May 28, 1989

MOST OF US LIVE OUR LIVES IN THIS OUTER WORLD OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES. IT IS CHARACTERISTIC OF OUR TIMES THAT THIS IS EXPECTED OF ALL OF US. ONE IS NOT SEEN TO BE "BUSY" IF NOT ENGAGED IN SOME ACTIVITY. EVEN OUR WORSHIP IS SEEN AS ENGAGEMENT WITH GOD IN THE WORLD OUTSIDE OURSELVES. WE DO NOT HAVE MANY MYSTICS IN THE 20^TH CENTURY!

IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH SUCH WAS NOT THE CASE. IN THE FIRST CENTURIES THERE WAS A MUCH STRONGER EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPING THE INNER LIFE. RECOGNIZING THIS DIFFERENCE HAS BEEN THE EMPHASIS OF MUCH OF THE MATERIAL, WHICH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR "DEVOTIONS". IT IS EXPECTED THAT ONE IS TO GO INTO THE QUIET PLACE AND PRAY, TO HAVE A TIME AND A PLACE WHERE THIS UNINTERRUPTED ACTIVITY CAN FEED THE SOUL. THE PROBLEM WITH SUCH AN APPROACH, HOWEVER, IS THAT "THE QUIET TIME" IS STILL AN ACTIVITY THAT ONE DOES IN THIS OUTER WORLD OF EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES.

ST. PAUL, IN HIS LETTER TO THE ROMANS, SPEAKS OF HAVING "PEACE WITH GOD." THIS SAME "PEACE" IS ONE OF THE MAJOR THEMES OF THE LETTER TO THE HEBREWS, AND THE WRITER GOES TO GREAT LENGTH TO ENCOURAGE THE SAINTS IN THE VALIDITY AND IMPORTANCE OF THE INNER LIFE.

I WANT TO CONTEND THAT THIS "PEACE" HAS LITTLE TO DO WITH "HAVING DEVOTIONS", BUT IS RATHER A WAY OF EXPERIENCING THE TOTALITY OF OUR OWN PERSON BOTH WITHIN OURSELVES AND IN OUR RELATIONSHIPS TO THE WORLD AROUND US.

1. FIRST, IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SAY ABOUT OURSELVES THAT ALL WE SAY, THINK, FEEL, AND THEN DO IS REALLY US. SOME YEARS AGO FLIP WILSON MADE HIMSELF FAMOUS USING THE LINE, "THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT". WE LAUGHED WHEN HE SAID IT BUT THERE WAS ALSO SOMETHING INSIDE OF US WHICH LIKED TO HEAR THOSE WORDS. IT IS SOMEHOW COMFORTING TO BE ABLE TO "BLAME THE DEVIL" FOR THOSE THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS INSIDE WE WOULD JUST AS SOON DENY ARE REALLY OURS.

BUT WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT THERE REALLY IS NO WAY WE CAN AVOID THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR BEING WHO WE ARE. WHETHER IT IS THE DEVIL, OR OUR PARENTS OR OUR ENVIRONMENT,- OR THE LACK OF OPPORTUNITY OR BEING FROM THE CITY (OR THE COUNTRY) OR WHATEVER, THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN SAY, "I’M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHO I AM"! THE SCRIPTURES ARE CORRECT WHEN THEY POINT TO THE REALITY THAT EACH OF US STANDS ACCOUNTABLE FOR "THE DEEDS DONE IN THE BODY".

2. IT IS NOT, HOWEVER, INEVITABLE THAT THIS ACCOUNTABILITY BE SEEN ONLY AS NEGATIVE..TO PUT IT IN THE POSITIVE: THERE IS A WHOLESOMENESS IN BEING ABLE TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL THAT WE ARE AS PERSONS. IT IS, IN FACT, THE INABILITY TO DO SO WHICH IS SO DEVASTATING TO OURSELVES AND TO THOSE WITH WHOM WE LIVE. WHAT HAPPENS SO OFTEN IS THERE IS AN INNER DISCOMFORT WITH WHICH WE MUST CONTEND. WHETHER THIS IS EXPERIENCED AS GUILT OR INSECURITY, OR ARROGANCE, OR ISOLATION OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THE DISCOMFORT IS OFTEN REPRESSED, DENIED, COVERED, ANYTHING, TO KEEP FROM HAVING TO DEAL WITH IT.IT. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS INNER DISCOMFORT IS, THE HARDER WE TRY TO KEEP IT UNDER CONTROL, THE MORE "DEMONIC" IT SEEMS TO BECOME. OR TO PUT IT ANOTHER WAY THE MORE DIFFICULT IT IS TO LIVE WITH. THE WRITER OF HEBREWS CALLS IT "THE SIN WHICH CLINGS SO CLOSELY." FOR MOST OF US, IT IS JUST THE PART OF US THAT WE WOULD JUST AS SOON BELIEVE IS NOT THERE. THE PROBLEM WITH THAT IS, THAT JUST ABOUT THE TIME WE THINK WE HAVE PUSHED IT DOWN FAR ENOUGH THAT WE WON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT, IT COMES "BUBBLING UP" IN SOME EMBARRASSING OR INAPPROPRIATE WAY, AND WE "WISH WE HADN’T SAID THAT" OR WISH WE HADN’T DONE THAT

