November 24, 2024 "Harvest, Retirement and Joseph"

 

Readings Psalm 90:1-6, Matthew 25:14-30, 1 Thess 5:1-11, Genesis 45:3-11
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, November 24, 2024

I am well aware this is Harvest Sunday. But this is also, for me, the last Sunday I get to preach before I officially retire. I am full of thanksgiving. I am rejoicing at whatever harvest has been sown through my years of ministry. For that reason, rather than focus on the more traditional elements of the day, I hope you indulge me as I speak about a particular passage that has meant a lot to me as I have been contemplating retirement.

I am speaking of Genesis 45:3-11, an Old Testament account, of Joseph, who having become well established in Egypt, then reveals to his brothers what had become of the guy they had betrayed and thrown into a pit all those years ago.

In his life account given in the book of Genesis we observe Joseph passing through three distinct phases of his life journey.

1.    Dreaming of a destination. Joseph had dreams. Joseph felt a call  He had no idea where his dreams would lead, but he faithfully followed the path they revealed.
2.    Dedication to the institution. In his case that institution was the nation of Egypt. Joseph pursued His call with all his heart.
3.    Discernment for the future. This is where our reading kicked in. Joseph had followed his dreams. He had worked hard to establish himself. Now Joseph had a new call. To focus on his family.

Dreaming of a destination

My journey to this point in my life has, thankfully, not been as eventful as that of Joseph. Nor has it greatly impacted any nations destiny. But it has been quite a ride. Along the way there have been crazy dreams, some of which came to fruition and many which were better left unpursued.

One of my earliest experiences of participating in a worship service was as a teenager when the youth group at Moreton Presbyterian Church decided for Youth Sunday to put on a presentation of the musical “Joseph and His Technicolor Dreamcoat.” I did not get to be Joseph but played the role of ‘Hairy Ishmaelite and accompanying choir member/musician.’ My relationship with the Joseph story goes way back.

I had no inkling then that I would experience a call to ministry that would lead me across the world and to encountering so many amazing places, experiences and people. Like many folks who grow up near an international port, having been raised near Liverpool, I had a dream of seeing more of the world than the one immediately outside my backdoor. I did not know my passport for doing so would be related to my work as a minister of the gospel.

When I started my ministry journey there was those who believed I had totally lost my mind. Who did I think I was, presuming that the God of the Universe would place a call on my life? God could choose better people than me, better qualified, better equipped for such a purpose.  Some, even in my own family, viewed it as just a religious phase I was going through. “Oh, he’ll grow out of it. He won’t stick with it. He’ll come to his senses.”

Joseph’s family could not understand the call that God had placed on Joseph’s life. His dreams angered them so much they beat him up and threw him in a pit. They had no conception that God could place such ideas in anybody’s heart. They accused him of arrogance and pride and foolishness. But that did not stop Joseph.

Every move that I have made in my life has felt like a response, and retirement feels no different. Through, often the strangest connections and circumstances, I’ve sensed a door opening and felt that I needed to pass through it. Some ministers go to one church, then stay there for evermore. Others, like myself, have not felt called to do that. We don’t know why! In so many ways it would be easier to stay rooted in one place and in one community. But that was not how it turned out for Joseph and not how it has turned out for myself.

During times I have transitioned, always, there have been those who have questioned my motives. “Are you going to a better position?” “Is this a promotion?” “Is somebody offering you more money than we can?” “Has somebody upset you?” In Genesis 45:8 Joseph explains to his brothers, “It was not you who sent me here, but God.”  

Joseph had dreams. Joseph felt a call  He had no idea where his dreams would lead, but he faithfully followed the path they revealed. For Joseph, that meant Egypt. For myself that call led to being a Presbyterian minister. Having responded to a call, the second thing we observe in Joseph’s story…

Dedication to the institution

I recall Groucho Marx famously saying that he was not sure he wanted to be a member of any organization that would have him as a member.  In my relationship to the institutional church, I have struggled with the implications and expectations and sometimes felt like a dodecahedron in a triangular hole. I can totally identify with Joseph who somehow did not fit, but at the same time fitted perfectly into the situations in which he found himself.

