Sermon prepared for Messiah Lutheran Church, Auburn WA

By Gregory S. Kaurin, pastor

8/3/03

 

Text: John 6:22-35

 

Navigating Thru’ Uncertainty—

Following the Signs

 

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Have any of you ever driven on the east coast—at least the Northeast?  Among other things, I’ve noticed that in the Northeast, they drive one speed.  It doesn’t matter if you’re on the interstate, a rural route, downtown or in a local neighborhood: 55 mph.

 

I’m used to Montanan driving where you go about 15 mph in town, but, as soon as you get on the highway, you press the gas pedal until you can feel the G-force.  I have to tell you that—even though the traffic density here in the Northwest is the worst I’ve ever experienced—this is by far my favorite place to drive.  Like many of you, I can say that as a commuter.

 

For the most part, people drive near the speed limits when they can—or, maybe 8.8 miles over it.  Even in backed up traffic, compared to other places I’ve lived, people seem to sit back a little easier, a bit more accepting.  Maybe we’re more used to unpredictable traffic than others.  I’m not sure, but people seem more at ease with the idea that they will get where they want to go …maybe sooner, maybe later.  That’s not just a complement; take it as advice for living.  We’re going to get where we need to go, maybe sooner, maybe later.  So, sit back, turn up and sing along with radio, and take it in as it comes and goes.

 

Back to the east coast driving, because, to be honest, it’s a little more true to life. The worst time I had of it was in New Jersey, with all those round-abouts—where you’d be trying to get from point A to point B, but it involved getting from Hwy X onto Haberdasher Rd S, and instead of a normal x-type or clover-leaf patterned intersection, you ended up in this tight circle.  You had to know when to be in the outside lane, so that you could quickly dash off to the right onto your road.  And remember, this is all happening at 55 mph!

 

Sure, on the straightway, 55 mph feels incredibly slow to a Montana hick, but then suddenly, in those round-abouts, it was like we were all in the miniaturized Indiana 500 race …with obstacles.  And to top it off, whether on the highway, or in the neighborhood, it seemed that New Jersey planners made a point of planting hedges in front of their road signs, letting you know that you are passing the intersection you want right… right… now!  At 55 mph.

 

That’s how Pauline and I constantly changed our vacation plans.  “Dear, I think you just missed our turn-off for the turnpike to Long Island again!”  “Oh, that’s okay, Sweetie; the North Carolina shore is nicer anyway.”

 

Life’s quite a bit like New Jersey driving.  On the straightaway, it can sometimes feel a bit slow and routine, but then we often get in these circular turnabouts, with intersections and people zooming about us and past us …or just when we’re trying to navigate our the neighborhood of home-life, the signs seem to be planted or hidden so that you don’t realize what it was until you’re already 50 feet past it.

 

Woosh—there went my childhood.  Whoosh—was that time I could have had with Mom and Dad?  Zoom!—look, that was your kid’s first day at kindergarten, and just ahead you’re dropping her off at college.  And wow!…here’s middle age and gray hairs and retirement, and you still haven’t had a chance to really grow up yet.

 

As fast as they come and go, though, signs are helpful along the way, and they do pop up.  Signs are the things we see out here that—when combined with what’s going on in here—they can tell us: this moment is important, take a detour, or this information pertains to you, slow down, now hiring, inquire within.  The job of the sign is to point away from itself and connect you to something you might need to know.  The trick is to filter all the signs you don’t need or want, listen to the ones you do, and then—for good or bad—make a decision as to which sign you’re going to follow.

 

For instance, imagine that you finish high school, with fairly decent grades.  You do have hopes of becoming a teacher.  You’ve been offered a scholarship and some financial aid.  You put this all together, and it might be a sign that it’s time to do what?  Does that tell you exactly where to go?  Is it going to be the same for everyone?  Will there be glitches and obstacles?

 

Or, you get through and receive a bachelor’s degree, and people have told you that you’ve got all the gifts and skills a teacher needs.  The ceremonies are over, all you’re books are in boxes, and your friends have gone off to their different destinations.  Put all this together, and it might be a sign that it’s time to do what?  Will it necessarily work out that way for you?  Are their likely going to be some detours, bumps and engine troubles?

 

Or, how about this one.  You’ve got a pile of bills on the desk after working all day.  You should be doing the dishes.  You feel like taking a nap.  There’s a great ballgame on the TV.  And now, you’re youngest child, or grandchild, suddenly crawls up onto your lap with his favorite book.  Put it all together, it might be a sign that it’s time to do what?

 

Life’s like this…There’s no clear roadmap.  No guaranteed problem-free transportation.  What we have are a bunch of helpful, and not so helpful, signs.  Even if you know where you’re going, there are going to be detours and distractions, and breakdowns.  Even the Christian life.

 

God gives us signs, lots of them and constantly.  He gives us some basic directions, and mixes it all up with all the other voices around us.  He puts us in our bodily vehicles, and then tells us to go find our roads and destinations.  He comes along with us, but he does send us to find our roads. 

