Shhhhhhhhh

A sermon preached at Old South Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, Hallowell, Maine, September 10, 2006.

Text: Mark 7:

The Rev. Susan M. Reisert, Minister

Shhhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone. Don’t tell anyone that things are going pretty well here at Old South Church and that Old South is a pretty great place to worship God. Don’t say a word. Don’t tell.

Shhhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that we are a vibrant and interesting and faithful group of people who join together to create a fascinating tapestry of life experience, historical perspective, and goals for the future, that we bring them here into this sacred place to listen for God’s guidance for us as individuals and as a community of faith, as a church. Don’t tell anyone that we feel the movement of the Holy Spirit in the midst of us, as we gather together as Christ’s church, with Jesus Christ as our Head and our Guide, as God continues to speak to us. Shhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that we come together as a church, young and not so young and inbetween. Don’t tell anyone that we have a wonderful Christian Education program with dedicated teachers and bright students, along with eager young people who wish to serve the church and the community. Don’t tell anyone that we use a thoughtful curriculum that follows the weekly Sunday lessons to provide an integrated approach to how we all gather here on Sunday mornings, so that families may use a common language after church to talk about the lessons learned and the thoughts generated and the different approaches to how we understand the Word. Through the generations, we gather here to pass along our faith and our church traditions. But wait: Shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell.

Shhhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that that we have a superb music program, with a grand organ and a talented organist. In a couple of weeks, when the choir is back together, our sanctuary will be filled with the songs of praise and longing, the songs of hope and wonder, the songs of peace and reassurance—songs and music that reflect a sense of God that no spoken word can render. Shhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that Old South has a wide array of active committees that care for this church, this community and for the world. Don’t tell anyone that we gather together in these small groups to share in the responsibility of the up-keep of our spiritual home as well as this physical structure, that we recognize that this is a common enterprise. Don’t tell anyone that we, at Old South, use and celebrate our individual God-given gifts and talents in concert with one another to participate in a strong witness to the power of God’s love among us. Don’t tell anyone that we seek to offer a wide variety of the paths to service, that each of possesses different and, most of the time anyway, complementary talents that are put to use in being the fullness of the church in this place. From the Beautification Committee, to the Diaconate, the Trustees, the CE Committee, to the Missions Committee and all of the rest, there is a place for everyone and such a wide assortment of gifts at our table. But, shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone about that!

Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that we gather for engaging Bible Studies. Don’t tell anyone that we meet to learn and to grow, to deepen our understanding of who we are and to whom we belong and what has shaped our sense of God’s call to us. Don’t tell anyone that we seek to know more about the Bible, that we know that exploring the Bible is a life-long endeavor and that one of the important ways of going about that exploration is in groups, sharing insights and ideas and those occasional epiphanies—and sometimes asking those difficult questions that keep the minister on her toes. In these groups, we learn more about the Bible, our faith, and our history, while we also learn more about each other. And we often share a laugh or two. Don’t tell anyone about that.

Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that we hold each other in prayer during important and difficult times in each other’s lives. Don’t tell anyone that our prayer list often elicits responses of comfort and hope, even during the most difficult moments in the lives of our family and friends and even some people we have never met. Just a few months ago, I added the name of Martha Quigg to the prayer list after she suffered a significant heart attack. Many other churches around Maine added Marty to their prayer lists. Marty’s husband, Jack, has served many churches in Maine including the church in Winslow where Jack and I worked together. Many people prayed for Marty and her family. I found out the other day that Marty, after several months of rehab, received some amazing news. She passed through rehab with flying colors and the medications that she was told that she would take for the rest of her life would mostly be discontinued. Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone about our prayers and the power of prayer. Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone about our prayer list and those who use it during the week in the practice of their faith and in the hope of their calling.

Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone about our connections to the wider church and to our denomination, the United Church of Christ. Though our Conference and our denomination sometimes prod us to talk about things that are uncomfortable and difficult, these associations of churches provide us with important connections, structure and assistance for our programs. The Conference not only provides structure and assistance, but it also provides the paths to relationship that help to make each of its individual churches stronger. For one example, I might not have ever have set foot in Old South Church if I had not met someone from Old South who asked me to supply the pulpit here a few years ago, which is how I first got to know this church. I met that person through the work of an Association Committee.

In the more controversial issues that typically come up at the Conference and national level, we are reminded that we do things differently than other churches. While the conference and the denomination will sometimes speak to us about difficult issues, they do not speak for us. Ultimately, we answer only to our Savior. Shhhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone that we work differently than other churches, that we seek connection yet still fully hold onto our autonomy. Shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone about that.

Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that we are the kind of community, the kind of church, that looks after each other in times of celebration as well as times of crisis and sometimes just because of the complicated nature of our lives sometimes. You don’t want anyone to know about how we take care of each other. Meals are coordinated and delivered to families facing illness and death. Assistance of various kinds are offered and a kind word and gesture are evident in all kinds of circumstances. Cards are sent. Phone calls are made. An embrace just happens. We reach out to one another to offer hope and reassurance, and sometimes, just a little practical assistance. We reach out to allow a lit bit of God’s space among us to be opened and revealed. We reach out in faith because that’s the kind of church we are and that is how God has guided us. But, shhhhhhh. You shouldn’t tell anyone. You don’t want anyone to know about that.

Shhhhhhhh! Don’t tell anyone that this is the place to which we are drawn in dealing with the big, difficult and persistent questions of life. Here, is where we are drawn in times of crisis and tragedy, when the realities and violence of life, whether born of human hatred or from nature, when these realities are overwhelming. This is where we turn, to this sanctuary. Not so much for answers, but for the hopefulness, for nurture, for guidance, for the assurance of God’s love that we gain by remembering that there is something, someone greater than us. Our God is mindful of us and, perhaps, the more mindful we are of God, the more peaceful this world will become. We come together in times of tragedy and crisis to hear a word of hope and to be filled with the grace and the courage we need to live in this world, but not to be of this world, and to know that there is a purpose to our existence and that God will show us the way. But, we don’t want to share that kind of news. Shhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone.

Shhhhhhhh. Don’t tell anyone that amid all of life’s difficulties and pain, along the journey of life where we experience that occasional bump or two or three, we find meaning in this place, among these people, this church. We find meaning, sometimes a meaning that is difficult to articulate. We find in this church and among these people, we find expression in our faith that would be impossible to find if we practiced our faith on our own. We sometimes get uneasy when we come face to face with the wide variety of opinions that are held among us. How can such a diverse group be the people of God? How can so many perspectives be encompassed by one church? But, we also come with enough humility not only to make it all work, but to know that through God’s grace, our differences actually make us stronger. Though we are different, we cling to a common purpose: to be the church and to be witnesses of the grace of God through Jesus Christ.

Don’t tell anyone. Shhhhhhh! Don’t tell a soul!

After all, that’s what Jesus told them. Don’t tell. That’s what Jesus told them. He ordered them to tell no one. As he went about the countryside, teaching and healing, Jesus told those around him not to tell.

Why did he tell them that? We don’t have a clue. But, thankfully, for all of us, they didn’t listen very well. They didn’t listen. The more he ordered them to be quiet, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

It is my hope and my prayer today that you won’t be good listeners either—at least in listening to this sermon. That you will not only proclaim the Good News, but that you will proclaim it zealously.

So, shhhhhhhhhh! Don’t say a word! Amen.