Second Wednesday of Lent - Sermon - The Hugging Sermon
Sermon
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date 3/11/2009
Wed Lent 2 2009
Primary Text: Gen 28.11-22
In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes there is an extended story line involving Calvin and Hobbes running away from home. Calvin is upset with his parents because, Horrors! they want him to clean his room! So he decides the only thing to do is to secede from his family and run away to the Yukon. Calvin, in a smart thought has his Mom make him some sandwiches for the trip before he secedes. Getting all of his gear together, sandwiches, space helmet, comic books, and toboggan, on the assumption that he will be able to sled most of the way to the Yukon in Northern Canada, Calvin heads out in the wrong direction with Hobbes in tow. His mom, seeing this runs out to inform him that north is the other direction. An “Oh Yeah, I knew that.” and they are off on their “own.” After eating their food within the 20 minutes and taking a break thinking that they should be sledding by now, a struggle for power begins. Hobbes assumes control over the expedition and Calvin in a rage begins to stomp his way home. After Hobbes call of reminder that he seceded from his family, Calvin returns home asking whether he can still be part of the family. His mother says of course and welcomes him home. Upon Calvin’s realization that Hobbes has not found his way home yet, Calvin’s parents are forced to search the woods for a stuffed animal. When Calvin’s dad finally finds Hobbes Calvin is asleep, so when his parents tuck Hobbes into bed a sleeping Calvin snuggles up to his friend, everything back to how it should be.
Just as Calvin runs away from home and finds comfort while sleeping, Jacob in our story today is running away and finds comfort in a dream. The events preceding this story are Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright, Rachel seeing Esau’s rage talks Isaac into sending Jacob away. Therefore, Jacob flees. Calvin flees from the horrendous task of having to clean his room. Jacob flees from a brother enraged by the trickery of his mother and brother. What do we flee from?
We flee constantly whether we know it or not. Sometimes this is necessary fleeing. There may be fighting or situations where we could become injured. If we are faced with these and are not prepared to deal with them at that moment, flight is a good choice. But there are other non-dangerous things that we flee from. We flee from uncomfortable conflict, we flee from those different from ourselves, whether because of differences of race, creed, political or religious thought, or any other divide. There is a reason the saying, “Don’t talk about religion or politics,” exists. We would rather not talk about anything than talk about things that are uncomfortable to us. Often, instead of looking and working with those who are different from us, we flee.
Now there are situations where good comes from fleeing, sometimes these however do not present themselves until later though. Calvin as a small child does not see how his parents will understand his choice of not cleaning his room, and so to him his only choice is to flee. Out of his fleeing Calvin learns that his parents really do love him, and that they are willing to search and care for him no matter what he does. Jacob does not see how his brother will understand why he did what he did and so to him his only choice is to flee. Because of this fleeing Jacob eventually finds himself in Haran, and there finds his wives, Leah and Rachel.
However despite the good that comes from their fleeing Calvin and Jacob eventually do have to deal with their situations. Calvin eventually has to clean his room. Jacob later has to confront his brother upon his return home many years later. The same with us, we may flee from situations, but more than likely, we will have to address them again. This returns us to the act of fleeing. Do we simply flee again and again? We may in fact do this, but when we flee we need to understand and learn from that fleeing. We need to remember God.
During my first year at seminary, I worked on an independent study looking at the relationship between Islam and Christianity since September 11. One quote that stuck with me was from Shaikh Kabir Helminski a Sufi Muslim. He says,
“God, who is “nearer than our jugular vein,” is within the anguish of the human race, pleading with us to do the good that only our hands and hearts can do. Spirituality is not about easing fear, not about mere consolation; it is about facing truth. I will begin the struggle for a unified and healed humanity, breathe, and remember God.”
