Aug 26, 2007 notes

Here it is, odd spacing and typos as usual. The ad libing was a little different between the two services but this will give you some idea of what it was.

Aug 26 sermon Sabbath / Luke 13:10-17 PUMC

All this traveling that I did on vacation to Michigan and Ohio, reminded me of a story and the story I think is going to take us to the gospel lesson this morning

It goes like this ... once upon a time; A king was traveling with his child through the wilderness.
And as you know when a king travels, he does not travel alone. The whole entourage goes along with ministers, guards,
attendants and servants, all kinds of people ; just ready to serve the king and do his will.
But suddenly, one day as they traveled along, this whole procession came to a stop
The king's child wanted something.
"Water," said the crown prince.
"I want water."
So the king called together his cabinet to deal with this crisis.
"My son is thirsty," he said to his ministers.
But how do we get water..way out here in the wilderness?
Finally after a lot of discussion two ideas were presented to the king
the commander of the royal cavalry said ‘I know what to do. I will send out my ten best riders
with the ten fastest horses. "They will ride to the next village and they will fill up their water skins.
And in less than an hour, they will have water for the prince."

Then the royal engineer spoke up.He had another idea :He said "I will l put my men and equipment to work." "They will build a derrick and we can sink a well right here, on the very spot at which we have stopped.Before the day is out, there will be water for the prince."

The king decided to follow the engineer's plan and soon the royal engineers were boring a well through the desert sand and rock.
Early in the evening they reached a vein of water and the prince's got his drink of water
"But Why," the prince wanted to know ....
after he had his water. "Why did you make your men dig a well in the desert?
After all, we had an easier way and a faster way just to get some water.
"Well, yes ,my son," said the king, that was situation we had today
But maybe one day, years from now in the future,
you just might be traveling this way again. And maybe you will be alone,
and maybe you won't have all the power and privilege that you have now .
Then, the well that we dug today will be here to quench your thirst."

"But father," said the prince, in a few years the sands of time will cover up this well,
and stop the water and even the memory of this will disappear . "My son," said the king, "
you have spoken with wisdom and with foresight. So this,, is what we will do. We will mark the site of this well on our maps, and we will protect our maps from the ravages of time.
And years from now if you know the exact spot at which this well has been sunk,
you will be able to reopen it with a little effort and toil. And in fact said the king
we will do this at every camp we make on this journey . "We shall dig wells and mark their places on our map. We will record the characteristics of each well
with instruction on how to open that well. So whenever, and under whatever circumstances,
you travel this route, you will be able to find the water that water will help you on your journey."
That' s the story. (*Source,credit unknown at this time)
This morning we have followed this map called the Christian tradition we have followed the map of scripture and we have come to a well. Long ago God provided for us.
God knew that we would need spiritual water in this journey so God dug wells for us all along the way.. (9:30 service) ..baptism..as we celebrate Henry’s baptism..
.is like a well of hope and forgiveness and renewal for us.... and we are invited to open the well day by day wash ourselves in this spiritual water of life and love and new birth
Again and again.. every day to renew ourselves baptism is a well of identity
that we are children of God in the Gospel of Jesus Christ
but there are other wells,,,each of them unique and varied for us along the way
Every Bible story, every lesson, every parableis like a well to uncover..
All of them have been put here for us...
And you can see one of those particular wells in the gospel lesson; it is this well of Sabbath..
That’s the issue in the Gospel lesson today
a women who has been bent over For 18 years.. Comes to the synagogue
and Jesus sees her...
She doesn’t say anything ,but Jesus sees her/ calls her over /heals her /
lifts her up.. "Straightens her up" according to some of the translations...
And she praises God. But some other people are there;
the leader of the synagogue... is angry because Jesus did this on the Sabbath..
You are not supposed to do any work on the Sabbath. ..its one of the ten commandments
and they had all kind of rules and guidelines about what qualifies as work....all of them trying to protect you from accidentally breaking this law..laws meant, in good devotion to help you .
I probably told you before that when I was in Jerusalem
there was the Sabbath elevator in the King Solomon hotel.. It automatically stopped on every floor so you didn’t have to push a button and use electricity and the Sabbath toilet paper roll had the squares pre cut so you weren’t even tearing off the paper..
Well ..you can be pretty careful on this Sabbath thing and we need to here the devotion tha tis intended in those traditions
but also in that kind of conversation, Jesus says, wait a minute.... if you have a donkey or an ox that needs water on the sabbath
of course you untie them.. You give them a drink of water (and in sabbath laws... you are always allowed to relieve suffering on the Sabbath)
Sabbath is not about rules and religious requirements... its about people and it is about God and real relationships
Sabbath, to use the image of that thirsty donkey or ox, sabbath is our time to drink the water and be renewed and restored..

