The Rev. Neale L. Miller

Sermon for November 4, 2007

Texts: Jeremiah 33:14-26/Acts 1:3-11

Title: “At the Watershed?”

              Many of you will remember that wonderful Robert Frost poem we read in school.  “The Road Not Taken” is a masterpiece, particularly remembered for the very last stanza.  “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” 

              I will wager that your children and grandchildren of middle school age are still being introduced to Frost, and the “The Road Not Taken” is likely be, of all his work, foremost on their reading list. His work has a quality that keeps us coming back.  And why do we return? My guess, we return because what Frost so often puts on paper is true to our own personal experience. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.” Was there ever a time in your life when you reached that fork in the road?  I have. Two possibilities.  Just two. Which of the two to choose? The decision could make all the difference in a life.    

              There is a term imported from geology that is commonly used to describe the moment where Frost’s two roads diverged. That moment has been referred to as a “watershed moment.”  Imagine a ridge or stretch of high ground.  The land on either side of the ridge is drained by different rivers or river systems, a watershed.  Watershed as the term is often employed in conversation refers to a crucial turning point, a decisive moment. A ridge to cross over. A moment of decision. Two available options. 

              Ever notice how persistently God brought the children of Israel to watershed moments?  It started, of course, with father Abraham. Abraham had all the makings for a rich and rewarding life; livestock, silver, and gold, and a wife who adored him. Abraham lacked for nothing. He may well have lived to old age a happy and contented man. God, however, led him to a watershed. “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”  Watershed.  Fall in with God’s plan or stand aside? 

              Moses, a shepherd tending his father-in-law’s flock, arrived at the burning bush a man with little prospect of doing much to advance his prospects beyond what they already were. God, however, led him to a watershed. “[Moses] I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.” Watershed.  Fall in with God’s plan or stand aside.

              Despite subjecting his nation to terrible plagues and hardship for his failure to heed God’s will, Pharaoh refused to release the children of Israel from bondage. Watershed.  Fall in with God’s plan or step aside.

              King Saul, Israel’s first king, disobeyed God. Watershed.  The shepherd boy David, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, was anointed king, God pledging that he would never break the covenant he made with David. The day would come, God declared, when an heir of David would establish God’s kingdom here on earth for all time.

              Decisive turning points in the world’s history. Human actors appointed by God to stand up or stand aside.

              Watershed. Let’s try another one.  Bethlehem stable, a child born with no fanfare.  Lived barely into his thirties.  Commanded authority, not as a privilege conferred by birth into a distinguished family, but by words and deeds the likes of which no other mortal could duplicate.

              Watershed. Arrested and sentenced to death as an enemy of the state.  Died in agony while being mocked by his persecutors.  Death is defeated in the resurrection.

              Decisive turning points in the world’s history.  What if God hadn’t interceded in history with an Abraham, Moses, or David?  What if God hadn’t called upon prophets like Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Micah to confront the kings and other powerbrokers who were consistently leading the children of Israel astray? What if God hadn’t sent us Jesus Christ?                       

              Even as we stand with the poet Frost to contemplate the road not taken, we know that the course of human events has turned, and continues to turn, on the action of people like us, people who, arriving at a watershed, decide to take one course of action and not another. One or more of you may be approaching a watershed, or even standing at one today. The choice you make today or this week, the road down which you turn, may well impact the rest of your life.

              There are times in life when the consequences of making a choice are so weighty that we become immobilized. We stand, intimidated by the watershed, afraid to commit one way or another. These watershed moments are particularly stressful when treatment options for a medical condition are contemplated.  Proceed with the surgery or not?  Take the unproven drug and suffer the severe side effects or not. It’s got to be one road or another, but there is a cost attached to choosing wrong.

              Wouldn’t you like to have the burden of decision lifted off your shoulders? There must be a less taxing way to live. If God were truly merciful wouldn’t he step in to deliver us from that burden?  We can’t have it both ways though, can we?  We can’t enjoy the liberty of free will, and at the same time expect God to step in and take our hand at the watershed. Things don’t work that way.

