You’re Here So Be Here
Jeremiah 29: 1, 4-7
Luke 17: 11-19
Now I have to tell you, if people really pay attention to the answers I gave on a survey, I may be in a little trouble. You see, on Tuesday before we left for vacation every clergy person in the Northwest District was invited to an event hosted by the bishop. It was one of those “mandatory invitations.” Being retired I don’t have to attend those kind of things, but not wanting to show off my exalted status I reluctantly went. And when I got home from vacation I was invited to fill out a survey to evaluate the event. One of the questions on the survey asked: “What one thing did you feel was the most positive aspect of the event?” I thought a moment and then I answered, “Leaving.”
Have you ever noticed wherever we seem to find ourselves we’re always ready to leave, to go to some place better, to move toward the horizon:
Man is a dreamer ever,
he glimpses the hills afar,
and plans for the things out yonder
where all his tomorrows are …
[Unknown]
In the Old Testament lesson this morning, Jeremiah is writing a letter to the Hebrew people who are in bondage in Babylon. Here these people are, captive in a foreign land, enslaved once again like their ancestors in Egypt. It’s no doubt they were discontented and discouraged and dreaming of being someplace else, anywhere but captive in Babylon.
You’d think that Jeremiah would have written them a letter of promise: Just wait; God will rescue you. God will bring you back to your homeland. Be faithful. Pray. But that’s not what he wrote them. Instead he reminds them that life does not come to a screeching halt when things don’t go the way we want them to. He tells them to stop whining and face the cold, cold fact that they are in a foreign land and they are going to be there for a very long time. So, he tells them to settle down there where they are, to engage themselves in
Jeremiah reminds the Hebrews that life doesn’t come to a halt when things get tough. He encourages them to face the cold, hard fact that they are in a foreign land and they are going to be there for a long time. So, he tells them to settle down where they are, to become engrossed in the everyday routines that will give life a sense of normalcy. Instead of planting seeds of discontent and rebellion, he says: “Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile.”
You know, I can identify with these captives. When I went to that meeting before I left for vacation, I felt like a captive. I could have used a word of encouragement; it would have been nice if the bishop had apologized for infringing upon my time. Instead, he pulled a Jeremiah on us.
Many of us were out of sorts. Nobody wanted to be there, and then the Bishop spoke: “Well,” he said, “I’m glad you decided to accept my mandatory invitation.” He smiled and then he continued, “I know you’re upset about this, that you don’t want to be here. Well, get over it!” He paused and after a few seconds went on. “You’re United Methodist pastors and you have taken a vow to go where your bishop sends you. And today I sent you here.” He smiled. I suspect it was a fake smile. I do know I didn’t smile back. And then he said, “You’re here, so be here.”
Isn’t that what Jeremiah said to the Hebrews: You’re here so be here. Isn’t that the message we, sitting here today, need to hear? We’re here so we need to be here.
It’s only when we accept the fact of where we are that we begin to operate effectively and in the power of God’s Spirit. If you and I sit here in these pews Sunday after Sunday wondering why we’re not like First Church or Mega church, two things will happen.
First, we’ll become discouraged. When we expend all our energies wishing we were a mega church, which we’re not, we become discouraged. When we expend our energies wishing we had members who were rich, which we do not, we become discouraged. And when we become discouraged we give up, we sulk, we pout, we are not what we are. And once we’re discouraged we become disappointed and once we’re disappointed we’re ineffective.
There’s an old story of a man who stumbled upon a large red barn after wandering lost in the forest for days. He cautiously took cover inside the structure. He looked around and found the barn filled with seeds, all bagged and ready. He quickly realized he’d stumbled upon the Devil’s storehouse. A quick survey revealed the vast majority of the seeds were contained in bags labeled “Discouragement.”
A Devil’s Helper suddenly appeared. The man asked him “Why so many bags with seeds labeled ‘Discouragement?’” The helper replied, “Because they take root quickly and they are extremely effective.”
“Do they grow everywhere?” asked the man. The Devil’s Helper replied, “Almost. But for some reason they will not grow in the heart of a grateful person.”
And that brings me to the Gospel lesson for today. “As (Jesus) was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’” Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests. And on their way they were healed.
One of them, one-tenth, returned to thank the Lord, and he was a Samaritan. “Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? As no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’”
Your faith has made you well. Faith. Gratitude. Are they two peas in a pod?
I want you to think a moment. Let your mind fix upon the times this church has occupied your thoughts. Have you wondered why we have no more members than we do? Have you wondered when this congregation will get the pastor who will lead you into your glory?
Or when you let your mind fix upon this church do you see a bowl of soup delivered to someone on Monday evenings? Do you see little children clothed? Do you think of our missionaries in Peru? Do you rejoice in the dynamic happenings in our Sunday school? Do you lift a prayer of thanksgiving for Jackie and Jonnie who are going to represent us in Haiti in a couple of weeks?
Look, we’re just a little church but we’re doing mighty things. Stop making yourself discouraged over what we’re not. Instead, give praise to God for who and what we are.
You’re here; so, be here.
Art Work: "Healing of the Ten Lepers" by Jesus Mafa, Cameroon, 1973. Taken from online resources of the Jane and Alexander Heard Divinity Library, Vanderbilt University.
Dear Parson,
I'm glad you're back. I pray the vacation was good, relaxing and refreshing. Much happened while you were gone but we muddled through. Thanks for the encouraging sermon. Peace, Curtis
Posted by: CurtisGrissett | October 11, 2010 at 03:25 PM
Amen
Posted by: MMP | October 13, 2010 at 03:43 PM