“Why Being Complete Escapes Us”


Sermon Delivered By Rev. Dick Stetler – February 14, 2021

Centenary United Methodist Church

1st Corinthians 13:1-13; Matthew 17:1-9

 

    This morning we are going to explore why it is so difficult for many people to accept and deepen their spiritual awareness.  We enter our world and we quickly adapt to our surroundings.  We are dependent on our parents to take care of us. Soon we reach the age when we are responsible for our own attitudes, goals, and willingness to create something of value. Something happens during the transition period from dependency to independence.

    When we realize that we are alone with who we are, fears and doubts can enter. We quickly learn that there is no one but us in dealing with the loss of a child to a brain tumor, with the loss of our job, or with uncertainty about our future.  This is the transition period when an undeveloped inner-world can be filled with fear.

    A classic example is found in our Scripture lesson this morning.  Jesus, Peter, James, and John were taking a hike that took them to the top of a mountain. As they were relaxing, Jesus began to change in his appearance.  The three disciples just stared at what was happening. They had never witnessed anything like it.  They got goose bumps as two apparitions appeared who were reported to be Elijah and Moses.  What the disciples were experiencing was their introduction to a level of life that they had never encountered. 

    They were motionless in their frightened state and they could not speak.  A fog descended on them.  Suddenly, a voice came from inside the fog and spoke to the three disciples, "This is my son. Listen to what he is teaching you."  The terrified disciples threw themselves on the ground. Just as Jesus calmed their fears when they encountered a fierce storm while fishing, he walked over to them and said, "There is nothing happening here that should make you afraid."

    Why was Jesus not as frightened as his disciples at what was happening?  Jesus had a depth of understanding that was not part of the lives of his three disciples. Earlier, Jesus had a conversion experience at his baptism.  He had over a month to be alone in a wilderness to sort out what he had just experienced.

    One would think that having an ice-breaking experience like what the disciples encountered would deeply influence their lives.  As we learn from the Gospels, the experience on that mountain had little or no influence on them.   

    The disciples had been made aware of a different level of awareness, but they were alone in making that experience relevant to their future responses to their lives. (Luke 9:46) There was a time when fear took over Peter's life to the point that he denied knowing Jesus.  (Luke 22:54f) There was another time when the disciples refused to believe the women who came to them with the news that Jesus had risen from the grave. (Luke 24:11)

    The powerful energies coming from the material world can often influence us with such authority, that our fragile understanding of our spiritual awareness is very slow in awakening.  (John 16:32f)

    A number of years ago one of my church members gave me a video to watch.  It was an interview by William Buckley, Jr. with Malcolm Muggeridge.  Malcolm was a devoted Christian and a recognized scholar.  He wrote a book entitled Jesus Rediscovered.  Seeking Malcolm’s response to a gathering of an elite group of experts in their fields, Buckley set the stage in the following manner:

Suppose there was a dinner in a large spacious home.  Sitting around that table was an engaging visionary who understood where the future of microchip technology was headed.  Next to him sat another person who was an expert in medical technology.  She understood the cutting edges of genetic research and knew what was in the pipeline of protocols and products being created by various companies.  Next to her was an expert in developing a new source of clean, safe nuclear power derived from fusion technology. Next to him was a specialist that was perfecting a nearly indestructible composite material that would protect the occupants in cars and aircraft in the future.

    Buckley went on to suggest that after this remarkable evening of stimulating conversation, the last guest to speak said:

A friend of mine is dying of cancer and he became consumed with anger and grief.  He found a Bible that was in the drawer of the table next to his hospital bed.  After reading the Gospel of John one evening, God’s presence became so overwhelming that his friend was instantly healed from his self-punishing responses. He developed a quiet spirit that allowed him to accept his coming death with peace. This happened because his inner-world had been awakened.

    Buckley then asked, "After hearing this, might there be dead silence around the table?  Further, might there be someone there who whispered to a fellow scientist, "Who in the world invited this guy to our dinner?"  Without hesitation Malcolm said, "Oh yes, that could easily happen."  Buckley asked, "Why?"  Muggeridge responded:

Many experts in their respective fields tend to see the world through the eyes of their specialty.  Because spiritual claims are unique to an individual's experience, people who are trained in their area of expertise are problem-solving in matters of the material world. This inner-world that Jesus taught can easily remain undiscovered in the lives of most people.  (Matthew 7:13f) Jesus was training people how to control their inner world through the same loving energy that created the universe.

    The prophets of the advertising industry continue to remind us of the value of remaining young and attractive for as long as we can. We are bombarded with claims that will give us confidence as we age.

