July 2009
Louisville, Kentucky
Photo courtesy of Presbyterian Women.
Sermon preached by Rev. Magdalena I. García
at the Opening Worship Service
Saturday Evening July 11
Theme for the Day: "Wonder of God"
Joshua 3:1-5
Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over. 2At the end of three days the officers went through the camp 3and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it, 4so that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it.” 5Then Joshua said to the people, “Sanctify yourselves; for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you.”
42They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. 44All who believed were together and had all things in common; 45they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, 47praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.
Once upon a time, there was a church community
that wanted to start an organic garden…
And so a group of master gardeners and want-a-be green thumbs
came together with a wonderful vision
of sweet tomatoes, juicy peppers and fragrant herbs.
But soon they discovered that the road to a plentiful harvest
is paved with lots of preparations, like…
deciding what to grow, setting a work schedule, and naming the garden;
asking for donations, taking up a collection, and electing a treasurer;
finding tools, plowing the field, and securing organic soil;
putting edging around the plots and building wooden borders;
preparing raised beds with layers of newspaper, mulch and dirt;
sorting seeds, buying seedlings, and, FINALLY, planting everything.
That was phase one of the work and a major accomplishment.
Then came phase two…
Finding old broom sticks, and using them
as supporting stakes and climbing poles;
painting signs, watering plants, and removing weeds;
starting a composter, contributing non-animal remains,
and using organic fertilizer;
wrapping wire mesh around plants, and keeping bunnies out of the garden;
and LAST BUT NOT LEAST, my favorite trick…
using old panty hose to tie and support tomato branches!!!
This is the true story of an organic community garden
that sprouted up this summer on the north side of Chicago.
The Organic Faith Community Garden has taken root
in the backyard of Ravenswood Presbyterian Church (where I pastor),
and it’s a partnership with a sister congregation:
Lakeview Presbyterian Church.
Needless to say, it takes lots of planning, resources, and effort
to turn a church backyard into an organic garden.
And most volunteers have gladly showed up
for their weekly hands-in-the-dirt time,
and they seem to be enjoying their budding results.
However, I’m sure the new gardeners NEVER anticipated
that there would be so many preparations and so much waiting
between plowing time and harvest time!
I suppose these enthusiastic gardeners
are not different from the hopeful Israelites
who signed up to cross the Jordan River
in order to get to the Promised Land.
And I suppose these enthusiastic gardeners
are not different from the hopeful Israelites
who surely heard Joshua say loud and clear:
“Tomorrow the Lord will do wonders among you,”
but who in their excitement to get to the other shore
may have missed Joshua’s preliminary instruction:
“Sanctify yourselves…”
“God will do wonders among you!”
The Israelites must have loved hearing that promise.
And we know this because we also love to hear that kind of promise,
and we are quick to embrace it.
In fact, isn’t that the reason why we are gathered in Louisville?!
But let me ask you…are we equally eager to HEED and to EMBRACE
the actions that will pave the way for God’s wonders among us?
Are we equally eager to HEED and to EMBRACE
the attitudes that will foster God’s wonders among us?
Clearly, just like the Israelites, we want to get to the Promised Land,
but are we up to the challenge of sanctifying ourselves?
In verse 5 of our theme text, Joshua says to the Israelites:
“Sanctify yourselves.”
The word translated as “sanctify” by the New Revised Standard Version
is the Hebrew root word qadash,
which has several meanings, including:
“to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate,
be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.”
This explains why different Bible versions translate verse 5 differently.
Here is a sampling of possible translations:
+ New International Version: “Consecrate yourselves.”
+ New Living Translation: “Purify yourselves.”
+ Contemporary English Version: “Make yourselves acceptable.”
Now, in the Hebrew Scriptures
(particularly in Exodus and Leviticus)
the word qadash is often used
in connection with confession or cleansing
in preparation for God’s action or blessing.
And, believe me, confession and cleansing in Scriptural terms
is a bit more intense and more thorough
than a facial, a dental cleaning or day at the SPA.
Think about the Gospel story we know as “Jesus cleansing the temple.”
That was a little more than a Spic-and-Span day!
And so this leads me to ask…
what kinds of confessions and cleansings
might be required of us today
in order to be “sanctified” before God?
