LABOR OF LOVE - Sept 7, 2008
Romans 13:8-14; Matthew 18:1-5
The title of this reflection is "A Labor of Love," and yesterday we had a whole crew of people here at the church joining in a true labor of love. We lifted chicken, bagged chicken, delivered chicken, and then got to eat a great lunch featuring, what else -- chicken. We also filled orderes for sushi, with our youth running back and forth from the parking lot pick-up to the church. It was a great day. I want to thank everyone for a job well done, and especially Christel Hepa, who organized us, kept us going, and helped all day.
A poem by Dennis Suenobu, who is from the Hilo United Methodist Church, might express the way we feel today:
AGING
Oh my aching back!
Heavy lifting yesterday,
Makes me feel my years.
Luckily not all's that bad,
Gray hair and wrinkles don't hurt.
I remember my first real job -- I was in high school, and other kids had an after school job, and I thought it would be good for me to have a job, too. Having a little spending money sounded really good. One of my friends parents' owned a bakery, and I found out they were looking for someone to come in after school -- I thought it was a great opportunity. Here was my chance.
So I applied, went for my very first job interview. I had to get permission to take a different bus from school, so it was a great adventure, and I was hired.
I began work, and learned about cream puffs, eclairs, doughnuts, Danish, cookies and bread. One of the great things was if someone wanted bread (whole wheat, rye, french or white bread), and wanted it sliced, we got to put it through the bread slicing machine. It was a set of narrow blades set in a box, we put the bread on top, started the machine, the blades would vibrate and the bread would slide down over the blades and, voila, sliced bread.
I also had to learn how much everything was, and to work the cash register and make change. I remember thinking how expensive the eclairs were at .50 each -- they were fabulous. A delicate shell filled with delicious cream custard with chocolate frosting. One person came in and bought four, for some people she was having over for dinner, and I felt guilty and apologetic for charging her the enormous sum of $2.00!!
That job was during my junior year of high school. I learned that I had to be there at the bakery, even if other after school activities were tempting. I not only learned about breads, cookies and Danish, I learned about customers and my boss, about responsibility and taking pride in my work. I learned that although I enjoyed working in the bakery and that I enjoyed being there, I also valued my school work, and I missed my after school activities. Working in the bakery also gave me a different perspective about the importance of mathematics and chemistry and history -- after all, I had to calculate the prices of all those eclairs.
That job in the bakery sent me off to college with both a sense of pride in my work, and the realization that although I could do an after school job, I certainly needed more training, more information, more skills before I found what I was really good at, and what I wanted to be my life's work.
From the very earliest verses of the Bible, in Genesis, God has sent us out of the garden of our homes and the relative safety and security of our homes, schools and universities to labor in the fields of farms and factories; we have been driven into bakeries and banana, sugar and pineapple plantations. We have left the safety of small towns for cities and state and national houses of governments. And we have left our home schools only to return to schools and universities as teachers and administrators. God has sent us into the military, to serve our countries.
Yes, from the very earliest history we have been driven forth to labor in many different jobs and professions. As society and cultures change, the variety and complexity of our labor has evolved and changed, and challenged us daily.
Even as we celebrate our ability to labor, and the fruits of our labor, we wonder at Jesus' words to the disciples: grown men, fishermen who were strong, and who worked with their hands: "Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."
But, we say, we've worked to become adults, taking our places in society. We've worked to become strong, to have knowledge, to take our place in businesses, as teachers, in service jobs in politics and in the military, and in the myriad of workplaces and jobs available. We want to do well, and usually we are rewarded for being first. Of course we want to know who will be first -- who is the best disciple, who understands Jesus the best, and who is the favorite.
But then Jesus clarifies what he means, and says, "Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me." And by the way, don't be a stumbling block to them, either.
Ah, it's about humility, and acceptance. It doesn't mean that we don't grow up. Actually, Jesus doesn't give us much wiggle room when it comes to getting out of our responsibilities. He seems to know where we need to grow and change.
So it might help to remember our first jobs, and the experience of waiting on customers from behind the counter of a small town bakery, or making our first deliveries, or serving our first hamburgers. If we can remember the excitement, and even that little tinge of fear and uncertainty of a new challenge, of wondering if we'll be able to do the job, of having to listen to what other people say and watch what they do, and remember that we are always a team -- then we will remember what Jesus is calling us to do and be and we learn to Labor with Love.
Fred Craddock remembers one Sunday night, sitting in a little rural church. It was a summer meeting, so it was hot, and the window was open beside his pew. The minister was preaching on his favorite text, "Be not the first by whom the new is tried, because a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and it's better to be safe than sorry, because fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
Fred was listening to him drone away when a man came by the church building and stopped by the window and said, "Psst, psst."
Fred said, "What is it? I'm listening to the sermon."
The man said, "Come with me."
Fred said, "Where are you going?"
The man said, "I know where there is a pearl of great price that's more valuable than all the other pearls in the world."
Fred said, "There's no such thing."
The man said, "In fact, where I'm going, there is treasure buried in a field."
Fred said, "You're kidding."
The man said, "Where I'm going, bums are invited to sit down at the king's table."
Fred said, "That's ridiculous."
The man said, "In fact, they give great big parties for prodigals who come home."
Fred said, "That's stupid."
Well, Fred listened to the rest of the sermon and after it was over, he told the preacher about how he was disturbed and that he hoped it didn't upset him during the sermon.
The preacher said, "Who was that?"
Fred said, "I don't know. Telling me all this fancy stuff."
The preacher said, "Well, was he getting anybody?"
And Fred said, "Well, none of our crowd went, but I noticed he had about twelve with him."
And Jesus, talking to the twelve, said, "Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."
May all our labor be a Labor of Love in Jesus' name. Amen.
Pastor Fran