              But how do things work?  People like Abraham, Moses, David, and Mary knew how things worked.  They trusted God sufficiently to allow him to guide them through the watershed events.  They did not rely upon him to remove all ambiguity and uncertainty that lay in their path.  No, they trusted God to stand with them in the ambiguity and uncertainty. Bruised and scarred they might well become, subjected to periods of profound doubt, they also believed that God would ultimately bring them through.

              It was the bruising and scarring that occupied Jesus’ disciple in the episode from Acts I moments ago read.  “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”  They were at the watershed.  If Jesus was prepared to do something about the future they wanted to know that.  It would make their lives a lot easier.

              Jesus didn’t make their lives easier.  Poised at the fork in the road they were.  And what did Jesus tell them, “It’s not for you to know what lies ahead. You are going to have to choose the path you take.”  But he added something very special, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea, and Samaria, AND to the ends of the earth.”    

              A watershed decisive moment in the life of Jesus’ disciples, and, and, there was no holding on to Jesus.  He was lifted clean out of their sight. No holding on to Jesus, and holding on to Jesus was the very thing they wanted the most.

              At the watershed and no Jesus to hold on to, at least physically, but, but, they did have something to hold on to.  They had power.  

              In the aftermath of Katrina this congregation has faced a succession of watersheds. Even as we suffered dislocation and the stress of locating everyone and finding a means to communicate with each other, a group of us met to decide on how our restoration would proceed, a watershed.  Many issues were discussed.  Bold plans made and unmade. Priorities were viewed in light of available financial resources. Decisions were made, not, I would add, without bruised feelings, bruised egos, and second guessing. A contract to restore the church was ultimately signed.

Another watershed was passed when our associate pastor moved on, so too a music director who had served here for several years.

Another watershed was passed when a contractor was hired to rebuild our weekday school.

                Difficult decisions were made all along the way, each of those decisions creating high levels of stress and anxiety for the decision makers that stress and anxiety bleeding into the congregation.

              Where are we today?  I think it can be fairly stated that we have arrived at a watershed moment today.  The last significant missing piece in our restoration is now in place, the furnishings for the sanctuary have arrived.  And I hope you like them. 

             The fact that the furnishings are in place---I love this pulpit---is significant, however, the mere fact that we now have our furniture does not, for me, elevate today to the status of decisive, watershed moment. Instead, the furniture has arrived at precisely the time when the restoration of our church facilities, save for a small list of items to be addressed (they call it a “punch list,” part of the vocabulary I picked up after Katrina) is completed.

             We stand, at least from my point of view, at the watershed.  Here are the two options I see.  We can view this watershed moment as a restoration moment we can view it as a renewal moment.  Here is what I mean: restoration we have put the church back and we are whole again.  Renewal, we have put the church back and we are not whole again, not, at least, until we decide how our ministry can impact the post-Katrina community that exists beyond these doors. 

               We have, I hope, taken away some substantial lessons from Katrina.  We paid dearly for them. One lesson none of us could possibly miss is that we have neighbors across the church who care deeply about us and our future.  The prayers of the church, financial support, hours of volunteer labor, have made possible where we are today. We have come to grips, I hope, with how fragile this congregation has been, and continues to be from the standpoint of our size, our programs, our psychological state, and our bottom line. 

               We are reduced in number by over half.  We have said goodbye to friends we have know for years, contributing leaders in this ministry. Yes, we are certainly vulnerable by ever standard of measure, but I hoped we have learned along the way that this is God’s house and not our own.  What we have done to date is not to seal our legacy as the Katrina survivors, but to reveal the true character of Christian community, where we, and brothers and sisters from across the land whom we have never met, have come together to discover the deeper meaning of what it means to be the church.  Make no mistake, Lakeview Presbyterian Church has given churches and individuals a proving ground to watch church in action.  But, what have you and I taken away from the experience?

I hope not merely lessons in restoration, but rather an introduction to renewal.  Specifically I want you ask your help in defining renewal for LPC. We have a source of help in doing this.  The session voted recently to participate in a transformation consultation that will take us through the coming year, and perhaps the year after.  I have been asked what the consultation entails, basically two things: going deeper into Christ and farther into the world. We will all learn more as the consultation proceeds.

