"There IS A God" July 7, 2013

2nd Kings 5:1-14 Luke 10:1-20 Life exists on many different planes simultaneously. We begin with biological needs for survival, accompanied instantly thereafter by the need for love. This week, in addition to having been the celebration of our Nation's Independence was the birthday of our firstborn, whom I delivered. I recall that first cry, searching one another's eyes and face for recognition, the first bath, the smells and touch of that intimate moment of claiming. The great disappointment of the last Century has been an assumption that either there was Scientific explanation about reality, OR there was a Religious explanation, and we both had authority and need to choose. One might as easily differentiate between whether you believe in a Political Reality to life or a Communal, belief in Economic Competition versus Human Compassion. When Jesus sent out the seventy in pairs, which was the more powerful that they/we were given authority to tread on scorpions and snakes, to cast out demons and cure problems, OR that they took nothing accept one another and had to trust on each other and on those who welcomed them? Speaking with a family whose father had been their most significant relationship, they described talking about sports, relationships, careers, money, fears, dreams, but never about God. Speaking with a groups of “Millenials,” those between 20 and 30, they named that their peers do not go to church, do not talk about God, are not even certain there is a God. I have to believe there is a relationship between one generation speaking about everything except our faith, and the next not practicing, not believing. What I hope to make clear this morning, is that all realities are happening simultaneously. The world is political, our survival is based on economics and awareness of the biological impact of our actions, and the world is also personal and intimate, and we are motivated by compassion and caring, and while all of this is going on, THERE IS A GOD. The last several weeks, we have been reading the stories of Elijah and Elisha, dramatic tales demonstrating proof of the reality of God, yet throughout, these are very human stories and it is easy to believe Elijah had called upon fire to come down form heaven and it did. He called upon God to act and God did. He went to the cave where Moses had witnessed evidence of God, and he saw Fire and Wind and Flood. And we begin to question whether reality only exists (whether God only is manifest) in our own imagination, in our reality? Then there is the story of Naaman, A Great Man, a powerful Warrior, a Syrian Military Officer who has made his King great. But also, following all the descriptions of Naaman's personal power, reputation and authority, he was a leper. More than an Infection, a Virus, a Chronic condition unto death, Leprosy carried a social stigma. For many of us, while Leprosy is not common, social stigma is very real: fear of how others would treat us if they knew we had Cancer, had Parkinson's, had Depression or Alzheimer's, or had lost our job, or had an addiction, or an affair, or were getting a divorce. Naaman recognizes that this social stigma, this illness, is his one barrier to success, to acceptance. Syria under King Aram had won one victory after another over their enemies, over Israel; and Naaman had given those victories to the King of Syria (though the Biblical text explains to the reader that God had done so through him). Out of respect and obligation to Naaman, the King of Syria sends with Naaman a letter to the King of Israel commanding him to to heal Naaman. Often times I feel like this at weddings, baptisms and funerals. Peoples' expectations are that if the wedding takes place in the church, if an Ordained minister pronounces the blessing, the couple will live happily ever after; and as pastor I profess to you the secret that I do not have that power! Like the King of Israel, the response of many in our culture today is to say “So why get married at all?” or at least “Why get married by a minister in the church, why not go on the internet to be ordained and solve our own problems?” The King of Israel received and read this letter from the King of Syria as a Political issue, of one power commanding a lesser power to act, with the threat that if he personally could not fix it, he would be destroyed. The Prophet Elisha asks the King to send Naaman to him. Imagine that Naaman the greatest most powerful General of the army of Syria, with all of his horses and chariots and gifts of reward to offer comes riding up to the hut of Elisha, commanding that this prophet of Israel come out and fix him up. Naaman expects Elisha to come running out and bow down, to say the right words and wave his hands to magically fix him, that is how religion works is it not like magic. Naaman is a Syrian compared to this Israelite, Naaman is the greatest most powerful warrior, Naaman exudes pheromones, he is every inch a Man. This is Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Arnold Schwarzenegger, compared to a prophet from a beaten vassal kingdom, not even a legitimate pastor or priest or king, just a powerless person of God. But where Naaman has these expectations, Elisha does not even come out to acknowledge him. Naaman has traveled all this way, is surrounded by all this power, yet this Elisha does not even come out to look him in the eye or speak to him. But eventually Naaman does what Elisha had told him to do. I have to believe that it was not the chemical composition of the Jordan river that healed Naaman. But that in the act of vulnerability, accepting what another had told him to do, stripping down naked, and in essence being baptized, seven times doing so, that Naaman changed and instead of trusting only in his armor, his shield, his power, his Race, his Nationality, his reputation and influence, Naaman came face to face with whether or not THERE IS A GOD and was healed. According to Luke, Jesus had already sent out the Twelve to preach and teach and heal, casting out demons. Eventually, after the Resurrection, according to Luke, Jesus would give the Great Commission making his Disciples into Apostles “those who are sent”. But here, Jesus sends out 70 persons as Special Envoys of God. They are not sent out as individuals, but as pairs. They are not to take anything for security, for safety, for comfort, for any assistance, but simply to go where they are sent. They are sent to share with the world that the Harvest is ready. Not that they are able to create the Harvest. Not that they are to do the Harvesting. But rather, that as Special Envoys of God, we are sent out into the world in twos and threes to share with others that there is a Harvest, there is a God, and God's Harvest is ready! We are sent out, to also give evidence of that Harvest. When a crop is ready, a farmer goes into the field to pluck and carry back a few grains, several ears of corn, a handful of cherries, a ripe peach, so that others will know and will share in the harvest. Being sent out, we are not to gather corn or wheat, or peaches or apples, but stories of the presence of God in one another's lives. We are to recognize that going out in this way is dangerous, you are confronting your own fears and the evils of this world, by naming what we have witnessed. A year ago, a refugee from Civil war had come to America and had found a home, and wife and children, a new life. His brother who had remained was shot dead, and distraught, seeking compassion and to make sense out of life, this man had come before his church for prayer. A woman who feared ever having Cancer, was diagnosed with this. Fearing Radiation, she needed to have the Cancer killed, and to wear a monitor of her vitals. Wearing the monitor, those supporting her were able to see she was having problems with her heart, and to have these corrected. Had she not had the Cancer, not had the Radiation, she might never have known the other problem that could be repaired. Living next to the lake, our worst fears were realized when a child drowned. Yet the family was not alone to drown in their loss, they have been continually surrounded by family and friends and the church. Recently, I was speaking with the Catholic priest, who described that the ArchDiocese sees this Village and town as being a plum position, where a pastor can enjoy the lake, and the social life, and relax. The reality is that this Village has known more loss and pain and suffering than most places in the world. Oh, we complain about the heat, or the snow, but the reality is that we have known friends and family in Domestic Violence. The weekend does not go by when there is not a Rescue call about a drunk driver on the road or the lake. Drug abuse is normal and available to all our children. Rape. Mental Illness. Victimization. Economically having your home taken, are realities. But also, there is a God, a God who cares, and as we minister to one another, and hold each other up in prayer, lives are changed. Luke's telling of the Sending of the Seventy, Commissioning us to go out into the world in twos and threes, is different from the sending of the twelve, and the commissioning of the apostles. We are to live our lives, in all the other realities we know, witnessing and believing, and sharing with others that GOD IS REAL, the HARVEST IS READY, and to speak to one another about what is important, what we have witnessed.