St. Thomas’s Episcopal Parish

Newark, DE

The Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany – February 5, 2012/Year B

Isaiah 40:21-31; Psalm 147:1-12, 21c; 1 Corinthians 9:16-23; Mark 1:29-39

The Reverend Paul W. Gennett, Jr.

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May my words reveal the greater glory of God. AMEN

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When we pay attention to the Gospel stories through Epiphany of the call to ministry lived by Jesus and the disciples, we might experience some conflict about what really is the work of faith and call to the disciple’s life for us now.

For example, in the today’s story, we encounter Jesus moving from teaching the crowds in the synagogue to the healing Peter’s mother-in-law – which gives rise to the old story of Peter collaborating with Judas later in betraying Jesus BECAUSE HE HEALED HER! Then, in the  turn of a sentence, crowds of sick and demon possessed press around the home, to quote Mark, “And the whole city was gathered around the door. And he cured many who were sick …” So it seems the primary call of the ministry for God’s sake and in Jesus name is getting things done and  making things happen … JUST DO IT to use a popular commercial tag line.

But then, we find Jesus stealing away from the disciples and the crowds early in the morning, going to a deserted place, to be one with God in prayer. So perhaps the primary call is instead a life centered in the contemplative prayer practices, and that we go away to our own “… deserted place …” and simply BE with God, BE with Jesus. JUST BE IT is not a popular commercial tag line for anything I have encountered.

The conundrum comes down to either don’t just do something, SIT THERE … or don’t just sit there, DO SOMETHING. Take heart and rejoice! I have the answer, and it is … YES!

From my experience of Jesus in life, they are in the correct order, for to act in response to the needs of our world, we first need to listen to God’s clearer call in prayer. There are reasons for this order, so sit back and relax for a few moments while I share them.

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Much of our 21^st century life demands all of our attention, always being connected by cell phone or computer or Facebook or Twitter or whatever else at all times, Life in our day is more than happy to provide countless options of things we can do that just fill our insatiable consumer appetites, and we feel we must react to all these opportunities for ourselves, our family, and our work. So no, we are simply MUCH TOO BUSY to consider let alone actually don’t just do something, SIT THERE.

We MUST BE active every waking minute of our days. We must fulfill our destiny as HUMAN DOINGS! It is almost like we are afraid of what may happen and what we may experience if we were to be still, to be one with God in prayer, even just for a few moments.

Yet Jesus seems to show us a more excellent way. Out of his compassionate response to the needs of those around him, which sometimes defines what value person gives to others, Jesus knew he needed to step away in retreat. To BE one with God in silence, in prayerful listening and speaking, and in total communion of body, mind, and spirit. This is true for our faithful living as well, for this personal and spiritual renewal makes what we do in life worthwhile, valued, and holy. A regular time away truly guides us to respond to the call of God in our life and ministry, rather than react like a ball bouncing wildly in the pinball machine.

We need to be intentional about our taking time from our work to be quiet, to be in deeper communion with God for our life and the life of the world. There is the story of very demanding parishioner who confronted the priest after worship,  angrily saying “I tried to call you countless times on Friday and Saturday, but I could never reach you!” The priest explained that he took these days together as Sabbath time when he could, and the messages left by the person did not seem to indicate any emergency, so he did not call back. "A day off?” the parishioner smirked in reply, “The devil NEVER takes a day off!” he exclaimed loudly, his chest puffed out in holy indignation. The priest smiled and gently replied, “You are right about that, and if I did not take time away for God and rest, I would be just like the devil too!” It seems important enough to God that it is the second of the Ten Commandments, and we all know what the first one is, right?

When we make this time away for God, then we need to be one with God in prayer, as Jesus does many times throughout the Gospels. Prayer NOT as solely laying out our laundry list of needs for God to handle for us. Although intercession and confession are integral parts of our prayer life, prayer is more importantly, in my view, being quiet with God. I recall a story of a new jet fighter that as the pilot reach supersonic speed, he fired a round of cannon shot, only to get ahead of the canon shells and shoot itself out of the sky! Sometimes we travel at supersonic speeds through life, and then wonder why our life seems to be full of holes!

I suspect we all have spent time with a child, our spouse, or a friend, simply being together, speaking AND listening one with another. Mother Teresa was noted to say, “God seems rarely found in the noise and restless places; instead, God seems to be the friend of silence.” Time with God, in silence, is good for our soul … good for our relationships with others … good for BEING with God.

Let me be clear about waiting with God in prayer. Nowhere in the Bible will you find it written “wait FOR the Lord.” What you will find written again and again is “wait UPON the Lord.” We are not waiting for God … God is waiting for us to start serving FOR God!

We need to stop waiting like we are a customer and start serving like the waiter in the restaurant. It is not our question of  “what’s taking so long to be served,” but our response of “let me fill your order.” Waiting on the Lord ultimately moves us to DO SOMETHING. I have found a recent encouraging yet frustrating strain of Facebook commentaries from “friends” who speak passionately about causes and ministries WE SHOULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT … but we only seem to VITRUALLY do nothing about them.

Out of this communion with God, Jesus moves to don’t just sit there, DO SOMETHING – prayer INTO action. Our quiet time done,  we move INTO our world to fulfill our ministry by, with , and in God and Christ from prayer!

When we say AMEN it should be said like that of the director of a movie when all is ready and they call for ACTION! Too often we treat our AMEN as disconnecting our conscious contact with God, like saying goodbye when we hang up the telephone. Prayer is not like this at all as St. Paul proclaims in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, “… pray WITHOUT ceasing …” The end of our prayer is our call into LIVING these prayers through faith NOW.

When you pray for the sick of our parish family, hearing names that are familiar to you week after week, what do you do? Many ask me at the door after service how they are doing, but you will hear my constant response, “Why don’t you give them a call!” Let them know you are thinking about them and praying for them. Ask if they would like a visit, or need a meal, or a ride for a doctor appointment or to pick up a prescription.

When we pray for the poor and needy, or drop a can of soup in one of our baskets, do you wonder how you might further serve our companion ministries to the Newark Welfare League, the Newark Empowerment Center, Emmaus House, or beyond? “Why don’t you give them a call!”

We keep hoping that new people will join our parish family in worship, fellowship, and service. We hope that they might show up and INTUITIVELY know what they can do! Or, can we call our neighbor, or introduce ourselves to the new guest to our parish in welcome and by sharing your story of faith. Tell them the Good News of Jesus Christ working in your life. “Why don’t you give them a call!”

The conundrum of faith living seems to come down to either don’t just do something, SIT THERE … or don’t just sit there, DO SOMETHING. Take heart and rejoice. I have the answer, and it is … YES!

AMEN

GET GOING FOR GOD!