The River is Flowing...

I don't usually post my sermons here, but today's livestream wasn't working at church so decided to share the manuscript for today's sermon below for those who missed it, as well as videos with the two songs I shared in the sermon.

Proper 27, Year B
November 10, 2024
Click here for today’s scripture readings

Friends,

God’s math is not like our math.
God’s wealth is not like our wealth.
God’s power is not like our power.
God’s glory is not like our glory. 
God’s victory is not like our victory.

I don’t want to assume that I know how you’re feeling about this week’s election, nor do I want to assume that everyone in this church is feeling the same way.

I want to acknowledge that sorrow, pain, anger, and anxiety are among the diverse and complicated and utterly valid feelings that members of our Church are experiencing this week.  Others might actually be feeling relieved or hopeful, or misunderstood, or judged, or confused.

But I know that at least some people are really afraid.  If you are among those who are feeling afraid: I want you to know this:  you are not alone. God’s got you. And this Church loves you, and we will do all in our power to support and protect you, and your loved ones, and all the other vulnerable people for whom you’re afraid.  And if that’s all you can handle today, that’s fine. You can just sit and breathe or pray or nap for the rest of the sermon. 

But if you’re able to hear more, I want you to hear this: Whether you’re devastated or thrilled or ambivalent about the election results, the bottom line is that, as Christians, we can never put our ultimate faith in any election, or politician, or government…nor in education, or wealth, or public opinion… nor in religion or reason….nor in any leader or  any institution–not even the Church!

As Christians, the ultimate source and the object of all our faith, hope, and love; the ultimate source and the object of our deepest trust can only ever be God.  All week today’s opening hymn rang in my ears:

All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew.
Me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown, he alone, calls my heart to be his own.

This next parts a little harder for us  to hear…

Human pride and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray our trust;
what with care and toil we buildeth,
tower and temple, fall to dust.
But God's power, hour by hour, is my temple and my tower.

Today’s Gospel Lesson (Mark 12:38-44) offers us a snapshot of several different characters, who each put their faith in different sources of power.  

First we see certain scribes….

Who like to walk around in long robes, (putting their faith in the power of appearances)

 and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces (putting their faith in the power of their rank and reputation)

 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets  (putting their faith in the power of prestige and position)

Who devour widows’ houses (putting their faith in the power of acquisition and control) 

and for the sake of appearance say long prayers (putting their faith in the power of their piety)

Next we see some rich people who are making a big show of 

Contributing large sums to the treasury (putting their faith in the power of their wealth and influence or maybe even their own generosity)

And then we see one poor widow…

Coming to offer two small copper coins, which together are worth maybe a penny (putting her faith in the power of…well what, exactly?)

Jesus tells us that this widow
In her poverty, has put in everything she has, all she has to live on…

Surely she’s not putting her faith in two small copper coins?  Which means, I guess, that with this one small offering of her whole meager livelihood, the widow is putting her whole faith in the power of God.   

In the small act of offering what little she has, the woman puts all her faith in the power of God to sustain her life, the power of God to sustain the world, even when she has nothing left to give.  With no wealth, no status, no one to protect her, the power of God is her only hope.  

Now let’s not be too hard on those scribes and rich people (or on ourselves for that matter):

There is nothing inherently wrong, with long robes, or long prayers, or large donations to worthy causes.

There is nothing inherently wrong with polite greetings and good seats (although I daresay that devouring widow’s houses is never a good thing.)

And there is certainly nothing wrong with supporting leaders who reflect our values, and being pleased when they are chosen to lead and disappointed when they are not.

I know that I’m happy anytime I can make a large contribution to a worthy cause.

And I often have the best seat in the house here at church.

And this week I hope that it goes without saying that I obviously prefer that throughout the world we have leaders who make good choices and speak good words and enact good policies that support the peace and flourishing I believe is God’s will for all people and for the earth, itself. 

But I have to remember: no human “good”, no matter how good it might seem,  has the power to save us.

As my friend, Martin, says “The Kingdom of God was never on the ballot.”

No earthly “good” is worthy of our ultimate faith, hope, and love. 

Neither long prayers, nor large pledges, nor left-leaning politicians nor all our best efforts, nor our last 2 copper coins, for that matter, will ever be sufficient in and of themselves to usher in the Kingdom of God (though they might each, in fact, have some small part to play.) 

But God, The Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer of All

God, the Earthmaker, Painbearer, Lifegiver

God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Can save, and will save, and is saving the world…in the midst of all our sin and sorrow, fear and anxiety, chaos and confusion, mistrust and misunderstanding, disaster and disappointment and disagreement.

This Saving God, is revealed to us
As three in one and one in three
(did I mention God’s math is not like our math?)

This Saving God, is revealed to us
 as a poor baby born in a manger in an occupied territory in the Holy Land
(did I mention God’s wealth is not like our wealth?)

This Saving God, is revealed to us
as a migrant child fleeing persecution with his frightened parents,
as a poor carpenter, an itinerant teacher, an unconventional healer; 
as a friend of women, and outcasts and sinners 

This Saving God, is revealed to us
as an enemy of empire,
(did I mention God’s power is not like our power?)

This Saving God, is revealed to us
wearing a crown of thorns, 
(did I mention God’s glory is not like our glory?)

This Saving God, is revealed to us
Beaten and bleeding and dying on a cross
(did I mention God’s victory is not like our victory?)

This Saving God is present and active, 
Here and now
And in all times and places
Breathing life and peace and love and hope into all people
Reconciling all things 
Making all things new.

The Loving Purpose of God, revealed to us in Jesus Christ, is like a deep, mighty, river  that courses through the desert and runs to the sea.

This river flows over and under and around and between and eventually even through every obstacle in its path.

And while the flow of water might be temporarily slowed or diverted, the river always finds its way to the sea.

The River is flowing, Flowing and growing, the River is flowing down to the sea.  

So, too, God’s eternal, unstoppable purpose continues to flow through God’s whole Creation.

By the life-giving waters of Baptism we have each been swept up in that flow. 

Whenever we allow ourselves to be immersed  in this River, the River swells, the Waters rise, and a little more of the desert is engulfed in its flow.

If we continue to immerse ourselves in the River, the Water will hold us and carry us onward, to exactly the right place at exactly the right time to do exactly the work God has given us to do–as we welcome others– from up on the riverbanks, and out  in the desert– down into this river that runs to the sea.

Allow yourself in this moment to just float in the water.  To be held and then carried in the flow of God’s love.  

The River is flowing, Flowing and growing, the River is flowing down to the sea.  
​
Put your whole faith in the power of God’s mighty, unstoppable river; the only true source of  liberty and justice for all. Amen.