    They teach us why it is important to have white teeth, a head that still has hair, a wrinkle free face and neck, a body that still turns heads, and with the aid of life-enhancing products keeps us happy every day. Do we ever accept ourselves just as we are and approach the aging process with gratitude and peace?

    In last Sunday's message, a teenager was mentioned who was plagued with the idea that she was never enough, that no one loved her, and that she felt empty, needy, and alone to the extent that she attempted several times to end her life. 

    Several weeks ago, a high school senior succeeded in ending his life.  He was handsome, a straight-A student, a star-athlete in most sports, and was displaying no obvious sign of depression.  COVID-19 was blamed because his school had not yet opened.  He found himself spiritually starving to death and no one recognized it.    He was interpreting the present as a signal that his life's ambitions would never be realized.

    Those who surrounded him were focused on fixing the material world by getting schools to reopen.  No one helped him to distance himself from his fears and doubts that his future was being compromised.  It wasn't.  He had everything that could easily be on the wish lists of most teenagers, but he could not find the strength within himself to overcome his fears and doubts.    

    Jesus summarized his teaching of life's value-lessons in just two words, Follow me. Somehow, the Church and its leadership have not found a way of teaching that. They are too caught up with social justice issues and political correctness to bother with teaching people how to become the leaven for the loaf.

    Even a cursory knowledge of church history reveals how theology has been molded and shaped by the energies found in the world. Historically, the Church was been the initial teacher of silencing free speech. Church tribunals destroyed the lives of countless people by labeling them as heretics. Christians often chose violence over love when dealing with those who had a different message. (John 18:10)

    The power of spiritual understanding that Jesus possessed would never have motivated people to engage in the social atrocities that Christian-history reveals.  Spiritual awareness is very fragile in its early development.

    We live in a day when our religious beliefs and heritage are losing their power and appeal for the same reason why the table of elite scientists became silent.  Spiritual awareness is an individual experience that cannot be given to someone else. The Church has institutionalized that awareness and, in the process, has nearly destroyed its importance. 

    However, ignorance is not bliss.  The unrecognized power of an untrained spirit can become like a bull in a china shop. People so easily forsake the substance for the shadow.  

    Elvis Presley, along with his stories of substance abuse left us at the age of 42.  Whitney Houston died in her hotel room in Beverly Hills, California at the age of 48 after decades of substance abuse.  Michael Jackson died at the age of 50 from a reaction of drugs given to him by his personal physician. We can ask, "What is wrong with these people?  They had everything going for them!" Did they?

    Who do we believe the prophets of the advertising industry, the alure of prizes the world promises but has no way of delivering, or Jesus who had both understanding and the experience of his completeness when loving energy guided his path?  Do we practice life's greatest lesson, or do we wait for Valentine's Day to remind us what we are capable of giving to the world? (1st Corinthians 13:13) 

    Every day, this is our choice. (Matthew 7:13-14)

     

CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

Merciful and loving God, the more we become aware of the power of being an angel in the flesh, the more we escape the presence of fear. As we learn about the powers we have, we discover how easy it becomes to remain peaceful, kind, and generous. Yet there are times when we become discouraged and frustrated with what is happening as we age. It has become easy to deny that many unpleasant experiences have resulted from our unloving thoughts.  When these moments come, inspire us to recognize that often our pain is an invitation to stretch in our faith and trust in you for the outcome of all things.  Amen.

     

PASTORAL PRAYER

In the quiet of these moments, O God, we allow ourselves to depart from our unresolved conflicts, the dramas within our relationships, the routines of our jobs, and the uncertainty that is part of each week. We have discovered that during worship, we can change the ways that we think. We have learned that when we practice the skills associated with forgiveness and kindness, we grow in spirit. When we understand that anger is merely the response from the undeveloped skill of patience, how quickly we grow in the wisdom Jesus taught his followers.

As we leave our worship experience, we realize that we take very little with us if we cannot give hands and feet to patience, if we cannot authentically care for those who exhibit few life-skills, and if we easily allow others to hurt us with their opinions. Give us vision, O God, to see others as students who are at different levels in their spiritual education. Open our minds to understand that our destiny has more to do with strengthening our inner world than with finding the perfect job, the right partner, or financial security. Inspire us to see ourselves more as sowers of seeds, than as gatherers of crops.

Help us, O God, with the tensions that exist within us. We live in the world where "an eye for an eye" is still the rule. We also live in a world where love and peace offer us more than our understanding of justice. Continue to lead us to those still waters that nourish the deep roots of our spirits so that where we are, you may be abundantly visible as well. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, the Christ, who taught us to say when we pray . . .