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# CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
June 28, 1992, 8:00 P.M.
WorSHIP SERVICE
LOST IN THE WILDERNESS TO FIND A SELF

JoHN M. BUCHANAN, SENIOR MINISTER
FOURTH PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, CHICAGO
SCRIPTURE
Exopus 3:1-6
Luke 4:1-11

"JESUS...WAS LED BY THE SPIRIT IN THE WILDERNESS..."
~LukKE 4:1 (NRSV)

THERE IS, IL SUBMIT, AN_ELEMENTAL
— ee
RHYTHM, WHICH MOVES US FROM LIFE AT ITS

BUSIEST, 3, NOISTEST AND MOST
= * SESE

HECTIC TO sgurrupe {ro AN INTERIOR LIFE
ma Oo eo bee

OF SILENCE, EMPTINESS AND ALONENESS.
—_ Siem Sete

THERE IS FURTHER, I SUBMIT, A SENSE

bai bined

tN WHICH THE HUMAN SOUL, THE SPIRIT, THE
es

SELF, IF YOU WILL, IS NURTURED, GROWS,
es a Seer, j= Simm

IS DISCOVERED, IN THE SILENT EMPTINESS;
a

AND IF LIFE DOES NOT AFFORD_SILENT
eye

EMPTINESS, | SOME wriperness \ you AND [
eT aE,

Ld
ARE IMMEASURABLY POORER.
ba |
ANNIE DILLARD IS A WR WHO LIVES
LIBR b&b
IN THE CETY AND LOVES I7T,| BUT WHO DOES
meee 8 ©=£ 4 6 dl

HER BEST WORK SOMEWHERE cise Prcnim AT

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TINKER CREEK IS A BOOK~LENGIH JOURNAL OF

HER REFLECTIONS AT HER WILDERNESS RE-
a a

DILLARD'S DESCRIPTIONS OF TREES AND

ee

ansects, (Tinker CREEK AND HER DAILY
WALKS] CONSTITUTE SOME VERY GOOD WRITING
ee Eee

AND SATISFYING READING.ULBUT WHAT FASCI-
4 Fr

NATES ME MOST, IN ADDITION TO THE FACT
ene __o ee

THAT SHE GREW UP IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

as I prp,| AND REMEMBERS PITTSBURGH IN
[ee

THE SAME WAY I DO FROM EXCITING ANNUAL

TRIPS TO SEE THE PIRATES PLAY,\ IN ADDI-
wee OC
TION TO THAT, I AM INTRIGUED BY THE
Dd

WRITER’S INTENTIONAL MOVING FROM CITY TO
ea ACE neil

WILDERNESS AND HOW FULL _OF CREATIVITY
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AND ENERGY THAT RHYTHM IS FOR HER.
ail

FROM CREEKSIDE IN VIRGINIA SHE
eee

WROTE SOMETHING THOSE OF US WHO LIVE IN busy vee

yadspulaor uo

THittaghees = WILL UNDERSTAND) :
"I REMEMBER WHAT THE CITY HAS TO OFFER;
HUMAN COMPANTONSHIP,\MAJOR LEAGUE BASE-~

BALL AND A CLATTER OF QUICKENING STIMU-

LUS LIKE A RUSH FROM STRONG DRUGS THAT

LEAVES YOU DRAINED. \1 REMEMBER HOW YOU

eo

BIDE YOUR TIME IN THE CITY, AND THINK,

aN Wag des
Wet SEL us
Ary GuUuathha + Usd
Pe ie. vat CAMA

IF YOU STOP TO THINK, ‘NEXT YEAR, I'LL

START LIVING, NEXT YEAR I'LL START MY
LIFE.’" [PILGRIM AT TINKER CREEK,
81]

