Sermons at St. John’s Presbyterian Church

When is the Second Coming? Have You Had Breakfast? Then Wash Your Bowl!

Transcribed from the sermon preached November 18, 2007

The Reverend Max Lynn, Pastor

St. John’s Presbyterian Church

2727 College Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705

Telephone 510-845-6830    Fax 510-845-6837

office@stjohns.presbychurch.net    http://www.stjohns.presbychurch.net 

Scripture Readings: 2 Thess 3:6-13, Luke 21:5-19

One morning the student comes to his Zen master and asks the key to enlightenment.  The master responds, “Have you had breakfast?”  “Yes,” says the student.  “Then wash your bowls.” 

We could easily exchange the word “enlightenment” with “kingdom of God.”  Last week we heard Jesus say that the Kingdom of God is within you, or among you.  This week he says don’t be too impressed with the jewels of the temple, soon enough they will fall down.  Keep in mind that Luke is recording these words after the temple has fallen, and fellow followers of Christ are wondering if Jesus" return is imminent, and if they can persevere if it isn't.  On the other hand, Jesus says not to stress about the end times, or try to amp people up by preaching about it.  What will happen in the future will be stressful enough: no point in adding to the stress with our anxiety, or getting all prepared only to then run out of patience. 

It seems there has always been an abundance of folks who think they can read the signs, which spell out the end of the world.  A large group of Christians are convinced that the temple needs to be rebuilt in Jerusalem, and then Jesus will come again.  So Christians in Texas are busy breeding perfect red heifers for sacrifice in Jerusalem, and whole groups of Christians are supporting Israeli land grabbing in Palestine.  The irony is that in their view, the Jews they support unconditionally now, will be thrown into a lake of burning sulfur for all eternity once their Jesus comes.

But rather than pick on our fellow bone headed Christians, I think we can take wisdom from this mornings passages by looking at a balance between planning and working for the future, and the patience and grace to live and work joyously in the present tense.  It can be tempting to draw on material pomp and circumstance, to have the latest technological jewels, or a jewel of an organ or sanctuary.  Another temptation is to sell the idea that we are in the special end time.  The material won’t last, and trials will come, but our biggest trial is always this very moment.  And regardless of whether we are in the presence of jewels or cosmic flashes of light, this moment and this place are sacred.

I have to make a confession that I often hope and look for the big things to work toward.  Peace in Palestine and Israel, the end of third world debt and poverty.  This vision fits into the liberal end times scenario, with us as God’s helpers ushering in the new heaven and new earth. If we just do this or that sacred act, peace will fall into place. 

I have a much tougher time with those things that don’t seem to usher in anything…things like going through the mail, or deciding which part of our book of order applies to minister x in situation y or z, or dealing with the building crisis of the week.

Part of my frustration from such tasks may come rather from my ineptitude.  When it comes to fixing things, for instance, I tend to follow the Dave Barry steps to fixing a household problem: 1. Read the entire sports section of the newspaper, thus giving the problem a chance to go away on its own. 2. Wrapping the problem with duct tape. or 3. Spraying the problem with a product called “WD-40”.

As a minister fresh out of seminary and not far removed from the Peace Corps, I wanted to spend all money and effort on mission and justice.  Concern over building drove me crazy.  In my internship church the ladies had a knock down, drag out over the color of the carpet in the sanctuary.  I thought, they are worried about the color of carpet, and children are dying of starvation.

I saw all the big beautiful American churches as vain, like the pompous guy who goes up to the front and prays, “Thank God I am not like that poor sinner with that small, crummy little church across town.”  

One of my favorite lines in our book of Order comes from the reformation era, which sought to bring faith back down to basics.  It says we are to “Shun Ostentation,” which means we are to avoid glamour and show, pomp and circumstance.  No need to act like the Pope or the Wizard of Oz with a great ominous building and smoke and mirrors for worship.  Sooner or later these pillars and stained glass and organ will crumble. Come out from behind the curtain.  Take off the robes, ties and stoles, put away the fancy silver. By the Grace of God, come as you are and simply worship the immortal, invisible, God only wise.

But eventually we discover that duct tape and WD-40 only go so far, and then we need to get some real work done.  And part of being good stewards is doing quality work that will last a while.  It means foresight, making investments and planning for the future. 

Work, virtually all work is part of our sacred calling, a way of living the Kingdom of God in the present tense.  Rob Bell, in his book the Velvet Elvis mentions how he played in a punk band, and often, when folks discovered he was a minister they asked if it was a Christian band.  He said, “I always found that question a bit odd.  When you meet a plumber, do you ask her if she is a Christian plumber?”  He goes on, “My understanding is that to be Christian is to do whatever it is that you do with great passion and devotion.  We throw ourselves in to our work because everything is sacred.  I love how Paul put it in Colossians: 'Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus.'  He is teaching people to live as Christians, and then whatever they do will be sacred, holy work…It is impossible for a Christian to have a secular job.  If you follow Jesus and you are doing what you are doing in Jesus name, then it is no longer secular work; it’s sacred.  You are there; God is there.  The difference is our awareness."

This I think is the point to be made by Jesus concerning the temple.  Certainly the sanctuary is wonderful and beautiful, dedicated to the glory of God, and we ought to care for it with foresight and sound investment, but we ought not let ourselves get fooled into thinking other places and other work are not filled with the sacred Spirit of God.  Washing feet and washing latrines are as sacred as lighting candles or making communion goblets.  The same thing goes for time.  There may come a time of crisis that calls for brave acts and heroism, we may even hope to be a part of them, but that ought not detract from basic acts of work and loving kindness wherever we find ourselves living and working.

Martin Luther King Jr., talks about living into your sacred calling with a group of Junior High school students (What is Your Life’s Blueprint? Barratt Junior High, Philadelphia. Oct. 26, 1967)

“When you discover what you will be in your life, set out to do it as if God Almighty called you at this particular moment in history to do it. Don't just set out to do a good job. Set out to do such a good job that the living, the dead or the unborn couldn't do it any better.

If it falls your lot to be a street sweeper, sweep streets like Michelangelo painted pictures, sweep streets like Beethoven composed music... Sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry. Sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say: Here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well. If you can't be a pine at the top of the hill, be a shrub in the valley. Be the best little shrub on the side of the hill.

Be a bush if you can't be a tree. If you can't be a highway, just be a trail. If you can't be a sun, be a star. For it isn't by size that you win or fail. Be the best of whatever you are.”