<html><body bgcolor="#FFFFFF"><div><br><br><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> "Frank Fisher" <<a href="mailto:f.fisher.obl.osb@comcast.net">f.fisher.obl.osb@comcast.net</a>><br><b>Date:</b> January 29, 2011 5:13:12 PM EST<br><b>To:</b> <<a href="mailto:sermonshop.sermons.topic@ecunet.org">sermonshop.sermons.topic@ecunet.org</a>>, <<a href="mailto:PRCL-L@LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU">PRCL-L@LISTSERV.LOUISVILLE.EDU</a>>, <<a href="mailto:propertalk.topic@ecunet.org">propertalk.topic@ecunet.org</a>>, <<a href="mailto:midrash@joinhands.com">midrash@joinhands.com</a>>, <<a href="mailto:SBA@SBAbbey.com">SBA@SBAbbey.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>[propertalk.topic] Being Blessed</b><br><b>Reply-To:</b> <a href="mailto:propertalk.topic@ecunet.org"><a href="mailto:propertalk.topic@ecunet.org">propertalk.topic@ecunet.org</a></a><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><span></span><br><span>Here's the most recent draft of my sermon for Sunday. </span><br><span></span><br><span>__</span><br><span></span><br><span>Frank R. Fisher, Obl OSB</span><br><span><a href="http://www.ffisher.net">www.ffisher.net</a></span><br><span>Interim Pastor</span><br><span>First Presbyterian Church of Kewanee, IL</span><br><span><a href="http://www.fpckewanee.org">www.fpckewanee.org</a></span><br><span>Elmira United Presbyterian Church</span><br><span><a href="http://www.elmiraunited.org">www.elmiraunited.org</a></span><br><span></span><br><span>aka</span><br><span></span><br><span>Brother Oscar Romero</span><br><span>Oblate of St. Benedict's Abbey</span><br><span>Bartonville, IL</span><br><span><a href="http://www.SBAbbey.com">www.SBAbbey.com</a></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>"When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice."-Cherokee proverb</span><br><span></span><br><span>___________________________________</span><br><span></span><br><span>Over the last year</span><br><span>we’ve had some chances</span><br><span>to get to know each other.</span><br><span>And I bet</span><br><span>some of you</span><br><span>have begun to discover </span><br><span>some things </span><br><span>about my background.</span><br><span>For instance,</span><br><span>I was raised </span><br><span>in a quiet and refined family.</span><br><span>Not!</span><br><span>More often then not,</span><br><span>my family’s life </span><br><span>resembled a Marx brother’s comedy.</span><br><span>One liners </span><br><span>constantly flew,</span><br><span>rubber rattlesnakes </span><br><span>inhabited the hall ways,</span><br><span>and laughter </span><br><span>filled the air.</span><br><span></span><br><span>It’s no wonder </span><br><span>I came out </span><br><span>of such an atmosphere</span><br><span>with some very strange </span><br><span>resources.</span><br><span>One of those </span><br><span>is a favorite book of mine </span><br><span>called </span><br><span>the Complete Practical Joker.</span><br><span>This book abounds</span><br><span> with wonderful true stories </span><br><span>about elaborate jokes.</span><br><span>Among my favorite parts </span><br><span>of the book</span><br><span>is the story</span><br><span> of the upside down room.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The upside down room</span><br><span> is supposedly located </span><br><span>in an elaborate </span><br><span>California mansion.</span><br><span>All the room’s furniture,</span><br><span>the chairs, tables, floor lamps,</span><br><span>even the fire place</span><br><span>hang upside down </span><br><span>from the ceiling.</span><br><span>The only thing </span><br><span>left on the floor </span><br><span>is a chandelier</span><br><span>which is mounted </span><br><span>pointing upwards </span><br><span>in the middle of the room.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The mansion’s owner </span><br><span>was famous </span><br><span>for lavish parties.</span><br><span>Towards the ends </span><br><span>of these parties, </span><br><span>some of the guests </span><br><span>occasionally</span><br><span>had a bit too much to drink.</span><br><span>These guests</span><br><span>were relieved of their car keys</span><br><span>and shown to a room</span><br><span>where they could</span><br><span>spend the night.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>In the morning</span><br><span>some of these guests</span><br><span>would become groggily awake</span><br><span>in a different place.</span><br><span>They found themselves,</span><br><span>of course,</span><br><span> in the upside down room,</span><br><span>apparently hanging </span><br><span>from the ceiling.</span><br><span></span><br><span>There are a lot of times </span><br><span>when we feel </span><br><span>just like the people</span><br><span>who found themselves</span><br><span>in the upside down room.</span><br><span>Times </span><br><span>when our perception of reality</span><br><span>clashes</span><br><span> with something </span><br><span>we encounter.</span><br><span>And we’re left feeling </span><br><span>like our world’s</span><br><span>being turned upside down.</span><br><span></span><br><span>That’s the feeling </span><br><span>we often get</span><br><span>when we’re reading </span><br><span>today’s Gospel lesson.</span><br><span>Now </span><br><span>I don’t want you to think </span><br><span>I equate this text </span><br><span>with a crude practical joke.