Sermons

« April 26, 2009 - May 02, 2009 | Go Back to the Main Index of Sermons | May 10, 2009 - May 16, 2009 »

May 03, 2009

O: Opening Ourselves to God

Sermon, May 3, 2009 O: Opening Ourselves to God
Psalm 95:1-7, John 10:11-18

Today we are in week two of our seven-week series on how to stay in love with God. I am using the book, Spiritual Disciplines Handbook: Practices that Transform Us by Adele Ahlberg Calhoun as one of my resources. (1) Adele uses the Acronym WORSHIP to categorize the spiritual practices in her book. Last week, we explored W: Wow! Staying in the moment. When we stay in the moment, we are more apt to catch a glimpse of God’s amazing work. This goes hand in hand with having an attitude of gratitude.

Today’s letter is O. We are going to look at what it means to “open ourselves to God.” Being willing and wanting to have a relationship with God is a good start. This idea of opening ourselves to God is about discovering and developing the innate desire we each have to be in relationship with God. It’s not about putting one more item on our to-do list.

So what would it mean to open ourselves more to God? Let’s begin by exploring our image of God. What kind of God are we opening ourselves up to anyway? For some of us this is harder than others. If we’ve been hurt, abandoned, or told there is no God, it may be hard to be willing to be vulnerable and open ourselves to God. On the other hand, if we think we know God all too well, and we might miss some new ways God is trying to get our attention.

As human beings, one of our struggles is about our preconceptions and misconceptions about God. Jesus’ witness to us is that God loves us more than we realize. God wants to be in relationship with us—with each and every one of us—more than anything else.

In his teachings, Jesus offers a variety of images of God. A gracious father who runs out to welcome his son home; a woman, who having lost a precious coin, keeps looking for it night and day; a just landowner who pays everyone a living wage; and in this section of John’s Gospel, Jesus is a shepherd, one who cares for those in his charge, one who is willing to lay down his life that his sheep would live.

As Christians, this image of Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is familiar. Even though this is an image for a different place and time, the image of God has the Good Shepherd has deep meaning for us. Many churches have stained glass windows depicting Jesus as this good shepherd. We have our own in this front corner.

Jesus fulfills the Old Testament promise that God will come to shepherd his people. This promise is found in the writings of the major prophets: briefly in the books of Isaiah and Jeremiah. The prophet Ezekiel dedicates Chapter 34 to this image of God as the Shepherd of his people. When we think about the image of God as the Good Shepherd, we usually go immediately Psalm 23—The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.

We often hear the 23 Psalm at funerals. However, it is time to reclaim this Psalm for the living too. Did you know that this Psalm was written by King David, who was a very good shepherd before he was a king? King David loved God more than any other Israeli king, and he held a special place in the people’s heart. In Psalm 23, David’s words draw a picture of an intimate relationship with God.

If we look a little deeper, we see that Psalm 23 it is not about God and a flock of sheep but about God and a single sheep. David’s psalm draws a picture of the God he entrusted with his life. This is a God we too can be vulnerable with. A God we can trust with our lives. I’m going to read David’s description of God, followed by my interpretation. Open your ears and open your heart, quiet your mind.

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside still waters; He restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil; for you are with me;
Your rod and your staff—they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

So to paraphrase:
God is my caretaker, God provides for my every need
A God of abundance and beauty, A God of rest
A God whose provision goes beyond my physical needs
A God who displays His awesome deeds through me

Life will take me to difficult places
But no matter what happens, you, God, never leave me
Your ways God, offer guidance and direction, when I follow them I am content
Nothing will stop you, God, from providing for me
You honor me. Your blessings are too much for me to contain

God will pursue me to the end. Hopefully, I will respond sooner rather than later so my relationship with God will be a steady, solid presence in my life. From King David to Jesus to you and I. God pursues us still. He sent Jesus. He sends the Holy Spirit.

This is the God we are opening ourselves to—a God that pursues us to hell and back! Spiritual practices that focus on opening ourselves to God help us to make space so the Spirit can take us to deep places of knowing we are accepted, received and lovingly known by God.

