Sermon for 15 Pentecost

Sermon for Sept. 12, 2004:

Start Up Sunday / 15 Pentecost

by The Rev. Susan Anslow Williams

(St. Luke’s Church)

Particular focus on Jeremiah 4:11-12,22-28

Seeking Wisdom

We have some pretty good texts for this Start Up Sunday, when we begin a new year of classes and activities for kids and adults: From Jeremiah comes this gem: “My people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.” (Jer. 4:11-12)

Or from our Psalm: “The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.” (Ps. 14:2) Let us assume that God sees there are quite a few of you here today, including some very intelligent children, who are seeking after him! For it is that seeking, that yearning to know God better, and that desire to open our hearts and our lives to God, that fuel the many hours that the staff, teachers, vestry and committee members put in, designing and now starting up our programs for this year.

(As you have noticed by now) The children of the church school are diving into a year about Water – or more precisely, the gift of Living Water, shown to us in some of the great Bible heroes like Noah, Jonah, John the Baptist, and of course Jesus, who can walk right on top of that water. In our adult Forum we (begin/began) a series on what it means to be a Christian who attends an Episcopal Church in Jamestown, WNY. And a group of dedicated parishioners has been gathering input and working on what God seems to be calling us to be and do, in the near and long-term future.

The Episcopal Church has been accused of being too Book- and education-focused; and I suppose it’s a fair criticism, since we couldn’t worship together as Episcopalians without a Book of Common Prayer. There are other types of churches out there that seem to wing it, or expect very little from its worshipers; and there are others who hand its people all the answers without making them think very much. But these passages, and so many others like them in the Bible, emphasize that a relationship with God takes some work; and that in the effort you will be rewarded with wisdom that matters. It’s a little like sports, I suppose: If you’re not willing to practice and work hard, you can’t expect any gold medals. What you get out of school, out of life, and even out of church is directly proportional to what you put in. A superficial investment in one’s spiritual life is likely to result in a superficial relationship with God.

But we don’t want that for any of you. The goal of Eric and myself, Ross, Barbara, Sandra, and all of your neighbors in the pews who are giving of their time and talents to plan and to teach – all of us want to make sure that you and your family have a good relationship with God, with a strong and wise faith. One that knows God’s stories; God’s abilities; God’s mercies. An insightful faith that knows your own abilities, and wants to be equipped to try them out. You’re never too young, or too old, to work on your spiritual smarts. So welcome back for a great year.

***

As Jeremiah looked around at his friends and neighbors in Jerusalem, about 600 years before Jesus’ birth, he saw a whole society that seemed to be unwilling to open their eyes and read the signs of the times. About 100 years earlier the northern half of Israel had been attacked by Assyria, and its people taken away and scattered. Prophet after prophet warned Jerusalem of a similar fate, but promised God’s deliverance to the faithful. Jeremiah is not impressed by the progress made so far: People looking after themselves; politicians getting into sticky spots; and no one spending much time in prayer.

If we really looked carefully, how would we read the signs of our own times? There’s an increasing number of children out there with no experience of a faith community, no one to ask the big questions of life and death, no words to explain the basic spiritual understanding that there must be something, some One, greater than ourselves. Might these children be the lost sheep of our Gospel parable? We all have some acquaintances – maybe even some good friends – who can’t ever seem to make it out of bed in time for church, who resist every invitation and have an excuse ready and waiting, every Sunday. Perhaps these are the precious coins that God is looking for, and He needs our help to move some of the furniture out of the way so that they can “find and be found by God.” (BCP 387)

Later this Fall, we’ll be hearing more about the specific insights that the leadership and learning teams of St. Luke’s have gleaned for our future life together. But as we look ahead to that unveiling with bated breath, there is much to be appreciated, and much to be done. The good news of our lessons today is that, as foolish as we sometimes are in our unwillingness to make God a larger part of our lives and our seekings, God is always seeking after us, always desiring a closer relationship with His people. Turning up here is a great way to find and be found. Doing God’s work outside these doors – helping others, of all ages, to know God’s love and to help that affect their daily lives – is another tremendous, guaranteed wisdom-generator. This is not some “academic exercise” or numbers game: we might not have land-hungry Assyria or Babylon breathing down our necks, but there are plenty of other predators in our society; and our children need to be smart. Where else will they get that kind of knowledge? – the kind that says God loves you, and your mind, and your body, and doesn’t want you to take them for granted. Jesus really lived and really died so that you could be free, free to make choices about what kind of relationships you’ll have with your family, with your friends, and most importantly with God.

All these big questions that plague our kids and teens need answers that come from here, from church, so that God is always part of the equation when they are beyond these walls, and beyond their parents sight-lines, making those tough choices. “The Lord looks down from heaven upon us all, to see if there is any who is wise, if there is one who seeks after God.” We have a fresh program year open to all who are seeking, chock-full of opportunities for holy wisdom. Come June, I hope that we’ll all receive a good report card. In the mean time, I’m looking forward to putting in the effort with you, doing the work that pays off eternally, and enjoying a whole lot of music and praise and fun and fellowship in the process. We’ll have a wonderful year, and the rewards are truly heavenly.

Amen.