Easter 6 2013

Easter 6, 2013

I recently saw a short comic that featured a number of people punching the air in a protest chant. The leader yells: “What do we want?!” The crowd responds: “A cure for ADHD!” The leader continues: “When do we want it?!” And the crowd responds: “Squirrel!”

While I myself have never been diagnosed with Attention Deficit, Hyper-Active Disorder; I do know that I can get off track at times—and most certainly distracted. Things happen all throughout my day that draw me from task to task, sometimes before a single task can be completed. However, this is the nature of my work, and considering how much our culture expects of us; I would say this is the nature of all of our lives.

All I can say is, I’m really glad that squirrels aren’t shiny—because they would only be that much more distracting…

The point is that when we stop to think about it, we’re constantly bombarded not only by expectations, impossible schedules, unrealistic expectations, over-active and over-abundant media; we see that this static has found its way into most parts of our lives. And if distraction and chaos are finding a place in our center, how can we possibly hope to function?

In our Gospel Reading today, we have Jesus speaking to one of the disciples, “Judas—not—Iscariot.” Jesus explains to him that he won’t be with them much longer—even though he and the Father have made their home with those who love them. However, he makes the assurance that the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, will come to teach and remind them of all that he has said…

I would imagine from this short excerpt from John’s Gospel that this statement from Jesus was much more important than they may have realized at the time. In all fairness, they were at the Last Supper, Jesus was washing feet, and Judas Iscariot had just gone out to betray Jesus—so, subtle meanings may not have been their primary focus.

But even after the resurrection, we know that the disciples still only met behind locked doors, and remained in hiding. In fact, it wasn’t until after Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came (as Jesus promised) that they began to go out and begin doing what Jesus had taught them to do.

But then, I suppose they had the potential to be distracted as much as any of us. And like us, while the desire to remain diligent to tasks is there, I think that there is a whole lot of life that happens, and gets us off track. This is all the more reason that we need the Advocate to call us back.

Now, going back to this whole distraction discussion, I have to say that unless something is constantly right in front of me (specifically one of those subtle things that is important, but is easily put-off)—I am likely to forget about it. Again, because there are so many diverse things happening, I can find myself drifting. And I’m sure I’m not alone in this case, either.

How often have we forgotten something we’ve agreed to in a passing conversation? How many times do we talk about making indefinite plans, and find that those things continue to remain indefinite, and never become plans?

So with everything that we seem to come up against in our daily lives, we know it’s easy to lose our focus—and with so much external stimulus, we may find it hard to remember our center of faith, as well. 

While I wish I had the answer for busy, squirrely lives; I’ve already admitted that I don’t. However, I will say that paying attention to our center of faith certainly doesn’t hurt. And being reminded to come back to what grounds us is always important in trying to keep ourselves sane.

Last Sunday, for those of you who were able to attend, we had a meeting to talk about the results of our Church Assessment Tool (CAT) results. From our results we found that this is a congregation which is, if nothing else, energetic; not simply going through the motions; and ready to do ministry. These are all very good things, and things which I think were drawn out of you as strengths during the interim period.

Suddenly when the church didn’t have a full time priest, and things still needed to get done; people stepped-up and took on roles that might have seemed a little tough, but in the end needed to be taken on. And what’s so great about doing those things is that no matter how scary the task may seem, we find that stepping into these roles suits us. They energize us and make us confident of the potential that we have for doing amazing things in the world as the Church.

But just like the disciples in the Upper Room, and just like everyone, I believe as life happened, there was distraction. Eventually the things that had to be done, and could be done by anyone went back to being specialized ministry. And let’s face it, when we get busy, it’s easy to forget the things that Jesus calls us to do.

We live in a culture that demands a lot of us. It’s easy to get distracted by everything that gets thrown at us, and when that happens things fall away: unfortunately those are usually our physical and spiritual health. But if we can commit ourselves to striving for spiritual health, I believe we are more apt to pay attention to our physical health as well. And with both spiritual and physical health attended to, we are often more ready to face the tasks before us.

Right now some of the tasks before us as a church are more than just financial, or lack of participation, or shrinking numbers. Everybody has that. However, what we’re faced with is the call and issue of responding to what Jesus has taught us…responding to what it is that the Holy Spirit teaches us in our hearts.

Where we are is a world that continues to make us cynical and callus to starving children, victims of gun violence—war, famine, disease—inequitable access to basic resources. Where we are is a place where children commit suicide because of bullying, and people—all kinds of people—who are searching for a safe place to belong…

As citizens of the world that’s where we live. And as citizens of the Kingdom of God, and members of God’s Church, we’re called to continue the work of redemption set forth by our Lord Jesus Christ. It’s a big job…But, it’s a big job that has a diversity of small tasks.

Because, what I think we find when we’re willing to even take on what seems like the smallest role in the church—we hold up the work of the whole thing. What’s more, sometimes when we step out to take our small part, we find ourselves called to even more still. And all of that work, if we commit to it in faith changes us, and helps us to see ourselves and our lives just a little more clearly.

Doing the work of the Church is not something that we preachers are simply peddling. This isn’t some product that can be sold for $19.95 on television. Instead, what we try to invite people into is a Body of believers that is so much bigger than any one of us.

It’s a community that extends not only beyond the borders of towns, cities, states and countries—but even the boundary of life and death. It’s a community of love and service and hope, but it’s through our response to those things that Christ calls us to that remind not only us, but others that the Church is all of those things, and that all are invited to find their place in it.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of that, beyond distraction and busyness, so that we can try to hear the Holy Spirit clearly and attend to the things that Jesus has called us to do.