What I mean by that is that there have been things in my life that I have gravitated towards and been energized by, but they have not always been things that churches I’ve served have valued or needed. I know that is the case for many people, in many careers and many callings.

But I’ve always given it my best shot. In doing so I often discovered that the task I felt that I wasn’t suited for, fitted me perfectly. And those moments when I have felt like “Hey, this is me!” have not always been where I have been able to shine.

Joseph never desired to be of service in Egypt. Circumstances transpired to lead him into that situation. But every step of the way he adapted and learned what he could in the situations where he found himself.

Listen, God has blessed me beyond my wildest dreams. The most blessed part of that blessing is times when I’ve been able to be a blessing to others. As well as local church experiences there have been youth conferences, mission trips, encounters with people that have left me in awe, so much, so much, so much!

In seminary in the beautiful University town of Aberystwyth, in the rural communities of Denbigh and Ruthin, in the city of Liverpool, in the tourist paradise of Anglesey and Caernarfon, in wild, wonderful West Virginia, in Maryland and here on Long Island… I don’t have words to express the joy each place and each person has bought my way.

Yes, there’s been hard times. There’s been days when I was ready to quit. There’s been tears and disappointment and frustration and anger. Sometimes at others, sometimes at the institution, but more often at myself. Ministry is emotionally draining, physically exhausting and spiritually it can feel impossible to stay filled up when you are constantly seeking to be a conduit through which grace can flow to others.

At this point in my life, it’s time for another transition. That is where we catch up with today’s reading. Joseph had followed his dreams. He had worked hard to establish himself. Now Joseph had a new call. We see in this passage…

Discernment for the future.

I am viewing the challenge of retirement not as a cessation of ministry, but rather a call to embrace a new way of ministering, where my focus is no longer on a particular institution, but on what my family and I need to face the challenges of growing old, declining health, and nurturing each other.

Joseph has kept his brothers in the dark up to this point in the narrative. He had other priorities, other adventures, other things to do within the institution to which he was committed. But now it was time to focus on family and friends and rebuild those bridges and nurture those relationships.

And it was not easy. There were tears. There were regrets. There were unspoken dreams that remained unfulfilled. There was that dreaded specter of ‘change’ a word not always easily embraced, even by communities of faith.

So, we arrive at this climatic juncture in the story. (Genesis 45 4-5) “Then Joseph said to his brothers, "Come closer to me." And they came closer. He said, "I am your brother, Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed, or angry with yourselves, because you sold me here; for God sent me before you.”

Joseph is at a point where he realizes that where he is, is entirely due to the grace and mercy of God. God had directed him. God had protected him. God turned every obstacle into an open doorway to something new. Did you catch those words? “God sent me before you.” And again, in Genesis 45:8 “It was not you who sent me here, but God.”

A final word though. This not part of the Joseph story, but a huge part of mine.

There is one person alone who can truly speak about my achievements in ministry, the times it has nearly destroyed us, and the times grace has unexpectedly carried us through. She alone knew me in my wildest days, before I ever made any form of commitment to follow the way of Jesus Christ, and was there as I struggled to understand our call and has been beside me every step of the journey... my partner, wife, best friend and rock, Yvonne.

It has been a journey we have made together. Whatever has been achieved is testimony to the amazing grace, love and persistence of God's Spirit. If anywhere or at any time or in anybody’s experience we have been able to offer some joy, some insight, some encouragement, some sense that we are not alone in this vast and often frightening experience called life, then to God be all the glory. Thank-you Yvonne. You made the dream a reality.

There we are.

Joseph’s story. 

Dreaming of a destination. 

Dedication to an institution.

 Discernment for the future. 

