Giving Comfort

The Sermon uses scriptures Mark 5:5-13 and Psalm 143: 7-8.  It was preached on March 17, 2019 at Vespers Service at Presbyterian Communities in Florence, SC.  This is park of the sermon series on brokenness.

 

  

Giving Comfort

  
When I was in seminary, one summer I did a directed study.


It is a type of independent study

where you work with a professor

on a topic that is not usually part of the

curriculum,

yet has theological or pastoral connections

to future ministry.

My subject was Ministry with a Chronic Illness.

          I wanted to examine how to care for oneself

when as the minister, one is dealing with a chronic illness.

Chronic illness could be something as familiar as diabetes

or something along the lines of cardiac problems, cancer,

or rheumatoid arthritis.

What I discovered through the study is a simple truth:

          we are all broken in some way.

None of us are without flaws or challenges.

Out of this, I knew the next step was to classify these

different types of brokenness

and examine each Biblically and theologically.

The topics include chronic illness,

addiction and obsession.

mental and emotional,

grief and loss, and finally sin.

For each of these subjects,

I also wanted to have an object to symbolically reflect

the goodness and hope

to link to each form of brokenness.

Today, I have brought with me an unfinished prayer shawl.

                                                                                                ~u-p-s~

Prayer shawls have long been symbols of

the unconditional love of God;

they comfort, cover, embrace and

let the one who receives a shawl know they are loved

not only by God but by neighbor as well.               ~u-p-s~

Giving Comfort could be applied to any of these 5 topics,

but for today, it is about mental and emotional.

There is no blame to be placed on someone with

mental or emotional issues;

the same way you cannot blame someone

for a physical health problem.

And there is a variety of mental and emotional issues       ~u-p-s~

from anxiety and depression to bipolar,

schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive and many more.

Giving Comfort is something you and I can do;

          the simple definition of comfort is:

                   to give strength and hope or

                   to ease the grief, trouble, or suffering.          ~u-p-s~

In our scripture from Mark, there is a man suffering,

          “he was always howling

and bruising himself with stones.”              ~u-p-s~

What was his ailment?  What was his disorder?

          We do not know, and it does not matter what is was;

Mark only states there is an unclean spirit within this man.

An unclean spirit (sometimes referred to as a demon)

can include a wide range of illnesses,

          making someone convulse, cry out, and injure themselves;

          there is suffering.                                                           ~u-p-s~

This is not the first time Jesus has encountered an unclean spirit.

In the first chapter of Mark, there is another man suffering,

the unclean spirit recognizes Jesus’ authority…

“I know who you are, the Holy One of God.”

The suffering demon-possessed man in chapter 5

also recognizes Jesus and his authority…

“What have you to do with me, Jesus,

Son of the Most High God?

I adjure you by God, do not torment me.”

These unclean spirits know Jesus can relieve the suffering

of the men they are possessing by removing their demons.

The healing/exorcism that Jesus does  

by rebuking, quieting, and commanding the unclean spirit

relieves suffering.                                                          ~u-p-s~

Jesus as the Son of God can and does heal.

He faces the one who calls himself ‘legion’ and

sends the multiple unclean spirits into the herd of swine.

The man is restored, healed ,cleansed, and made whole.

Jesus in all authority takes the imitative to drive out

the unclean spirits

-no one has come to him asking to heal

this demon-possessed man.

Does that mean no one is concerned with his suffering?

I am not sure what the answer to that question is…

have the people become accustomed to the man as he is;

since they do not know how to help him,

do they ignore his condition;

or is it like talking about

emotional and mental issues today:

It can be hard to acknowledge or discuss the subject.       ~u-p-s~

In the psalms, we hear prayers to God for restoration,

for harmony in the midst of chaos,

for relief from many forms of suffering.

Psalm 143…

          Answer me quickly, O Lord; my spirit fails.

Do not hide your face from me,

or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.

 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,

for in you I put my trust.

Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

The psalmist continues to plead…

          …preserve my life.

 In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.

Whether the trouble be enemies, illness, fear, judgement,

or something else,

the psalmist knows God can heal,

comfort, restore righteousness,

and that God is always present with us.

That is the great hope in our brokenness.

No matter what flaws we have,

what challenges you and I face,

God’s love is present with us always.                    ~u-p-s~

You and I experience God’s love,

          we strive to follow in Jesus’ footsteps,

his compassion and care for those suffering,

through the Holy Spirit,

we are given the blessing of discipleship,

the ability to reach out to others,

          you and I support each other on our journeys,

                   we love neighbor, and we give comfort.

Which brings us back to this unfinished prayer shawl…

So why is the prayer shawl unfinished?                                     ~u-p-s~

Why?

You and I can be there for someone, giving comfort;       ~u-p-s~

you and I show our love to others,                                   ~u-p-s~

we can be there in times of challenges, for support,

                                                                                                ~u-p-s~

being the listening ear,                                                    ~u-p-s~

the shoulder to cry on,                                                    ~u-p-s~

the one holding a hand with someone on their journey;

                                                                                                ~u-p-s~

yet, you and I can only do so much alone.

Jesus acknowledged being dependent on

the power, the authority,

the Spirit of God.

God’s grace,

God’s unconditional love fills the empty spaces,

embraces the vulnerable,

comforts those who are hurting,

relieves suffering,

completes that which you and I may leave unfinished.