During those hard times when we want to flee, we need to breathe, and remember God. To often we get scared or fearful, or simply distracted by the world around us that we forget about God. Jacob does this. In his flight away from Esau, he simply runs and runs, he does not even have a cloak to use as a pillow. So he ends up using a rock to rest his head and dreams. In his dream he sees a ladder reaching to heaven with angels climbing up and down it. “Genesis 28:13-15 and the LORD stood beside him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Now just looking at the text we see God’s promise to be with Jacob during his self-inflicted exile to Haran. But this stands out even more so when we look a little closer. The term Jacob’s ladder is almost commonplace now days, it is referenced in song and movie. But, what does this mean to have a ladder leading up to heaven. When we think of ladder we think of a narrow structure with bars in it for our feet. But a ladder leading to heaven during the time of ancient Israel would usually be represented by a step pyramid. They were common in the Babylonian and Assyrian cultures, and we even see them in many ancient cultures elsewhere in the world, the Mayans, Aztecs, ancient Hindu culture in India and in South East Asia. But we have a difference here. In all of those cultures, the ladders were for a couple purposes. For humans to climb up to the gods, and as a place for the gods to dwell at the top of the pyramid, often in the temple built there. But in our story we do not find God at the top of the ladder, and Jacob forced to climb up in order to talk to God. God stands right next to Jacob. God does not promise simply to watch out for Jacob from above, but promises to be with him and keep him wherever he goes until he returns and create a numerous nation from him.
The same is for us, when Christ leaves the disciples at the end of Matthew, he sends them out into the world, telling them to baptize and teach all nations, and reminding them: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” God sends the Holy Spirit to us. The Spirit abides with us and is in us. God will not leave us orphaned, but is with us, and in us.
When we flee, God’s promise to Jacob extends to us. In our flight God goes with us, God understands why it is that we flee, and God works to build us up so that we may return and face the cause of our flight. Be it threat of death, or cleaning our room.
Let us pray,
God of mercy and compassion, be with us, and remind us to breathe, and remember you, remind us to be still, and know that you are God, remind us that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. You have sent your spirit to be among us and to comfort us. Keep our paths true and help us to overcome our obstacles.
In your name,
Amen
Location St. Luke Lutheran – Date 3/11/2009
Wed Lent 2 2009
Primary Text: Gen 28.11-22
In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes there is an extended story line involving Calvin and Hobbes running away from home. Calvin is upset with his parents because, Horrors! they want him to clean his room! So he decides the only thing to do is to secede from his family and run away to the Yukon. Calvin, in a smart thought has his Mom make him some sandwiches for the trip before he secedes. Getting all of his gear together, sandwiches, space helmet, comic books, and toboggan, on the assumption that he will be able to sled most of the way to the Yukon in Northern Canada, Calvin heads out in the wrong direction with Hobbes in tow. His mom, seeing this runs out to inform him that north is the other direction. An “Oh Yeah, I knew that.” and they are off on their “own.” After eating their food within the 20 minutes and taking a break thinking that they should be sledding by now, a struggle for power begins. Hobbes assumes control over the expedition and Calvin in a rage begins to stomp his way home. After Hobbes call of reminder that he seceded from his family, Calvin returns home asking whether he can still be part of the family. His mother says of course and welcomes him home. Upon Calvin’s realization that Hobbes has not found his way home yet, Calvin’s parents are forced to search the woods for a stuffed animal. When Calvin’s dad finally finds Hobbes Calvin is asleep, so when his parents tuck Hobbes into bed a sleeping Calvin snuggles up to his friend, everything back to how it should be.
Just as Calvin runs away from home and finds comfort while sleeping, Jacob in our story today is running away and finds comfort in a dream. The events preceding this story are Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright, Rachel seeing Esau’s rage talks Isaac into sending Jacob away. Therefore, Jacob flees. Calvin flees from the horrendous task of having to clean his room. Jacob flees from a brother enraged by the trickery of his mother and brother. What do we flee from?
