focus – Candle in a Cave

He had semi-cameo roles in Monsters, Inc., and Ratatouille and won the coveted Palm Dog Award at the Cannes Film Festival, but he is best known for his role in the movie Up. Of course, we are talking about the one and only Dug (aka: Dug the talking dog.)

Dug is a Golden Retriever who can talk via a unique collar created by his master, Charles Muntz. The collar can read Dug’s thoughts and then translate them into English. Famous Dug lines:

“My name is Dug. I have just met you, and I love you.”

“My master is good and smart.”

And, “I do not like the cone of shame.”

However, Dug’s most famous line is, “Squirrel!”

For those who do not know the meaning, it occurs when you are on task and getting things done, and something irrelevant to the task and often inconsequential catches your attention. (For the record, we like letting squirrels loose in vestry meetings because they frequently generate some of the best ideas.) So, some squirrels are good, while others affect us negatively.

A study was conducted on office workers and screen time to track attention spans. The researchers would watch and time how long someone stayed on a particular task. For example, you pull up a document and begin reading/writing. How long do you continue doing this before switching to something like viewing email? In 2004, workers averaged two-and-a-half minutes. I don’t know if that is good or bad, but by 2012, the time had been reduced to seventy-five seconds. These same researchers say that today, the average attention span is forty-seven seconds.

That’s office workers; however, in the real world, the average attention span of a human is 8.25 seconds, which means you’ve dropped in and out of this sermon multiple times, and I’m just getting started. 8.25 seconds sounds pretty sad, but what makes it even more pathetic is the fact that a goldfish has an attention span of 9 seconds. Bottom line: we have a lot of squirrels running loose in our heads. I suppose that’s not so bad if we are watching TV or scrolling social media, but it does become problematic when we are trying to do things like driving or studying.

The squirrels will lead us straight into a ditch if we are not careful.

In our Gospel reading, we read about the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt. Joseph had a dream that Herod would try and kill Baby Jesus, so he quickly fled Israel with Mary and Jesus and went to Egypt, where they lived for a few years. Then, another dream tells Joseph it is safe to return to their homeland, so leaving Egypt, they eventually settle in Nazareth. In telling this story, Matthew reminds his readers of something the Prophet Hosea had said, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.” (Hosea 11:1) However, Hosea wasn’t thinking of Jesus when he said this. Instead, Hosea is referring to the Israelites’ escape from 400 years of enslavement in Egypt. The “son” Hosea is speaking of is all the people. The Lord has brought all His people out of Egypt and out of slavery.

Following their escape, the Israelites passed safely through the Red Sea, and their enemy was destroyed when the waters crashed back down. They wandered in the desert for all those years but eventually came to the Jordan River. With the Ark of God going before them, they made the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River—the river was caused to be stopped up, and they crossed on dry land. They entered the Promised Land and began the fulfillment of God’s plan.

Some might say that God’s plan for the Israelites was to conquer the land they had been given and have a home of their own. This is true to an extent, but that was not their primary purpose. We read of it in the Book of the Prophet Isaiah what this was.

“Thus says God, the Lord,
    who created the heavens and stretched them out,
    who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
    and spirit to those who walk in it:

‘I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,

to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.’”

(Isaiah 42:5-7)

The Israelites were to be the Light of the Nations, but… “Squirrel!” They lost their focus. Their attention was drawn away from God. “Wow. That’s a pretty girl. Kinda looks like Scarlett Johansson. Who cares if she is a Gentile, and who cares if God said we weren’t to marry Gentiles? She’s the goil for me.” “Our crops failed this year, but all the Gentiles’ crops did great. It must be the gods they worship that did the trick. We’ll worship Yahweh on the Sabbath, but we’ll worship these other gods the rest of the week.” “Ever heard the expression, ‘When in Rome?’ Well, we aren’t in Rome, but if we want to get along with all our new neighbors, we better start acting like them.” “But God said we can’t.” “Yeah, well, God forgot to mention their goils look like Scarlett Johansson!”

They were called out of Egypt to be the bearers of God’s light, but all these squirrels kept drawing their attention away from God. This led to their disobedience, and they ended up looking like everybody else, wandering around in darkness.