</span><br><span>But something about its words</span><br><span></span><br><span>doesn’t make any sense.</span><br><span>Are people </span><br><span>n horrific circumstances </span><br><span>actually blessed?</span><br><span></span><br><span>None of us </span><br><span>want to be considered</span><br><span> depressed </span><br><span>or poor in spirit.</span><br><span>And if we are,</span><br><span>hey,</span><br><span>there’s always Prozac.</span><br><span>We stay </span><br><span>as far away as possible </span><br><span>from those who morn.</span><br><span>Their sorrow reminds us</span><br><span>we too </span><br><span>will see our loved ones </span><br><span>die.</span><br><span>And when we look </span><br><span>at the slaughter of innocents </span><br><span>all around the world</span><br><span>it’s pretty apparent</span><br><span>the meek </span><br><span>do not yet hold title </span><br><span>to the earth.</span><br><span></span><br><span>So how do we make sense </span><br><span>of our Lord’s puzzling words.</span><br><span>It might help</span><br><span>if we examine</span><br><span>the concept of blessing.</span><br><span>Blessing’s</span><br><span> become </span><br><span>a very hazy word to us.</span><br><span>When we search for its definition </span><br><span>we find </span><br><span>it has to do </span><br><span>with happiness.</span><br><span>I’ve heard some people </span><br><span>note their agreement </span><br><span>with that definition</span><br><span>by terming this passage </span><br><span>the ‟be happy attitudes.”</span><br><span></span><br><span>When I searched </span><br><span>through my thesaurus</span><br><span>it also listed happiness </span><br><span>as a synonym for blessing.</span><br><span>It also listed</span><br><span> success, wealth, plenty, and prestige.</span><br><span>In other words,</span><br><span>to our society,</span><br><span> blessing has come to mean,</span><br><span>I’ve got mine.</span><br><span></span><br><span>That tends to make us</span><br><span> look at Christ’s words</span><br><span>with a somewhat cynical view.</span><br><span>It may even lead us </span><br><span>to agree</span><br><span> with a tongue in cheek version </span><br><span>of the Beatitudes</span><br><span>written by Charles R. Swindoll.</span><br><span></span><br><span>“Happy are the pushers,</span><br><span>for they get on </span><br><span>in the world.</span><br><span>Happy are the hard-boiled,</span><br><span>for they never let </span><br><span>life hurt them.</span><br><span>Happy are they </span><br><span>who complain,</span><br><span>for they get their own way </span><br><span>in the end.</span><br><span>Happy are the blasé,</span><br><span>for they never worry </span><br><span>over their sins.</span><br><span>Happy are the slave drivers,</span><br><span>for they get results.</span><br><span>Happy are the knowledgeable people </span><br><span>of the world,</span><br><span>for they know </span><br><span>their way around.</span><br><span>Happy are the troublemakers,</span><br><span>for they make people </span><br><span>take notice of them."</span><br><span></span><br><span> We can choose to accept </span><br><span>our society’s blessing.</span><br><span>If we do</span><br><span>I’m sure </span><br><span>we’ll be gifted</span><br><span>with what the world </span><br><span>knows and understands</span><br><span>as blessings.</span><br><span></span><br><span>But if we do accept </span><br><span>that definition </span><br><span>we also reject </span><br><span>our Lord’s voice.</span><br><span>For in the world’s blessing</span><br><span> there’s very little room</span><br><span>for the poor in spirit, </span><br><span>the mourning,</span><br><span>or the merciful, </span><br><span>or meek.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Or we can reject</span><br><span> the modern view </span><br><span>of blessing</span><br><span>and look at </span><br><span>what it meant </span><br><span>to those who lived </span><br><span>at the time of Christ.</span><br><span>To them</span><br><span>a blessing wasn’t only </span><br><span>a thing </span><br><span>like wealth or happiness.</span><br><span>It was also </span><br><span>an action.</span><br><span>In speaking </span><br><span>this blessing,</span><br><span>Christ was doing </span><br><span>nothing less</span><br><span>then throwing open </span><br><span>the door </span><br><span>of the Kingdom </span><br><span>of God.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Jesus proclaimed </span><br><span>God reigns</span><br><span>in a kingdom that is both now,</span><br><span>and is to come.</span><br><span>A kingdom in which </span><br><span>we stand </span><br><span>in the door now.</span><br><span>A Kingdom where we’ll </span><br><span>fully be</span><br><span>in the future.</span><br><span></span><br><span>But Christ’s words</span><br><span>also tell us </span><br><span>something more.</span><br><span>In pronouncing </span><br><span>the blessing,</span><br><span>Jesus described</span><br><span> God’s people.</span><br><span>The words tell us</span><br><span>God’s people </span><br><span>are those who know </span><br><span>their identity </span><br><span>and security </span><br><span>is found only in God.</span><br><span>God’s people </span><br><span>are those </span><br><span>who give only God </span><br><span>their total devotion.