               For now, however, at this watershed, let’s initiate some first steps in renewal, transformation.  I’m going to be specific.  I ask you to do one or more of the following,  though you may think of some other things yourselves.

             Renewal means among other things meeting together as the church.  I want you to commit to attending worship four Sundays in a row, if that is too much, try arriving on time for four Sundays.  (Nearly a third of you don’t arrive until after worship has already started.) Renewal. You might prepare for worship by praying. You might take out your Bible this week and read a chapter from the gospels.  You might join one of our adult Sunday school classes, or start one of your own.  You might invite a family member or friend to worship, or jot a note to one of our members who is shut-in or not attending. 

               Renewal is a result of specific steps.  The church will host a children’s choir from Africa on November 15, but other concerts are being planned.  Attend.  This church hosted a UNO choir concert weeks back. Four of our members attended. A fellowship dinner is set for November 14.  Attend.

Finances here are tight.  You might double your weekly, better yet, your monthly pledge for one week or month. 

               You might sponsor a coffee fellowship, or sign up to help in the kitchen when a fellowship dinner is scheduled. 

You might write a check to Presbyterian Disaster Assistance, the church agency that has directed so much assistance to us, or simply send along a card of thanks. 

              You might join our choir.  Caroline will turn away no one away.

              Renewal of the church is needed.  We must not settle for restoration.

               Friends, we stand at a watershed. Will we retreat into the old comfortable patterns we have formed, or will place ourselves and our church under the renewing power of God? Make no mistake, what we choose today will be decisive for the future of this church.

PRAYER

             Heavenly Father, you are the anchor point in a world whose complexity is being revealed with greater force each day as the environment faces stress, wars continue to rage, and people learn to live with the reality of globalization. The impact of events happening on one side of the world ripples across continents. 

              Lord, the world is becoming smaller, but not so the problems we face. In a world where information from tens of thousands of sources is but a mouse click away, millions live with no access to potable water, a dependable food supply, or adequate medical care.  Even as the gulf widens between the world’s privileged and the disenfranchised, voices raised in protest are little heeded. It is the voice of Jesus we hear where injustice and neglect are condemned, but his voice goes unrecognized and unheeded. In your mercy withhold your harsh judgment from us, O God, rather inspire the church and each one of us individually to bring what Jesus taught from the Bible page into the world where we live. 

              O Christ, head of the church, we thank you for the power you conferred upon your disciples that inspired them to go forth, at the risk of life itself, to proclaim salvation in your name.  In gratitude we celebrate the women and men through whom the legacy of faithfulness has passed generation to generation. We know, O Christ, that the church was not built on good intentions nor grew because the message placed in its possession was self-evident or easily lived. The church prospers, O Christ, where your Spirit prospers in lives transformed as vessels of grace.  At this watershed before which we stand today, O Christ, may your Spirit move us beyond restoration to renewal.  Liberate us, O Christ, from all assumptions we maintain about ourselves as a church that are inconsistent with your will, and direct our energies to those works for which you were willing to give your life.

             Abide this day with those who struggle under the burden of debt.  Lord, we pray for those who struggle to make ends meet, who work hard but still live pay check to pay check. Abide with the unemployed and the under employed, who have lost, or are losing, all sense of self-worth.  Abide with the addict shackled by his addiction, the friends and family who must suffer along with them.  Abide with those who suffer physical or emotional abuse at home or on the job.  Abide with those in prison, those confined to psychiatric wards, and children living in foster homes or orphanages. Abide with those who struggle against illness of the body or spirit, we ask your special blessing on Mary Ann, Pam, Rudy, Shane, Wayne, Joyce, Bob….

           We pray for our children at school, and those who teach them.  May those who teach and those who are taught be bound in a common purpose.  Grant those who are slow to grasp their lessons the fortitude to continue even as they suffer setbacks  and discouragement.

           Bless, O Lord, our president, George W. Bush, and all who serve in his administration that the decisions they make may serve the common good.  Bless our legislators in Washington, Baton Rouge, and those who serve on the city or parish councils of our local parishes, that what they do may align with your will.

             Assembled for worship, may our days, O God, not be so consumed with the busyness of life that we forgo living life. For this day, and for each other, we give you thanks, in Christ name.