Scripture:

Many of the familiar words which we hear as the Benediction at the close of worship come from Paul. As you listen to this passage, focus in on the transformation which Paul is seeking. Paul wants us to be ready for a new life in the world--which is why these words are so often invoked as a benediction. Hear now Paul's advice to the Christians in Rome, reading from chapter 12, beginning with verse 9:

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; [10] love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. [11] Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. [12] Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. [13] Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.


[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. [16] Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are. [17] Do not repay anyone evil for evil, but take thought for what is noble in the sight of all. [18] If it is possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. [19] Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath of God; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." [20] No, "if your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink; for by doing this you will heap burning coals on their heads." [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Ralph Vaughan William's stirring anthem is a fitting preparation for today's Gospel, which continues the theme of call. When Peter hears that Jesus is called to suffer and die, Peter does what any of us would have done: he rails against it. And like Peter, Jesus confronts each of us, and compels us to evaluate the whole of our lives from a new perspective. I read from the 16th chapter of Matthew, verses 21-28:

From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and undergo great suffering at the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. [22] And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, "God forbid it, Lord! This must never happen to you." [23] But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; for you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things."


[24] Then Jesus told his disciples, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life Or what will they give in return for their life [27] "For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. [28] Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

It's great to be back from a summer of wonderment and accomplishment. I look forward to hearing from you how you've been over the past many weeks. And it's interesting to investigate God's word for us on this weekend of transition -- from the relaxation of August to the rigors of school and work. How does God speak to us at this in-between time.

Sermon:


Perhaps we would wish for a more moderate message. Something like, "Jesus loves the little children," or, "My yoke is light, my burden is easy."

While those messages have their place, today's Gospel for us is far less palatable. Nevertheless, any of us who understands it, and allows our lives to be directed by its wisdom, will discover both freedom and fulfillment far beyond what the world can offer.

First, let's review the story, and as we do, let us see it from Peter's perspective.

Peter has this big opportunity to answer Jesus' key question: "Who do you say that I am" As it turns out, he gets the answer exactly right: "You are the Messiah." You can just see all the disciples nodding their heads with confident approval.

The problem is that while Peter gets the title right, what he means by that title is dead wrong! Peter, like most Jews of the time, was expecting a Messiah who would deliver the Jews from the oppressive captivity of the Romans. The Messiah was the one whom God would send to mount a successful, violent campaign and overthrow the Romans.

Given that Peter has this in mind when he names Jesus "the Messiah," Peter is thunderstruck when Jesus begins to teach the disciples of his future: that he will suffer, that he will be rejected by religious leaders, and that he will be killed. (No matter that he also said he will rise again!) A confused, frightened, and even outraged Peter rebukes Jesus. For if what Jesus said were true, he could not be the Messiah Peter had in mind.

Then Jesus responds, and with equal firmness, Jesus rebukes Peter. Jesus recognizes that Peter's understanding of "the Messiah" is in fact a temptation. It is Peter's plan, not God's plan. It conforms to Peter's understanding of the way God will be revealed, not God's intention. Interestingly, Jesus responds to Peter the same way he had responded to the Devil earlier in his ministry when the Devil tempted him. He says to Peter: "Get behind me, Satan."

Jesus is breaking all the rules. He is not fulfilling the expected roles. This is yet another in an unbroken stream of examples of God doing a new thing. And we are confronted with the fact that our God is a God of surprises.

Do you think of God in that way Do you marvel at the astonishing ways in which God surprises you, day by day, by prodding you, alerting you, directing you, supporting you.

Recall some of the more familiar biblical passages where Jesus spoke in a surprising fashion:

* Remember when Jesus first encountered Matthew Matthew was a tax collector, and the crowd thought this would surely provide Jesus with an opportunity to enforce religious law, to straighten out this thief, and to call him to task for stealing from the poor.

* SURPRISE! Jesus invites himself to dinner at Matthew's house. Unheard of! Scandalous!

* Or the time the woman ran from the crowd as they were about to stone her because she had sinned.

* SURPRISE! Let whoever among you is without sin cast the first stone.

* Or the time the shepherd was in the fields with his flock about to bring them into the fold, only to find that one was missing. Any sensible shepherd would have protected the 99.

* SURPRISE! Go and look for the one.

I think that this sets the stage for us to discuss the same question which Jesus puts to Peter: "Who do you say that I am" Most of us would be the first to admit that we don't know God very well -- and so we could not answer that question with the kind of confidence and specificity we would use when asked to identify our best friend.

