Finding the Kingdom in the Ordinary

The Rev. Robert P. Travis

7/27/201

Pentecost 12A RCL Sunday Sermon – 

8 and 10:30am Service, Church of the Ascension, Knoxville TN

Sermon Text:

Here we are in the middle of the Green Season,

what we refer to as Ordinary Time.

You know my daughters state unequivocally that this

is their least favorite of the Church Seasons.

I suppose I should be glad that they even know

the Church Seasons to have a favorite and a least favorite.

This is the season where ordinary things happen,

where there is little of the cosmic drama that we see

in Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent and Easter.

So I can see why for children who are looking for the

next best experience of their lives,

the ordinariness of Ordinary time could seem dull.

N.T. Wright describes the ordinary things we do like this:

“What you do in the present – by painting,

preaching, singing, sewing,

praying, teaching, building hospitals,

digging wells, campaigning for justice,

writing poems, caring for the needy,

loving your neighbor as yourself – will last into God's future.

These activities are not simply ways of making

the present life a little less beastly,

a little more bearable, until the day

when we leave it behind altogether.

They are part of what we may call

building for God's kingdom.”

In the parables today I see a ray of hope,

that Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven

in such ordinary terms.

The Kingdom of heaven is not an acorn,

that grows into a mighty oak tree,

but a mustard seed,

that grows into a bush in the garden.

The Kingdom of heaven is not a powerful additive,

that protects the food of millions of people,

but ordinary yeast, that leavens flour.

The Kingdom of heaven is not a guarded hoard of wealth,

like Fort Knox,

but a forgotten treasure hidden in an ordinary field.

The Kingdom of heaven is not a million dollar string of multiple jewels,

fetching an auction price at Sotheby's,

but a solitary pearl,

that a knowledgeable merchant seeks, finds and buys.

The kingdom of heaven,

is not a vast fleet of fishing boats,

but a single net.

All of these things are simple, ordinary things,

and yet in each of them is great power,

heavenly power,

power to change the course of the entire world,

but also power to be overlooked by many,

who don't seek the extraordinary in the ordinary things of life.

Barbara Brown Taylor writes:

“why else would Jesus talk about heaven

in terms of farmers and fields and women baking bread

and merchants buying and selling things

and fishermen sorting fish,

unless he meant somehow to be telling us

that the kingdom of heaven has to do with these things,

that our treasure is buried not in some exotic far off place

that requires a special map

but that “X” marks the spot right here,

and right now, in all the ordinary people and places

and activities of our lives.”

I think in a way,

that I was looking for the treasure to be buried,

in that exotic far off place called Madagascar.

But when I was there, I found the same ordinary people,

living their lives,

and finding God in the ordinary aspects of those lives.

And when I returned, I found, to my delight,

the same treasure right here,

where I knew I had left it.

And now that my family has been away for a few weeks,

and I have missed them oh so much,

as they spend the summer with cousins out west.

I realize how much of the treasure of that Kingdom,

is found in the daily interactions with the people we love.

So it seems strange to me to say this,

as it is not directly my program,

but I felt moved to talk about the new Adult Sunday School,

in the context of this sermon today.

You see, it is in the sharing of our ordinary lives,

in the context of a small group Christian community,

that many of us will discover that pearl of great price,

that treasure hidden in a field,

that many of us will be caught up in the net

of the kingdom of God.

Your clergy leaders have known this for a long time,

and we have tried in a number of ways to

encourage more of the congregation to be a part

of such groups.

And this new way of doing Adult Sunday School

where we gather into small groups,

lead by peers,

and share weekly our lives of faith,

and our ordinary experiences with each other,

is part of that same effort.

If it weren't significant,

we wouldn't keep being moved by the Spirit,

to build small groups in this parish.

I believe the Spirit is calling us,

leading us into a place

where we can grow into deeper relationship with Jesus Christ,

by sharing our discipleship

with a small group of peers,

like the original core group of the 12 Apostles.

Notice that Jesus' teaching, was in parables,

he taught in these somewhat obscure stories,

to large groups of people,

as we have heard in this large group over the past few weeks.

But then he would explain them

in the small group,

or that would be where the small group of disciples,

would respond “Yes,”

to his question, “Have you understood all this?”

