Potluck Jesus

Potluck Jesus

Rev. Bill Barney

First United Methodist Church, Schenectady

August 3, 2008

"...give t= hem something to eat" Matthew 14:= 13-21

A couple generations ago, a man named Marshall McLuhan emerged as the wise ma= n of the Communication Era. His name was on the lips of all the intelligentsia. Debating McLuhan's writings was the "in" thing at cocktail parties and other social gatherings. Some said that 95% of what he was saying was j= ust babble. Others said that they were not in a position to put him down because they didn't understand 95% of what he was saying.

Not unlike the split of opinion over a lot of sermons that have been preached. Varied as the opinions and interpretations have been, most people who read = him seriously seem to agree that the 5% that was left was good grain, that McLu= han was saying something that all of us needed to hear.

His central thesis was that we have left one era of human development and have entered a whole new era, and that this has been caused by dramatic advances= in technology, particularly television and electronic circuitry. McLuhan said = that this is bringing in a whole new human being, unlike the one we had before. = Most of us are keyed to receive information and communication and experience on = one level: the printed page or the spoken word. But our young people are no like that. Because of TV, they receive the message on all levels at once. Today = the reference would be to the internet, YOUTube or text messaging.

If we're really looking, we can see this in our worship experience. Most of our older folks go out from Church asking the question, "What did he or she say in there?" But not young people. They rarely ask that question. The question they ask is, "What happened in there?" And that's= a very different question. It's not "what was said," it's not words= or information or ideas on a conceptual level; it's what happens to us as a People.

Marshall McLuhan's most popular book is entitled "The Medium is the Message.&qu= ot; All he means by this is that the message which gets through is not the word context or the idea context, but rather the medium that contains or communicates the message. The medium is not just a container for the messag= e, the medium is a process; it's an environment; it's what gets through. Now, = if you will take this thesis and apply it against the background of what you k= now to be scripture, it may bring it to light for you in a whole new way.

Think for a moment! The Good News(the is, the so-called Gospel) is Good News about how much we are= loved: In the context of Divine creation we are loved with an infinite love and as Bishop Spong tells us we are called to live fully, love generously(or wastefully) and to become all that we were created to be. Spirit is permeat= ing your life. The Spirit is seeking to give you strength to live and to love w= ith an abiding sense of hope, a promise of wholeness of life – wellbeing,= if you will. This is the Good News! How do we know? Because Jesus is the medium through which this message has been communicating to us. But the Medium is = the Message -- not so much what Jesus said as who he is. What he said is import= ant, obviously. His exact words are not necessarily what we read in scripture. T= he words are a writer’s interpretation.

But we revere him(or some say believe in him) because of whom Jesus was…o= r is. His whole being, His whole Person is the message. This is what John means w= hen he says "The Word (you see, the 'Message') became flesh and dwelled am= ong us." The Medium, Jesus Himself, is the Message. This is the meaning of= Jesus human existence. It carries us to the heart of the Gospel.

Today's Lesson from Matthew's Gospel is the story of Jesus satisfying a hungry crow= d of five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fishes. It wonderfully illustrates our point. From Mark's Gospel we know that Jesus had been preac= hing to that crowd for a long time. And, although the Gospel writers do not reco= rd a single word of what he taught on that occasion, nevertheless the Good News message comes through the Medium. And the Medium is Jesus.

The hour is late, the vast crowd is hungry and there is almost no food. The disciples want to disperse the crowd lest the situation get out of hand. Je= sus disagrees. He is "moved with pity" for the hungry crowd, Matthew tells us. He wants to keep the people together until He has ministered to t= hem. When the Disciples protest that there is not enough food, Jesus says, don’t worry we’ll just have “potluck”. Meaning, we’ll take what we have and make into enough for everyone. The people= 's hunger is satisfied and there is food to spare. Jesus Himself directs the clean-up operation. Now we Un= ited Methodists know about potluck. That’s when everyone brings a little a= nd everyone eats a lot!

I remember one of my first potluck dinners in Glens Fal= ls at Christ= Church. We neglected to divide fol= ks up alphabetically to bring a hotdish, salad or dessert. And, all but three fol= ks brought dessert. And so, laughing as we ate, all had plenty of cake with a garnish cole slaw.

The Medium is the message. In this one little Gospel story, we get a message of togetherness, a message of community, a message of caring, a message of compassion, a message of ministry and service, a message of creativity, a message of miraculous power. A veritable smorgasbord of messages – potluck supreme. Yet we are told not one word of what Jesus taught that cro= wd of five thousand men….not including women and children. The Medium is= the message. Who Jesus is, more than anything else, tells us what Divine Love i= s. Through Jesus, in just this one little Gospel story, we see Divine mercy an= d compassion; a Love that creates miraculously, a Love that will satisfy our human need f= or fulfillment…using whatever is available.

There is a sequel to all of this. If we are followers of Jesus and if we are taki= ng seriously our mission to be the light of the world, then we must realize th= at we are the medium through which the message is to be communicated. It's not wh= at we say, it's who we are. They see us living in their midst. People see us making decisions. They see us reacting to the everyday pressures. They see = us doing the things we do out there in the world. They see us relating to one another in family situations, in work situations, in leisure situations. Th= at is the message. "See how these Christians love others...these folks ha= ve turned the world upside down." These are the things people "out there" were saying about the early disciples. The way they lived out t= heir lives -- that is what attracted others to their Good News Message.

As many of you know, I have just returned from Mozambique. It is the ultimate potluck experience. Though the theology and Biblical understanding may be primitive, the understanding that the medium is the message is completely contemporary. In every situation that involves people from the church in Mozambique, it is the living out of Jesus’ Love that is most apparent. Regardless of what may or may not = be available… food – shelter – transportation – whatev= er, the way is found to include everyone in the feast. There is always room for= one more at the table, room for one more in the house, room for one more in the truck or bus.

Rarely is there enough to call it abundant. But, the abundance of Divine Love that demonstrates Jesus’ presence is always apparent. The growth of the ch= urch in Africa happens because people want to= be a part of the community where the sharing and caring is a potluck smorgasbord= of ministry and mission reaching out to all. The medium is the message indeed.=

We don’t know what Jesus’ said before he fed the people and we rar= ely remember what the preacher said on Sunday morning (sometimes the preacher can’t even remember). Whether we are talking about feeding thousands = of people food for the body of the side of a hill or feeding folks with food f= or the soul on Sunday morning – the question isn’t about what was said, but what just happened and how is life different now? What is your answer to that questi= on when you leave worship at First UMC? Will it help you become the message of= love to those you meet this week? = Time will tell. Amen. <= /o:p>