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I Am What I Am I Corinthians 15:1 – 11; Psalm 138 This is one of the more familiar texts of the letters of Paul. We use this text, these ideas, these concepts whenever we talk about and try to build up community. Some of us know these examples by heart: “if the ear would say because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body, that would not make it any less a part of the body”; or “the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of you, nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.” And yet, we still have such trouble incorporating these truths into our lives. We still get stuck in thinking one way, one portion, one idea is the only way. It took a lay theologian of our congregation to make the association between Paul’s words, “I am what I am,” to that delightful comic precedent of super heroes: Popeye! For years I lived close enough to Chester, Illinois, to at least once participate in their annual Popeye festival. And I certainly have watched enough of his cartoons to be charmed by this bungling character who could turn to the fight for justice when called for. Popeye is a simple man — odd looking — who seems to have sight problems of some sort. But when danger threatens, this lumbering and inept man eats his spinach and suddenly becomes the super hero to save the day, the maiden in distress or the weaker character of the show. Not a bad image to consider next to Paul; the Apostle who certainly had his own set of foibles, intimated some sort of physical malady, and knew his power came from an outside source. It’s that last quality — knowing that power comes from an outside source — that is the focus of today’s sermon. Paul is sharing the incredible message of the resurrection and Gospel, and that’s the story he wants us to remember and pass along to others. As a sidebar, however, he opens up the conversation about why and how he was in the particular position of making this proclamation. He was, as he said, the least of the Apostles. He was unfit to even be called an apostle. He had, after all, been a persecutor of the church before his conversion. Yet, here he was — known all around the Christian world — and with good
reason:
for he was a tireless servant of the Church; prolific in how many new churches he had started; pastoral in the support he gave all the churches he
knew; and challenging in his teaching the importance of unity in the How do we fit ‘call’ — that sense of God needing us to do or be a particular person — with ‘performance’ — the accomplishment or achievement of whatever we do? Paul gives the credit (most of the time) to the grace of God. It is not pure luck, chance, or serendipity. There are numerous factors that may all fit under the umbrella of ‘the grace of God,’ but some are important enough to distinguish, reflect and chew on in order that our own ‘call and performance’ may be strengthened. A year ago we marked the 50th anniversary of an important American event. A little-known woman outside of her own community has been credited with helping initiate a major movement in U.S. history. Her ‘call’ and her ‘performance’ have not always been as well told as could be helpful. On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery city bus to a white man. The ensuing Montgomery Bus Boycott, the elevation of a young Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., into community leadership, and the civil rights movement of this country were set in motion by Mrs. Parks’ decision and action. Although she had no idea what would be forthcoming, this was not chance, luck or serendipity. It could be called the grace of God! Some have painted her story in terms of pity: ‘she was tired or she was old.’ Rosa Parks was 42 years old in 1955 and no more tired than after any other day at work. What she was tired of was the injustice of the oppressive treatment she and other African-Americans had endured. Although she hadn’t determined prior to that early December day that she Rosa Parks was aware of her environment. She knew as a child that school buses took white children to a new school and that black children walked to their old school. She knew the fear of violence because of the times the Ku Klux Klan marched down her street. But Rosa Parks wasn’t satisfied with that environment. She and her husband were active in the NAACP in the 30’s. She finished her high school education at a time when less than seven percent of African-Americans had done so. She persevered and succeeded in registering to vote (on her third try) in a time when that was truly unheard of. In 1943 Rosa Parks became more openly active in her pursuit of justice by serving as an officer of the Montgomery NAACP and later as the advisor of the Youth Council of the NAACP. Dr. King would later say that Mrs. Parks was regarded as one of the finest citizens of Montgomery; not one of the finest negro citizens, but one of the finest citizens of Montgomery. There were other people who had been arrested for refusing to give up their seats. The great athlete, Jackie Robinson, had a similar confrontation in Texas 11 years prior to Rosa Parks'. Eight months before Mrs. Parks’ incident a young woman in Montgomery had a similar confrontation. These did not come together as the force that would change history, however. Another piece to Mrs. Parks’ story that is often not remembered is that in 1943 (12 years prior to the day of her arrest) she was put off a bus. The law in Montgomery stated that bus drivers could choose how to enforce segregation on their buses. The practice had become that most drivers would move their ‘colored section’ signs further and further to the back of the bus as the bus filled with people. One rainy day when the bus driver moved the sign, he told Mrs. Parks she had to exit the bus and re-enter through the back door. Accustomed to doing what she was told, she followed the instruction. However, she dropped her purse in the midst of that incident and sat down in a ‘white’ seat to pick it up. This enraged the bus driver so much that when she exited the bus with the intent of re-entering through the back door she actually had to walk the five miles (in the rain) because the bus driver sped up and did not allow her to re-enter. It was only after her arrest, that Rosa Parks realized the bus driver in the 1943 incident was the same bus driver as the one in 1955. There is layer upon layer in this story. Rosa Parks had lived her life to be ready for the moment on December 1, 1955. Rosa Parks had been aware of her environment; aware of her own strength and faithfulness; and firmly connected to the community which seemed to be ready for that moment of her arrest. All of this can be considered the grace and working of God. The night of her arrest the Women’s Political Council of Alabama State College — the first group to endorse the Montgomery Bus Boycott — stayed up all night to mimeograph 35,000 handbills announcing the boycott. The bBoycott was to last one day, but continued for 381 more days, damaging the bus company’s finances and ultimately lifting the law of segregation on buses. Was Rosa Parks called by God to serve? Yes. Was it luck, chance or some other serendipitous happening that made that day a tipping point for justice? No. Was her performance of the ‘call’ only by the grace of God? If by definition of God’s grace we include attentiveness to and re-working of our call, steadfastness in the work, involvement in and support by a community, then Rosa Parks was chosen for a time and a reason. But, importantly, she answered that call; she prepared for that work; she garnered all that was appropriate and necessary to do what was needed at the precise time. Every child of God has been called and given gifts to perform a special portion of work for God. That performance has little to do with luck or chance, but has much to do with how well we are listening and working, re-shaping the vision, and involving ourselves within community that can influence and support us. That call is fuzzy when we are young – and may be as general as: I need to help others; I want to sing; I hope to teach; I love to read. Then if we listen to and are nurtured by others, the call takes shape. We receive training, education and experience for it. When that work occurs, the one who is called lives the life God hoped and performance serves great purpose in this world. Individually this takes work, and as community we are supposed to be helping each other in the process. Each congregation also has received a call from God, and been given gifts to perform a special portion of God’s need in this world. That performance, as well, has little to do with luck or chance but much to do with listening, working, re-shaping the vision and involving all aspects of the community. The apostle Paul passes off his performance — his good work — as the grace of God (which certainly it was). God’s grace, however, invites our deep participation, our intense perceptions, our savvy work in power management, and our constant involvement with others who are also living under and within the grace of God. I am what I am. We are who we are — by God’s grace! May we be ever more conscious of our calling and the performance in living it out as abundantly as God would desire. SW |
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