In a scene of generous hospitality and intimate fellowship, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Jesus and his 12 friends were gathered in the afterglow of Lazarus’ miraculous return to life. Lazarus was reclining at the table with Jesus. Martha, ever the active servant, bussed the dishes and brought out the next course. And then Mary. You won’t believe what Mary did. She bent down and offered her gesture of devotion to Jesus, lavishing a full pint of exquisite perfume over Jesus’ feet and upending conventions of decorum by unfurling her hair to wipe down His feet. Just a few days before, Jesus, Mary, and Martha were confronted by the stench of Lazarus’ decaying body. Now, with Lazarus alive and well, they basked in the aroma of luxurious perfume.
Amazingly, this daring woman, who boldly broke the seal and emptied the entire contents of the jar upon the Lord’s head and feet, was not reprimanded by Jesus. On the contrary, Mary ministered deeply to the Lord on a level that nobody else had understood or dared to do. With her unashamed, humble, extravagant gesture, she threw out any half-hearted religious protocol, to anoint and bless the man she called her Lord. Her whole-hearted adoration, though mocked by some in the room (ah-hem, go away Judas!), is something to be imitated. Can’t you feel the song coming from her heart, “To my precious Lord I bring my flask of fragrant oil; kneeling down, I kiss his feet, anoint them with the oil.”
How amazing and revolutionary that a woman, A WOMAN, was ordained, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to perform this important act - to anoint the Anointed One, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! In a beautiful act of faith, she broke a costly jar of perfume and anointed Jesus. In a beautiful expression of humility, she sat at His feet. In a beautiful moment of repentance, she dried His feet with her own hair. Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, understood who Jesus truly was, and blessed Him.
Good morning, beloved ones. We are in the midst of new series called “Life of the Beloved,” based on one of the best books ever written by Henri Nouwen. In this book, Nouwen guides the reader on how to fully live into being a beloved child of God. All at once, beloved is both who we are, and who we are called to become.
Last week, we spoke about our identity as the beloved and how Nouwen uses four words to describe the movement of the Spirit in our lives: Taken, Blessed, Broken, and Given. Being taken, or chosen, is the basis for our being the Beloved. We are each stamped with the image of God and chosen as His Beloved ones. As we claim our chosenness by saying “yes” to God’s gift of grace, and live it as our truth, we come to understand we are blessed by God and called to bless others. Yes indeed, our word for the day is “blessed!” What an appropriate word for this Independence Day, as we celebrate not only living in the best country in the world, a country that allows us to worship and live freely, but to also celebrate the one who blessed us by laying down His life for us and calling us His beloved sons and daughters.
Henri Nouwen identifies two ways we can cultivate a culture of blessing - in our homes, in our church, and in our world. And that is through presence and prayers.
Through the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives, God blesses us with His presence. He is listening and responding to us in prayer, and His presence goes with us wherever we go. As we are called to imitate Jesus, as we are called to be an extension of God’s love here on earth, we, as beloved children, can bless others through our presence and our prayers.
As we have been blessed through the presence of God, so must we also bless others with our presence. Today’s modern living is not conducive to being present. We live in a Martha world, filled with tasks and the next items on our to-do lists. And we get angry if those around us are not pulling their weight or keeping up their end of the bargain. But Jesus calls us to have a Mary spirit. He calls us to be prayerfully present with the people around us.
You may remember in 2012, Dr. Pat Day set forth a vision to re-create our local and global missions ministries, to move away from transactional missions, or project based missions, and lean into transformational missions, or relationship based missions. Our incredible Local Missions Director, Michelle Osborn, and I drew inspiration from Scripture, the lives of Jesus and Paul, and how they put presence and prayer first and foremost in every relationship with individuals and communities.
Just like the story we began with this morning, throughout the Gospels, we often find Jesus sitting with friends and colleagues. We see Him eating; we see Him listening. We see Him being present with people. I wonder… How often do WE simply take the time to be fully present with those around us? If we are seeking imitate Jesus, how best can we love and care for those around us with our presence? How do we walk alongside them, so they know they’re not alone? When do we make time to share meals and encourage their hearts? Do we listen to only to respond, or do we seek to understand as they tell their stories?
