First Presbyterian Church
Bloom Where you're Planted
Sermon for January 25, 2004
by Pastor Susan Barnes

Children's time: Nehemiah 8:1-10

The Israelites had been prisoners-exiles in Babylon for a long time. They had children and grandchildren there; and when Babylon got a new king, he let them return to Israel . It had been a long time before they had been to the temple; most of them had never seen it. They listened to Ezra read the book of the law of Moses. That includes the ten commandments. While he read it, a bunch of helpers interpreted the commandments to the people. And the governor, Nehemiah, said "This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

What do you think he told them to do?

What do you think they were doing?

Nehemiah said, Don't be sad. You know what it says now, eat fat and drink sweet wine and share your party food with those who didn't get any.

So I'm giving you something I want you to share; potato chips. I'm not giving you sweet wine or even grape juice to share; can anybody guess why?

That's right, we're already sharing grape juice, when we have communion. The Bible tells us that Jesus came to fulfill the law; so when we have communion, we celebrate that law, and we drink sweet wine or grape juice together.

Our gospel reading may be found on page 61. As you heard last week, Jesus is in the Galilee , in his hometown of Nazareth . He reads from the prophet Isaiah, one of the favorite texts in first century synagogues. The inhabitants of Galilee had been under foreign domination for centuries. Listen for the word of God as it is found in Luke 4:14-21.

Then Jesus, filled with the power of the Spirit, returned to Galilee , and a report about him spread through all the surrounding country. He began to teach in their synagogues and was praised by everyone. When he came to Nazareth , where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."

Let us listen to the choir respond to the gospel. Anthem

The Corinthians may have come to church hungry, and shared a meal together, but it didn't always make them easy to get along with. Our epistle reading is on page 174. Paul tries to explain to them the need for mutual respect and honor. Listen for the word of God as it is found in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.

For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body- - Jews or Greeks, slaves or free— and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear would say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.

But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it. Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts And I will show you a still more excellent way.

This ends our reading from the word of God. Gracious God, we do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from your mouth. Make us hungry for this heavenly food, that it may nourish us today in the ways of eternal life; through Jesus Christ, the bread of Heaven. Amen.

Have you ever heard the phrase “bloom where you're planted?” On my best days, I am grateful for what I've been given, and content with what I have and where I am. But on my worst days, I don't like where I am. I could bloom where I'm planted if the soil was better, the sun shone more, and if the weeds didn't crowd me out. And what if where I am doesn't need a flower? Maybe what they need is leaves to put in salad, or seeds for protein, or stems for rope, or roots to return nitrogen into the soil. Maybe I need to be transplanted somewhere else, or grafted onto another plant.

I thought of that phrase when I read the letters from Nova Sue and Naomi. We published them in our newsletter this month. Last August, we commissioned Naomi and Nova to go out. Both wanted to do mission work; both hoped their gifts would be useful, but were afraid they might not be. Nova has years of experience in office work. Naomi majored in recreation in college. Both were thrilled when they were accepted into the mission program of the Presbyterian Church USA. I found it interesting to note that both of them are recent members of this congregation. Naomi joined just a year ago, a few months before she went to Uruguay . Nova joined just five years ago. What does it say about this congregation that two of its newest members went out on mission?

I think it says we are providing fertile soil for those who want to go.

Naomi wrote this to us January 1, 2004 .

"Happy New Year and belated Merry Christmas! [On Christmas] evening I went to the beach … and was shocked to see the beach full of people on Christmas day. Although it didn't really feel like the Christmas I am used to, I do think it makes sense to have Christmas in the summer when it is a time of abundance and growth, so much of what Jesus is about.

I am already beginning to feel some pressure to think about what I am going to do in August when I leave. What is my calling???? I am overwhelmed trying to answer this, and then have to remind myself that I have a very privileged life to even have the option of considering my calling. Thankfully, I can live for the moment and thoughtfully ponder and pray, without anxiety, for what will come at the end of this year. How reassuring it is to know that God is with me!

Beginning on January 11 th I'm going to be working at the church's summer camp for two weeks. We have had two leader's workshops to prepare and based on these experiences I am not really looking forward to camp. Mostly I didn't feel a strong connection with the other leaders and was discouraged by how little emphasis was put on faith development. Over the course of a weekend we didn't have any sort of devotional together or even pray. However, it will be a great opportunity to live for the moment and take advantage of my role as a leader.

Thanks again for all your support through prayers, e-mail, letters, etc.!!! It is great to know I haven't been forgotten! I think of you all often.

Here's to a new year filled with love and peace! Naomi "

Nova wrote from the conference center in Montreat, where the new president just took over from the interim president in September.

"Dear Women's Support Group,

The situation at Montreat gets more interesting all the time—the reorganization continues. I sometimes wonder why I'm here, but maybe it's because I've been through it all when I worked. I just know that God has his reasons. I miss you all and think of you often. Please keep Montreat, and me in your prayers. God's blessing on you all. Nova Sue Harrison. "

I've been thinking about their letters, and I wrote one of my own.