</span><br><span></span><br><span>God’s people </span><br><span>are those who morn </span><br><span>because other members </span><br><span>of God’s family </span><br><span>suffer.</span><br><span>God’s people are those</span><br><span>who renounce </span><br><span>the violent ways </span><br><span>of the world</span><br><span>causing that suffering.</span><br><span></span><br><span>God’s people </span><br><span>are those </span><br><span>who actively strive </span><br><span>to do God’s will,</span><br><span>and in their merciful actions</span><br><span>reflect God’s mercy,</span><br><span>and bring God’s peace.</span><br><span>God’s people </span><br><span>are those</span><br><span>whose actions,</span><br><span> and whose very selves,</span><br><span>may be rejected </span><br><span>by the world.</span><br><span>But they rejoice </span><br><span>because they know </span><br><span>they do </span><br><span>their Lord’s work</span><br><span>and follow </span><br><span>their Lord’s path.</span><br><span></span><br><span>We need to remember </span><br><span>some important things</span><br><span>when we think </span><br><span>about this blessing.</span><br><span>It doesn’t talk </span><br><span>about salvation by works.</span><br><span>Jesus didn’t mean</span><br><span>we can earn our way </span><br><span>into heaven.</span><br><span>God freely gives us </span><br><span>the gift </span><br><span>of eternal life.</span><br><span>That in itself </span><br><span>is quite a blessing</span><br><span>for none of us</span><br><span> could ever deserve </span><br><span>such a gift.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The blessing </span><br><span>also doesn’t describe a path </span><br><span>we travel alone.</span><br><span>We travel it in company </span><br><span>with our Lord Jesus Christ.</span><br><span>We also travel it </span><br><span>with each other.</span><br><span></span><br><span>None of us </span><br><span>will ever completely </span><br><span>measure up </span><br><span>to this description </span><br><span>of God’s people.</span><br><span>But as united members </span><br><span>of the body of Christ</span><br><span>we find </span><br><span>the gifts Jesus described</span><br><span> are present among us.</span><br><span></span><br><span>We also need to remember </span><br><span>God’s gift of eternal life,</span><br><span>and Christ’s company </span><br><span>on our road</span><br><span>don’t let us </span><br><span>off the hook.</span><br><span>We’re individually responsible </span><br><span>to work</span><br><span>toward the goals </span><br><span>of God’s kingdom.</span><br><span></span><br><span>That leaves the question </span><br><span>of how we</span><br><span>as fragile,</span><br><span> and broken people</span><br><span>can transform ourselves </span><br><span>into God’s loving,</span><br><span>and giving children.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The answer is</span><br><span> we can’t.</span><br><span>At least we can’t </span><br><span>by our own </span><br><span>power.</span><br><span>Thanks be to God,</span><br><span>we don’t have to do it </span><br><span>by ourselves.</span><br><span>For the One</span><br><span> whose blessing </span><br><span>inaugurated</span><br><span>the Kingdom </span><br><span>also works in us</span><br><span>to transform us</span><br><span>into faithful people </span><br><span>of God.</span><br><span></span><br><span>That transformation requires </span><br><span>a conscious choice </span><br><span>on our part;</span><br><span>a choice we must make</span><br><span>many times each day.</span><br><span>It also necessitates letting go</span><br><span> of our own will</span><br><span>and letting God’s power</span><br><span> work within us.</span><br><span></span><br><span>In "Weavings” magazine</span><br><span>David Griebner</span><br><span> described a person</span><br><span> who made that choice</span><br><span>in a story</span><br><span> called "Between the Nails.”</span><br><span>*"He could hardly remember </span><br><span>a day </span><br><span>when there wasn’t </span><br><span>at least </span><br><span>some pain;</span><br><span>and this should come </span><br><span>as no surprise.</span><br><span>For you see,</span><br><span>this man</span><br><span>and all his people</span><br><span>lived on a bed of nails.</span><br><span></span><br><span>As you might guess,</span><br><span>it was a rather </span><br><span>prickly existence.</span><br><span>Yet,</span><br><span>they had all </span><br><span>gotten used to </span><br><span>the particular limitations </span><br><span>of their world.</span><br><span>They accepted </span><br><span>a certain amount of pain</span><br><span>and discomfort</span><br><span>as normal.</span><br><span>And they had developed </span><br><span>clothing and footwear</span><br><span>that insulated them </span><br><span>largely</span><br><span>from the effect </span><br><span>of the nails -</span><br><span>although some </span><br><span>were better </span><br><span>at ignoring the pain</span><br><span>than others.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Now for a long time </span><br><span>our friend</span><br><span>accepted things </span><br><span>as they were.