One of the most powerful metaphors of the pilgrimage is "letting go" of the stresses and burdens of life. This week I really need to remember this message. As it turns out , as is often the case, last Sunday's sermon addresses this theme. I have included it below.
You are welcome to hum "Let It Go" from the Frozen movie while reading.
Let Go of
the Heavy Burdens on the Journey
Matthew
11:16-30
In 8 days I am once again heading to Spain to walk the
Camino. It is an 800 km long ancient
pilgrimage across the top of Spain. Many
of you have heard me share stories about our last pilgrimage so I hope you
won’t drift off. There is always new
wisdom from reflecting on our shared journey.
A pilgrimage is a spiritual journey that leaves behind the security of
home to seek a new experience of the world and hopefully of God in the
world. I wonder could there be any
better offering or challenge to the church?
Hey church, leave behind the security of what was and go experience God
in the world. That might even sum up the
challenge for the church in this day and age.
For the church and for each of us there is many things that prevent us
from responding to this call to the spiritual journey.
The Gospel reading offers us a powerful affirmation in
the words of Jesus: “All who are weary, and are carrying heavy burdens, Come to
me and I will give you rest.” On the
journey who of us have not been weary at some point. Or are not all any of our
churches, many of our people at times, just plain ordinary weary. It is so easy on a journey to take too much
stuff. One of the wisdoms I gained on
our journey was to take as little luggage as possible because you were going to
take all your baggage and if you are going to make it to the Holy sigh, the
baggage will have to be left at the side of the path. Is it possible that Jesus walks with us on
our pilgrim way whispering: let it go, put it down, walk with me, here let us
share the burden but just the burden of my humble heart. Is
this the words of the gentle humble saviour we need to hear.
Last time on our journey we met a family from
Edmonton. A very fit 72 year old, his 16
year grandson and two big men, the son in law and his friend. The two big guys had both worked hard all
their adult lives. Work and business had
cost one his marriage the others was at a transition in his life. He had just left a long time career and job
because the work contravened his values. Each was carrying about 60-70 pounds in their
packs. They literally carried their burdens on their pilgrimage. One had his
laptop and his ipad in his pack. He
owned a software company and his employees insisted he stay in contact and have
his laptop with him so he could work on line if they needed him. At day five he shipped his laptop home, along
with another 10 pounds of other stuff.
The weight of the stuff was significant but the letting go of the work
at home was the greater decision. We
watched both men struggle. They were lifelong friends and knew each other’s weakness
and strengths. I recognized the over
helping and over functioning of one. I
recognized the stubbornness to accept help and limitations of both. The grandson and grandfather often went ahead
each day and found accommodation for the night, leaving the two strong men to struggle
along in their own way. The two men
walked a solitary journey, each at his own pace, good friends suffering, and
weighed down.
Do you see all the lessons for our spiritual journey in
their story? Two friends carrying too
much of life’s stuff, and because of it they suffered. How much of our church is like that? We are on this journey together, we deeply
care for one another, but we carry so much stuff, our own life stuff and the
stuff from our shared journey as the church. Once we were strong, we had so many tasks,
responsibilities, missions in the world. We were The United Church of Canada: A new vision for the church in the world,
part of the vision for Canada. We helped
to form the culture of this country. We
were the largest protestant denomination in Canada. Our National church still starts press
releases that way, as if anyone cares and as if it matters. Baggage and burdens, past glories and
hopes. Former missions and former ways
and traditions. We are weighed down on
this journey as a church. We can’t lose Naramata. Oh no VST sold the Castle, that beautiful
building, the original Union College build in celebration of Church union. On the pilgrim way the non-essentials are
left behind. It is not the buildings but
the community and the sharing of wisdom that creates the sacred event and
story. Once we were mighty we had such
hopes. On the journey the steps became
harder. All that extra weight, our knees
give out, our feet blister. Each step
becomes painful, a struggle, each moment we become wearier. And then there is Jesus, walking beside us, saying,
“let go, you don’t have to carry that, here I have a much easier burden to
share with you.”
Our Edmonton friends did make to the sacred site at the
end or the path, despite the weight of their packs and their injuries. They limped in a day after we did. Changed, as we were, a little lost about what
would be next. Would the software guy go
back to working 90 hours a week? Would
the other man go home and start a new company using a digital 3d printer? New things and a change of ways. The software guy had connected with a woman
from Australia. Would she come to
Canada? Would he be willing to change
his life to accommodate room for someone else?
Our spiritual journey teaches us and changes us but still life calls
Jesus did say lay down your burdens but he followed that
with take up my yoke. The yoke of a
humble and gentle heart and he will find us rest. The burden we must take up and carry is light
because it is shared. The yoke Jesus speaks
of is double yoke. This is such comfort
and wisdom. On the pilgrim journey when
you must carry all that you need to survive, it is easy to take on too much. In
your life you may feel that you must carry so much stuff. Pain from the past, grief and sorrow, the
failures, and even the successes.
Sometimes because you did it before you place an expectation on yourself
to do it again. The church walks this
path with you. After all what is the
church but the collection of our shared journey? The church hangs onto past successes, past
pain, past sorrow. The burdens we insist
on carrying weigh us down and we don’t even know it. And there is Jesus with his pack, walking
beside us, whispering “let go, you don’t have to carry that, here I have a much
easier burden to share with you.”
What might that be for you? Maybe no longer trying to correct the past
and instead living for today. Maybe no
longer taking on the burden of meeting unspoken expectations, yours and others
of you and instead loving, just loving?
What might it mean for the church? Maybe letting go of past glory or
letting go of missions that were once vital.
Maybe letting of the way things should be, could be, or once was and
instead go out into the world and discover God and just love the world. Trying to keep it all, protect it all, save
it all, is a heavy burden. “Come to me,
all who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you
rest.”
Will you let it go? Put down the pack? Take out the computer and send it away? Or take out whatever represents the demands of
others for your performance? Are you
willing to put aside the extras, the just in case stuff? Are you willing to walk the pilgrim way with
Jesus?
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