A couple things to note:
The scripture has Jesus and the disciples trying to find a
place to rest but being bombarded by the needs of the people, the lectionary
skips a big chunk in the middle of these two scenes, which is Jesus feeding the
5,000.
Additionally, the sermon will go back and forth from the
scripture to the present day, weaving the two stories.
Mark 6:30 – 34, 53-56
The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that
they had done and taught. He said to them, “Come away to a deserted place all
by yourselves and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had
no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by
themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there
on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of the disciples and Jesus. As
Jesus went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them,
because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them
many things.
When the disciples had crossed over, they came to land at
Gennesaret and moored the boat. When they got out of the boat, people at once
recognized Jesus, and rushed about that whole region and began to bring the
sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went, into villages
or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged him that
they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; and all who touched it were
healed.
***
Many disciples were coming and going and they had no
leisure even to eat. It was coffee for breakfast and meetings for lunch. It
was scant vacations with no e-mail or text left un-replied and an inbox somehow
still full to the brim. It was the to-do list at work, the errands out and
about and the chores beckoning at home. It was grocery shopping and making
family dinner, and carpools and kid’s sports, and homework help, and things to
sign and the morning starting again early the next day. It was friends with
whom to catch up and thank yous to write, and giving neighbors goodie bags of
fruit. It was church, and committees, and session, and Lions, and work
deadlines, and bills and balancing the checkbook. It was everyone coming and
going, the disciples then, and we disciples now with no leisure to even
eat.
And Jesus said to the disciples,“Come away to a deserted
place all by yourselves and rest a while,” Jesus told you to take time to
enjoy this late summer, with family trips to Yellowstone, or horseback rides
with friends and grandkids, and kayak expeditions before college, and Alaska
with grandkids, and adventures on motorcycles, trips to Portland and family
weddings and a Serria Club Trip at Moltnomah Falls. And so the disciples
then and we disciples now went away in the boat,
Now many saw the disciples going and recognized them, and
they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them, overhead
the sky was still black with smoke and spiderwebs were littered with confettis
of ash, the backyard birds were chirping frantically yet neighborhoods sat like
ghost towns - no children at play on this summer day, inside their homes the
sound of helicopters pulsed the stale windows-shut-air, leaving a feeling of
trapped already. On the streets of town, white government trucks moved, as if
in slow-motion, their sirens pending the next update, they mirroring the
townspeople monitoring maps and evacuation levels and fire boundaries. Despite
the disciples then, and we disciples now, need for sanctuary, the community
pressed into our holiest places. And as Jesus went ashore, at the place
he intended to find solace, he saw a great crowd; there in front on the
boat was,
Elk Creek Lane to Griffin Gulch, Old Auburn Road, Durkee,
the Bridgeport Area, Interstate 84 East and Westbound lanes, Hyw 7, the Greater
Bowen Valley, French Gulch, Forest Road 77 near Tamarack Campground, Main Eagle
and Bennett Peak, Kitchen Creek Rd., Dry Creek Cutoff Rd., Dry Creek Rd., Deer
Creek Rd., Burnt River Canyon Rd., Hixon Rd., Troy Rd., and the Pleasant
Valley, Black Mountain, Rancheria Creek, Denny Creek, Beaver Creek, Alder Creek
and Ebell Road, Sutton Creek, and Stices Gulch Road, all the way back to
Huntington. And Jesus, and you, had compassion for them, because they
were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.
The teaching began with the Forest Service, with Joe
Sullivan guiding Kate Averett fulfilling the last days of her summer work under
100 foot blazes, then Keith Romtvedt volunteer firefighting alongside prisoners
and sleeping out in the blazing storm, with Danny O’Neal up North following in
his mother’s footsteps, and continuing with Lynn Roehm called in to lead at the
most pressing sites from nearby to Vale. More firefighters were summoned from Portland and the governor
issued an order bringing in structure protection crews. And with greater
numbers fighting then ever on record, thousands were fed the bread of life, and
livelihood, and safekeeping and that was a sanctuary unto itself.
When they got out of the boat, the disciples rushed about
that whole region and began to bring the sick on mats to wherever they heard
Jesus was. A mat was carried as friends came out and helped Kevin Lee pack
up his belongings and church members called and offered prayer and a place to
stay. A mat was carried as Annalea continually tried to reach Candy Arledge
while Susan Triplett and Alice Trindle hoisted mats, taking in Candy’s horse as
well as other’s. Sharon Defrees brought a mat as she called Nancy Johnson and
Shannon to offer comfort and wisdom having been through a previous timber fire
on the Defrees Ranch. Two different daughters drove the backroads along Anthony Lakes Hwy
all the way to Sumpter carrying mats and in once a horse trailer and grandkids
to which Dallas and Clarissa. Mardelle Ebell’s family, visiting on vacation
from D.C., took over the mat of coordination for their family property and
livestock. Luke carried the mat of checking in with Sarah and Mary-Lou McNeil
and the heavier mat of helping support me. Gary Yeoumans lived up to his title
as Deacon in charge of visitation and connected and prayed with handfuls of
people on their mats. Karen -Kolb Schoneigh took charge of reaching out,
accessing needs and providing mats for church evacuees, Presbyterian Disaster
Assistance and Linda Toth offered mats of national denominational resources.
Rev.s Keith and Laura Hudson in LaGrande, offered support as well as the mat of
humor teasing their child to do a rain dance and offered him to blame for its
lack when he was unwilling. Jim Kauth offered the mat of words of encouragement
to me and Rev. Marci Glass and her friend Ruth offered the mat of wisdom that
ministry didn’t have to be just me. And it wasn’t, it was you, the disciples,
carrying the sick on mats throughout our whole region, that wherever Jesus
went, into villages or cities or farms, they laid the sick in the marketplaces.
and because of the dire need the sick begged Jesus that
they might touch even the fringe of his cloak; but they didn’t need to beg,
because even in the midst of your search of sanctuary, you saw sheep without a
shepherd, and your compassion created a sanctuary for others, you were the
fringe of Jesus’ cloak and all who touched it were healed. You were the
fringe of Jesus’ cloak and all who touched it were healed, saying I didn't
know people cared that much about me, and all who touched it were healed repeating
over and over, tell the church on Sunday thank you so
much for all the calls and prayers, and all who touched it were healed two
mothers noting the efforts and the effect of their daughters determination on
backroads, and all who touched it were healed that instead of feeling
like a solo pastor in a time of emergency truly I had parters in ministry and
one standing beside me to face the blaze and all who touched it were healed
and will continue to be, because you are the fringe of Jesus’ cloak, a
sanctuary in the storm.
Thank you, and thank God for you, First Presbyterian Church.
and when this is all over come away to a deserted place and rest awhile.
Amen.
