An Absurd Abundance --- Pent 8A

On a regular day, a walk to the Halifax waterfront, is a lovely experience.  It is just like the Theodore Tugboat  cartoon portrays; the harbour is full of working ships and boats. There are the tugs: Hank, Emily, George, and Foduck.  Other ships that the tugs interact with are: Phillip and Philmore the Ferry Twins, Pearl and Petra, the Pilot Boats, Northumberland Submarine, Rebecca the Research Vessel, and Bluenose the Sailing Ship.  There is Guysborough the Garbage Barge and visiting ships like, Kingston the Cargo Ship, Queen Stephanie the cruise ship, and Canso Colossus the supertanker. The episodes happen in the Big Harbour.  The main focus of the tugs, is to always make the Big Harbour the friendliest harbour in the world, and to always do a good job with their work related tasks.

This weekend is different.  A walk on the waterfront is a barrage of extra ships: tall ships with masts towering over the docks, large crews on and off the ships, people milling around everywhere; plus single and family sailing crafts of all varieties; and lets not forget the power boats and adventure kayaks.

The tall ships festival is like the reading from Matthew.  The kingdom of heaven is like, and again the kingdom of heaven is like, and again the kingdom of heaven is like…and yet, again, the kingdom of heaven is like.

On a regular day, each of us goes about our every day routines and tasks. We set to work amongst and interact with the people who live in our neighbourhoods.  Ideally, we take our faith into the world and live Christian lives that demonstrate compassion and justice.  Each of us is expected to love our neighbour, to spend some time in prayer, and to read scripture or a daily devotion. We go about inviting others to church and to experience God’s love.  We go about sharing --- loving to tell the story of Jesus and his love.  The main focus when leaving this church, is to always make the Big Harbour (where we live) the friendliest place in the world, and to always do a good job with our work related tasks.

This weekend is different.  The scripture reading for today is meant to be a barrage of extras! The parables are to inundate the senses and overwhelm us, just like the masts and rigging of the tall ships.  The extra ships in the harbour, is extra work for the tug boats. And it becomes obvious to them the necessity and importance of their daily work. The scripture today is meant to pull disciples into action.

Many parables are thrown our way: now remember that the parables from past weeks have just been told to the crowds --- the parable of the sower and the parable of the weeds among the wheat; today Jesus continues first with the parable of tiny mustard seed that grows into a big shrub, then the little bit of leaven that leavens the whole loaf; followed by the parable of the treasure in the field, the pearl of great price, and the net full of fish.  As if one parable was not enough to describe the kingdom of heaven, one is added upon another in rapid succession.  How could one ever keep up and digest the parables enough to come up with a meaning…unless, the point of the first entry into the parables is the feeling of being overwhelmed with the sheer vastness of the kingdom of God?  Perhaps the point, as one commentary read, is “the absurd abundance” of the kingdom of God.

Counter to the expression and understanding of the religious tradition of Matthew’s time, wherein the tree of life (big and beautiful) is the symbol of God’s kingdom – not a straggly mustard shrub; where it is unleavened bread that is holy --- not loaves of rising bread.  The parables are about changing perspectives, describing the kingdom as beyond expectation, beyond description, beyond understanding…and the parables suggest that God’s kingdom constantly changes through the ages; growing bigger and bigger.

It is interesting to note that Jesus leaves the crowds and enters a house with the disciples before explanations are given about the parables and before the parables about the treasure, pearl, and fish nets are given.  It’s as if there was a message here, just for the disciples; just for us.  The point of the message is the “what next?” As disciples, as faithful followers, what now?

While away on vacation, Tim and I attended a conference. At the conference, the guest speaker, Brendon Burchard gave a keynote address focused on people being successful.  His take was that success in life is completely about the relationship one has with fear.  Brendon claims that the people whom you consider to be courageous, put-together, and successful have one thing in common; all of them address fear head on.  It is not that their lives are perfect, or that there is no fear in their lives, rather, they have developed methods to be in relationship with their fear.   One method, true to all, is practicing faith.  Faith is taking a step, or a movement, from the current place to another.  It means not becoming a slave to fear, or stagnant.  It takes a step of faith… knowing that one will be different as soon as the step is taken. It is sacrificing the person I am in this moment, in faith to be changed to the person I will be in the next.  It is choosing to face the fear of the unknown, rather, than, letting the unknown change around me and by doing so increase the fear already present within me.  Sacrifice and action is succeeding; facing fear is faith lived into the future.