I found myself following a similar path. Who knew that playing the part of ‘Hairy Ishmaelite and accompanying choir member/musician’ would lead to a calling that has taken me across two continents, gifted me with whole communities of friends and has truly been a journey I never dreamed I would be a part of.

Aware this is a Harvest service I pray that whatever harvest has resulted from seeds of ministry I have sown, may continue to blossom and to grow. 

To God be all glory.

To God be the glory.

To God be all glory.

Amen and Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

November 17, 2024. JESUS AND INDIVIDUALS 7. “Wants and Needs”

JESUS AND INDIVIDUALS
7. “Wants and Needs”
Readings: Psalm 1, Jeremiah 17:5-10, Acts 4:5-12, John 5:1-18
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, November 17, 2024

Jesus heals a crippled man He finds lying by a healing pool called Beth-zatha. John 5:6. “Jesus saw the man lying there, and He knew the man had been there for such a long time, so He asked him, “Do you want to get well?””

It seems like an odd question to ask a man who has been crippled for 38 years. 'Do you want to get well? Do you want to be healed?' This is a man who had spent most of life lying on a bed by a pool, waiting in vain for his turn to be immersed into healing waters. Every time it looks like it could be his turn, he claims somebody gets there before him.  It seems a pitiful case. Jesus expresses no sympathy. He asks this strange question, 'Do you want to be made whole?'

Plainly the man would only get worse if there was not a change in his circumstances. He needed to be healed. But did he want to be? Sometimes we find it hard to discern between our wants, and our needs. One can only speculate as to what the man’s problem with becoming whole again might be.

Maybe he had become dependent on those around him to such an extent that he could not envisage a change in his circumstances. Presumably somebody took him to the pool every day. Presumably somebody took care of feeding him and clothing him and seeing to his everyday needs. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to spend every day at the pool, hanging out with people you knew and having all your needs taken care of.

Maybe he realized that in his current situation he was an object of people’s concern and sympathy. Maybe it felt good to know you were cared for and be at the center of the picture and the prospect of losing that worried him in some way.

Maybe he had simply become so used to his predicament, to his routine and his dependency, that he simply could not imagine how life could be any different or that any change was possible in his situation. Possibly he was just resigned to his fate and his status. He was a cripple. He was waiting for the moment when his chance came to participate in the lottery of the Beth-zatha pool.

A change in his situation would bring unknown challenges. How would he make his living? Presumably he had not had the opportunity to learn a trade or participate in any kind of career. What did he know about interacting with the everyday world? How would it change his relationships with other people? To move away from the pool would be a radical step to take and there were many unknown factors he would have to deal with.

So, Jesus asks him to think about it. “Do you want to made well again?” As the story progresses, we see other factors. In verse 14, after he has been healed, Jesus catches up with the man and tells him, “See, you have been made well! Do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you!” (John 5:14)

What has this man been doing that had somehow been sinful? We are never told. But was he staying at the poolside because there were things about his life he just did not want to confront or deal with? 'Go and sin no more!' is a loaded statement! He obviously needed help. Yet confronting the reasons for his predicament was not something he wanted to do. He seems content to make excuses. 'I haven't got anyone to put me in the pool. Everybody is ahead of me.  I try, but I just never get there'  (verse 7).

Jesus challenges the world with the good news of the gospel. Our world desperately needs the kinds of changes that the Kingdom He proclaimed suggested. Forgiveness. Love. Hope.  Everybody needs those qualities. But not everybody wants them if it means they must make radical changes to the way they are currently doing things.

A guy said to his wife, “I don't want to go to church this morning... they talk so much, and they'll make me sing, and they'll hand that plate around and ask for money and I'm tired and I may drop off during the prayers, and I'm not in the mood for meeting people who are going to ask me how I'm doing.” And my wife said, “Adrian. Hold on. You are not retired yet. You have to go to church a couple more times. Right now you're still the pastor.”