Yet what am I doing -- and what are you doing -- to remedy this situation Are we actively working to build a more intimate relationship with God, or Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, so that we might know more about WHO God is.

Perhaps the greatest surprise which our God has in store is that God actively desires to have a relationship with each and every one of us -- a relationship so intimate, so solid, so unflinching that come what may -- whatever challenge, or tragedy, or accusation, or injustice, or failure, or disappointment may come our way; regardless of the hand we are dealt by destiny, fate, chance, call it what you will; although we may be racked by confusion, and pushed to the limits of our understanding; we will remain anchored in that relationship: believing that the answers we need to the pain and confusion in our lives are available BECAUSE we seek them by going to the Source.

You and I know it is common, upon seeing friends whom we haven't seen for much of the summer, to ask politely how their summer has gone. And with very few exceptions we are met with a smile and a story. But there are many among us for whom the past few months have been challenging. Many who have been struggling with an incomprehensible tragedy or injustice in their life. Many who have been hit hard by the fickleness of fate. None of us is immune from this. The notion of "a charmed life" is a myth.

But when much that we hold dear is overturned, that is when we need most to turn to God. Many of us have the same instincts as Peter. We might say to ourselves: "This is certainly not the way it's supposed to be. For God's sake, have I been abandoned by God" And the temptation is to turn from God, because our understanding of what we need has not been met -- to turn from God, because it would seem absurd to continue to affirm God's providence when our world is full of pain, frustration and disappointment.

And just when this temptation has us in its grip, God finds a way to confront us. And the message is simple: Set your mind on divine things, not human things. Don't get all worked up struggling to tighten your grip on the material things of your life, or to increase your control over areas of your life which are, by their nature, not subject to your control. What if you manage somehow to get all that in order, and in the process lose touch with the meaning and source of life.

Wherein does our freedom lie Many of us believe what Jesus demurs: that true freedom would result from gaining the whole world. To gain the whole world would mean to gain mastery of all areas of our life: our home, our work, our family, our health, our friends, our neighborhood, our future. I don't know about you, but when mastery is my goal, frustration is my constant companion, and freedom is a distant horizon I never seem to reach.

In contrast to this well worn path which is all too evident in my life (and perhaps in yours too), over the past few months God has been leading me in a new direction. I have nurtured in my heart a dialog with God which is pretty much on going throughout the day and evening. This dialog, this prayer, provides an opportunity to examine my actions, thoughts, and feelings. Here are some examples of my interior dialog:

* "How can I say what I want to communicate without hurting the other person"

* "Now that I see what this person is feeling, I really need to apologize."

* "Even though I really want to barge in and interrupt this person, I need to keep listening, and hold this person prayerfully in my heart."

The issue of gaining the whole world and forfeiting one's life comes in here too. Being mindful of this prompts me to reconsider actions which I might have automatically undertaken before. Let me give you an example. For you, you may try to gain the whole world by working to become the perfect mom or dad, or to maintain a splendid house. For me, I try to gain the whole world through my work. If I work 60 hours per week -- or 75 -- or 85, you know what There are still important things that don't get done. The more hours I work, the more gets done (with some exceptions!). But even when I do my best to focus and apply myself to achieve this goal of gaining mastery of my job -- guess what I lose my soul. How ironic . . . For a minister, especially.

So recently, my internal prayer communication with God has been focused on countering this tendency. The dialog goes something like this:

"What really matters in life, anyway How do you want to use me God I know you're behind me all the way in my work here at Plymouth Church. But how do I balance that vocation with being a husband and father . . . with keeping my body, which you call a temple, in shape How do I balance my work with my desire and your desire for me to spend time with you"

The summer has opened up this dialog, and it is already having its effects. God isn't calling me to gain the world. God is alerting me not to lose my soul.

The message is the same for you. In this in-between time, when summer still affords us an opportunity to reflect, let's be sure that we take a look at the whole of our lives. Join with me and engage God in open dialog throughout the day. Build up your relationship with God so that it becomes the lens through which you examine your life, and the context in which you make life's difficult choices.

No habit is too ingrained, no tendency too pronounced, no rut too deeply dug, no preference too strongly held, that you cannot regain your freedom with the help of God. And never forget that the freedom which matters is not the freedom which comes from material comfort or security: It is the freedom we gain from our relationship with God. Amen.