Sermon: "Squeaky Wheels"

Many of us are familiar with the idiom “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” For those of you who are not familiar with the phrase, today’s gospel lesson provides the perfect definition. A problem arises, and someone makes enough noise about it that the problem is resolved. A squeaky wheel gets greased, once it has grated on someone’s nerves enough for them to take the time to grease it. Once greased, the squeak, and annoyance, goes away. A woman who has been wronged raises a ruckus in the courtroom. The judge gives in to her demands in order to have some peace and quiet. Problems are resolved, but not always for the right reasons.

                Today’s parable is interesting in that it is preceded by an explanation of its purpose. If we were to simply hear the parable, we would probably come away with the understanding that “the squeaky wheel gets the grease.” However, the author of this gospel completely befuddles us, or at least me, by beginning this section by saying that the purpose of this parable is to teach the disciples about the need to pray always, and to not lose heart. I completely agree that we should pray always, and not lose heart, or rather faith. However, I also think this can be dangerous advice, and seems out of place with this parable. In the story, there is no evidence that the widow is prayerful. It never mentions that she prays for justice. Rather, she is physically and verbally asserting her right to justice in the face of a corrupt judge who could care less about the people where he has been placed to serve.  It does not appear that it is God who grants this widow justice, but eventually the judge, who grants justice only because it will benefit him. Where is prayer in this parable? Where is God?

                You could very easily provide a solution: well Amanda, you could say, clearly this is allegorical. The judge represents God, and the widow represents God’s people. We are to pray to God persistently for our needs and wants, and God will eventually answer our prayers. This could be a solution, except that it would cause me, and should cause you, to re-examine our theology, our understanding of who and what God is. For me, God cannot be the judge, because the judge is unjust. The judge is everything that God is not. The judge is narcissistic, does not care for his people, and is not interested in enacting justice for his people. He admits that he has no fear of God, and no respect for anyone. He gives in to the widow, not because he has heard her case, not because he sees an injustice has occurred, but because she annoys him and he wants her to stop. Friends, this is not God. Jesus tells us; won’t God grant justice to the chosen ones who cry day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? God does not make us suffer needlessly. God does not dangle the promise of justice in front of our eyes and make us beg for it. God loves us! God wants justice to flow like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream! God wants us to have life and to live abundantly! God has written the law upon our hearts and claimed as God’s! God cannot be the unjust judge.

                If God is not the unjust judge, then are we still the widow? I firmly believe that yes, we are. So, if we are the widow, are we supposed to pray without ceasing so that there is justice in the world? Yes. And no. We must pray; as children of God we must commune with our Creator; we must confess our sins, unburden our hearts, give thanks for God’s goodness and even scream to God because of the injustices we face in this world. But it is not enough to sit at home, or on a mountain, or even in the midst of the worshipping body of Christ, and just pray. Jesus prayed. He also did things.

                Praying for those who are hungry, that they may be fed, will not fill bellies. Praying for those who have no shelter will not put a roof over their head. Praying for those who are dying of AIDS will not end the spread of this disease. Praying for the victims of rape won’t bring justice when there are close to 200,000 rape kits sitting untested in police storage in this country. Praying for victims of bullying will not put an end to their suffering. Prayer alone cannot help any of these injustices, but prayer-filled action can.

                As shared in the parable, justice can come from unjust systems. The widow was a witness or victim of an injustice, and she raised awareness. She persisted in demanding justice until it was granted to her. How can we promote justice in an unjust world? As Christians, how can we bring God’s justice to a world that has tried to push God out? First, we pray. We pray by ourselves, and we pray as the church. Then, we raise awareness. What are the causes of this injustice? We must ask not only how can we feed the hungry, but also why are they hungry to begin with? Why can’t the homeless afford housing? We must ask how do we minister to those who have AIDS while also asking the question how can we prevent this disease from spreading? We have to stop wondering how many gay and lesbian teens will commit suicide because of being bullied and ostracized before the country notices, and instead ask how we can provide them with a safe, loving, affirming community so that they can live through their current nightmares. We have to get our hands dirty. We have to go to where the people are, to commune with those who are hungry, to swing hammers for those who are homeless, to wrap our arms around those who are suffering and dying. But we also have to pound on doors, and wave posters, and raise our voices about the injustices in this world so that the government and the people know that we are not ok with what is happening in the world. We have to give the church back her voice. We have to be the persistent widow. We have to be the squeaky wheel.

