THE LAST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY - 2 Kings 2:1-12; Psalm 50:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; Mark 9:2-9 - 22 February 2009 - A sermon given by The Rev. Peter A. Munson for St. Ambrose Episcopal Church, Boulder, Colorado

“Are You Ready for Healthy Responsibility?”

INTRODUCTION - A father at 13

Perhaps you saw the same story that I did on Monday, about a 13-year-old British boy who recently became a father. His girlfriend, the mother, is 15. The boy, Alfie, looks like he is about 10. The man who used to be press secretary to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said people from across the political spectrum are in despair over the country’s social breakdown.

Britain has the highest teen pregnancy rate in western Europe, a binge-drinking culture where teens are found passed out on the streets, and “rising knife crime that has turned some pub fights into deadly affairs.” Sir Bernard Ingham, the former press secretary, said, “It’s an indication that we’ve lost our way, that people don’t know the difference between right and wrong... I think this is an indication of a broken Britain.”

(I’m aware that I could also refer to the single mom in California who already had six children, the eldest of whom was 7, and recently had octuplets.)

In seventeen years as a priest I have said very few words in my preaching about premarital sex, much less young teenagers having sex. Maybe that’s a big mistake on my part - I don’t know. But I’d like to say just a few words about that today, but maybe not in the context that you’d imagine.

I’m not going to start with “what the Bible says”, although that is always a good place to start. I’m not going to start with some fixed rule about what is always right and what is always wrong, which is what we humans often resort to when things are emotional and challenging for us. I’d like to look at it from the point of view of responsibility. And I’ll ask this question:

Is anyone ready to be a father (or mother) at 13, or 15? Is anyone ready to take on all the responsibilities that are involved in being a good, loving, nurturing parent, at 13 or 15 or even 17 or 19? Is any teenager you know of able to fully support their child financially, ready to be up all night when their baby is sick, ready to rush their child to the hospital when his/her fever spikes at 105 degrees, ready to wrestle with the incredible emotional challenges of being torn between working and providing for your child financially on the one hand, and being home with and providing for the emotional needs of your child on the other hand?

The answer, I think, is clearly - no. No teenager - whether 13 or 15 or 17 or 19 - is ready to take on that responsibility. The “adolescent brain” doesn’t reach its full development until age 25, and given that our brains are pretty important in parenting, that suggests that even 21 or 22 year-olds will struggle with being ready for parenthood.

So here’s how I see it. If you’re not ready to be a father or mother at 13 or 16 or 19, then you’re not emotionally ready to have sex at those ages, either, because there is always a chance, no matter what method of birth control you use, that you (or your girlfriend) will get pregnant. And if you’re not ready to take on the full responsibilities of being married and being a parent, then you are not ready to engage in any activity that could bring a baby into this world.

We don’t have to “guilt” our children to death on this issue, it seems to me. We just have to love them like crazy - each and every day - and keep talking to them, and pose the question to them now and then, “Do you think you are ready to take on the responsibility of being a parent?”

Which leads us to some other questions, I suppose.

Are you ready to be married at 17?

Are you ready to drop out of school at 15 or 17 and fully support yourself?

Is anyone ready to be the CEO of a company at 25?

Is anyone ready to be a priest at 25?

President of the U.S. at 35?

ELIJAH AND ELISHA

And all these questions, believe it or not, bring me to Elijah and Elisha and God.

By the time we come to today’s Old Testament lesson, Elisha had been training with Elijah for a while. He was Elijah’s servant, disciple, student, protege. When Elijah ran for his life after besting the 450 prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel - afraid of Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab, who threatened to kill him for killing the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18 and 19)- the Lord commanded Elijah to anoint Elisha “as prophet in your place.” (1 Kings 19:16) Elijah did that, and Elisha learned from him, and now, as we pick up the story, the final step in the leadership transition is about to be made.

Elijah is going to exit, “stage up” - as in, caught up into heaven in a whirlwind! Is Elisha ready to become “the man”, the #1 prophet of all the prophets in Israel - THE PROPHET - not only in the line of Elijah, but also in the line of Moses?

