July 6 2008

ARTS in the park July 6 2008 Matthew 11
Well as you can see..it is Arts in the park day again
and I have told you before
that this is one of my favorite Brained events..
Of course I like the fireworks and the parade also
but arts in the Parks isn’t quite so intense
it’s a little more relaxed..
I know it complicates the parking situation around here a little bit
but we have a great location right next to the park ..hundreds of people get to see that we are here..in this beautiful well kept building
so being part of this neighborhood .is a privilege that we have
so get on over to the park sometime today
you might see a juggler
probably a nice variety..of music
pan flutes
violins ..dulcimers
bagpipes
all kind of arts and crafts
Bill grange
I’m guess has his pottery stand right over by the water fountain...
you can get some stain glass work
or wood work
or fabric art..
.the list goes on
don’t forget to check out the classic cars
and well there’s the food
I always get some kettle corn ...maybe a brat..
its all there for arts in the park
well I went through my notes
and some of you will remember that I’ve talked about this before
we even did a kind of Arts in park church theme
for one of our church photo directories
and I also did a sermon on this back in 2005
I'm sure you remember every word of it
right...Bob..etc...(Darwin!)
so I better not do a rerun here right...
Anybody remember that sermon /
Back then
I talked about the spiritual arts
and the arts of ministry
I quoted Ephesians 2;10
and there is this GK word poema which sounds like the word for poem
the GK word can can actually be translated to say
that we are Gods art work ...
we are gods creation and handiwork

back then
I highlighted some spiritual or metaphorical arts
that I could see in he Bible
the art of pottery
God is potter.
we are the clay...
Then the art of architecture..
we are Gods building ..
you can get that in I Peter
. and then the art of storytelling
we are a story that God is telling ..
The gospel is a story of good news
and some of you know an old hymn
that says I love to tell the story of Jesus and his love
.
but what kind of spiritual arts should we look at this morning.....
How about dancing Maybe free style interpretative dancing.
I need you to work with me a little
but the word dancing is here in the gospel lesson
did you catch it in there?
and were going to spend our time in the gospel lesson this morning
so Im going stretch this a bit
but I think
I got the spirit of the lesson right



First of all..did you notice
Jesus is comparing the people to a bunch of children playing in the market place..
You get this sense of teasing and whining and complaining
and its about who gets to make the rules
and Who didn’t do it right.....
(you know any churches like that.? )
(Not here.. But I’ve seen a few..
We played a dance song and you didn’t dance
you didn’t do it our way
then we did a sad song
and you didn’t cry..
you didn’t whine and complain with us
You didn’t play along with us.
And Jesus goes onto say
that he did more of that dance spirit in his life
he lived with a spirit of celebration..
This is an important point here..
It says
The son of man came eating and drinking..

And he got criticized for that lifestyle
some people said he didn’t get it right.
He broke the rules and didn’t play the game
.
In some ways
Jesus is contrasting his spirit of Life .
.his style of religion
his path of discipleship
with John the Baptist
or maybe some of the strict religious leaders

John the Baptist for example
had a very severe and austere way of being faithful
and that should have satisfied those really strict folks...
but not even John the Baptist wasn’t good enough for them .
And Jesus
well
he didn’t live with all those harsh tight rules
but that wasn’t good enough either
for these very religious people
and then
Jesus closes that part of the lesson with these words
he says
Gods wisdom
or the truth
will be shown by its results
in other words
look at the results..look at what it does.
the proof is in the pudding.
Look at what the life of Jesus is going to produce..
That an important line in this lesson
so don’t forget it..

Now let me demonstrate this lesson with a story
its about Robinson Crusoe
actually it comes from the movie
one day
Robinson Crusoe got tired of just sitting around
and eating fruit
and laying around on the beach with all the sunshine
so he went over
and captured a man that he called Friday
he took him from a local tribe
so he could "educate" him
he taught him the English language
of course Caruso never thought about learning Fridays language
Anyway
Caruso was going to "educate" Friday
even though it was Friday
who had actually taught Caruso everything that he needed to know
like
how to get food
and clothes and shelter..
Well bot being civilized
like the Englishman, Carouso
Apparently Friday didn’t know that his life wasn’t quite complete.
Because civilized people
know that life is not here just to be enjoyed
Life has to be conquered and measured.
So Caruso decided that they would have their kind of mini Olympics..
A sport..
with some competition
and first of all
he set up a race
Caruso said we are going to run to that tree
the better runner wins

Wins what?
Friday wants to know
"wins the race of course "
he gets told
Friday still doesn’t get it.. "Why do we race?"
Because we want to know who the better runner is..
Why
he says..again
Why
And Caruso says
:we have to know who is best at things."

Friday says
"isn’t it enough to know that we are both good.
No Caruso says
now
stop asking stupid questions and lets start the race

we are going to see who the better runner is..