Dear Naomi and Nova,

We are grateful for your service on the other side of the US , and the other side of the world. You both figured prominently in our Family Albums that we circulated among the congregation members. We are proud that we are members of the church that commissioned you.

I wanted to reflect on your words about calling, Naomi, and your discouraged words about the reorganization, Nova.

You never know what fruit a chance remark will bear; often people listen to me when I am not being careful with my words. Several times in my life, someone told me something I said really made a difference. It is never anything I thought carefully over, just a chance remark, well-meant, but hardly eloquent.

In the course of my ministry, I have received thank you notes from people I have served. One woman, who struggled with sexual harassment on the job, depression, and financial hardship, wrote me a note, saying “Thank you for believing that all people deserve a place in church. Thank you for believing my pain was real.” All I did was listen to her, and welcome her to church. I feel confident other pastors and other churches would do the same. But this woman didn't come to other churches, she came to the one I served. And so I was the one who had the privilege of telling her the good news, that she doesn't have to endure sexual harassment on the job, that everyone who wants to come to church can belong, that God will help you during a long fight to do what is right.

You never know when you will have the opportunity to share the gospel. It could be at Montreat Conference Center , where all around departments and offices are being restructured, where staff members are worried about their positions as well as their job duties. You can be an emotional support to those around you; you have no agenda there other than to serve God, so you have the opportunity to be the third voice, the disinterested party, the person with perspective. And that is powerful presence.

You could share the gospel in Uruguay , even if it's only by asking ‘Can we pray' at a church camp planning meeting where no one spoke of faith or read the Bible. We all need reminders about what is important.

Today the youth remind us of the importance of feeding the hungry.

Luke tells of Jesus quoting Isaiah, saying God has anointed him to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim release to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind, and to let the oppressed go free. And we, who are followers of Jesus, are supposed to do that too. Paul asks the quarreling Corinthians “Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?” We all can't do everything; we do have to decide which is our calling.

And Naomi, you do not have to decide your call for your entire life. You can try out things, and decide what you want to focus on in the next few years. I feel confident you will bring the good news wherever you go. That said, I remember the pressure I felt in my twenties to figure out what I was supposed to do. I wish I had heard these comforting words then.

“Writer Thomas Green says ‘Turmoil, anxiety, and restlessness are never signs of [God's] voice, since they are forms of desolation.' We all experience restlessness, discouragement, anxiety, inner turmoil, and doubting at times, and it's easy to assume this is God's way of telling us we're doing something wrong. But…this is not the way God communicates with us. God's voice speaks to us in peace and gives us courage.” (1) The law of God is not cause for mourning and weeping; it is the reason for celebration, including wine and fat things.

I thought you would like to hear these words from Leny Mendoza Strobel.

“As a Filipina I've always understood the spiritual call as directly related to the needs of one's community. What here in the West is seen as ‘discerning one's call' would be understood in the Philippines as a process of learning what one individual, as a member of the community, could and must offer back to it. In Filipino culture, this is spiritually rooted in the practice of gift-giving, which reflects the belief that we own nothing at all….If you visit a Filipino home and happen to admire an object there, your host will most likely offer it as a gift without thinking twice. …Even our time is not our own to manage. Friends…who appear with no agreed-on appointment are an opportunity to be with another who might need us. …

This sense of call doesn't spring from a lack of fulfillment in one's current life or a sense of spiritual emptiness. Nor does it arise out of a dark night of the soul or an emotional altar call. Instead, the Filipino idea of ‘putting God's gifts back in circulation' is an ongoing practice that is measured by the generosity of one's spirit, the generosity of attention we are willing to give each other, the sharing of our possessions, and the sharing of our sufferings. … When I first arrived [in the US ] I thought of myself as ‘bearing gifts.' I believed that if God willed that I come here, I must have some gifts to share. Yet for many years, I was frustrated. I felt that no one wanted my gifts, and in many ways, I wasn't certain what they were.

Now I see more clearly what gifts I am able offer here, and they are gifts rooted in Filipino cultural values …[which are surfacing] in Western discourse as ‘interdependence or ‘interconnectedness.'

Those from other nations often describe Filipinos as ‘happy people.'… At the root of that joy is this understanding of spiritual call as putting God's gifts back into circulation. It is the conviction that we do not own anything—and that to let go and give away what we have in the material and nonmaterial sense is perhaps the greatest privilege any of us have.” (2)

When we are confident in God's love, we can trust that God will plant us where we will flourish, and where we can provide beauty or shade, oxygen or nitrogen, food or fertilizer, and use our gifts to witness to God's saving love.

(1) Patricia Pearce, “Speak, I am Listening,” Other Side, May/June 2000, p. 54.

(2) Strobel, Leny Mendoza, “Community Wisdom,” Other Side, May/June 2000, p. 55-6.