Sermon: May the Force Be with You
|
EHCC Home |
Sermon: May the Force Be with You Texts: 1 Kings 17:8-16 June 10, 2007 Eagle Harbor Congregational Church Rev. Emily Tanis-Likkel
Two weeks ago I found myself at a Star Wars Convention. My husband Brett had heard about the gallery of Darth Vader helmets that had been used as canvases for some of his favorite artists. My sister-in-law was volunteering for a friend at the convention, although is not a huge Star Wars fan herself. We happened to be visiting my parents in LA not too far from where the Convention takes place. So it all sort of came together for us to go. It was such a kick. It certainly wasn't on my list of things I really have to do in my life, but just the same, there I was, amidst a giant blow-up death star, people walking around dressed as Storm Troopers and Chewbacca, even barely-clad Slave Princess Leias. Not a Yoda among them, although I suppose that would be a bit more difficult to pull off. I joked with my Dad who is also a pastor “just think of all the sermon illustrations we'll get here.” It was a joke because I assumed this experience could in no way connect with the Bible, yet when I was brainstorming for examples of prophets, it was Yoda that came to mind. Dick Staub, an author who wrote a book Christian Wisdom of the Jedi Masters explores the spiritual undertones of the wildly popular movie saga. His book was born after a conversation with a friend many years younger than himself who was lamenting that his spiritual life felt stagnant. They had just seen one of the Star Wars prequels, and so he said to his friend, “it sounds like you want to be a 'Jedi Christian' and my generation didn't produce a Yoda.'” Have you ever found yourself wanting a Yoda for your spiritual life? Someone to provide some intense training, insight, and maybe even prophesy? Have you wondered if there ever was or ever will be such teachers, those who have been given marvelous gifts that can bring about radical change – in the world, in you? In case some of you are not familiar with the character Yoda, he’s known for his big ears, greenish skin, and quirky use of grammar. He was a Jedi Master short in stature – not more than two feet tall – but mighty in deeds. The Force was the supernatural energy that was at work in the world. Jedi Masters studied the Force, and harnessed it’s power for good. Yoda had a profound connection with the Force, and it gave him the ability to perform acts such as lifting enormous objects by concentrating his mind on the task. He was a mentor for Luke Skywalker, who was the Chosen One who would defeat the dark side. He began this mentorship by instructing Luke “you must unlearn what you have learned.” He then trained him how to be a Jedi fighter, taught him principles of the Force, and inspired him to be all that he was meant to be. When Luke says that he will try to lift an aircraft from a swamp telekinetically, Luke is not confident, but says that he will try. Yoda responded “No! Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try.” Yoda demonstrated a much deeper understanding of the Force than most other Jedi Masters of his time. In today's text we meet the prophet Elijah. Elijah demonstrated a much deeper understanding of God than most people of faith of his time. It is this knowledge that prompts him to listen to God and follow God's instructions. He also performed amazing deeds such as multiplying food and bringing the dead to life. It was his relationship with and obedience to God that allowed him to bring about these miracles. I find myself saying to my daughter: Follow my instructions! Be a good listener. Stop what you are doing and listen to what I am saying. She doesn't always do it. You can't force someone to follow, but Elijah did. Elijah listened to God. 1 Kings reads “Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, 9“Go now to Zarephath, which belongs to Sidon, and live there; for I have commanded a widow there to feed you.” 10So he set out and went to Zarephath.” He encounters a sobering situation: a widow preparing for what seemed like certain death for both her and her son. She is gathering sticks for their final meal, and after that there will be no food left. The widow is not a follower of God. She is part of a society that worships Baal and is torn apart with famine. “Do not be afraid,” Elijah said to the woman. Give me a bit of your food and you will find that your supply will not give out. The woman agreed, and gave it to him. If we keep reading after today's text we see that some time later her son did die, and she cried out to Elijah, wondering why his God kept them alive only to let them die. Elijah laid on the boy and restored him to life. She responded by saying, “Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth.” Elijah prophesied that the woman's food would not give out, and it came to pass. He trusted God, and modeled that trust for the widow. She in turn trusted Elijah, trusted God, even though she was not Jewish herself. In Walter Brueggemann's book The Prophetic Imagination, he suggests that a prophet is not merely one who tells the future (conservative bent), or only one who engages in social action (liberal bent), but “The task of prophetic ministry is to nurture, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to the consciousness and perception