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How Good Is Your Catch?
A sermon preached June 27, 2010 at University United Methodist Church, East
Lansing, Michigan, by John Ross Thompson)
Galatians 5:1, 13-25
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit
again to a yoke of slavery.
5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers and sisters; only do not use your
freedom as an opportunity for self-indulgence, but through love become slaves to
one another.
5:14 For the whole law is summed up in a single commandment, "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself."
5:15 If, however, you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not
consumed by one another.
5:16 Live by the Spirit, I say, and do not gratify the desires of the flesh.
5:17 For what the flesh desires is opposed to the Spirit, and what the Spirit
desires is opposed to the flesh; for these are opposed to each other, to prevent
you from doing what you want.
5:18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the law.
5:19 Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity,
licentiousness,
5:20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels,
dissensions, factions,
5:21 envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. I am warning you, as I
warned you before: those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
5:22 By contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness,
5:23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against such things.
5:24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires.
5:25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.
2 Kings 2:1-2, 6-14
2:1 Now when the LORD was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind,
Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal.
2:2 Elijah said to Elisha, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me as far as
Bethel." But Elisha said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will
not leave you." So they went down to Bethel.
2:6 Then Elijah said to him, "Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the
Jordan." But he said, "As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not
leave you." So the two of them went on.
2:7 Fifty men of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance
from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan.
2:8 Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the
water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed
on dry ground.
2:9 When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, "Tell me what I may do for
you, before I am taken from you." Elisha said, "Please let me inherit a double
share of your spirit."
2:10 He responded, "You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am
being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not."
2:11 As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire
separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven.
2:12 Elisha kept watching and crying out, "Father, father! The chariots of
Israel and its horsemen!" But when he could no longer see him, he grasped his
own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
2:13 He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back
and stood on the bank of the Jordan.
2:14 He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the
water, saying, "Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?" When he had struck the
water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went
over.
When I was younger, I enjoyed playing softball. I
was fairly good at hitting and running, but not very good at catching or
throwing. As a result, I was almost always put in right field. Because most
batters are right-handed, hits usually go to left field or center field, so
right fielders have very little to do. It was the best place to put someone who
had difficulty catching or throwing. I was least likely to handicap the team in
my isolated place in right field.
The two scripture passages today remind me of
those days. In light of the World Cup competition going on now, I know that
today I should probably have soccer images rather than baseball or softball
ones, but soccer has not been my experience, except through my children and
grandchildren.
How good is your catch?
In Galatians, we are reminded of the fruits of the
Spirit, but some us of just don’t catch it. We continue to try other things,
when we know full well that the way to live is with those things that bring
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, and
self-control.
The Old Testament lesson is the one, though, that
makes me ask “How good is your catch?”
Pastor Kennetha and I have committed ourselves
beginning in September to preach a sermon series on stories from the Old
Testament. We believe that those who lived some 3,000 years ago still have a
lot to tell us about how to live in 2010. It should be fun and meaningful to
explore them.
I’m jumping the gun today and sharing one of my
favorite Old Testament stories –Elijah and Elisha. Elijah was the respected
venerable prophet, recognized by many for his insight into God’s will for
himself and others. Elisha was the younger person. The point is that he was
able to catch what was most important. He not only respected Elijah’s gifts,
but wanted “a double share of his spirit.” Elijah cast his mantle on Elisha as
a symbol of the passing of the power of a prophet to the younger generation, and
Elisha was able to use that mantle to do miracles, such as the parting of water.
Ellen during our recent mission trip to Costa Rica
had an interesting conversation with Amanda, one of the college students who was
with us. She asked Amanda to read a scripture passage for morning devotions. It
was from the Book of Acts. Amanda read it to herself over and over and then
asked Ellen is she could ask a question about it. She told Ellen that she knew
that Jesus performed miracles, but that she never knew that Peter and John also
could heal people, as it is told in Acts. She was amazed that the disciples had
the same power.
This is what I think that we, even today, don’t
catch. We live sometimes as powerless, limited human beings. Especially in this
season after Pentecost, we should be very aware that God’s Holy Spirit is with
us. Jesus even told his early followers that they would do greater things than
he did. Did you catch that?
All of us can limit ourselves unnecessarily to
hum-drum daily living, but God has called all of us to greater things. Through
our baptism, and through the public declaration of faith that we call
confirmation, most of us have recognized God’s place in our lives. Why do we
then live like we haven’t caught something more?
In this information age, we can know so much that
we miss the most important. For example, do you know in your life what God wants
you to catch?
Is there a mantle like Elijah’s that has been
thrown your way that you’ve missed?
I believe firmly that God’s call comes to
everyone, as least at several key moments in our lives. I’m convinced that most
people miss that call. Usually our call is the intersection of our gifts and
the needs of the world.
People like Sylvia and Marvin Reimer, missionaries
who are visiting our church this weekend, caught the message from God and have
devoted themselves to others since then. Pastors and other church workers are
often recognized as persons who have recognized God’s call on their lives.
However, that call is perhaps even more important in the offices, schools, homes
and other places where each of us works. The message God wants the world to
catch is not meant primarily for the church. It’s meant to build a better world.
The stated mission of The United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus
Christ for the transformation of the world.”
Let me give you one example of how easy it is to
miss a message from God. Our bishops have issued a pastoral letter on God’s
Renewed Creation, telling us that our physical world is in crisis because of
what human beings are doing to it. Through our bishops, God is reminding us of
what we know already – Take care of Mother Earth.
I found myself grumbling recently about how much
work it is to recycle. Remembering the days when we conveniently threw
everything in the trash, I was busy putting in different containers the cans,
bottles, paper, newspaper, cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic bags, etc. and knowing
that I would have to deliver some of them to different locations. What a
bother, until we consider the reason for it all – to protect our environment.
The oil spill in the gulf is one example of what
can happen when persons are careless in caring for what God has created. Take
that down to our daily lives, and you can see that how we spend each day makes a
difference now just for us but for many others.
Elisha’s life was changed because he saw the
bigger picture – God’s call to be something more that he was. He sought it out,
caught the mantle, and like Elijah lived the life of a prophet.
God is lobbing messages to us continually. Most
of them probably fly by us, not even seen. Some we might remember, but regret
that we didn’t act on them. Only when we are aware that they are there, and
when we are resolved to do something about them, does our world change.
One way to know if something is from God is to
give it the fruit of the spirit test. Does it bring love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? If not,
you can let it go by. But if it is something that will build the world the
Creator intended, how can we not at least try to catch it?
How do we know when God is tossing a call our
way? For many of us, it helps to discuss it with someone else. Closed doors,
missed opportunities and frustration often are a sign that God is calling us
another way. Others who have caught God’s will for their lives can help each of
us who wonders what to do. Seek out another person and ask them how they know
what God wants. You will probably be pleasantly surprised and helped!
This is a church where hundreds of persons have
found God’s will for their lives. A great majority of them have moved on to
serve God is other places. We, who are here now, like Elisha, need to
remember this great heritage and make sure that we, and others who come this
way, catch the spirit that has prevailed for years.
How good is your catch?
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