                Jesus was a squeaky wheel. Jesus was a very squeaky wheel. He squeaked so much about the injustices of his world, and proclaimed so loudly the promises of God, that the government silenced him. And we are called to be like him. We are to be the voice for the voiceless among us, speaking to those in power on behalf of the powerless. And we are also called to be the hands and feet of Christ, to be the loving face of God, to those same people. We must pray, and we must do, and we must pray, and we must do…and we must never lose heart. After the parable of the widow and the unjust judge, Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” It is my prayer that when Christ comes again, he will find not only faith here in this world, but God’s kin-dom as well.

Day 4

So, it's day 4 of the plan, the first day of "detoxing". Basically for four days it's a mainly liquid diet with lunch being a solid meal (but no eggs, dairy, red meat, wheat products, etc.) It's 9:20pm, and I am hungry. I have headache from no caffeine today, and I'm seriously tempted to walk out to the kitchen and get some food. I've been drinking lots of lemon water, had some juice for breakfast, leftover veggie chow mein for lunch, and vegetable broth with pureed veggies for supper. Evan says I should eat a pear, so I will.
I don't know if I can do all four days : (

28 Day Whole Body Action Plan

I forgot to mention earlier...
I've been wanting to try this plan for a while now, and decided that Reading Week was the perfect time to get started. Part of it involves journaling, so I'll be sharing how I feel and all up here.
Today is technically Day 2, and so far I haven't done very well. I had eggs and cheese for breakfast, a tuna melt for lunch, and I've had lots and lots of coffee! Days 1-3 are supposed to prepare your body for a 4 day detox, and I basically ate a ton of stuff I should be avoiding.
Oops.
So I'm sitting here now, drinking my water like I should. I also just did a fitness test, to see where I am right now.
Friends, I am embarrassed to share this.
It's bad.
I mean really, really bad.

Want to see how bad?
Cardio endurance: After 3 minutes of stepping up and down off of a 12in bench, my heart rate was 130. This equals "poor" on the scale of great, average, and poor.
Arm strength: I managed to do 12 modified push ups before my arms said "no more." Result? Average.
Core strength: I couldn't even hold the plank pose for 20 seconds. VERY poor.
Flexibility: poor
So, I have a lot to work on during these 28 days. Tonight for supper? Leftover falafel, and herbal tea.
YUM! (and relatively good for you too!)

Peace!

Reading Week!

It's Reading Week! Hooray!

For those of who are not Drew-ids, Reading Week is the equivalent of Fall Break. Except this is when teacher's assign mid-terms, so it's more like this:

• catch up on reading assignments
• write mid-terms
• do research
• maaaaaaaaybe catch up on sleep : )

So, that's Reading Week.
I made a pretty long to-do list, and thankfully I got a good number of things crossed off already!

Time to hit the books!
Peace!

Ableism...and a Great Story

 *Note: I first wrote this several weeks ago. Unfortunately, I've been having computer problems and have just been able to insert the picture, which is integral to this post.


Tonight in my Religion and the Social Process class we discussed Ableism. What, you may ask, is ableism? This is not really a term we are familiar with. Let me try to sum it up for you by describing, in a nutshell, that ableism is the oppression, suppression, and dehumanization directed at those who are differently abled. It is what keeps classrooms segregated, what excludes those who are differently abled from the work force and churches. It is every time a "temporarily abled" person stares at, or through someone who is "different."

A week ago, in a different class, my liturgy professor led us on pilgrimage. Professor Elkins can find the holy in anything, from a trip to Wal-Mart to a cockroach, so you never know what new insights you might find in her presence. When she said we were going on pilgrimage I excitedly rose from my seat and followed the class expectantly, waiting to see where she would take us and what secrets would be divulged to us. We didn't travel far; out the classroom door, down the hallway, making a right down another hallway, and finally ending outside the elevator. She pointed to this picture, and then told us a story.