The disciples have illustrated facing fear and living faith into the future. Perhaps this was the point Jesus was making with the parables told specifically to them.  They were like the man who found a treasure, who discovered the pearl, and were willing to give up everything for it– leaving their fishing nets, their jobs, their families and friends, their time and resources--- by sacrificing, and taking a step, the disciples gained the treasure, the pearl; Jesus; the incarnation of the kingdom of God.

Our what now, is moving, with a little more sacrifice and bigger steps of faith, to take on fear face to face. It is living faith as modeled by the disciples after Jesus death and the coming of the Holy Spirit.

I am not sure how many of you would guess this, but, I am afraid of people.  What I mean by this is that I am by nature shy.  I get nervous around people when expected to talk or do anything other than watch.  I am fearful around people because I am an introvert and am not keen on sharing my feelings or thoughts.  People tire me out. You can imagine that much of my time being a pastor takes me outside of my comfort zone. 

I had a woman in the church office, not so long ago, who wanted to pick my brain.  This woman is an artist by trade and is deciding on her next project or purpose within the community (she just moved to a new area, so is starting from scratch). She came to me to confess that she has a low self-esteem and needs some direction in how to accomplish the creative ideas she has.  She said that she came to me because I, in her eyes, am successful, especially in putting creative ideas into action.  She didn’t realize that the success she interprets, is a daily ritual of staring fear down.

I do all kinds of things to face fear --- each one requires taking a step of faith.  The thing with fear is that it never goes away; it is the demon on the back so to speak.  Ever present, it requires practicing faith; moving a step just because if I don’t fear wins.

Facing fear, for me, includes visualizing the future.  I practice conversations with people before I call them on the phone or knock on their door. I picture myself standing here preaching.  I imagine myself working a room during a social time or fellowship hour.  I contemplate invitations extended to neighbours and others I meet to events or Sunday services.  This is all before conversations, preaching, interaction, invitations happen.  I consider this to be part of my daily work as a diligent working tug boat in God’s harbour. I step through fear in faith into the vastness of God’s waiting kingdom. By doing so dispelling the darkness of fear in myself and hopefully with those encountered beyond my fear, and perhaps theirs as well.

Today we are inundated with the absurd abundance of the kingdom of God.  If we can feel the sensation of being overwhelmed by the expanse of God and God’s kingdom; adding to the parables of today all we have learned here over the years in our every day work – prayer, grace, love, forgiveness, hope, faith, joy, endurance, justice, mercy, peace, repentance, wisdom, community---- we have an exorbitant treasure too big not to share. And so big, that staying and standing in fear takes more energy than stepping out in faith! 

Your main focus when leaving church this morning, is to make the Big Harbour (where we live) the friendliest place in the world, and to always do a good job with your work related tasks; in doing so fear is abated and the kingdom shines in absurd abundance. 

Installation - Rev. Dr. Jeffrey Hosick

This afternoon I bring you greetings on behalf of Bishop Michael Pryse, Synod office staff, and from your Lutheran sisters and brothers throughout the Eastern Synod. Welcome to the beginning of a new expression of being In Mission for Others, in the Atlantic Ministry Area.

I am going to take a moment and talk about a particular aspect of Jeff’s life, relating it to the Gospel and Jeff’s pastoral role in our midst. The particular aspect is what I will call “Jeff’s open house policy.” In the not so distant past, I took the time to complete a doctorate degree at Acadia Divinity College in Wolfville.  It required traveling to Wolfville, a coupe of times a year, for intensive weeks of courses.  Jeff made the whole process easier by opening his home in Kentville as home base for me during those weeks. I appreciated having a short drive, a place to lay my head, and a person who translated the Baptist world I was studying in – to something I understood.

Over the years, I was warmly welcomed: sometimes given my own room, depending on roommates – Jeff sometimes took the couch giving me his bed and ensuite.  I learned quickly and with amazement that Jeff’s door was always open.  There were people who dropped in. People living in a separate apartment, another downstairs, another upstairs, Jeff, myself --- all sharing one kitchen, one bathroom, one driveway. And then of course the dog whom Jeff had taken in. And the people all had a story, mostly colourful, interesting, and surprisingly shocking. There were a few long term tenants, but, there were those who were drifters leaving of their own accord, others that Jeff had to evict. And through it all Jeff was the gracious host, with an open door; and as tenants came and went; were in trouble with the law, partying, keeping extra people in their room, stealing, dealing with addictions, opening bags of psychological luggage, and leaving behind a garbage dump of possessions--- Jeff continued to keep his door open.

I learned over my time with Jeff, that he wasn’t opening his house out of some kind of martyr syndrome, or out of stupidity. Although the rent that was collected was helpful and at times needed, the secret is that Jeff’s open house policy comes from an open heart policy.

Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me.

