Bless… Anything that Moves!

DATE: Welcome Sunday, September 9, 2012
SCRIPTURE: Matthew 5:1-12
© Rev. Alison J. Buttrick Patton

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

“Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

A paraphrase of the Beatitudes by Brian Zahnd:

Blessed are those who are poor at being spiritual,
For the kingdom of heaven is well-suited for ordinary people.

Blessed are the depressed who mourn and grieve,
For they create space to encounter comfort from another.

Blessed are the gentle and trusting, who are not grasping and clutching, for God will personally guarantee their share when heaven comes to earth.

Blessed are those who ache for the world to be made right,
For them the government of God is a dream come true.

Blessed are those who give mercy,
For they will get it back when they need it most.

Blessed are those who have a clean window in their soul,
For they will perceive God when and where others don’t.

Blessed are the bridge-builders in a war-torn world,
For they are God’s children working in the family business.

Blessed are those who are mocked and misunderstood for the right reasons, for the kingdom of heaven comes to earth amidst such persecution.

We had thirty tired, sweaty, wound-up 5th and 6th graders, six camp counselors, my husband Craig and I all gathered in the main room of the Cedars lodge. It was a Friday night in July at the tail end of a week-long overnight camp at Silver Lake Conference Center (in Sharon, CT). It was 10:30 at night, way past all our bedtimes, and we were running out of steam.

We had had a fantastic week: Craig and I were co-leading a camp called God’s Imaginarium — and we’d spent the week doing all kinds of creative stuff: We acted out the Creation story; we built towers out of spaghetti and marshmallows, played Wax Museum and kick ball on the field, wrote poetry, went swimming and blew a bazillion bubbles. Now we were wrapping up. The kids really wanted to do a talent show that last night — and how could we say ‘no’? There were magic tricks (done twice because the first time they didn’t work); songs sung to iPods; mind-reading and a presentation of the longest handmade, rubber band chain ever… As we worked our way through twenty-something acts I watched the hands of the clock go around and I thought: “How am I going to end this?”

On other nights, we’d had circle time, shared our prayers and lit candles –which was always meaningful — but it took time. And I desperately wanted to get everyone to bed. So what to do? How to wrap up the whole week in just a few minutes?

In a by-the-seat-of-my-pants, Spirit-led moment, I asked everyone to sit down in a circle. When they were more or less settled, I told them that I was going to dismiss them to their cabins one at a time. I walked up to the first child and put my hand on her head. “Haley,” I said, looking into her eyes. “You are created and loved by God! Now go to bed!” One by one, I worked my way around the circle, laying my hand on each head, naming each name and blessing each child. And here’s the crazy thing. All week, we had struggled to keep the attention of all those energetic 5th and 6th graders — which can be a little like keeping frogs in a wheelbarrow. Now they sat. Not joking. Not poking or playing. Just waiting, expectant, for their turn. “Cole: you are created and loved by God!” “Michael, you are created and loved by God…” “Tiara: You are created and loved by God.” Thirty heads. Thirty sets of eyes. Thirty blessings.

There is something powerful about blessing — something that can stop us in our tracks and cause us to catch our breath. It’s like sinking into cool water when you are hot and sandy; or, on a snowy day, like sipping hot cocoa that warms you all the way down; it’s like Mom or Dad wrapping you in a great big hug or your grandchild curling up in your arms. It’s like that feeling of surprise when a stranger does something kind. A blessing has the power to comfort, to melt away worry, to make you feel a little stronger. To make you feel loved.

For Jesus, blessing came as naturally as breathing. It’s a practice deeply embedded in Jewish tradition — then as now. In fact, one teaching says Jews should offer at least 100 different blessings in a day. “Baruch atah…” Blessed are you… The rabbis say: It’s a way of expressing “astonishment and wonder” about all that God has done.¹ So you say, “Wow, God: thank you! For this peach; for this candle I am lighting; for this child. They are all created by You. And that’s amazing!” In the first chapter of the first book of the Bible, God blesses the first people: “Be fruitful and take care of the earth.” And so it goes, all through scripture, ‘old’ testament and new: examples of blessing, by God and by God’s people. Baruch atah…

Jesus knew about the power of blessing. Now, he’d had been traveling all around Galilee, teaching, healing, casting out demons…and stirring up all kinds of attention. “Did you hear about the new rabbi in town, the one who talks about the Kingdom of God and how it has come near?” “What does he mean? Doesn’t he know that Cesar is king? What’s he got up his sleeve?” “I’m sure I can’t say, but I do know this: I was blind, but now I can see…” “I was tormented, and now I’m at peace…” “I was full of questions, and he welcomed me…”

