November 17, 2024

 It has probably been a long time since most of us read the driver’s manual, but my nephew was reading it when I was at my sister’s to visit this summer.  I was looking through it since it lay on the table there and I was hoping to engage my nephew in some conversation about his new prospect of freedom in the form of a car.  The driver’s manual reminded me about being a defensive driver, especially the idea of scanning the road.  Many of us get in our patterns of driving the same places and arrive at our destination hardly remembering the trip, let alone being a defensive driver.  When we’re in our daydream or on automatic, we might not see what is at the next intersection or scan for who could be turning into our lane up ahead.  We might not be prepared for what is coming.

            We get on automatic in our lives, too and forget to scan up ahead and nearby, behind and to the sides.  Sometimes we’re on automatic, taking care of the immediate needs, doing laundry, washing the kitchen counters, feeding the pets, and neglect our other chores.  Last month, the nice days were winding down.  I was out in the yard and I happened to look up.  A little branch was peeking out of the gutter.  The rain was coming and my gutters were full of fir needles and moss.  A couple of days later I was up on the ladder clearing it out.  I had almost forgotten, and then I would be out in this nasty weather trying to do it.  Sometimes I forget to look at my calendar for the day when I get into the office and I forget a meeting or miss an appointment.  It’s so much better to look at the big picture and be prepared.

            We get on automatic in our spiritual lives, too.  We move through on automatic, going to church, going to meetings, doing devotions with our eyes on the road right in front of us.  But it can be really helpful to scan ahead to the bigger picture, the long-term view of what is coming ahead.  Are we ready for what God has in mind, long-term for our world, for our souls, for our church?

            Over the past month two people have reminded of these long-term viewpoints.  One asked for a funeral planning form.  This person is far from death, as far as we know, but what a great idea to jot some ideas down for your service, so that your family and friends aren’t looking at the pastor blankly when she asks you what your mother wanted for music, scripture, and celebrating her life.  I will leave some funeral planning pages on the back table for you, if you would like one.  Fill it out and we can make several copies, or send pictures of it to your family members and they can call you grim, but will actually be grateful they don’t have to guess.

            The second person was a council member who asked if we had tracked giving at Trinity based on age.  This would give us a picture of where the giving is concentrated.  Let’s say for instance that 75% of giving was from those age 75 and over, we might discern that we can’t count on this giving supporting Trinity in 10 years.  Life expectancy is such that we can’t rely on that giving forever.  It might seem like a scary prospect to imagine the state of Trinity in that situation, but in considering it now instead of when it became an emergency could give us time to prepare and different questions to ask than we might otherwise.  Some of us plan to still be here in 10 years, and we’d like to create a plan to prepare for it.

            Today in Jesus’ Gospel reading, Jesus is saying there is something big coming up the road.  Not a stone will be left on stone.  Mark is actually writing this to a community that is standing, looking at the rubble.  He’s saying this isn’t the end.  This is an opportunity.  God is still here.  God is bringing new life.

            Mark writes of Jesus 60 years previous, looking at these huge stones, how his disciples and everyone had been so impressed and believed they would last, and how even they were temporary, not the point.  The Israelite people believed that the temple was the one place where heaven and earth touched, where God and humankind could converse, where sacrifices could be made to make things right.  They were proud of the craftsmanship and the beauty—it helped them in their faith feel connected to their higher power and to each other.  For Jesus’ disciples that the temple would be thrown down was seen as bad news.  For the workers putting so much energy into building that place, it was bad news.  For Israelite Kings trying to impress others, it was bad news that it would be ruined.  But for the people who were being devoured in the making of it, the maintaining of it, it was good news—the widows throwing their last 2 coins in, the workers who inevitably gave their lives moving these large stones in workplace accidents, and people who couldn’t afford to travel to Jerusalem to make their sacrifices, the hungry who could have benefited from the food that was burned upon the altar.  For something to end is bad news from those who are benefiting from it and good news for those harmed by it.

