We do not find God; God finds us.
September 26, 1993
Year A, Proper 21
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Smithfield, NC 27577
Lessons: Ezek 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm 25:1-4
Phil 2:1-13
Matthew 21:28-32
“We do not find God; God finds us.”
DISTANT FIRE by Martin Bell, Page 86.
The Collect for this Sunday conveys a particularly important point to us. We often say these collects or prayers and hear them read by clergy or lay readers but rarely do we dwell on them, preach about them, or even give them a second thought. Listen again to the Collect for this Sunday: “O God, you declare your almightily power chiefly in showing mercy and pity: Grant us the fullness of your grace, that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure….”
The collect blatantly states that God’s almighty power is most obvious and visible when God chooses to exercise mercy and pity, and that “…the supreme demonstration of God’s power is shown not in creation and providence, but in His redemptive love and mercy.” (Hatchett’s Commentary on the American Prayer Book, page 193) G. K. Chesterton had an interesting comment concerning mercy; Chesterton said, “Children are innocent and love justice, while adults are wicked and prefer mercy.” Nevertheless, our God is a God of mercy. There is that great line in Daniel, Chapter 9, Verse 19b: “Relying not on our upright deeds but on your great mercy, we pour out our plea to you.” The evidence abounds regarding this aspect of God and even if it does sound a bit self-serving as Chesterton implies, our God is full of mercy and loving-kindness. The psalmist says 26 times in psalm 136, “For His mercy endure forever.”
Continuing, the collect says, “Grant us the fullness of your grace, Here we ask for something which is always available. Billy Graham says about grace, “Grace is not sought, nor bought, nor wrought. It is a free gift of Almighty God to needy mankind.” The collect then explains why we need grace, “…that we, running to obtain your promises, may become partakers of your heavenly treasure… We are indeed running, always running, in a world of runners and seekers, after what we think are God’s promises. We live in a world where many see and believe in a God who promises fame, fortune, health, peace, prosperity, power, and temporal salvation, and so we run after these promises. Oh, Lord, do we run! We trample each other, even our own families, running after these promises, we do not need God’s grace to assist in the running, and most of us are quite good enough at that. Rather we need God’s grace to stop running, to “…become partakers of God’s heavenly treasure.”
“We do not find God; God finds us,” says Martin Bell
The treasure, God’s heavenly treasure is all around us. We need not run after it. The things most of us routinely seek are not the treasure; the treasure is that which God Freely gives us. We only need to become partakers not runners.
Where is the treasure? What is the treasure? Who is the treasure?
What is the treasure? A smile, a tear, a laugh, a sigh, a hug, and embrace, a quiet squeeze of the hand, a glance, a dream, and idea, a song, a poem. A gentle breeze, a warm summer rain, a snowflake, a prayer, and an unexpected phone call; make your own list.
Who is treasure? A son, a mother, a friend, a godchild, a stranger, a priest, a teacher, a homeless person, an abused child, a prisoner, an addict, a victim of crime, a widow, anyone who either needs or shares a smile, a laugh, a sigh, a hug, an embrace, a quiet squeeze of the hand a glance, a dream, an idea, a song, a poem, a gentle breeze, a warm summer rain, a snowflake, a prayer, or unexpected phone call.
“We do not find God; God finds us,” Martin Bell reminds us.
Some of you may know that part of my Deacon Training Program involves a special servant ministry away from the Parish. My servant ministry has been at the Day By Day Treatment Center in Selma. I conduct seminars there on Spirituality, Family Violence, and Relationships. On Sunday mornings I, along with John Causey, Johnny Phillips, and Frank Grubbs, rotate conducting a workshop service at the center.
About a month ago, after the Sunday morning workshop, a woman asked if she could stay and talk with me. I, of course said yes, and she immediately began crying and telling me that she didn’t think she would ever be able to resist drugs and that she wanted to commit suicide.
I really wasn’t ready for this burden. I was also in a rush to get back here to St. Paul’s; I had to do the adult Sunday school and sermon on that Sunday. I decided to divert the discussion away from suicide. That sounded like it might turn into a rather lengthy talk, so I asked if she had children. Still sobbing, she said she had a five year old boy. She then related to me that her five year old son had called the previous day and had told her that, if he had enough money, he would come to Selma and take her home with him.
He thought she was in jail and that he could buy her out if only he had the money. When she finished telling me about her son’s call, she immediately went back to why she had lost hope and why she felt she wanted to kill herself. I remembered Martin Bell’s quote, “We don’t find God, God Finds us.” Her son’s phone call was God calling. Over the next few days, this woman came to appreciate that she had a lot to live for, specifically the angel of God who had called her and told her in his own way how much he loved her and needed her.
“We do not find God, God finds us,” proclaims Martin Bell
What does this statement portend for us, here in the comfortable surroundings of family, friends, and the fellowship of St. Paul’s church? It may mean that God offers and shows us examples of mercy and love daily, hourly, if we will just recognize them. We only need to be “partakers of His heavenly treasure.”
My prayer for all of us, as we begin the search for an interim and ultimately for a permanent minister, is that we will remain open and sensitive to God’s love and mercy, that we will be able to recognize and appreciate God’s love and mercy, and finally that we will heed the words of Paul in today’s Epistle lesson:
“So if in Christ there is anything that will move you, any incentive in love, any fellowship in the Spirit, and warmth or sympathy – I appeal to you, make my joy complete by being of a single mind, one in love, one in heart and one in mind. Nothing is to done out of jealousy or vanity; instead, out of humility of mind everyone should give preference to others, everyone pursuing not selfish interests but those of others. Make your own, the mind of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:1-5
“We do not find God: God finds us,” Martin Bell reminds us.
Amen