</span><br><span>But then something </span><br><span>in him </span><br><span>began to grow restless,</span><br><span>and he became convinced </span><br><span>that life</span><br><span>had to be more </span><br><span>than just </span><br><span>managed discomfort.</span><br><span>One day </span><br><span>he decided </span><br><span>something </span><br><span>had to change</span><br><span>or he </span><br><span>was going to take </span><br><span>all his clothes off,</span><br><span>jump into the air,</span><br><span>and end it all.</span><br><span>As he pondered </span><br><span>this choice,</span><br><span>he thought he heard </span><br><span>something.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small"</span><br><span></span><br><span>"What?"</span><br><span> he said. </span><br><span>The words were out his mouth</span><br><span>before he had time </span><br><span>to remember</span><br><span> he was alone.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small." </span><br><span></span><br><span>There it was again.</span><br><span>A voice.</span><br><span>He was sure of it.</span><br><span>Sort of.</span><br><span>Something or someone</span><br><span>was talking to him.</span><br><span>And since he was out </span><br><span>of other options </span><br><span>at the moment</span><br><span>he decided to talk back.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Who are you?"</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small."</span><br><span></span><br><span>"What do you want?"</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small."</span><br><span></span><br><span>Obviously </span><br><span>he wasn’t asking </span><br><span>the right question.</span><br><span>He decided </span><br><span>to address the advice </span><br><span>directly.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"What do you mean,</span><br><span>‘Get small’?"</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small."</span><br><span></span><br><span>Apparently </span><br><span>this was all </span><br><span>he was going to get,</span><br><span>and his next response</span><br><span>came mostly </span><br><span>out of a </span><br><span>sense of frustration.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span>"I can’t get small," </span><br><span>he said </span><br><span>through clenched teeth</span><br><span>used to gritting it out.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"I can make you small," </span><br><span>the Voice said.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Well there it was </span><br><span>then.</span><br><span>If he accepted </span><br><span>that the Voice </span><br><span>was real,</span><br><span>the only thing </span><br><span>left to do</span><br><span>was to trust </span><br><span>what the Voice </span><br><span>had to say.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"All right," </span><br><span>he said,</span><br><span> "Make me small."</span><br><span></span><br><span>The first thing </span><br><span>he noticed</span><br><span> was that his clothes </span><br><span>got big.</span><br><span>Then the nails </span><br><span>got big.</span><br><span>Then the space</span><br><span> between the nails </span><br><span>got big</span><br><span>and he found himself </span><br><span>between the nails.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Then the space </span><br><span>between the nails</span><br><span>got so big</span><br><span>that there was more space </span><br><span>than nails.</span><br><span>Then </span><br><span>there was so much space</span><br><span>that it seemed </span><br><span>as if there were no nails </span><br><span>at all.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Then he was surrounded </span><br><span>by people.</span><br><span>They brought him clothes </span><br><span>to wear</span><br><span>that were light and airy,</span><br><span>and wonderful food</span><br><span>that was as rich </span><br><span>as the ground </span><br><span>was smooth.</span><br><span></span><br><span>It was a strange feeling,</span><br><span>but it seemed </span><br><span>like he had </span><br><span>finally</span><br><span> come home.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Once a week</span><br><span>he </span><br><span>and all the people </span><br><span>between the nails</span><br><span>gathered together </span><br><span>to sing.</span><br><span>They lifted their voices </span><br><span>to the heavens</span><br><span>and sang </span><br><span>with all </span><br><span>their heart</span><br><span>the two words </span><br><span>the Voice</span><br><span> had taught them all.</span><br><span></span><br><span>"Get small," </span><br><span>they sang.</span><br><span></span><br><span>For theirs </span><br><span>was the Kingdom </span><br><span>of Heaven.</span><br><span></span><br><span>The choice </span><br><span>is ours to make.</span><br><span>If we wish</span><br><span>we can choose </span><br><span>the blessing of the world</span><br><span>with its material gifts</span><br><span>and its nails.</span><br><span></span><br><span>Or we can choose </span><br><span>to let go.</span><br><span>We can choose</span><br><span>to let Christ’s </span><br><span>blessing</span><br><span>transform us </span><br><span>into God’s people.</span><br><span></span><br><span>In our choices,</span><br><span>may all glory </span><br><span>be given to God. Amen.</span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br><span></span><br></div></blockquote></body></html>