on around you; So that you may know God s call to your greatness; There may be a burning bush every now and then. You may never have a day named after you in the church calendar or be known as a great person But you and I have been called to live nothing less than lives of greatness; And if we will answer that call, then God will come to us; God empower us with His Spirit; Amen. And our lives and the life of the world will never be the same. 6