 

Along the way, signs are helpful; they are gifts from God, but it is important to constantly remember that they are the signs, not the destinations.  The job of signs is point away or label things; they are not the things that they point to or label.

 

Here’s what I mean.  In today’s lesson, the crowd that Jesus was dealing with was completely confused by the signs.  They were confused about Jesus and his purpose.  He had fed them the day before.  They saw his power; and they saw how Jesus could satisfy them, physically.  He gave them bread, almost from nowhere.  For Jesus, the bread was a sign of something else, something far greater.  For the people, the bread and the power became the objects of their desire.

 

But it wasn’t enough.  In that moment, the Bible says, there was a movement among the people to try to make Jesus their king.  They saw his wisdom, his power, and his ability to physically satisfy their needs, and they wanted to capture this moment, this man and his power.  “With this man in power,” they thought, “We will never be in want again!”  They were trying to harness Jesus to satisfy their own needs.

 

Then he suddenly disappeared on them…but he was too great to let go.  They searched and searched, and found him miraculously in Capernaum.  “Rabbi,” they asked, “How and when did you ever get here?”  This was another sign of his power, but one that confused them.  Why, after providing them food and when they were ready to stand behind him and crown him as their new king, why did he leave them?

 

And Jesus answered them with these strange words, “Truly (Amen) I tell you, the reason you searched so diligently for me is not because you see signs…that point to God, but only because you ate your fill of the bread and fish that I gave you.”

 

For Jesus, even his power, all his miracles were signs of God’s love, and his desire and power to save eternally.  For the people—and for us today—that miraculous power is often the object of desire.  We are often over-looking the simple love of God in our quest for an experience of spiritual power, miracles, or a spiritual high.  These are signs of God, but they are not the objects of our spiritual quest; they are not the goals of faith.

 

Jesus answered that the real work of God is not contained in miracles or the loaves.  These are just signs, temporary symbols of things much more important and eternal.  The real work of God is believing in him, trusting him, with or without loaves and fish, with or without miracles.  Trusting God.

 

We struggle with this.  In Christianity, different miracles, rituals, and gifts have often been put up on pedestals.  Sometimes you have to wonder, is it God that’s being worshipped, or is it the miraculous healing power?  Is it God that’s being worshipped or the ancient liturgy?  Is it God that I’m worshiping and trusting, or some personal spiritual high that I’m trying to get?

 

What Jesus seemed to be saying is that we are to use the signs of God, not as objects to be obtained and captured, but as moments that describe and assure us of a love and power far greater.  The real work of God is not the miracle, but the faith that the miracle can inspire and strengthen, so that we can get past the miracle and signs and start doing the real works of God in normal day-to-day life.  Trusting God, his guidance, and even trusting him with the results of all our own good and bad decisions.

 

It’s so important to hear again and again how he forgives and saves us, cleanses us.  But their comes a time when I have to start trusting those words enough that I begin to realize that my Christianity is more than what forgives and saves me; it’s not just about what God can and has done for me, how God satisfies me.  It’s also about what God wants me to do for others…along the way.

 

What Jesus was telling us is that the most powerful thing we can do, from moment to moment, is just to trust and believe in God, and to trust that we are in his presence.  He will always be with us, and we will be okay.

 

One of biggest errors we make is waiting for or demanding a perfect plan before taking action.  We don’t need it.  Not even for the biggest, hardest decisions.  When done in faith, God will always turn it around.  Maybe not now, maybe not in your lifetime…but God will redeem all actions and decisions made with prayer.  We have got to trust that.  Believe it.

 

I was reading an article about being church leaders.  It was an article that said that church leaders need to embrace the fact that the future is uncertain, but that we need to lead our congregations with both honesty and confidence into that uncertainty.  I got a kick out of this whole picture:  “Hello, people of God!  I’m your pastor.  I haven’t a clue where we’re going, but come follow me into it!”

 

Oh well, I that is exactly the way I drive, anyway, and there is truth to it.  I may have ideas and hopes and even expectations for Messiah Lutheran Church, but I have to be just as quick to say that the goals we make in life, the results, and the paths we take are always shifting and changing.  Nobody ends up exactly where they plan to be.  No one, no family, and certainly no church walks a mapped out path.  All I ask is that we act like a loving family as much as possible and help each other through it (“Don’t make me stop this car!”), and that we’re not here just for our own bellies and spiritual needs, but for those people who aren’t here yet.  We are here for all the people that we are going to start inviting and welcoming into our church.

 

But even in these decisive moments, we need to temper our enthusiasm and ambitions, because, the goals of life, the results, are not as important as the people you lift up, or the ones you hurt along the way.  We do not do Christian mission at all costs.  Christian mission is not found in the measurable signs and goals, or the numerical results.  Christian mission is found in the relationship of one person alongside of another.  One at a time.  One on one.

 

Be certain of that, and let the past fall away forgiven, let the future come on its own.

 

While life rushes by with all kinds of adult responsibilities, we can stop and read a book to a child, because we trust that God’s child is most important.  The most important signs of God are the living ones he places in our path, one by one, one on one.  Amen.

 

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