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"Touch the Fringe"

7/30/2017

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Gen. 12:1-9, Matt. 9:9-13, 18-26


        In our scriptures today we meet five ordinary people facing major turning points in their lives.

     In our reading from Genesis we encounter Abram and Sarai. In their old age, God called them to leave their country and kindred and travel to a new land, where they were promised to become a great nation.  At first hearing, this must have sounded like an absurd promise—for they had no children to carry on this great name.  So they were faced with a choice: should they live out the remainder of their years in relative comfort in familiar surroundings?  Or should they leave their home and their families for that very slim chance that God’s promise would come true and that God would provide them with an heir?


     Next we meet Matthew, the tax collector. The tax collecting profession has not gained much in stature since Matthew’s time.  So here was a man most likely financially comfortable, but in a despised profession, and as a result considered by his community ritually unclean.  He was certainly ostracized and held in contempt by his people.  Then one day, Jesus comes along and says, “Follow me.”  What choice should he make?   Should he forsake a lucrative career for an uncertain future with a wandering teacher?
Next we meet the ruler of the synagogue.  When we hear this story, the focus shifts to the urgency of a dying little girl, the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue.   Imagine the choice the father faced.   He was the ruler of the synagogue of Capernaum, an esteemed position. He is called Jairus in the other gospels.  Now leaders of synagogues were not generally hospitable to Jesus.  The leaders of Jesus’ home synagogue in Nazareth tried to push him off a cliff after Jesus first preached there. At another synagogue in Galilee (Luke13:14), the leaders publicly rebuke Jesus for healing on the Sabbath a woman crippled for 18 years.  Nicodemus, a ruler among the people, had to visit Jesus secretly at night.    We know from the gospel accounts that these rulers took an active role in criticizing Jesus throughout his ministry and taking an active role in having Jesus condemned to death.

Now this ruler faces a difficult decision.   He surely has heard how his colleagues, some Pharisees in Capernaum, just publicly condemned Jesus and his followers because they ate with tax collectors and sinners.   But his little girl just died.   Should he throw caution to the wind and plead for a miracle from this man who associates with tax collectors and sinners – people he probably wouldn’t even let cross the threshold of the synagogue?  Should he throw his reputation down the drain in this crazy, desperate attempt to bring his little girl back to life?                                  


  This is enough drama to sort through, but yet there’s more. Interwoven in this story is an account of a woman with the flow of blood.  She is not only physically ill, but she is considered an outcast, because the flow of blood made her ritually unclean according to the laws of Moses, so she was unable to participate in the normal life of her culture.  She couldn’t touch anyone or anything, without rendering it or others unclean.  One day she was faced with a choice.  Should she stay where she was for over a decade, keep to the boundaries that kept her at the margins of her life, or dare she break religious law? Dare she touch just the fringe of Jesus’ cloak as he walked by in an attempt to be healed?  Should she risk exposing herself to condemnation for touching a man, rendering him unclean?

      Five people.  Each one with a major decision that will change the course of their lives forever.  Each one was called to touch the fringe.  To touch the fringe is an appropriate way to sum up Jesus’ ministry, his call to each of us: if we recall his own words at vv. 11-13:  “Those who are well have no need for a physician, but those who are sick.”   “Go and learn what this means, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”  “For I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners.”
 
      Everybody and everything has their fringe.   It is the cusp in life where pain meets promise, sin meets redemption, illness finds health.  Maybe it is a place of barrenness—similar to Abram’s and Sarai’s life, whether it be barrenness of body, mind, emotion or of the spirit beckons forth fruitfulness.  It could be the sense of isolation or feeling like a social outcast, like Matthew and the woman with the flow of blood that calls us into community.  Or perhaps the fringe is that place in us that raises all those uncomfortable questions about our values, the meaning we put on reputation, career or status in light of the suffering of the poor and outcast.  Our fringe is where our past meets our future.  That potent place where the kingdom of God breaks in into our broken world.

        At each fringe encountered by our five characters, in the end they encounter dreams that come true, because they placed their hope and faith in God.  Sarai and Abram give birth to a son, Isaac. Matthew is forever remembered as an apostle with a gospel named after him.  The bleeding woman is healed and restored to community and a dead little girl is restored to life. 
    
