A sermon preached on the fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, 21 September 2014, at Blooming Grove RCA, DeFreestville, New York [Begin with the children. Talk to them about stories, and about how lots of stories have woods in them, or knights in them, or princesses in them, or bears in them. Talk about how Jesus told parables, that they are stories, and he tells one in today’s Bible story. Then Pastor will tell a story, and everybody gets to listen and help, making sounds for the knight, the bear, the princess, and the woods.] Matthew 19:16-20:16 Once upon a time, God looked at the world and the humans God so loved, knowing they needed help, and decided to send the Word—God’s Word—to do the job. After all, God knew there was power in that Word, which had created everything except for the humans themselves. When God sent the Word, so that the grown-up humans—who weren’t too good at imagination—could keep up, God made the Word alive as a guy who told stories. And as the Word got ready to tell stories, many story characters wanted the best places. The knight [trumpet fanfare] rode up on his charger, and said, “I am the greatest hero! You will need me in every story you tell!” But the bear [growl] also came by, saying, “I can be helpful or cuddly or scary, so I can be in more stories.” The princess [falsetto “oo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”] wouldn’t be left out: “How can you have a story without me?? I can be rescued or rescue others. I can grow wiser, and even teach others. You need me in your stories.” And there were the knight [trumpet fanfare] and the bear [growl] and the princess [falsetto “oo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”] all arguing over who was most essential to stories, and there was the Storytelling Word, face in his hands, getting a headache. And then there was a mysterious sound, like a wind in branches.It was the woods [moaning wind]: “I have been in all the great stories, since the beginning, you need me in your stories.” The Storytelling Word was almost overwhelmed with all these story elements. Would it be woods [moaning wind] first, then bear [growl], or princess [falsetto “oo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”] then woods [moaning wind], or the knight [trumpet fanfare] . . . or . . . or . . . What to do? What to do? And God’s Spirit nuzzled up to the Storytelling Word to calm the Word down, and God said, “Who are these stories for??” “Why, the humans, of course,” the Word replied. “And who is the most important?” “Well . . . all of them . . . and none of them.” And the Word began to nod . . . and the Word began to smile . . . and the Word began to tell stories . . . And there was no princess [falsetto “oo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo”] and no woods [moaning wind] and there was no knight [trumpet fanfare] and no bear [growl], but there were people who lost stuff and found the Kingdom, people who were early and late, people who gave everything and people who walked away. And all of them were important, and yet none of them were important, not as important as the treasure of the Kingdom and the Good News. And the Storytelling Word told stories about the last being first, and the first last. Now, when you think about it, when the last are first, they will be last again, and the first who become last should then go back to first, So, the humans who listened learned nobody was more or less important. The humans who really listened learned that first and last never really matter. God makes everybody part of the story. The Storytelling Word that made everything, makes everything be, makes all of us be, and as we are the story, and as we share the Word, we all make God’s Kingdom be. And God is generous to all of us, so we can give it all away. Last week, we put up balloons (on the sanctuary walls) for our birthday celebration that remind us of our ministries. Today, we will add balloons to remind us of our stories. Take a moment to think of your favorite story—a story that happened to you, or one you love to read, or one you love to hear. Then write the title or a word or two or draw a quick picture of that story on your balloon; God will know what it is, and so will you, and that’s what counts. During the hymn, they’ll be collected, and added to our anniversary décor. [Pause while everyone writes] We are all gathered, protected, preserved for eternal life, united in true faith. We are and always will be living members of God’s Church. We are all part of the story not just once upon a time, but in every day God makes.
Posted on: Sun, 21 Sep 2014 23:00:46 +0000
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