St Columba Presbyterian Church:

JULY 18, 2010

SERMON.

Let us pray,

Almighty God, in Jesus you opened for us a new and living way into your presence, as you invite us to share in relationship through Him. As you speak to us now in your Word, give us pure hearts and constant wills, that we may worship you in spirit and in truth, and serve you faithfully and well; through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray.

Amen.

"THE TWO SIDES OF THE COIN!"

It's mid-July; it's summer vacation season.

I know, I know, for those of you who are retired, as many of you here are, life is just one long vacation! But for the rest of us mere mortals who continue to slog away at tending the vineyard, this tends to be the time of year when we take a little time off. And those of you who are retired are far from unfamiliar with the concept of taking time away; going on trips for rest and relaxation, or to broaden your horizons, or whatever it might be.

When you consider holidays, it seems that there are largely two types that people tend to pursue.

There are those who strive to see fourteen European countries in six days, they want to pack in as much as they can, in the time they have; or they seek to be active in terms of, let's get going, let's try kayaking, go mountain-biking, zip-trekking; go white water-rafting, para-sailing, and then roller-blading; and when we've done all that, we can think up something to do in the afternoon! 'Rest and relaxation?', such people say, 'we can rest and relax when we can get back home.'!

And then there are those who are not interested in any of that. Just find me a nice, warm, beach, give me a good book, and leave me there for the duration; that will be just perfect!, they say. They have no interest in being active, they just want to rest and relax; which is what holidays are supposed to be all about right?

I wonder what the result would be if I took a little survey amongst those of you gathered here; as to who would prefer which kind of vacation. And it's not that any one type of holiday is better than another; different things suit different kinds of people, with different types of personalities.

Just over the summit of the Mount of Olives to the east of the city of Jerusalem, lies the village of Bethany; and near the heart of that village is a modest home, shared by a brother and two sisters.

We don't know the roots of the relationship; did their parents know each other, and thus they had always been a part of each other's lives?; did they just meet somewhere along the way, and somehow connect?; was it an instant friendship, or one that grew over the years? We will never have answers to those questions.

But it seems that Jesus; and Lazarus, Martha and Mary, who live in that home in Bethany; it seems that they are the very best of friends. Theirs is a place where Jesus is very much at home; where He can relax, unwind, leave behind the ever-growing demands, regroup, and feel refreshed; where He can just hang-out, and think about other things, or nothing at all. And as such, this is a vital place in Jesus' life, and now in His ministry.

The two sisters who live in that house in Bethany, are people who have quite different personalities.

Martha, as the older sister is "mistress" of the house, and she is all- action. She is a doer. If you go to visit, she's going to take charge of hospitality, make sure you are feeling welcome, and that your needs and wants are being looked after. If a meal is served, she will be the last to come to the table, and the first to leave to begin clearing up at the end. She will keep going, doing what she does, for however long it takes.

Mary is much more passive, more reflective; perhaps even a little shy. She will hold back, stay out of the way; she will find a quiet corner, and remain in the background. For her, it is more important to be quiet, at rest; to listen, and think, and consider; than it is to always be doing something.

It's a classic contrast, and it is one that is full of tensions, and potential misunderstandings. Some people are naturally dynamos of activity; others are naturally quiet. It is difficult for the active person to understand the person who sits and contemplates; and the person who prefers quiet times of meditation, can be dismissive of the one who would rather always be active.

We read about a visit that Jesus' made to the home of His friends in Bethany, in our text from the Gospel of St. Luke, Luke chapter 10, verses 38 to 42. Martha was upset that Mary simply sat and listened to Jesus, while she had to prepare some refreshment and nourishment, not just for Jesus, but for those twelve other guys, as well as everybody else, He has with Him this time. "Master," Martha says to Jesus, "don't you care that my sister has abandoned the kitchen to me? Tell her to lend me a hand.". That's Eugene Peterson's paraphrase from "The Message". Now it's not fair to accuse Martha of being obsessive-compulsive, unable to focus beyond the demand she has placed upon herself; nor is it appropriate to dismiss Mary as shirking her share of the domestic responsibilities. This story isn't told to be some scathing criticism, by Luke, of Jesus' best friends. Rather this story is told for an altogether deeper reason than that.

