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Sermon September 19, 2021
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, MSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen’s
Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost, Proper 20, Track 2
http://lectionarypage.net/YearB_RCL/Pentecost/BProp20_RCL.html
Audio: /documents/Eucharist__September_19__2021
Video: https://youtu.be/EEQGBkUIsn8
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy. James 3:17
Please Be seated
Isn’t it amazing how clearly we remember some things from long ago when we cannot even remember some things from yesterday? There are some things I remember so clearly, because I think they remind me of lessons I’ve learned in my life. They remind me of things about myself that I need to remember.
As I thought about our reading from James about “wisdom from above,” I remembered two incidents.
One was on my wedding day in July of 1982. This was my second wedding and the service was not conventional. It was in a field at my parents’ home. We wrote our own vows. And we walked down the makeshift aisle together. Fred was nervous and he started walking too early, walking a little ahead of me. I turned to look at him and said, “Don’t you walk in front of me!” And the photographer snapped a photo at just that moment! I would not characterize the look on my face as wisdom that was gentle at all.
Many years later when I was the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, one of the board presidents remarked that I did not deal kindly with fools. “Uh oh,” I thought, my face must give away everything when I think the board is going off the rails.
Being wise and speaking with wisdom in the way James describes it is certainly not one of my strong traits. I really need to work at it.
Another piece of trivia I’ve always remembered was from hearing a man speak about aging at the National Cathedral. I cannot remember his name, but he spoke about a phenomenon that had been discovered, that is as people age there is an “increasing amount of bilateral communication in the brain; meaning that the two halves of our brain communicate with each other more as we grow older.” Now, the article I read said some of this is to compensate for the loss of brain power as we age. But the man who spoke about this said maybe that’s where wisdom comes from; using more of our brain provides more wisdom.
And yet, we’ve also known very young people and children who appear so wise to us. We’ve all marveled at something that has come out of a child’s mouth that seems to be an understanding beyond their years.
Certainly, and hopefully, wisdom also comes from our lived experiences.
How and when we deliver that wisdom is key, of course. Sometimes we are asked for our opinion, wisdom or insight, so then it can be fairly easy. At other times, we offer it up and maybe it’s not received so well. I do think the Holy Spirit can guide us. For instance, taking just a moment to be quiet and still before speaking. Saying a prayer for the Holy Spirit to guide us and give us the words to say.
Also, continually feeling that Holy Spirit nudge to say something can be a sign. You know those times we hold back, because we haven’t been asked to contribute or maybe we are afraid how our words will be received. Yet, we keep feeling or hearing that we should say something and should contribute.
We are so fortunate to be part of this parish. We each have unique wisdom born of living in this world and born of our desire to follow Jesus Christ. We have a lot to offer to each other and to all whom we serve.
I do love the way James describes wisdom that definitely comes from God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
May the wisdom we speak and model be from above and be “pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without a trace of partiality or hypocrisy.”
Amen
Increasing Communication in the brain regions: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/09/as-you-get-older-the-two-sides-of-your-brain-talk-more/
