Balancing the Seesaw

Sermons 2004

Last week members of the deanery clergy chapter met for our annual quiet morning at Haughton le Skerne. The recently refurbished church, spacious ancient Rectory and the latter's acres of garden make for an ideal setting for such a meeting. All was well planned and set, then, until we discovered a few days before-hand that the person we had invited to lead us couldn't make it. So it was that three of us agreed to give a brief comment on the readings for the following Sunday, the sixth Sunday after Trinity.

Sheilagh Williamson, the Chapter Clerk and Vicar of St. Columba's agreed to speak about the gospel reading, the famous story of the two sisters, Martha and Mary hosting Jesus in their home (Luke 10:38-42). While Mary sits entranced by the Lord's conversation, Martha is racing about doing all the work and becoming frustrated. She eventually vents her frustration and complains to Jesus. He responds by claiming that Martha was being distracted and that Mary had chosen the better part.

In her address, Sheilagh reminded us that we clergy can often be racing about doing necessary jobs, like Martha, and that we long to spend more time with those we love, which thankfully includes God, like Mary. She said the problem is that it often feels that we are trying to get off the roundabout and on to the seesaw. How right she was! One could sense that amongst the clergy there was a deep sympathy for what she was saying. I suspect that it would not only be clergy who would feel like this about life.

If the imagery of the seesaw is taken to represent the ups and downs of our spiritual life, there are times when we might experience the highs. Then we feel as though we have the time simply to be with God, and we perceive his presence with us. On other occasions, possibly all too often, the seesaw has tilted and we have plummeted into the distracting busyness of life. I wonder if we have to see things like this, though? The problem with the story of Mary and Martha is that it can lead some within the community of Christian faith to conclude that they are excused from doing anything practical. At the same time, others can conclude that it justifies them in not trying very hard with prayer.

In the sermon that I preached on this text on Sunday, I tried to suggest that perhaps this is not how we should interpret it. Here is that sermon.

I have spoken with three different couples this last week in preparation for their weddings later in the year. Obviously, a part of each conversation was to do with our understanding of marriage, and its purpose for society: why we bother to get married at all and how we survive when we do. Part of each conversation was also about trying to keep the significance of the wedding day itself in focus, and making sure that this remains a priority in the midst of all the planning. Flowers, videos, photographs, menu details: all of these can assume such a dominant part in all the pre-wedding thinking that sight is lost of the real priorities, priorities to which these things themselves can actually point.

Flowers, for example, can help us to think of beauty and the gifts of God's creation. In beautifying the church they are part of the worship, the using of God's gifts to return thanks to him. Again, for example, the details of the menu for the wedding breakfast; attention to this can speak of a desire to express gratitude and good tidings to people who are important and whose friendship and support in life is vital. There is nothing wrong in that, then. The problems arise, though, if these things become an end in themselves, or, worse still, if they become a means of showing the Joneses a thing or two. Sight of the priority has been lost; or at best, spoilt.

Martha, in this morning's gospel reading, was making a priority of extending hospitality to the incarnate Son of God. She was busy doing what was necessary to make Jesus feel at home. Absolutely nothing wrong with that, one might think. But had she lost sight of the real priority and of why she was doing it? Sister Mary, by contrast, was busy doing nothing, or rather busy enjoying Jesus' company and listening to him, and no doubt having engaging conversation with him that may well have been quite wide ranging - touching on things that were important in her life. Nothing wrong in that, then. Surely, if one is entertaining the Son of God, one should want to make the most of it and not waste the opportunity to enjoy his company and learn from him.

Which is the better way, then? Is it that of Mary or that of Martha? Following Martha's complaint Jesus said that Mary had chosen the better part, which would not be taken away from her. Presumably, then, when it comes to being a Christian it is better to be sedentary and enjoy the sense of God's presence and conversation, rather than being busy doing all the other jobs that are needed to serve him. From time to time in Church life, one comes across people who believe this, claiming that their calling is not to do, but simply to be. All well and good if one has got to that stage in life when it is difficult to do anything, save sit and pray. But what are we to make of this?

Let us just look again at what Jesus says to Martha. He says, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her."

Martha's failing was not that she was busy doing the chores necessary to offer Jesus hospitality and to care for his needs. Her failing was that she was so worried and distracted by these things that she was losing sight of why she was doing them in the first place. Mary's better way was keeping in focus what was really important. Well, has anyone here ever been worried and distracted by things in life? You are a very unusual person if you haven't.

The story of Martha and Mary isn't about excusing some from rolling up their sleeves and others from praying. Rather, it is about encouraging all of us to keep in focus what really matters and why we do the things that we do. Who can claim that they have never got fed up with work and wondered why they were doing it? What parent keeping a home and looking after children can claim that she or he always does it with joy, realising that putting smelly socks into the washing machine is an act of love? Keeping the important things in focus is vital: and what more important focus is there than God?

Sometimes activity is needed, sometimes jobs have to be done - and a chore can be turned into a delight if we remember why we are doing it. At the same time, we can only keep life's ultimate priorities in view if we spend time with Jesus in prayer and worship. Admittedly, none of this is rocket science. It is all down-to-earth wisdom. But it is a down-to-earth wisdom that can prevent a marriage celebration turning into an idolatrous nightmare. It is the sort of down-to-earth wisdom that can turn boring everyday routine - whether at work or in the home - into the joyful and satisfying service of both people and God.

Sheilagh Williamson is right, life can seem a bit like a seesaw when we consider how we try to balance the busyness of jobs and duties with finding time for those whom we love, including God. But this isn't a seesaw on which some should expect to be constantly at the top and others constantly at the bottom. Neither, probably, does it make for much of a satisfying life if we try to keep it in the horizontal position. Perhaps, we just need to acknowledge that we need a healthy balance between working with Martha and sitting listening with Mary.

That is the great thing about this time of year for many families and others whose lives are governed by academic terms. The summer holidays can be a time when we balance activity with rest and relaxation in the presence of those whom we love. So it is with life at All Saints' and Salutation. Worship, time with God, does not stop! But other routine activities do. I hope that those of us who are at the centre of things within the church organisation make the most of this time of relaxation as much as those families who are enjoying well-earned holidays. It all just helps us to keep life in a healthy balance.

With my very best wishes,

John

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