Sermon: Resting In God's Spirit

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Resting In God's Spirit

By Charles Rush

December 17, 2006

[ Audio (mp3, 4.6Mb) ]

e Spirit of the Lord be upon you"… That has a rich ring to it, does it not? I bet some of you are wishing you had just a wee bit more of the divine Spirit on you just now. This is the second year in a row that my family has taken a sabbatical from 'gift giving'. I have to tell you this is a very cool thing to do once in a while. We decided to travel together for the holidays to visit our Son Ian, his wife and our granddaughter in Hawaii instead of giving presents. I was all for it, as I am a pretty typical Man… I hate to shop.

I had an interesting experience the other day. I had to get something at the Short Hills Mall and I realized that, quite by accident, I haven't actually been there in well over a year. I'm walking around, all these new stores, much better new and improved crap at the Sharper Image. I found myself generating desire. An hour earlier, I had been perfectly happy in my ignorant bliss, now I needed more and more crap as I walked around. And if I could have afforded it, I would have purchased half a dozen relatively superfluous items for myself and my family just because it is great crap. I'm thinking to myself, this is very effective marketing because I'm a guy that has devoted his vocation in a different direction and still I could pick up almost everything in Williams Sonoma. I had that same crashing realization that I get reading the Sunday Style section of the New York Times or the New York magazine. This stuff gets me thinking on all the wrong ways. It gets me going on all the wrong values, so I finally stopped reading them.

The holiday season is curious like that. The truth is that this couple of weeks is usually filled with quite a bit of anxiety. I was talking to a friend the other day who called to report a full blown screaming match he had with his spouse in front of the kids. It revolved around extended family issues.

But if it is not that, there are end of the year performance reviews and preparations for bonuses in the next few weeks- cause for joy this year- but there is always anxiety about the size of the pie relative to everyone else. For some of us, we are over-extended and that comes home in a big way right now.

For most of our mothers, there is really more than we need to do, more expectation to create something special, and a 'to do' list that is expanding. The truth is, this is actually a pretty anxious time of year. It feels like stuff could boil up.

We could use a bit of the Spirit of the Lord upon us… a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit that delights in God, and shows favor upon those that are in need all around us.'

You've seen that survey where a group of psychologists asked kids about the meaning of love.

Noelle, aged 7, said "Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, and then he wears it every day." Noelle is on to it.

Tommy, the realist, aged 6, said 'Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.'

Cindy, aged 8, had a good insight. Said she 'During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked at all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared any more.'

Terri, only aged 4, said, 'Love is what makes you smile when you are tired.'

And it is about doing for others and giving for others as Chrissy notes, aged 6, "Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your French fries without making them give you any of theirs.'

And on our best days, I think Bobby is right, aged 7. He said, "Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen."

That is the Spirit that we hope to invoke in this season of anxiety.

I love these presents that we collect. On Thursday night, December 21, our Confirmands will go to Manhattan, pass our sandwiches and soup, and give out the Christmas presents. I'm glad we do that. I'm glad that I get to be part of that because it helps get me thinking in the right direction and thinking about the right things.

The best part of what we do at Bridges is the personal part. We know these men and women by name. I got an e-mail from one of you this week, wanting to buy a coat for them… the note said 'I've know him for years.' That personal part is big, especially because when you become homeless, your identity starts to fade. It is harder to get documentation without an address and if you lose your license, it is much harder to get it replaced… And after a few losses over a few years, you start to become an anonymous bag lady. For some of them, it has been years since any of their family or friends has cared about them specifically, done something for them, the ordinary gestures of kindness that we experience every month. These are important and without them we spiritually shrivel. That is why Jesus taught us that in God's eyes, everybody is a child of God.

We take these requests in November. If Santa could bring you something what would it be? We write it down, give it to you all, then 6 weeks later, we deliver what we have. I remember about 4 years ago, when this program was just getting going, we ordered some boots, like sized 15 for Lawrence Brown. It is not easy to even find boots for sized 15 feet but someone did.

We are standing around the back of the truck and one of my 8th graders called out 'Lawrence Brown'. From the middle of the crowd, I heard 'Yeah, I'm Larry Brown'. He was astonished to actually hear his own name. She said, 'I have something for you.' We walked over to a bench together and sat down, Larry weighed 320 minimum, 6 feet 5 maybe 6 inches… My 8th grader reached in her shopping back, pulled out a wrapped box. Larry said, 'What is this?' as he started opening it.