———

WHEN SHE NEEDS TO WRITE A BOOK OR
eee

WANTS TO WRITE A Book, ( sHE MOVES AWAY

FROM THE BUSYNESS AND NOISE OF THE CITY
ail

To TINKER CREEK, }OR TO A SHED BEHIND A

id

HOUSE ON Care Cop. |\ SOMEWHERE AWAY, NOT

PERMANENTLY, BUT REGULARLY. \ ND WHAT
a

—
—

HAPPENS THERE IS A DEEPENING, A RENEWED
ae,

=e

AWARENESS OF WHO SHE IS AND WHAT HER
— = nl

LIFE IS ABOUT, A KIND OF PERIODIC SELF-

REDISCOVERY, (THE HAPPY RESULT OF WHICH
IS SOME VERY GOOD WRITING.
nual
ONE TIME JESUS SPENT TIME IN THE
re
WILDERNESS. \ MOST OF THE SERMONIC ATTEN-
— anal
TION TO THIS TEXT REVOLVES AROUND WHAT
beeen al
HAPPENED TO JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS, HOW
—— be

HE STRUGGLED WITH TEMPTATION AND OVER-
Siuunmeewer = O_e

CAME rr\\t CONFESS, HOWEVER, THAT THE

THREE MORAL DILEMMAS HE CONFRONTED EIN

—_—a

THE DESERT NEVER SEEMED VERY RACY TO ME

AND BARELY QUALIFIED AS renerarzon | To

TURN STONES INTO LOAVES OF BREAD, \TO
a i

ACHIEVE POLITICAL POWER IN ORDER TO
el

ESTABLISH A LITTLE JUSTICE ANQLUSANITY IN

THE WORLD, \ To EARN PUBLIC .ALTENTION IN

ORDER TO DEMONSTRATE CREDIBILITY AS A

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY... THE MORE YOU
ba nd bY

THINK ABOUT IT, THE BETTER THESE ALTER-

o_o, a

NATIVES SOUND, FRANKLY, SOMETHING LIKE
eee

AN ACTION PLAN DEVISED BY A GROUP OF
a

PRESBYTERIANS AT A LONG RANGE PLANNING
MEETING.
So I'VE ALWAYS FOUND MYSELF WONDER-
rere
ING WHAT THE REAL ISSUE JS HERE, | AND
e_—
WHAT TEMPTATION MEANS IF THE RESULT OF
fd Linen

SUCCUMBING IS NOT MORAL DECADENCE..4 IF

DOING A GOOD THING, LIKE FEEDING HUNGRY
Ol el

PEOPLE ~- FOR THE WRONG REASON - NEGATES

THE coon | Aun I'VE CONCLUDED THAT WHAT
—h

IS GOING ON IN THIS LITTLE STORY OF

serie aaa | ental
JESUS IN THE WILDERNESS IS NOT SJMPLE AT
att: \ THAT IT HAS TO DO WITH HIS VERY

BASIC IDENTITY,| HIS UNDERSTANDING OF

Sr,
HIMSELF AND THE PURPOSE OF HIS LIFE.\ THE
—Eeee
Sel
REAL STRUGGLE HERE IS SOMETHING WHICH I5
ere

A PRIORITY FOR EVERY ONE OF US,{ TO FIND

ee,

A SELF WITH NO COMPROMISES, | THAT ROCK~
—

i

BOTTOM INTEGRITY IN SHAKESPEARE:
EE ——
This aso et:

5 4 Maw pw

g\e we NYE

“To THINE OWN

SELF BE TROES”
I’ VE CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST

=
INTERESTING THING OF ALL ABOUT THIS

STORY IS. IN THE VERY FIRST SENTENCE,
bd a —

NAMELY THAT THE SPIRIT LED HIM INTO THE
Lael

WILDERNESS ce EET ra 2 Fe dd HE,

WILDERNESS IS AN IMPORTANT BIBLICAL

SRE
elec,

WORD AND cqucer.| MOSES ENCOUNTERED THE
ed Da a

VOICE IN THE BURNING BUSH JUST WEST OF
cE EE

THE WILDERNESS vj cAKDOMS
-_ a

It's WHY WE HEAD OUT FOR MIcHIGAN
ee ad

. ued AND WISCONSIN, TO MOUNTAINS AND SEA-~
OM SHORE, TO GET IN TOUCH WITH A PRIMAL
ys — =
WORLD, A WORLD YOU CAN TOUCH AND SEE AND
tnd a a

we Bath -

FEEL AND SMELL - AS IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN,
ea —an Seer
A WORLD OF GRANDEUR AND MAJESTY,\A WORLD
EE re
SO BEAUTIFUL, ONLY ARLVAND MUSIC AND
POETRY CAN APPROACH AN ADEQUATE EXPRES-
aml Cl

SION OF IT. + ©

THEODORE ROELHKE.,

"I WOULD UNLEARN THE LINGO OF EXASPERA-

eee

TION, ALL

THE DISTORTIONS OF MALICE AND HATRED + +,

IT WOULD BELIEVE MY PAIN}

AND THE EYE QUIET ON THE ROSE.
eee
I WOULD DELIGHT IN MY HANDS,
PTIALG UAE
THE BRANCH S2H@ETTS. ..
I LONG FGR THE IMPERISHABLE QUIET AT THE
HEART OF FORM...

