| Haggai 2:1-9 "My House Shall Be" |
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| Written by Rev. Don Lee | |
| Sunday, 13 April 2008 | |
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Prayer: God whose grace cannot be contained by the walls of any one church; give us a vision much larger then the needs of our membership. By your Spirit open our eyes to the reality of your purpose for our lives and for your church called HC. Amen. I received a phone call last week from one of our members asking me the name of the AME church our adult mission team worked on a couple years ago. They were in New Orleans and wanted to stop by and see the church. But as hard as I tried, I couldn’t remember the name. I even pulled up pictures on my laptop but none included the church sign. Payne Memorial African American Methodist Episcopal Church was hammered by flooding the followed Hurricane Katrina. It’s located in the 5th Ward not far from the Louisiana Superdome. While glad to be there and help, it broke our hearts to go through that sanctuary and basically gut it! We tossed drums sets, sound equipment, pews, choir robes, collection plates, pulpit, even the altar. But what struck me, as I went through those pictures on my laptop is that some of the same damage suffered by Payne Memorial is evident right here at Holy Covenant! • Water stained walls, • moldy ceiling tiles, • damaged flooring, • faulty electrical wiring and receptacles, • swollen and cracked concrete. One of the ongoing themes of Old Testament scripture is the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. The temple often fell into disrepair either through neglect caused by multiple forced exiles or the wax and waning of temple worship. So why was it so important to God that the temple be rebuilt, so much so that it becomes a major theme in scripture? And here is the best answer I can come up with based on scripture: The focus on rebuilding of the temple was critical to Israel regaining its identity as a Covenant people. Covenant, as you know means promise. And promise is the foundation of Israel’s relationship with its God. Ezekiel 37:27, My dwelling-place shall be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. The sad state of the temple, early on the center of communal and religious life mirrored the deeper issue of the neglect of Israel’s relationship with its God. My wife, Susan and I have spent the last month looking for a new home. We’ve looked in Carrollton, Flower Mound, Lewisville, and Highland Village. We’ve went through model homes, as well as used homes, 5, 10, up to 20 year old homes both online and in person. One of the most important factors to us is the neighborhood. Do the neighbors take pride in their property? Do they keep it updated or let it go. There’s this one house that we love but its nestled in a neighbor with some decaying homes. That’s a red flag for us! I want to say upfront, it’s easy, though not altogether fair, to associate the condition of these homes with their owners. Amigos Project gives our members the opportunity to help homeowners in Dallas unable to repair their own homes because of physical limitations like age and disabilities. And we give Extreme Home Makeover a run for its money! And if you’ve not signed up to participate in Amigos the next two weekends, please do so! It will be good for your soul! But the point I’m trying to make is this: When neighbors and guests of HC look at our facilities they see us. The last church I served requested a zoning change to add parking and the residents from the neighborhood showed up in full force at the City Council meeting to fight it. It looked like the scene from the classic movie Frankstein, you know, a mob of angry residents rioting with torches and pitch forks! When I asked then Senior Pastor, David Shawver, why the neighbors were so outspoken (almost angry) about the church’s proposal, David responded that the church had not always been a good neighbor! It had not always maintained church property or respected the concerns of residents living on the same block, and neighbors had come to resent the presence of the church in their neighborhood! The church has since relocated. What’s wrong with this picture? Aren’t we supposed to be the good neighbor? And if the church of Jesus Christ can’t manage to be a “good neighbor,” then what hope is there for the world? Back to the story: The community’s response to Haggai was that it wasn’t the right time to rebuild. No explanation is given for this. Perhaps they anticipated another exile, so rather than waste resources on the temple, they simply left it in disrepair. Or perhaps their motives were “I” driven. That putting money into the rebuilding of the temple diverted resources away from their own pursuits and lifestyle. Notice the prophet’s commentary on the community’s response. V.2, “These people say the time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house…Then the word of the Lord came by prophet Haggai, saying, “Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your ‘paneled houses,’ while this house lies in ruins?” The issue is not the pride of home ownership. The issue is one of priorities! Several years back, I read an article about a growing church in Florida that got permission to use a store’s parking lot on Sundays, when the store was closed. The owner agreed, with one caveat. The church could use it 51 Sundays a year but on the 52nd, the lot would be chained, closed to the church. When asked why, the store owner responded, “So you’ll remember whose lot you’re parking on!” HC, we need to remember whose lot we are parking on. This is God’s world, amen? Well, instead of chastising the faith community for misplaced priorities, (forgetting whose lot they were parking on) God responds with a promise of relationship! Vs. 13, “Then Haggai, the messenger of the Lord, spoke to the people with the Lord’s message, saying I am with you, says the Lord.” Notice how it echoes God’s covenantal promise, “My dwelling-place shall be with you…” God is reminding them of their identity as God’s covenant people! God had promised to “be there” for them and now it was their turn to “be there for God!” The prophet’s final address is to the elders of the community. Vs. 2:3 “Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now?” Raise you hand if you were here when, the sanctuary was first opened? Do you remember the “WOW” factor, that first Sunday of worship? Historically, when it came to the temple, Israel did not scrimp. They used the finest materials and most talented craftsmen to create a thing of beauty. Why? This was where the people came together to meet their God! There are a lot of places I go to meet God; • the quiet of my living room before I go work out every morning; • the table where my family shares meals together, • the feeding line of Austin Street Shelter, • even the shores of Long Beach, near my childhood home. None of these are a substitute for the place I meet regularly with my church family to worship, to baptize, to break bread, pray, give and serve. This gathering place is sacred ground for me, because I encounter Christ in you! Here I find healing and I am nurtured toward wholeness. “My house shall be better then before, a place of wholeness and holiness.” (says the Lord!) Haggai 2:9 Message Translation In the book, Longing for Enough in a Culture of More, the author writes about touring a display featuring hand-stitched quilts made by African American women during the 19th century. Among the many timeworn patchwork quilts was a simple patterned one, faded after over a century’s use. This one was unique. At a random spot on the quilt was a small sideways arrow stitched with red thread. The quilt was cycled onto clotheslines that hung outside the homes of sympathizers with the “underground railroad.” The quilt provided two things to runaway slaves; provisions placed under it to help the slave continue on his or her journey, and direction as to where to head next to find shelter and assistance on the slave’s journey to freedom. That’s what Holy Covenant is, God’s underground railroad to the broken, the needy, the disposed of both body and soul! And like pieces of a patchwork quilt, each of us contributes our presence, prayers, gifts and service to the mission of helping people along on their journey! And the best part? God’s love in Jesus for all people is the red arrow (the moral compass), that guides the people of HC to compassionate and faithful living. Living out this Covenant identity that not only brings freedom to those who pass through these walls, but freedom to us who are being changed by those God sends to us! Remember the story about the child who prayed for ice cream saying, “God is great, God is good, thank you for this food…and I would be even more thankful if mom gets us ice cream for desert…and justice for all! Amen!” Several within earshot in the restaurant laughed but one diner grumbled, "That's what's wrong with this country. Kids today don't even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream. Why I never!” Hearing this, the child burst into tears. His mother was trying to comfort him when an elderly customer approached the table and said, “I happen to know God thought that was a great prayer." "Really?" replied the child. "Cross my heart.” Then in a whisper he added, "Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes." Some might criticize this campaign, saying, “That’s what’s wrong with the church, spending money on its buildings instead of ministry. And that’s valid concern. But after praying and reflecting on this my only response to that concern is, “Who says these building aren’t about ministry?” Pray with me: God, just as you promise to be “there for us,” help us to “be there” for you and your church, and thus renew our identity as your Covenant people! Amen. |
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