August 23, 2009
Lectionary 21/Proper 16
Series B
After six weeks we find ourselves this morning at the end of the ‘bread discourse’ in John’s Gospel, a narrative which began on July 26th with the story of the feeding of the multitude. You’ll recall Jesus tried to escape the rush and crush of the crowds, travelling to the other side of the sea of Galilee, only to be met by them upon his arrival. They were hungry in their searching and Jesus, recognizing this, fed them with five loaves and two fishes. That feeding would set the stage and dialogue for the weeks to come which culminate today with these words of Jesus. He states that in order to live, people must eat his flesh and drink his blood, not only cannibalistic in nature but completely contrary to Levitic Code and understanding.
The response? This is a difficult learning. This is a hard saying. These are tough words to which to listen to say nothing of making them part of my life.
Ever heard tough words in your life? Hard things said that were impossible at that moment to comprehend much less buy into? I’ve heard a few over the course of my life. Some of them are as follows. And, depending on the time and place, they can have a lesser or greater impact.
“I’m sorry to inform you that you will not be able to return to college this fall due to your grade point average.” Having completed my freshman year of college that news was devastating.
“To fix your car is going to cost you $186.00.” As a seminarian with little to no money, that was a monumental sum.
“I’m sorry to tell you that we have decided to call someone else as pastor of this congregation.” As a person seeking a call having graduated form Seminary, that was disheartening.
“John, mom died this morning at approximately 1:00 a.m.”
“The test results clearly indicate that he will not recover from this disease. We can give him some more time but barring a miracle we have done all that we can do for your dad.
“Due to a miscalculation on the part of your tax preparer, you owe a large additional sum on your federal taxes.”
I am sure that, given the time and opportunity, you can easily arrive at your own list of sayings that have been hard to hear in your life. They may take different shapes and forms but they are there, woven into our existence and influencing our lives to greater or lesser degrees.
For Jesus’ disciples this saying about eating his flesh and drinking his blood was the clincher. John tells us that many turned away at this point in time and left him in their wake, his words and direction too difficult to take, to hard to hear, to challenging to complete.
Yet, what Jesus is talking about is not so much the issue of eating his flesh and blood as it is recognizing where strength is found and what is truly lasting in life and ultimately, where we go for what we need the most, the food that sustains us for eternity.
Jesus turns to Peter and asks him, point blank, if he too is leaving. Peter responds out of trust and confidence that this one is the one and says, in question form, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
Peter drew his line in the sand and staked his claim, basing it this Word made flesh and the promises offered. It was a hard word and a difficult teaching but one he was ready to hear and listen to.
This past week the ELCA met in assembly in Minneapolis. On the agenda were many, many items of business, countless times for prayer and discernment, multiple opportunities for worship and fellowship and opportunities to set direction and policy for the church in the years to come. There were some hard words spoken and some difficult things said for those who attended as well as for those who were following on the internet and in newspapers around the country.
This week the delegates to the assembly made a shift in policy regarding those who serve the church as rostered leaders, allowing those persons who are gay or lesbian and in committed relationships to serve in congregations that choose to call and support them in their ministry. The debate over this issue was substantial yet civil, grounded in scripture and theology yet changing in its understanding of them. The times that I watched the discussion from the floor from either green or red microphones were times that brought controlled passion and clear intention regarding people’s hearts and minds. When all was said and done, eight years of discussion, name calling and finger pointing came to an end with a majority vote as the church moves in a slightly different direction. For some, and perhaps some of you, these are difficult sayings and learnings. We cannot downplay the reality that for some this decision was a victory while for others it was a defeat and a sign that the church has lost its center and cast aside what they believe to be clear scriptural guidelines regarding the issue.
Already a convention has been established for CORE, a group of more conservative Lutherans, for September of this year to decide in which direction to head. Will there be a church within a church sometime in the near future?
Some spoke on the floor of the assembly as well as to the news media of leaving the ELCA while others welcomed the action and spoke of hope for a future that more intentionally and clearly welcomes all people into the fellowship of word and sacrament we call this branch of the Lutheran church.
Lord, to whom shall we go? In times of tough teachings, of hard words, of difficult sayings, no matter where we find ourselves in the spectrum of this issue or of others, there is only One in whom we have life and find hope, and that is the Christ.
His body and blood, given and shed, are life for us. Feeding and growing our faith, these gifts allow us to agree to disagree as we find ways to work together on the tough sayings and difficult issues that assail us and surround us in this world and our lives. Nourishing us through partaking of these gifts of grace, we are fed with the promise of eternity that is ours in him.
The days ahead for the ELCA are challenging and daunting, to be sure just as are the days ahead for each of us in our lives with the hard lessons we are taught, the difficult sayings that come our way and the hard words that are spoken, challenging and confronting all along the way.
Yet, grounded in this Christ, the Word made flesh, we can approach one another in love and in listening to hear fully and completely what others are saying in order to understand their heart and their concerns.
Lord, to whom shall we go, you have the words of eternal life. May these words be ours and may they be words of patience and grace, of forgiveness and acceptance but mostly, may they be words of love, grounded in the Christ whose love overcame hate and gives us the victory in this life as well as the life to come. Amen.
e!
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