THIS AMBUSH, THIS. SILENCE."

ANNIE DILLARD DESCRIBES IT THIS

wee ls EE.

WAY:

"SOMETHING PUMMELS US, SOME-
THING BARELY SHEATHED.
POWER BROODS AND LIGHTS.
We'RE PLAYED ON LIKE A PIPE; OUR BREATH
IS NOT our oWN.'| [P. 13]
JESUS DOESN'T FIND GoD IN THIS
Peel
WILDERNESS. \ WHat JESUS DISCOVERS IS A
eee. TY
seLF.\ AND THE WAY LUKE TELLS IT, GOD
rite

ALMOST INTENTIONALLY STAYS OUT OF THE

PICTURE SO THAT JESUS CAN FIND HIS SELF

ALONE. | THIS WILDERNESS IS ABANDONED BY
Gop, NOT OUT OF MEANNESS OR CALLOUSNESS,
eee, ll

BUT PRECISELY SO THE WORK OF SELF-DIS-
eT, De]

COVERY CAN GO on, \BEcausE SELF-DISCOVER-

lei id
ING CANNOT HAPPEN IN THE PRESENCE OF

bd br el

YOUR PARENTS.

ue
PSYCHOLOGY, PSYCHIATRY, RSYCHO-

THERAPY KNOWS THAT. | IN HIS PQPULAR
eee

BOOK, THE USES OF ENCHANTMENT, \ THE LATE

Bruno BETTLEHEIM OBSERVED:

ee

"IN MANY FAIRY TALES BEING PUSHED OUT OF

EE

HOME STANDS FOR HAVING TO BECOME ONE-
SELF. SELF-REALIZATION REQUIRES LEAVING
THE ORBIT OF HOME, AN EXCRUCIATING,
PAINFUL EXPERIENCE FRAUGHT WITH MANY
PSYCHOLOGICAL DANGERS." j [P. 79]

WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO EXPLORE
YOUR OWN SPIRZIVAL JOURNEY IT IS NOT

UNCOMMON TO DISCOVER THAT ONE OF THE

MOST IMPORTANT DAYS IN YOUR LIFE WAS THE

OCCASION WHEN YOUR PARENTS, | 1N ONE WAY
eres

OR ANOTHER,| PUSHED YOU our, \ or DROPPED
ween ll

YOU OFF IN SOME GOD-FORSAKEN WILDERNESS
rT,

eo

ne

- LIKE A SUMMER camp, [OR TURNED YOU OVER

TO A_ STRANGER ~LIKE A KINDERGARTEN
i ,

TEACHER, \OR ABANDONED YOU IN FRONT OF A

7-—
Le

—<

COLLEGE posm.| or PUT YOU ON A TRAIN AND
eee ene’

CHEERFULLY WAVED GoopBYE. Y

_—— —

THE SPIRIT LED JESUS INTO THAT

WILDERNESS.| HE WOULD NOT HAVE VOLUN-
Petal

TEERED TO GO ON HIS own. | Ir WAS NOT A

PARTICULARLY COMFORTABLE PLACE TO BE.

But IT WAS re. | It WAS TIME FOR HIM TO
‘tee

se

DECIDE WHO HE WAS AND WHAT HE WAS GOING
‘SCORER —_ ay
TO DO WITH THE REST OF HIS are | His
SRI,
SELF WAS FORGED IN THE WILDERNESS,
eee
ALONE.
MY SUGGESTION IS THAT IF THERE IS
be bi med

NO WILDERNESS EXPERIENCE IN YOUR LEFE;

NO SOLITUDE OF THE HEART, (you ARE MISS-
, a
ING SOMETHING.