Thanks be to God!                                                          ~u-p-s~

                         

thanks to Rev. Kelly Lindsay for creating this unfinished prayer shawl

 

~u-p-s~ means unfinished prayer shawl hich is lifted up for congregation to view

In the Deep Water

The Sermon uses scriptures  Luke 5:1-11.  It was preached on February 10, 2019 at Vespers Service at Presbyterian Communities in Florence, SC.

 

In the Deep Water

 

What comes to mind when you hear the phrase…

          ‘in deep water’?

It usually means you are in a bad situation;

          something dangerous,

          being overwhelmed,

          or in a vulnerable position.

Fear of being in deep water is very common:

your boat can sink,

you may drown,

and you never know what is lurking in the deep.

Fishermen have a fear and respect for the waters

where they fish;

they know the power of the sea.

Here are a few facts about fishing in Biblical times:

          Those who made their living by fishing did not work alone;

they had fishing co-operatives

that allowed multiple families to work together

and thus, share the risks and the burdens of the sea.

          There were at least 2 boats working together

and these were big boats!

 How big?

          When a boat from Jesus’ time was discovered

on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee,

it was measured as 26.5 feet long and 7.5 feet wide.

It was a strong boat too,

made of cedar and oak,

and could hold up to a ton, around 15 people or

5 crew and a catch of fish.[1]

The boat was their security against the power of the sea.

These fishermen, Simon Peter, James, John and the others,

knew the sea was something to respect,

it could take your life or provide you a living.

That was what was happening when Jesus came to them.

It was the usual daily routine;

they had been out all night fishing,

however, they returned with nothing.

Jesus gives them the instruction…

          “Put out into the deep water

and let down your nets for a catch.”

This simple command was to do something ordinary;

          Jesus was not commanding the fish to jump in the boat

or the sea to bring forth the fish,

simply

“…let down your nets...”

They had fished all night, with nothing to show for it.

What about the command from Jesus made Simon Peter

give it one more try?

          Was he humoring him?  Thinking what can it hurt?

          Had he been inspired by what he had heard Jesus teaching?

          Or was it something deep inside Peter, a belief,

a true faith that he knew it was what must be done.

Do you and I have that same belief as Peter,

knowing that if we give it one more try, good will come…

          even after we have failed or been disappointed,

one more try may be all that is needed.

Peter obeyed.

          “…they caught so many fish

that their nets were beginning to break.”

It was not just a catch of fish,

it was an abundant catch,

super-abundance!

Scarcity had become abundance through

          an extraordinary act of grace.

Yet, there is more to the story than this example of abundance

provided to the fishermen by God’s grace through Jesus.

This is a call story. 

Jesus calling the disciples:

          “Do not be afraid;

 from now on you will be catching people.”

I like the reassuring words Jesus begins with

          Do not be afraid.

Jesus is about to ask them to do something extra-ordinary,

something new.

Catching fish is what they know how to do,

catching people? 

What might that even mean?

In the Old Testament fishing was a metaphor

for gathering people for judgement.

In the New Testament, fishing has a different meaning…

          gathering women and men for the Kingdom of God;

          not gathering for judgement,

catching people is rescuing them from death.

Like many call stories throughout the Bible,

Jesus approaching the disciples follows a familiar pattern:

~there is a moment of divine epiphany, 

God’s grace revealed through the abundance of the catch;

~a response of unworthiness,

Simon Peter responds with humility

…fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying,

“Go away from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man!”

          ~reassurance is given…

 Do not be afraid.

          ~then a commission is given…

                   you will be catching people.

          ~and finally, obedience…

                   When they had brought their boats to shore,

they left everything and followed him.

You and I have our times of doubt;

many times, we get stuck at the feeling of unworthiness.

What we need to remember is the re-assurance,

Do not be afraid.

God has a call on each and every one of our lives;

          from the simple and ordinary to the extra-ordinary.

What you and I need to embrace is the knowledge

that God is with us as

we follow the commission we are given.

The disciples had the courage, the faith,

to leave everything behind and follow Jesus.

Those words ‘left everything’

brings up a question or two of concern for me…

they had brought in a super-abundant catch of fish…

did they leave it behind and go?

This great abundant blessing

could not be meant to go to waste or rot on the shore;

The fish too are God’s creation and they too have a purpose

in God’s plan beyond exhibiting abundance.

What I understand,

is these fishermen

could leave everything behind because

of the abundance of the catch;

Yes, we are told Simon Peter, James and John

go and follow Jesus,

but remember they are not lone fishermen,

they are part of a family co-operative.

The families they leave behind will be taken care of;

such an abundant catch will provide for them.

God’s grace.

The fishermen themselves are ‘caught’ by Jesus.

He has not only caught them, he has reeled them in!

Back to the idea of the deep water…

          perhaps, when you and I are in daily life situations,

          when we feel overwhelmed, in over our heads,

and ‘in deep water’,

we can look at the situation differently.

What is lurking underneath may lead to abundance;

          you and I may be discouraged,

yet, we can find the faith to give it one more try.

As disciples of Jesus we have been caught, reeled in by God!

Each ‘fish’ caught by the disciples will become a witness,

a fisherman to catch more people

and the cycle will go on and on.

There is a hymn called Will You Come and Follow Me[2]

          Christ asking a simple question with lyrics that include…

‘Will you go where you don’t know?’

‘Will you leave yourself behind?’

‘Will you quell the fear inside?’

You and I have answered yes Lord!

In the deep water?

          Cast your net…discover abundance…

embrace humility…be courageous…

have faith…follow…witness…GO Fishing!

 

 

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[1] Archaeological Study Bible page 1676.

[2] Glory to God, The Presbyterian Hymnal #726by John L. Bell.