Sermon at Lethbridge Mennonite Church - October 7, 2007 – Harold Schilk

Title: “What’s in the pot?”

Scripture: Psalm 107: 1-9, Luke 12: 39-48

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- This morning I would like to begin with a story written by that well known author “Anonymous” who in this instance lived sometime during the 16^th century.

- TELL THE STORY OF “STONE SOUP”.....

- This is a wonderful story which talks about sharing and how we might all have enough if only we would open our hearts and resources to each other.

- But for the hungry and those who often do without this is also a story of hope.

- It is a story about how an empty pot became a full pot which nourished, fed and delighted.

- What is the story’s message for us?

- What’s the impact of the story for those of us who do not need to use the ruse of a magical stone?

- What is the story for those of us who begin with a pot of rich savoury broth bubbling and boiling and just waiting for the diced vegetables which we have already prepared?

- What is the story for those of us who begin with a full pot?

- For us it is a very different story.

- Instead of hope perhaps it is a story which reminds of obligation.

- Perhaps it is one which twinges us with a bit of guilt over having so much when there are many with so little......

- Our “Sitz in leben” or where we are situated in life is that which filters all of our perspective.

- This can be ok.

- But let’s face it, our perspective is also limited.

- Here in North America where we tend to be on top of the heap of the world’s living standards it is easy for us to think that the way we perceive life is the way life should be perceived.

- After all it is hard to argue with success and in a global perspective, as far as material abundance goes, we are very successful. 

- So which other opinion matters?

- This past summer I heard a radio program which talked about the medieval European royal court.

- If a person was alive at that time, the king’s court was the place to be.

- It was a place where:

          - Food was in abundance.

                    - Beautiful, well dressed people were in attendance.

                              - Music was played.

- And for entertainment the court jester was always good for a few laughs.

- Hearing about this, the thought occurred to me: aren’t most of us then living like kings and queens?

- True, some have larger kingdoms than others.

- But by and large the fridge at home has chilled food waiting to be zapped or fried or boiled or roasted or simply pared into a nourishing meal.

- The food we eat comes from as far away as the tropics and is available year round.

- Access to daily showers and makeup and scents as well as a closet full of clothes can transform each of us into looking our best without too great a sacrifice.....

- Camping a few weeks ago at Belly River I went out for an early morning bike ride on the highway with my MP3 player buds wedged in my ears as I viewed the weepingly gorgeous scenery of the Rockies.

- Pedalling down the road it stuck me that I had my own minstrels along for the ride as I listened to Steve Bell and later Kim Thiessen singing soothing songs in my ear.

- “With bells on his fingers and ears buds running near his nose he will have music wherever he goes”

- And at home a colour TV and computer monitor offer entertainment whenever I turn on the power bar and power up a device.

- This is a whole lot quicker than summoning and flogging any lack lustre court jester.....

- Yes. We live like kings and queens.

- And whenever we come up to the pot, it is almost always full and we are easily fed.

- So how does having a full pot at the ready affect us?

- This weekend our Thanksgiving celebration will likely be a fine time of consuming.

- But as we already consume so much our consumption will likely not stand out in as much contrast for us had we a more acute sense of not having so much.

- Imagine the joy of the traveller and that of the people when they saw the seeming miracle of a simple pot of water and a stone transform into a broth worthy of kings and queens.

- Contrast is important.

- And for us in North America we need to try to achieve a greater contrast and deeper perspective in our lives.

- For in the sea of our abundance we are increasingly becoming self obsessed. Just ask Lindsay, Paris or Brittany (they know... or maybe not).

- I really enjoyed meeting Mariella Hinojosa from Bolivia this year.

- As she pointed out at our church picnic in Pavan Park, while we North Americans have much to offer the world informationally and materially -- there is much which we can receive from our poorer Christian brothers and sisters world wide on a spiritual level.

- For Christianity has so much to say to those who are in a hungering relationship with the one God who can provide in ways more different than any of us can ever imagine.

- We all have hunger. Some physical, some relational, some spiritual.

- And it is that hunger which gives us an edge and keeps us searching – ultimately for God.

- Years ago I remember meeting some Cambodian pastors who were trying to reach out to some of their country people who had immigrated to Toronto.

- They said that they were having a really hard time with it for whenever they talked to people about God the reply they often got was: “Why do we need God? Look at us: we have food, clothing, cars and all that we could possibly need. We are well cared for -- why do we need God?

- ...So how are we to approach the full pots which we will encounter this weekend?

- Will it be with more of the same?

- Or can we – especially since it is the world wide communion Sunday weekend – give some thought as to what we might do with the ingredients we find in the pot?

- Are they the most nourishing ingredients?

- Might we share some of it with someone we normally wouldn’t?

- Might we want to take out some of the ingredients we’ve put in and strive for a simpler flavour? 

- Or would it be best to dispense with the whole meal (by giving it away or pouring it out) so that we can face hunger afresh and begin to be conscious of each ingredient God sends our way?

- A true heart of thanksgiving and a full awareness of being a world wide church – happens when we can gain perspective:

          - of having and not having

- of being surrounded by friends and family but also by taking in someone outside of our kin.

- of swinging to the steady cacophony of noise but also in quieting ourselves in silence.

- May God bless each one of you my dear Kings and Queens – with the richest and with also the most humblest of His great blessings this Thanksgiving weekend..

- Amen.