The Other Sermon

     I am preaching this weekend.  My problem in preparing a sermon is not a lack of ideas.  My problem is having too many ideas and needing to choose one that I think I can develop in to 10 -12 minutes of something meaningful.  Often the “other sermon” is what I share at the communion services in nursing homes. However, I have decided that this blog may be a place to share some of my undeveloped thoughts that continue to intrigue me.  

     This weekend’s text is the parable Jesus tells about the end times in Matthew 25.  Jesus returns in glory as king, gathers the nations, and separates the sheep from the goats.  On the one hand, the sheep receive eternal life because they have fed the hungry, visited the prisoners, etc.  On the other hand, the goats are punished for sins of omission in not caring for the “least of these.”  It is a tough text with some hard questions for a wide variety of reasons. 

     What I find curious is that both the sheep and the goats are surprised by the dividing.  Neither group realizes what they have done or not done.  Jesus seems to be able to discern something that they do not even realize.  When I was researching the difference between sheep and goats, I further discovered that in the wild and certainly in Jesus’ time it was very difficult to tell the difference between sheep and goats.  Primarily it is their tail that gives them away.  Goats have a tail that stands up and sheep have a tail the goes down.  Goats aren’t inherently bad and sheep aren’t inherently good.  They are both very useful animals.  The curious difference comes more in what I would call attitude.  Goats are independent, like to go their own way, more frequently butt heads with the other goats while sheep prefer to stay in the flock and will follow wherever they are led.  In fact in the sale barns today, sometimes a goat will lead a flock of sheep into the ring only to slip away and lead another group in while the sheep are being sold for slaughter.  The men at Bible study this week exclaimed, “sheep are just dumb.”

     So what does all this mean for us?  “Thank God I am a dumb sheep” or “I hope I’m not a stubborn goat.” Is it our resistance to recognizing our need to live in community that Jesus is addressing?  Is it our independence that gets us in trouble?  How often are we the ones who want to decide who is in and who is out of our community, church, family, etc?  

Maybe you can continue this "other sermon" for me. 

Free Love Hippie?

Last spring I was standing in line at the post office waiting to mail a package.  In my mind I was reflecting on the gospel story about the man who was born blind and thinking about the different kinds of blindness there are in the world today.  As I turned to leave, a man in line said to me, “Excuse me, I couldn’t help but notice how you are dressed.  You might be interested in this.”  He handed me a business card.  I received the card saying, “thank you,” and walked out the door. 

To my amazement the card read, “Hippie from Iowa.”  Once in my car, I ruminated the whole way home.  Hippie? Me?  What is there about my dress that says “hippie”?  Okay, now my daughter says that my wardrobe is dated and I dress “frumpy”.  I didn’t think I was doing that bad but I was wearing shoes that look a little like earth shoes from the ‘70s,  a long khaki skirt,  and my pink tweed coat.  Maybe it is all a little dated since I bought it used at least 5 years ago but retro is cool, right?

Anyway, according to the card, the gentleman in the post office line has written about his “coming of age” experiences, learning about sex and traveling Europe during the 70s.   Maybe I should be flattered that he thought I was in to the “free love” movement but obviously he pegged my age if not my temperament.

So ultimately, the question is, “what did he see?”  And perhaps more to the point, what do I see when I look in the mirror?  Obviously, they are two different things.  And when I am out in the community, am I truly seeing the people around me or just passing judgment about whether they are like me or different from me?  Blindness comes in many different forms, from denial to distrust.  But then I wonder what God sees.  No amount of wardrobe choices cover or confuse who we really are before God.  Yet in God’s great mercy, we are the recipients of “free love” through Jesus Christ.  Open my eyes, Lord, and let me see Jesus.