So, out of Egypt, God called another Son. But this One is His True Son—Jesus. As we read today, like the Israelites, Jesus was called out of Egypt. Like the Israelites, Jesus passed through the waters of the Jordan River at His baptism. Like the Israelites, Jesus was to be a light to the nations. Unlike the Israelites, Jesus accomplished this great work of the Father. Jesus is the light that shines in the darkness, and the darkness… the squirrels did not overcome Him.

On Christmas Eve, we talked about baptism and understood that Jesus did not need to be baptized by John the Baptist because He was without sin. However, Jesus humbled Himself and submitted to the baptism of John so that He might show us the way to become sons and daughters of God.

Jesus was “called out of Egypt,” and in a spiritual sense, to be “called out of Egypt” is to be called out of slavery to sin. Jesus was “called out of Egypt,” not because He was a slave to sin but, like His baptism, He was called out of Egypt so He could go before us, lead us, and again show us the way out of Egypt where we were enslaved.

Now, through the work of the Cross, we have been delivered through the waters of the Jordan River at our baptism and placed in the Promised Land. We are to be this light to the nations, calling all of creation out of Egypt so they, too, might participate in God’s Kingdom. However, we can only accomplish this great work if we don’t lose our focus. We can’t allow our attention to be drawn away from God by all the silly squirrels that bounce around us.

St. Paul teaches us, “Seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” (Colossians 3:1-2)

There are all sorts of squirrels that can be fun to chase around and see where they lead. However, when it comes to our relationship with God, we must let them go. We can’t be drawn away from God’s righteousness, but we must keep our eyes on the narrow path that leads to Him.

Let us pray:
Father in Heaven,
You made us Your children
and called us to walk in the Light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the Light of Your Truth.
The Light of Jesus has scattered
the darkness of hatred and sin.
Called to that Light,
we ask for Your guidance.
Form our lives in Your Truth,
our hearts in Your Love.
Through the Holy Eucharist,
give us the power of Your Grace
that we may walk in the Light of Jesus
and serve Him faithfully.
Amen.

Police report: a resident of the 1000 block of Raritan Drive that a family in the area is taking over the minds of local dogs and turning them against their owners. Police were advised by the person that the only way to protect a dog is to install an anti-force field on its head before letting the animal go outside.

The Learning Center on Hanson Street reports a man across the way stands at his window for hours watching the center, making parents nervous. Police ID the subject as a cardboard cutout of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In Jamestown, a man came to the Sheriff’s Department to “find out how to legally kill” a person who was harassing him.

Early Monday morning… a Hayfork woman requests to talk with a deputy because her housekeeper is not putting her towels away properly.

There are many reasons why I could never be a police officer, and the comedian Ron White stated one of those reasons quite succinctly, “You can’t fix stupid.”

There are so many folks out there doing stupid stuff all the time, and our police officers are the ones who so often have to deal with them. I tip my zuchetta to them.

Even though I could never pull off the job, I’m surprised that not more people are signing up for it because we are all fascinated with what they do. Not only do we spend hours watching true crime and cop shows—they’re all trying to come up with a line as famous as “Book ‘em, Danno!”—but we also like to watch and see what they’re up to in daily life. For example, I was driving along I-35 toward the city when the traffic came to a dead stop. It finally started moving but crept along for five miles. What was the source of the congestion? In the northbound lane were two police cars and a wrecker working a minor accident. There was no reason to slow the southbound traffic but tell that to everyone who was morbidly interested in what the police were up to. Tell it to the rubberneckers.

Police see more than they need to of stupidity and tragedy because they have to clean up our messes. Still, the rubbernecker intentionally looks and is fascinated and held captive by the tragedy and mayhem.

What did you think of our first reading from Zephaniah?

The great day of the Lord is near,
near and hastening fast;
the sound of the day of the Lord is bitter,
the warrior cries aloud there.
That day will be a day of wrath,
a day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom,
a day of clouds and thick darkness,
a day of trumpet blast and battle cry.

If we are here on that great day of the Lord, and TV cameras are broadcasting it for all to see, do you think there will be any watchers? Any rubberneckers? Yes, there will be, and we won’t be able to get enough of it: Twenty-four-seven, all stations. However, in the meantime, we must be satisfied by the little everyday tragedies. Take, for example, our Gospel reading—the Parable of the Talents.

