Sermon No. 2

Saints With Dirty Feet

Most of Caravaggio's paintings were commissioned by the church. One of them, St. Matthew standing at a desk writing his version of the Gospel, was rejected. Why? Because they objected to his dirty feet! There was apparently no room in the church for saints with dirty feet.

Two weeks ago I talked about the washing of each others' feet before communion. Maybe that's why we ceased the practice -- we don't want to wash anyone's dirty feet! Or maybe we don't want anyone to see our dirty feet!

Is there room in our church for saints with dirty feet? The truth is that every saint has dirty feet! There is no way to be a Christian Christian without getting dirty feet.

Jesus said, "Go into the world and preach the Gospel. Share the good news." That cannot be accomplished without getting your feet dirty.

The "good news" is not theological polemics, not prayer before stained glass windows, not having your name on a church role. Jesus made very clear, both by his life and his teaching, that good news is servanthood, doing, if you please!

Saint Francis said to one of the brothers in the monastery, "Let's go preach today." The young man was excited. They began to walk about the city, helping a woman gather wood, then helping a man gather grain, a child learn his lesson, helping with menial tasks wherever they went.

Late in the day, the young man asked, "When are we going to preach?"

Francis answered, "Why, my dear brother, we have been preaching all day."

Bishop Tucker of Uganda was an artist. One day he was painting a picture of a woman he saw on the street, a thinly clad woman holding her baby close, a homeless and hopeless soul wandering aimlessly.

Suddenly he threw down his brush and said, "I cannot simply paint such a scene. I must help such people. He became a missionary, a saint with dirty feet.

More than a century ago, a London newspaper carried this ad:

"Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success."

It was signed by famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and thousands responded.

A book I know implicitly contains this ad: "Men and women wanted for thankless work. Must carry a cross, deny self, walk a narrow road, share all personal belongings with anyone who wants them, face the future without fear, even without specific plans. Dreary days and weary nights very probable. Honor and recognition in case of success." Many have responded.

In a kitchen, above the stove, is this motto: "Divine service is conducted here three times a day."

There is a story of a monk who prayed that God would grant him marks on his hands and feet like those of Jesus. That night he had a vision of Jesus with marks, not on his hands and feet, but on his shoulder. That was the mark of service. "Take up your cross . . ."

Spurgeon said, "There will be no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers on earth."

Saints rarely achieve fame on this earth. Rock stars are famous, even when their tombstones are etched in acid. Movie stars are famous, especially for their anomalies. Sports figures are famous, particularly for their ability to fight and abuse their bodies with drugs. Ministers are famous if they abuse or exploit others sexually.

Few saints are famous, except for maybe Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Norman Vincent Peale.

That is precisely the point -- saints, real saints (Christian Christians) do what is right just because it is right. Jesus made very clear that our good works are for the sake of serving others, not for the purpose of fame.

Jesus said "when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, . . . and when you pray, go into your room, close the door . . ." (Matthew 6)

Saints do what is right because it is right. Saints serve those who are in need, whatever the need is. Saints pray in faith and expectation.

Saints get dirty feet! Saints may or may not have ability, but they always have availability. "Dear God, your will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else." Richard Baxter, famous English saint who preached like a dying man to dying men, prayed, "Lord, what thou wilt, where thou wilt, when thou wilt."

One of the most vivid memories of my 15 years at Cass Methodist Church is Rev. Lew Redmond's often quoting his favorite verse, Romans 8:28: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

That is not to say that God manipulates all things. Surely not everything we do is God's will or God's way, God's plan or God's purpose. But God will turn even our blunders to our benefit if we let him.

All things will work together "for the good of those who love him," so the challenge is for us to love God supremely.

To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge; to find the will of God is the greatest discovery; to do the will of God is the greatest achievement.

The divine characteristic of all saints, besides having dirty feet, is that they trust, they have faith and assurance.
Another characteristic of saints is single-minded dedication to Christ and the principles of his kingdom.

