Sermon on the mount... uncomfortable, very uncomfrotable...

I visited an episcopalian worship service yesterday at noon.  The Eucharist was centered on the sermon on the mount (Matthew 5).  After the celebration we sat down and discussed the reading... I normally place myself in the position of first hearer... attempting to hear these words for the first time... one thing I noticed was my emotional discomfort with being one of the blessed people Jesus talks about, the second thing I was aware of was my dismissal of those that were blessed... like feeling sorry for them (far away 'them'), the third thing was my feeling of guilt that  the far away 'them' was not necessarily my story, and finally (or fourthly) I was struck by the call of Jesus to be present with those that are blessed... 

My discomfort with intentionally putting myself in the orbit of those that are blessed is striking.  I have a value of comfort, I like things to be easy... I like my convenience... being blessed is not very convenient... being blessed demands presence... when I comes down to it, I don't know very many blessed people... when I do meet the blessed... I want to fix their problem... would that make them unblessed? does my discomfort come from my fear of blessing?  Do I 'dismiss' because the sermon on the mount gets too close to my apathy, convenience... I honestly think that I may limit God because of my discomfort... It seems that this passage demands us to be present with those that are blessed... my question is, are we present when we are being blessed? Are we present with others as they are blessed?  I hope so... cv

The Unfamiliar

I was asked some questions from a friend about some thoughts I shared with our congregation concerning John 21... I'd like to hear your thoughts...

 

Can you give a little repreach of the sermon about "the unfamiliar"?

The idea of the unfamiliar came from the John 21 text... Simon Peter and the other disciples (that were fishermen) returned to their familiar trade.  They were fishing as they would normally fish... Jesus shows up on the beach... they didn't know it was him... he tells them to fish on the other side of the boat... they do and haul a ton of fish... 

            The idea of the unfamiliar is that often we replicate what we know and what we like... rarely do we we venture to far off the beaten path... 

Jesus' ridiculous suggestion that fish are on the other side of the boat is really fantastic... the fishermen probably got used to fishing on one side of the boat... they might have needed to swing all their gear (pulleys, cranes, etc) to the other side of the boat... they had to use their muscles differently, they had to see things from a different perspective... it's still fishing, the technique is the same, but the challenge would be huge... like learning to throw a ball with your opposite hand.  

           

What is the unfamiliar? How do live a faith that pushes us to those places?

            I believe that God shows up in the mundane, everyday, familiar moments, places, and spaces of our experience.  The everyday, familiar happenings in our lives might be where God meets us face to face... It seems like Jesus continues to invite people out of themselves, to come and follow... but that means looking at the world differently... looking at what we do and who we are differently.  The unfamiliar is simply the life we are used to living is redeemed by Jesus.

            So the unfamiliar is where God interrupts us from the mundane and invites us to participate in life differently.   

 

Are we supposed to live in the normal or seek the edges?

            I believe that we are called to be willing to follow Jesus... now I do believe that sometimes we deem the act of 'casting our nets to the other side of the boat' a ridiculous idea, therefore we dismiss the call of Jesus and inevitably miss out on what God would have for us... 

            I think at some point we give up on the idea that things change, somehow we resist (because of fear) event the idea of God showing up in our everyday... I believe that this is closely correlated with our creative self... at some point (usually in primary education) we become aware that other people criticize the art within us... that what we produce is subject to and compared with other people's art... The art of a child is a simple reflection of the world that they see... the world  as it is to them... what is important is relationships and how things feel... At some point we shelter ourselves from criticism and as a result, from the unfamiliar... the edges of our lives are the areas we protect, and in turn stifle because of fear... we fear the unknown within us... we fear the edges... 

            The unfamiliar is also a call away from competence, pride and self seeking... Jesus invites us into a new identity... we live in the present, but often we are drawn to nostalgia-ize the past (glorify it) or perceive a tumultuous uncertain future.  The edges of ourselves aren't on the fringes, I believe the edges of the unfamiliar are right at this moment... Peter followed Jesus' suggestion... he threw the net on the other side of the boat... it's the same water... same apparatus... just 4 feet and a movement away... not miles, not future... 4 feet and movement... 

            Art is participation... participation in the unfamiliar and the unknown.  we participate in being moved in different directions... Jesus demands participation from his followers... The beautiful image of God showing up in the everyday-ness of our lives is incredibly compelling... We are God's art...

 

does art help us stay comfortable or does it help us seek the unfamiliar, what art has helped you know this?

            Art is a 'stick in the spokes' of comfortable... I am drawn to ocean imagery because of my relationship with the ocean. I respect the power of the ocean I can appreciate the thoughts, images, sights, smells and sounds the ocean brings to me from terror to placidity (and the terror of placidity).  I don't believe that there is any such thing as bad art (just like I don't believe in failure).  Art is a connection to the unfamiliar and I believe that God meets us in the unfamiliar.