Let’s go over the reading from Joshua 3,
and look for clues about what it might mean
to “sanctify ourselves,”
so that we too can witness God’s wonders among us.
1Early in the morning Joshua rose and set out from Shittim with all the Israelites, and they came to the Jordan. They camped there before crossing over.
“They camped there before crossing over…”
Get the picture? It’s a detail that suggests patience and journey…
Are we ready to wait upon the Lord?
That might be a good way to sanctify ourselves.
2-3At the end of three days the officers went through the camp and commanded the people, “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God being carried by the levitical priests, then you shall set out from your place. Follow it…
“…Follow it…”
Get the picture? It’s a detail that suggests obedience and trust…
Are we ready to follow wherever God may lead?
That might be a good way to sanctify ourselves.
4aso that you may know the way you should go, for you have not passed this way before.
“…for you have not passed this way before…”
Get the picture? It’s a detail that suggests new landscapes and unknown territory…
Are we ready to step out of our comfort zone?
That might be a good way to sanctify ourselves.
4bYet there shall be a space between you and it, a distance of about two thousand cubits; do not come any nearer to it.”
“…do not come any nearer to it…”
Get the picture? It’s a detail that suggests limits and mystery…
Are we ready to let go of our illusion of control?
That might be a good way to sanctify ourselves.
There you have them...
four clues about what it might mean to be sanctified;
four hints about what it might mean to be consecrated, purified, made acceptable;
four tips about what it might mean for us to confess or be cleansed...
in preparation for God’s action or blessing.
-waiting upon the Lord...
-following wherever God may lead...
-stepping out of our comfort zones...
-letting go of our illusions of control...
Now, can you believe that God expects Presbyterians
to do all that?!
Can you believe that God expects Presbyterian Women
to do all that?!
Can you believe that God expects decently-and-in-order fanatics
to do ALL THAT?!
Confessions and cleansings???
That’s a mild way to put it!!!
This feels more like down right exorcism!!!
Can you picture Presbyterians...
waiting upon the Lord
instead of forming a committee);
following wherever God may lead
instead of commissioning a study);
stepping out of our comfort zones
(instead of tabling business items);
letting go of our illusions of control
instead of revising the Book of Order).
This is certainly NOT business as usual!
LET ME PUT IT IN DRESSING OR SEWING TERMS...
God expects even starched Presbyterians (like us)
to sanctify themselves
by ACCEPTING heavenly wrinkles
and WELCOMING divine creases.
Only then will the wonders parade before us
like stylish garments that have been fashioned through alterations.
OR, LET ME PUT IT IN COOKING OR BAKING TERMS...
God expects even crusty Presbyterians (like us)
to sanctify themselves
by FOLDING new spices into their batter
and WHIPPING new ingredients into their dough.
Only then will the wonders rise up before us
like stiff peaks that have been beaten to perfection.
LET ME TELL YOU A STORY...
In the spring of 2008 I was elected to serve
on the National Presbyterian Multicultural Network Board.
And last summer I attended a strategic planning retreat
where we reflected on what it means to be a multicultural church.
And I remember sitting in a circle
as we were doing community building,
against the backdrop of Ghost Ranch’s
open skies and colorful mountains,
and saying this to my fellow board members:
“If being a multicultural church simply meant BUILDING a colorful box,
instead of a White Box, or a Black Box, or a Brown Box, or a Yellow Box,
but continuing to leave out those who are not the “right shade”
this movement would hold no attraction for me.”
Now, some would argue that it’s WONDERFUL
that we have so many boxes available within the church,
because they are a symbol of diversity and tolerance.
But let me ask you, how does that make us different from the world?
Our society is a fine collection of mutually exclusive boxes!
And in some instances society is a better integrated box than the church!
Fortunately, the vision of becoming a multicultural church has been defined
as a process of BREAKING DOWN the barriers of prejudice and fear,
by intentionally SEEKING to recognize, celebrate and incorporate
a DIVERSE membership in worship, mission and leadership.
Therefore, the vision of becoming a multicultural church
involves a process of REPLACING exclusive boxes with inclusive circles,
where a DIVERSE membership—in every sense of the word—
can be fully welcomed!
