Sermon 09.03.2023: Delighting in God

Jesus said, “The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.” Rev. Victor will sing the sermon in this end-of-the-summer musical celebration. Guest guitarist, Larry Chung, and Calvary’s gifted musicians will lead us in hymns and songs old and new. End this summer with delight.

Scripture

Isaiah 58:13-14

“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
    and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
    and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
    and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
14 then you will find your joy in the Lord,
    and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
    and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

Mark 2:23-28

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

23 One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and as his disciples walked along, they began to pick some heads of grain. 24 The Pharisees said to him, “Look, why are they doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

25 He answered, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry and in need? 26 In the days of Abiathar the high priest, he entered the house of God and ate the consecrated bread, which is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.”

27 Then he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Sermon Text

Humankind is made for sabbath

In ancient Hebrew the word for delight is closely related to delicious. The prophet Isaiah tells us to “call the sabbath a delight” so that our souls might savor the deliciousness of God. Then, Isaiah prophesies, we will be fed and lifted out of the negative circumstances and emotional baggage that weigh us down. In preparation for the heavenly food¹ we will share, let’s call this sabbath a delight. Please turn from your electronic distraction devices. Set aside your own interests. Heed Jesus. He’s calling us back to joy.

Sung:

Come to me² O weary traveler, come to me from your distress.

Come to me, you heavy burdened, come to me and find your rest.

Rest in me, O weary traveler, rest in me and do not fear.

Rest in me, my heart is gentle, rest and cast away your care.
You go to your church and I’ll go to mine
But let’s walk along together

How many here have heard Jesus called “The Great Physician”? That name comes from the words of Jesus in Mark 2:17.

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick;

I have come to call not the righteous but sinners.”

Through the Great Physician, God comes to our realm, making a history-altering Divine house call. Now, in Jesus’ day, there was very little distinction between personal and public sins and sicknesses. For those who would believe, Jesus cured leprosy and paralysis. He made people whole. In this passage, Jesus tries to get through to the sanctimonious Pharisees, but societal cancers like greed and religious arrogance take a while. The arrogant pretend they’re not sick. Give me the sick and sinful any day over those who have no room for improvement!

Location Location Location

Why were the Pharisees in that cornfield? It was the sabbath. Were they hiding out, waiting to catch Jesus messing up? Anybody looking for a reason to get upset will soon find one.³ Perhaps they were out there harvesting some corn for later and turned their attention toward someone else’s sins in order to cover up their own.

Love is the Law

Jesus knew the sabbath law. He came to reinterpret it. In Mark 12:28-34 he says the first law is “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. “ The second is this: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” Only love can heal us and this world. Love is the Law of Jesus. If something unloving has stolen your joy (your delight) let’s begin reclaiming it right now. Whether in church or in a cornfield, God offers you sabbath delight.

A Call to Christian Panentheism

Never confuse God with a thing.⁴ God is not the church. God is in the church. God is not the cornfield, God is not the rules. God was in that cornfield. God is in the rules. God is not this world nor even the vastness of space. God intersects every part of the universe while transcending time and space. God moves in every particle while exceeding space and time.⁵

“God is In” by Billy Jonas, 2000

God is in the child’s eyes, see them wide, wondrous, wise

God is in the rain and snow, and each snowflake: this we know

God is in the trees and air; the rocks, the birds, the bees, the bears

God is in the clouds above; God is in each act of love

God is in the oceans deep, some say God goes there to sleep

God is in the mountains high, whistling a lullaby

God is in the darkest woods, God is in your neighborhood

God is in a place that’s near; sometimes it’s just not so clear

God is in your strangest pleasure;

some say God is into leather

God is into body piercing; in your nipple, lip, and nose ring

God is in your new tattoo, in your scars and birthmarks too

God is in your brand new nose, your no-control-top pantyhose

the latest fad, except for bungie jumping – that’s dangerous and bad

God is in your cellular phone, God will not leave you alone

God is in the internet, wondering why you’re not there yet

Vogue, and Spin, and Rolling Stone ‘cause God is “in”

God is the Christian house; bread and wine and holy cross

God is in the Jewish home; shalom chaverim, shalom

God is in the Muslim, Allah huakbar salaam

God is in the Hindu way, jai bagwan! namaste

God is in those dancing Pagans, in each drop of perspiration

God is in the Wiccan coven; twelve plus one – a perfect dozen!

