LOOKING FOR LIFE

February.7, 1988, 11:00 a.m. Worship Service
John M. Buchanan’
Fourth Presbyterian Church, Chicago

Scripture
Mark 1:29-39

..."and they found him and said to him, ‘Every one is searching for you."
Mark 1:37(RSV)

What are you doing here this morning? You are not really supposed to
be here. After all, it's-cold out and you could. be in an easy chair,. still
in your robe, reading the paper, having a second cup of coffee. - And.if you
thought you really needed a little religion, there would be a wide range of
choices as close as the channel buttons on the remote device: hot Gospel,
Crystal Cathedral, a Roman Mass, and in the middle of-it all Linda Loving
‘being interviewed this morning by Lydia Talbot on.a program with the
‘curious name: "Every Man." Youwould have enjoyed the-added wonder of a
volume control: and: mute butto -to-turn off. the2sound :when you. wish,. which -
lon't have. here.: What: are. we” doing. here?. By coming here...
this: ‘morning you are, in: fact contradicting: the best judgment’ of our!
‘wisest, most: astute prognosticators. ' You are not supposed to be here.

In. his. new: history OF. Modern American Religion; Martin Marty observes
that. things religious often. do. not. turn. out. the. way they. are’ supposed -to.
- Marty writes: - : ; ; .

Those’ ‘who | ‘observe. modern: ‘American religion. have e

“plausible pre ets” tiave ‘ ‘envisioned: ‘the “decline Wise
of religion: Scenarios written in Europe and”
sometimes in: America pictured an urban and”

industrial life inimical to faith."

But religion didn't” disappear - it prospered.. ~. Instead of
~ dissolving as: it was . supposed to, it relocated.: os

Marty. observes - ine ‘the. first chapter of vol. A, The Irony of It All,
that ‘instead -of becoming: less: ‘religious +. we- keep; -inventing. “new wave: to.
pursue (our) ‘spiritual, questions." [Modern American Religion; Vol.

"The ‘Irony Of It All," Pe. aye

Like Mark ‘Twain’ s - obituary, which we read in the newspaper, the
announcement of the end of religion is obviously premature. However, the

‘those people who gathered : outside - the home: of. Simon Peter at: sundown .on: the
Sabbath day nearly two. ‘thousand years “ABO. ce

ae came bringing their. sick’mothers: and fathers;
“-gpippled... . They came alone too,” “bringing ‘thes “pain in-their own’ ‘hearts::
’ the outcast, the lonely, the: blind;: ‘the different, othe morally and: ‘socially

predictions of the demise of religion, and the emergence of a new self- =
- sufficient, mature, secular humankind were made with astonishing confidence.

just a decade or two ago. It was the general opinion among those who
matter intellectually, that the church was irrelevant, the church's
morality utterly obsolete, the church's world. view actually repressive.

. Besides, some theologians announced, God is dead. It even made the cover .

of Time. Seriously misunderstanding Bonhoeffer, it was proposed that since
the human race has “come of age" the very best thing we'can do is discard
religion and become fully human, standing on our own, leaning on no one —
certainly not the obsolete mythologies of the past.

The Marxists, of course, always knew that it was only a matter of
time. For more than a century they have known that religion is an opiate
whose purpose is toe anesthetize oppressed people to the injustices around
them. When eyes are opened-to that unsavory relationship between
religion and the oppressors, religion will die out quite naturally,
particularly among the oppressed working class. Ironically, even in the
most rigidly Marxist states, religion not only hasn't disappeared but keeps
emerging... in China - Russia... In Poland more new churches are under
construction than at any time in Polish history.

But then, from the opposite pole politically, in mid-century, a
materialism of the right joined the chorus. The meaning of our humanity:
would be here realized in consumerism, earning, buying, accumulating -
consuming... "The One With The Most Toys Wins" announces the BMW. bumper
sticker. : , : a

So with the two ‘major cultural: forces: ‘of the age aligned. squarely

-sagainst. us,: socialist materialism and ‘Capitalist: materialism,. and : with. our. s
“best minds predicting our. demise” ~. we probably shouldn't be™ here this. cee

morning. ‘The irony of it. all.

Why. have. we come here. this: ‘morning? = “My: proposal is that. “there. is ‘an

affinity between those of us who have decided ‘to be here this morning, cand

It.is. -one of the: loveliest.

isherman. Earlier.on.that

satot Sabbath day there to st Seen" a: Peter, a jocaut the: ‘Synagogue. Jesus was

teaching and he was interrupted by a strange, wild man who, it was said,
was possessed. Everyone avoided the man. He was different, peculiar,
frightening. But somehow, inthe midst of.his’teaching,. Jesus-of. Nazareth

-_had freed the man from the mental: torment with? which ‘he had lived: ‘all. his

life.. And so, “with the’sun setting, in that: glorious -hour. of. early:
evening, people started. to: ‘gather at. the house where he was staying.: They
ie children. who .wereborn ;

alienated. He touched each” one * ‘of them and: in. his” touch they were. “made
whole.

“Shave: discovered ‘that the fullness of ‘our: humanity ds’ not: defined: by)

"Then the next ‘morning he rose early to go for. a’ walk: ‘beside the sea, ®
I like to think. But more people had come to the house and. so Peter had to
find him... "everyone is searching for you," Peter said.

