Loading...Sermon April 9, 2017
The Rev. Rebecca S. Myers, LSW
The Church of the Nativity and St. Stephen, Newport, PA
Sunday of the Passion Palm Sunday in Lent, Year A
The Lord God helps me;
therefore I have not been disgraced;
therefore I have set my face like flint,
and I know that I shall not be put to shame; Isaiah 50:7
Please be seated.
It’s taken me a long time to acknowledge that I am human. I strive for perfection…I strive to be God. Over twenty years ago, I remember a friend asking me when I would acknowledge that I was human? I was very confused by his statement to me. I was struggling through a divorce and going to graduate school for my MSW. I’m sure I was trying to do all things perfectly…trying my best to keep it together.
A few years later, another friend challenged me in nearly the same way. Each year at the Pennsylvania Chapter of NASW, we had a large statewide conference. I made a mistake in the program and had some evening workshops starting at two different times. I made the decision about the start time, which angered some people and they let me know about it. I felt horrible about my mistake. One of my friends and colleagues who kept hearing me lament my mistake asked when I was going to put the whip away and stop beating myself up!
Acknowledging my humanness…my imperfections…was something I didn’t like doing, because acknowledging my humanness meant I was vulnerable. Being authentically human is being vulnerable.
This week we once again walk with Jesus to the cross. We’ve done it how many times in our lives? Yet, our journey this week…a journey we take each year… is the heart of our faith. During the week, I’d like to meditate on three attributes required of us as we walk with Jesus – vulnerability, humility, acceptance, and surprise.
Walking with Jesus means being vulnerable. It means being authentic. Jesus knew when he rode that donkey into Jerusalem on that Palm Sunday that all of his teaching and exhortation about how to live meant his life was in danger. Recognizing and speaking to women…advocating for people who were poor…recognizing children and challenging the piety of the religious establishment were all things that got him into trouble.
And the Roman authorities were in town that week, with the shameful, torturous and frightening practice of crucifixion scheduled. Being crucified was to be avoided.
Yet, Jesus was vulnerable to the end. He did not back down from his teachings.
The social work researcher, Brene’ Brown, has discovered that being authentic and vulnerable is absolutely necessary to living a wholehearted life. In her book, The Gifts of Imperfection, she describes it this way:
Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are. (p. 49)
She goes on to say,
Choosing Authenticity means:
- Cultivating the courage to be imperfect, to set boundaries, and to allow ourselves to be vulnerable;
- Exercising compassion that comes from knowing that we are all made of strength and struggle; and
- Nurturing the connection and sense of belonging that can only happen when we believe we are enough.
Authenticity demands Wholehearted living and loving – even when it’s hard, even when we’re wrestling with the shame and fear of not being good enough, and especially when the joy is so intense that we’re afraid to let ourselves feel it. (p. 50)
She concludes:
Mindfully practicing authenticity during our most soul-searching struggles is how we invite grace, joy, and gratitude into our lives. (p. 50)
This holy week, walking with Jesus, let us embrace vulnerability. As the prophet Isaiah says, let us set our faces like flint, knowing that in our vulnerability and in our authenticity, we, like Christ, shall not be put to shame.
Amen
The Gifts of Imperfection: https://www.amazon.com/Gifts-Imperfection-Think-Supposed-Embrace/dp/159285849X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491672573&sr=8-1&keywords=the+gifts+of+imperfection+by+brene+brown
