Unexpected Blessing
October 21, 2007
Acts 8: 26-40
I’m so glad that I was able to come back today to share this story. It’s such a juicy message for us to hear. And, the beauty of this one, is it is packed with subtext that we miss from just reading it. And, that subtext goes all Old Testament on us which we don’t talk about much here as we’re early learning gentiles most of us. So this is a juicy lesson today, and I can bet that every one here will learn something new about scripture today. I’ve been excited all week just thinking about that! It’s good to be back.
Phillip one of the disciples was in Samaria, telling people about Jesus, who he was, what he did, how he changed Phillip’s whole life. He was inviting everyone who was interested to get baptized by the spirit or water and to come along on The Way. Peter and John the apostles came to help him out. It was so great to spend time with them…It was good to be talking about Jesus with people, turning them on, but it was a whole different thing to be with those who understood. People who knew him too, people who were there…he felt rested, filled up again, rejuvenated to begin again. And just as he finished that thought along came a messenger, a spirit, calling him to leave Samaria and head to Gaza. But, instead of going the most popular way, he was called to go on the obscure road. It actually seemed a good fit, time to wander and think about seeing his brothers again and talk to God about what he’d learned and how things had changed from that encounter.
The Eunich was doing his work with the Queen’s Treasury. And, he loved his work, he took pride in his work, and he did his work well. On an ordinary day, as would often happen the Queen summoned me to come to a meeting with some men from Israel. They were there to barter some services on behalf of all of Israel. He’d never met these kind of men before. They were curious to him. They made decisions in a whole different kind of way. They almost seemed to glow with something…a confidence…no more like a peace. They glowed with a peace. A calming, confident peace. After their meeting he couldn’t get them out of his mind. He sent his staff to watch them and tried to interact with them as much as possible. He wanted some of what they had, this confidence, this peace. They told him of their sacred story, their faith, of their traditions. Traditions that would allow one to be forgiven, to be blessed and named. They told him about being a family of faith, a nation of God. When they spoke it made his heart pound, the possibility of belonging to a nation, of being forgiven, of being blessed. He could hardly believe it. After they left, he did some research and learned more of this God, this faith, their holy city, Jerusalem and their Temple. As soon as it could be arranged he went off to visit the Temple. He longed to be a part of this. He wanted to make his sacrifice, he wanted to belong.
When he reached the Temple, he could hardly contain himself. As he climbed each step his heart soared. He entered the Temple and made his way to buy his sacrificial animal. He chose a goat, since this was his first gift. He went to the passage way for altar presentations and waited his turn. The air was thick with the scents of animals, people, incense, candles, it all made his head spin. Finally, it was his turn. The priest took one look at him. And, with the hardest of hearts recited a passage from the Torah, we know it as Leviticus.
Not one of your offspring throughout their generations who has a blemish may approach to offer the food of his God. For no one who has a blemish shall draw near, one who is blind or lame, or one who has a mutilated face or a limb too long, or one who as a broken foot or a broken hand, or a hunchback, or a dwarf, or a man with a blemish in his eyes or an itching disease or scabs or crushed testicles. No descendant of Aaron the priest who has a blemish shall come near to offer the Lord’s offerings by fire; since he has blemish, he shall not come near to offer the food of his God.
He was stunned. He was dismissed. It was a nightmare. As he turned to leave he saw the disgust in the faces of those around him. Why hadn’t he saw them before? How could this be? His staff guided him out and took him to the place they had arranged to stay. He spent a fitful night tossing back and forth. The next day he awoke exhausted, again trapped in the grey in between, neither here nor there, and without a name. Who would choose this life? Why had he chosen this life? But, a small hope lingered as he had made an appointment with the holy men who were the ambassadors to Ethiopia. As they met together, he told them of his spiritual pilgrimage. He told them how they had inspired him to know this sacred story and call it his own. But, before he could get to the part about what the priest had said, they both rose together, and said, “It is in our ancient text that “No one whose testicles are crushed or whose penis is cut off shall be admitted to the assembly of the Lord” and they left. The Eunich threw up. He felt like he had entered some strange world where he could read the words, hear the words, listen to a story know it as his own, and yet when he presented his name as a character in the story, he was immediately cast out.
He gathered his staff and told them they were leaving, immediately. As they were reaching the edge of the city, he sent two of his staff back to buy the scroll of Isaiah. It was the scroll that the men were studying when they came to Ethiopia. The words made his heart pound, and if nothing else he wanted to have that back. Something was there. Then, they left Jerusalem, taking the road less traveled. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, have time to pull himself together, time to try to lessen the harsh, hateful words still bouncing around within him. He was crushed. Again, he was not wanted, it had all been a farse. He opened the scroll and began to read from it. He found the passage that made him come all this way…and read
Isa 56:3-8 “Do not let the foreigner joined to the Lord say, “The Lord will surely separate me from his people”; and do not let the eunich say, “I am just a dry tree.” For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose the things that please me and hold fast my covenant, I will give, in my house and within my walls, a monument and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off. And the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to minister to him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be his servants, all who keep the Sabbath and do not profane it, and hold fast my covenant these I will bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
The hot tears rolled down his cheeks. I know this story. I love this story and I want to know this Lord who will have a name better for me than son or daughter…How will I find it? I will continue to read this scroll. I must find out.