Now, here is this big, hulking guy, probably 40, looks like 55, worn down by a life on the street. But as he is tearing off his Christmas paper, you can almost see him in his pajamas on Christmas morning because the expression on his face is still the same as it always was. He opens the box and says, "Aw man, my boots. You remembered my boots. You remembered me."

Plus, and here is the cool thing about Summit, these were like nice boots, name brand boots. This was like a real nice gift. The three of us just sat there, Larry lacing up some new boots, trying to figure out what to do with the old ones. The financial district is starting to empty out. It is cold. The Christmas decorations adorn the bank windows. I can't think of any place more important to be for the holidays. It just feels right.

On Christmas eve, we have a tradition of taking up a collection at the Christmas eve services and splitting it between a worth while charity that is picked by the Board of World Fellowship and giving the other half to a family in need in our area. Usually these families are identified by one of you. Usually we will know about the specific nature of the need. I guess just about every year, in between services, one of our treasurers hands me a thick stack of small bills. I write a note that says something like, "We know that this will make a difference in this season. In the fullness of time, you will know how to pass the blessing forward. Grace and Peace be with you… Christ Church." Then I go with one of your, or a Deacon, or Julie and we knock on someone's front door.

They don't know me. I don't know them. So it is usually a little incredulous. I introduce myself, assure them that we aren't going to stay, but that I'm just delivering something, and I hand them a thickly envelope with a note card in it. They usually smile. I wish them a "Merry Christmas" and we walk away. It is too hard to receive too much in front of other people and that is not the point but I am curious.

One year, I was walking back to the truck, and I stopped and looked back through a side window. This family had been through medical issues and they wanted to be with their extended family but they were just out of cash, so they were alone. I had handed this envelope to the wife and she had opened it by the time I looked back through the window. She had her head in her husband's chest and he was holding her, rubbing her back. I'm walking back to the truck but I was thinking to myself, 'This is just way cool' what we do. This is what it is about. It is about giving and taking care of other people. Making a spiritual and material difference in someone's life.

I hope the Spirit of God rests upon you this season and that you can give and make a difference.

The greatest scholar of the medieval world, Maimonides, the Physician who was also a Jewish theologian, said there are 8 degrees of charity.

The most basic is when you give but only reluctantly or with regret.

Then there are those who give but not enough.

Then there are those who give cheerfully and they give enough, but not until someone asks them.

Then there are those who give, who give enough, but in such a way that they draw a lot of attention to themselves.

Then there are those who give cheerfully, who give a bunch, and who do it anonymously because it is the right thing to do. That is what Jesus enjoined us to do. Jesus used to say, 'Great is your reward in Heaven'. That is to say, this is intrinsically beneficial. Needs are being met around you and you are growing in 'soul strength'.

Finally, of course, Maimonides, said that the highest form of giving is the prevention of poverty altogether. It is a community where a working wage can sustain people and it is a community where everyone is included in the benefits of the economy so that no one must seek charity. The top of the ladder of charity is justice, the goal towards which we must stay focused. It is intrinsically spiritually rounded for everyone involved. As our scripture says this morning, 'With righteousness, he shall judge on behalf of the poor and he shall decide with equity for the meek of the earth.' Everyone has a place. Everyone gets remembered. Everyone has the simple joy of being gifted.

You know that we need your money at Christ Church. You know that we need $3500/ family to stay afloat. But that is not quite the central point. You need to give. Most of you here need to give more than you are giving and not just to the Church. You need to give because you can and because you need to become spiritually stronger than you are.

I pray that in the midst of this season of anxiety, the true Spirit of God will rest upon you and that you will become a giver. I hope you give your money and make a difference. I hope you give yourself and become warm, humane, and intimate with your family and your friends. I hope you give thoughtful and caring gestures of good will, creative, transforming little blessings to people around you. Bring them joy, blessing, healing. It drives back anxiety. It keeps the malingering depression of the short days at bay. It makes you a stronger, more rounded character. Rest in the Spirit. Be the best you can be. Amen.