of the dominant culture around us.” That's a bit of a mouthful, so I'll say it again a different way. A prophet challenges society, and offers hope in a way of living that is closer to what God has in mind. A prophet of God is one who nurtures, nourishes and evokes – not in a showy or conceited way, but one who, for example, approaches one of the least in society and asks her to believe that she and her son will keep on living in the midst of famine. This is an alternative to the dominant culture. Unlike King Ahab who sought to bring all attention to himself, Elijah sought justice, faith and love. He had the imagination needed to bring hope to others. “The task of prophetic imagination is to cut through the numbness . . .” (Brueggemann, 49) A prophet awakens people to the reality that another reality is sorely needed, that much redemption is needed. A prophet is one who criticizes established structures and energizes people through hope (which he distinguishes from optimism). Elijah criticized the established structure. The people were walking in the wrong direction, worshiping invented gods and following false prophets. The lives of both Elijah and the widow were on the line. King Ahab wanted lives of all the prophets who were preaching against Baal, and the widow was hospitable to one of these prophets. They both challenged the current social structure. They both cried out against the dominant culture. By trusting in the one true God, they challenged the rest of their society. Elijah didn't stop at criticizing the dominant culture, but moved beyond the challenge and brought hope. He offered hope to the widow by offering her life, and by offering her the one true God. The widow responded by trusting, and acting on that trust. “Yes, Elijah predicts the miracle, but she is the one who sets the miracle in motion by her trust and risky generosity.” It's not difficult to be critical of our dominant culture, of our country. It is a culture of excess, of violence, of backwards priorities and leaves an earth that is being ravaged. The gods of stuff, violence, apathy and injustice leave us hungry. So many are hungry for quiet, real relationship, for joy. We hunger for hope, guidance, and inspiration. What is a prophet? I asked one church member recently. He said that “ it's one who provides insight on the future as it relates to our faith, someone who challenges us, affirms us when we are going the right way, and puts us back on track when we are not.” Are there prophets today? He answered, “I think that there are those who could be prophets – potential prophets, but don't know it – some are given the gift of prophecy but don't realize it, others are given it but deny it, and there are those who say they are prophets but they are not. I wish that there were prophets that I could turn to – I yearn for someone to prophesy in this day and age – someone to have visions and to interpret visions, give some instructions, and guidance. Perhaps the all-inclusive nature of UCC is prophetic. In talking about Brueggemann’s description of a prophet, he said “I feel the criticism, I feel it internally and see it externally, but give me some hope!” This sounds like someone who wants to be a Jedi Christian, but the generation before didn't produce a Yoda. Or did they? Is it possible that there are prophets today? Not tuned into the force, but into Christ. Could some here have the gift of prophecy and not know it, or what to do with it? In Wisdom of the Jedi: “Aspiring Jedi, I am warning you; remain in the superficial and your soul will be hungry, your breathing shallow, and your very life anemic. Go deeper! Fill your soul with the presence of the Lord of the Force, breathe rich spiritual oxygen, and feast on the nutrients of the living word, until the Lord of the Force is an all-consuming presence in your ever-deepening life.” There is a parallel here with Elijah and the widow. They reached beyond the superficial nature of their culture, the anemia that surrounded them, and clung onto the hope that comes only from God. They trusted that the oil and meal would not give out, that God would give them what they needed to nourish their bodies and souls. Luke Skywalker grew up without knowing his parents, so needed mentoring all the more. He needed guidance in fulfilling his destiny. Yoda once said, “Always moving the future is.” The future is uncertain, but we can hold onto hope in God’s promises to love us and sustain us. We can look to prophecy to help us when hope is hard to come by. Listen to the words of the ancient texts of Scripture. Digest the words written by saints and theologians through the ages. Have you found a prophet among them? Look around in your life. Remember those who have gone before you, wise souls who accompany you on your journey. Is there a prophet there? What about the parents or grandparents that raised you? When we look to our past we may see a multitude that have nurtured our faith: pastors, Sunday school teachers, friends and relatives. Sometimes it is a comment by a complete stranger that is hits us as prophecy. Reach down in the depths of your heart. Put your focus on the one true God. As the Spirit dwells in you richly, you may get a sense of direction, of encouragement, of clarity. Is there a prophecy bubbling up in you? May it be so. And may the force be with you. |