Title: “Faith as Journey Not Destination”
Scripture: Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16; Mark 8:31-38
3/12/06 Second Sunday in Lent Yr. B
Rev. Joy R. Haertig
I just recently finished reading a book by Walter Wangerin Jr. called The Book of God. Wangerin took the Bible and wrote it in the style of a novel. It is a wonderful way to read the Bible, in fact the traditional Bible is quite difficult to read from cover to cover - I would recommend Wangerin's rendition as a place to start.
He has taken the Bible and meticulously researched the times and places from which it came and invites the reader in with creativity, drama, imagination and a deep sense of holiness.
In reading the Bible in this way in tandem with a book called “Abrahm” by Bruce Feiler I was moved by the central theme of
faith as a journey rather than a pre-determined destination -
as a way of life in relationship with a God that is near.
These books confirmed the language we often use to describe our church and our denomination- we are “seekers on a journey”.
Wangerin's rendition of the Bible also brings the characters to life and it gave me the sense that I was reading about our ancestors - our faith family tree. Good ol' rebellious Adam and Eve, Noah and his boat building skills and courage, all the way to the 12 disciples as they struggled to get along with each other and understand what in the world Jesus was trying to teach them. All the characters sounded strangely familiar, they could have been members of Richmond Beach UCC!
Another aspect of the journey that is clear as you read the Bible is that the journey is not easy, in fact it can be quite risky, certainly life-changing and sometimes even life threatening, (consider the peacemakers that travel to places like Iraq and are killed).
God promises to give you comfort not to keep you comfortable.
Consider Abraham and Sarah who we read about this morning in Genesis as they heard the news that they would bear a child in their old age.
Abraham and Sarah went on one heck of a journey - God first nudged Abraham years before to leave his home, his native land, his fathers house and walk - not fly, not drive, not even ride a donkey - but walk from what is now Southern Iraq to what is now Israel. He was nudged to leave behind what Feiler describes as “the land of rivers to a less fertile and more vulnerable place.”
Did he know for sure what he was doing, where he was going and why when they first set out? I don't believe he knew much more than a nudge from God. It was not a pre-determined journey that was all mapped out by God ahead of time, (he did not have an itinerary. His job was not to “get it right” but to walk, and to walk in partnership with God on both of their behalf regardless of the risk.
Remember - the Bible was written after-the-fact, not during. The story is told as they are looking back.
There are echoes of Abraham's courage to walk with God in the person of Jesus. According to the Gospel of Mark it was at Jesus' baptism that he really began the intentional journey of walking with God. He chose his closest companions and began to teach about God's dream of the world being a place of healing, economic equality and dignity for all people.
In today's reading from the Gospel of Mark we hear Jesus telling his disciples about the suffering and crucifixion that is ahead for him.
Again, do not assume that this was all determined ahead of time as part of God's plan for Jesus, he did not have an itinerary either. Faith is a journey, not a pre-determined destination for Abraham and Sarah, Jesus or you or me.
Jesus was telling his disciples of his pending death because he knew their society. He knew that the actions he had taken on behalf of the poor and sick, turning the tables over in the temple and challenging the religious leaders, violated and threatened those in power enough that they would risk killing him rather than risk an uprising of the people.
But besides speaking of his death he also challenged the disciples that they too are on this faith journey with God, they too must “take up their cross”.
What does this mean on our journey with God? Just as it did for Jesus and the disciples, its meaning unfolds for us as we travel along and as we deepen our commitment to God's ways.
Sometimes we can begin to understand what something means by stating what it does NOT mean.
It does NOT mean bearing your burdens silently.
It does not mean putting up with abuse from a partner, a spouse or a child.
It does not mean living with a sense that you were born a sinner, it has nothing to do with any kind of self-loathing.
The cross is not about burdens, it is about commitment and action. It is about putting God's dream of a world as a top priority in our daily lives.
Over time some of the disciples came to realize that their cross would be to continue to share the good news of Christ's teachings to communities not always regardless of the risk. For Mary Magdalene some scholars believe it meant risking being a teacher of the gospel regardless of her gender.
For Dana Reeves, a beautiful woman - wife and mother who the world lost this week at the age of 44, it meant working on behalf of others who were living with spinal chord injuries.
For some it means tutoring children with special needs in the local classroom, for others it means volunteering to give support to individuals in financial crisis - helping them find their way through the maze of unemployment and chaos at home. For others it means letting go of a 70 hour work week to build meaningful relationships, and for yet others it means volunteering in their local church year after year.
What it means to “take up your cross” unfolds as we walk the journey of faith and we come to see where our deepest passion meets with one of the world's needs. It can include risk - it will also include great joy. It may impact many or only a few; whatever way we find to pick up our cross, it in some way brings God's dream of a world a bit closer.
The Rev. Eric Elnes, a pastor of a UCC church in Phoenix, Arizona is picking up his cross out of a deep concern that the public face of Christianity in America today bears little connection to the historic faith of our ancestors. He is seeking to reach out to those that have been left “homeless” by the right or the left of Christianity - he is seeking a “third way”.
Pastor Elnes and others have created an organization in Phoenix called “Cross Walk America” which includes the creation of what is called “The Phoenix Affirmations”, 12 affirmations that explain what it means to live out the three great loves of of our faith: Love of God, neighbor and self.
Let me read to you a few examples of these Phoenix affirmations:
“Christian love of God includes: Walking fully in the path of Jesus without denying the legitimacy of other paths God may provide humanity.
Listening for God's word which comes through daily prayer and meditation…Christian love of neighbor includes engaging people authentically as Jesus did, treating all as creations made in God's very image, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability, nationality or economic class. Preserving religious freedom and the Church's ability to speak prophetically to government by resisting the commingling of Church and State…Christian love of self includes Claiming the sacredness of both our minds and our hearts, recognizing that faith and science, doubt and belief serve the pursuit of truth…(you can visit them at www.CrossWalkAmerica.org)
Some of this group will literally walk across the United States from Phoenix to Washington D.C., sharing the “The Phoenix Affirmations” with as many people as they possibly can along the way. They will also have a top notch film crew traveling with them with the goal of making a documentary of their walk.
One of the members of the organization wrote: “I'm tired of having always to qualify the word Christian when I tell people I go to church. I'm a Christian but…but…but…[I always say]. The label Christian should stand for extravagant grace and generosity, courage and compassion.”
Once they reach Washington D.C. on Labor Day weekend they will rally and then in the spirit of Martin Luther, they will go out to the headquarters of all the major denominations in the United States and “nail” the Phoenix Affirmations to their doors.
I have copies of the Phoenix Affirmations available for you today to take home and look at. Perhaps some of you will be moved to learn more about the walk and the organization. Some of you may want to take the pledge - some of you may want to consider having our church, “take the pledge” in affirmation of the Phoenix Affirmations.
There is a group from Seattle that will be riding their bikes from Seattle to Phoenix to be a part of their send-off on Easter Sunday, April 16th.
Faith is indeed a journey and we are seekers on that journey.
We are connected to those that have journeyed before us, and we are the ones that will link our children and grandchildren to continue after us.
The journey is not pre-determined though God does promise to walk with us, to guide and challenge us within our hearts and minds as we discern the way to go. “Pick up your cross” Jesus says - we are each a part of helping God's dream of a world become real. The season of Lent is a wonderful time to discern what that means for each of us. Amen.