Memorial United Methodist Church

Memorial United Methodist Church
White Plains, New York 10605

To Engage is to Answer Our Children’s Questions

A Sermon by Joe Agne, Pastor
Based on Mark 9:30-37
September 20, 2009 (Not edited or proofread)

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Summer questions from our children

Why is God in the sky? Why does God have to be everywhere? What are people made of? Why is God invisible? Why is God not dead? How did the planets get here? What are animals made of? What will we do with the houses? (Our children created communities during the summer). What was the girl’s sickness? (Jairus’ daughter). Why is God important? Why is Jesus alive? How are matches made? Where do people come from? And a question from a child in Chicago – Did Mayor Daley (the original) make the dinosaurs before he made people?

The Biblical Story

The relationship of Jesus and his closest friends was in a rough patch. He joined the movement of his cousin, John the Baptizer, and left his community where he worked with his father in the carpenter business. Some even say he abandoned his mother and siblings. It seems he was called to be a healer, teacher, organizer and spirit-leader. He became the leader of the movement as John was beheaded as the Roman and religious leaders colluded to oppose the movement. Jesus had been teaching his closest flanking followers for three years. They were not getting it. As a result, the disciples were on F.I.R.E., expressed in this acronym from Alyce M. McKenzie (Perkins School of Theology):

Fearing they had fallen in Jesus’ estimation.

Insecure at their failure to heal a boy and Jesus had to come in and do the healing.

Resenting each other as Jesus chastises them

Eager to compete with each other to regain his approval.

The disciples could not put aside these heated thoughts and hear what Jesus was trying to tell them. He calls himself The Human One (Son of Man), one who will suffer and be killed by the authorities. They want him to defeat the authorities, to be the Messiah who will bring in a new government and maybe they can have significant roles in his administration. They just don’t understand Jesus and they are afraid to ask him any questions. Remember when Peter got into a heated discussion with Jesus, Jesus called him, “Satan.”

As soon as they could they got away from Jesus they got into an argument on the road. Later Jesus asked them what they were arguing about. They were silent. Do you know why they were silent? They had been arguing about who among them was the greatest. They were trying to decide which one was Muhammad Ali. Jesus says whoever wants to be the greatest must serve all the others. We are called to be servers, deacons and deaconesses, ones who live for the sake of others. To make this point Jesus takes a child in his arms and says, “If you welcome this child, you welcome me and if you welcome me you are really welcoming God.” Here a child is not just a representative of innocence. A child is vulnerable. A child can’t take care of her or himself – can’t defend itself – is dependent. Jesus is saying that if you want to be great, then place yourself with the most vulnerable.

This Story and Us

I have often said that if you want to understand what it means to serve, take a good look at a table-server at a diner, like Nicole at Dorry’s. If that does work for you – become a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) at a nursing home. Closer to home, come work in our thrift shop- Engage with people surviving in this economy by finding the things they need in thrift shops – ours and others. Later Joan will tell us some of the ministries of our thrift shop: supplying graduation dresses for high school seniors who can’t afford them; providing a wardrobe for a teen mom and her child through a guidance counselor; providing 50 pairs of jeans and sweatshirts and toiletries for homeless LGBT youth, sheltered in Manhattan, expelled by their parents, many from Westchester; and supplying clothing for people in Sierra Leone. Joan is looking for volunteers. I hope you will. Our faith is clear that greatness comes with serving others.

Our children spent the summer asking questions in Sunday School. I asked them at the beginning of this sermon. I want you to answer these questions for our kids and I have a suggestion about how to do it – don’t answer the questions. Rather – engage with our children, spend time with our children, join our children or our youth as they raise their questions. Teach Sunday School once a month. We have over thirty people journeying with our children. We need more.

I am taking a clue here from a scientist Carl Sagan. In a Chautauqua lecture on NPR he wondered why are so few of our children are interested in science. What is wrong with science education? Sagan says that children come into the world interested in science. They want to know about the world. They have awe and wonder. They have questions. Adults might not know the answers or have time to answer. Sagan says the most asked questions are: Why is the sky blue? Why is the grass green? These are scientific questions – questions of observation. Sagan says most of us know something about chlorophyll so we fumble something about the grass. We know nothing about the blueness of the sky. So we feel we can’t answer. He says we miss the real question which is about “wonder.” The answer is not steeped in enlightenment explanations of the wonders of life. Rather, it is found in journey with the wondering child.

The same goes for faith questions. If you feel you can give a simple answer to our children -- that would be one response. A better response would be to engage with our children and seek to join them in the wonder and awe, asking our own questions. I heard of a 5-year old who asked her pastor, “Why do I have so much and others have so little.” The pastor responded that if you keep asking that questions you will find God.” And he spend the rest of his pastorate in relationship with that child.

We had an interesting exchange in our WOW (Wednesdays of Wonder) Conversations with Mark Davies last Wednesday. We are trying to figure out the meaning of Jesus in our lives, utilizing the thinking of Marcus Borg and N.T. Wright. One of our younger conversants spoke of paradox and relativity. He wondered if there is “right” answer about who Jesus it. One of our older conversants said, “Of course we know the meaning of Jesus.” I am not prepared to say who is correct. I am willing to stake our ministry here on the conversation. Our Wednesday WOW Conversation people and our Sunday morning Engage people are considering the possibilities of connecting their explorations. What do the meanings of Jesus have to say about some of the issues looked at in Engage? What do some of the issues say about the meanings of Jesus, as explored on Wednesday? We don’t yet know how to do this. Some will have to come on Wednesday. Some will have to come on Sunday. Some will probably have to come both times. The outcome, exploring awe, wonder and issues could probably deepen our faith.

How we might respond

This sermon ends with four questions for all of us:

1. Will you teach our children in Sunday School once a month?

2. Will you work in our thrift shop once a month?

3. Will you come to our WOW Conversations at 6:30 p.m. We offer soup and bread.

4. Will you come to Engage on Sunday mornings at 11:45. We are done by 12:30 p.m. and you can head for home.

Jesus took the child in his arms and welcomed the child As we do the same, the same embrace is offered to us.