sermon_01_02

This morning I would like all of us to engage in a little soul searching. What is the force, the motivation or the goal that inspires us to refine who we are and what it is we do? Our answers are going to be different depending on how old we are, our level of maturity, our understanding of life's purpose, the various opportunities that present themselves and so forth. It never hurts us to examine periodically what drives us to be who we are.

A good number of us can remember when we left our families to find our place in the world. Often we did so without a fixed destination in mind. Our identities were undefined. Our talents were only marginally visible. We were timid with our relationships because we were still learning how they worked. We were attracted by pleasure, recognition and affirmation while being repelled by unpleasant circumstances, rejection and pain.

Our lesson today features what we celebrate during Epiphany -- the story of the three mysterious visitors from the East. Some of us remember them as kings from our singing the Christmas carol. Others refer to them as the Magi, astrologers, or wise men who perhaps came from Persia. Tradition holds that they made their trek to Bethlehem because they followed a star. We know the story well. Even our children can name the gifts these pilgrims brought to the home where Mary and Jesus were staying.

When we closely examine the story, a number of lesser aspects become apparent. (1) These men studied the stars. (2) They knew more about a major Hebrew tradition than King Herod who had to consult with others to determine where the Messiah was to be born. (3) They were skilled in the art of "reading people," i.e., they recognized that the King was "greatly troubled" by their request. (4) They had a consciousness of God's activity in their lives and were open to divine guidance for how they should return home.

These three men were included in the Biblical narrative because some time early in their lives they made a decision to focus their minds on mastering the universe of stars and planets. They were no longer distracted by romantic relationships. They had not contented themselves with academic degrees in General Studies. Their lives were not defined by food and alcohol consumption, mastering video games, going to movies, hanging out, struggling to please everyone, or becoming victims of self-generated unmet needs. They had decided on a specific path and they followed it.

Obviously not all of the distractions I mentioned existed in their day, but no doubt they had their share of dead-end streets that offered them comfort, ease and the allure of recognition and accomplishment without their having to commit to anything. Life always presents us with options that allow us to define ourselves.

In the New Year, are we prepared and willing to claim a greater responsibility for who we are becoming? Why is it that people wait until their marriages dissolve before they answer this question? Why does it take a life-threatening illness before people decide to stop procrastinating on following through or pursuing the adventures they have always wanted to experience? Why does it take an emotional earthquake before we hear a wake-up call that we must change the way we have been ordering our lives?

During our Thanksgiving Eve service, a parable was used that comes from the lore of the Cherokee Nation. It illustrates quite well why our lives evolve as they do.

"One day a Cherokee chief was teaching his grandson one of life's great lessons. As the two of them walked around the rim of a lake that was nestled in the valley of a magnificent mountain, range the wise chief spoke:

A mighty struggle is going on inside of me as I speak. It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil -- he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, unfaithfulness, superiority and arrogance.

The other is good -- This one is joy, peace, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and inside everyone of every nation on earth.

The grandson thought about this struggle for quite some time. Then he broke his silence and asked, 'Which wolf will win, grandfather?' The Cherokee chief answered, 'The one you feed, my grandson. The one you feed.'"

While this parable frames our personal struggles in a form that most of us can recognize, our paths are not that easy to change. We have arrived where we are today by growing our character through a host of small decisions and responses that have developed an enormous root system, a system that has wrapped itself around our personality and spirit.

During our New Year's Eve service, the following meditation was read. It is called, The Riddle, and it gives us insight into how this root system grows. It is this network of tentacles which becomes the force, the motivation and the goals that inspire us to be who we are.

We are your constant companions. We are your greatest helpers or your worst enemies. We will push you onward or drag you down. We are completely at your command. Half the things you do might just as well be turned over to us and we will do them quickly and efficiently. We are easily managed. Show us exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, we will do it automatically. We are the servants of all great people and the demons of all who fail. We are not machines, although we work with mechanical precision. You may use us for growth or use us for decay -- it makes no difference to us. Train us, be firm with us and we will bring many of your dreams into reality. If you are easy with us, requiring no discipline from us, we will destroy you. Who are we?

The Cherokee parable and The Riddle have much in common. We create our identities without fully realizing how they are formed. We frequently point fingers of blame without recognizing which wolf and which habits we have been feeding and growing for most of our lives. Just as Jesus taught, we reap exactly as we have sown.

Some time ago, one of the members of the United Methodist Women gave me a t-shirt that featured the three Magi mounted on their camels. Underneath them were the words, "Wise Men Still Seek Him."

The miracle of life is that change is always possible. Jesus came into our midst to save us from ourselves, to teach us how to purify our thought forms and how to live energetic, creative lives. Even among his disciples, Jesus could not instill in them all the dreams he had for them. That is not the way Divine Will works. All he could do was invite them to follow him. The rest is automatic.

Loving God, we know that our lives are as an open book to you. You can sift through our thoughts and know the secrets of our wills. You can see the areas where the child in us has not grown, where our attitudes reflect the hurts received in another day, and where our vision is obscured by self-interest. You gave us your Son, Jesus, so that our choices might lead to fulfilled lives. Help us, O God, to integrate our many selves so that the cross currents within us might flow in a direction that produces healing and peace. Cleanse us from unproductive thinking. Empower us to live inspired lives. Amen.

Life has been so good to us, O God, and we thank you for being our constant companion. As we have heard from a number of people this morning, there are occasions when we feel as though our lives have been dispatched like a ship upon the deep. Our course appears altered when we are tossed about by the shifting, changing seas. And yet it is comforting to know that we have the stability caused by you being our rudder. It is also reassuring to understand that both our mountain top and valley experiences are invitations for growth.

Why is it, O God, that we appear to coast along in life until our experiences demand that we sink or swim? Teach us how to grow before challenges force such inner adjustments upon us. Guide us into desiring greater skills of spirit, more warmth and acceptance extended toward others and heightened sensitivities that enable us to be supportive even when no one is asking.

We thank you, God, for allowing us to know that you have wiped clean the slates of our lives. As we leave the starting gates of the New Year, may we not content ourselves with resolutions for change, but with a commitment to change. We simply do not know how much time each of us has left in the school of this life. Spare us from dwelling on thoughts and activities that serve no creative purpose. We pray these thoughts through the spirit of Jesus, who taught us to say when we pray . . .