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Let me know what you think. The church Email is: SLUMC@att.net, Phone: 480.895.8766

November 10, 2002
Sermon: "Cocooning of the Heart"
Scripture: Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25
Reverend Larry M. Gerber

After a period of recession and terrorism, the evidence is mounting that the American lifestyle may be slowing down. But as we shift to a lower gear, are we laying off our service to God? Are we Sharing God's Gift, or are we serving other God's in the wake of 9/11.

Some people thought we'd be calm by now. Economy would be restored. Jobs would be secure, planes would be flying full, etc.

Edgy journalists and hopeful preachers predicted about a year ago that terrorism and war would prompt us to enter into a period of deep, spiritual savoring. We would chuck the ladder-climbing and experience a lifestyle more reminiscent of a saunter than a sprint. We would trade the joy of parking a Beemer at the office for the joy of parking our bods in a hammock.

We would - we were told - not stop to smell only the coffee, but also the roses, honeysuckle, holly and Mom's best homemade pumpkin, or apple pie.

Overstuffed sofas and home theatre systems - with the emphasis on "home" - sold like crazy. We nested, in search of consolation. Editorial pages observed a similar transformation in cities from coast to coast. This is what they told us: The tragedies of 2001, with all their sorrow, "brought growth too and a deeper understanding of just how fragile life is, and how what we often take for granted - the kiss goodbye in the morning, the chat with a friend, the Saturday soccer game - is what matters most" (Boston Globe). "People seem to walk more slowly. They are off their brisk, self-important stride ... Motorists are driving better. They lay off their horns. They don't jump lights" (Washington Post). "Americans are ... experiencing a sort of 'cocooning of the heart,' cultural experts say. They're using this time to reconnect with their families and friends" (Dallas Morning News). "Get ready to hunker down ... Something deep inside has shifted" (The Oregonian).

They told us we would recapture all that is slow and solemn and soothing. They said we'd discover a renaissance of spiritual introspection. They predicted shorter workdays and longer vacations.

They were wrong.

Yes, we find ourselves "cocooning," but our cocoons come equipped with newer, faster technologies conveniently adaptable for use in cars, airplanes and the Space Shuttle if necessary. Perhaps we have ensconced ourselves into our little nests, but the nests are wired for 24/7 activity. Mega, hyper and power as consumer prefixes are still very much alive.

Yet, with the economy as it is, many are getting pink slips. No work. Cut backs, and reshaping of firms. Does that mean that we are cacooning, slowing down? Not at all. What it does mean, is that we are shifting our emphasis to worldly idols once again, and perhaps, at a faster rate than last year. Who knows what will happen next, live for today attitude.

Accounts of executives leaving their jobs with lovely parting gifts - from million-dollar annuities to eye-popping lump sums - only whet the appetites of hard-charging employees who are secretly praying for their own pink slips. While there is no legal requirement to send workers out with a severance package at all, most bosses treat their laid-off employees with proper kindness. Cisco Systems, which laid off one-eighth of its work force a year and a half ago, gave all its 6,000 laid-off workers six months salary. In one of several attempts to redeem themselves, Enron offered their laid-off workers an additional $29 million severance package on top of the $43 million already awarded. Dell Computers offered two months salary and benefits to the thousands they laid off a year ago.

While nobody aspires to be dismissed from work, the pleasures of not working sound mighty nice, don't they? After long years of dedicated service, after putting up with thankless tasks and daily frustrations, the temptation to check out - with a chunk of cash and a handshake - sounds pretty good.

Joshua knew the feeling. After picking up Moses' baton and forging forward in the ongoing task of leading God's people, Joshua found himself at the end of his life. Retirement was not an option. He would die in God's service, having worked to the bone from the plains of Moab to the valley of Shechem until all that was left were indeed, his weary bones, buried up the road from the bones of Joseph, beloved son of Jacob.

But before he died, Joshua, being on top of things, tried to quash Israel's own brand of "layoff lust." He noticed that the people were speeding up the pace, conquering kings and possessing the land from Jericho to Jerusalem to Galilee - 31 kingdoms in all, without stopping to smell the rose of Sharon, much less stopping to savor their efforts.

But Joshua also noticed that the people were laying off their service to God. In the dizzying excitement of taking over wide swaths of Canaan, they were also taking after the worship of foreign gods. The one true God, being jealous and demanding, was nevertheless unlikely to let go of even the weakest servants with merely a handshake and a piece of inheritance.

Compared to the fertility gods of other nations, the God of Israel was a tough-talking, demanding deity, able to deliver breathtaking miracles but expecting lifelong devotion and loyalty. The temptation to fantasize at least about a little free time proved almost too much to shake off. After years of dedicated service, who wouldn't ask for a break from the action?

So Joshua has two words for the Israelites. The first is: Choose or lose. "Choose this day whom you will serve" (24:15). Make a choice. "As for me and my household," he said, "we will serve the LORD." And the people concurred: "He is our God." (24:18) This covenant at Shechem not only renewed them; it sealed a deal more reassuring than the most generous severance contract. The truth is that God never wishes to be severed from us.

The second word is: Throw away or go away. Notice that Joshua commands that they "throw away the gods ..." Perhaps we need to hear a similar word: "Throw away. Throw away. Throw away." What about us and our own households? The battle to keep up with an acquisitive culture perpetuates our fast-paced, exhausting lifestyles. Joshua's call is a call to lose whatever doesn't nurture and deepen our relationship with God. If we can't do that, we might as well forget it. Leave the house. Get outta town. If you're not going to get serious, then get lost.

The call today is the same as the call of Joshua: Choose this day, whom you will serve. If you choose to follow the God of Israel, then you must be ready to share God's Gift. Sharing God's Gift means dedication to the working of the church through your presence, your prayers, your gifts, and your service.

Joshua's call to the Hebrew children of old is no different from God's call to his children today: Choose this day whom you will serve. Will you share God's gift, through your support of the ministry of this church, through your prayers, your service, your gifts, and your talents? Cacooning of the heart, does not mean comfort, but readiing oneself for the day the cacoon breaks open and butterflies break free to dip and soar, spreading their irridecent wings.

There are 10 persons making a commitment to this church this morning, through their membership vows. Let us welcome them, and renew our vows of commitment, as they make their statement of support.

Let me know what you think. The church Email is: slumc@direcway.com, Phone: 480.895.8766