Sermon for June 11, 2006I’m Just An Old Chunk Of Coal6th in a series on Spirituality and The Arts By Rev. Dr. Harvey C. Martz |
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Scripture: John 3:1-5 from the Good News Translation 1 There was a Jewish leader named Nicodemus, who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. 2 One night he went to Jesus and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher sent by God. No one could perform the miracles you are doing unless God were with him." 3 Jesus answered, "I am telling you the truth: no one can see the Kingdom of God without being born again." 4 "How can a grown man be born again?" Nicodemus asked. "He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!" 5 "I am telling you the truth," replied Jesus, "that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. The reading we just heard from the gospel of John is just one of so many times that the Bible tells us about being changed by God, leaving one chapter of life behind and starting in a new direction, taking a new and sometimes risky step of faith. Can you think of people in the Bible who were changed and transformed by God? We are in the second Sunday of the Pentecost season marking the time when the Christina movement began fifty days after Easter, and do you remember who it was who told the crowds about the risen Christ and invited people to join the movement? It was that brash, loudmouth, braggart of a disciple named Peter. Peter had told Jesus that even if all his other friends ran away and deserted Jesus in his time of trial, that he, Peter, never would do that—but of course he did and was profoundly ashamed and humiliated and disgraced. But he has been forgiven now and he is the preacher who persuades 3000 people to be baptized on the day of Pentecost. We could think about Moses, the murderer, who can’t talk very well and who wants God to excuse him from doing anything like approaching the pharaoh to free the Israelite slaves, but God brings about a change and a transformation in Moses. There are many others you can think about together at lunch today. The theme for the morning is change and new life and God bringing something new and good out of what is sometimes the wreckage of our lives. It does not always have to be that dramatic but those are the stories we remember. The song we are using to lift up this theme has been popularized by Johnny Cash and Cash’s life was one example of God being at work to save the good gifts that were in Johnny Cash and to bring him through his battle with drugs time after time. Many of you have seen the movie “Walk the Line” and it gives us a part of the journey through addictions that Johnny Cash experienced. The real story is even more heart wrenching: the film implies that at the end of that film Cash had no more struggles with drugs, but he did. And the film seems to downplay his faith and how that faith and his involvement in church pulled him out of the ditch several times. The song we will hear in a moment tells about God working with persons who are old chunks of coal and transforming us into diamonds—and we need to remember how diamonds are formed: through pressure and hardship. While Johnny Cash’s life is one example of how God brings us through the valley of the shadows and makes something good out of the messes we make, the composer of the song is another living example of the difference faith can make. Unless you are a country music fan, you have probably never heard of Billy Joe Shaver. And by the way, do you know what sort of music is most popular in America? It is country music. Most people say that is what they listen to and only three per cent of our citizens say they listen to classical music. Even if you listen to country, Billy Joe Shaver’s name will be new to you, but he is not new to the best known country artists, particularly the “outlaw” singers like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings. Willie Nelson called Shaver the best song writer ever to come out of Texas. Waylon Jennings recorded an album made up almost entirely of Shaver songs. Shaver’s music has been recorded by Kris Kristofferson as well as by Elvis, the Allman Brothers and Tom T. Hall. Shaver was born in Corsicana, Texas and was raised by his grandparents. They were poor and he grew up picking cotton and writing poetry. He aspired to go to Nashville and be a successful song writer. The journey was long and difficult and like Johnny Cash’s life, was punctuated by bouts with alcohol and drug abuse. He divorced and remarried his wife twice. His son became an accomplished musician and then died of a drug overdose. Shaver has experienced a heart attack on stage while performing and has had a triple bypass operation. In one of the valleys of his life Billy Joe Shaver was suicidal and found himself one night at the edge of a cliff about to hurl himself off. He had had a vision of Christ where Christ was causing him to take a hard look at his life and to make some changes. There at the lip of the cliff Billy Joe Shaver had a conversion experience, dedicated himself and his music to Christ, and on the way down from there began to compose in his mind the song we will hear shortly. “I’m just an old chunk of coal—but I’m gonna be a diamond some day. I’m gonna kneel and pray every day—lest I become lame along the way.” Now he knows who the source of his new life is and he ends most of his concerts with a song he wrote entitled “You Just Can’t Beat Jesus Christ”, and he says very openly, “I thank Jesus Christ every chance I get.” In 2002 Shaver was recognized by the Americana Music Awards ceremony and given the first lifetime achievement award for songwriting. The Christian message is about new life and new direction and transformation and turning more fully toward God. That story has some drama in it but most of our stories are not so dramatic. Most of our stories are about taking risks, new steps, moving across the threshold from one chapter of life to another in faith that God will sustain us and walk with us and see us through. Our Holy Pretzel Youth Choir leaves this morning for a several thousand mile choir tour in the Pacific Northwest singing in churches as they often do but also singing in a youth treatment center, a drug and alcohol rehab center, a nursing home. As they were working on the music and theme for this tour, they came up with the theme of “Thresholds”—stepping from one stage of our life into a new chapter, a new stage and facing the uncertainty and risk and danger of leaving our comfort zones and stepping out in faith. As part of their presentations in each venue, the youth and some adult sponsors will talk about times each of them did this—took a risk, tried a new path, left the familiar behind and stepped into the unfamiliar. I read the written versions of their stories this past week and I was not just inspired, I was blown away by the honesty, the vulnerability, the trust that our youth are telling us about. Here are parts of some of their stories: One is from a youth who tells us that his father was just released from prison after 12 ½ years. He is wondering if he will have a relationship with his father, if he will recognize his father, worried about his mixed feelings toward his father. Another youth tells of coming to terms with his obsession with food, particularly junk food. He tells of stuffing his face with food but never satisfying his hunger and then he says, he decided to take charge and take control of his life and start eating less food and healthier food and then losing 60 pounds! He crossed a threshold from one way of life to another. A young woman tells of the dealing with the death of a close friend with a disability and then choosing to continue to be involved in volunteering with kids with disabilities. Another young woman tells of realizing that she does not feel comfortable with the peer group she has gotten involved with and being concerned with their risky and destructive behavior, and she has decided to actually change high schools so she can give herself a new start—crossing that threshold. The Christian story has always been about new beginnings, rebirth, crossing thresholds, leaving a old part of our lives behind and beginning a new direction, a new journey with God. Our communion experience tells us that as we come here to be fed and refreshed and forgiven and sent forth. Our youth musical tour tells us about that as they will begin each of their concerts with these words: “Life brings us second chances… and third, fourth, and fifth chances. And every time we cross a threshold, there is hope for a change that carries us to a new part of life. Our song we are using from Billy Joe Shaver brings that hopeful message as well. Chunk Of Coal (Billy Joe Shaver) Original Lyrics
I'm gonna learn the best way to walk I'm gonna search and find a better way to talk I'm gonna spit and polish my old rough-edged self Til I get rid of every single flaw I'm gonna be the World's best friend I'm gonna go around shaking everybody's hand Hey, I'm gonna be the cotton-pickin' Rage of the Age I'm gonna be a diamond some day
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