When a committee of ministers was considering the possibility of calling Dwight L. Moody to conduct evangelistic meetings in their city, one minister who was not in favor asked, "Why Moody? Does Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?"

After a period of silence, an older minister who knew Moody said, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Moody."

Spirit-filled Servanthood is the challenge of Jesus Christ, and the mark of a Christian Christian.

Wilhelmina became Queen of Holland at the age of 10, a happy little girl. The royal procession went thru the streets and thousands of loyal subjects cheered their new queen.

She looked up at her mother and said, "Mama, do all those people belong to me?"

Her mother answered, "No, my dear, you belong to all those people."

William Least Heat Moon wrote Blue Highways. He lost his job and his wife the same day, and set out to "find himself" on America's narrow roads. He discovered "empty people full of themselves" and "21-year old men of all ages," but he couldn't seem to find himself.

As he concluded his wanderings he said he hadn't learned what he wanted to know because he hadn't known what he wanted to know. But he did learn what he didn't know he wanted to know. He started his journey empty . . . and ended it empty. He discovered America, but not himself.

Maybe he was looking in the wrong places, or maybe he was looking with the wrong attitude. One doesn't find himself trying to satisfy himself. One only finds himself when trying to serve others. Happiness is a serendipity.

That is the enigma, the ultimate paradox: "heaven" is a serendipity, won only when one is looking for something else. "Happiness is not a destination, but a journey," reads the bumper sticker.

When Jesus told his followers they must "eat the bread" of life they found it a "hard saying" and many who had been following him followed no more.

The Greek word for "hard" is skleros (sklhroz) and does not mean hard to understand, but hard to accept. When Jesus says, "Return good for evil" that is one thing. But when someone insults you or ignores you or slanders you -- well, that's another story! No wonder they found it "hard" to take!

When Jesus says, "Do not lay up treasure for the future" it seems quite clear that he means to live by faith. But to do that in real life is quite another matter.
Of course, whatever we don't want to accept, we explain away. We rationalize whatever we understand but don't want to do. It is amazing how far we go to side-step the moral demands of the Christ we worship.

The fine line between rationalizing and exercising good stewardship is that difficult line which separates the Christian Christian from the "groupie," the Christian Christian from the nominal church-goer.

As I watched and listened to the reports of Woodstock '94, I wondered how many "Christians" are like those people who were sloshing around in the mud, "doing their thing," just going along with the crowd.

A Baptist minister told me this story: A deacon was very poor, and could not afford a new suit. So the elders got together and bought him a new suit. Then they didn't see him any more. Finally a delegation called on him. "Did the suit fit? Was he happy with it?"

"O yes, it fits fine. And I really look good in it, so good I have joined the Episcopal church!"

Maybe belonging to a Christian church is just "the thing to do." Some time ago a family left us to join another church. One person who knows them well, and knows the other church well, told me that a promotion to a more prestigious position seemed to mandate membership in a more prestigious church!

Dear saints, I hope and pray that we never become so prestigious in the common sense of that word that we lose the sense of mission.

Jesus said, "The life-giving power is the Spirit; the flesh is of no help. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life."

If you want to truly exclaim "This is the life" you need to know Jesus.

If you want to really "live more abundantly" you need to accept the teachings of Jesus. Someone said, "All things are trivial if they exist for nothing beyond themselves."

Jesus talked of eating him, I think, to indicate the ingestion of his way of life. Eating was, and still is, more than just taking in food. It is a social exercise and involves relationships. We eat together more to socialize than just to feed our bodies.

Of course, we can't live without eating. We can't "live more abundantly" without feeding our souls. The banquet at which we feed our souls involves not so much a theological debate as moral decisions. Priorities. "Seek first the Kingdom."

God grant us the determination to seek his way, do his will, live his life . . . and ultimately share his kingdom.

Let us pray . . .



