Its amazing how unafraid I found myself last night, standing in chapel delivering my first sermon. I did it... First sermon in Trinity College Chapel - done last night!
I'm completely surprised - It was actually a lot of FUN! People laughed and listened and it was despite nerves leading up to the beginning of the service, when I actually stood up there, I was quite at peace!!!
My comment from the chapel coach was just that I needed to speak with a stronger voice - a bit louder, but apparently I had her attention for the whole time!
What a powerful experience that was. wow.
Here is a link to the hymn I selected to go along with the theme... Sorry for the tinny midi file!
http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/h/h370.htmlThe readings for the day were the following: Psalm 72: 1-4, 13-14, James 2:1-9, Mark 8:27-33
And here's the sermon!
In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy spirit.
When I was growing up I always heard the stories from my mom about how much worse it had been for her to go to school – they couldn’t wear pants you know – they all had to wear skirts and walk a mile each way to school. Now she did stop short of saying it was a uphill both ways, but I always had the feeling that she was sorely tempted to say it! That’s a parents story. A story told that takes literary license in the details – a little parenting trick to try to show how much better you have it as compared to what they had to go through.
But did you ever get the chance to hear that same story from your grandparents side? About how much mom complained about walking to school, how she couldn’t get up early enough to get there on time and how she couldn’t wear tights anymore, she just had to have stockings like the other girls and that’s why she was so cold? These are the little things that parents leave out, that make grandparent stories so wonderful. They roughen up the edges of the stories that your parents tried so hard to clean up.
Biblical stories are like grandparent stories. They don’t hide the rough edges, they embrace them. They weave them into the story and bring to life the lives of these unlikely people who become witnesses to the love and compassion of Jesus. Like the story from the first reading in James: It points out the hipocracy found in the way we treat people. If you look like you belong, if you play the part, you’re more likely to get a seat at the table than someone who smells a bit off and is dressed in rags. The stories point out the rough patches without attempting to sanitize them or shy away from the stupid things we do to each other. They are rough around the edges. Now, Jesus was also not known for being unafraid of conflict or the grit of life. But instead he showed by his words and actions how to live. Unabashedly.
And then there was Peter. The beginning of today’s Gospel shows Peter at his best. It shows him really understanding what Jesus is saying, what he means. It’s one of those moments of clarity. When Jesus asks the question – Who do people say that I am. What do they think of me? And Peter has one of those great moments where he has such courage in his words. He tells Jesus what they’ve been hearing, that the others in the towns and cities believe Jesus to be John the Baptist or Elijah, or one of the other prophets. But not Peter. When Peter is asked, he makes a profound statement, Peter says “You are the Messiah.” He is declaring that Jesus is the anointed one, the one the Hebrew Scriptures has pointed to. The Son of God.
And if you read this same story in Matthew, Jesus then calls Peter “the rock upon which I will build my church” Strong words. It starts out like a parents story. Like one of those remarkable points in time where everything works out according to plan. Peter has said exactly the right thing. He gets it! The only problem is that reality sets in a couple of verses later. Peter shows his doubt, his human qualities. It parallels the story Jesus is walking on the water and Peter wants to go to him. He steps out of the boat full of trust and understanding, begins to walk towards Jesus, figures out what he’s doing doesn’t make sense and he begins to sink, he begins to doubt. The same thing happens here. Peter has his shining moment of clarity where he declares that Jesus is the Messiah, the anointed one of God. But Peter can’t accept the idea that someone he loves will go through what Jesus said he must go through.
“that he must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, be killed and after three days rise again.” And Jesus doesn’t mince his words. He tells Peter off. He rebukes him – calls him a name, tells him to get out of the way – that he’s missed the point completely. You can hear the frustration that Jesus must have felt, for he knew his days with his disciples were numbered, and just when he thought he was getting through to them, Peter, would with all confidence, get it spectacularly wrong. He just doesn’t get it.
And that is truly what I love about Peter. He goes from understanding to confusion in 5 short verses. This happens over and over again in the scriptures. Poor Peter, his shining moment as star apostle overshadowed by his latest and greatest blunder. It is this very tension that makes me love Peter, especially in this story. I see an awful lot of myself in Peter – I have my shining moments (or at least moments where I think I’m finally getting it!) and then wham – the sudden realization that this one, shining, moment however fleeting it may be, is over, and I am again humbled by my own misunderstandings. There is a bit of Peter in us all and because of that I take great comfort in the words found in Matthews Gospel. For if despite all of his shortcomings, despite all of his doubt and fear, if Peter is the rock, upon which the church is to be built, maybe there is a place for me in there after all. There must be a place in it for all of us – complete with our rough edges. There is no room for a “three strikes you’re out, or deny me three times and you’re out” philosophy. These stories, these grandparent style stories, show all the rough edges of the disciples and of their experiences. They show not just the lesson, but how even despite our shortcomings we can learn to live into that message of love, of compassion, of hope.
Thank God for Peter. He makes it possible for each of us to become a disciple.
Amen.
I weave a silence on to my lips,
Our youth group is amazing. They have taken it upon themselves to learn about the Gulu children of Uganda. These kids are forced to walk 30 miles a day to safe houses so they will not be abducted and forced into the “Army of God” which is anything but! It is a crazed warlord who is hell bent on power. Our youth group has raised $1500 and gone on a 30km walk to raise awareness. Two girls in grade 8 also just had their birthday party, and they asked their guests to bring a donation for Gulu instead presents for them. Now they are embarking on a monumental adventure. They are trying to gather 30,000 shoes to represent the Ugandan kids that make this walk every day. Their plan is to take them to the skydome and spell out Gulu Walk and take an aerial photo to raise publicity. That may sound like a huge number of shoes… but it’s only 1500 pairs! A little light humour for a very fantastic goal!
