March 20, 2011

Clay Nelson

Lent 2     Genesis 12:1-4

Some times the lectionary that assigns scripture readings for each Sunday is particularly generous to the preacher. On this Sunday when we gather for the Annual General Meeting of the congregation where the focus is on the mission of St Matthew-in-the-City, we are given a choice text for our reflection. In the reading from Genesis we heard Yahweh utter his first words to Abram, whom we will later know as Abraham: “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

The next line says, “So Abram went.” No arguments, no committee meetings; no negotiations. Pretty amazing since Yahweh and he have had no recorded previous relationship and yet he packs up the family into the caravan and heads off to an unknown land far from the cradle of civilisation where he resides. 

Since it is hard to imagine doing such a thing, it is natural to wonder why. We can only guess. Perhaps it was the blessing Yahweh offered. It was pretty bold and enticing to say he will father a great nation. It was also something else.

Our previous Vicar, Ian Lawton, put on his Facebook page this week in reference to something else entirely that the word “silly” derives from a Greek word meaning “blessed.” I haven’t checked it out, but it fits in this case. Abram was seventy-five and his wife was barren. Yet, it is with these two unlikely progenitors, Yahweh sets out to bless all humanity. It had to seem pure silliness at the time.

Some context might be helpful here as we consider this silliness. By the time we get to this story we are twelve chapters into Genesis. While Abraham is the beginning of the story that will for Christians eventually lead to Jesus and from Jesus to us, a lot has already happened, and not much of it good.

Adam and Eve have been “voted off the island” for enjoying forbidden fruit. One of their sons has committed the first murder. From there it doesn’t get better. Eventually Yahweh decides to start over with Noah after a thorough spring-cleaning. But Noah is a bit of a tippler and his daughters are less than what they could be and here we go again – humanity is off to the races going from bad to worse. When they build the tower of Babel in defiance of God, Yahweh spreads them around the earth giving them different languages to complicate their lives. Yahweh by this time in the story is incredibly frustrated by the human race’s determination to refuse to live life-giving lives full of justice, hope and faith. Perhaps Yahweh watched this silliness and decided, “What the hell, a silly blessing might get things moving in the right direction.”

I won’t bore you with all the reasons this is not history, but the story of Abraham gives us some important insights about making a faith journey. First of all, we are all on one, even those who aren’t certain about having faith can escape. Even if Abram hadn’t decided to leave the comforts of home he would’ve been on one. It just wouldn’t have gone anywhere fruitful. All his struggles, falling into error, making mistakes; straddling the mud-puddles of life that would happen on his faith journey would still have happened if he stayed put only they would’ve been for nought. A faith journey is part of the human condition. Silly or not, it is the universal human struggle. We might as well give our assent and pack up and go where we are called. No, it is not easy to do. Embarking on a faith journey means facing the danger of the unknown. Many times our choice is awarded to what is known rather than to what is too new, too risky, or too foreign. But there are also rewards involved. It is an opportunity for a new start that can lead to transformation. It is an opportunity to become our fullest selves. It can take barren lives and make them fruitful. 

Abram’s story reminds us that such journeys are not taken only for our own sake. It is for the sake of the human race now and for all generations that follow. If Abram had not left Haran others would have missed the journey they needed to start. If he hadn’t left would anyone later on have recognised in Jesus our human potential? Would Jesus even have been around to recognise?

Think about your own faith journey. Think about the times you gave your assent and moved into the dangerous unknown. What would be different if you hadn’t? What would have been lost if you had played it safe? What did you gain by throwing caution to the wind, foregoing creature comforts and risking the hostility of others for not meeting their expectations? In my case, I know I would still be in Sacramento tearing my hair at what the Tea Party is doing to my country. I would not have resumed my vocation as a priest. I would not have met the love of my life. Lastly, I would not be having the time of my life at St Matthew’s.

If I had not found St Matthew’s I would still believe the church is the last institution on earth that would willingly go on a faith journey. Until coming here, my experience was the Church preferred never to leave safe harbour. Let’s face it. Risk-taking does not come naturally to the Church. It is prefers control and conformity. It argues that it is preserving the ancient faith. Unfortunately, too often it is doing so with Pham aldehyde and has put it in a jar on a shelf to gather dust.

What I love about St Matthew’s is that it breathes life into faith and takes it out for a spin once in awhile. I believe we are doing some important things right now on our faith journey into a progressive understanding of Christianity. But, we wouldn’t be doing so if those before us hadn’t willingly assented to their call to journey into the unknown. 

Would we be planning and hoping to build a state of the art facility with the Auckland City Mission to help break the cycle of homelessness if our first members had not reached out to the powerless; the marginalised of Auckland? I don’t think so.

Would we be the inclusive place we are if 30 years ago those sitting in these pews had not supported establishing a church for the gay and lesbian community when it was still illegal to be a homosexual? Not likely. 

Would we be speaking out for social justice if others before us had not supported the ordaining of women, walked in protest for Maori land rites, opposed Apartheid during the Springbok tour, and blocked US naval ships that might have brought nuclear weapons into our harbour? Probably not.

We are the fruit of those who journeyed before us. The fruit of our journey is outside our knowing. Just as Jesus was not someone Abram could foresee, neither can we see how what we do will play out. But still, like our spiritual ancestors in this place, we still have to give our assent to the journey. Each Annual Meeting we can decide to stay put out of caution or fear or keep walking towards new possibilities. Yes, it does mean we sometimes have to live with the judgment and even hostility of others. Yes, it can mean traveling outside our comfort zone – our billboards being one obvious example. No, it doesn’t mean we won’t make mistakes along the way or occasionally feel lost and uncertain. But my prayer for St Matthew’s is that we will keep walking, trusting the silly blessing the God in us, with us, and calling us into a more fruitful future boldly offers.