News spread faster than a Facebook post gone viral, as the ones who had been touched — sometimes literally touched — reported that it was like sinking into cool water, said that their whole lives had been changed because of it. So the recently-healed and the newly-liberated, the curious and the critical, all started converging on the road. The crowd grew to a great throng, with Jesus right in the middle. At some point, he paused. Maybe he’d heard them asking each other, “What’s all this talk about the kingdom of God?” He looked around at all those tired, dusty, wound-up folks. Then he went up the hill a little way, sat down and began to speak:

“Blessed are you, who are poor at being spiritual. God’s kingdom is well-suited for ordinary people.² Blessed are you who are grieving, and you who crave justice. Blessed are you who hold back; and you, who step in; blessed are you who are suffering abuse because you have stood up for what’s right. You are already citizens of God’s kin-dom… Blessed are you, and you, and you…”

Some have read this episode in Matthew’s gospel and concluded that Jesus was telling the crowd and all of us what we have to do to be blessed, to earn admission into God’s beloved community — like some kind of Divine job posting: “Must be meek. Never make a scene. Must demonstrate purity of heart — Persons showing mixed motives or bad attitudes need not apply.”

But here’s what I think was going on that afternoon on a hillside in Galilee. I think Jesus, who had come to proclaim Good News, knew what that crowd needed. Knew, because he’d been walking among them, listening to their stories. Knew, because one by one he had looked into their eyes and seen their hunger or hope or grief or doubt… knew that what those folks needed more than anything was to be blessed. To be reminded that they were created and loved by God. So he said: “Take heart: The Kingdom of God — God’s beloved community? It’s taking shape, right here. And you, you are a part of it.” Can you picture it: Jesus, surrounded by that crowd full of the recently-healed and the newly-liberated, the curious and the critical; Jesus, reaching out his hands, and blessing them all.

It’s an astonishing, turn-our-thinking-upside-down act of grace. Good News like no other, as likely now as then to stop us in our tracks. God’s arms are wide enough to embrace us exactly when we don’t feel particularly spiritual; exactly when we are suffocated by grief; exactly when we are too big for our own britches and when we are so selfless that we get ourselves into big trouble … Jesus isn’t saying, “Here’s what you have to do,” but rather, “Here’s what God is already doing.” Before you take a single step, the Holy One is already there, blessing you when you need it most. Because Jesus knows, we could all use reminding, once in a while, that we are created and loved by God.

Blessed are you, children on your way to school: for your burdens will be light and your backpacks full of love;

Blessed are you, parents and grandparents, teachers and care-givers: for you will glimpse God’s kingdom through the eyes of your children;

Blessed are you when you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders: for there will be no committee assignments in God’s kin-dom;

Blessed are you, when you set foot in church for the first time: for you shall bring insights that the church needs to hear;

Blessed are you, when you are out of work; for you are not out of God’s grace;

Blessed are you, when your life feels out of control, when you are tossed on rough seas; for like an anchor, God remains steadfast;

Blessed are you, when your church building burns: for the Kingdom of God will be set free among you in brand new ways…

Blessed are you, and you, and you…

Here’s the thing, Sisters and Brothers in Christ: When we are blessed like that, we are also charged: Charged as in sent. And charged as in energized. Charged to carry that blessing into the world, because it is not ours to keep. So we pass it along, and the power of that blessing courses through us, so that through us God might repair the world…³

I can think of no more powerful vocation for the Church, for all of us. The Rev. Nancy Taylor of Old South Church in Boston (the congregation that inspired this morning’s blessing of the back packs), likes to say, “At Old South, we will bless anything that moves, and a lot of things that don’t!” How about us? Are we a blessing church? Ready to stir up a little astonishment and wonder, to remind one another and everyone in earshot that the Spirit of God is alive and at work in our midst? Are we ready to help God’s beloved community to take shape among us?

I think the answer is ‘Yes! Yes, unconditionally: yes!’ So, People of God: let us bless! Bless backpacks and children; bless hammers and nails; bless prayer shawls and knitting needles; bless money for ministry; bless hands and bless feet; bless students and volunteers; bless care-givers and justice-seekers. Bless bread. Bless cup. Bless God who first blessed us. Let’s bless anything that moves, and then we’ll see, we’ll see just how God moves us!

May it be so. Amen.