Last Sunday, while reflecting on "The Parable of the Good Samaritan" which, in Luke's Gospel, immediately precedes the incident we are looking at today; in the context of "The Parable of the Good Samaritan", we considered the concepts of believing and doing, and how they inter-connect. What we believe must be reflected in what we do, in our attitudes and priorities; and we need to work out our faith in the world, in order for others to see what we believe. Last week's text ended with Jesus' command to "Go and do the same.".

By contrast, this week's story points out that, for us as disciples, listening to Jesus' words is also vital. Last week, go and do; this week, pause, be at rest, be quiet. It's not that any one is more important than the other, quite the reverse. The point is that both matter; both are a necessary part of effectively serving Jesus.

Yes, Jesus and a whole bunch of other people had arrived at the house, and needed to be fed, and looked after. But the meal didn't need to be an elaborate one, and it didn't need to be ready right now! A few moments quiet of contemplation, while Jesus shares something of Himself and His purpose; maybe, right then and there, that is more important. As the Old testament Book of Ecclesiastes reminds us, "There's an opportune time to do things, a right time for everything...". Activity and passivity; neither one matters more than the other, they both matter.

I have served in ministry for over thirty years now, and along the way I have learned a bit about human nature, and I have learned a bit about myself. I love to be around people, to interact with all of you. I feel privileged to be able to share God's presence in people's lives, and help them along the way of their journey. But you can't do that twenty-four, seven; you need to take time away for rest and renewal. And for some aspects of ministry, I find I don't want to have other people around. I mentioned recently that, on Fridays, when I prepare my sermons, I do so at home, away from the distractions of the office here. Anne is out at work, I have the house to myself, I put on my favourite cable classical music station, and I focus on the text for the given Sunday, and see what it might have to say to us, in our ministry today. Despite my love of the company of other people, for me, that has to be a solitary exercise; I need the relative peace and quiet. Time to be with, and time to be away; they both matter.

Having said that, I have colleagues who tell me that they write their best sermons in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the local coffee-shop, but that sure wouldn't work for me. Different personalities have different needs!

It's all part of that rhythm of life that God created. Night and day; asleep and awake; activity and rest; they need to be reflected in our pace of life, each day, each week, each year. That rhythm is vital to who we are intended to be as God's people; as disciples of Jesus Christ. We need to take time to be with Jesus, to listen to Him, to allow Him to instruct, guide, and focus us, if we are going to fully and effectively serve Him in the world around us. And part of what we need to teach, part of what we need to model for, the world, especially today, is the need for that rhythm of activity and renewal; that balance, that is so much a part of all that we are meant to be.

In his Letter to the Church in Colossae, from which we also read again today, Paul offers a great definitive statement about the nature of Jesus. "He is the image of the invisible God...He is before all things, and in him all things hold together...For God was pleased to have all his fulness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.". That's part of that great description on which we should take time, to quietly, and profoundly, reflect.

Paul immediately goes on, however, to describe how he has become a servant of that Good News, that Gospel, and how it is his task to share it in all the world; even in some places where once it might not have been held to be the appropriate thing to do. We have to gently contemplate, and then, with drive and determination, share. It's a reaffirmation of that vital balance.

Next time you handle a coin in your change, take an extra moment to look at it. One side tells you what it can accomplish, how it can be exchanged for goods or services of a given value; it's a vital part of our economy, and our lifestyle; that's what it can do. Turn it over, and the other side reminds us of things on which we, perhaps too rarely, reflect, but which are nonetheless essential to who we are; a portrayal of our sovereign, reminding us of deeper things, like nationality, and history, and tradition, and duty, and service, and honour. It's all there, on any coin you choose, but to see it all, you need to look at both sides.

Go and do, stop and consider; action and reflection. Both are needed, if we are to be all that we can be, in God.

Let us pray,

Eternal God, you draw near to us in Christ, seeking always to share in every part of who we are. Amid the cares, demands, and distractions, of our daily lives, make us attentive to your voice and alert to your presence, that we may treasure your word, and so serve you truly and fully; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for evermore.

Amen.