  It is through those fringe places in our lives, the places of weakness, sickness, or sinfulness that Jesus teaches us to be merciful, righteous and restores us to spiritual and physical health. 

      At the Presbyterian Big Tent” conference earlier in July, the themes of “Race, Reconciliation and Reformation” were the fringe that challenged the gathered community to understand systemic racism and the faith community mandated to transcend in Christ these differences.  Churches across the PCUSA have been prayerfully studying the book, “Waking up White and finding myself in the story of Race” by Debbie Irving. In the course of the book, the author tells the story of how she learned of the privileges of being white and examples of systemic racism she never knew before: like the racism embedded in the GI Bill, which gave thousands of white veterans a leg up in education and housing, and only 2% of the million black veterans able to take advantage because of the quotas in education and informal racist blocks to better neighborhoods and inaccessibility   to loans white veterans were receiving. 

The author cites another example in the death of Cynthia Wiggins, of Buffalo, hit by a dump track on her way to work.  Some would say this was just a sad circumstance.  What actually happened was the city changed the bus lines with the new mall was up, making the trek from the black neighborhoods to the new mall even more difficult.  Cynthia had to cross seven lines of highway traffic to catch her connecting bus.  She was 16 years old when she died.  These are just some of the examples in “Waking up White and Finding Myself in the Story of Race.” It pushes white people to the fringe–so we can become true allies in the task to dismantle racism.   As Union Church moves to united more closely with its neighbors, this may be an important book to read and discuss.

       We must love each other or perish, said the poet W.H. Auden.  We are at a fringe:  will our leaders led us into equitable health care – good health care not just for themselves but for even the most vulnerable people be upheld?  Will the rights of transgender people be upheld, the civil rights of the LGBTQ community be protected?  What will be beyond this fringe?

       We are at a great fringe in our world.   Will we choose to stay in sin, sickness and greed, or will we take the fringe of our problems to restore ourselves to justice and mercy, and peacemaking?  God is interested in creating a people with a spiritual heritage of mercy and justice.  So over the centuries from the fringe of Nazareth would spring up a savior to bless the world, Jesus.

       Our texts today encourage us to reflect on where is the fringe in our lives, where is the fringe in our communities.  Where are we barren?  What’s been bleeding for years?  Where are we afraid to take a stand, to move into the unknown to risk to bring health into our lives and our world? Amen
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The Harvest Is Plentiful

7/9/2017

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Most of us are winding down from a 4th of July extended week end.  About 150 million hot dogs were consumed on the 4th, including the 69 dogs chomped down by Joey “the Jaws” Chestnut, who won his 7th straight world-record at Nathan’s Hot dog eating contest at Coney Island.  700 million pounds of chicken found its way on the grill, along with 190 million pounds of ground beef and sausages.  25 million pounds of fireworks lit our skies and we waved about 5 million dollars’ worth of American flags – all made in China.  Add to those figures platters of hummus and baba ghanouj with pancit and rice.  Not to mention other gatherings with whole pig, whole lamb, lamb shanks, roasted pork belly, carne asada,  gallo pinto, chicken biryani and gallons of Chinese sweet soup dessert  or sweet green-bean soup or almond tofu --  look out America – we are fast becoming a minority majority nation: just like our New York City Presbytery, where no racial-ethnic group holds the majority. Immigrants have claimed Independence Day as their own, and holding the country to it. There are at least 143 origin countries and 325 languages in this great land of ours.   

In this mix is a rising number of people, young people, and boomers alike, immigrants and old-timers -- who do not relate to old-time religion. They consider themselves “spiritual” not religious.  They are suspicious of authority and social institutions, including church.  They see no reason to join.  They are skeptical by nature.  They represent at least 20 percent of our population.  How do we respond to the amazing, shifting dynamics of our culture, of our faith?  Do we lament and despair?   Or do we celebrate and change?  Do we proclaim a new Independence Day – where the essentials of faith are not about tyranny and exclusion, but instead bring freedom and inclusion to the whole people of God?