People say they need community. People believe in spirituality. Yet suggest that maybe commitment to a local church might be a great place to generate such things and they look at you like you are from another planet. People have this vague idea that prayer might help but suggest having a regular prayer time as being part of their daily schedule and you are in danger of being branded a religious nutcase! 'That's not we ‘want’, that doesn't fit in with our lifestyle or how we ‘want’ things to be.'

The world is too much with us. Life moves along smoothly without anything that jolts us out of the ruts we have made for ourselves. God becomes dim and shadowy. Prayer seems unnecessary. Yet sometimes God has a way of awakening us. Trouble comes, or we face some stinging moral failure. We see a chasm opening where before the ground has seemed solid. Sometimes God can take these disasters and turn them into golden opportunities.

Jesus came to our world with that question 'Do you want to be healed?' We have our networks. We have our dependencies. We have our ways of dealing with things, we have our comfort zones! We have our list of excuses as to why radical discipleship isn't for us. If you think about it, we all create our own ways of declaring 'There is nobody to put us in the pool!' 'We can't envisage the kinds of changes you are asking us to make' 'If we change this, how will we manage to do that?'

Can we see here Christ's challenge to all of us? That as we truly open our hearts and lives to Him, then we are embracing something new, we are invited to live as part of a new kingdom, under a new Lord and subject to a new set of values. We are set free to make mistakes and learn from them, to make decisions and live with the outcome.

For to receive His healing, to accept the wholeness He offers, is to know that He loves us and wants us. The more of Him and the ways of His kingdom we accept, the more we realize our need. Maybe the bottom line is 'We believe in Jesus Christ'. For that faith to mean something it needs to be expressed in visible, tangible ways. Faith is something that needs exercising before it has any meaning or value.

 
We must learn to know the difference between our wants and our needs. There are a lot of things in life that we may want. But the one and only thing that will truly satisfy is a genuine faith relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. You’ll never find satisfaction without Jesus. He is the real need of every woman, man and child, and our hearts remain restless till they find their peace in Him.

That goes for churches as well. As you seek for new pastoral leadership, I’m sure every attender and member has an opinion as to what kind of pastoral leadership they want. Everybody has a favorite imaginary or former pastor or a time in their churches life which was special to them. And they think… that’s what we want!

But ahead of us are uncharted seas. The world as it was, is not the world as it is. And right now, the question to ask for a number of churches on the East End and beyond, is not, “What do we want?” but “What do we need?” And I pray that as you seek to discern with each other and with the Presbytery and most of all with God, seeking the direction of His Holy Spirit, that you will keep that question “What do we need?” (not “What do we want? but “What do we need?”) as a phrase that guides your discernment.

Now hear the challenge of Jesus ringing across the centuries ;
•    Do we want be healed?
•    Do we want to be made whole?
•    Then let us take up our bed and walk!
•    Let us seek, not what we want, but what we need.

May God help us all to rise to the challenges that are before us. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.

November 3, 2024. JESUS AND INDIVIDUALS 6. "Surely, Not I Lord?" (Communion)

Readings: Psalm 27, Ruth 3:1-5, 4:13-17, Hebrews 9:11-14,  Matthew 26:19-30
Preached at Bridgehampton Presbyterian Church, NY, November 3, 2024

In 1495, Leonardo Da Vinci began painting a fresco on the wall of a monastery dining room in Milan that became one of his most celebrated works. It pictured the Last Supper. The painting is said to reflect upon the moment Jesus said to the disciples “One of you who is dipping into the bowl will betray me.” Each of the disciples is shown to be reacting to the statement, visualizing verse 25 of our Scripture reading where the disciples exclaim "Surely not I, Lord?"

Earlier this year during the televised opening of the Paris Olympic games, some sections of the church made a mountain out of a molehill, when they suggested their faith was under attack, because a very small segment appeared to resemble Leonardo’s fresco. This claim was later totally debunked, when the Olympic World Library published the media guide (written before the ceremony) which mentioned it was actually paying homage to Greek cultural festivities.

