August 02, 2009

In my other life, before I became a priest, one place where I put my heart, my energy and my time was in being a Girl Scout leader.  For 12 years, I met with 20 girls every Wednesday night. I watched them grow from busy, giggling 6-year olds into confident, competent college freshmen.  In my role as their troop leader, I had a sense of mission.  I had a clear idea how to encourage those who passed through the troop. 

At the beginning of every year, the parents, the girls and I met to set the goals and plan the calendar.  We talked about service projects and badges, camping trips and lock-ins.  We laid out expectations and responsibilities.  We recited the promise and the law and ended with a rousing chorus of the troop song. 

One year, I baked cupcakes for the orientation meeting.  I frosted them in the Girl Scout colors and piped them with the iconic trefoil Girl Scout symbol.  That year, at the next meeting, near the end of the evening, a new girl to the troop said, “Ms. Hollar, Ms. Hollar, where are your cupcakes?”  I answered, “Marileigh, we don’t have cupcakes at every meeting.”  “But you’re the leader, and the leader always brings the cupcakes.”  “Marileigh, I’m not that kind of leader.  I’m going to take you on adventures and help you learn important skills.  When we do our cooking badge, I’ll teach you how to make cupcakes and you can bring them whenever you like.”  Marileigh never came to another meeting.  I don’t know what ever became of her.  Today, she could be a photojournalist or a nurse, a soldier or a mother.  It would be ironic if she became a pastry chef.

Marileigh came to my mind this week because her determined notion of my duties as a troop leader reminded me of the people in this morning’s gospel lesson.  You heard in John’s account that after Jesus’ miraculous feeding of the 5,000, some of the crowd remains on the hillside, energized to follow the new prophet.  They tracked him to Capernaum, and there, they demanded his next great sign.  They expected him to deliver miracle upon miracle so that they might believe that his authority indeed came from God.  With this assurance, they will “trust” his message.  Jesus respectfully declines their requests.  He explains that he is not that kind of leader.  He is not a modern day Moses.  The people are looking backwards.  They recount the experience of God working with their ancestors.

These people, weary and desperate for relief – from oppression on earth and detachment from God in heaven – are eager for familiar deliverance.  They want Jesus to do for them what Moses did for their great, great, great, great grandparents.  They want Jesus to take care of them and make everything safe, good, and easy.  Those folk moved to follow Jesus to a hillside, moved to listen to his teaching, moved to follow him across the sea, now want to block his movement and tie him down to their expectations. 

Way back when, when their ancestors were also oppressed and despairing, God sent Moses.  Moses went to Pharaoh.  Moses brought down the plagues.  Moses negotiated their release.  Moses organized the exodus, divided the sea, and drowned the attacking army.  When they were in the wilderness, complaining, whining, and murmuring, Moses struck the rock with a staff and brought them water.  When they moaned about the lack of food, Moses went for them to God and came back with daily rations of bread.  When the people grew tired of bread, Moses again went to God and came with an abundance of quail.  What the people desired, Moses provided.  He scurried on their behalf.  From the people to God, from God to the people, he performed amazing, miraculous deeds so that the people would be encouraged to believe.

This is the dynamic the people of Palestine impose on Jesus.  If you are from God, if you want our loyalty, if you want to draw us closer to God, continue to feed us from just five loaves and two fish.  If you want us to believe your words, keep on healing blind and lame persons.  Take our troubles to God and come back with miracles.  Make everything better for me and mine and then we’ll believe.

Jesus understands their thought process.  He is even sympathetic to their cause, but he is also clear about his mission.  He is not a deliverer, going ahead of the people with a staff filled with the power of God.  He is an altogether different kind of leader.  God has sent Christ into the world with a new purpose.  He will not bring the chosen people of God back into relationship with their creator by performing a series of dazzling feats.  He will not win their allegiance by proving his God-given strength and specialness on demand.  Jesus begins his mission with traditional exploits but then he moves on.  Jesus explains the Father did not send me to you to do miracles so that you would be comforted.  The Father did not send me to take care of you in the old way.  I am both the messenger and the message.  I do not scurry between you and the Almighty.  While I am here in the world, I have one clear, unwavering duty.  I bring you God’s holy declaration of expectation.  I deliver his message in how I carry His holy word in my being and with my life.  I am both the messenger and the message.  Look at me.  Listen to my words.  See how I interact with my heavenly Father.  Observe how I treat friends and strangers.  Notice the way I respond to earthly authorities and how I engage my creator.  Note my priorities.  Look to me and follow my example – seriously, intentionally, exactly, perpetually!

Jesus comes to the lost and confused, the anxious and weary people and says I can deliver you.  I can reunite you to your loving father and with your better nature.  I can show you the way to your best self.  The kingdom of God has come near.  It stands before you.  I am the way into that paradise.  I am the way home.  I am the messenger and message.  Do as I do, trust in my word and you will be delivered because you will deliver yourselves! 

See, in the early time, Moses did all the work for the people.  They were immature and dependent.  Their faith and their loyalty were bought by constant attention and demonstrations of proof.  In the new age, God has a different plan.  He sends Jesus as the anointed model saying follow my son’s example and you will have all that you need for a positive life-giving relationship with me and a positive life-giving existence on earth.  People, beloved people, do as my Son does and all will be well with you. 

In the parlance of a modern axiom, Moses gave the people a fish.  Jesus taught the people how to fish.  Moses fed the people for a day (or 40 years of days).  Jesus gave the people skills, the means to feed themselves abundantly for all their days on earth through the ages and even into eternity.  Jesus said see how I love God.  See how I pray.  See how I make time in my life to praise God and ask for his guidance everyday.  You go and do the same.  Jesus said see how I treat people, people I like and people I find irritating.  See how I put the good of the community over my immediate desires?  You go and do likewise.

Jesus gave the people of Capernaum and the people in North Mecklenburg everything we need to bring the kingdom of God into our world today.  Jesus showed us exactly how to live content, harmonious, peaceful, secure lives.  He demonstrated with precision how to please God and reap the benefits of the Father’s blessings and pleasure.  Unfortunately, we often want to fall back into the old ways.  We want someone else to go first, to make the initial sacrifice.  We want other people to deliver us.  We want others to be the test case, to be the first to turn the other cheek, to forgive our slights, to put down the sword and pick up the plowshare.  We’re more comfortable waiting for the proof that Jesus’ scheme actually works.  When everyone else loves his and her neighbor, we’ll embrace the stranger.  When we see all the other members living comfortably on 90%, then we’ll tithe to support God’s plans.

The Father understands that we want things made easy for us.  He gets that we’d prefer him to send us cupcakes already made and frosted.  But, He knows best.  He knows that we’re ready.  He knows that we’re capable and that we’re much better served when we take on the lessons Christ gave us ourselves in order to bring in the kingdom as he envisions.  God sent Moses for a time and a people and with an early, simple purpose.  God sent Jesus for all time, and all people, and with an enduring purpose.  His message and his person were one.  His words and his example were inseparable.  By that unified presence, Jesus taught us how to fish.

So now dear ones, where and when are we going to cast our lines?

We have what we need to make a mighty catch.  Where will we, when will we take the time, bait the hook, throw the line into the waiting water?  Where will we, when will we take hold of the skill Jesus taught us so that we might feast on God’s holy dream for us all?

May we go fish - today.

Amen.