June 14, 2009 Psalm 20 Mark 4:26-34
Communion Meditation
So the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees battled it out this week. The predicted rains did not stop the series and the fans were not disappointed depending, of course, which fans we are talking about here. This is baseball at its best; a great rivalry between teams and fans that adds energy to the game.
Speaking of the New York Yankees, since we are now well into the baseball season and the lazy, hazy days of summer are almost upon us, it is only proper and fitting that we remember some of those remarkable words of insight offered by one of the all-time Yankee greats, Yogi Berra.
Most of us have heard his perhaps most famous comment at a time when Yogi was actually managing the New York Mets. It was July 1973 and the Mets were nine games out of first place. The Mets ended up winning the division that year, thus virtually sanctifying these words: “It ain’t over ‘til it’s over!”
But, there are lesser known phrases which I can tell all of you are just waiting to hear! So, I have researched this thoroughly and in Yogi’s own book, The “I Really Didn’t Say Everything I Said” Yogi Book written in 1999(NY: Workman Publishing). Here are a few of the lesser known gems:
“When Max Nicholas, then head of Yankee public relations, called, I sleepily answered the phone. ‘Sorry, Yogi,’ he said. ‘I hope I didn’t wake you.’ I replied: ‘Nah, I had to get up to answer the phone anyway.”(p. 85)
On a related theme, Yogi once referencing a time when his alarm clock didn’t go off, said, “If I didn’t wake up I’d still be sleeping.”(p. 60)
In 1964 while managing the Yankees, Yogi noticed some of his players were “not playing attention to the game.” Yogi yelled out to them: “You can observe a lot by watching.” (p.95)
Okay, that may be enough wisdom from a former Yankee for one day. So, let’s see, how do we get out of this? He also said, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” (p. 118)
Now I really don’t know what he had in mind, but there is a segue way into today’s reading from the Gospel of Mark in which we hear Jesus talking about the mustard seed. The connection is hope. Obviously, Yogi Berra for one reason or another was pessimistic about either the future of a team he was involved in or about the whole sport of baseball. We don’t know. Presumably, by saying, “The future ain’t what it used to be” implies that he had lost some of his enthusiasm for the game.
The story about the mustard seed on the other hand is a message of hope and possibility. There is no pessimism here, only optimism. There is no negativity, only positive thoughts. This tiniest of seeds grows into an amazing plant, the “greatest of all shrubs, and puts forth large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” This is a motivational talk from Jesus himself. God does amazing things and God can do the same with your lives.
I don’t quote others all that often, but today I’ll make an exception by sharing with you some words from a great resource for preachers (Preaching Through the Christian Year, Year B, A Comprehensive Commentary on the Lectionary, Harrisburg, PA, Trinity Press International, 1993, p. 311):
The parable of the mustard seed (vv. 30-32) is clearly a word of encouragement. Let those concerned, frustrated, or even depressed by small beginnings, by the apparent insignificance of the enterprise to which life and resources are committed, take heart. Let the vision of the end (“the greatest of all shrubs”) inspire and inform today’s effort, knowing all the while that the end as well as the beginning are God’s doing and not our own.
As most of you know, the Massachusetts Conference of the United Church of Christ clearly had a “vision of the end” when it called me to serve as organizing pastor of a new Congregational, United Church of Christ, church in Mashpee. The vision developed close to ten years ago. Look where we are today!
Unlike Yogi who feels that the future isn’t what it used to be, we members of this new church have great hope in the future and we are convinced that God is doing a marvelous thing as this congregation continues to gather. Even the current economic conditions are not altering our progress toward becoming a self-sustaining congregation. As we continue to grow, we assume more and more responsibility for our operating costs. But more importantly than that, we have committed to supporting the efforts of the greater church including today’s Strengthen the Church offering.
Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed is about hope; it is about faith in a loving God who makes things happen often behind the scenes, things that make a huge difference in our lives. I am reminded of that great text in the Book of Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, for the conviction of things not seen.” (11:1)
My appeal to you today is to view your own lives with hope and faith. No matter where you are in your journey through life, God has a plan for you. You may not know what that plan is, just as the mystery of the mustard seed stays hidden in the ground. But, having faith that God has plans for you is crucial. Just as God has brought us together in this emerging new congregation, God will lead you to where God wants you to be.
When I first started coming to Mashpee and made my first rounds of introductions, I recruited a team of three intercessory prayer partners from around the country. Once a week, I emailed them a specific prayer request. “May my meeting with a town leader go well; may the grant we applied for come through; may this person who for some reason seems to be resisting the start of this new church, have a change of heart.” The prayer team opened doors for me I am certain, in many ways. They were like water on the mustard seed and helped us grow to where we are today.
But, God has worked the miracles. I have planted the seeds; I have embedded myself in this community, but the glory of this successful tale goes to God. This new church is bigger than any one person; it is bigger than all of us put together. Fifty years from now, most of us will be long gone, but this church will be here because it is God behind the miracle of growth.
Just a few weeks ago, I had a conversation with a husband and wife that was a powerful testimony to God’s hand in this new church. This was a conversation that I have had with many of you. I have heard over and over again that this church has given people a new spiritual home for which they had been searching. There is just something about this congregation that is sincere, authentically friendly, and full of positive energy. This new church is a marvelous example of why the story of the mustard seed captures our hearts for we are a hoped-filled, spirit-filled, possibility-filled and faith-filled people.
As the opening line of the hymn (“My Tribute”) says: To God be the glory, to God be the glory, to God be the glory for the things you have done. Amen.
