Why Do I Feel So Weakened?

Last week I was ill.  I don't know what I had, but it was preceded by exhaustion, moved into feeling absolutely gross for about 24 hours, and ended with yet more exhaustion.  I was worn out.  I felt like Mumm-ra after a battle with the Thundercats—little, shriveled up, and wanting nothing more than to lie down and hide from the world for a while.  So that's what I did.

Actual photo of Rev. Josh last week.

As I began doing the research for this week's sermon, I was surprised to see Kathryn Matthews Huey in one of my favorite theological resources for sermon writing—the United Church of Christ's "Sermon Seeds"—focusing on the lesson from Acts.  Mostly because it was so short that I can simply quote it here:

They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 

Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.  All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need.  Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.  And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.

~Acts 2:42-47

Kathryn Matthews Huey rightly points out that churches are still doing those first three things—devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching.  Fellowship.  Communion... or potlucks.  And prayer.  (I'm not even going to touch selling their positions and holding all things in common and making sure that nobody was in need—I suspect that's a different post for another time.)

What she says is missing is a sense of awe:

The "wonders and signs" may be passing us by, without our taking notice. One of the tasks of the preacher is to remind us, to turn our attention so that we might indeed stop in the midst of all that activity and take notice of the wonders and signs before us. Every church, in its own way, experiences wonders both large and small that merit our time and attention. But so often, the many activities of our life as a congregation get added to our busy calendars as more and more stress, rather than as something different, something qualitatively different from "ordinary daily activities": they are ministries. Do they feed us, or drain us? These early Christians, clearly, were fed by the things they did and the way they lived.

~Kathryn Matthews Huey

And then she goes on to point out that taking a break and refocusing—taking notice—can be a spiritual practice.  She even once served a church that took a break in January, abstaining from all meeting and activities that weren't for prayer, learning, or worship!

Which actually brings me back to Mumm-ra, believe it or not!  I've found him on top ten villain lists and in YouTube tribute videos.  And really, he wasn't any more deeper a character than Cobra Commander or more successful at defeating the heroes than Skeletor.  I honestly believe that his popularity stems from that sense of awe that Kathryn Matthews Huey is talking about.

There was something special about watching his sarcophagus open, seemingly of it's own accord, and see that little, shriveled up creature emerge and intone the invocation, "Ancient Spirits of Evil, transform this decayed form into MUMM-RA THE EVERLIVING!!"  There was something awe-full about watching him go through a Hulk-like transformation, cackling like a madman the whole time.

And we would cheer for the heroes to defeat Mumm-ra's powerful incarnation.  And they would.  And he would return to the depths of his pyramid, where he would shrivel and decay.  And he would back slowly into his sarcophagus, which would close of it's own accord.  And we knew that tomorrow afternoon that sarcophagus would open and he would emerge once more and intone that invocation...

The good news, of course, is that we don't need Ancient Spirits of Evil to experience that kind of awe.  Start a daily prayer practice.  Go to church on Sunday, or a synagogue on Saturday, or whatever weekly practice your Path espouses.  Observe a Sabbath.  Or at the very least, lie down and hide from the world for a while when you're ill!

Be good to each other,
even yourselves!
Rev. Josh
050614

The scripture lessons for May 6th—The Fourth Sunday of Easter Year A—are:
Acts 2:42-47—Psalm 23—1 Peter 2:19-25—John 11:1-45