16 Oct SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2022
Listen to key themes in today’s readings:
The importance of knowing who you are and what you need cannot be understated. Also, knowing who to ask for help can determine one’s future.
This is true not only of individuals, but entities like churches.
There are lessons to be learned and benefits to be had by gaining humility, growing in self-awareness, and asking a higher power, i.e. God, to acknowledge the true state of one’s affairs.
Jacob participated in an awful dirty deed as a young man. Apparently his mother and uncle were raised by their parents to become con artists. Every chance they got, they manipulated people and circumstances to benefit themselves. You might say that just like Jacob and the widow, they felt entitled to receive more than what fate dealt.
Church congregations, whether urban or rural, often feel the same. After years of investing in relationships, maintaining buildings and properties, building up membership, and supporting ministries, they question fate and wonder, “When will our efforts pay off? Will we flourish and how? Who are we at this point? What are our needs? What’s the true state of our affairs and the point of all this wrestling?”
Jacob drew this conclusion after stealing his brother’s birthright and getting similarly tricked by his uncle. “No good can come from trying to be who you’re not or wishing people were different.” It’s enough to keep your own responsibilities in mind, to work with what you’re given rather than set your sights elsewhere.
Our churches don’t need to operate a food pantry, serve community meals, run a full-time school, or offer a wide range of activities. We only need to do what we’re capable of, offer smaller versions of such things, support other agencies and ministries. In other words, do what’s possible. Let’s not pretend to be what we’re not in order to receive credit or God’s blessing. Let’s figure out who we are.
In today’s reading, Jacob was asked, “Who are you?” He was and churches are in a time of transition, a time of new challenges. Like Jacob, we’ve left the past and journey toward the future. But unlike Jacob and the widow, I’m not sure we know who we are or what we need to keep going. But like Jacob and the widow, we know that whatever we do is not only for our sake, but for the sake of our descendants.
Like Jacob and the widow, we’re at a place where we need to persist, to ask for the intervention of a higher power to bless our efforts; to admit our true identity, know where we’ve been, understand what we’ve endured and figure out what’s needed to move ahead.
God’s word is always useful. In the Bible and in life, everyone has a part to play. Each character, each church, the first born and those that follow, the larger, more powerful and the one who appears small or great in need. Everyone must be self-aware of strengths and weaknesses, how much and how long they’re willing to endure struggle, how to be persistent, ask for their share and maybe even walk with a limp.
Every child and church is different. Fate plays a role, but each has a role to fulfill.
Jacob, like the widow, and many churches today, understand the vulnerability of their position in society. Each gets convinced over time by circumstances out of their control. Each must recognize the significance of their most important task: realize their identity; find significance in being who they are; connect to other people in their sphere and persist before those in power. Together, we can change the course of not only our future, but the lives of all those depending on our resources, our God-given ability to hold sway or influence future outcomes.
You see, although Jacob and the widow appear to be wrestling on their own behalf (or may instinctually be doing so) they, like churches, know more is at stake. They know that their role is necessary to fulfill the larger picture. Not just an image of them with their families, but an aerial view as seen from a drone.
Currently, both churches are like families living in big houses. There’s plenty of room and every room is furnished, but not many people show up these days unless something special brings them in. Even those occasions grow fewer in number.
What would God have us do now? Wait for guests to come? I don’t think so. Send out more invitations? I don’t think so. Get out of our houses and work elsewhere? Perhaps. What about reinventing ourselves or partnering in other ways? According to today’s gospel reading, we must still wrestle.
Even knowing that we might suffer temporary or permanent injury. We must go on, nonetheless, reminded that our identity is based not only on what we know about ourselves, but how others see us. From that starting point, we may be confident of God’s blessing.
This past weekend, Steve and I made our first trip to Hawk Mountain. After joining as members, the first thing we did was ask a staff member to draw a suggested route on our hiking map.
To me, it makes no sense to waste time wondering if I’m on the right trail. I’d rather know for sure that by taking a certain path, I can expect to see certain things. The same is true of our time together as pastor and congregation. Let’s not waste time or wonder if we are on the right path. Let’s enjoy all we can while we have the opportunity to take in beautiful sights. Let’s prepare to scale large rocks by wearing proper shoes. Let’s carry a walking stick and use it.
