January 24, 2010
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10
1 Corinthians 12:12-31
Third Sunday after Epiphany
Year C
The Power of God’s Word for your life
Watergate
What comes to mind when I say the word Watergate? For many of us, we think of the Nixon years and the scandal that ensued during his presidency. I was seven years old when all of that happened, and still don’t remember all of the details. But I remember the term Watergate. Even today – what over 30 years later, the term Watergate is synonomous with scandal. Whenever something is scandalous – we use the term gate – remember Irangate. I suppose today we would refer to the Tigergate. I thought it was interesting, that even when I typed in the word Watergate on the word program – it even capitalized the term.
Nehemiah
But today I want to take you back to a simpler day – when a water gate was simply that – a water gate. The scripture in Nehemiah talks of another Watergate event – this one happening at the water gate. Nehemiah was a servant in Babylon. He was the cup bearer for the king. His people had been taken captive by the kings father – and expected to serve. Nehemiah convinced the new king to allow them to go home and even to rebuild the temple so that the people whose loves revolved around worshipping God – could go home and worship their God. Upon returning, he became the governor of Israel. He wanted them to not only return to their home – but also to their worship. He has the priest unroll the scrolls and read them to the people. And they read, and they read and they read – for six hours the people stand by the water gate and listen to the word of God. Had that happened today – everyone would have fallen asleep by then. Today we last about ten minutes – and then we are gone. But the scripture says that everyone who could understand - listened and obeyed the word of God. They turned their lives around and started living as holy people – all because they heard the word of God through the scriptures.
I don’t want to focus on Nehemiah this morning – but the important point for us is that the water gate was an important turning point for the isrealites. It was the moment that they realized who they were, whose they were, and what they should be doing. They were the people of God- and their duty was to live in God and to tell the story of God through their lives.
Jamie Scott
It is sort of like the story of little Jamie Scott – a first grader – who wanted a part in the school play so bad. All he talked about was the play. His mother was afraid of what would happen if he was not chosen, he would be devastated. On the day of tryouts she prayed for him all day. After school, when she went to pick him up – he ran to the car – I made it mom – I have been chosen and given a part – my part is to clap and cheer.
At the water gate – the people of Isreal realized that they too were chosen, and given a part to play in God’s big play – that part was to clap and cheer – to worship and praise God in everything that we do. We can worship and praise God in many ways. We all have a part to play in the play – a different part - a part that fits us perfectly – but it is only one play and one God. No one’s part is more important than another. And it takes us all together to put on God’s play of salvation for the world.
Paul’s metaphor of the body of Christ
Paul uses the metaphor of a body with different parts. United through Christ. It is not possible to be a Christian on a deserted island. Because our faith is not about who we are as individuals – it is about how we related to one another. It is about why we related to one another. We are related through our baptism. We don’t have to agree with one another to be the body of Christ. We just have to agree with Christ. As a matter of fact – Christ doesn’t intend for us to agree, or to get along, or to always see things the same way. We think of conflict as a problem – but in Christianity it is an asset. The church of Corinth was a church with a lot of conflicts – and a lot of questions. Paul was trying to teach them that their faith depended on them learning to work through those conflicts. Learn to work together in spite of their differences, not to let their differences stop them from working. You cant be a Christian on a deserted island – because when you are by yourself – you don’t have anyone to disagree with – and nothing to work through and solve. You have no reason to put aside your own thoughts and to think about the common good and what is best for all.
Tree fungus
They say that when trees are planted near each other – their roots grow and touch one another. A fungus starts to grow. This fungus creates a unique relationship between the trees. Everything that they do is connected – so that if one is in the sunshine and the others are in the shade – all of them get the nutrients from the sun. If one is near a river, and the others are farther away – they all get the nutrients from the water. Even though they are individual trees, in community they all have a part to play. Point being – there is a fungus among us – and that Fungus is Jesus Christ. In Christ, our difference become unity.
Laminin – a cell glue
Since this is a sermon of metaphors – my final metaphor is a laminin. Laminins are cells in the body – they function as glue – they hold everything together. Each cell in our body has a different function – different instructions for what it is supposed to do. The only way they can work together to form one organ – and our organs can become one body is laminin.
It is amazing how God works – How complicated God made us – and how God thought of every minute detail. And how God is able to put a signature on everthing that God does. If you look at a laminin under a microscope – you will find the shape of a cross. It is the cross that makes these connections between the different cells. Once again the presence of Christ is what holds us together. Christ is not Lord over us – Christ is the Lord in us. We learn to work together, not by having one under another – but by intentionally working side side by side. Where all ideas are taken seriously – and all parts are allowed to fulfill their role.
Christ unites us all
For just as the body is one and had many members, and all members of the body, through many are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one spirit we were all baptized into one body and we were all made to drink of the one spirit. And that spirit is….Christ.
When you think of the world Watergate – what comes to mind? The church in all of its conflicts and issues. But we all stand at the Watergate of faith listening for the word of God – the word of God is embodies in the body of Christ – in us.
We are all at the gate where we need to be clear about what we are called to do. Remember the story of Jamie Scott – we have been chosen to clap and cheer – Cheer Christ on as he works hard to give us all a place in God’s kingdom. In the body of Christ. Let us pray…
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