Walk in Humility

from my message on Oct. 13, 2013, from Gen. 3:7-8, Matt. 4:18-22, start of A Disciple's Path series

Cathy and I hiked part of the Appalachian Trail this past summer.  I did 150 miles from the James River to Front Royal, Virginia.  Cathy did 90 miles.  We were slack packers, day hikers.  We stayed in B & B's and motels at night.  We were not through hikers, who would start in Georgia and go to Mt. Katadin, Maine, carrying all of their gear with them, 2,180 miles.  On the night before we took our first hike, we stayed at the Dutch Haus B & B in Montebello, VA.  There over supper, we met Slow and Steady.  I don't know what her real name is, but her trail name was Slow and Steady.  She was older than I was, in great shape, and a through hiker.  At supper, she shared some wisdom with us that I would like for you to take to heart.  She said, "It's not how far you walk.  It's not how fast you walk. It's not how much you're carrying.  It's putting your feet on the trail."  That's how she was doing it, Slow and Steady.

Pastor Jim leads our worship service on Sunday nights, called the Point.  Every week, he starts the service saying this, "Everyone of us is on a spiritual journey, whether we acknowledge it or not."  Today, we start this  6 weeks series, A Disciple's Path.  You can get a workbook.  You can join a Sunday School class.  You can come to these worship services.  All I am asking you is to put your feet upon the trail.

I looked it up in my Bible dictionary.  "Path" in the Bible is the typical metaphor for our relationship with God.  Where are you on the path today?  What's your pace?  What are you carrying?  Are you growing closer to Christ?  To others?

We begin in humility on the path.  Most of the time we read the story in Genesis 3 as the story of the Fall of humankind.  The story of original sin.  We may think it has nothing to do with us today.  But I ask you, how many of you know something about overreaching.  Do you book 2 or 3 things on your calendar at the same time?  I have.  Are you overcommitted, overfunctioning?  We still listen to the snake, who says, "You can do it.  There are no limits on you."  We have such a hard time saying no...to anything.  We overreach just like the first humans did.  Then we find out our vulnerability, that we are naked.  We have to play Hide and Seek with God.

What if the story was not just about original sin, but original blessing.  Look closely at the story.  In the beginning, there was such intimacy with God, we were naked and not afraid.  No facade.  No mask.  No hiddenness. There was intimacy that the usual pattern was for God to go walking in the garden in the cool of the day....with us...as partners.

When we overreach, when we recognize our vulnerability, we hide.  When God comes looking for us, God doesn't cry out an accusation, "Where are you?"  God cries out a "I've missed you.  I long for you.  I want to be with you again.  I am lonely without you."  God's original and enduring desire is to walk with us.

God wants to restore this original blessing.  We begin in humility.  Humility comes from the same root word as humus (not hummus the food!), but the rich soil, the good earth.  Human comes from the same root word.  We begin in humility.  We begin by getting grounded, by getting down to earth.

I have a book from 1983 in my library by Matthew Fox, entitled Original Blessing.  He says, Humility is the opposite of arrogance, of saying we don't need God, that we can do it by ourselves.  He says, Humility begins not with sin, but with God's creativity.  Humility is not about despising oneself, but befriending our earthiness.  Humility is not about seeing ourselves as sinners, but as royal persons, created in the image of God with the ability to choose to create or to destroy.  Humility is not ego-logical, but eco-logical.

We take our shoe off, like Moses did in the presence of the burning bush, in the presence of holiness.  We get grounded, like I have today, by preaching barefoot.  You may know some of our younger pastors who do this, like JD, Abby, Pastor Tina.  Preaching with humility.

In humility today, we acknowledge that we all choose crooked paths and wander off the path of righteousness. We go our own way.  We think we know better than God.

What happens to us when we do this?  God gives up on us?  God destroys us?  NO!  NO!

How many of you have a GPS in your car?  Yes, and does it talk to you?  Yes, it says things like, "In 200 yards, make a right turn on S. 1st Street."  What happens when you past S. 1st Street without turning?  It will say  a word to you.  It will say, "Recalculating."

That's what God says to us when we go the wrong way, Recalculating.  God is upset at humankind's wickedness and sends a flood, but starts over with Noah and the ark. Recalculating.  God calls Abram and Sarai to become a blessing to all of humankind.  Recalculating.  God leads the people out of bondage in Egypt across the wilderness to a Promised Land. Recalculating.  God sends judges, and prophets, and kings and queens.  Recalculating.  We Methodists call this grace.  God's unmerited love.  Pure gift.  In humility, we accept it.

God sends Jesus, the very presence of God in human flesh.  Recalculating.  Jesus walks along the Sea of Galilee.  He sees some people fishing.  He says, "Follow me."  Jesus is on a journey.  He wants us to walk with him.  Immediately, they do.  They leave nets and boats and family and follow him.

What do you need to leave behind in order to walk in humility with Jesus?  Slow and Steady said, "The trail very quickly teaches you what you need to carry and what you need to leave behind."

The first hike Cathy and I took was from Punchbowl Mountain to the James River, some 11 miles.  That first day we carried too much stuff, extra clothes, bug spray, sun screen.  I even took not 1 but 2 journals thinking I would have time to write on the trail.  By the end of our hiking, I would spray up at the beginning and leave the can behind.  Put on sunscreen at the beginning and leave the tube behind.  I carried water, food, my phone, knife, lighter, rain gear.  Not much else.

What do you need to leave behind to walk in humility?  Some of you have been carrying old hurts.  You have given them more power than the healing presence of Christ. Some of you are carrying the weight of shame, feeling like you will never measure up. Some of you are carrying guilt, yes, you have sinned, but you can't accept forgiveness.  On the trail, I left behind worry and anxiety.  What do you need to leave behind?

21 times in the 4 Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus says, "Follow me."  He always calls for decisive action.  The destination of every disciple is a life completely centered in loving God and loving others.  Where are you on the path?  In humility, may you say, "It's not how fast or how far or how much I carry.  It's about putting my feet on the trail."

Amen.