We flee constantly whether we know it or not. Sometimes this is necessary fleeing. There may be fighting or situations where we could become injured. If we are faced with these and are not prepared to deal with them at that moment, flight is a good choice. But there are other non-dangerous things that we flee from. We flee from uncomfortable conflict, we flee from those different from ourselves, whether because of differences of race, creed, political or religious thought, or any other divide. There is a reason the saying, “Don’t talk about religion or politics,” exists. We would rather not talk about anything than talk about things that are uncomfortable to us. Often, instead of looking and working with those who are different from us, we flee.
Now there are situations where good comes from fleeing, sometimes these however do not present themselves until later though. Calvin as a small child does not see how his parents will understand his choice of not cleaning his room, and so to him his only choice is to flee. Out of his fleeing Calvin learns that his parents really do love him, and that they are willing to search and care for him no matter what he does. Jacob does not see how his brother will understand why he did what he did and so to him his only choice is to flee. Because of this fleeing Jacob eventually finds himself in Haran, and there finds his wives, Leah and Rachel.
However despite the good that comes from their fleeing Calvin and Jacob eventually do have to deal with their situations. Calvin eventually has to clean his room. Jacob later has to confront his brother upon his return home many years later. The same with us, we may flee from situations, but more than likely, we will have to address them again. This returns us to the act of fleeing. Do we simply flee again and again? We may in fact do this, but when we flee we need to understand and learn from that fleeing. We need to remember God.
During my first year at seminary, I worked on an independent study looking at the relationship between Islam and Christianity since September 11. One quote that stuck with me was from Shaikh Kabir Helminski a Sufi Muslim. He says,
“God, who is “nearer than our jugular vein,” is within the anguish of the human race, pleading with us to do the good that only our hands and hearts can do. Spirituality is not about easing fear, not about mere consolation; it is about facing truth. I will begin the struggle for a unified and healed humanity, breathe, and remember God.”
During those hard times when we want to flee, we need to breathe, and remember God. To often we get scared or fearful, or simply distracted by the world around us that we forget about God. Jacob does this. In his flight away from Esau, he simply runs and runs, he does not even have a cloak to use as a pillow. So he ends up using a rock to rest his head and dreams. In his dream he sees a ladder reaching to heaven with angels climbing up and down it. “Genesis 28:13-15 and the LORD stood beside him and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring; 14 and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. 15 Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."
Now just looking at the text we see God’s promise to be with Jacob during his self-inflicted exile to Haran. But this stands out even more so when we look a little closer. The term Jacob’s ladder is almost commonplace now days, it is referenced in song and movie. But, what does this mean to have a ladder leading up to heaven. When we think of ladder we think of a narrow structure with bars in it for our feet. But a ladder leading to heaven during the time of ancient Israel would usually be represented by a step pyramid. They were common in the Babylonian and Assyrian cultures, and we even see them in many ancient cultures elsewhere in the world, the Mayans, Aztecs, ancient Hindu culture in India and in South East Asia. But we have a difference here. In all of those cultures, the ladders were for a couple purposes. For humans to climb up to the gods, and as a place for the gods to dwell at the top of the pyramid, often in the temple built there. But in our story we do not find God at the top of the ladder, and Jacob forced to climb up in order to talk to God. God stands right next to Jacob. God does not promise simply to watch out for Jacob from above, but promises to be with him and keep him wherever he goes until he returns and create a numerous nation from him.
The same is for us, when Christ leaves the disciples at the end of Matthew, he sends them out into the world, telling them to baptize and teach all nations, and reminding them: “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” God sends the Holy Spirit to us. The Spirit abides with us and is in us. God will not leave us orphaned, but is with us, and in us.
When we flee, God’s promise to Jacob extends to us. In our flight God goes with us, God understands why it is that we flee, and God works to build us up so that we may return and face the cause of our flight. Be it threat of death, or cleaning our room.
Let us pray,
God of mercy and compassion, be with us, and remind us to breathe, and remember you, remind us to be still, and know that you are God, remind us that we are in Christ and Christ is in us. You have sent your spirit to be among us and to comfort us. Keep our paths true and help us to overcome our obstacles.
In your name,
Amen
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