The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
This morning in •
John’s Gospel
•
We hear
Something •
Counterintuitive
Generally… •
We like to think
That we are •
More-or-less
•
In control of
The important things •
In our lives
We like to think of •
Our lives as
•
Our creations.
But today •
We hear Jesus say
To his disciples •
And us:
You did not 1
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015 • Choose me •
I chose you
God… •
Chooses us?
I thought •
Christianity was
About… •
Us choosing
•
God?
This means that •
The thing…
We call •
Faith-
It’s more •
About God
Than it is •
About us.
And that’s •
Good, good news.
But this word •
“Chosen” 2
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
In the context of •
Jesus saying:
“You…. •
Did not
Choose me…. •
I chose you.”
What does it •
Really mean
To be…. •
Chosen
•
By God?
To tell you what •
Being chosen is
•
All about
I’ll use •
The Scriptures
And some •
Choice words from
Henri Nouwen’s •
Life of the Beloved. 3
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
Ok you ready •
For this….
It’s a good thing •
This…
Being •
Chosen
Being Chosen •
Means, that…
Having been •
Made in
•
God’s image
We are •
Nothing less than
•
Children of God
Children of God… •
As in…
We are •
Precious in
•
God’s sight
Children of God… 4
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015 • As in…
Each of us •
Possessing
Our own •
Unique beauty
Children of God… •
As in
Each of us •
Having
Eternal value •
In God’s eyes
How well does •
God know us?
How much does •
God love us?
Listen to •
Psalm 139:
O LORD, you have •
Searched me and
•
Known me.
You know when I 5
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015 • Sit down and when •
I rise up;
You discern •
My thoughts
•
From afar
You are acquainted •
With all my ways.
Why does •
God know
•
All this?
For it was you (God) •
Who formed my
•
Innermost parts;
It was you (God) •
Who…
Knit me together in •
My mother’s womb.
My frame was not •
Hidden from you,
When I was being •
Made in secret, 6
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
Intricately woven in •
The depths of
•
The earth.
How much does •
God care about
•
His children?
How far will •
God go
•
With us?
Listen to •
Psalm 23:
The LORD is •
My shepherd,
I shall •
Not want.
He makes me •
Lie down in
•
Green pastures;
He leads me beside •
Still waters;
He restores •
My soul.
7
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
(God) prepares a •
Table
•
Before me
In the presence of •
My enemies;
You anoint •
My head with oil;
My cup… •
Well it
•
Runs over
And surely •
Goodness
•
And mercy
Shall •
Follow me all
The days of •
My life,
And I shall dwell •
In the house of
•
The LORD….
For… •
How long?
For8
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015 • Ever
Being Chosen •
Encompasses
All that •
And more!
I told you… •
It was good,
•
Good news
But having said •
All that about
•
Our chosen-ness
I must offer •
A clarification
And some •
Words of caution
Don’t get •
Puffed up
•
That you
Have been •
Chosen
9
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
That is •
Chosen
Over… •
Someone else.
Because as far •
As I can tell…
God… •
Created
•
Everyone
And God… •
Reaches out
To… •
Everyone.
In God’s understanding of •
Chosen-ness
To be chosen •
Does not
•
Mean that
Others… •
Must be
•
Rejected.
10
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
The problem is •
That we live in
An uber •
Competitive world
Where our •
Primary
Understanding of •
Chosen-ness
Involves… •
Others
Not…. •
Being chosen.
In our world •
Being chosen
Means being •
Set apart…
•
Set against
Being chosen •
Involves being
•
In contrast, or
In opposition •
To others 11
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
But to be chosen •
By God is
Something •
Radically different.
Instead of •
Excluding others,
God’s brand of •
Choosing
Includes… •
Others.
Instead of •
Picking some
And rejecting others •
As less valuable,
God accepts •
Each of us
In our own •
Uniqueness.
12
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
Implicit in •
Our cultures
Predominant •
Understanding of
•
Chosen-ness is
The idea of •
Winning or losing
Being •
Good or bad
And depending on •
Whether it’s
Thumbs up, or •
Thumbs down
We end up •
Feeling either
Jealous and •
Resentful
If we are •
Rejected
Or in the case of •
Being considered
•
Elite 13
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
Then superiority and •
Self-righteousness
•
Creep in
But making •
Chosen-ness
About •
Competition is
But one way to •
Misunderstand
•
And miss out
God’s choosing •
Each of us
No… I think •
The stumbling block
That most •
Prevents us from
Living into •
Our chosen-ness
Comes not •
From without
But from •
Within 14
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
It is the voice of •
Self-rejection
That too often •
Contradicts
And drowns out the •
Loving voice of
•
The divine
I’m talking about •
The voice that
Says we are •
Anything but
Connected to the •
Goodness of God
You know •
The voice
•
I’m talking about…
The one that says: •
The only things
•
Worth having
Must be •
Earned 15
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
Our brains are •
Just so saturated with
Dualistic •
Either/Or thinking
Our minds •
Have great difficulty
In grasping •
The reality of
Divine Love and its •
Inherent grace
Though our minds •
Might never
•
Understand it.
Perhaps it is •
Only in our hearts
That we can •
Find rest in
•
Being chosen
With all this •
Dissonance from
•
Within and without 16
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
How do we hold •
On to the truth
That we are… •
Chosen?
How do we resist •
The temptation of
•
Self-rejection?
We have to •
Seek out people
Who adhere to •
And rehearse
•
The truth of
Our identity as •
God’s children.
We have to •
Find and
Cultivate places •
And institutions
Where… •
All people are
Treated as •
God’s beloved 17
The Rev. Jeff Hammond Proper 6b May 10, 2015
And finally •
We have to
Make a point •
Celebrating our
•
Chosen-ness
Celebrating it…. •
Together
18