Last week, we noted that in telling the Parable of the Ten Virgins, Jesus was answering the disciples’ question about the end of days. They said, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) At the end of that parable, Jesus said to them, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Jesus told them The Parable to Talents immediately after, expanding on the necessity of watching and being prepared for His return.

The rich man was leaving on a journey and entrusted his property to three slaves. These were not slaves as we understand them, but these would have been household managers—individuals who knew what they were doing.

To one, the rich man entrusted over half his wealth; to the second, one-quarter; and the third, one-eighth. While he was away, the first two went out and doubled their master’s wealth, but the third—for several reasons—buried it in the ground. When the master returned, he called the slaves to account. The first two were praised for their good works, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.” However, the third was severely reprimanded and punished. The master began by saying, “You wicked and lazy slave!” And it only got worse from there. In the end, the master said, “Throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Question: what part of the parable do you remember? What part did you focus on? What part have you heard preaching on (mine included)? Was it about the two who were praised? The ones who will, in the end, have an abundance? Or did you focus on or hear about the car crash? Did you focus on how that third slave, who lost everything, will experience what we read about in Zephaniah?

A day of distress and anguish,
a day of ruin and devastation,
a day of darkness and gloom.

I’m going with the latter. Our focus falls on the tragedy and mayhem, but why? There are many theories out there, and I have my own.

Remember the Pharisee in the temple praying and telling God how great of a guy he was? At some point, he looks around and sees the tax collector also praying, and the Pharisee essentially says, “And thank God I’m not like that schmuck!”

I believe our focus falls on the slave that lost it all and was cast into destruction because we can look at ourselves and think, “I may not be all that great, but at least I’m not like that schmuck!” No longer do we have to pay attention to what we are doing. We can be rubberneckers of someone else’s tragedy and, in the process, make ourselves feel better about who we are. However, the two slaves rewarded and praised by the master were not focused on what the others were doing or not doing. They were focused on the task that had been set before them. These two should be our focus and inspiration, not the failure of the third. What can we learn from them?

The master said, “I am giving you these five talents, these two talents, and this one talent to watch over to work with. As a slave, a house manager, they are your responsibility. You will be judged, not on how the others perform, but on how you perform.”

Mrs. Five could have sat back and thought herself special. “Look at me. I’ve got more than everyone else. I’m the favored child. I can do whatever I like, and the master will love me.” But that was not Mrs. Five’s attitude. We can learn from her what it means to be a good steward. She took what she had been given and, without concerning herself with what others were doing, doubled her master’s money. When it comes to matters of faith and the gifts of God, we are to perform similarly. We are to take what God has blessed us with and use it for His greater glory, remaining focused on the work before us and not becoming distracted or complacent in our favored position.

Mr. Two could have whined that he didn’t receive as much as Mrs. Five and could have also looked down on Mr. One. Mr. Two could have spent so much time concerned with the others’ blessings that he missed the opportunity to serve his master properly. We can do the same, becoming so worried that someone or some other church might have more than us that we fail to focus on our own. — Understand that although it applies, I’m not talking about material things (money, possessions, etc), but things eternal (spiritual gifts, blessings, ministry, etc.) — When we look at the great Saints, we don’t complain that they have more. Instead, we look to them for inspiration and example. And, when we see someone with less, instead of gloating over it, we come alongside and help, wanting them to succeed in the eyes of the Lord.

Finally, when we see those who have failed, we don’t rubberneck over the tragedy. Instead, we pray for ourselves, “There, but for the grace of God…,” and we pray for the one who has fallen, that they might be redeemed.

We are not in spiritual competition, for we are the Body of Christ. We need one another, so don’t become distracted and focus not on the tragedies and mayhem. Instead, care for what the Master of us all has entrusted you with individually and us as the Church so that in the end, we may also hear those words of our Master, Jesus, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.”

Let us pray: Almighty and ever-faithful Lord, gratefully acknowledging Your mercy and humbly admitting our need, we pledge our trust in You and each other. Filled with desire, we respond to Your call for discipleship by shaping our lives in imitation of Christ. We profess that the call requires us to be stewards of Your gifts. As stewards, we receive Your gifts gratefully, cherish and tend them in a responsible manner, share them in practice and love with others, and return them with increase to You. Amen.

Tag: focus

Sermon: Christmas 2 RCL C (Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23) – “Squirrels”

Sermon: Proper 28 RCL A – “Our Focus”

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