Ready ....set..... go..
The two of them start running
Crusoe is pumping his arms and legs with good disciplined form
he is gulping for air
as his feet are driving into the stand..
Pounding the ground
and his face is turning red with the hard work of running


but Friday is doing a different kind of run.
Its almost like he was dancing
he legs are flying
and his arms are swinging in the wind.
H’s got this big smile on his face.
Caruso got to the tree way ahead of him
and he is bent over trying to catch his breath
as he waits for Friday to get to the tree.
He is doubled over..just breathing so hard
When Friday finally got there
Friday says "I win"

carouse is all upset..
Are you mad.. ?
I was here way before you
How can you think you won?!
and Friday says
you told me th t the better runner would win the race.
I saw how you ran..
you ran like you were being chased by a wild boar.
You strained every muscle
and you didn’t enjoy that running one bit.
Now you stand here
and you can hardly breathe
and you look like you are in pain.
How can you call that winning!
But I ran with my legs running beautifully
like they were meant to do
I didn’t jam them into the ground like you did.
And I breathed in he air so that my face could smile
but you
you look like you could faint any minute
so clearly
I am the better runner
because I enjoyed it.
Cruoso of course is not hearing this;
he says
But I got tot the tree first
so I am the faster runner. I win.
Ah but listen
Friday says
You did not say that the faster runner would be the winner ...

`You said "the better runner
besides what good is it to get to the tree first
if you cant enjoy yourself
when you get the there..

I think you can here the metaphor...
you can figure the meaning..
How do you live your life
in the art of living
are you dancing well or running hard
are you more like
caruso
driving somehow
to prove that you measure up...to prove that you’re the winner
that somehow how
you are better or good enough..and expecting everyone else to follow your interpretation of the rules

Or more like Friday
moving through life
in a way
that still leaves a smile
Lets you breath
and can still be enjoyable
I like to think that Christian ministry
and the spirit of park church
our style
the spiritual artistry here
is more like Fridays..
Yes
we also have a sense of destination and purpose ..and a calling
we re not loitering
...we are still moving to the tree
to the finish ,,
,getting to the goal
but the way
that way we get there
is what matters
the way
is not just a set of rules
t is also
I believe
the way that Jesus talks about and show us and give us
when he says
I am the way
it is a way that leaves room for the human element
it knows us.
And so
it
.is going to be about love...
Its going be about giving and forgiving
its going to be about hospitality and grace
Where the tax collectors and the sinners don’t get left out or left behind
(you heard that in the lesson didn’t you)
because that who Jesus dances with
like or not...
( And some wont like it.)
and it is a way that lets us be the church
with a kind of beauty and gracefulness
so that
it is not
just about pounding it out through life
and living by the egos rules
maybe
as the Gospel lesson also says
in verse 25
as the world sees it
the Jesus way
.. will not the the fastest.
.or the most rational,
intelligent
or sophisticated..
but
we believe
it is the best..
and in the last analyses
in what really matter
its the kind of life
that lets you enjoy getting there.
In case you need a little more scriptural support
if you want this in bible talk
Listen to the words of Jesus again in the gospel lesson
I think you will hear the same point being made
Jesus says
"come to me all who are weary and heavy laden.
.and I will give you rest...
Take my yoke upon you.."
that is
take my way upon you
my rules
my teachings
my way of running the race.
.may way of living life
upon you.
Take my yoke upon you
..learn from me..
Because I am gentle and humble in spirit

and you will find rest for your souls
for my yoke is easy.
That is
my yoke is kind or good
it is fitted just right for you
in other words
this is not the yoke of slavery and oppression.
And my burden is light.

Eugene Peterson
translated it this way
in The Message
Jesus says

Are you tired
worn out
Burned out on religion
come to me
Get away with me
and you will recover your life
I’ll show you how to take a real rest
walk with me and work with me./
..watch how I do it.
Learn the unforced rhythms of grace

you feel that
learn the unforced rhythms of grace
that’s what
I was seeing in Fridays way of running the race
the unforced rhythms of grace

Jesus says
I wont lay anything or ill fitting on you
Keep company with me
and you will learn to live to live freely
(there you have the fourth of July part of the sermon
"you will learn to live freely)
(a deeper freedom)
and you will learn to live lightly.

what would it mean for you to live more freely and lightly?

..Again think of Friday and the race
Crusoe
Thinking he has won.
.but he is gasping at the end

..or Friday
who has enjoyed getting there

who s rules s do you follow
what would it mean for you to lighten up..
in your attitudes.
.your judgments.
your behavior...your heart..your soul..

what would it take
for you to change the drive and the pace of your life
what does it mean for the church
to loosen up and let go
and maybe let people in
all people
what would it mean mean for us
to be a church
where we move together
in the common yoke ..the communion yoke of Christ
in a faith
that gives people room to breath.
.to smile
because
this Jesus way truly
is gentle and kind
........
maybe this kind of spiritual living
Would look and feel .
.something
more like a dance..
Maybe that is the spiritual art that Jesus is trying to teach us
right here in this Park
maybe that’s the proof...the results .that he was talking about

* my source for the Robinson Crusoe story is Fellow Travelers by Terry Morehouse p, .79 Kirk House Publishers..he cites other sources going back to Stevie Ray