Jeff’s role among us will be lived from his open heart policy.  Take a look around you.  Notice your neighbor. It is quite obvious by the groups of people who have gathered around Jeff this afternoon, that we have all been infected by Jeff’s heart. We would not usually find ourselves in each other’s presence.  Jeff’s open heart, open house policy, open welcome --- draws us closer together, to honour and respect each other and the light within the other. 

The section of scripture read from Matthew’s Gospel, speaks of reward.  It would be a dishonor to the word if we focused on the reward, or needing a reward, or the expectation of a reward in a simple understanding of receiving a tangible item for an action or services rendered.  This would be Jeff simply receiving rent, as payment for offering space. Jeff’s open house policy was more than that.  Matthew is talking about a deeper kind of reward – one that requires risk, being uncomfortable, working in unfavourable conditions.  

Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; the prophets’ reward, according to the Biblical record, and examples from this past century, often meant ridicule for the prophet, who stood alone, worked alone, angered people by saying words they did not want to hear, and in some instances their words brought prison, death, martyrdom.  And whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous;  in the time of Matthew this also required walking courageously; facing persecution by one’s own people who understood scripture differently, abuse by the occupying people who interpreted proclaiming the good  news as disturbing the peace and inciting insurrection – in both cases disciples were put to death by stoning or left to rot in prison, maybe to face gladiators, lions, and tigers.

Being a disciple, a follower, welcoming others – all people- forming relationships, focusing on healing, forgiving, reconciliation, proclaiming the good news… was not … is not… welcomed by all.  People didn’t want to hear about it.  People didn’t want to do it.  What was the reward for them in providing welcome and hospitality?

 And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.

There is a story from the end of WWII, where towns in Germany and Russia experienced a movement of prisoners of war being marched back to their places of origin.  On one such march, a Russian mother watched as German POWs were marched down the street.  Crowds had gathered, and there was much jeering, lots of derogatory comments, stones thrown; pleasure being taken in humiliating the foreign POWs.  In this milieu a Russian mother was watching as a young German soldier – tired and famished- fell; she was the first to run out into the street, people trying to pull her back, and she offered him -the enemy- a piece of bread.  She too became the object of disgust. When asked why she had acted in this way, she responded that she was a mother feeding a son. Her hope was that a German mother would treat her son in the same way as he was hopefully being marched back to Russia, to her arms.  This woman, this mother, worked from an open heart policy.

Lutheran Professor Elisabeth Johnson reflects: What would happen if we stopped expecting people to come on their own initiative through our church doors, and instead took seriously our calling to bring the gospel to them? What would happen if we truly believed that we bear the presence of Christ to every person we encounter, in every home, workplace, or neighborhood we enter? What would happen if we saw every conversation as an opportunity to speak words of grace, every interaction as an opportunity to embody Christ's love for the neighbor?

What would happen if we all lived from an open door policy, an open heart policy?

I live in Halifax, and one of the civic events growing in popularity, is Open-Doors Halifax. Twice a year, different buildings and venues around the city, open their doors to welcome the community inside.  There is a map and there are people present to welcome guests at each venue.  Some of the venues allow people to see spaces they otherwise would or could not, like the inside of the town clock, privately owned historic buildings, newly constructed apartment or condo units.  At most of these Open-door events, the Mosque, opens its doors… and do they provide a welcome.  The event isn’t so much about showing off the building as it is about building relationships with the community.  The Mosque is filled with an array of the faithful – representing Muslims from many countries and traditions. People are given one on one tours; tea is poured; stories are shared; sacred items are displayed; individuals talk about their faith; lectures and discussion panels are offered on a wide variety of topics; one can learn to put on a hijab; public officials and police are invited and visible; questions are welcomed and answered.  People from the greater community have learned and come, ready to remove their shoes; many women now come with their own scarves to cover their heads.  When a Mosque in Quebec experienced terror directed at their community, -- the next day at the time of prayer --- Halifax neighbours joined hands, circled around the Mosque, facing outwards, to keep out those who would come to harm Muslim neighbours.  Open doors at the Mosque, has not only helped us understand each other, it has grown relationships and opened hearts.

Jeff has been invited into our midst to open doors and to open hearts. He bears the presence of Christ to every person he encounters, in every home, workplace, or neighbourhood he enters.  In each conversation he is called to speak words of grace, and in every interaction sees an opportunity to embody Christ’s love for the neighbour.  May his example of discipleship compel and empower us to do the same.  May we share a cup of water with all on our door steps, all sitting beside us, all whom we are afraid of starting a relationship with. May our purpose be ministries of healing, forgiveness, reconciliation, welcome, hospitality --- for the healing of the world.