Earnest and Familier

 

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 500^th 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 19^th 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.

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[i] http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/John-Knox-Quotes/

[ii] http://www.swrb.com/newslett/actualNLs/prayertr.htm