A voice came up to him, “Do you know what you’re reading?” He responded, “I’m not sure, do you know it?” Phillip smiled, yes he said, I’d love to talk about it with you if you’d like. The Eunich invites him up into the SUV of the day. Together they rode and Phillip shared the news of Jesus. He talked about who he was and how he was. He talked about how he was the innocent lamb led to the slaughter. He talked about a new kind of power and a greater love than any known before. He talked about how this love and peace compelled him to transform his life.
But how do you transform your life the Eunich wanted to know…How do you belong to this living? Phillip laughed at the eagerness and wonder of this Eunich. We ask people to be baptized. Jesus himself went to John the Baptizer and went into the waters. The waters represent God’s love flowing over, around and through us, healing us, holding us, compelling us to be in God’s love. We now, those of us who want to be members of The Way, we also ask to be baptized, sharing our name and becoming a new family of brothers and sisters. We are the generation now to share the story with all we meet. Just as we are doing here today.
What is to prevent us from stopping here and allowing me to be baptized? Phillip laughed again, absolutely nothing. And the Eunich was baptized and Phillip went on his way…
We have a long history of holding tightly to the rules. We have a long history as church to being who we are and leaving things the way they are. We get comfortable. We know how things happen. We see how they can get done. We are insiders, we want to stay this way. It feels good. Anything other than that requires change, which is unknown and shakes us to the core. We typically don’t like to be shaken. So we hold, we cling to the rules.
When we read Deuteronomy we cringe from its blunt condemnations. Believe it or not, the ethical code of Israel was more lenient than Hammerabi’s code which it was fighting against. The Deuteronomists thought they were the cutting edge. And they dug in there. They were the law in town and they were progressive.
Unfortunately, the world kept expanding and God kept talking and things kept changing. Nothing stands still long, for being still too long leads to withering and withering leads to dying. And, when someone comes to the table, propelled by a Spirit, propelled by belonging, propelled from the margins, God’s unconditional love is the rule…unconditional love. Not the dogma of yesterday. God is not an institution. God is.
One small juicy learning from this story is that the Eunich didn’t worship Phillip. The Eunich didn’t begin to tell everyone he knew about Phillip. The Eunich began to tell everyone he knew about Jesus and this sacred story. Phillip was gone, and now it was up to the Eunich to know God and witness to the life of this Jesus. We have a big problem here at First. And, it’s the Briget problem. I have been so amazed at the voicemails and visitors that have come during my illness. The decisions that are stuck because I’m sick. This is not my church. I am a member here…however, I don’t have a vote. I am your spiritual teacher/mentor/coach. But, I am not who you are worshipping. It is not my work to develop this church. It is my work to help you develop, challenge, push your faith. You will no longer have a church in a year if you don’t begin to let go of me and start holding on to the Sacred Story and the witness of Jesus. You can’t hold me so tightly and grow your faith. It makes us into the Deutoronomists. If you love me you have to show me by working together. You need to talk to eachother. Phillip approached the caravan because the Spirit nudged him to. They did this together. They didn’t need Peter and John. They didn’t need the priest from the temple. They talked and listened and shared with one another. You must start talking and listening to one another.
When I came to Tucson I was the third lesbian minister in town. The second lesbian solo minister. But, since then, Casas has gone ONA, they’ve hired a lesbian associate. Good Shepherd has hired an associate who’s a woman. Rincon is searching. We are no longer progressive, we’re looking small and status quo. All the UCCs have women ministers, some are lesbian. So how is it that God is calling us to step up and tell our stories? We won’t know unless you start telling your stories. And, the more you tell your stories the more people you will draw into the community. People for all time have been waiting to hear this story, aching to belong, wanting someone to come along during their day and offer an opportunity for blessing. We have come to one of those opportunities.
This is going to be a new phase we’re entering into. It’s going to take at least another 3 weeks for me to feel better, and that’s only if I am getting the sleep I need and the mono is obedient to that rest. And, I think I’m positive, this is an unexpected blessing to assure things are going to change. I promised to stay 5 years. This January marks that year. How is it that you will come together to make this a community that I want to be a part of? I’ve done my part above and beyond…It is very clear, it is now time for you all to begin to claim this as your community, to make it your own. I will still be here to nurture and challenge you. I will still be here to preach. I will still answer your phone calls and emails. But, I’m going to begin redirecting you to one another if it’s the more appropriate way. And, before you ask me, call me, I want you to ask yourself, who else could answer this question? Who might know? Then I encourage you to call that person. The directory is a great help in this game. I can tell you. I’ve never been a part of a church this fantastic. I’ve never been a part of this kind of relevant, vibrant community and I love it. I want to be here. I want to grow with you. But, now, it is your turn to commit. I challenge you to break yourself of the Briget habit. Let’s instead come up with a holy habit of prayerful discernment, wisdom of the sacred story and commitment to community in witness of Jesus. I can’t wait to see what you do. I’m looking forward to more unexpected blessings.
If you’ve come here today as the Eunich. I’m so glad that you found us. I pray you feel invited in, welcomed and encouraged by our honesty, our commitment, our hope. Let us pray.