_ Notice the internal. dynamic. Jesus confronts and ‘heals. - That
precipitates awe. But more than simple religious curiosity, it stimulates —
hope - in the hearts of. a lot of people - who had long ago given up. hope
for newness and vitality and wholeness. Suddenly they founda reason to
hope and so they get up out of bed, or out of the chair they sit'in day in
and day out; they emerge from the walled-in prison of whatever it is: that
cripples and oppresses, and head for Simon Peter's house. Now everyone is
looking for him. You bet they are. Here is a man.who touches the
untouchables, who confronts the demons which torment, who makes the
crippled walk and the blind see, and the. guilt-ridden breath deeply, and
the seif-loathing smile at the visage of themselves once again. _ Looking
for life — they came searching for Jesus. My proposal is that there is an
affinity between them and us; that once again, Scripture is a mirror jin
which we see ourselves, |

—

Those people were looking for life and so are -we.

We are here because we have learned’a secret;: In spite of.. the
materialism of left and right - we have discovered that after our: material
physical needs are met, after we have the new suits we need, the proper
address, the right car,.after we have traveled, been entertained. and eaten
in the best restaurants - we have discovered a. hunger that is | hot
- satisfied. “4 :

We are here because What: makes. us human is. something. beyond ‘that.

_materialism of left or right but by a list. of: questions | we. can never: stop.
asking... wae.

‘Who am 12 . ;
What does my. life mean?
' Where am I going? :

“middle of one. ‘of the endless. ‘diplomatic cocktail. SF
he said, "I am looking: for: lifes: “-T-am not living a real] fe at all. Mo
‘ {Paul Tournier, The Meaning of Persons, p. 28-29] a

What are we doing ues see Why. we we're. looking for life, ‘that's. what.

That's presumptuous of me" course... If 4. te levision camera. were ‘shoved.

in our faces and:we were asked why we came we'd: probably say .- to hear a
sermon, to listen to great music,: to get away. from it all;to be with
friends... or because-I have.no: where better, to: be.:: Thosewould, :of.-s¢8

. course, all be true answers, But:1 presume to.suggest that.:beneath allig: 00 f..

those answers, what: we-are really doing here:is- looking for: life... And.

“.. the life we are looking: for-is pretty. wel] defined by those- questions, the

‘asking of which makes us. human —".

needs.

Who am 1? ue
What does my life mean?
Where am_I going?
' . Who am I?

One of our eccentricities is. that when we come here we dress up
elaborately. The reason is that the occasion is important - but also
because we know our vulnerability and our nakedness. Near the very
powerful conclusion of King Lear, Lear encounters Edgar, already half-naked
and Lear starts to strip off his rags - and he says, -

“Unaccommodated man is no more
but such a poor, bare, forked animal..."

That speaks for all of us... We are here because we need to know
that we matter. When we are naked, stripped of all we have, there is

something more to us..,..We need.. to.know that our living matters. [See
Frederick Buechner, welding The Truth, p. 337>
Wane ap RSC AA ea ENO pen nnn nen Lt A A

And although many of us would have a very difficult time admitting
it, because we are so concerned of.our autonomy and independence, we are
here because part of the sense human life makes happens when human life is
part of a community, part of something bigger than our solitary lives.

How important is that? I think it-is impossible to-describe how
important it is... The people who have-studied the: sudden emergence of
religious cults. conclude that. the fundamental appeal is. that. ‘they provide a
‘sense of belonging... Psychologists: tellus ‘it: As among our more urgent.

re asking: ‘their: schools why their young
earing: ‘Spuds. MacKenzie T-shirts. Spuds © is ‘the:

. - Parents in “California
children are so intent on:

Budweiser’ mascot’ — ‘whose’ ‘appeal is enormous... = _@specially to an age’ group -

which is closer. to drinking’ ut of ‘baby. bottles than the legal age for
drinking out of. beer bottles.:.A psychologist. ‘answered — because- that T-
_. shirt Says "I belong to: -mypeers," [see Christian century, Jan. 20, 1988]

eter’: Ss dor. not. only. found’
C went, he, created: community.
=: And: the ‘earliest ‘and’ best: mira e he ‘pér rméd had: to do: with people’ ;

. discovering that God's love: for: ‘them as individuals: must: be’ expressed in.

° “their love: for one another.” It's. the most. overlooked part of the. story...

So we are here becauseé part of what we are looking for is a community
_ whose ongoing life gives meaning to:.our lives, whose purposes are larger
and good and noble and which call out. of. ‘us. > good and noble aspirations.

And we are . here because each ‘of us .- Like those who gathered at
sundown at the. home of Simon: Peter =) is: looking for hope. We are looking =.
. for.a sense - that even if<I- don't: have all:the answers, even if I don't... -
know what will become of me ‘and those. I love, even if I fear death and
shudder at the thought of:my own demise —-there is one in whose hands I can
place the whole matter. One whose love is eternal,’ who wili be there at the
end of the days. One whose love transcends: death. One whose strong love is

far more important than a simple answer to. the question about what happens ~
when I die.

. _. The Gospel of Jesus Christ, in all its simplicity and complexity,
_announces that ‘God has- spoken a word on the topics of human meaning and

community and destiny.

_Jesus Christ is God's answer to the questions which make us human...

He is God's Word that we matter —
to God —- our Creator.

He is God creating a community which
will be our home.

He is God's love -— promising our safety
and ultimate security.

Looking for life... is what we are doing here. And the miracle is
that while we look, he finds us and touches us. And the miracle of
wholeness begins to happen and we discover, -sometimes,in the midst of tears
and sometimes in the midst of preat laughter, that it is Jesus Christ we
have been looking for all along...

0 Lord, we come to your table. this morning because you have invited: -
us. We come.to this table,- covered with: white. linen, to-eat and drink. =
_ together because we are, looking for» life. . Pk Bt ns

-O0 God,:as we search, find us... As. we » ask about our identity, our.
. significance, our destiny, come once ‘again as,.in-Christ, you touched
“the lives of those who were searching long AZOrs :

And, in the breaking of bread, call] out of each of us. new faith, new .
. love for one another and new hope, through Jesus:Christ_our Lord. Amen...