Seeing Clearly -- Feb. 27 Sermon

February 27(audio version: click here) "Seeing Clearly" Matthew 6:24-34

What, me worry? Yes. Rising gasoline prices. Air fares. US economy. Our mortgage. Real estate values. Global warming. Plus, don't get me started about all the possible cancers I worry about. At my age there are could-be-symptoms lurking inside of every ache and pain. To these, and every other worry, Jesus tells me: Open your eyes, see clearly, seek first… find community.

A few years ago, Tony Campolo spoke at the Presbyterian General Assembly and told an amazing story:

I'm walking down Chestnut Street in Philadelphia. There's a bum walking towards me, a derelict, dirty, filthy man. Covered with soot from head to toe, a huge beard that hung down to his waist, rotted food stuck in the beard. He's holding in his hand a cup of McDonald's coffee. He spots me. He says, "Hey mister! You want some of my coffee?"

The lip of the cup was already smudged with his dirty, filthy beard, but I knew that the right thing to do was to take a sip and affirm his generosity, and I did, and I gave it back to him. I said, "You're getting generous, aren't you - giving away your coffee? Giving away your coffee to perfect strangers? You don't even know who I am. What's gotten into you today, giving away your coffee?"

He said, "Well, the coffee today was especially delicious, and I figure if God gives you something good, you ought to share it with people."

I thought, "Oh, man. This sucker has set me up. It's going to cost me $10.00." I said, "You're expecting something in return, aren't you?"

He said, "Yeah. I want a hug." I was hoping for the $10.00. He put his arms around me. I put my arms around him. Then I realized something. He wasn't going to let me go. He was holding on. People were passing on the street. They're staring at this establishment man hugging this dirty, filthy bum. I'm embarrassed. But little by little, my embarrassment turned to awe and reverence, and I heard Jesus saying, "I was hungry - did you feed me; naked - did you clothe me; sick - did you care for me; I was in prison - did you care for me? For whatever you did or failed to do to the least of these, my brothers and sisters, you failed to do to me."

Tony Campolo concludes with a challenge: Jesus inheres in the poor and the oppressed. And insofar as we respond to them, we are responding to Jesus.

What’s so special and challenging about Tony Campolo is that he regularly puts himself in a position to have these things happen to him! What about us? What about PCMK? Do we have that kind of faith? Faith that will allow Jesus to express generosity to us through a street derelict?

We are a church that makes the connections. Through our ministries with the Mount Kisco Interfaith Food Pantry, the Midnight Run ministry with homeless persons on the streets of New York City, and the Emergency Shelter Partnership, many of our members meet face-to-face with persons in real need. We touch lives through our involvement with The Blue Book, Fellowship Hall, and ministires with children, with the bereaved and with persons dealing with addictions.

PCMK's Mission Statement goes back at least to 2004. The first sentence expresses our faith, and the motive power for all our ministries: "We believe in the dignity and divine worth of every human being."

When you think about it, Jesus' followers had more in common with the street person with the long, dirty beard than with the seminary professor. The socio-economic locus of the early church meant that most of the first Christians were definitely worried about wealth. Their daily concern was getting enough to eat and drink, getting their coat back at the end of the day so they would have something to sleep in. So why does Jesus challenge them to let go of worry?

The Greek word he uses to describe them is oligopistos. It used to be translated “Ye of Little Faith.” I’ve come to believe that oligopistoi was one of Jesus’ terms of endearment for his bumbling disciples. It’s like calling them “few-faiths” or “wee-bit-o-faiths” Remember that he taught, “If you have faith the size of a grain of mustard, you can move a mountain from here to there.”

Oligopistoi is a favorite word for the author of Matthew. It appears only in the speech of Jesus. He uses it in reference of the crowds listening to him. He uses it in reference to his disciples. He uses it to address that most uncertain disciple of all, Peter. The word always comes up in the face of the most ego-connected crises--worrying about daily provision, the sudden waves on the Galilean Sea, Peter's failed attempt to walk on water, a lack of bread. The message is that it only takes a little bit of faith, and you have it! C'mon guys. You can do this!

When I was about 8 years old, my parents agreed to take in my teenage cousin Bea. Her mother had died. Her father remarried and was not willing to keep her. She had lived with her aunt (my grandmother) for a year, but Gram wasn’t coping well with the turbulent teen years… Help out when someone’s in need, and trust that it will be all right. That’s how I learned faith.

Faith is not a matter of telling yourself to believe something your mind tells you is impossible; it’s a matter of trusting the goodness of God which you’re already experienced. Faith is not a matter of overcoming intellectual doubts. Faith is a matter of practical experience, of discovering God’s love as expressed in the power of community.

We can trust the Universe to behave in predictable, orderly fashion. It's what makes us willing to take risks. We can trust God to provide for us tomorrow in the same way that we have been provided for yesterday and today. It's what allows us to make commitments. If we approach the world with basic mistrust, we won’t be able to maintain intimate, close connections. We’ll have difficulty trusting others.

Together we are coming back to a clearer vision of our faith.

The Indian mystic and sage Meher Baba (1894–1969) often used the expression "Don't worry, be happy." A fuller version of the quote was, "Do your best. Then, don’t worry; be happy in My love. I will help you." In the 1960s, the short version was printed on cards and posters. In 1988, Bobby McFerrin was inspired by the expression's charm and simplicity, and wrote the song. McFerrin has said, "Whenever you see a poster of Meher Baba, it usually says 'Don't worry, be happy,' which is a pretty neat philosophy in four words, I think." I like the longer form, which incorporates responsibility ("do your best...") alongside the detachment ("don't worry..."), as well as the master/disciple spiritual relationship ("I will help you").
You can't be a slave of two masters. You cannot worship God and wealth.

Since we claim to worship God, we can't worry about wealth. The basic necessities are just that: necessities. We can't live without food and drink, clothing and shelter. But are these really things to worrry about? If we open our eyes, and our ears, we will see clearly that we have nothing to fear. God's love will see us through to peace and happiness. Amen.

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor