Misguided Muscle Memory

2. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

Ilumin us O God, Bring your sprit into this place that we might see hear and feel your presence with us. Great creator, be with the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts. May they be pleasing and acceptable in your sight. Amen

Misguided muscle memory.

Mussels are a fascinating part of our bodies,and since there are doctors in the room, I will not clam to know to much about them. But I have always been interested in muscle memory. Apparently no one really know what part of the brain that forms muscle memory and its not actually “memory”, its something else,but we do believe that it comes from repetitive motions.Doing the same activity over and over again, eventually trains the muscles to “memorize” The activity until it becomes second nature. It moves from a conscious action to a subconscious action. For instance,  as infants we did not  know how to walk but I would bet that by now, most people in this room don’t put much thought into walking we just do it. But it is a complex action that take a lot of focuse. In the beging… This happens with all kind of things in our life. Typing on a computer, driving a car, dancing, swimming, riding a bike. The list goes on and on…

In our Colossians passages the writer asks us to take a good look at ourselves. It says that: If you have been raised with Christ you should look at the things which are above and not below. Because you have died and your life is hidden with Christ. It tells us to put to death. Things like: anger, wrath, malice, slander, abusive language, fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire and Greed which it says Greed is Idolatry.

 

Interestingly enough, our Hosea passage talks about these things.  Despite the fact that God called the people (whom God refers to as my child.)  God calls them out of Egypt. But the more God call them the more they turn away. They keep sacrificing to other Gods, and sacrificing to idols.  SO somewhere between 8^th Century BC with the profit Hosea, and about 60 AD and the apostle Paul, we Humans  still doing the same thing. Offering to idols, or as Idolatry named in Paul’s letter Greed.

 

WHOOO!! I’m so glad we don’t need to worry about that anymore, ………Thinking about Greed, and false idols….

 But greed is not the only things listed. We also find Anger, Malice, Abusive language, Impurity and Evil Desires. Paul gives you a list, But Hosea through the words of God Names it simply as My people are BENT on turning away from me. Its sad… Its hard to see,

 

When we were in Honduras Greed, and idolatry were exposed to me in a whole new way. It hurt, and I felt guilty. But It is not just Greed, We come in Every Sunday, and confess.(LONG BEAT)  The ways that we are bent.

But in thinking about our passages this week I started wondering about spiritual muscle memory. Dose that exist? Is it something we can do? Can we train ourselves spiritually to do something as second nature? Or are some things NOT second nature, but human nature?

Part of the reason we come in and confess every week is so that we Acknowledge, week after week that we are sinners. From the beginning… 

 Brothers and sisters if we say we have no sin we only deceive ourselves… But who is in a position to condemn, Not me, not these guys, not  any other religious authority, not the person sitting next to you, Not even yourself. You cannot condemn yourself. Only Christ is in that position.  And Christ didn’t condemn you, Christ died for you.

Even though we come in ever week we sometimes forget, that it doesn’t matter, what we do, it doesn’t matter how hard we try, or how good our intentions, we sin… 

 

Do you know the story of the scorpion and the frog? A scorpion wants to cross a river, but it can’t swim. It asks a frog to help. The frog is weary, but the scorpion promises «I won’t sting you, because if I did we would both drown». Seeing the lodgic the frog agrees. In mid river the scorpion stings the frog. The dying and sinking the frog asks «why?» and the drowning scorpion answers «that’s my nature».

 

But what that story doesn’t have is a hand that scoops up the frog and the scorpion and places them on the other side. But we do, We are redeemed people, who it is our nature to fall. It is Hard, It is not easy.  But we have the desire… The revelation that has changed us into something new.

Our Colossians passage says that we are new creations because we have died with Christ. Almost every Sunday at this church we baptize someone, We bring them into the family of brothers and sisters in Christ.  But we also clam that as there death. Did you know that? Baptism is the death of the old, and the birth of the new. You become a new creation. But it is hard to believe it’s that simple? Alright your new! Put off the old! (fold arms, beat beat beat) are you new yet? (beat) what about now? Its kind of silly right?! We act like this passage is some kind of magic. But its not easy ya’ll. If it was that easy we would need to come in every Sunday and  confess our sins. And sometimes we feel guilty about that.

 

*Ya know, the interesting things about this muscle memory stuff is that its starts when were infants.* When were new …to this world.* No one expects an infant to be able to dance.  And God certainly doesn’t expect you to have perfect form either.

Our Colossians passage dose not say that you become new when your baptized.

It says you become new when Christ is reviled to you. So think about it… when was Christ reviled to you? when was that moment? Was it in confirmation? Was it when you were an angry teen? Were you a lost soul in your twenties? Can you even pin point it? When was Gods greatness relived to you? (Smile) That is when you become new… Something changed….

The rest of it is Theology, and humans trying to grapple with the vastness of god.  But what changes it the Desire… the desire to want to serve this great God. The desire to put off the old. And live into being New.

 If muscle memory starts at infancy, How then do we begin to form spiritual muscle memory?? DO we pick up a practice? And do it over and over and over again, until it becomes second nature. Do we decide that every morning your gona get up and say the same prayer. “God Lead me today” Or we decide that every night before you go to bed your gona read one verse in the bible.  Your gona go and work at a food bank one day of the week for a year. Disciplined practice.  Then it builds on itself. Because we do it over and over and over again. Then you can take the next step.

 *As babies.

Once we learn to roll over,

 we can learn to crawl,

once we learn to crawl we can learn to stand,

once we learn to stand we can learn to walk,

after walking we learn to run,

after running we learn we learn to dance.

But No one expects the crawling baby to be able to dance!

when he’s trying to learn to walk,

it’s not the baby’s fault when he falls,

the baby doesn’t feel guilty that he didn’t do it.

The parent doesn’t angry yell at the child for not getting it right.

The parent chuckles, makes sure there are no burses, and lets the baby try again.

But why dose a baby try and learn to walk. Crawling would suffice. Maybe as babies we don’t want to get stuck crawling, maybe we have the desire to do more. But how many times have we seen a parent stand a baby up, take a step away, and open there arms.

And the babies DESIER,to be with the parent… That helps them to take a step forward. To be in the loving arms of their care giver.

How beautiful faith is…

That we can learn. And relearn… how to walk.

But just as we are learning, and creating new spiritual muscles we are Bent on turning away from God.

A friend of mine said to me recently that as soon as a baby learns to walk. The child starts to walk away. It gets distracted by shinny things, The playground, or a toy on the other side of the room.

“Once a baby learns to walk the parent starts to half to do a lot more chasing.” I thought. Sometimes I feel like God feels that way about us.

But there is optimism in this, concerning God’s love for what God has made. It is in God’s ability to accomplish the ultimate good which is intended for creation. Everything that is good Comes from God.That is where we find salvation. Because we are bent on turning away from God, God redeemed us. That is Grace!! But as we mature, we are not to become more independent… But dependent. We are created with a need for God, because we are flawed, were not created to grow out of God.  The new creation is one of GREAT Dependence on God.

But we have the desire to be closer to our parent…

The revelation that has changed us into something new.

Now we try and build new muscles memory. .

And practice and partice and practice.

In closing, I want to leave us with scripture. 

This passage is God speaking, and it comes fallowing several chapter about how wicked Israel is, and how they will be destroyed. Then Gods tone changes in this chapter. We find a God of compassion and of TURE TRUE Grace. 

 But I want you to hear this as response from God as if Someone has just asked God WHY.  “WHY?!?! Why do you continue to care? Give up on them.”

Then God says: 

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. ²The more I called them, the more they went from me ³Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them up in my arms; but they did not know that I healed them. ⁴I led them with cords of human kindness, with bands of love.* I was to them like those who lift infants to their cheeks. I bent down to them and fed them.

*Then, frustrated and heartbroken God says: (almost in tears)

They shall return to the land of Egypt, and Assyria shall be their king, because they have refused to return to me. ⁶The sword rages in their cities, it consumes their oracle-priests, and devours because of their schemes. ⁷My people are bent on turning away from me.

But then God says:

How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel?  My heart recoils within me (at the thought); my compassion grows warm and tender. ⁹I will not execute my fierce anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim; for I am God and no mortal, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.

Friends this is Gods word to the church..

Gods Grace abounds.

And like a loving Parent calls us back to try again. 

Amen.

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Worship Planning Aug 1, 2010

2. August 2010 by Rose Southwell.

18th Sunday in Ordinary Time  

Call to worship:

Some wandered in the desert wastes, finding no way to a city to dwell in;

hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

            They cried to the Lord in their trouble,             And he delivered them from their distress.

            He led them by a straight way till they reached a city to dwell in.

            Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,

            For his wondrous works to the children of men!

            For God satisfies the longing soul,            And the hungry soul God fills with good things.

First hymn: 356 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessings

Prayer of Confession:

            Faithfull God, we confess our unfaithfulness. Our hearts are fickle, and our eyes wonder, and we trick ourselves into serving false gods. We speak lies, we accept lies, and we live lies, destroying ourselves along the way.   We confess the ways we have turned from you;

Silent confession

Loving God, we know that we are prone to wonder, forgive our waywardness and lead us back to you. Allow that we remember your faithfulness, so it may animate our trust in you. Gracious God, allow that your truth settle in our souls and comfort us. Amen

New Testament reading: Colossians 3: 1-10

Old Testament Reading: Hosea 11:1-12

Sermon Title: Misguided Muscle Memory

Final Hymn:372 Lord, I Want to Be a Christian

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