Year B Lent 5 2021High and Lifted Up

Year B Lent 5, 21 March 2021

Video Service from St. James the Less Episcopal, Ashland, VA

“High and Lifted Up”

Collect: Almighty God, you alone can bring into order the unruly wills and affections of sinners: Grant your people grace to love what you command and desire what you promise; that, among the swift and varied changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

John 12:20-33

Now among those who went up to worship at the festival were some Greeks. They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and said to him, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” Philip went and told Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me, and where I am, there will my servant be also. Whoever serves me, the Father will honor.

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

For something to be born, something else has to move on. To become a spouse, one’s single ways need to be released, for the marriage to last anyway. To become a parent, less responsible ways to need go by the wayside. The old must pass away. The new must come.

Jesus warns us today: “Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.” Now some of that change is slow, and some abrupt. I remember when I had a come to Jesus moment that changed forever the direction of my life.

Now in telling this, I have to let you know a few things. I grew up in the church, and never had a dramatic calling or radical conversion. Like the kids here, I grew up in the knowledge of God’s love and tried to live a godly life from my early days. But we all have moments when things become more real than the way they were just moments before.

I was in seminary, and Stephanie and I were poor as dirt.  We used to take on extra work sometimes where we could get a meal for free and get paid, too.  Babysitting Wednesday night prayer meetings and Bible studies were a big one for a few years.

Another one of my many part time jobs I strung together to make ends meet was at the Warner Bros. Store at Regency Mall.  Remember when Regency was the nice mall? It was like the Disney Store, but more snarky like Bugs Bunny.  With all the Warner Bros. properties, they had more than cartoons to hawk.  At the back of our store’s wall, we had a big video screen.  It was about 10 feet tall and about 15 wide.  This was when really big TVs were still a novelty. It ran videos all day long.  It was about an hour and half long, so it was not too bad during the shifts, enough change to not be annoying.  And a new video would come out every two months or so. 

During the normal routine of the store, one of the jobs was to be a greeter at the front of the store.  It was friendly and helped with loss prevention.  I was often assigned up front because, as one of my managers put it, “You sound like you actually like people.”  This was true, and I was glad she thought so. 

Seminary’s struggles were no fun, and I knew the toll it was taking on Stephanie and our finances.  One day, the manager asked would I consider applying for one of the manager jobs that was coming open.  It had insurance, a full-time salary, and it was now. No delays. No piecemealing a living together. It was safe, and much easier than the life we were living. It was such an answer to so many of our worries that I seriously considered dropping out of seminary for a while to get our heads above water.

Soon after the offer I had a dream. Now remember, this was my dream, and in our dreams it is our mind’s way of working out in visuals and symbols what we are pondering. And sometimes, I believe, God can use those somnific imaginings to shape our days.  I was working the front of the store greeting, and it was during the holiday rush.  People were crowding in the store.  There were several oohs and aahs as people came into the festive store.  Several, pointing at the video wall said very clearly, “Look at that!  Wow!”  I remember thinking in the dream, “They’ve never seen a TV before?  Sheesh!”  But people kept pouring in, many exclaiming and pointing to the wall.

Finally in the dream, I turned around.  And there, in the store, there was no video wall.  People were streaming in and pointing, not at a TV, but to Jesus on the cross.  People were standing around in awe, with Jesus bruised and bloodied.  Some were astounded.  Some were amazed.  Some were horrified. But none of them could look away.  In my dream I remember saying, “What have I done?  I’ve sold out.”  And in a full body jerk, I jumped up, wide awake, calling out.  The power of the cross reached across time and into my dream reminding me of the who, and the why, and the how of my being in seminary.

The thought of jumping ship and leaving seminary behind was no longer a temptation.  The power of the cross had reached across time and space and jolted me back to what I was to be about and who I was to be.  My struggles were minor in comparison to this Son of Man, high and lifted up.  I looked on this vision of death, believed, and was saved. Just as Jesus promised.

I was hesitant to share this, and it is not something I share quickly.  That dream changed my life.  It was so personal and so real, I have been a different person since then.  But in my weakness and frailty, I point to the power and wisdom that saved me.

That Cross dream became a moment of choice, a moment of choice that all Christ followers had. Jesus had that choice, too. In this moment in today’s readings when the Voice of God affirms him. This was a precursor to Gethsemane, when he asked a last time if this was the only way. As Jesus so clearly said: 

“Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” The crowd standing there heard it and said that it was thunder. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.” Jesus answered, “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine. Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” He said this to indicate the kind of death he was to die.

Jesus chose us. Jesus chose the True Path, which never is the Easy Path. We are called to Christ like the little children he welcomed. We are also called to follow Christ in the way of the Cross. We are among those drawn to Jesus, high and lifted up. And in that symbol and in that name, we are given our purpose and our existence. Thanks be to God!

In all of our followings, may God be glorified. Jesus was lifted up to God’s honor and glory. In our choice to love all in every way, we are called to do the same, and God will be glorified in that as well. 

And in eternity, the sufferings of these moments will be so quickly forgotten. And we will be eternally thankful for the choices for Christ we make each day on this side of heaven. What we do here today, in the here and now, echoes through eternity. Amen.