Surprised and Surprising

All Saints Sunday, November 2, 2014 (Matthew 5:1-12) with (Revelation 7:9-17, I John 3:1-3)

Have you ever been totally or absolutely surprised? Think for a moment. Was the surprise, good? Was it empowering for life? Or did the surprise leave you – off guard, befuddled, afraid?

 

I have been totally surprised a number of times in my life.

 

Just over 16 months ago you put on a surprise THANK YOU PARTY for me. Usually parties are held for pastors when they have decided to leave or retire. Those parties too can be wonderful. But this party was a complete surprise for me because I wasn't leaving or retiring. I had been informed to hold the date open. I had thought that our kids were doing something for me. But then it was you – in the summer – with our children present. That party – your saying thank you, is something I will not forget. It reenergized me – reminded me that what we do together is important.

 

Only a few weeks after that, on July 7 2013 Martha and I received another surprise. Our phone rang at 2 AM. Karen, one of our closest friends was on the phone. She was sobbing uncontrollably. Her husband, Tim, had walked out into their driveway around midnight. Karen was already in bed. She dozed off. A short time later she awoke. Wondering where Tim was she went outside. She found him face down in the driveway. Can you imagine? He had died right there. A mere five months before we had travelled to Kauai together. There we had laughed, told stories, ate and drank, swam and hiked. That time together was so good. And now, this. Our friend is dead.

 

So, let me ask you again  - are you ever completely and surprised? In fact, let me push the envelope a little further. Are you ever completely and absolutely surprised by God?

 

Are you ever surprised by what God calls you to do: at work, as a friend, as a husband or wife, as a father or mother, as a son or daughter, as a brother or sister?

 

I am. Being a Pastor is not what I would have chosen, if the choice had been only my own. Nor could I have imagined being blessed and challenged by the raising of 3 daughters. Nor did I ever desire to live in BC the first 34 years of my life. Yet here I am – with you.

 

How has it been in your life, in those relationships and situations God has called you to be part of?

 

As we look around with eyes and minds that are even a bit open we are deeply surprised by God's activity. I have told you before the story of my friend Chris. Her teenage son was out partying one night, with his girl friend. Early in the morning they got into a friend's van. They were travelling too fast on a side road, ran a stop sign onto a highway. They were killed by an oncoming pulp truck. Miraculously only the two of them were killed even though the van held 5 other young people. Following the gut-wrenching funeral some of us gathered at Chris' home.  I watched her approach the young man who had been driving the van. I watched as that little woman, a deeply bereaved mother, reach out and hug that great big boy/man. I listened as looking into his eyes she told him that she loved him, that she hoped he could forgive himself, for she did. Chris wanted him to have a life. She reminded him that no one forced her son nor his girl friend to get into that van. Talk about surprise, amazing, miraculous. 

 

Nor is such surprising work of God carried out only among individuals or groups. Who could have predicted the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989? Or the outpouring of love and concern for those battling the Ebola crisis in West and Central Africa where many people sign up to help while at the same time putting their own lives at risk.

 

Jesus does so many surprising things. Look at the people he chooses to follow him. There is Peter, who was brash, spontaneous and so often opens his mouth only to insert his foot. There is also Thomas, who struggled mightily with trusting others and doubted even the possibility that Jesus could be raised from the dead. And then, there's us. Oh, the audacity of Jesus to call us to follow him. Shouldn't he know better? 

 

After all, isn't our first inclination to look out for ourselves – to find ways to fit in, not stand out? Isn't our way to avoid rocking the boat?

 

But none of this deters Jesus. He calls Peter at work, when Peter is exhausted and hasn't had a good night. After they haven't caught any fish, Jesus tells those experienced fishermen to put out again and cast their nets on the other side. Amazingly they do. And it's the mother lode. The nets are now so full of fish that they can't be pulled in. Then Jesus tells Peter that from now on he will be fishing for people. Peter and the others have no idea what that means, but ... they follow anyway. It's the beginning of many more surprises.

 

Here we are this All Saints day. You might think that saints are some kind of super heroes, people who always trust God no matter what. But surprise – that's often not the case. Saints are very human, seemingly "ordinary" people like Peter and my goodness, even you and me, people who somehow get moved by God.

 

This doesn't mean that it's easy to be a "saint", one who is being forgiven and forgiving, one who is being opened to God, to following Jesus. The living work of loving and forgiving flesh and blood people, caring for creation, seeing God among us, attempting to follow Jesus with all of that, here and now brings with it all kinds of surprises. We may get a glimpse of others for who they are – warts, beauty and all, loved by God. We may be enabled to see ourselves, warts, beauty and all, still loved by God. We may even see the world – its wonder, beauty and awesomeness, as well as its horror, ugliness and brokenness, still loved by God. And we are gifted to live and love in this world, even called by God to do so.

 

You see we have an idea how things work. Those who are down on their luck, too bad, so sad. Thank God we are not them. We may feel that those who have lost a loved one or that which they have depended upon – too bad for them, but God save us from that. We may think that those who are gentle, compassionate, those who stop to help others in the race of life will be left behind. We may think that those who work for a world where all have dignity and respect – are cursed by naivete and will be dogged by disappointment and failure. After all nice guys and girls usually finish last.

 

Truth be told, some days when things are really tough for us we either completely forget about God or even wonder if there is a god. And, peace? Good luck. The one sure thing in this world isn't death and taxes, it seems to be death and conflict. Anyone who actually attempts to bring about peace and reconciliation, are usually "done away with" both literally and figuratively.

 

Lastly when it comes to push or shove which one of us will say or do anything to unapologetically proclaim the love of God in Jesus Christ – if we know it will cost us dearly, our friends, one or more of our family relationships?

 

Still, Jesus surprises us. In his very first teaching in Matthew's Gospel He says that those who are down on their luck may realize that the only one they can truly count on is God. Those people will experience God's direction. Those who are gentle and caring will often be hurt. Yet in their pain they will also experience the very best that God has to offer. Those who have lost loved ones who may have lost any hope, will be comforted. Those who work for a world where all people have dignity and respect will themselves display great dignity. Those people will be, are honored by God.  And those who struggle to be honest with themselves and with others – well God is present with them in those relationships.

 

Peace-making, though ooh so difficult and frequently marked by failure is a sign that all such people are indeed God's very own children. God will not forget or abandon those who will not apologize for attempting to obey God regardless of the consequences. That's Jesus' promise. 

 

This isn't what we expect. Frequently it's not what we know. Sometimes it's not even what we can believe. But after Jesus died on that third day, who would have thunk it?  Who could have known? God is full of surprises: death and evil as real and as powerful as they are, do not have the final nor the lasting word. Even now, undeservedly we are being continually blessed. May we also be blessings –more surprises from this surprising God. Amen.