Foundry UMC DC: Sunday Sermons
Religion & Spirituality:Christianity
A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC October 15, 2017, the second sermon in the series: “I Am Foundry: Voices in Harmony.”
Texts: Romans 12:1-8, Matthew 16:13-20
“Who do people say that I am?” Have you ever consciously stopped to ask yourself that question? If not, think about it for just a minute…who do people say that you are? What do you suppose guides others in their perceptions of you? What guides you in your perceptions of others? Who do people say that I am? is a question of identity and relationship and how it gets answered makes a difference in our lives.
One of the great needs of all humans is to be understood, to be accepted, to be loved just exactly for who we are. The great spiritual writer Henri Nouwen speaks of this as the need to be “fully received” or unconditionally loved.[i] Most of us spend our whole life searching for a person with whom we can risk sharing who we really are, trusting that we might finally be “fully received.”
The journey toward being “fully received” involves a maturing awareness of our own sense of who we are—of our own identity. In other words, part of our spiritual work is to answer the question, “Who do I say that I am?” Who am I? If you desire deep and mutual relationship with anyone, you will need to be able to offer yourself as a gift—just as you will try to receive the other as a gift. If we are to give ourselves to each other in love, we need to know the “self” that we are giving—otherwise, the relationship can get twisted and we lose ourselves instead of finding ourselves in relationship.
I’ve observed that we often depend upon what others say to define our identity. To fulfill societal, religious, parental, or professional expectations of who we are, we may focus on the outward appearances of our lives. Or we may try to make ourselves into something we are not. Reasons for this are many: fear of not being enough; fear of disappointing others; fear of ridicule or rejection. We may get so focused on others’ real or imagined perceptions of us and their expectations of us that we forget that we are more than the perceptions, expectations, or labels that others give us. There is an “I” that is you. And that “I” is who we, at Foundry, want to help you celebrate, nurture, and share. Because you are God’s beloved.
As we continue in our “I Am Foundry: Voices in Harmony” series, today’s focus is on the “I.” Your unique voice is important and encouraged. John Wesley’s “Directions for Singing” that we began exploring last week are, at their core, about inviting and valuing every voice. We read the fourth direction earlier in our worship today. And the first part of that—just as a recap—is: “Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength.” This is a clear invitation to bring yourself fully, to add your voice to the voices of others without fear and with courage. The second part reads, “Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, then when you sung the songs of Satan.” This is simply a reminder to bring yourself as fully and freely to life with God and the church as you do in the other places and communities. Much of what we are working on at Foundry as we lean into our third century, are ways to help you do just that—to help people connect to their true identity as unique, beloved children of God, to create opportunities for each one to connect with God and others in mutuality and trust, and to remove obstacles to full participation in servant leadership and generosity. Foundry exists to care for each “I.” And without each one of us, there is no Foundry; without “I” there is no singing. Every voice, every unique individual, every gift of service, kindness, and money contributes to the song we are called to sing.
I find it fascinating that Jesus asks his disciples this question: Who do people say that I am? Jesus is aware of the ways that people label and pigeonhole according to their expectations, based on their wishes, their half-baked self-awareness, their prejudice, or their preconceived notions. He knows that it is profoundly human to see only in part, to misunderstand and to misjudge. So he is curious: Who do people say that I am? And the responses are that he is John the Baptist or Elijah or Jeremiah or another prophet. And I wonder whether the disciples are being kind by not mentioning the other things that people are probably saying about Jesus—things like “he’s a weirdo” or “a magician,” or “a troublemaker.” But Jesus seems unmoved by what he is hearing (though I imagine he might have been amused), and quickly shifts the question to the disciples themselves. “Yes, yes, that’s what they are saying, but who do YOU, my closest friends, say that I am?” The writer Kathleen Norris talks about how sometimes our words are wiser than we are.[ii] That is, sometimes when we speak out of a place of intuition and spiritual impulse, the words that come out of our mouths have a truth and power that we don’t even fully understand. In response to Jesus’s question, Simon speaks with words that are wiser than he is: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” In that moment, we see that Simon son of Jonah has tapped into one of his gifts, a part of his truest identity: an openness to the wisdom and revelation of God.