		Saints With Dirty Feet
		Most of Caravaggio's paintings were commissioned by the church. One of them, St. Matthew standing at a desk writing his version of the Gospel, was rejected. Why? Because they objected to his dirty feet! There was apparently no room in the church for saints with dirty feet. Two weeks ago I talked about the washing of each others' feet before communion. Maybe that's why we ceased the practice -- we don't want to wash anyone's dirty feet! Or maybe we don't want anyone to see our dirty feet! Is there room in our church for saints with dirty feet? The truth is that every saint has dirty feet! There is no way to be a Christian Christian without getting dirty feet. Jesus said, "Go into the world and preach the Gospel. Share the good news." That cannot be accomplished without getting your feet dirty. The "good news" is not theological polemics, not prayer before stained glass windows, not having your name on a church role. Jesus made very clear, both by his life and his teaching, that good news is servanthood, doing, if you please! Saint Francis said to one of the brothers in the monastery, "Let's go preach today." The young man was excited. They began to walk about the city, helping a woman gather wood, then helping a man gather grain, a child learn his lesson, helping with menial tasks wherever they went. Late in the day, the young man asked, "When are we going to preach?" Francis answered, "Why, my dear brother, we have been preaching all day." Bishop Tucker of Uganda was an artist. One day he was painting a picture of a woman he saw on the street, a thinly clad woman holding her baby close, a homeless and hopeless soul wandering aimlessly. Suddenly he threw down his brush and said, "I cannot simply paint such a scene. I must help such people. He became a missionary, a saint with dirty feet. More than a century ago, a London newspaper carried this ad: "Men wanted for hazardous journey, small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success." It was signed by famous Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton, and thousands responded. A book I know implicitly contains this ad: "Men and women wanted for thankless work. Must carry a cross, deny self, walk a narrow road, share all personal belongings with anyone who wants them, face the future without fear, even without specific plans. Dreary days and weary nights very probable. Honor and recognition in case of success." Many have responded. In a kitchen, above the stove, is this motto: "Divine service is conducted here three times a day." There is a story of a monk who prayed that God would grant him marks on his hands and feet like those of Jesus. That night he had a vision of Jesus with marks, not on his hands and feet, but on his shoulder. That was the mark of service. "Take up your cross . . ." Spurgeon said, "There will be no crown-wearers in heaven who were not cross-bearers on earth." Saints rarely achieve fame on this earth. Rock stars are famous, even when their tombstones are etched in acid. Movie stars are famous, especially for their anomalies. Sports figures are famous, particularly for their ability to fight and abuse their bodies with drugs. Ministers are famous if they abuse or exploit others sexually. Few saints are famous, except for maybe Billy Graham, Mother Teresa and Norman Vincent Peale. That is precisely the point -- saints, real saints (Christian Christians) do what is right just because it is right. Jesus made very clear that our good works are for the sake of serving others, not for the purpose of fame. Jesus said "when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, . . . and when you pray, go into your room, close the door . . ." (Matthew 6) Saints do what is right because it is right. Saints serve those who are in need, whatever the need is. Saints pray in faith and expectation. Saints get dirty feet! Saints may or may not have ability, but they always have availability. "Dear God, your will: nothing more, nothing less, nothing else." Richard Baxter, famous English saint who preached like a dying man to dying men, prayed, "Lord, what thou wilt, where thou wilt, when thou wilt." One of the most vivid memories of my 15 years at Cass Methodist Church is Rev. Lew Redmond's often quoting his favorite verse, Romans 8:28: "We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." That is not to say that God manipulates all things. Surely not everything we do is God's will or God's way, God's plan or God's purpose. But God will turn even our blunders to our benefit if we let him. All things will work together "for the good of those who love him," so the challenge is for us to love God supremely. To know the will of God is the greatest knowledge; to find the will of God is the greatest discovery; to do the will of God is the greatest achievement. The divine characteristic of all saints, besides having dirty