One way we can open ourselves to God is to read scripture in a way that is like letting the words flow over, around and through us like a river. As I read Psalm 23, and then put it into my own words, maybe you have your favorite scripture passages that open you up to this amazing God who we worship. Maybe you could write about your relationship with God as King David did.

Another way we can make space for God is to unplug ourselves from the virtual world of technology (computers, email, blackberries, cell phones, PDA’s, iPods, iPhones, computer games, television, and radio). Technology has developed in us this illusion that we need to be available to everyone—and everyone needs to be available to us 24/7. It doesn’t matter whether that person is an acquaintance, cyber stranger, family member, or pastor.
We send a word out into cyberspace and expect an immediate response. I know if I don’t respond right away, I will often start my email off with, “sorry I’ve not got back to you sooner…” We spend so much time staying connected that we’ve lost our connection to our main source—God!

I’ve seen parents walking their children to the local elementary school, talking on their phone and holding the child’s hand. A friend told me about an office mate of hers who sent her an e-mail birthday wish but never took the 10 steps between their two offices to wish her happy birthday. My friend’s office mate probably didn’t know it was her birthday. With the e-card program, you set it up and the cards go out. One more thing accomplished. The card says, “Happy Birthday I’m thinking of you today,” when in fact that might not be true. Yes, the card’s been sent, but we’ve lost personal touch with each other.

I have a good friend who will periodically say to me, “I need some face time with you. I want to see your eyes. Then I’ll know how you are really doing.” Our eyes are the (pause) windows to our soul, right. Whose eyes have you looked into lately? How many people have you allowed to look into your eyes? When was the last time you had face time with your children, spouse, family or good friend, without the phone ringing and pulling us away? When was the last time you turned off technology and had some face time with God?

To get a handle on the spiritual practice of unplugging, Adele Calhoun suggests tracking two activities for a week. I’m suggesting you keep track for one day. Pick tomorrow because it’s a week day and hopefully you will still remember to do it. And besides, Monday’s are usually a typical day.

So you are going to track two activities on Monday. First, you are going to take a technology assessment. Have everyone in your family keep track of the amount of time they spend using electronics. Computer, talking on the phone, watching television, playing with game boy or other video game, etc.
Second, keep track of the amount of uninterrupted time you spend with family, friends, and God. At the end of the day, have everyone tally up the number of hours spent plugged in to electronics and the number of hours spent uninterrupted time. Ask yourself, “Is this a typical day?” Compare the times. Discuss the results with your significant others. Is God inviting you to reprioritize anything based on this awareness?

Think of one relationship in your life that needs face time. Spouse, good friend, oldest child, parent, neighbor. When I asked the question, who immediately came to mind? That’s the person you need some face time with. This week, schedule an hour with this person, and do not cancel! Get together, turn off your phone, and enjoy each other’s company for a full hour without interruption.

Technology is a tool for us to use not the other way around. Give yourself a break from technology and be present to the Spirit of God in the people and places in your life.

Our relationship with God is personal. But our relationship with God is never just between us and God. In this morning’s Gospel lesson, Jesus tells his disciples what it means to be the good shepherd. Jesus tells them God sent him to do God’s work and that he, Jesus, is willing to do as God has asked. Because Jesus has a very intimate relationship with God, Jesus is open to God guidance and direction in his life. For the most part, Jesus doesn’t waste time questioning God or wondering what he should be doing. Jesus knows. Jesus is our example of a life that is fully open to God.

It is especially appropriate for us on this day when we will baptize Aiden John Williams to ask ourselves how open are we to follow where God leads? Or are we the one doing the leading and getting upset because others and God are not following us?

As I think about all of you and where you are in your life journey, some of you will be able to go for a day, maybe more without technology. Some of you think you need to be available 24/7 but surely you could take an hour of uninterrupted time for yourself and God. If you never get to unplug and rest in the arms of a loving God, what kind of a restful, loving presence will you be?

Like last week, this opening ourselves to God is a daily activity. Each day is another opportunity to open ourselves to the Spirit of God in our midst. Our God is a creative God. One who continues to do a new thing, each and every day. We would do well to start each day with a sense of anticipation, of where we will witness God today. Make some uninterrupted face time with God and with the significant people in your life. They deserve it. They need it. And so do you. Amen.

Posted by vickie at 10:00 AM