As we pick up the story, somehow both Elijah and Elisha seem to know that Elijah’s departure is imminent. The master and his disciple have spent a lot of time together. There have many conversations along the way, as Elijah has told Elisha about the unfaithful kings of Israel who have worshiped foreign gods, and how - as the #1 prophet in all of Israel - he confronted them on it. “Did you know that King Ahab called me “troubler of Israel” (1 Kings 18:17), Elisha? I have anointed you to be my successor. Jezebel has tried to kill me. The Lord told me you would be my successor. But think about it, long and hard. Are you sure you want this job? Are you ready for this?”

Elijah says to him, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” In other words, do you want to do this, Elisha? Are you ready? “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” They get to Bethel. The company of prophets - like a prophets’ guild - say to Elisha, “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you.” And he replied, “Yes, I know; keep silent!” As in, “I don’t need your attempts to be pastoral right now! Shut up!”

Imagine all the feelings that were going on inside of Elisha at this point. He’s about to lose his master, his teacher. He’s about to take on the mantle of Elijah - literally and figuratively. Elijah won’t be around to coach him any more. Elijah will be gone! That loss is huge enough, in and of itself. AND - in addition to that - is he ready for his new responsibilities?

The story keeps building. Elijah says to him again, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” Elisha reiterates, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” They arrive in Jericho, and the prophets there have to get in on the act. “Do you know that today the Lord will take your master away from you?” “YES! I KNOW! I GET IT ALREADY! NOW SHUT UP!”

And they keep walking. And he hears Elijah say again, “Stay here; for the Lord has sent me to the Jordan.” They are starting to know the dance steps by now. “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” Fifty prophets followed them for awhile, then stood at a distance as they got ready to cross the Jordan.

CROSSING THE JORDAN. Any Israelite who knew anything at all would remember that unforgettable day in Israel’s history where - after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness - the Israelites finally crossed over the Jordan, into the Promised Land of Canaan. And how did it happen? That’s right. The river was parted. The river stopped flowing for a time, and they crossed over on dry land, when just before they got there, the Jordan had been overflowing its banks. (See Joshua 4) The priests stood in the middle of the dry Jordan that day, holding the Ark of the Covenant, until all the people had crossed over.

And now Elijah and Elisha come to the Jordan. And Elijah took off his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water, and the water was parted to the one side and to the other. (This would be a nice gift to have on certain hikes that I’ve done over the years!) And the two of them crossed over on dry land.

Elisha had followed him all this way, and Elijah now asks him what he can do for him, before he is taken away. Elisha is ready with an answer. “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” This was not a request that Elisha would have twice as much of the Spirit of God as Elijah had. It related to the legal tradition that a firstborn son would receive twice as much inheritance (a “double portion”) as any of the other children. Elisha was asking to inherit more of the spirit than any of the other prophets who might be heirs to Elijah. He was asking to be “the man” - the #1 prophet in all of Israel.

Elijah basically answered that it was up to the Lord to grant this, but that his request would be granted if Elisha saw him as he was being taken away. And as they continued to walk and talk, suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated them in the whirlwind. It was crazy and chaotic and all that Elisha could do just to stand upright, but he saw Elijah ascending in that crazy whirlwind, exiting “stage up”. Elisha called his mentor “father”. And he cried out, “Father, father! The chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” - indicating that he saw Elijah being taken away.

Our reading ends too soon. We needed the last two verses. (2 Kings 2:13-14) “He picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen from him, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the Lord, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.”

“Elisha went over.” As in, Elisha was ready to make the transition. Perhaps he was a little bit unsure. He didn’t just strike the water like Elijah did - silently - knowing what would happen. It was as if he was mostly sure what would happen, but not totally sure. But God responded. And Elisha knew that it was now his time to be the #1 prophet in all of Israel.