Such a movement holds tremendous attraction for me
tremendous hope for all the marginalized,
and tremendous promise for the church.
For me, a marvelous WONDER will occur the day when we in the Church
no longer feel the need to SORT believers into specific boxes,
because the ark of God’s covenant is big enough to hold EVERYONE!
A marvelous WONDER will occur the day when the Church
no longer needs to SORT believers into specific boxes,
because everyone is fully welcomed
at the Baptismal Font and the Communion Table;
and because everyone’s gifts are affirmed
through the outpouring of baptismal waters and ordination oil;
and because everyone’s ministry is empowered
though the sharing of opportunities and resources.
LET ME TELL YOU ANOTHER QUICK STORY.
I recently attended the Big Tent Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
I was there for an entire week due to commitments
with the Presbyterian Multicultural Network Board.
So several of us who were on a tight budget
and wanted to stay within the allowed per diem
quickly found alternatives to eating at the hotel.
And one day for lunch we walked several blocks
to a university campus food court
where we found tasty and affordable Korean food.
As we studied the menu on the wall,
I noticed that the word Bibim was part of many dishes,
so I asked my friend Jake Kim, “What does that mean?”
He said, “Bibim means mixed,
and you can have many variations of the dish.”
And then I replied, “Isn’t that a wonderful vision for the church?!”
And the good news is that God created and enables
even tradition-bound Presbyterians like us
to SANCTIFY ourselves by becoming out-of-the-box believers!
And the good news is that Christ redeemed and empowers
even tradition-bound Presbyterians like us
to SANCTIFY ourselves by becoming multicultural witnesses!
The good news is that the Spirit called and qualifies
even tradition-bound Presbyterians like us
to SANCTIFY ourselves by becoming Bibim Christians!
When was the last time you read the Westminster Shorter Catechism?
Question 35 says: What is sanctification?
Answer: Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace,
whereby we are renewed in the whole [person] after the image of God,
and are enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness.
“...Enabled more and more to die unto sin and live unto righteousness...”
I like that definition because it speaks of sanctification
as an ongoing transformation,
where we grow daily into God’s vision and purpose.
As the Israelites camped at the edge of the Jordan River,
they were reminded that their future depended
not on the ability of their warriors,
but on their willingness to grow daily into God’s vision and purpose.
by trusting the God of Life into new territory.
And as Presbyterians camped at the edge of the 21st Century,
we are reminded that our future depends
not on the stability of our numbers,
nor the profitability of our investments,
nor the orthodoxy of our creeds,
nor the political correctness of our resolutions,
but on our willingness to grow daily into God’s vision and purpose.
by trusting the God of Life into new, unknown, uncharted territory,
hand-in-hand with the stranger who is our sister or brother.
“Look, I’m about to do a new thing...,”
said the God of Life through the prophet Isaiah (43:19).
“[Look,] the Lord is creating something new in the land...,”
said the God of Life through the prophet Jeremiah (31:22).
The Holy Scriptures remind us that God is always up to something new!
God is not bound by our boxes!
God is not bound by our limitations!
God is not bound by our comfort zone!
On the contrary, God will strengthen us by releasing us!
God will strengthen us by unbinding us!
God will strengthen us by stretching us!
Isn’t that what Pentecost and the Early Church were all about???
The passage from Acts 2 shows us a beautiful picture of a community
that was experiencing God’s wonders
because of their sanctified way of life.
According to Acts 2, that very diverse community
of “God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven”
had managed to do the unthinkable.
The believers had sanctified themselves by...
praising God...building goodwill among all people...
breaking bread with all God’s children...
holding all things in common...
Shall we do any less in our day???
The late Martin Luther King, Jr. once said:
“In a real sense all life is inter-related.
All [people] are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny.
Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.
I can never be what I ought to be
until you are what you ought to be,
and you can never be what you ought to be
until I am what I ought to be.
This is the inter-related structure of reality.”
May God give us the vision and the courage
to sanctify ourselves by acknowledging our inter-relatedness
with ALL human beings and ALL creation
here at the Gathering, back home and beyond!
FOR ONLY THEN will God’s mighty wonders abound!
And only then will the gardens of our dried-up lives begin to sprout!
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For news of the Gathering visit: www.pcusa.org/pwgathering.
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