Life in the Whirlwind
It seems these days, that so much of our lives swirl around us, with tensions, pressures and questions about how to make meaning. It is our spiritual practices that help us stay grounded and reorient our hearts toward the presence of God. That is what brings us hope and peace.
The Glimpses of Grace podcast is a ministry of Grace Episcopal Church in Gainesville, Georgia. We are passionate about supporting the spiritual growth of souls, and we hope these sermons and conversations meet you where you are and enrich your soul as we all continue to make meaning in the world today.
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Transcript
So, a running joke that we’ve had for the person for the last several years is that Cynthia and I actually have no memory of when we met. It was 75 years ago. You know, we really don’t. We don’t know when we met. I have a memory of sitting in a small clergy group. You know, those regional groups that we all meet and just see what’s going on.
And I have a memory of us sitting at a table in the back giggling, which pretty much sums up what we do when we get in groups of clergy and we sit at tables and we giggle. But I don’t know when we met. Cynthia said after the first service, she said, no, I do. It’s when you were on the all-state football team and I was a cheerleader. And I wanted to say, actually, if the truth were known, those roles might have been reversed.
But I’ve thought so much about that, about just when we meet people, the lives that we share. I do know the exact moment I met Brenda Morgan. It was my first day here. It makes me cry. And I was setting stuff up in my office, thinking that I knew what I was doing or at least trying to fake it really well.
And I turned around and there was someone standing in my doorway. I’d been told that there was this mythical person called Brenda, and I turn around and there’s Brenda standing in my doorway as only she could with her hands on her hips. And she said, I wanted to come and meet you. That’s when I met her.
I know the last conversation I had with Dale; it was walking around the campus, looking at all the work that she had poured so much of herself with the rest of the buildings and grounds crew, Mary Ellen and Doug and that whole incredible team. And she was throwing out ideas about ways that we could make this space or that space even more beautiful.
I thought about all of that, just where we find ourselves in any given moment, the space that we share, the spaces that we inhabit at whatever moment in time that we find ourselves in holding that. And so all of that, of course, given where we are, given what we’re all feeling right now, all of that very much came swirling back.
And there was a moment when we were in New York; we were at a play. We went to see Six, which is a very appropriate play. It’s about King Henry VIII’s wives, and some of them lost their heads. We thought it was great to take the children, but there was a moment when we were sitting there in the theater and I thought if you just flash that moment: here we are, the eight of us who knew each other but a theater full of people who’ve never met, who don’t know each other.
But for that moment in time, we were all in that space, occupying that space, sharing that space, sitting alongside people. All that came swirling back: walking the streets, meeting people, seeing people’s faces—people watching—which is a favorite thing of mine to do.
So all of that was very much there when I looked at the text for this morning, and I think it feels very appropriate for the season that we find ourselves in: waiting to see what’s going to happen in the next two, three, 12 weeks; however long—that we don’t know what we won’t know.
So if you open up your bulletin and look at the Job text because it all just feels very appropriate to see this morning: Job standing in the whirlwind—and you can’t make this up—and it is where we find ourselves. This is where we all find ourselves standing: hearing something, experiencing something out of a whirlwind.
So Job cries out—and the verses prior to this of course—that you hit on last week—the verses prior to this Job asks wants to know demands to know argues. And then this text picks up with God’s response: Who is this? Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding who determined its measurements? Surely you know who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind.
And Job in that moment is situated; he’s moved into a different frame of reference if you will. Here Job is thinking the whole time he’s speaking from a certain point of view right? And the point of view that he is responding to—to put it that way—is a different one: God reorients Job to see a wider panel within a wider perspective; his vision is enhanced and he’s pinched.
It’s a challenging moment so hold that and look at the gospel: this encounter in the gospel which is so indicative of—I mean we’ve said it so many times—that the text reads us much more than we read the text. And we see ourselves in this encounter with James and John who go up to Jesus—and don’t you love what they ask him?
Teacher! We want you to do for us whatever we ask of you! And I hear in my mind the tone of Jesus’s voice: What is it you want? Then look at—and they respond back—Grant us to sit one at your right hand and one at your left in your glory! Give us a position! Make us the center of it all!
Let us flank you! I mean you’re there; we all know you’re there but let us be on either side of you to bask a little bit in that glory—to just experience that make us the center! And Jesus says: You do not know what you’re asking; you don’t know what you’re asking!
And then instead of just slapping them down if you will he goes further—and what he asks them is so powerful—he asks them: Are you able to drink the cup that I drink or be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?
In what moment when you hear Jesus ask them that because we know how this story goes but when we read it they don’t—we know—we can see what’s coming—they can’t—so when we hear Jesus ask them: Can you drink from the cup I’m drinking from? What story brings in your mind and your heart?
For me it’s Jesus praying alone in the garden before his crucifixion when Jesus asks if it’s possible let this cup pass from me but if it’s not so be it according to your word—that’s where I go—that’s why Jesus tells them: You do not know what you’re asking; your field of vision your perspective is limited; you can’t see the bigger points of view; you can’t see the bigger perspective.
And he invites them to step out of the space they have put themselves into—the center—and trust that something much larger is going on—something much more complex—that is so much deeper spiritual teaching—that we find in so many of our texts—we find this theme over and over again where someone some person some group thinks that point is control or grasp—and insight comes—the true wisdom—the true point—is participate share difference those two friends profound.
How many times do go through life thinking point somehow grasp onto something control somehow matters position reminded circumstances outside control actually called share something larger ourselves something more profound ourselves more complex ourselves?
It’s recurrent theme humans being human as say people more people over place one ways people want grasp want control want situate center given time see not there somehow larger more profound going part called participate share insight think get every Sunday every time come communion come bring bring bring whole selves hope not thinking part not welcomed space bring selves course service come forward take place situate story larger stories personal lives situate alongside feel held held deeper embrace somehow beyond ways understand holds need right need deeper perspective need wider perspective something recognize affirm nuances complexities find resists temptation because other thing comes along thinking control assign people categorize put boxes pitted against lose sight held deeper embrace God’s presence transcends categories may try impose.
So as go forward next few weeks I’m going another news break—I don’t like waking up first thing morning feeling like someone’s going punch stomach—I don’t like people chewing food for me—so don’t need constantly turn anything just has commentator—what good doing?
I want spend time keeping phone calls would rather spend time way going visit people need care reaching neighbors remember time used know neighbors great times maybe season actually meet neighbors even lived next ten years just play dumb tell new.
But what would like foster practice allows always seek glimpse deeper connection things rest know resting space where find true hope joy true hope joy.
Let us pray:
Dear God,
We give you thanks for this day. We give you thanks for this season because as painful as it is—as complex as it is—in so many ways—we do catch glimpses of joy. We know underneath all circumstances lives being held hands deeper reality reorients rest understand love scripts others impose give eyes ears see hear recognize give courage foster spaces heart build awareness grow live listen lean even dream dream world share.
It’s through Christ we pray.
Amen.