WHEN WE DON’T FEEL TOTALLY READY

There is one more thing I’d like us to think about. There are some times we just aren’t ready for something, like being a father at 13. At other times, God is calling us to the next transition, the next big thing in our lives, and we might not feel fully ready, but there are indications from God, and from other people, that it’s time.

You’re in your last semester of high school. You may not be feeling totally ready for college, or for that full-time job, but it’s time.

You’re not quite sure if you’re ready to take on a much more responsible leadership position at work or at church. You have some second-guessing going on that is very human and very normal. But it’s time.

You’re not sure exactly if you are as prepared as you would like to be to teach the class or lead a workshop, but others see that you are ready, and though you are nervous, it’s time.

You’ve never been to another country, and you are totally intrigued about going on the mission trip, and you’re wondering, “If I go, what will happen to me? What unexpected and challenging situations will arise? What big feelings will come up? Am I ready?” You’ve got some doubts floating around inside of you, but it’s time.

I am convinced there are some times in our lives when we don’t feel ready, and if we wait until we feel totally ready, we might never ever take off our mantle and strike the water. But God is calling us to do it anyway - to have faith that God will be there with us, and that - “and this is key” - that with his help, we will be able to do what God calls us to do. And that’s the gospel truth: with God’s help, we can do that next big thing that God is calling us to do, that we don’t feel quite ready for, and yet, God is calling us to cross over.

WHAT IS THAT NEXT BIG THING FOR YOU?

So I leave you with this final question - whether you are closer to 17 or 25 or 35 or 45 or 55 or 65 or 75 or 85. <+!>What is the next big thing that God is calling you to do?<-!>

Is it going off to college or taking on your first big job?

Is it getting married or becoming a parent?

Is it changing jobs or careers, or moving into a life where children are no longer at home?

Is it retirement, and figuring out how you can retire in such a way that you are still fully engaged with other people?

There is something all of us can learn from the Elijah and Elisha story, when it comes to moving into healthy responsibility.

First of all, we need mentors and elders in our lives. We don’t go through this life alone. And especially when it comes to taking on new responsibilities, it makes all the difference if we can be guided by people who have been down that road before. Our parents play a key role in helping us to learn what we need to learn so that we can move into responsible adulthood. But it does not end with them. We need others in our lives, too. Sometimes it’s a peer group, like the company of prophets. Sometimes it’s a counselor or therapist, or just a wise old sage that God puts in our lives at the right time. Sometimes it’s an uncle or an aunt or a friend of our parents. Sometimes it’s a boss who really takes us under his/her wing.

When we’re the novice, we need to be on the lookout for these people, and ask them all the questions we can think of, and learn from their example.

Second, there’s the whole trait of perseverance that Elisha demonstrates. “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” And he doesn’t. He goes with him from Gilgal to Bethel, to Jericho, to the Jordan River, and then across the Jordan. These places are symbols of “keeping on”, one step at a time. We do not need to take on the responsibility of the responsibilities of a 40-year-old when we are 20. We get there one step at a time, one year at a time, and all in God’s timing.

Third, we ask for what we need along the way. Sometimes these are things we need from our mentors. And sometimes they are prayers directed toward God, of things we know we need – wisdom, patience, more faith, courage, guidance – things like these. Jesus said, “Ask.” We need to ask for what we need.

Finally, there are those moments when we need to take the plunge, even if we don’t feel totally ready, even if we still have some doubts or anxiety. Those moments when we see that the moment is really there, right in front of us, staring us in the face. These are the “crossing the Jordan” moments, when God says to us, “It’s time. And we know inside – where God’s Spirit dwells – that it is time.” In those moments we need to trust in the grace of God, and in the promise of God to be with us always, and we need to strike the water, and cross over. These transitional moments are the key moments in our lives, and they lead us to the more abundant life that Jesus talked about.

Find and make use of mentors and guides. Persevere. Ask for the help that you need along the way – help from others and help from God. When the moment presents itself, even if you don’t feel totally ready, go for it. These are the steps toward healthy responsibility. We will step into them… with God’s help.

Always, always with God’s help.