            The reading from Daniel is Apocalyptic Literature.  It is the Hebrew Scripture version of the book of Revelation.  It is and idea of what might be, to spur our imaginations to see God working in very difficult times.  It does talk about terrible things like everlasting shame and contempt, so you get an idea where some Christians are talking about when they talk about end times.  However this is meant as a comfort.  A protector is arising.  The people have a promise of deliverance.  Those who are dead will be raised.  The wise will shine like the stars for all eternity.  That sounds pretty good.  At the time Daniel was written, the Israelites were in exile.  They were in anguish and needed to know this isn’t always how things would be.  They needed to know that the rough road would eventually end, that their destination was close, and it would be better than they hoped.  The Israelites wanted to know that those who hurt them would face consequences and they wouldn’t rule over them forever.  The reading from Daniel is a word of hope.

            The hope is a little more clear in the reading from Hebrews.  After a pretty scathing attack on the priests and pastors (OK I get it!), we are assured that our salvation and joy and hope don’t rest on those messed-up humans.  Instead it rests on Jesus and his love and sacrifice and adoption.  That’s why it is my job and all your all jobs to point to Christ.  We can all be signs pointing to Christ, with our words, but even more by our actions.  I want to be a road sign, showing the way.  Don’t focus on the sign too long or you’ll lose track of what’s on the roadway.  Look up ahead and see Christ, not someone to fear, but someone with open arms, who loves you and is waiting for you, expectantly.

            The reading from Hebrews assures us that it is all taken care of, forever.  Jesus has made the sacrifice.  We can stop obsessing about our sins.  We can stop gripping the steering wheel of life in terror that we might make a mistake.  We can live in hope.  We can move forward with confidence.  We can look at a map, see some of the hopeful destinations Jesus is inviting us to and head there, become better drivers as we gain experience, and encourage others to drive defensively and in hopeful anticipation, too.

            Driving seems like such a solitary experience, unless it’s a road trip.  Do not neglect to meet together.  The support of community when you are hurting or in need is such a big part of the life of faith.  We need each other for encouragement, and for checks and balances, so we stay on track.  Our faith community helps us evaluate our faith journey and challenge ourselves and practice loving people that might not that be that easy to love.  A true friend will help you when you’re lost and point out when you’ve gone the wrong way and help you find your way back.

            In the Gospel, the Disciples are learning to scan ahead a little bit, but when they lift their eyes, all they can see is this large building.  Here is something that looks impressive and lasting.  They are distracted by the Cybertruck in their lane.  They are missing the bigger picture of all the interrelated pieces and those who get left behind, those who are waiting for the bus.

            Jesus situates himself opposite the Temple, in both location and attitude.  He is against institutions that oppress people.  We might think of Jesus sitting at the Plaid Pantry across the street and looking at our church.  What would he see?  Would he be impressed that we painted the tower?  Would he be impressed by all the nice cars outside?  It seems he might have something to say to us about how temporary all this is and how he has a bigger picture in mind for us.  He might encourage us to use these gifts we have to bless those who are hurting and small.  He might encourage us to put our energy and money and time toward his mission of eating with the hungry, loving our enemies, visiting the imprisoned, welcoming the stranger, rejecting idolatry, and dying to sin.  He might tell us to get out of our temporary building and work with the people around us to build a lasting, better world. 

            Jesus has the bigger picture in mind.  Even when we are distracted drivers on the roadway of life, even when we spend money where it won’t last, even when we are impressed by all the wrong things, God is my copilot.  Actually it turns out God is driving the car.  It is like baby Maggie Simpson in the Simpson’s opening credits.  It looks like she is doing the driving, but as the camera zooms out, Marge is driving, and Maggie is copying her moves, pretending she is driving.  It’s a pretty scary thing when we are in charge, when the babies are driving.  But actually God is driving and that’s why the end isn’t so scary.  God has already been to the end and back.  God has come through the pile of rubble at the cross and made it a beginning of new life for all creation.  The end is something to look forward to because God works through what seems final to bring resurrection life to us all.