feet, is that they trust, they have faith and assurance. Another characteristic of saints is single-minded dedication to Christ and the principles of his kingdom. When a committee of ministers was considering the possibility of calling Dwight L. Moody to conduct evangelistic meetings in their city, one minister who was not in favor asked, "Why Moody? Does Moody have a monopoly on the Holy Spirit?" After a period of silence, an older minister who knew Moody said, "No, but the Holy Spirit has a monopoly on Moody." Spirit-filled Servanthood is the challenge of Jesus Christ, and the mark of a Christian Christian. Wilhelmina became Queen of Holland at the age of 10, a happy little girl. The royal procession went thru the streets and thousands of loyal subjects cheered their new queen. She looked up at her mother and said, "Mama, do all those people belong to me?" Her mother answered, "No, my dear, you belong to all those people." William Least Heat Moon wrote Blue Highways. He lost his job and his wife the same day, and set out to "find himself" on America's narrow roads. He discovered "empty people full of themselves" and "21-year old men of all ages," but he couldn't seem to find himself. As he concluded his wanderings he said he hadn't learned what he wanted to know because he hadn't known what he wanted to know. But he did learn what he didn't know he wanted to know. He started his journey empty . . . and ended it empty. He discovered America, but not himself. Maybe he was looking in the wrong places, or maybe he was looking with the wrong attitude. One doesn't find himself trying to satisfy himself. One only finds himself when trying to serve others. Happiness is a serendipity. That is the enigma, the ultimate paradox: "heaven" is a serendipity, won only when one is looking for something else. "Happiness is not a destination, but a journey," reads the bumper sticker. When Jesus told his followers they must "eat the bread" of life they found it a "hard saying" and many who had been following him followed no more. The Greek word for "hard" is skleros (sklhroz) and does not mean hard to understand, but hard to accept. When Jesus says, "Return good for evil" that is one thing. But when someone insults you or ignores you or slanders you -- well, that's another story! No wonder they found it "hard" to take! When Jesus says, "Do not lay up treasure for the future" it seems quite clear that he means to live by faith. But to do that in real life is quite another matter. Of course, whatever we don't want to accept, we explain away. We rationalize whatever we understand but don't want to do. It is amazing how far we go to side-step the moral demands of the Christ we worship. The fine line between rationalizing and exercising good stewardship is that difficult line which separates the Christian Christian from the "groupie," the Christian Christian from the nominal church-goer. As I watched and listened to the reports of Woodstock '94, I wondered how many "Christians" are like those people who were sloshing around in the mud, "doing their thing," just going along with the crowd. A Baptist minister told me this story: A deacon was very poor, and could not afford a new suit. So the elders got together and bought him a new suit. Then they didn't see him any more. Finally a delegation called on him. "Did the suit fit? Was he happy with it?" "O yes, it fits fine. And I really look good in it, so good I have joined the Episcopal church!" Maybe belonging to a Christian church is just "the thing to do." Some time ago a family left us to join another church. One person who knows them well, and knows the other church well, told me that a promotion to a more prestigious position seemed to mandate membership in a more prestigious church! Dear saints, I hope and pray that we never become so prestigious in the common sense of that word that we lose the sense of mission. Jesus said, "The life-giving power is the Spirit; the flesh is of no help. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life." If you want to truly exclaim "This is the life" you need to know Jesus. If you want to really "live more abundantly" you need to accept the teachings of Jesus. Someone said, "All things are trivial if they exist for nothing beyond themselves." Jesus talked of eating him, I think, to indicate the ingestion of his way of life. Eating was, and still is, more than just taking in food. It is a social exercise and involves relationships. We eat together more to socialize than just to feed our bodies. Of course, we can't live without eating. We can't "live more abundantly" without feeding our souls. The banquet at which we feed our souls involves not so much a theological debate as moral decisions. Priorities. "Seek first the Kingdom." God grant us the determination to seek his way, do his will, live his life . . . and ultimately share his kingdom. Let us pray . . .