While climbing down from a lookout point, I approached a woman from behind who was about my age or older. She appeared to be struggling over where to next place her foot. I asked, “Could you use a hand,” while extending my forearm. She grabbed on immediately, saying, “Yes, I could.”
After a moment, she turned and said, “Oh. I thought you were my daughter.” We both laughed, after realizing we had both acted instinctively. Noticing she was somewhat embarrassed, I offered my walking stick to find her own path downward.
Afterward she remarked, “That worked good. Thanks!” I said, “Yeah, you ought to get yourself one.” We both smiled warmly, then continued our separate ways.
Like the woman and I, our churches act instinctively for good, each ready in their own way to give or receive and take turns, depending upon who has what in the moment or who appears to have the most dire need.
More parallels exist between a church and Hawk Mountain. Beyond the purpose of saving lives, the sanctuary, like a church, has three main goals: observation, research and education. We are both in the business of identifying those we aim to serve. We have to collect data, analyze and process it, make decisions and decide what we’re going to teach so others learn what we ourselves have gleaned through firsthand experience, the role of evangelism.
After climbing out a fair distance on North Point Overlook, I struck up conversation with a man who’d been on the lookout for hours equipped with a large telescope. He was well experienced, could identify raptors by sight and was eager to share knowledge. Soon, a naturalist trainee came and sat on a nearby rock.
I was excited to engage him. He taught me the names given to each peak, slope and field below that the first guy with the telescope kept referring to while pointing out birds. I enjoyed hearing the young man’s story and other stories he told of his passion for wildlife. We sat a good while, soaking in the cool air, exchanging appreciation for shared interests, showing consideration for each element of the scene.
Everyone wanted a great view. Some came prepared, others did not. We literally met all ages coming and going. One mom was impressed with my knowledge of Pokemon after I could describe her 5 yr-olds favorite character once given the name.
I was irked by one family of four. A mom, dad and older brother all had on hiking boots. The eight year old girl with them was wearing slip on canvas dock shoes. Smooth soled shoes that didn’t even tie on were hazardous. The mom insisted the daughter hold hands, but of course she didn’t want to. Like our churches, not knowing, not preparing or not allowing others freedom compromises an otherwise great opportunity.
Back at the visitors center, some kids crawled underneath the restroom stalls and locked all but one which I didn’t understand until informing the staff after taking my turn to wait in line. I didn’t crawl under beforehand ‘cause I didn’t understand the point. I thought perhaps at the end of the day, staff cleaned up some stalls and locked the rest. Besides, I really had to go. I regretted not being there earlier to prevent kids from doing it.
Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, a church and its members share similar roles: Observe, analyze and educate, learn ourselves, evolve and chuckle at how sometimes we appear differently to others than we seem to our own way of thinking.
After rising from my perch on a large boulder, I determined to walk back toward the trail from North Point Lookout. My walking stick and eyes focused on where to next place my foot when an extended arm entered my view. Instinctively, a voice asked, “Could you use a hand?”
Instinctively, I grabbed it and said, “Thank you,” though I never turned back or looked to see who offered it. I wasn’t embarrassed at the time though afterward I was sure their help was unnecessary. Nonetheless, it was a nice gesture that demonstrated concern.
That it happened made me chuckle. To someone else I appeared like the woman I offered to help hours earlier. It was humbling. I became more self-aware. It made me want to share the story with you so that we as individuals, part of a larger group called the church, might never fail to realize when it is our turn to offer help, our turn to receive it, or else miss an opportunity to connect. People and our surroundings all play a role to fulfill God’s marvelous plan. Let us pray.
Lord, through the lessons of Jacob and the widow, our families and strangers, teach us self-awareness and humility. Give us understanding of our role, to whom we might offer support or to whom we may give consideration as we journey onward.
Help us to realize that our identity is based not only on what we know about ourselves, but how others see us. From that starting point, we will be confident of your blessing. Mark our trail map so we don’t get lost or miss out on beautiful opportunities to see and connect with other created beings and nature as your partners in a larger context. In your holy name we pray. Amen.