Notice what happens in this exchange between Simon and Jesus: Simon sees through all the labels and pre-conceived notions heaped upon Jesus—and names the deepest, truest identity of Jesus. And Jesus does the same for Simon—Jesus gives Simon a new name, a true name, a revelation and affirmation of his identity. The new name was “Peter” which means rock or stone. Jesus names this disciple’s strength, affirms his gift of openness to God’s wisdom and proceeds to place in his hands some hefty authority and responsibility. With gifts always comes responsibility…
We may yearn for a clear and direct word from Jesus telling us or affirming who we are. I imagine many of us would be at least curious to know how God sees us, what gifts God sees in us, what work God has for us and whether our lives as they are today have anything to do with who God knows we are. Some might get a little frustrated that Peter gets such unmitigated direction when we, so often, are unsure... But I would remind us that Simon didn’t get his new name and divine direction while he was just minding his own business. He had responded to the call of Jesus and had given his life to follow and learn and serve according to the Way of Christ. That is to say, if you find yourself wondering what name Jesus would give you, wondering how God sees you, what gifts God discerns in you, maybe you might consider how open you are to Christ, how close you are in relationship, how willing you are to metaphorically add your voice to God’s song, to “put yourself out there” to try to follow the spiritual path of Jesus.
What we learn from Simon Peter today is that, in the midst of living with Jesus—and for us that is through service, participation in faith community, and spiritual practices—we may begin to utter words that are wiser than we are, we may find ourselves connecting with our gifts. Something about journeying with this One who is truly and beautifully human helps us discover the beauty and truth of our own humanity; as we come to know Jesus more deeply and personally, the mystery is that we come to know ourselves more deeply. Think about being in a mutual, loving, trusting relationship with someone…in that relationship you are not diminished—but rather you discover even more of yourself. Being in a close relationship with Christ, the one who loves you perfectly, you will come to know yourself most deeply and fully. It’s like as we gaze upon the light that is Christ, that light shines back upon us enlightening our hearts and minds so that we can see more clearly… So as Jesus the Christ shines upon you, who is revealed? Who does God say that you are?
The answer may very well be something different than who others say that you are. It also may be different than who you say you are. If you look into the mirror and only see your brokenness or past mistakes, if you see a person who has no purpose or direction, if you see a person who is too weak or ill to matter, if you only see a disappointment, if you only see the labels or messages or slurs that others have placed upon you, if you see a person who believes the abuse is deserved, if you see a person who has no gift to offer, then (I will be bold to say) you are not seeing as God sees. While Christ certainly sees our brokenness and our pain, Christ also sees us put together, sees us whole, integrated, and free to live and lift up our voice as who we truly are with courage and confidence. Christ sees beyond all the labels, the masks, the roles we play and knows who we truly are. Christ is the one in whom we are “fully received,” fully known and loved beyond measure. Who do you suppose Christ sees in you? Who does God say that you are?
I don’t know the answer for you, but as you journey with Christ, I believe you will find that you have always known, deep in your center. The trick is clearing away all the layers of labels and expectations, the depression and fear, to see and listen to the voice of Christ within. This is the most important work we are given to do. It is important because God created us to be who we are; and who we truly are is meant to be a gift to others. We have been given gifts…and with gifts come responsibility to use and to share those gifts. God needs you to be who you are; the world needs you to be who you are; Foundry needs you to be who you are. To hear Christ calling your name and to live from that place of deepest truth will not always be easy, but there is a peace and freedom that comes from knowing who calls you and from trusting that, in Christ, you are “fully received.”
Sing lustily and with good courage…lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid…
Let us pray: Loving Jesus, speak to each person here today from deep within; reveal our true identities; and grant us courage to BE who we are, to offer the gift of ourselves fully and freely to one another and to the world, just as you offer yourself to us. Amen.
[i] Henri J. M. Nouwen, The Inner Voice of Love, New York, NY: Doubleday, 1998.
[ii] Kathleen Norris, Amazing Grace, A Vocabulary of Faith, New York, NY: Berkley Pub., 1998.
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free