Who We Are

Eightfifteen Sunday

Sermon by Leslie Choplin
Minister of Christian Formation, St. Paul's Episcopal Church

August 22, 2010 - The 13th Sunday after Pentecost

Listen to the Sermon

Eightfifteen Sunday at St. Paul's
 

Sermon Text

In the Name of the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Sustainer. AMEN!

Anyone who has had the pleasure of spending time on the second floor of the parish house during the week, knows that the workroom can be a cacophony of laughter, loud talking, and a battle over music. Bryan and I spend much of our time in playful banter about who's music gets to be louder or listened to or is better. We are both music freaks. I can't tell you what Bryan uses music for -- other than to annoy me from time to time. However, I can tell you that music is the place I go to for solace, inspiration, motivation, and spiritual insight.

John Mayer is a 30-something American musician who plays fantastic guitar rifts. He is know by much of the teenage population for some of his more, if you will, "bubble gum" pop songs. While my peers know him as the guitar player he is and his tunes that speak about our generation. One of his popular songs speaks about the world today and our seemly apathetic viewpoint toward it. I happen to find great meaning in his song "Waiting on the World to Change."

Take a moment. We're going to listen to the song. You are welcome to sing along if you like.

:: musical interlude ::

Music and lyrics by John Mayer

:: end musical interlude ::

Why do we keep waiting?

It is tough to be a 20- or 30-something in the world today. We are searching for our identity. We are striving to create our place in the world. We are trying to be taken seriously as adults who have something to offer in a world that sees us as entitled children. We stay in college longer, get married later, have children later, and buy a house later than the previous generations. We are the first generation to have been using technological gadgets such as computers, CDs, cell phones, etc. our entire adult lives. While those of us in our 30s are versed in what is and how to use a tape deck, a walkmen, dos computers, the need to pick up the phone if we want communicate with our friends, and a necessity to go to that building called a library for research, we have been more influenced by the high tech gadgets of today than not. For example, we do not know the work world without computers, the internet, or cell phones. Since I was in graduate school right after college, I do not know what the working world was like pre-9/11. I only know it post-9/11 and am certain it feels very different.

Jeremiah was called by God into ministry as a teenager. However in 627 BC, he would certainly have been considered a young adult. Nevertheless, what did this young man have to offer? He was not eloquent in his speech and was young. What makes Jeremiah's call story important enough to include in scripture and in the lectionary? Jeremiah is consecrated -- he is set apart to do this prophetic task. This is the only place where it is said of a prophet -- that they are consecrated. Perhaps it was the fact he came from a line of priests. Perhaps it was the unusual and enormous task of being a prophet for all nations. He would speak to more people than the small groups that would hear him. His influence was far reaching. Of course Jeremiah was resistant to answering God's call. Who wouldn't be? Even when called to smaller tasks, most of us, if we are really honest about it, are resistant to answer the call.

What does it mean that Jeremiah was consecrated for this task? Consecrate literally means "to set aside." Jeremiah was set aside for this task. To this young man it was over-whelming and was not without consequences. For many of the forty years Jeremiah prophesied, he lived in isolation. Nevertheless, Jeremiah was consecrated for and by God - for God's purposes. Like Jeremiah, all of us are "touched" by the Lord - to "change the world". Change sometimes involves waiting, but sometimes it involves speaking whether we think we have to words to say or not. The world I experience now at 32 is very different from the world my parents experienced at 32 or the world our teenagers will experience 16 years from now. Do not let us sit and wait to see how the church and world are going to change. Empower us to be in ministry, engage us where we are, in order that we can help shape the church and world as it will be for the next generation.

Those of us in our 20s and 30s want to be successful. We are team-oriented, loyal, committed and want to be included, but as most people, we want to be invited. Invite us! We care deeply about many issues. We are environmentally aware and concerned with eco-theology. We are helping lead the civil rights issues of today, such as equal marriage rights for the Gay and Lesbian community. We expect our work to be meaningful -- immediately. Those of us in our 30s especially tend to be cynical as we were coming of age facing AIDS, the drug war, rising divorce rates, and economic ups (the late 90s Internet boom) and downs (early 90s recession). We are independent and resourceful and value our freedom -- invite us into a project and let us run with part of it. We are transitory so we may not engage in church the way you expect. My friend Scottie is an active participate in the life of St. Paul's -- she attends the Lenten Preaching series, volunteers at Emmaus Lunch and is part of the core group for the eightfifteen. However, she attends worship on Sunday morning more often at another parish. Does this mean Scottie is not part of the St. Paul's family? Absolutely not, Scottie is as much a part of this community as you or I.

St. Paul's is on the precipice of a large active 20- and 30-something population. There are a number of us here. Engage us. Invite us. Listen to us. Jeremiah said, "Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy." Speaking for myself, I have more than once felt that way -- as a young adult, what do I have to say that will enrich the life of St. Paul's or even more the Church universal? Give us space to use our voice. Give us a place to see what we are capable of. Despite his age, Jeremiah was called to be a prophet; he was consecrated for a task. To all of us in our 20s and 30s, now is the time for us to "rise above", to show that we stand for something; it is time to engage the system to change it from the inside out. We too have been consecrated. We have been called to serve God and God's church. We have been called to live in the world participating in ministry through our vocations, our spirit of volunteerism in the community, our ability to relate to a globalized, pluralistic culture that demands a strong ability to integrate large amounts of information. Even though we are young, we have lots to say. One day our generation is going to rule the population, but let's participate now. Participate in the eightfifteen events. Volunteer to be a youth mentor. Volunteer to teach children's church school or adult bible study. Sign-up to participate in a small covenant group this winter. Attend the mom's dinner's and learn from the older mothers. Participate in the women's retreat or the parish retreat. Attend a downtown adventure. Come to Theology on Tap. Join the discussion about worship. Help to shape the church into what it is becoming.

As only a "boy", Jeremiah was called and consecrated. He answered that call and spent forty years in ministry. God said to him, "go to all I send you," "I am with you." In the final corporate prayer of the service we say "send us forth in the power of your Spirit, that we may proclaim your redeeming love to the world." God is no calling us to wait for the world to change. God is waiting for us to answer the call like Jeremiah did. Let us show the generations before us that we are not waiting for the world to change. Let us step up and step out to change the world and to change the Church.