Christian Hearing, The Reverend David R. Williams, Pentecost XIV---Year B---September 10, 2006

“They are amazed – astounded beyond measure.” The followers experience Jesus firsthand: “Jesus has done everything well; he even makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
 
Several centuries ago an anti-Semitic policeman – a Cossack of an Eastern European country – sees a rabbi walking through the town square nearly every day at about the same time.  One day the Cossack curiously asks, “Where are you going, rabbi?”
 
The rabbi answers, “I am not sure.”
 
“Well, you pass this way every day at this time.  Surely, you know where you’re going.”
 
When the rabbi insists that he does not know, the Cossack becomes irritated, then suspicious, and finally takes the rabbi to jail.  Just as he is locking the cell, the rabbi faces him and says gently, “You see, I did not know.”
 
Jesus even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.
 
In our routines and schedules, do we always know where we are going?  Can we hear sounds and noises not in our frame of reference?  Is our destiny always what we plan?
 
Five years ago tomorrow, on September 11, most of us awoke, walked through a typical Tuesday morning and then, in one flash--two, three, four crashes--our lives were radically changed.  The transformation was world wide. 
 
No, we would not have known when we awoke that beautiful morning.  
 
A top secret intelligence memo placed on the desk of the President of the United States in August, 2001 says, “Bin Laden determined to attack the United States.”
 
As we awoke on the morning of September 11, 2001, who would have ever thought?
 
“You see,” the Rabbi gently says from his jail cell, “I did not know.”
 
Today begins Holy Comforter’s Christian Formation programs for 2006 – 2007.  You might notice the title change from Christian Education to Christian Formation.  Education is an important ingredient in the growth process of each and every one of us.  As the followers of Jesus are educated by their mentor Jesus, their lives are transformed.  “They were astounded beyond measure.”
 
Whether listening to an inspirational teacher or discussing a passage from the Bible or acting out a character from a Bible story or drawing images of one of Jesus’ parables… we are called to attend closely, to open ourselves to the unexpected and even the unsettling.
 
The events of September 11 surely have been implanted in our hearing and are still reshaping our understanding of a very complicated world. 
 
The crowd of people around Jesus brought to him a deaf person who had an impediment in his speech; and they begged Jesus to lay his hand on him.  Jesus took the person aside in private, away from the crowd, and put his fingers into his ears, and Jesus spat and touched the person’s tongue.  Then looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” And immediately the man’s ears were opened, and his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.
 
Being opened – being opened to every event, every nuance, every whisper, every shadow, every sparkle of light-- creates new awareness. Being opened brings transformation. 
 
A tractor-trailer drives into a low underpass and comes to an immediate halt.  Not seeing (not listening to) the “low-elevation warning” on a sign hanging on the overpass, the driver drives ahead and becomes stuck.  As the truck comes to a halt, both sides of the roadway are blocked. 
 
Fire trucks arrive.  Police promptly attempt to reroute traffic.  Their efforts are futile.  People get out of their cars wander around the truck. 
 
A little boy tries to get the attention of the Policeman in charge.  “Sir,” he yells. 
 
“Go, get out of the way, son.  We are very busy.”  The little boy persists, waving his hands, trying to get the attention of the policeman as the police and fire personnel try to figure out a way to solve the problem. 
 
Finally, in exasperation the policeman sarcastically says to the little boy, “I suppose you’ve come to tell us how to do this job!”
 
“Yes” says to the child.  “I suggest you let some air out of the tires.’”
 
The unexpected voice, the one from the last, lowest, least likely person may be the voice of salvation.  Transformation.  Ephphatha. Be opened!
 
A small town had historically been dry – no alcohol sold in local establishments.  A local businessman decides to build a tavern and a group of Christians from a local church, very concerned, hold an all-night prayer meeting asking God to intervene.  It just so happens that shortly thereafter, lightening strikes the bar and it burns to the ground. 
 
The owner of the bar sues the church, claiming the prayers of the congregation are responsible, while the church hires a lawyer to argue in court the prayers are not responsible for the lightening and fire. The presiding judge, after his initial review of the case, states that “No matter how this case comes out, one thing is clear: the tavern owner believes in prayer and the Christians do not.’”
 
Ephphatha!  Be opened! 
 
The rabbi says, “You see, I didn’t know where I was going.”
 
Every event of measurement—however remote or serene or traumatic or mundane—may offer a glimpse unforeseen.
 
Reflecting on the events of 9/11, we begin a new Christian Formation program at Holy Comforter. With fresh leadership-- Kim Futrell, staff coordinator, and a host of willing, creative teachers--we listen to this story of Jesus returning to the man his precious gifts of hearing and speech-- and we may ask anew:  How do I listen to friends? To my children? What else might I hear from my loved ones?  My colleagues?
 
In a deep sense, do I need my ears to be opened if I am to hear?
 
 We watch as speech is returned to this man of the Bible story. We ask, “Might I need my tongue released to say a word that needs to be spoken? To apologize for something I have done? To tell someone that I love her? To praise and affirm a friend who could use reassurance?”
 
Never sure of the next moment, surely I can be more open to the Spirit of Jesus and be amazed, truly beyond my dreams.
 
“They were astounded beyond measure.”  Transformation.  Christian Formation. 
 
Amen.