IT MAY SEEM RIDICULOUS TO THINK THAT WHAT FEELS SO ONERY AND DEMONIC MAY ACTUALLY BE OUR FRIEND, BUT THAT IS THE CONVICTION OF THE HEBREW WRITER, AND IT IS OUR CONVICTION THIS MORNING. TO BE IN TOUCH WITH OUR INNER LIFE, IS TO BE IN TOUCH WITH OUR SOUL, AND THAT CONGRUENCY OF CONSCIOUS AND UNCONSCIOUS BRINGS HARMONY TO OUR LIVES, AND PEACE TO THE SPIRIT.

SO IMPORTANT IS THIS ASPECT OF WHO WE ARE, WE SPEAK OF OUR BODIES AS THE TEMPLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, AND IT IS THIS INNER BEING WHICH BECOMES THE HOLY OF HOLIES, THE RESIDENCE OF OUR BECOMING COMPLETE OR WHOLE PERSONS.

4. LET ME GIVE TWO ILLUSTRATIONS OF WHAT I AM TRYING TO SAY.

   THE FIRST IS AN EXPERIENCE I HAVE OFTEN IN THE HOSPITAL WHILE VISITING.

   THOSE WHO ARE FACING THE UNKNOWN USUALLY FEEL QUITE ANXIOUS ABOUT WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM. THIS "UNKNOWN" IS ESPECIALLY DEVASTATING WHEN THERE IS SOME DREAD DISEASE LIKE CANCER LINKED TO THE UNCERTAINTY. THERE IS A LOT OF DENIAL, A LOT OF DREAD. THEY WANT TO KNOW, BUT THEY DO NOT WANT TO KNOW.

   THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS IS, THAT WHEN THE DIAGNOSIS IS MADE, NO MATTER HOW AWFUL IT MAY BE, THERE IS A CALM THAT COMES OVER MOST PEOPLE, AND IMMEDIATELY THEY BEGIN TO PUT THEIR LIVES TOGETHER AROUND THIS NEW FOUND REALITY. THE DENIAL IS NO LONGER THERE. THE DEMONIC HAS LOST ITS POWER. THE DEVIL HAS BEEN NAMED AND IS KNOWN FOR WHAT IT IS, AND LIFE TAKES ON A NEW WHOLENESS.

   THE SECOND IS A STORY ABOUT A FRIEND WHO WAS YOUR FRIEND TOO.

   AT THE FUNERAL OF ALLEN NEIDHARDT I MADE A STATEMENT I ASKED MARGUERITE IF I COULD SHARE IN THIS SERVICE THIS MORNING. IT WAS THIS: "THE CANCER MAY HAVE KILLED THE BODY OF ALLEN BUT IT NEVER TOUCHED HIS SOUL." IT WAS MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS GOOD MAN THAT HE WAS "IN TOUCH" WITH HIS WHOLE BEING, AND IN THE RICH DEPTHS OF HIS SOUL, HE WAS AT PEACE WITH HIMSELF. BECAUSE OF THAT INNER DEPTH, HE WAS ABLE TO LIVE WITH THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF LIFE AND AS ONE PERSON PUT IT SO APTLY, HE HAD LEARNED TO BE CONTENT WITH WHATEVER STATE HE WAS IN.

5. ALONG THE WAY, WE WILL SAY MORE ABOUT THIS INNER LIFE. TODAY, AS WE RECEIVE HOLY COMMUNION, MY DESIRE IS FOR YOU AND ME TO BE AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF EXPERIENCING OUR LIVES IN THEIR FULLNESS: TO NOT BE AFRAID TO LOOK AT ALL THAT WE ARE. TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS IN THIS CONGRUENCE BETWEEN THE CONSCIOUS AND THE UNCONSCIOUS THAT WE CAN KNOW OURSELVES TO BE THE PLACE WHERE THE HOLY SPIRIT DWELLS.

AND THAT INCLUDES OURSELVES AS WELL. AMEN.