You MAY BE MISSING CREATIVITY

WHICH YOU HAVE NEVER RECOGNIZED IN
een,
voursetr.|\Anrzsts AND MUSICIANS AND

WRITERS MUST LOOK WSC

ieee, BEFORE ALL ELSE. MANNIE DILLARD
WROTE A BOOK ABOUL.HER CRAFT, THE WRIT-
ING LIFE, IN WHICH SHE TELLS ABOUT WHERE

SHE WRITES:

"APPEALING WORKPLACES ARE TO BE
AVOIDED. | ONE WANTS A ROOM WITH NO VIEW,

$Q IMAGINATION CAN MEET MEMORY

IN THE DARK." { [pP. 26]

10

AND RANIER MARIA RILKE IN HIS

FAMOUS LETTERS TO A YOUNGER POET, AD-
bi el A enmae

VISED HIS JUNIOR COLLEAGUE TO STOP FRAN-

TECALLY CRANKING GUT POETRY SIMPLY TO
=

SEND IT TO PUBLISHERS.

"YOU ARE LOOKING OUTWARD," HE
ADVISED. "THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY - GO
be

INTO YOURSELF."
You MAY BE MISSING YOUR SPIRITUAL

SELF IF YOU DO NOT GO INTO THE WILDER-

vess. \ Jesus WENT OFF BY HIMSELF TO
PRAY ,| AND WHEN HE ADVISED
=-— eel

OTHERS, IT WAS TO GO INTO_A CLOSET -

INTO SILENCE AND ALONENESS. \ our pray PRAYING
Se nie

IS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY. TALKING, THINKING

SEC eee

UP THINGS TO SAY TO Goo. \ But THERE LS A

PRAYING THAT IS LISTENING,| A BEING
be] —

SILENT BEFORE GOD,\ A SPEECHLESS, VOICE-
ernie

LESS ATTENTIVENESS. rs

THE LATE THOMAS MERTON, TRAPPIST

eel
MONK, WHO THOUGHT AND WROTE SO PERCEP-
Ls aell ra

11

TIVELY ABOUT SPIRITUALITY DESCRIBED THIS
oe
PHENOMENON: ”
IT 1S IN DEEP SOLTTUDE THAT I FIND
ee
THE GENTLENESS WITH WHICH I CAN TRULY
EE

LOVE MY BROTHERS.\| THE MORE SOLITARY I

AM, THE MORE AFFECTION I HAVE FOR rwen.” |
Ce

LIN MerRTON’S JOURNAL, THE SIGN OF JONAS,
1/2/50]

AND IF YOU HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED

THE INTIMACY OF Love,\ vou KNOW THE
co —

RIGHTNESS OF THE POET RILKE'S UNFORGET-

TABLE OBSERVATION:
ne

"'LOVE CONSISTS IN THIS, THAT TWO
—_

SOLITUDES PROTECT AND BORDER AND SALUTE
wee me EE

EACH OTHER."

wWe-

[LETTERS TO A YounG Poet, P. 59]

GOD SEEMS TO ABANDON JESUS IN THE

wrLpeRNess. | THaT’s HOW IT FEELS SOME-

Tames. | THE TRUTH IS THAT IT IS PRECISE-
er , ee

LY WHEN WE FEEL ABANDONED, THAT WE BEGIN

CENT. ew

TO DISCOVER WHO WE ARE, THAT WE FIND A self}

12

adele; A SELF - LOVED INTO BEING BY GoD,
baal
=
A SELF - CAPABLE OF LOVING gTers,| A
SELF - CREATED FOR FULL AND JOYFUL LIFE.
—as al lw

So MAY YOU Fino, |or MAY THE_SPIRIT LEAD
P|
YOU... INTO SOME wuperness, \sone SOLI-
=_— Seyenia
TUDE OF near. \ THIS ampusy. .\ THIS
GR ae
SILENCE.

EE
AMEN.

+ t+ Ft t+ Ft Ft Ft +t Ft + + +
GOD OF ALL GENTLENESS, LEAD US ONCE
AGAIN INTO THE WILDERNESS, TO CONTEND
WITH TEMPTATION, TO KNOW OURSELVES, AND
TO LISTEN FOR YOUR WORD OF LOVE AND
COURAGE, IN JESUS CHRIST OUR LorRD.

AMEN.

13

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