Sunday, October 7, 2007

Sermon: "Small Stones/Big Ripples"

Scripture: Luke 13: 18-21

Reverend Larry Gerber

 
There's nothing static about Cross-Friendly Christians; they create a ripple effect wherever they go. Each church in our conference sent representatives to the Annual Conference. One person from each congregation carried a 4" square of wood that matched the color of the cross in their Sanctuary. In the upper middle of the cross pictured on the bulletin cover today you will find the piece of Conference Cross that represents our church.

Floyd Barcus proudly took our piece of wood to the Conference Altar and placed our part of the cross there with the other 126 churches. During the course of the conference someone took those pieces and inlaid them in the outer cross. Together we created a multi-colored cross. Alone each piece of wood was just that, a piece of wood, but together they formed a cross.

One of my favorite things to do while walking along a deserted stretch of shoreline, is to watch for objects  in the sand to pick up, observe and throw back. As I walk, my eyes automatically scan the beach area for stones. Not just any stones, but the smooth, flat variety that can be sailed out along the surface of the lake, hydroplaning in a bouncing, skipping fashion until only inertia depletion allows them to slip into the water and sink to the bottom.

Sometimes it becomes a game to see how far I can throw the stone, or how many "skips" I can achieve when I toss it. Yet, every time I have this experience, I am fascinated by the rings created by the impact of the stone on the water. They flow out from the point of impact, and theoretically, the effect of that little pebble is felt on the opposite shore no matter how far distant it may be. One small pebble, one tiny change, one very minute difference effects changes in an entire life system.

Call this the "El Nino" effect, if you will. One current of warm water in the Pacific in September can put your car under two feet of snow in March. Weather people call this "pebble in the lake" idea the "butterfly effect." In theory, the air disturbed by the wings of a butterfly can and does change the weather around the world.

The small smooth stones skip further than the larger, heavy ones, thus the small stone has a larger affect on the whole. That is the way it is with people: small acts can, and do, make a larger impact than big splashes. Sure the big events hit the headlines, but then they are gone. The small acts of kindness touch individuals and last a long time as the ripple affect is passed on to others.

There is nothing static about the cross of Jesus Christ; it is dynamic, flowing and continual; it moves us between states of sacred suffering to gracious gladness, between creative wandering and functional stasis, between participative community and energizing solitude.

It was one small cross among many on the Hill of Golgotha. Yet, it was the one who was nailed to it that impacted the world. It wasn't the crowd, it wasn't the King, it wasn't, it wasn't all the soldiers in armor that impacted the world. It was one average sized man with a special love and commitment that changed the world that fateful day.

The butterfly effect--call it what you will--is the very nature of the cross. The cross is not a static, rigid, fixed, clenched fist: it is a pebble in the lake.

In our short scripture today we read about the smallness and insignificance of a mustard seed and a little bit of yeast, yet we know the magnitude of each of their affects when they are allowed to grow.

We are focusing on "Faith in Action" this week, going out in faith and doing some special deed, helping someone, praying for someone, serving someone.

Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is like a mustard seed: the seed Jesus was talking about was the little black seed of the mustard tree, the smallest seed ever sown by a first century farmer in that part of the world. Because of its size the mustard seed was used proverbially for anything that was small and insignificant. Today we would say that someone had a "pea brain". Yet the mustard seed would grow into a large tree, large enough for the birds to roost and nest in it.

The second illustration was "yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough."

So what is the point of these two examples? Jesus wasn't teaching about horticulture or baking. He was revealing a kingdom of God that started with small, insignificant people to grow his faith and his kingdom:

*When God wanted to create a new nation he called on a nomadic man and woman already too old to have children.

*When God wanted to lead his people out of slavery in Egypt, he used a man rejected by his own people.

*When God wanted a king to represent his people, he chose a shepherd boy with a sling shot.

*When Jesus watched people give, he wasn't impressed by the big donors, but by the widow's penny.

*And when God came to earth as a human, he came as a baby born in a stable whose parents seemed poor and insignificant.

We will attempt to track the things you do this week as individuals, as well as committees, friendship groups, and others, just to show ourselves how the ripple affect of one person or small group of people can make a difference. Alone we don't look like much, but together we can change the spirit of our church, our community, our county, our state, the United States, etc?..

Can you name the President of the US? Can you name our Governor? Do you know the chair of the committees in our church? All of this is significant and we could not be who we are without leadership, but the real test comes when we ask these questions:
 

Who was the teacher who aided my journey through school?

Who was the friend that helped me through my most difficult time?

Who taught me something worthwhile that I have carried with me throughout my life?

Most often people who make a difference in our life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones who do the little things with a big heart.

In Mother Teresa's latest writings which were found after her death, she wrote something like: what have I done, what have I changed, has my life been worth living??.?

Yet, it was Mother Teresa who said: "We can do no great things; only small things with great love."

Our little 4" piece of wood looked insignificant until it was connected with the other 125 pieces of wood. The connection made a beautiful cross, a symbol of who we are and what we are about.

Neil Armstrong said:
One small step by a man, one giant leap for mankind"

What do you say?

Remember the movie: "Pay it Forward"? Trevor, played by Haley Joel Osment, is a seventh grader who responds to the call of his social studies teacher to come up with a plan to change the world and act on it. He turns "Pay Back"  on its head to "Pay it Forward" - a plan to help three people who must each help three people and so on until everyone is doing something for someone.

"Trevor explains: "Pay it Forward" works like this" (as he draws on the blackboard) - "That's me. And that's three people. I'm going to help them. Do something big for them that they can't do for themselves. They will do it for three others, that's nine."

Someone else chimes in - that's 27 - it gets big real fast??.

Jesus broke bread and shared with 12. Each of them was commanded to go and do likewise - that's 144.

Remember the stone you were given in January as a symbol of your baptism? That's one. How will you use it? How far will it go? What affect will it have?

Let us break bread together. Together we can - make a difference. On the night he was betrayed Jesus took bread?????.