Sunday's Sermon

I always have to have a manuscript when I preach. It’s all up here – all 1365 words. Even back in Georgia, where the church was smaller and I preached from the floor of the nave, I always had a manuscript tucked away someplace in case I needed it.

You see, my problem is, I have undiagnosed ADD. Attention Deficit Disorder. I’ve never been to a doctor about it so I’m not really sure that I have it – but I do know that I am easily distracted. Believe it or not, I have an easier time preaching to 500 people than to 50. When I’m preaching to 50, I see every face and I focus on every face. And if you yawn or start to open a piece of candy wrapped in plastic, I’m with you the entire way. So much so that I just might forget what I’m doing because I’m clued in to what you are doing.

But don’t worry, I don’t care if you yawn or open a piece of candy, because my sermon is right here if I need it. That’s why I always read the Nicene Creed and the Lord’s Prayer. I know the Creed and I know the Lord’s Prayer, I know them like the back of my hand, but there was one time during a wedding, when a very cute little flower girl was doing what very cute little flower girls do while standing in front of a large crowd, and I was distracted and lost my place right in the middle of the Lord’s Prayer. Ever since then, it is printed right in front of my eyes.

I think the church knows that all of us have elements of ADD in us. In fact, I think all major religions recognize that about human nature and our tendency to lose focus. A long time ago, the church used to separate men and women in worship. Many other religions still separate men and women. I used to think it was because we were so patriarchal that our ancestors thought women were not valued enough to even worship with the men. And while some men might have thought that – a more practical explanation was once given to me:

I don’t remember a single word that the Reverend Carlos Gardner ever said between 1990 and 1993. I don’t remember what he or anyone else said because Melanie Wall was in the choir loft right behind the Reverend Gardner. She was second from the right on the third row. He might have said some truly profound words of wisdom and insight – but I never heard them. It was hard to focus!

That’s why we build churches that orient our thoughts and hearts to things of God. Gothic churches with high ceilings are supposed to move our eyes upward – so we will think of heaven. Stained glass windows and art and crosses are all designed so that everywhere we look, our easily distracted eyes will be brought back to one focused on Christ.

That’s the point of Rosaries and candles and icons, all are used to enable us to be in a state of prayer and to focus on the Good News of God’s love.

But do you realize how hard that is – to be in a state of prayer and to focus on God’s love? Have you ever thought about what you were going to have for lunch during the Prayers of the People? Have you ever thought about what was on television the night before during the Lord’s Prayer? Haven’t we all drifted off somewhere not long after the sermon has started? I have and that’s why I keep a copy right here!

Have you ever tried to read the Bible and you have to go back and read the same line over and over again because your thoughts are running over here and running over there – and it’s no wonder we don’t enjoy reading the Bible or even coming to church.

On our drive to St Timothy’s we have to process traffic and road signs. We see billboards and restaurants. We are dealing with the people in our cars or the voices on our radios. Our minds process billions of bits of information that we long for silence and peace and a chance to focus – but we have a difficult time dealing with it once we actually get it!

It is hard just to be silent and to think of nothing but God. It is hard to pray and not have other conversations or other images pop in our minds. It is hard to keep our eyes on Christ.

Right after Jesus fed over 5000 with just some fish and bread, he sent his disciples in their boat to go to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus sent the crowds away and he went up on a mountain – away from the people and questions – he went to a quiet place to pray.

The disciples were crossing the Sea and winds came and tossed the boat all during the night. And early in the morning, between 3 and 6am, Jesus walks out to them. He is walking on the water.
The disciples are terrified, the wind is blowing, there is probably mist and fog everywhere, and they think he is a ghost.

St Peter calls out to Jesus asking him to call him out on the water too. Jesus calls Peter and Peter steps out on the water – he makes a leap of faith and starts walking to Jesus. His eyes are on Christ, he is not thinking about the water or the wind, he is focused.

And then he looks away. St Matthew says he noticed the strong wind. It had always been there. It had been blowing all night. It had been blowing when Peter stepped out on the water, but he was not paying attention to it.

But now he looks. He feels the wind. He takes his eyes away from Christ. And he sinks. He sinks.

There is a great story written anonymously in Russian about a simple pilgrim who owned nothing but a knapsack and a Bible who went to Church one day and heard St Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians where St Paul told the Thessalonians to ‘pray without ceasing.’ This bothered the pilgrim and he wondered if it was even possible to pray without ceasing because as human beings we must occupy ourselves with other things just to stay alive!

Yet St Paul commanded the Church to pray without ceasing. So the pilgrim dedicated his life wandering all over Russia going from holy teacher to holy teacher trying to learn how to pray without ceasing.

Do you think it is possible?
Do you think it is possible to orient our lives so that Christ is our focus? So that living out our baptismal vows is our focus?

Do you think it is possible in a world that is so full of distractions and other demands to live a life that is permeated by the life, teaching, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ?
Do you think it is possible to walk on the water and not notice the wind?

What is possible, because it happens all the time – to all members of God’s family, is stepping out in that water and knowing what it feels like to sink – to keep our heads above the water as we try to stay afloat.

Let’s support each other in our desire to grow more fully and deeply into the people God is calling us to be. Let us help each other keep our focus and to build homes and communities that are focused on Christ.

Let us work together to make this place, St Timothy’s, a loving, wise guide, that will help us all on our journey to love without ceasing, give without ceasing, hope without ceasing, love without ceasing, and worship without ceasing.

Let us work together so that we all make know what it feels like to put our toes in the water – and not feel the wind – not hear the voices – and not sink. And not sink.

Amen.