The older I get, as Henri Nouwen reflected, “more and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems. My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups, and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult NOT to have plans, NOT to organize people around an urgent cause, and NOT to feel that you are working directly for social progress. But I wonder, more and more, if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own, and to let them know with words, handshakes, and hugs that you do not simply like them, but truly love them.”
Michelle and I came to believe that the most important gift that we can give to anyone – through missions, or everyday life - is our time and our presence. It’s a way of “being” rather than a way of “doing” or “telling.” It’s a ministry given to all believers. As we read from 1 Peter last week, we are royal priests in service to God, and as priests we mediate God's presence, not just in the good times, but every season of life. Paul explained the Corinthians (2:3): “I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling…” and to the Galatians (6:2), Paul encouraged to: “Share each other’s burdens.”
One person kept coming to mind as I wrote these words, and I think I can speak for many of us when I say this. There is no other man we’d rather see come through the hospital room door when we are grieving; no other man we’d rather have surprise us for a cup of coffee and a visit; no other man I’d rather watch a baseball game and laugh with than Dr. Carl Rhoads. For nearly all of us, he’s been there to share our burdens in the tough seasons of life, and he’s also the first call when it’s time to celebrate the joys. He doesn’t come with an agenda to fix things, or to fix you. He arrives as an extension of Christ’s love. He offers nothing but himself - his presence, his love, his prayers, and his laughter. He IS the ministry of presence!
Like Carl, we are called to come alongside our brothers and sisters wherever they are, speaking the Word of God to them, and bearing their burdens for the sake of Jesus. It’s an unforgettable gift when we are lovingly and emotionally present with others in the here and now of life. It requires connecting with our feelings and our emotions. It demands intentionality, and seeing with the heart. I’ll be the first to admit that it is so much easier to hold a hammer, to physically build something, or to throw money at a problem and walk away. But when Martha insisted on cleaning and cooking, Jesus rebuked her, and applauded her sister Mary for sitting at His feet.
And the second avenue of cultivating a culture of blessedness is through prayer. In the stillness of quiet prayer, it is easy to let words of negativity and slander creep into our thoughts and heart. There’s a saying that goes, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” Could there be a falser statement? We can hear 100 compliments, but it only takes one criticism to crumble us. Words have power. Words have the power to hurt. Words also have the power to heal. Words have the power to restore and transform. Words remind us of who we are, and whose we are. Throughout the Psalms and Gospels, God speaks words of affirmation and blessing to remind us of who we are in His eyes:
I have called you by name, from the very beginning. You are mine. And I am yours. You are my Beloved, on you my favor rests. I have molded you in the depths of the earth and knitted you together in your mother’s womb. I have carved you in the palms of my hands and hidden you in the shadow of my embrace. I look at you with infinite tenderness and care for you with a care more intimate than any other relationship on earth. I have counted every hair on your head and guided you at every step. Wherever you go, I go with you. Wherever you rest, I keep watch. I will give you food that will satisfy all your hunger and drink that will quench your thirst. I will not hide from you. You know me as your own, as I know you as my own. You belong to me. Wherever you are, I will be. Nothing will separate us. We are one.
Our words have great influence in the lives of those around us, and spoken blessings can bring hope, encouragement, and direction to our families, friends, and others. In the New Testament, the English word bless is a translation of the Greek word eulogeo (U-LO-GEO), which means “to speak well of, to bless, to thank.” When you bless others, you direct God’s goodness to them; you intercede for them — “stand in the gap” for them as you come boldly to the throne of grace in faith. We can derive “eulogy” from this word, but of course, eulogies are most often spoken at a funeral…when the person does not hear what we are saying! Why do we wait until someone is dead to offer up our words of affirmation to their lives?!
To give someone a blessing is the most significant affirmation we can offer. It calls out the inner truth we see in another. When we rest in our belovedness, when we claim it as our own, when we fall into the arms of Christ, we are free to bless another. We don’t worry about the competition. We recognize and respect the other’s true identity.
When I was living and serving in Haiti, the organization I was with made a covenant with the Episcopal Church to install a solar-powered clean water system at each of their parishes. As I traveled around Haiti, I spent a lot of time with the priests and began to call many of them my friends. When they found out I, too, was a pastor, I began to receive calls on Saturday afternoons to see if they could borrow me on Sunday mornings to fill their pulpits. You see, most of the priests would oversee a large geographical area, and sometimes would travel to 10-15 communities on a Sunday, simply to serve Holy Communion.
One Sunday, I found myself in the big downtown church in Les Cayes, leading their 6:00am worship service. The priest left me a tiny bottle of oil with a note to remind me it was the “Blessing of the Children” Sunday! Blessing of the Children Sunday? They didn’t teach me what that was in Seminary! With everyone around me speaking Creole, I opened my Bible and turned to the passage in Mark, where parents brought their children to Jesus to bless them. Mark 10:16 says, “And He took the children in His arms, placed His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Blessed them. HOW? What did He say? What should I say? The only blessing that came to mind was the blessing found in Numbers 6:24-26:
“The Lord bless you
and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
Halfway through the service, the children lined up at the altar. The first child walked up to where I was standing. And with the oil, I lightly touched his forehead and drew the shape of the cross. And because I didn’t know what else to do, I brought him into my arms, and repeated the words from Numbers:
May the Lord bless you
and keep you;
May the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
May the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
I spent the next hour hugging, anointing, and blessing 46 children with these beautiful words of security, grace, and peace. My life was changed that day, as I felt the power of God flow through me to the children. I have never felt so blessed to be a part of God’s ministry here on earth. And even though the children that day could not likely understand my English, I pray they know the love of God was descending upon them, as they, too, were chosen and blessed by God.
My challenge to you this week, and every week, is to be intentional with your words and actions. As Dr. Bell would remind us at the closing of our service, we, as a country, as a people of faith, as God’s beloved children, are blessed to be a blessing. As God has blessed you with His prayers and presence, who could you bless with your affirmation and your time? Who are the people in your life you could affirm with a spoken blessing? How is God calling you to imitate Jesus and extend His love and care? You may not have an expensive jar of oil, but as God’s beloved child, you are an image bearer, an extension of the Almighty, called to be a blessing to others.
Let us pray:
O Good and gracious God,
You have blessed us, picked us out, for special awareness of Your love.
Not because we are better than other people;
not because we are good or strong or clever;
but because Your love is free, persistent, merciful.
You have blessed us and set us apart to be signs of Your love,
to proclaim it, to live in the strength of it,
to make other people aware that they are blessed, too.
Lead us into more life and deeper wonder;
so that You can take who we are,
bless us,
break us open,
and give us to the world.
We pray this in the name of the Beloved Son,
The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords,
Amen.
Benediction
In Latin, to bless is benedicere. That’s where we derive our word benediction, which is a blessing spoken at the end of a worship service. It is designed to send followers on their way with the blessing of God after the service, inviting God to bestow His divine blessing, help, guidance, and peace. So, beloved ones, receive this blessing:
May the Lord bless you and keep you,
May He make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
May the broad expanse of God’s love
and the abundance of His riches in glory,
shape your perspective on your own life and needs,
including those things which disappoint you.
May the eyes of your heart be open
to all the blessings which surround you;
may this awareness produce a harvest of generosity in your spirit.
May thankfulness rise up within you,
not just today,
but day after day,
from the early morning watch
until you retire for the night.
May your prayers reflect gratitude,
while also acknowledging the needs of others
whose situations are so drastically different.
May thoughts of Jesus fill your mind,
and hunger for God drive your soul,
and love for Lord guide your speech
and your actions.
And finally, may the grace, peace,
and love of the triune God,
protect, defend, and empower you
to run with perseverance the race
marked out for you.
Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment