TELL IT!

Isaiah 55:10-13

Union Avenue

A movie of 8 years ago focused on a rather self-centered and sour meteorologist.  He begrudgingly traveled from Pittsburgh to Punxsutawney, PA, to cover the annual groundhog festivities, even more begrudgingly made his report and then tried to zoom out of town and back to Pittsburgh.  A blizzard prevented that return.

When he awoke the next morning, it was Groundhog Day – again…. and the same scenario played out as on the prior day.  No one but the meteorologist was aware of the repeat. On subsequent days, there was a continued repeat.  The meteorologist then decided to change HIS behavior – getting wild and realizing there would be no consequences.  He couldn’t end the constant looping of time.  Finally that created a despondency within him that ended in extremely bizarre behavior including kidnapping the celebratory groundhog, going on a wild drive and chase from the police killing himself AND the groundhog.  The next morning he once again woke to the beginning of Groundhog Day.

He finally shared this craziness with his colleague – who suggested rather than enjoying debauchery without consequences that he might try living a better life!

Rather miraculously he took the suggestion to heart – invests himself in the lives of the people of Punxsutawney, relayed an impressive report about Groundhog Day …and woke up the next morning to the reality that, indeed, it was the next morning …February 3^rd.

Oh – that we would have chances in life like that!  That we could repeat but stand still with the days when we goofed, didn’t care, couldn’t give our all, or decidedly chose to do what we knew would not be at all helpful to anyone else – especially ourselves!

The film was funny and sad … hopeful and despairing …very much like life.  Although fantasy, the essence of it is true – according to the faith we claim.

This morning’s prophetic scripture identifies God’s word…God’s proclamation… God’s gift being spoken, spread, shared with the universe with the expectation that it will accomplish its intention.  There is a big – huge! – however.  That word… proclamation… gift from God is not like a ‘zap and it is accomplished’.  No, the prophet likens it to rain and snow that comes down from the heavens and waters the earth … offers seed to the sower who grows grain, makes bread and at some point feeds people.  This is a long process involving us!

Even though the intention (as relayed a bit later in the scripture) is for joy, peace, and celebration to be part of the fullness of God’s life – as well as relief from thorns and briers …all of us are well aware that this process of life takes time, many foiled attempts, excuses, forgiveness, new starts … and some success.

Yet…God waits.  God, according to our faith, is not stingy with continued proclamation … is not unforgiving when we fail to follow the path hoped for and desired … but continues to give the word that will ultimately spread life.

Our days don’t get stuck as the meteorologist in Groundhog Day but if we are fortunate we are given many days, many chances, many opportunities to align ourselves with the rain from heaven that will ultimately feed the people of this universe.  Unfortunately, we also spend many days, many chances and many opportunities complaining about the rain, trying to stay under the protective umbrellas of life, and offering excuses for why we cannot or will not look for the joy at the end of the showers.

And God – according to the prophet Isaiah – speaks and that which is proposed will succeed in the end.  There is always hope.  God bases all of this creation and all of life on the hope that eventually, somehow the purposes and intentions with which the word has been spoken will be fulfilled.

Tell It! is the theme of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) meeting in General Assembly in Nashville now.  Opening last evening, those in attendance will have multitude of opportunities to listen, learn, discuss and grapple with how to tell the story of faith that has been our portion of the Church for 200 years and to identify where we are in the longer ‘tell it’ proclamation of God’s whole story.

In those early days – 200 years ago – leaders of this movement of people were anxious to reclaim/restore what they knew about the early church…that of the time immediately following Jesus.  Tied to that restoration concept was the ideal that the church was one, was unified in such a way that the world could hear and see clearly the faith and proclamation of God that was so important.  During the centuries in between the church had fractured, divided, broken into so many, many splinters that the Christian message could not have the power for people’s lives that was intended.

The ‘Tell It’ word of our forebears then was unity based on what had been in the beginning.  It didn’t work.  Like the meteorologist, trying to repeat what had been was at crosshairs with getting onto a new day.  The portion of church family of which we are a part – Disciples – had to let go of trying to literally restore what had been the New Testament Church and get on with exploring paths of unity with the many and varied other families that had grown and changed within the Christian faith… hoping and striving to maintain the essentials of the Christian faith.

Retrospectively our denominational leaders could identify with the morning’s passage.  The rain that was the beginning point of God’s proclamation never comes back as rain …but hopefully waters the earth, allowing seeds to sprout and bread to be made for the hungry.  The Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) continues to lead in efforts of Christian unity and now the beginning of interfaith dialogue throughout the world …difficult as it is in times of increased nationalism, territorial fear, and economic downswings.  The rain of the beginning does not, nor will not look like the earth being watered, the grain growing or the people being fed.  But it is the same proclamation!

Individually we cannot only find ourselves within the stream of God’s proclamation …discovering a place within the process of rain becoming bread, but we can also identify our own rain proclamations.  We would all like to believe that our word – spoken – will bring the results we want …and quickly.

Stepping back to laugh at that ridiculous expectation is important.  God waits for what seems to us an eternity.  Why do we think we could put time frames on our own expectations?  It is humbling and helpful to read and re-read the prophetic word for the day.

May it be inspiring and helpful to listen to the rain – where God’s word is gently pouring into this world and align ourselves with the possibilities of joy, peace and celebration that are intended.

May we be blessed by the forgiving spirit of God when our repetitive mistakes and fears keep us from growing and hearing.

May we long for the moments of new life when we discover our part of the bread making needed to feed this world.

May we find ourselves a part of God’s proclamation…’telling it’ to the world.