God is in the Druid’s song, that’s why they go on so long

God is in the Buddhist’s chair saying “don’t just do something – sit there!”

God is in the Vatican; God goes there for vacation

God is in the Quaker meeting, sleeping ‘til they start the singing

God is in your guru; how do you spell that? “Gee, you – are – you” [pause]

God is in the atheist, saying “yeah, I don’t exist”

God is in the flowing Tao, then and now and now and now

God is in the Rasta-man; I and I and on and on….

God is in the Moonie wedding; who gets who – begin the betting

God is in the Hare Krishna, rub their heads and make a wish now

God is in your bank account, sometimes juggling the amount 

God is in your ATM, counting bills and stacking them 

God is in your college fund, laughing cuz it’s gone gone gone

God is in your IRA, adding interest, most days 

God is in your pocket change, your job is giving it to strangers 

God is in the beggar’s cup; sometimes God just fills it up

God is in the empty hand, spent it all on cheap Almaden;

God was in the S & L’s but left, that’s why they went to hell

God is in the Wal-Mart; greets you with a shopping cart 

God is in your old jalopy, makes it go when it should not be

God is in the Greyhound bus sitting in back, watching us 

God is in ‘tourist class,’ on a frequent flyer pass 

God is in the pilot light; [beat] dancing through the night 

God is in the radio, KQED⁶ told me so 

God is in the microwave, unless you try to use something metal then the microwave is the devil; also don’t microwave with plastic wrap cuz it forms molecular bonds with your food and turns your intestines into Tupperware 

God is in your Tupperware, but not the lids so buy some spares 

God is in the ozone layer; holier and holier⁷ 

God is in the atom bomb, or at least the atom bomber’s mom 

God is in Ukraine Afghanistan Somalia Syria Hong Kong Taiwan Jalisco Juarez San Antonio Sacramento Lahaina Tallahassee⁸

God is incredulous at all the stuff we do to us 

God is inspired by those who fly and those who try 

God is insatiable so sing and dance way past full

God is in you and me, someday God will help us see that 

God is in love with love so live and love and that’s enough, God is in… God is in…

God is inside of you and all you don’t and all you do, God is in… God is in…

God is in your greatest doubt, the jury’s out, the doctor’s out, but God is in… God is in…⁹

Amen.

[1] On September 3, we celebrate holy communion. Calvary celebrates communion on the first Sundays of the month.

[2] This hymn by Sylvia Dunston is a paraphrase of the words of Jesus as told in Matthew 12:30-31

[3] Revealingly, the Pharisees did not catch Jesus misquoting First Samuel 21. David didn’t take the holy bread of Presence, the priest offered it to him and his soldiers. That’s still how communion works, it’s offered freely.

[4] Pantheism is the belief that God is everything.

[5] This is the essence of panentheism. < https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panentheism>

[6] The original lyrics went “Wolfman Jack told me so”

[7] This is a little misleading. The ozone is slowly healing, KQED told me so. <https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-ozone-layer-is-slowly-but-surely-healing-the-un-says#:~:text=DENVER (AP) — Earth’s protective,new United Nations report says>

[8] Billy Jonas instructs the performer to insert current areas of concern in this line.

[9] At < https://www.billyjonas.com/songs/f/Life_So_Far_-oparen-for_adult-slash-general_audiences-cparen-/47> you can hear Pastor Billy Jonas sing his masterpiece.