And Jesus responds to that small group,

that those who are trained for the kingdom in this way,

become like, as Eugene Peterson puts it in The Message

“The student well-trained in God's kingdom

is like the owner of a general store

who can put his hands on anything you need,

old or new, exactly when you need it.”

That, I believe, is the hope we have

for these Adult Sunday School groups,

that they will form students well-trained for God's Kingdom,

that they will become a resource

of relationships for all of you,

and a way to learn how to put your hands on anything you need in the Kingdom of God,

and you do that by weekly participation

and sharing your ordinary life with others.

Would you believe, an ordinary motorcycle trip can be a part of building God's Kingdom?

I'm going to share a story from a man who is a member of a church I used to worship at in Florida, that he shared with a small group in his church.

While motorcycling down twisty mountain roads near Franklin, North Carolina, my transmission started slipping. I nursed it for a few miles until I got to a main road. After pulling into a church parking lot, I got out my plethora of tools and opened the primary chain access cover. I could tell something was seriously wrong. When I tried to restart the bike, the engine would not connect to the transmission.

Practicing my spiritual principals, I said the SERENITY PRAYER:

Then I asked GOD for guidance.

Looking around I noticed a gentleman mowing the grounds of the churchyard. I also noticed there was a trailer for his mower attached to his new pickup truck. I walked over to him and explained my problem. He introduced himself as Landy and offered to "trailer" me into Franklin. He even called a local motorcycle shop to advise them we were “coming in.”

During the 10 mile ride into town, Landy, a fit and alert 78 year old man, explained that he was helping his church with the grounds maintenance, because the grounds keeper had cancer. We continued our conversation talking about life: how short it can be and how God is in our lives.

Once we arrived at the motorcycle repair shop, I quickly unloaded my bike, thanked Landy, and offered to pay him for his efforts. Smiling, he refused my offer and wished me good luck before driving off.

I explained to Justin, the owner of the repair shop, the problems I was having with my bike. Justin said, "It sounds like the compensator bolt came loose." He moved my bike into his shop and put it up on the lift. He quickly removed the cover and confirmed the compensator bolt had backed out. Repairs were made in 45 minutes and only cost $100.00. I was ready to RIDE once again!

Just before I left Justin asked me if Landy took any money for the tow. I explained that I tried, but Landy refused. Justin laughed and said, "He is a multi-millionaire!"

This whole problem had only taken two hours out of my day. And I was so thankful for the people that God put into my life. However, I decided not to chance any further problems and headed straight back to Florida cutting my trip short by two days.

My whole excursion covered more than 3,000 miles through Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee. I was really glad to be within 20 miles of home. Suddenly as I was getting off the Florida Turnpike, I saw a Harley-Davidson motorcycle crashed into the guard rail. I stopped and looked for the riders. About three hundred feet away I saw a female sitting alone in the grass. I ran as fast as I could to check on her condition. She had some road rash and complained of her wrist hurting. I asked her if she was riding with anyone. She said, "Yes!" Then I spied a man about 50 feet away. He was lying face down under the guard rail. I went to check on the downed rider. Being the first person to arrive at the scene, I checked the man’s condition. Another person arrived to assist. He called 911 while I checked the victim's pulse. He was alive. JUST BARELY. His body was broken and bleeding beyond description. I held his hand letting him know that his passenger was OK. Then I said a prayer. I let him know that he is not alone; GOD was here with us! Some time passed and then the First Responders started to arrive. I cleared out of the way and made my way back to the female passenger. I let her know that the paramedics were here and that her male riding friend knew she was OK. I slowly walked back to my bike.

My life was forever changed! I knew that God had been with me in the mountains and had sent me to be with this dying man. I experienced His care and witnessed His provision.

That man, Gordon, found his part of God's kingdom

in the ordinary experiences of his life,

a broken transmission,

leading to a helpful hand in a traffic accident.

I know each of you have stories to share,

such experiences of God's provision,

of the Kingdom of God in the ordinary aspects of our lives.

The small groups forming in our new Adult Sunday School,

need you to show up for them,

and be regular in attendence,

so that others may be lifted up by your sharing

how God is present in the ordinary parts of your lives,

That way we all may become better disciples

who truly understand all that Jesus teaches.

Amen