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| Upsized Living in a Downsized Economy, #3 |
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Sermon # 3: Keep It Simple In my second sermon last week, I acknowledged that all of us are at fault for this Great Recession. The hedonistic lifestyle appeared too attractive. We gave into the sins of gluttony, greed, sloth, envy, and pride. Americans are only 5% of the world's population, yet we create 40% of the garbage. Our American Dream of owning possession led to an American Nightmare of this Great Recession. And we confessed those sins. During the economic collapse of the past year, many of us have now realized that our priorities had failed us. Possessions did not lead to happiness. Hard questions now remain. How do we change direction? How do we put first things first? How can we right size our budgets and our lives? How can we right size our relationship with God?I believe that right-sizing our relationship with God demands three tough steps for all us: live simpler lives, serve more passionately, and give more generously. Jesus taught us that none of these three life-styles - simplicity, service, and generosity -- are easy. The three seem to hurt more than they help. But if you and I adopt them, our lives will improve, and the lives of everyone around us. Let us begin today with simplicity. To get us out of this Great Recession, the first great step in adopting Jesus-shaped behaviors and attitudes is for all of us to live more simply. Our women's retreat in several weeks has a clever title: KISS: Keep It Simple Sisters. I have no idea how our women will flesh out this theme. And, as usual, the women have not invited me to attend their retreat. But our women are correct. Simpler is almost always better. At the end of the summer while at the beach, I noticed children at play. When I was at the beach, most schools had started again and the only children around were infants and preschoolers. Those children enjoyed the beach more than anyone else. They loved walking barefoot in the sand. The children chased the waves, and then were chased by the waves. They spent hours digging holes with plastic shovels. They ran after seagulls, and squealed when they saw crabs. Those children picked up shells and were absolutely unconcerned about their bathing suits filling up with sand, or even whether or not to wear bathing suits. Then I began to compare the children to the adults on the beach. We adults walked in sandals to keep the sand off our feet. We protected ourselves from the sun with bright umbrellas. We surrounded ourselves with a wide array of chairs, coolers, and radios. We worried about what was in the ocean water. Instead of chasing waves, we adults tried to float over the water on all kinds of expensive floats. Some adults built elaborate sand castles with specialized tools. Overall, however, we adults did not enjoy the beach as much as the children. Our beach things got in the way. Our lives have become a cluttered nightmare. We work too much, sleep too little, and commute too far. We exercise rarely, eat badly, and ignore our families. Videogames, television, and Internet chat rooms replace personal conversations. The more complicated life becomes, the less happy we are. Instead, Jesus invites us to set aside our clutteredness and become more like a child. See the world in a simpler way. Jesus Christ suggests that having a childlike approach to life, being more attentive to God and the people around us, may enable us to move out of this Great Recession. Remember who our God is. God appeared in our world not in the palace of an emperor and clothed in rich clothes. Instead, Jesus Christ was born in an animal stall in an occupied nation among an oppressed people and wrapped in peasant rags (Luke 2). Jesus never purchased a home or piece of property, never owned more clothes than those on his back, walked everywhere, and never established a pension plan. I doubt that Jesus ever went to a Roman spa or took a long vacation at the beach or in the mountains. Alternatively, Jesus took lots of time off for quiet prayer. He observed the Sabbath and reveled in visiting with his friends. When he entered the capital of Jerusalem for his triumphal entry at the end of his ministry, Jesus did not arrive on a large horse in the midst of warriors in battle-array. Instead, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the back on a donkey, surrounded by children and peasants throwing clothes and palm branches on the ground (Mark 11:1-11). The king of the universe assumed the status of a peasant. Jesus exemplified simplicity. Jesus Christ did not just live a simple life, he also suggested that all persons who follow him also adopt a similar simpler lives. When we grow up, Jesus suggests that we become like children. In the Scripture this morning, Jesus' friends had begun to enjoy the popularity of Jesus' ministry. Large crowds showed up wherever they traveled. The dinner parties were more elaborate and the food better. The financial offerings were probably larger. Jesus' friends had become like bodyguards, supervising those persons who could approach Jesus. The disciples were living the American Dream of prestige, power, and possessions. One day, some adults brought children to see the new teacher. Jesus' friends had no time for children and pushed the children away. Children in that day were often ignored and treated as little better than slaves. Large contributors and persons with position would come first. When Jesus saw what was happening, he reacted forcefully. Jesus rebuked his friends, welcomed the children to come near, and touched and blessed the children. Jesus declared that the children knew more about God than did all the adults in their company. Clarence Jordan, a biblical scholar, created a farming community in south Georgia to create the simpler life suggested by Jesus. From his new environment, Jordan wrote a folksy paraphrase of Jesus' words about how to approach life. Jesus' words are piercing to us in our current economic climate: Yet, these are the days for us to adopt some simple activities to help all of us live more in harmony with a simple life. Like a child who might sell lemonade to solve hunger in the world, little steps add up to profound changes. I have provided a partial list of simple suggestions in the insert in your bulletin this morning. Wear clothes until they wear out, turn out the lights when you leave a room, use a towel more than once, recycle newspapers, and compost yard waste. Limit the time you watch television and instead invite a friend out to eat a meal or share a cup of coffee or tea. Turn off the video game and go for a walk outdoors. Instead of watching the latest movie, visit the library and read a book. Take a break one day every week. Play a board game with a child. Plant a garden, cultivate the plants, eliminate the weeds, and enjoy the fruit of your labors. Take a nap. Say "No." Slowly, steadily, these habits will simplify our lives. Two weeks ago, I participated in a funeral of a woman who was in my congregation in China Grove. Polly was a simple woman. God did not give Polly a strong mind, but God did give her a tremendous heart. Polly did not graduate from school and worked at a menial job in the textile mill all her life. She never figured out how to manage her money and lived in a small home with a few inexpensive furnishings. Polly finally lost all her money and ended life as a ward of the state in a nursing home. Yet, God used Polly in many exceptional ways. When she served hotdogs to children at the ballpark, she gave away more hotdogs than she sold, and then paid for them herself. If someone admired something in her house, she gave the object to them. One day, Polly gave away the mattress on her bed to a family that had lost their home in a fire. Polly knew what it meant not to worry about tomorrow or possessions. I know that Polly was closer to God than I. At her funeral, I declared with all the assurance I have, that in heaven, Polly will have one of the biggest mansions. How can you be simple, without being simple minded? In just a moment, we will sing again the hymn "Tis the Gift to be Simple" from the Shakers. The Shakers, a society of Christian women and men, always encouraged their adherents "to be plain." Throughout the 1800s in their communities from Maine to Kentucky, everyone shared everything with each other. The Shakers believed that Christians ought to be cautious about what we wear, how we speak, and the food we eat so as not to be distracted by the activities of our cluttered world. For example, they ate only fresh meats and vegetables. Shaker furniture, simple yet functional and long-lasting, avoided allowing their possessions to possess them. Simple lives led to a more complete love of God and neighbor. And they invite us to join them in those simple lives. Consider the children. Consider the birds of the air and the flowers in the field. Their simple trust in God gives them all they need. Maybe, you too can become like them, a simple person who simply follows Jesus Christ.
Questions for Thought and Discussion This Week:
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