Trinity Episcopal Church
44 East Market St. Bethlehem PA 18018-5989 610-867-4741
Health Ministry Sermon - August 11, 2002
Scriptures:
Jonah 2:1-9
Psalm 29
Romans 9:1-5
Matthew 14:22-33
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Last week, we talked about ways in which we could ensure that our brothers and sisters-and ourselves among them-could receive care, healing and support. Last week, we were talking about things we could *do* or *offer*. This week, we're going to think about the converse: what does it mean to have needs? The compilers of the lectionary have given us a couple of good texts on this topic.
A little background: God has asked Jonah to go and preach repentance to Ninevah. Says he to himself, "No way I am going to tell that city that they are evil and God wants them to mend their ways. I'm heading off in the other direction." He does and as you know, while he's on shipboard, a huge storm comes up and threatens to sink the ship. He does confess to the sailors what he's done and why the storm is following them. Even though they're pagan, the sailors pray to God to save them and then chuck Jonah overboard. A big fish swallows him up and as today's reading begins, he's been sitting inside his fishy submarine for three days and three nights. We hear Jonah praying to God and God saves him.
On to the Gospel. Jesus is exhausted. He's just prepared a meal for 10 or 15,000 women and children, not to mention men. He STILL hasn't gotten the time to rest and grieve for his murdered cousin John the Baptist, that he was looking for when we encountered him last week. Finally, he sends the crowds home and he even persuades the disciples to get in a boat and leave him alone and he takes himself off up the mountain to pray. But a storm comes up, with huge waves. The high winds are blowing the disciples' boat farther from shore. They struggle and struggle, just like Jonah's sailors. Unlike the other sailors, though, they don't think to pray for help so they keep fighting the storm until Jesus comes to them. At Jesus' call, Peter takes off over the water to him, but when he comes to his senses and realizes what he's doing, he gets scared and starts to sink. He screams to Jesus to save him. Jesus takes him by the hand and pulls him up. They walk back and when they're all safe in the boat together, the storm suddenly stops.
I've told you several times that one of the things I love about this congregation is your can-do attitude. "Something needs doing? Let's get going and do it." That's absolutely wonderful. And perfectly in line with some of the Gospel commandments: go, preach, help, heal, feed, visit. It takes time, effort, planning, money, sweat to do that, but it comes naturally to us. It's a kind of active, entrepreneurial approach to living out the Gospel. Fits well with our Yankee work ethic, the American spirit. YAY!
But now comes the bad news: that's only half of the Gospel. The other half involves passive words like stay, rest, listen, pray, save me, help me, heal me. The other part of the Gospel is less comfortable because it requires us to accept the fact that we are needy. Gosh, that's hard! It's hard not to be the decision-maker. It's hard not to be in control. It's hard not to be able to go and do and be whatever and whenever we please. When I talk with people who are ill or injured, they inevitably reflect about how humiliating it is to have to ask constantly for the little things that everyone else takes for granted and doesn't even notice. It's TOUGH to be needy. Even the word itself has negative connotations: "Oh, I don't like spending time with him or her-he's so, well, neeeeedy."
And here's the rest of the bad news: like it or not, we are ALL needy. We just work very hard at forgetting that we're not. I've sometimes been like Jonah. Refused an instruction from God, then gotten into trouble? And look what he does: he's about to shipwreck the entire crew, but it's the unbelievers who start praying, not the believer. As I talk with people, I frequently hear people of faith-regular churchgoers--say, "Well, no, I haven't prayed about that. I didn't want to bother God with it." What? As if there's anything that God doesn't see and have a concern about. Sometimes God might even have some good ideas about how to address the problems. Apparently, from the text, Jonah's idea was just to let himself drown. But God's solution was to send an organic water-taxi to pick him up.
Maybe Jonah felt, as we all sometimes do, that because he had troubles of his own making, that he didn't deserve to ask for God's help. Well, yes. By human logic, he's completely correct. But thankfully, God doesn't really care about whether or not someone deserves help. God is prepared to help everyone all the time.
What about Peter? We sometimes snicker at Peter for his weak faith. Some preachers take Jesus' words, "Oh you of little faith," as a criticism. I hear it as a fond comment-almost a gentle tease of the man who trusted Jesus enough to follow him even out into the middle of a storm when he called. Peter is the opposite of Jonah. The very instant Peter gets into trouble, he's calling out to Jesus for help. The boat is in danger and the disciples see what they think is a spook. Peter immediately calls out to Jesus and he identifies himself by telling Peter to come. So he went to Jesus, despite the possible consequences. And when he's sinking, Peter again calls out to Jesus: "Save me," and he is saved.
What I notice in both these instances is that Jonah and Peter are saved when they ask for it-when they acknowledge their needs. That's the way God works-God waits for US to ask for help-doesn't force it on us. Actually, it would be useless to force it on us, because only when we acknowledge that we have a need do we make room to receive the help that is offered.
But it's one thing to ask God for help-after all, there's no real stigma in asking the Creator of the Universe, the Savior of our Souls, for help. We frequently forget to do it, but most of us realize that it's a good thing to do, even if it means that we are placing ourselves in a passive and receptive mode.
But it's a rather different thing to ask each other for help. In all the years that I have served as a chaplain, as a counselor, as a spiritual director, and as a parish priest, the very hardest thing is getting people to accept help when they need it. If I hear one more time, "Oh, no thanks. I can manage by myself, I don't want to bother people." I think I'm going to start doing something violent, like PRAYING or something.
We need to keep in mind that when we try to be completely self-sufficient, strong and stiff-upper-lip, we are keeping other people from fulfilling their Gospel duty to help. How can you give to a brother or sister if no one will receive it? You know that great, warm feeling of being able to help someone who needs it? When you are willing to accept help, not only do you get what you need, you are providing the opportunity for someone else to have that lovely feeling. What if we found ways to become just a little less competent, a little less independent, a little less strong, a little less in control? If we were able not only to give to others, but to become vulnerable enough to admit that we could use some help in a few areas, we might strengthen this wonderful spiritual community even more.
God created human beings to live and worship in community-in community with God and with each other. We are created with many needs and it's important to realize that these needs that God created are strengths, not the weaknesses that our competitive society would have us believe. Our needs are doorways through which love and concern can enter and warm our lives. Our needs are the vehicles of human communication. Most of all, recognition of our needs, our imperfection, our weakness, is what leads us to accept the great gift of salvation, which is the only thing that finally can make us whole. As we begin the work of the Health Ministry this fall, as we are vigilant to meet others' needs, let's be aware that allowing our brothers and sisters to meet OUR needs is also an enormous gift.
