Proper 10C + Center of Gravity + 7.10.17 (St. Stephen's, Sebastopol)

-
(https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/
wp/2016/06/16/physics-test-suggests-cafe-cats-understand-
gravity-japanese-researchers-say/)
M. Campbell-Langdell+
St. Stephen’s, Sebastopol
Wilbur’s Baptism on July 10, 2016
(Proper 10C: Amos 7:7-17; Ps. 82; Col 1:1-14; Luke 10:25-37)

“This is what the Lord God showed me: the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord said to me, "Amos, what do you see?" And I said, "A plumb line." Then the Lord said, ‘See, I am setting a plumb line in the midst of my people Israel’ (Amos 7:7-8).”
What exactly is a plumb line? Looking it up, I found that according to Merriam-Webster, it is a line with a heavy weight on it, which is used for finding the depth of water or determining a vertical on a surface that is upright. But the second definition called to me more: “a line directed to the center of gravity of the earth: a vertical line.”[1] The center of gravity of the earth.
There is something about the center of gravity of the earth that speaks to me of God.
Did you hear? There is a recent study by Japanese scientists showing how cats appear to have an innate sense of the rules of physics, or of how gravity works. Using strong magnets, a group of scientists studied how cats responded to a game wherein magnetic balls fell or did not fall out of a cup, and rattled or did not rattle in a cup, based on whether they were engaging some strong magnets to keep them in place. And the cats were way more curious about the cups and balls that did not follow the rules they had expected than the cups that rattled and the balls that fell as expected.[2] So, cats know about gravity! At least at a basic level.
And we do, too. At a basic level, we understand gravity, even those of us who cannot explain it in scientific terms. And I think this relates to faith, too.
Because at a certain level, God is our center of gravity. Is the center of gravity of the earth and in fact of the universe. The pull that never lets us go. And that pull is why we are here this morning. Perhaps you had other things to do this morning. You might have had a paper to read or extra sleep to make up on, but you are here. Do not discount the effects of God’s gravitational pull.
In Amos, it is clear that the Israelites have been measured and found lacking. And I’ll be honest, on most days I would be measured and found lacking, too. But God will not pass us by. In this context, that sounds pretty ominous. But the flip side is the fact that, once God gets through this divine tirade, it is clear that God will not abandon us, no matter how far we stray. No matter how much we fall.
We make many promises at baptism. About raising a child in the faith, and supporting the person being baptized. One of the ones I love is the one in the baptismal covenant, which says that when we fall into sin we will repent and return to God. When we stumble, we will return to God.
I like that, because it is a reminder of gravity. That we are humans, and if you’re clumsy like me, you will fall. At some point you will just tumble, because that is the way of things.
But what we affirm today is that connection to God—our plumb line—to which we are always connected. It is the center of our gravity. It is how we know that no matter where life takes us we are always marked as Christ’s own. We affirm that Wilbur, and we, will always have that connection to God deep inside us, to re-center us and to keep us on the right path.
How do we stay connected to this truth?
For me, I think Paul’s words to the Colossians that we heard today about prayer really bring this home. Because we stay connected to our center of gravity through prayer. Prayer that connects us to God. Prayer that connects us to each other. The daily prayer of parents and godparents for their child and godchild, yes, but also the active prayer experienced in Christian community. It is this prayer that keeps us on the path to acting in mercy.
Today you say you will support Wilbur in his life and faith, even if you don’t know him from Adam. But you still say these time-honored words because in doing so you reinforce that he is now welcome in any church he might chose to enter. As a Christian, he is home now.
Any place he asks for prayers, chances are they will say them.
At my church in Oxnard, we constantly have seemingly random individuals approach us for prayer—either in person or in written form. And we do pray for these folks, and often their prayers end up in our church prayer lists for a while.
This is not because we are connected to these people by virtue of local ties—many of them are traveling through. But it is because we know that as Christians, God connects us all.
Paul’s words to the Colossians are so beautiful. He prays for them for strength, endurance, and joy. These are our prayers for Wilbur and these are my prayers for each of you today. Because these are our inheritance as Christians.  Because we are all connected to that force—stronger than any gravitational pull. That pull that even dogs and cats and we know—that irresistible pull of God.
Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Faith or Fear? Advent 1C

-
Melissa Campbell-Langdell All Santos, Oxnard Year C + Advent 1 (Jeremiah 33:14–16; Ps. 25:1–9; 1 Thess. 3:9–13; Luke 21:25–36) So… what are you going to do when you stand before the man with the holes in his hands? Now that may seem like a strange question to ask this first Sunday in December.  Surely, Pastor Melissa, we’re gearing up for jollity, not getting ready to meet our maker? But in a sense we are, always, all the time, waiting for Jesus, and I think that’s what Advent is really all about.  Reminding us that we are always waiting not just for the Christ Child to come and be born in our midst, but that we are also waiting for that awesome, if slightly scary Second Coming of Christ. And it is true that this passage talks about distress and the roaring of the waves.  And many looked at the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy, that iconic image of the ocean-side theme park, including a Ferris Wheel, in the waves, and many said, this is something w...
Read more

Proper 20 (B) + A community of power + 9.23.18

-
Image
M. Campbell-Langdell All Saints, Oxnard (Proverbs 31:10–31; Ps. 1; James 3:13–4:3, 7–8ยช; St. Mark 9:30–37) Take a moment and think of the most powerful positive woman figure you know – in your life or in your favorite movie, show or book. Who is the woman who has most inspired you? Keep that image of that woman in mind as we look at this passage from Proverbs Chapter 31. Now here we see the verse “A capable wife who can find?” And all the feminists amongst us will be relieved to hear that a better translation from the Hebrew would be: “a woman of power” instead of a “capable wife.” [1] That changes things, doesn’t it? Then when we hear about this ideal ancient Hebrew woman’s exploits – her buying of lands, her trading prowess, her physical strength, even her domestic abilities such as weaving, and perhaps especially her kindness to the poor, we see strength and power in all of these. Of course, looking at this passage, this is not one woman but a concept of the most...
Read more

Proper21BAcceptingourownwounds29sept24

-
  Accepting our own and other’s wounds Mark 9: 38-50   St Michael’s, Isla Vista / All Saints Oxnard The Rev. Alene Campbell-Langdell; MCL additions   May I just start this morning by acknowledging that our Gospel reading is complex.   The images are startling (horrifying?) and the metaphors come almost too quickly to catch.   What is clear is that something serious is going on between Jesus and his disciples, and Jesus is using every means possible, including some pretty harsh language, to try to course correct.   To even begin to understand this passage, we need to back up to last week’s reading from Mark.   In that reading, the disciples are arguing with each other about who is the greatest and best disciple.   In response, Jesus gets a little kid, some commentators say “toddler,” and holds this child in his arms during the rest of the conversation.    The other part of the scene to keep in mind is that Jesus has just told...
Read more