Based on the readings we chose for today – readings related to “the Word”… the
word of God, the power of the tongue (to curse or bless, etc), the story of the
disciples during Pentecost as the tongues of flame rested on them and they began
to speak in the different languages… using words to proclaim God’s greatness-
and all heard and were in awe, as the reading said.
Words… what do they mean, what do they say?
As I prepared for this, I was intrigued by the idea of so many
words in the bible – different people making some words more important than others.
But I was more intrigued with the soil the words came from – the lives
from which they were birthed; the stories the histories, the depth, the deeper
meaning the words are meant to impart.
The writer and poet Mark Nepo reflects a sentence from others… “How
are you tending to the emerging story of your life?” Your life, quite apart from your
consciousness, is speaking to you.
I’ve come to believe that the bible is – although it has become a
faith document – at it’s most fundamental level, it’s a record of a relationship
between a people and their God. It’s in
words… words that were once spoken only; stories that were told about life and
God and, well, really about the people
telling the stories more than
anything. Then of course these stories
were written down… made more concrete as they were written on parchment or
paper, perhaps made more permanent. Words, stories that had to be told… a “word”
that had to be made known.
Perhaps this reflects a primal human need – to communicate; about
life in general, about one’s own life in specific, about one’s perceptions and
thoughts and ideas… and about the divine, however that plays itself out.
As a kid, I remember growing up aware that my father had a strong
interest in expressing himself through the written word. He’d take courses off and on through the years
to improve his written communication skills.
Well, in the latter part of his life, before dementia took his mind, my
father took up writing again. He mostly
centered on poetry, although he also wrote prose. In fact he took to writing a handwritten auto-biography
of sorts, about his life and the meaning he’d superimposed on his life
experiences. I think on a subconscious
level, he knew he needed to do this. He’d felt the need to express himself through “the
word”… to get it out… to speak his story before it was too late.
I spent the 12 weeks of the summer of 1996, during my Seminary
clinical chaplaincy experience, with 7 other students and 2 supervisors in a
ministry setting with the elderly – from the healthy retied, to the very infirm
and bed-ridden. What a formative experience
this was for me; from the ministry, to the questions raised, to the combination
of the right students and supervisors. During
one of our conversations, we were reflecting on the pastor’s role in ministry. I remember one of my class-mates saying we
all had a “sermon” – something we’re all trying to get out, to express to the
world… a deeper consistent message that is reflected in the different “official”
sermons given over a career.
There are many venues around where people are able to “tell their
story”… Story Corps from NPR, The Moth – performance/public venue for people to
speak about something personal to them, and there’s many more out there. And
they are often well attended (if a public venue), or well heard (if on radio or
otherwise). Why? Why so special? Why do we want to hear stories so badly? Maybe the more important question is, why do
people want to tell their story so
much?
Telling stories may be a metaphor to life. Perhaps it’s a profoundly human thing, this whole
“story” stuff; telling (whether overtly telling a story, or subconsciously through
ones life). We can see this happening
through our different stages of life – how we look for and find (or lose) meaning
in life and how that affects us.
Sometimes, perhaps it’s the rare person – and the rare moment –
where we are aware of what that deeper message our life is trying to speak to
us… “How are you tending to the
emerging story of your life?”
For us pastors, we make our livings “speaking”… about our lives,
or life in general… often done in words – written and spoken! Who we are, what we’re about, the themes of
our lives… all comes out in action, in our priorities, in our relationships (or
lack of them)… but certainly through our words!
In one of the parishes I was at, after a few years of being there,
I began to feel strangled. I didn’t
recognize this consciously, but my body certainly did. I can’t
remember what year that was, but in January of that year, I contracted a case
of strep throat. Sore throat! But I went to the doc, and got some antibiotics
to combat, so all was better. Two
months later, I got a case of Mononucleosis… the Epstein-Barr virus. This can often make people incredibly tired,
and inflame internal organs. But it can
also cause a severe sore throat. Guess
what I got? Nothing at all except the sore
throat! Then that cleared up… and I got a persistent
cough… that showed up mostly on Sundays.
I couldn’t get words out.
What was my life trying to tell me? That my
“words” were being stifled… and replaced with words that weren’t mine! And the only way they would come out were
through a pained throat… in chokes and gasps.
Truth is, each of you has a “sermon”. Your life is trying to say something… you
are speaking your word to the world.
Some people do it in a pretty dramatic fashion… we all know those people
that feel the need to draw attention to themselves where ever they go. But for most of us, it’s through style of
clothes or hair perhaps, where we live, how we live, etc. We speak through what we choose to stand
up for… or not stand up for.
In our “Inclusiveness” team meeting last week (I’m not sure what
to call it – we don’t as yet have a name I think) – we were talking about the
Reconciled in Christ issues. RIC is the
larger church body organization that centers on ministry to and with gays and
lesbians. I had a friend, a lesbian,
who once told me – Welcome me as you’d welcome anyone else. Don’t single me out based on who I’m
attracted to.” Made sense to me. Here at ASLC we welcome all people! But do we have to welcome any one group more than all the others? “All are welcome… but they (who ever they might be) are more welcome!”
But at that meeting someone said – yeah, but… gay people have had
years of discrimination, years of venome and vile pointed in their direction –
in the name of Christianity, of God… and when they hear “all are welcome” what
they may have heard before was…
“All are welcome… but so long as you are who you are… you’re NOT!”
So, this person said, a word needs to be spoken to to those who
have felt marginalized, especially from those communities that claimed to be
welcoming.
Your sign says “Welcome”… but if I say I was once incarcerated in
prison… would you question your policy?
Your sign says “Welcome”… but if I say I’ve struggled with
depression and have been on medication for years… would you still see me the
same way?
Your sign says “Welcome”… but if I tell you I’m gay… would you
really mean it?
Many who reject Christianity, may reference that the word they
get from this religion is violent; if not in actions, then in words. We’ve
all heard of Westboro
Baptist Church
This past week a “movie” came out that insulted Mohammed. And many took this insult to the streets – American
embassies and consulates particularly.
And so far four American diplomats have died as a result. Violence
founded on words of hate. There are Muslims
across the world denouncing this violence…. This needs to be heard! It’s hard to be heard when the main-stream
media’s unspoken policy is “Put the camera back on the fire”.
But a word needs to be spoken!
“How are you tending to the emerging story of your life?” What is your life saying? What are the words the deeper part of you
is trying to say to your conscious self?
What sermon is your life saying
to the world? What is the theme your life is speaking to you
and the world? Have you ever come to the point where you recognized
it’s time to speak that word out
loud?
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