You get that?
really Sabbath is not just a time
Sabbath is not just a day of the week
like Saturday or maybe Sunday....and I e heard a lot of debate over that over the years... but it misses the point.. that is just a tool or a stage ..or a space for the real Sabbath
Sabbath is an experience...
Sabbath is a spiritual reality
sabbath is a gift to receive
the purpose of sabbath as Jesus sees it.. Is to heal us..
You see that here in the lesson
Sabbath happens
when we get called over by God.
.just as Jesus saw that women and called her to him
Sabbath is when we let ourselves be called into the presence of God
and we let ourselves be touched by God
Sabbath
is when we let God work in us
Sabbath is when we let God lift us up..
Sabbath is when...as Jesus said it in verse 16,
we get set free ...from bondage..
Sabbath is when we reconnect to the exodus from slavery
Sabbath is when we re-enter
the redemption and trust of God ....that sets us free
Sabbath is being visibly described in this gospel lesson
. That why I love the image of this bent over women
This is not just about being physically bent over..
don’t go just literal on this.
Because this is a spiritual picture... in the living word of God
Don’t forget
that when Jesus did a miracle it was like a story being acted out..with a spiritual message for us
a miracle was a living illustration ..it was spiritual drama..with a truth.. for people to see
This women... bent over..
Is a picture of humanity
we are that bent over women
I am this bent over women
we get chained by the burdens of life
and we get bent over from the loads of guilt
or fear and shame and all the pressures
all the "have to’s..and "gotta do’s"
or just the tiredness of getting through day and paying the bills
and doing the work or just trying to get it right
and you get bent over
physically sometimes..
But also
in your heart..in your head.. Your attitude, your thinking
in your soul..in your core
and your spiritual vision is just looking down
Just play with the image of these words.. Bent over
we can't look up
and we cant lift our heads anymore.... we just look at the ground..
And life is heavy..
But Jesus sees that ..and we get noticed.
And are set free
That’s what sabbath is about
it is hope and it is healing
and That’s the well of wisdom that we need to pay attention to..

But do we.???. Do you have Sabbath in your life ?
do you ever open this well? Are you thirsty ?
..
Slow down
go a part
pray
worship.
Read the Bible..slowly
Listen to Gods loving call..
. we all have this bent over women inside of us
w e all have the burdens that drain us and weigh us down
no exception
and God gives us this Sabbath rhythm
this wisdom..
this commandment
.this principle..for our own good.
so we can be set free from our burden
God knows what is good for us.
let me say it again
Sabbath is a practice
to remember the greater power of god
and to rest in the peace and the goodness of God
to let yourselves be gospeled
(I made that up but you know what I mean)
But here’s the big question
where, how do you have Sabbath?

I know Im still learning this for myself..
Sometime during the week.
.during the day...
is there a time..set apart..
But more than just a time on the schedule
is there an experience, a space,
a spiritual moment
when you don’t have to be in control
you don’t have to be fixing the world
or even fixing yourself for that matter
you can just stop
and let yourself be.
Present
Noticed and touched by Gods love
listening

Its about being
not doing
its about receiving
instead of producing
is about letting God call us and reach out to us
it about letting God touch
you with grace and intimacy..and wholeness
letting Gods love ..happen
and then
we are able to praise God for the gift of life in new way.
.with our heads up in amazement.
.able to look around.. , new perspective, And see Jesus

As I said
I see this Sabbath healing story as being like a holy well
that God the ancient and great traveler has dug for us...
In our busy society...and hectic living
its been covered up
and buried in the sand
and people are dying of thirst.
but we have the map.
Don’t overlook the well.
I want to point ahead to a class that is going to start on Sept 16
on Sunday evenings... it called the spiritual life.
I thin k it could be a sabbatical experience
.I am very impressed by it..
.I want to do this with you and really what its going to do is take us
to these ancient wells for the water of life..All we have to do is follow our own Christian map..And uncover the ancient wells..I hope you join me..