Sermon for July 21, 2019 - Proper 11 C - The Rev'd Jeffrey Mello

Genesis 18:1-10a; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42

May only God’s words be spoken.  May only God’s words be heard.

In my sermon from two weeks ago, I suggested that if the devil exists, one of their greatest tools in destroying the Dream of God is patience.  I imagined, and still do, that the evil forces of this world have more patience than I do, that they are playing the long game, waiting for me to tire out, to give up hope, to stop trying.  

The continued crisis in this country since I gave that sermon seems to validate my hypothesis.  It’s almost as if the devil himself heard me.

I’ve never preached a sermon series before.  Popular in many traditions, a Sermon Series takes a singular subject and preaches about it over the course of several weeks. This unexpected series might be, “The Devil’s toolbelt.”  Imagine that on a banner out front!

So, it’s only the second in this impromptu series, but today’s Gospel from Luke has me thinking about, and responding too, another tool in the belt of the evil forces of the world.  Two weeks ago we talked about evil’s weapon of patience. This week we learn a bit about the weapon of distraction.

In this popular Gospel reading about Martha and Mary we read about two disciples of Jesus responding to his presence among them in very different ways. Martha prepares a meal and Mary sits at his feet to listen and learn.

This Gospel is often used to argue the tension between doing and being, praying and working.  As Elise pointed out in her sermon last week, however, we need to be doing both. We need to be praying so we are led to work, and we need to work from a place of deep, grounded prayer.  One without the other, is lacking.

Being and praying seems to get Jesus’ endorsement when he responds to Martha’s complaint that Mary has chosen the better part.  

But I think that’s actually missing Jesus’ point.

Notice that Jesus doesn’t correct Martha for doing her work, for embodying hospitality out of her love for Jesus and his followers.  He doesn’t say, “stop working” or “come sit down, we’ll order take out.”

Jesus correction of Martha is about her distraction, it is about her busyness.  It is about a perceived lack of focus and purpose as she goes about her ministry.

“Martha, Martha,” Jesus says, “you are worried and distracted by many things;42there is need of only one thing.”

You are worried and distracted by many things, Jesus says, reading Martha’s mind.  And mine.

These days, I am worried and I am distracted by many things.  Jesus’ loving teaching to Martha is a lesson he teaches me.

There is need of only one thing.  Stay focused. Remember your purpose.  

When I am worried and distracted, I am the epitome of diminishing returns.  When I forget what my purpose is, and where my focus ought to be, I run around seeking to respond to crisis after crisis, seeking to please rather than help, hoping to be liked, rather than be honest, trying not to upset rather than speak my truth.

It is easy to get pulled into trying to fix a problem before truly understanding it.

Through my distraction and my worry, Jesus whispers to me, “there is need of only one thing.”

Two years ago, our Confirmation Class created a “Kindness Campaign” in which they designed multiple ways for our community to engage in doing the simple act of Kindness.  There is only one thing.

They gave me this tshirt.  Just be kind, it says. Simple.  Focused. Grounded. There is only one thing.

This shirt sat on the bottom of my dresser drawer for a while, but I wore it this past week on a busy day out of the house running errands; being busy and distracted.

In the course of that one day, four people I encountered went out of their way to say “nice shirt.”

One in the hardware store, walking past me on the street.  One was a young man with his friend in a car.  

He rolled down his window as I walked by.  “I like your shirt,” he said. “Thanks,” I replied.  “You’re welcome” he answered.  

The fourth was a stranger in line for ice cream.  After he commented on the shirt, we had a brief conversation about how simple it really ought to be, and how challenging it seems it is.  

There was no discussion of political candidates or policies.  I don’t know if we have anything in common except for a shared appreciation of this tshirt and it’s simple, clear message.  But our conversation left me a little lighter.  

Each one of the four encounters left me a little more hopeful. There is need of only one thing.

We come to this place, we eat from this table because the evil forces in this world, and the forces in each of us that keep us from doing the work we need to do to create God’s dream for this world, it is patient.  To keep doing the work we need to listen, to feast on God’s Word and break this bread. 

And we come to this table because those forces that rebel against God keep us distracted and worried; too busy chasing something other than the realm of God; being right; being first; being most. So we come to this place, to this community to re-charge, re-focus, to re-ground ourselves in the Love of God, to knit ourselves, once again, into the Body of Christ.

Mother Theresa wrote, “If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.”

When the leaders of this country can talk about each other the way they do, we have forgotten we belong to each other.

When we call those leaders with whom we disagree vile names or wish them harm, we have forgotten that, even when we vehemently disagree, we belong to each other.

When the Episcopal Church was deep in the conflict that followed the election of Gene Robinson as the first openly gay bishop, our Bishop Barbara Harris said something that has stayed with me to this very day, and comes up whenever I have a sense that I am too busy and too worried, when I am too distracted to do God any good.  

She said, and I paraphrase, “we’re so busy and distracted arguing with each other over things that don’t matter to God.  And while we are busy and distracted,” she said, “the devil is having a field day.”

There is need of only one thing.  Love. With every word, love spoken.  With every action, love done. May only God’s words be spoken.  May only God’s word be heard.

Let us not be worried and distracted to the point where the evil forces of this world are set loose among us on a Field Day.  Do not lose focus. Do not forget your purpose.

There is, no matter what is going on, need of only one thing.

Do that thing, and do nothing else.  Be that thing, and be nothing else.

AMEN.

© The Rev’d Jeffrey W. Mello