We hear how Jesus sends 70 disciples to go before him, to prepare the way…to go into new villages, meet new people. 70 is a potent number in the Jewish tradition, referring to universality and leadership.  70 individuals formed the table nations that came together to create the tower of Babel.  70 individuals formed the people of Israel that first went to Egypt. Moses selected 70 elders to help him lead. The leadership body of the Jewish nation was comprised of 70 elders.  Jesus chooses 70 disciples to engage foreigners and strangers - the beginnings of Jesus’ vision for his church. This is a harvest of souls, a harvest that God has tenderly, patiently loved and grown.  Now it’s time to bring them to the table for the heavenly feast.

Jesus tells his 70 how to harvest. Disciples of Jesus need to be on the go – not resting on their laurels at home.  We are called to meet and greet new people. We are called to go outside our comfort zone – meeting people different from ourselves.   Jesus is clear: don’t take purse, bag, sandals –greet no one on the road.  Jesus isn’t encouraging anti-social behavior – but he wants us to be unhindered by worldly objects. Jesus wants us humble. And depend on God.  We shouldn’t even wear sandals – since the poor of the door didn’t have them --  and that would set us apart, separate us.  We’re not to engage in lengthy salutations and conversations as were custom.  Jesus wanted his disciples to be focused, eager to get to their destination. Once in the village they were to offer peace. To eat as they eat. Live where they live. We are to work to cure the ills around them.  Then, we are to speak – the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus is near. to eat as they eat. Live where they live. We are to work to cure the ills around them.  Then, we are to speak – the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus is near.

        Jesus has a new challenge for us. He’s sending us out – out of the building, to go meet the immigrants, the skeptics, the seekers, and minister to them.  Eat with them. Spend time with them. Alleviate their ills. And tell them, God loves them. The God that Jesus reveals is a God who believes in justice and mercy, and love for our neighbor, where there’s a place at the table for all.  It is a message of grace. It invites belonging and connection. And all are invited.

        Interesting.  Our churches are empty but Jesus insists that the Harvests are full.   We need more laborers.  How does this make us feel?  It is overwhelming? Or is it exciting? Pastor Rebecca Messman asks:  Do you know the technical term for the eye condition that develops as we age? The one that means you lose the ability to see things that are close? It’s called presbyopia. It means “old eyes.”

We, as a church, she says, have developed old eyes, presbyopia.
We see the distant past…when the pews were filled, the church ran dozens of programs and when church attendance on Sunday was a priority in people’s lives, not an option. We see the distant future, cobwebs in the organ and faded framed pictures from the glory days past. But we can’t see what’s around us.  Our neighbors with many different beliefs and customs.

Messman says is either better eyes or longer arms. Jesus models both. He focuses on what is near and he reaches out in ways that are uncustomary.  He focused on the people near to him. And he wasn’t afraid to break the rules when necessary.

The unchurched appreciate what they know of Jesus and his teachings; they just don’t know that much about him. They claim to pray daily. They yearn for community. They value the spiritual life and connect with God in nature, music and art. To cure our presbyopia – we need to see them. Then we need to reach out in courageous and creative ways. One thing that can give us better eyes and longer arms. Change the way we see ourselves. Not as a dying church, but a church that reaches out. It is contagious. Folks want to reach out more.
​
        We celebrated secular freedom this past week.  Now let us embrace spiritual freedom.  Train our eyes to see the need around us, right here, in Bay Ridge – and with our arms reach out to embrace the people God has placed in our midst.  God is not retiring us.  God is sending us out to see the world through God’s perfect vision.  Instead of scarcity we see abundance. Instead of feeling like we have nothing to offer – we discover how much we have to share.   You and I are the laborers God is sending forth in this brave new work.  Bringing peace. Curing ills. Living and eating as one people. We can do this – it is our calling as leaders in the movement Jesus began. To work for freedom, universality.  To make friends out of strangers. Believers.  The kingdom of God is near – and the Harvest is plentiful and the laborers are here, waiting to be sent. Amen.
 
 

 
 

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    Moirajo is a minister, social worker, wife, mother, writer and animal lover. That's just for starters. Join the story, there's so much we can share together! 

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