The most ridiculous aspect of that whole embarrassing fiasco was how Leonardo’s dining room imaginings had somehow become elevated to the level of infallible scripture. Little wonder that in our day many find the church to be out of touch and completely irrelevant to their lives.

Furthermore, Leonardo’s painting is, of course, just an artistic representation. The participants all sit on one side of the table. In reality they would have sat around a table… or even a number of tables and be facing each other. Each one of them in the painting was an actual citizen of Milan. We have no idea what the disciples actually looked like. Normally at a Passover celebration whole families, including women and children, would be present. There are only disciples in the picture. Some aspects of the Passover celebration are ignored, while others are emphasized.

Yet that image, originally meant only for the eyes of a monastic community as they munched their lunch, has eaten its way into our sub-conscious to such an extent that some folks seem to believe it is on a level with what actually happened, as though Leonardo was there with a camera recording the event.

So, as I’m continuing with this series on Jesus and Individuals, I felt it would be a great idea to revisit that upper room …  and engage our own imaginations. To try and put aside for a moment all these other representations and reflect upon what it would have been like to be one of those disciples sitting around the table when Jesus had made the starling declaration that He was about to be betrayed by someone in the room.  "Surely not I, Lord?"

The first thing to bear in mind is that Passover was very much a celebration. Yes, it had its serious side, but it could resemble a harvest supper or a homecoming more than a religious service. There was wine. There was a lot of food. There was symbolism and a whole lot of memories.

For the disciples that would certainly be the case. I imagine there was some joking and ribbing going on. “Hey, Peter, remember that time you went up the mountain and wanted to build tents?” “Hey, John, what about when Andrew came and said, “A little boy here with a few loaves and fish and we ended up feeding over 5000!” “Yeh, and what about that time we were in the boat, and the storm came, and Peter tried to walk on the water? Took a few steps then… glug, glug, hey Pete, meet the fishes!”

Of course it was a little unusual. According to John there was that whole thing with the foot-washing and a lesson about serving each other before the meal. I mean that was a visual sermon they would never forget, but now they were seated at the table it was party time.

I wonder who we would most identify with at that table? We have snippets of information about the disciples throughout the scriptures.

We read in Luke about the mother of James and John, (the sons who had left their Father Zebedee’s fishing enterprise to be disciples) coming to Jesus and asking that they be given some preferential treatment. Were they embarrassed by their mother’s request, or did it reflect conversations wondering if they had done the right thing walking away from the family business. I mean, what was in it for them?

As we become involved in church life, and have to put other things on hold, and how that interferes with family commitments and expectations, well that may be a real struggle for some sitting around this table today. It was for James and John back then. But enough of a struggle to make them want to betray Jesus? I don’t think so. But there they are, having to ask the question, "Surely not I, Lord?"

Or what about Thomas? He had a very practical mind. Very much a “Come on guys, I can believe that, but this is too much.” After the raising of Lazarus from dead it is Thomas who encourages the others to recognize the true dimensions of what following Jesus was all about. When Jesus says, “Go” it is Thomas who gathers them all together and moves them forward. A deep thinker. After the resurrection he won’t move forward until he has seen the marks of the nails in Jesus hands. But once he is convinced, there is no stopping him.

History does Thomas a great disservice calling him “Doubting Thomas.” According to church tradition Thomas became a missionary to India and his work established one of the first thriving Christian communities outside of the area Jesus walked. He was at that table because he was fully committed. But even he must ask, "Surely not I, Lord?"

Maybe you are around this table, and you are a thinker. You do not commit until, you are sure. But once you are sure, there is no turning back. Thomas was like that. Then came the crucifixion and the resurrection. Thomas needed time to process all of that and think it through. See, that’s one of the things about this table. We can sit and contemplate. It allows us to question. We can come with our doubts. "Surely not I, Lord?"

