Proper 19: September 12, 2004.

Exodus 32:7-14

Psalm 51:1-11

1 Timothy 1:12-17

Luke 15:1-10

First Reading

Mercy. "Haye mercy on me." Cognizant of our sinfulness, we cry the psalmist's words. Moses begs God's mercy for the Israelites. Saul has experienced God's mercy in a very personal, transforming way, and for this he gives thanks. We understand in Luke's Gospel that God's mercy extends to and is indeed intended for the lost. God's mercy is radical and does not exclude.

There are some texts that should never be just read but require some delicate pastoral processing. Our reading from Exodus is one of them. Preachers must wrestle with its underlying assumption. Do we believe that God's mind can be changed? Is this a story reflecting an archaic or at least more anthropomorphic understanding of God, like an upset father? If we believe that God cannot change God's own mind, are we limiting, or boxing in, our transcendent God? If God's mind can be changed, how is that done? Is God's mind changed by prayer?

As I write these words, I am in an uncomfortable place. Literally, I am sitting in what has to be close to hell--a surgery waiting room. My newborn nephew is having open-heart surgery. What will the result be? Will it be champagne and tears, or funeral planning and more tears? Can my prayer make a difference? My theology does not lead me to believe that God caused this heart problem or that God approves of this suffering and pain; but, perhaps God can intervene. Surely, the Omni-everything, Creator God could intervene here. Is God waiting to be persuaded? Does God want me to do the persuading? I scream inside my head with Moses "Change your mind, God! Intervene! Remember your promises? Your reputation is at stake here!"

While you may not be preaching in a hospital waiting room, everyone is waiting for something--be it results of a biopsy, a diagnosis, a reevaluation, the next chemotherapy treatment, a child's decision of what she will do with God's gifts, reconciliation in a relationship, a son to come home from Iraq, death, a cure, a sermon to end, our lost loved ones to hear and believe the Good News, vacation, Jesus. Three years ago our entire nation waited in tremendous fear for the next attack, another building to crumble, the world to end. We all have had occasions where we wanted, like Moses, to straighten God out, to persuade God to "Intervene already!" or to direct God's attention in a particular direction. So what are you waiting for? Better yet, what are your people waiting for?

Pastoral Reflection

Perhaps the changing of the mind is not the main point at all but rather God's mercy. Distracted by Moses' delayed hike up the mountain, the Israelite people lose the vision, forsake the mission, forget the ways of the Lord. The church likewise becomes distracted when the mission and vision are not clear. We easily become enchanted with worshipping false idols, we think there might be a better option out there, we're just "gonna look around a bit."

God's wrath is understandable. The Israelites deserve to be punished. They have violated the very covenant God made with them. Yet, ultimately, after considering some other options, God has mercy on them. Paul is a good example of a once-was-lost-now-is-found sheep. Paul's conversion story is remarkable, his turnaround incredible. But Paul's conversion did not occur without some conflict. You can just imagine (or read Acts 9) people of the time saying: "Who is this leader rising out of nowhere, running around starting churches? He wasn't a disciple, and he didn't even follow Jesus around! What's up with the fast track?--he should have to start in Parables 101 where we all did. I don't believe he's really changed." Paul showed what a lost-and-found sheep could do. We all agree there surely was joy in heaven over that! But it's not so easy for the other 99, the flock, to understand, to participate in the celebration.

Rejoice! Celebrate! Jesus invites us to the party. Unfortunately, more often we respond to God's merciful acts with jealousy or judgment rather than with celebration. Can your church celebrate and rejoice? Get over your resentment at that young family that takes a summer vacation from worship; celebrate their return with open arms. Forget that the man at coffee hour was in prison; celebrate that he has been found. Who cares if that new family has not been around as long as you; rejoice at their energy and ideas. Do not focus on the alcoholism but on the image of God sitting in the row behind you. Stop criticizing the person who you have previously witnessed not acting very sheep-like, and just rejoice that she is in worship. Look not to those with the greatest seniority but to those whom the Holy Spirit is preparing for leadership positions in the church.

We pastors can be among the worst offenders. We have all heard stories of shaming the loved ones of the deceased with their worship attendance during a funeral sermon. We have all felt twinges of bitterness that the pews or chairs are full today, wondering where those people were the whole summer when we were working just as hard on our summer sermons. Stop it. Get over it. Rejoice! Celebrate!

In the words of Cool & the Gang, "Cele-brate good times, Come on!" Or maybe you prefer the timeless mantra of Prince--"Party like it's 1999." Join in the party. Be big enough and secure enough to get over yourself so you don't miss the party. Celebrate with others God's merciful acts. If we think this parable is tough to hear, imagine if we read the version of this parable from the Gospel of Thomas: "The kingdom is like a shepherd who had a hundred sheep. One of them, the largest, went astray. The shepherd left the 99 and searched for that one until he found it. After he had labored he said to the sheep, "I love you more than the 99" (107). God's preferential option for the lost is not as overt in Luke as it is in Thomas. Luke's version never looked so docile.

When held all together, there's an obvious tension in these texts. They illustrate the classic Lutheran tension: both/and. We are both precious and prideful; gifted and guilty; saint and sinner; follower and fumbler; valuable and vicious; disciple and dope; loved and lost. Perhaps that is the tension God felt in our first lesson, faced with being both just and merciful.

God bringing disaster on people would have been justice, but God showed mercy. Justice for Saul would have been death, but God showed mercy. Justice would be equally distributed attention to each of the flock, but God shows mercy to the lost. Justice for us is something we do not even dare imagine. As Lutherans, we are make-no-mistake-about-it clear that only by the grace of God can we bask in God's loving presence. Thank God, God is merciful rather than just, or we would all be lost ... to sin, to doubt, to the devil, to death. Ultimately, God is merciful. God's purpose was revealed to us in Jesus who showed, lived, taught, personified, and died God's mercy. Jesus clarified God's intention of mercy to humanity. And Jesus allowed us entry into that mercy, love, and covenant.

Today will be Rally Day for many congregations--a day of new beginnings, restarting programs, reinvigorated children, reenergized congregations, and the refreshing Good News caught and taught through Christian Education. These texts speak clearly to the hungry who come for worship and education. The parables give clear, unmistakable Good News. The radical, merciful love of God is for each of us in Jesus the Christ. Teach it! Share it! Learn it! Live it!

The No Child Left Behind Act is our current administration's attempt to bureaucratize and institutionalize Jesus' parable. More important than test scores or teacher performance, there is a God whose love reaches all. God's mercy has already made sure that none of God's children will ever be left behind, none will be lost, none is forsaken; each one is precious. This initiative, originally articulated by Jesus (not the Bush administration), can be more accurately and boldly lived out by our Sunday schools, sharing God's love with one another and living together in God's gracious mercy.

God is merciful. God remembers promises and holds to covenants even when we fail, forget, or fall short. God is merciful. The Good Shepherd cares for us, actively searches for us, finds us, holds us, waits with us, and celebrates! God's love is greater than wrath, larger than disasters, more profound than suffering, transcendent of our selfishness and pride, our hypocrisy and tendency to judge. God is love. God's grace and mercy is for us. We are precious--each one of us, whether newborn or new to the church, still lost, or never left the flock--we are precious in God's sight! SKB