THEN- AND NOW- AND THEN
A sermon by George R. Pasley
Genesis 11:1-9; Romans 8:14-18
Eugene Peterson’s Bible paraphrase uses the word “beckons” in Romans 8, and I like it. I like it a lot, and I think sometimes it’s the perfect word to describe how the Holy Spirit works. But not always.
“Led,” the word used by the New International Version, works sometimes too. But so does nudge, So does shove, So does lure, So does threaten, So does guide, So do lots of other words.
Let me tell you a story about the way the Spirit sometimes leads us. Most of you know that I visit the
This week, I’m very, very glad the Spirit has led me into this ministry because not one, but two of my friends have children that are being held there. Not too long ago, one of our own kids was on the self-referral side. But a year ago I barely even knew the place was there. How did all this happen?
It began a long time ago- I’m not sure how long, maybe ten years. I got involved in a Big Brothers Big Sisters program in
I got matched with one boy, and he moved.
I got matched with another boy, and we were matched for a year. Then he moved.
Then I got matched with Bailey. We were matched for two years, and last winter I was concerned that our weekend schedules and the available daylight left us little time for spending with each other. So it was suggested that I spend time with him in school- specifically, helping him with math.
But on my first day with him at school, I noticed that the schedule posted by his teacher on the white board included hearing a poem. So, whenever I wrote a poem I thought 4th graders might like, I sent it to her. Eventually she invited me to come to class and give a lesson in writing poems. I did, and it was so much fun that I wrote a short story about it.
I sent the story to Judith at the library, and she shared it with Hillary, the outreach librarian. They invited me to consider teaching poetry at the jail, which I did for several months. But after awhile the adults were getting kind of bored, and having had several discussions with the librarians I knew they also did outreach at the detention center (KRYF). So I started to make inquiries about that.
It turns out that my little brother’s mother works there, and while I was talking to her about whom to see about teaching poetry at the school there, I learned that there was no regular visit to KRYF by anybody from any church.
So that’s how it all began. That was a long story, but that’s how it all happened. In fact, there’s even more to it than that. I started working with Big Brothers Big Sisters because nearly 40 years ago my mother’s uncle was a Big Brother and I had the delight of meeting his Little Brother.
So- did the Spirit beckon? Did it lead? Did it nudge? Did it shove? Did it lure or threaten or seduce or bribe? Or, was it all of the above?
Yes. Because we are children of a dynamic God.
Yes, because there are places to go and things to do
But more important, yes, because there is suffering in this world.
We are confused, and hurting, and afraid, and lost-
But praise the Lord, our God is in the redemption business.
It’s no coincidence that the story of the
The first story- the story of the
There is no doubt that we live in a broken world, and there is no doubt that the brokenness is quite painful.
We suffer for our sin, We suffer for the sin of others, We suffer for the sins of humanity, And we just plain suffer.
That’s the way it was then, And that’s the way it is now.
But now, something else is happening- we are suffering in a different way.
The Apostle writes, “Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.”
I was really shaken when I read that bit about suffering- “if indeed we share in his sufferings.”
Was Paul saying that suffering is a mandatory requirement if we are children of God?
The Greek grammar is actually more than a little tricky, and the biblical authors weren’t exactly known of their grammatical skills, so even though most translations use “if,” several scholars have said that “since” would be a better, and proper, translation- “we are heirs, since we share in his sufferings in order to share in his glory.”
Well, it’s true, we do suffer- not just on account of sin, but because we are being redeemed.
You see, redemption- that is, being put back into healthy relationships with God and our neighbors- is a mixed blessing.
To begin with, it’s hard work. I overheard one teenager at the detention center lamenting the over and over nature of doing things wrong and getting in trouble- she just wanted the cycle to end, but it is so hard to change it.
Then too, we suffer because we carry the name “Christian.”
The Presbyterian Church in Wrangell has built an affiliation with several congregations of Reformed Churches in
Neither are we immune from the normal sufferings of humanity. Out of the group of young adults that sent me away to seminary- the group who fellowshipped and studied and prayed together with me 16 years ago, 4 have died in quite tragic circumstances, all of them younger than me.
No, Christians are not immune from suffering. But- We do not “simply” suffer as humanity has always suffered. We suffer in a different way.
Another scholar argues strenuously that “if” is the proper translation, but that the emphasis should not be put on “if we SUFFER” but on the latter part of that phrase, “if we suffer WITH CHRIST.”
Because we do not simply suffer, not anymore. As Peterson puts it, “We go through exactly what Christ goes through.” And we do so, because Christ goes through exactly what we go through.
Okay, maybe he doesn’t have to deal with construction on Tongass Avenue, but he went through everything else we go through- anxiety, stubbed toes, grief, making ends meet, broken promises, the whole works. He goes through it with US.
So where and when does IF come into play?
It comes into play when we IDENTIFY ourselves with Christ, whenever there is suffering in our lives or in those around us.
IF we suffer with Christ, AS Christ’s brothers and sisters, THEN we WILL share in his glory.
That’s where the Spirit is beckoning us and leading us, Nudging us and shoving us. Then we suffered, Now we suffer differently, Now we are being beckoned and led, But what about the not yet- what about then?
Then it will be glory. To explain that, let me tell you another story. It’s about a young man that most of you know, or know of- though most of you knew him when he was a boy.
His name is Jeff, and he plays the trumpet. I believe he is coming up on his junior year at
Someone put a trumpet in his hands and he was in love, but I’m more than certain there was a great deal of suffering involved.
Because beginning instrumental musicians are almost unbearable. Or rather, the sounds they make can not always be called music. In fact, I saw him this morning and asked if the first note he blew was a beautiful note and he laughed and said “Oh, no!”
So I suspect his parents suffered, and his teacher suffered, though it was probably glad suffering and hopeful suffering.
And I may be wrong, but I suspect Jeff didn’t want to practice all the time.
And I suspect there were some lessons that were harder than others.
When my friend Martin studied for his PhD in church music, he told me he had to learn to play some extremely difficult styles on the pipe organ. It was labor intensive. Every musician suffers from experiences like that, and they don’t all persevere.
But Jeff persevered, and he continues to do so. His studies and his practicing are not over.
But Friday night he played for the home crowd, accompanied by the community band.
They played a composition of Aaron Copland, And it was glorious, pure and simple. But we know it wasn’t simple, not ever. So it is with us. We suffered then, we suffer now, and it is not simple. But the Spirit leads us, and Christ is with us.
We suffer, but our breath is God’s Spirit and our strength is Christ. Therefore persevere, because in the not yet- then, There will be glory.
In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Amen.
