Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village,
where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home. She had a
sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what
he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she
came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has
left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’
But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and
distracted by many things; here is need of only one thing.
Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away
from her.’ (Luke 10:38-42)
Okay.
Be honest. I mean, aren't you just a little p.o.'d with Mary for
goofing off while her sister does all the work? Here's poor Martha
slaving to get dinner ready while her sister sits at the feet of
Jesus and listens to him tell stories. Doesn't this chick have
anything better
to do?
But Jesus says
Mary has chosen the “better part.” Just what does that mean? Does
the Lord have the audacity to suggest that there may be some things
more important than practical work?
You sure wouldn't
think that by looking at American culture today. We've made it very
clear by our choices what we think is important around here. Budget
cut? Get rid of the “frills.” School kids need to concentrate on
math. science, and technology. Nix the art, the music, the drama, and
the dance. Who needs 'em? And what would your reaction be if your kid
came home one day and announced that she wanted to be a musician or a
writer or an actress? Scarey, right?
Of course, we'll
always have room for sports. They bring in revenue and give us a
sense of victory. Granted they also produce over-paid pro athletes
who juice on steroids and raging monster Little League parents. But
so what if our kid's sports programs schedule games in times once
reserved for religious observance. Forget this church stuff. We've
spent too much on soccer equipment and league fees and we don't want
to lose our investment.
But weren't games
supposed to be fun?
I think at times
that we are becoming a nation of reptiles, concerned in a frightened
sense only about such things at the very base of Maslow's scale
like food, shelter, and a sense of security.
In 1976
I heard a Lutheran pastor in Houston, TX express our cultural
pathology like this: We worship our work, work at our play, and play
at our worship.
Isn't
Mary right to seek after the higher things? In choosing the morality,
philosophy, and love of Jesus, isn't she choosing the “better
part?” After all, even a lizard can work for its food and burrow for
shelter. But God calls us to higher things. We may be feeding our
stomachs by our attitude of practicality, but we are starving our
souls.
Can you
imagine a world in which everything was geared towards the bottom
line of profit or control? Think of a world without story-telling.
The TV and the internet would provide only technical information and
instruction. There would be no music. No art. No design which was not
purely functional. Athletics and games would exist only to create
revenue, train the body, and feed our reptilian need to dominate
others.
Alright.
I'll admit that the Church has not always helped. A phrase such as
Holy Day of Obligation sure takes the joy out of worship. We
turned feeding our souls with music and story into a necessary work
to appease God. The Puritan practice of putting folks in the stocks
for missing church was probably another misstep. And I know of a lot
of people in my parish who still seem to think that attending worship
is a chore. I can almost hear them asking, “So tell me, Pastor:
What's the least I need to do to not go to Hell?”
I really want all
of those Marthas out there to know that worship, like their kid's
hockey game, is supposed to be a joyful experience. Necessary? Yes.
But not because it's some way to tick off a box on God's checklist of
expectations. It's necessary because so many of us are on a spiritual
hunger strike. At some point we just need to put down our dust rag
and experience the beauty of God's love.
I love to worship
(which, given the life I lead, is probably a good thing!). I love to
sing and to hear people sing. I love the rich colors of the church's
paraments and the art displayed in our chancel. I love to hear the
sacred stories told which make me feel that I am part of history and
community, and I love the very ritual of the mass. The extraordinary
actions are like a dance which also includes tastes and smells. Even
if I understood nothing of the theology of a religious service, I
would still hunger for the poetic nature of the experience.
Mary is right,
folks. It isn't all about the bottom line. Please take some time this
week to be impractical. Be around something beautiful. Listen to
music. Reconnect with someone distant who means something to you.
Look at a sunset. Get lost in a book. Recognize that these creative
things are gifts from God. Worship a little, won't you?
God bless you for reading.
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