Then there’s John. In Scripture described as ‘The disciple Jesus loved.’ Some art critics suggest that in Leonardo’s painting John, is actually Mary Magdalene, because of his curly hair and feminine features, almost leaning on Jesus’ shoulder. I had a colleague in theological college that was convinced that the gospel of John portrays a more feminine side of Jesus and the gospel story and should have been called the “Gospel of Joan.” I did not share his view, but it is nevertheless a fascinating observation. Even more so when you consider, that however deep John’s love relationship to Jesus was, John still must ask, "Surely not I, Lord?"

In recent years many worship choruses are less hesitant to use the word “love’ as expressing devotion to God, than were hymnwriters of previous generations. I think of modern songs that have choruses such as “I love you, Lord, And I lift my voice, To worship You, Oh, my soul, rejoice!” Previous generations appear to have focused more on God’s love towards us than our love towards God.

Love. It’s a loaded word isn’t it. These days some people fall in and out of love as though it were a revolving door. Sometimes the words “I love you” are said without the depth they deserve. Love for Jesus was never an emotion but a way of being. I think we need to be careful when we use the phrase. Even the disciple Jesus loved had to ask, "Surely not I, Lord?"

Then of course there is Peter. A fallible character if ever there was one. One moment full of the deepest insight. “You are the Christ, the Son of God!” Next moment, he blows it and is being told, “Get thee behind me Satan”. No one was more faithful than Peter, yet when after the crucifixion he is siting in the courtyard warming his hands around the fire he declares three times about Jesus, “I don’t even know Him.”

I’m glad Peter was at the table. He seems to embody the best of us and the worst of us. He knew what it was to gain insight. And he knew what it was to totally mess up. Maybe of all of them, the possibility he may actually be fallible, gave a deep reality to his words "Surely not I, Lord?"

And then... Judas.  We don’t want to identify with Judas. We don’t know how he became the betrayer. He seemed to have been highly respected by the others. Took care of the finances. Seemed to really care. Did he care too much? Was he trying to remove Jesus from the storm he sensed was coming their way? Was it just about the money? Was it fate? Was it the devil? Was it predestination? Maybe all of the above and maybe none of the above. The theologians will argue about that till all things meet their end. Tragically we know that it did not end well. When Jesus said betrayal was coming, he responds , "Surely not I, Rabbi?" but Jesus replies, "You have said so."

You know what the difference between Peter and Judas is? They both betrayed Him. Terribly. There was no excuse for their actions. When Judas realized the depth of his betrayal, Judas tried to atone for his own sins. It couldn’t be done. That can’t be done. In Christ alone can atonement be found.

When Peter realized the depth of his betrayal, he was heartbroken and turned to God for redemption. He turned to Jesus for forgiveness. And he discovered that the forgiveness was there. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!”

Whoever we are, whatever we have done, whoever we have betrayed, no matter how much we have messed up, this table of holy communion is here to remind us that there is forgiveness on offer. Not because of what we have done, but because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

It was as they sat at that table asking, "Surely not I, Lord?" that Jesus explained the significance of the feast He was sharing with them. They did not understand right then, but they would know for ever more afterward.

“Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it He broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body." Then He took a cup, and after giving thanks He gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

Come to this table today. And bear in mind the question that was on the disciple’s mind, so artistically interpreted by Leonardo Da Vinci. "Surely not I, Lord?" Like it or not, however we identify with those at that table, one thing is for sure. We are not perfect. 

 

We are going to need help to carry on following the way of our Lord Jesus Christ. We need His Holy Spirit as our strength and our guide. We need the forgiveness He died that we might receive. We need the love and peace of God that passes all understanding.

Around this table is a sacred place where we can seek to make the blessings of God alive in our hearts in such a real way that we can share them with others. Amen.

The Reverend Adrian J. Pratt B.D.