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The End or the Beginning? Because we continue to think of ourselves as an agricultural society in some, deep down place in our soul, we are in the midst of endings. Because the youth and children were needed to tend to the crops and to bring in the harvest, schools ended their class sessions in June. Though in California, crops are brought in year ‘round, we cling to a Midwestern ethos that focuses on the shorter growing season of the summer months. And though we live in an urban and suburban area and it would be difficult to get our children and youth to pick up a hoe to weed the fields much less bend over to pick green beans or watermelon or squash, we find it difficult to change our habits. Educators lament the loss of learning over such a long summer break, children speak of boredom after a few days, teachers would be glad to trade in a three-month summer break for several three-week breaks scattered throughout the year, and parents would grateful for an organized program to replace nonstop television, school is ending for the season. Other endings are taking place as well. We will celebrate our music program Sunday after next and then that program will go on hiatus for the summer. Similarly, our regular church school program is coming to a close and classes will soon be disbanded. The conference year is fast coming to a conclusion, retirements will be marked and for some, appointments will be finished. And as we experience confirmation today, the members of the class celebrate the end of a schedule that asked them to be here early Sunday morning for class and took them to synagogue and all over the campus and through the quadrilateral of scripture, tradition, experience and reason. In Luke, the brief passage recalled today reminds us that there were endings even in the life of Jesus. Less because of the threat of both Pharisee and Herod and more because his ministry in Galilee was finished, Jesus speaks about leaving their house to them and going on his way. For those hearing him on that day, their interaction with the rabbi was coming to a close. But we hear that Jesus was beginning to sense that he needed to move onto Jerusalem where his teaching about grace and forgiveness and sacrifice and God would be transmitted less by word than by action. The purposes of God will never be defeated although humanity often labors hard to crucify them. In our Genesis study, we read about endings and beginnings: chaos is brought to a close and order is created, righteousness is rejected and there is new life after a great flood, Sarah and Abraham die and Esau and Jacob are born. God is always using endings to bring about beginnings and those who follow God's Christ sustain that tradition. To return to school calendars once again; one of the year-end traditions of schools when lockers were still offered to students was the cleaning out of these closets. Rather than carefully sorting through the contents, retrieving long forgotten coats for use in another year, discarding lunches that have festered into grand science experiments, returning books to library and classroom, the end of the term often brings about a We learn that this behavior continues and is now taken to a new level of intensity. The conclusion of classes in colleges brings to an end the dorm year as well and it is the case that rooms are cleaned in a similar fashion with unfashionable clothing, unwashed bedding, unauthorized refrigerators and hot plates, unread books, unneeded televisions, unwanted DVD players, and other items previously valued now discarded onto the lawns of the dorms, sometimes through the front door but often out the room windows. The conscience of one student was stirred - perhaps by the Holy Spirit - to sort through these mounds and separate out the usable items, which ended up to be most of the pile. She then took the refrigerators and televisions, the clothes and bedding and furniture and books to shelters where all was gratefully received by families who only dream about their children going to college. Through her labors, endings have become beginnings. Finally, let us return to our confirmands. Much of activity in confirmation classes centers around questions and answers: often I ask, they answer. As we come to a conclusion of our time together, the final question was asked: How long does the need to grow spiritually continue? Their answer was: forever. These young people know that although confirmation classes are over, their maturing in matters of faith will continue for the rest of their lives through prayer and Bible study, worship and service. Recently the United Methodist Church changed its membership nomenclature. No longer do we call unconfirmed children and youth preparatory members and name those who have taken vows of participation "full members." We have come to recognize that baptism calls us all into full membership in the family of faith. All baptized persons, whether they be only weeks old or more than 100 years in age are instruments of God's grace, love, justice, and peace. Further, we have come to understand that baptism will cause some to intentionally express Christian faith through word and action. These persons who confirm their faith and assume responsibility for sharing it with others are now called "professing members." These remarkable young people, these confirmands, have already begun to strategize how they will be professing members. They have eagerly and intelligently discussed a specific need in the community for ministry. They have come to recognize the gifts of many gathered here and how these gifts can be used in this ministry. They have learned about the people they need to contact to organize the congregation for this ministry. They hope to begin some new thing in our midst. Perhaps these young people will remember the words of Paul who, in Romans, professes his understanding that suffering produces endurance and endurance builds character and character brings forth hope and hope will not desert us. And this new thing that has begun in them will not end for surely God's love has been poured into their hearts through the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God. Amen. June 3 , 2007 |
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