Matthew 6:9-13; Psalm 25
Reformation Sunday, October 26, 2014
Over in Europe, about
500 years ago, something really radical happened to Christianity. A group of
church leaders protested many of the
practices and beliefs of the church at that time. They also took issue with politicians who
kept expanding their power and control at the expense of church. Overall, they were passionate about re-forming
Christianity so that all things concerning the church were firmly rooted in the
Bible.
Have you ever noticed
something you are part of being threatened and responded to this by giving it your
all to protect it, even if protecting it meant promoting a lot big, risky
changes?
Martin Luther, Huldreich
Zwingli, and John Calvin were founding fathers of this Protestant Reformation movement. To connect the dots and create a full picture
of how we came to be worshipping here today in an American Presbyterian
assembly, we also have to add the name John Knox to those I just mentioned.
Knox, whose 500th
birthday is being celebrated this year, was the Reformation leader in
Scotland. Now, if you know the story of
William Wallace, popularized by the movie Braveheart, then you know a thing or
two about what kind of character John Knox had for promoting a revolution in
the church. He was by all accounts a very
fiery, fist pounding preacher. He
preached with words like this -- “I have never once feared the devil.” He humbly followed such resolute statements,
however, by saying, “but I tremble every time I enter the pulpit.”[i] The Word of God was always the more
powerful authority.
Knox’s blistering
temperament also helps explain the strong, negative reaction he had upon
visiting Geneva, Switzerland and finding John Calvin bowling. It was lawn bowling, but still. For his part, Calvin was impressed with
Knox’s character, later referring to great Scot as a brother “laboring
energetically for the faith.” And
despite the casual lawn bowling, Knox was so thoroughly impressed with Calvin
that he became his ardent student.”
Our American
Presbyterian beliefs have their roots in the Scottish soil John Knox walked,
talked and preached upon. Beliefs such
as the authority of the Bible, the sovereign grace of God in Jesus Christ, the
reforming power of the Holy Spirit and the priesthood of all believers.
When you think of
Scotland, I bet you automatically start to think of bagpipers and kilts. That’s certainly all good and cause for
community shouts of Yaldi! (a
Scottish expression of joy). But today, I
invite us to faithfully focus on family patterns and prayer.
Are you familiar with
what a tartan pattern is? We understand
it better as plaid. The fabric, usually wool, used to create kilts
are dyed with multicolored tartan patterns. I understand that somewhere around 19th
century Scotland, family clan names began to be more formally associated with specific
tartan patterns. So when you see a
tartan, it’s proper to think about family.
I was ordained into the
ministry of Word and Sacrament in Newark, OH, where I had been called to serve
as the associate pastor of Second Presbyterian Church. Each year at this time, they participated in
a full-on Kirking of the Tartans worship service. I’m not
sure if they still do, but on their website I saw a photo of their current
pastor wearing a Smith clan tartan stole atop his robe. The purpose of this special service was to
ask God’s blessings be upon the families in the congregation. If a family was of Scottish decent, they were
encouraged to bring to church something with their tartan pattern. If a family was not, they were encouraged to
bring in anything that represented them.
All these items would then be placed on the communion table and chancel
area, surrounded by congregational prayer and singing.
I only served that
congregation about two years. But I’ve
always wanted to lead another Kirking service.
This morning’s worship is a blessed adaptation. Instead of many different tartan patterns
and family emblems, we have beautiful shawls and lap robes prayerfully
hand-woven by Sherry Cameron and her mom Joan Shaeffer. Sherry and Joan, we thank God for you both! Your gifts are distributed by our Deacons to
anyone in need of a warm reminder of God’s love and the prayers of God’s
people.
These yarn and prayer
knit patterns represent all of us.
We are many families,
yet also one family in Christ’s love.
We are many families,
yet also one family in our Lord’s prayer.
We are many families,
yet also interwoven by God’s grace and through our faith.
We are many families,
yet also one body in the Lord.
These gifts are an
earnest expression of our congregational care as disciples of Jesus. And they are comfortably familiar. They
happen to reflect what John Knox preached concerning prayer. Hear
these words of his from the year 1553 – “Who will pray must know and understand
that prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our
miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and
whom we laud and praise for our benefits received.”[ii]
I think prayer can at times
be expressed too formally -- less of a gently offered soft shawl and more of
heavily placed wet wool blanket. But talking
with God really should be as earnest and familiar as the conversations that take
place when making and sharing shawls.
The Protestant
Reformation took place so long ago. But
its legacy lives on through us.
May today be less of a history lesson and more of a living into history. Through our caring and communing, our praising and praying, our studying and serving, we and the whole church are constantly being re-formed by the power of the Holy Spirit to reflect the true image of Jesus Christ in this world. What good news this is! Amen.
May today be less of a history lesson and more of a living into history. Through our caring and communing, our praising and praying, our studying and serving, we and the whole church are constantly being re-formed by the power of the Holy Spirit to reflect the true image of Jesus Christ in this world. What good news this is! Amen.