Back in 1990, she began, we had a student here who was in the Master of Theological Studies program. His name was David, and he wanted to teach. David had severe cerebral palsy; before coming to Drew he had surgery done on his vocal folds in hopes it would help him to speak. The surgery left him unable to use any part of his body except his right hand. This is how David communicated with us; he would type what he wanted to say on a keyboard and we would respond, he would type and we would respond...
David was Episcopalian, and he was a good Episcopalian. He came to every communion service that was held, and often others. Back then, we didn't have this elevator. We didn't have this beautiful new building. How many flights of stairs, she asked, do you have to climb to get up to this chapel? We counted in our heads. You come in the front door and go up about eight stairs. Then you go up about fifteen, then another fifteen... I have counted the stairs, but the numbers are escaping me. Three flights of stairs, Professor Elkins prompts us. David was a very tall man. It took three people to carry him up the stairs every time he wanted to attend a chapel service. We gave David the evangelism award, because every time he was in chapel, there were at least three other people there! It didn't matter if they had intended on coming in the first place- after carrying him up all those stairs, they stayed! We laughed, softly. I try to imagine how much trust one would need to be carried up the hard, stone stairs to Craig Chapel. David asked me if he could preach a senior sermon during his last year, and I of course said yes. I said yes not knowing what this would look like. His sermon was the best I had ever heard. It is the sermon that I now use to judge all other sermons. I look at Professor Elkins. Her eyes are red, and it looks like there are tears just below the surface. David asked me to make him a promise. When the school puts in an elevator, that he would be the first to ride it. And I promised.
Unfortunately, Drew was not quick enough to fulfill that promise. David died before the elevator was installed. But I know that every time one of you rides this elevator, David is riding with you.
She turns and points to the painting on the wall. After he graduated David gave us this painting; he had done it himself. And he told me that, this is everything anyone in seminary needed to know. It was contained in this one picture.
Do you see the cross? The cross is central.
This up here? What does this look like? It's a fish- the early symbol of the Christian faith.
Below that is a vine with grapes on it. Jesus is the vine.
Beside the vine are the Old and New Covenants.
And the top right hand corner...I'm ashamed to say, I didn't catch what Professor Elkins said. My heart felt so heavy, thinking of all this young man had been through, of all he had given to the Drew community, and the un-kept promise of the first ride in the elevator.
When the elevator was installed, it was decided that David's painting be hung next to it in his memory. Now that you have heard the story, you will notice the painting, and when you ride, you will remember David.

This story touched me deeply. I did my best to record it in writing, but it does not do Professor Elkins' storytelling justice. I want to thank Professor Elkins for giving me permission to share this story in memory of David deLuw.

A Sampling of This Week

Following the advice of professional...I guess I can say professional, blogger Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, I am attempting to blog more regularly. I may not always have much to say, but at least it lets whoever reads this know I'm alive. So here we go, a really brief recap of this past week:

It is Friday of the second, yes, ONLY the second, week of school here at Drew Theological School. My. brain. is. fried. We didn't even have classes on Monday because of Labor Day! I got home last night and the front of my head felt SOOOO heavy...I thought my head would plop down into my soup bowl. But that didn't happen, and I really enjoyed the blue cheese celery soup that Evan made for supper. It was delicious, along with homemade bread I had made last week.

We had some good food this. Portabello burgers on Monday, risotto on Wednesday...I don't remember what Tuesday was, even though I cooked it. Oh! Yes I do! I made the eggplant ricotta pizza we love so much. With an eggplant from our own garden. It was delicious- how could I have forgotten? Oh well, just shows you where my brain is today.

I had to cancel the kick-off event for the youth that was supposed to be tonight into tomorrow. That was a huge source of stress, emotional fatigue, and disappointment. But, I'm feeling better now.

I have a bunch of homework to do this weekend, and two programs to plan and lead on Sunday, but it will all get done somehow. I'm really excited about one of my homework assignments this weekend. More about that later.

Alrighty, time to work more on campus visits, then have lunch with some lovely people. : )

Peace!

Today's Sermon: Blessed are...Who?

For the past several weeks Robb (Pastor Shoaf) has been speaking on the Beatitudes, also called the Sermon on the Mount, that we find in the gospel of Matthew. Containing some of Jesus’ best known teachings, the short passage contained in Matthew speaks of the blessings that await for Christ’s disciples. Since it’s been several weeks since we last heard them, let’s refresh our memories. In Matthew, chapter 5 verses 1 through 12, Jesus offers this message:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be fulfilled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

This passage provides promises for those who live in a right way here on earth, and also provides instruction on how one should conduct themselves. We are to be meek, pure of heart, and show mercy to others. Also, we should expect to be misunderstood and even mistreated as a result of our lifestyles and faith. Almost every one of these blessings are of a spiritual nature, although some of them are realized through physical acts, such as showing mercy through acts of charity, or acting to bring about peace. This passage is often seen as instructions on how one should act and live their life as a follower of Christ.

A much shorter version of what we call the Beatitudes also occurs in Luke’s gospel, in chapter 6 verses 20 through 23, but these are dramatically different from those in Matthew. See if you can pick up on the difference.

“Then he, Jesus, looked up at his disciples and said:
Blessed are you who are poor, for yours if the kingdom of God.
Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled.

Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.” (NRSV)

Did you hear the difference? Does that difference make you a little uncomfortable? It should. Jesus says, blessed are the poor. And I wonder how many of us in this room, in this county, can honestly admit that we are poor. Not poor in spirit…poor. Morris county is the seventh richest county in the United States (Forbes.com). The seventh. According to the U.S. Census, the median income from 2008, just two years ago, was $99,268. That is almost six figures. Compare that to the fact that around the world, about 1.4billion people live on less than one dollar and 25 cents a day*. That’s only $456.25 a year. Blessed are the poor; blessed are those who are barely making minimum wage and are working two or three jobs to keep a roof over their head. Blessings upon them, the kindom of God belongs to them.

Blessed are those who hunger. Every 10 seconds a child somewhere in the world dies because of hunger*.That’s about 8,000 children a day. Over one billion people go hungry each day*. Not hungry as in, they didn’t have a snack after school, hungry as in, there was no food today. Or maybe yesterday too. And probably tomorrow. Our society is so wrapped up in food; it is everywhere around us. On television, in ads, magazines, books, blogs, the list goes on. It is no secret that obesity, especially childhood obesity, is climbing at alarming rates, and that average Americans throw away 25% of their food. We have more food than we know what to do with, while children in Africa might get one meal a day, a meal that probably consists of gruel. They are hungry. We are full to overflowing. Who does Jesus bless?

Blessed are you who weep now; are we weeping, friends? Are we weeping for our brothers and sisters who have no food, no clothes, no shelter? Did we weep when oil was leaking into the Gulf Coast, threatening not only our own water and ecosystem, but in actuality the world’s? Are we weeping as war takes the lives of not only our own soldiers, but in every country where violence occurs? Are we weeping as people’s civil rights and liberties are denied and governments do nothing about it? Blessed are you who weep, for God will wipe away your tears and your tears shall turn to laughter and your mourning into dancing.

Where do we fit into Luke’s Beatitudes? We can relate with Matthew’s, they are more…inclusive. Anyone can be poor in spirit, anyone can hunger and thirst for righteousness. We are all searching for something in our lives; love, beauty, tolerance, forgiveness. There is hope for us in Matthew’s Beatitudes. In Luke’s, however, as privileged middle and upper class Americans, there seems to be no place for us.

Or is there?

Before you get too disheartened, let me remind you of another passage that is found in Matthew. Twenty chapters after the Beatitudes, after the famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks another powerful message.

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angel with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me…truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are member of my family, you did it to me.” (Matt. 25:31-36, 40b, NRSV).

Every time you do this to the least, you do this for Christ. Did you hear what Jesus said about those on the right? You that are blessed, he said. You shall inherit the kindom, and I might take the liberty of adding, along with those who are poor, hungry, and weeping. Rejoice and be glad! Yours is the kindom…

As people who have been blessed in this life, here on this earth in this community, we have a duty to be Jesus’ hands and feet to others, and to see the face of Christ in their faces. In today’s gospel lesson from Luke, Jesus tells the Pharisee who had invited him to dinner a parable, and then some advice. Don’t invite those who are your equals, or your betters, he says, because they are capable of repaying you by inviting you to a feast. Rather, you should invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind; by opening your table to them, you will be blessed, “because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.” Who can we invite to our tables? Who can we feed, and clothe, and offer shelter and support to? Who can we bless, and be blessed ourselves in our giving? We too have been invited to a table we are unworthy of, and that is the table Christ himself prepared for us and we celebrate every time we take part in holy communion. We are blessed to be a blessing to others; we are called to be Christ to the world, and to bring the kindom of God here and now (!) so that those who are hungry now, will be full. Those who are poor, will be no more. That those who are weeping, shall laugh and dance. We are called- let it be so. Amen.

*statistics from World Vision