Reflections on "The Pink Thing" Exodus 3: 13-15; Ephesians 4: 1-6

The goal of the new preaching series, "iPhone theology," is to engage the listeners by starting at a place which gets their attention, the iPhone and technology, and then moving from that entry point to some reflections on how we understand God and see God at work in our world.  The danger, of course, is that the attempt to get the listeners' attention will be so gimmicky that the listeners dismiss the sermon.  On top of that challenge, I read an article last week on preaching that suggested that one of the signs of poor preaching is how often the preacher tells a story about himself or herself.  Given that  my entry point to the sermon series is my own experience in using an iPhone, I am feeling a bit convicted by that author's comments.  

I turned to the story of the burning bush for this sermon.  Not sure if I did so because it fit or because it is often my go-to text when trying to describe the vastness of God.  Interestingly enough, when I went ot my notes fo the first class of confirmation that also took place yesterday, there was this same Exodus passage to describe the expansive nature of God that can never be captured by our human descriptions or understandings of God.  

“The Pink Thing” September 13, 2015; FPC, Troy; iPhone theology series; Exodus 3: 13-15

Introduction: About a year ago, the hand-me-down phone that came to me was an iPhone 4.

That's how it works in my house. I get the phone of last resort that arrives used after my wife or one of my daughters has upgraded her phone. I'm not really a phone techie, so being a couple of years behind on the latest phone technology is OK with me.

We made the phone exchange at the kitchen table. I started to leave with my new/used phone, and I realized that it did not have a protective cover on it. It occurred to me that it would be a bit hypocritical of me to not put a protective cover on it immediately given all the lecturing I had done to my daughters about the importance of protecting one's phone.

“Do you have an otter box?” I asked my daughter (an Otter box is one of those rubber protective coverings).

“yes, but only a pink one.”

“OK. I'll use it until I can get another one.”

But, then I discovered two things about the pink phone. One, it's easy to find, even on my messy desk. Two, I have lots of interesting conversations about my pink phone. Hardly a day goes by without someone asking about my pink phone.

As I learned how to use my new pink iPhone, it occurred to me that some of my lessons seemed almost theological.

This fall, the sermons will be about theological insights I have discovered while learning about my pink iPhone.

Move 1: The God of possibilities

a. The iPhone came with lots of of possibilities.

1. Some apps already loaded on it.

2.  Internet.

3.  Email.

4. some I could not imagine how I would ever use.

b. God of possibilities.

1. Exodus story.

2. Moses stares at the burning bush that will not be consumed, the burning bush from which he hears the voice of God.

3. Moses hears God call him to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt.

4. as Moses considers that possibility, or perhaps it is more accurate to say that as Moses considers how to get out of that task, he asks God a question: “if the people ask me what your name is, what should I tell them?”

100. God says tell them that my name is “I am who I am,” or “I will be who I will be.”

1. A cryptic answer.

2. but also a name that speaks to the endless possibilities of God is.

3. a name that says “You cannot confine me to whatever box you have.”

4. A name that says, “you cannot define me, especially if you try to limit me to what you think it possible.”

5. a name that not only points to the God who is ever before us full of possibilities, but the God who calls us to live into that which we have never even imagined.

500. God goes on to note that the name include the title “God fo Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.”

1. A reminder that when we speak of God, we speak of the one who has a history with us.

2. We can point to times in our past when God has been present and at work among us.

3. But from the history, God calls us into the possibilities that wait for us.

Move 2: I discovered that it took time and effort to figure out how to use the iPhone.

a. It was one thing to have the iPhone with all of its possibilities; it was another to take the time to figure out how to make it work.

1. In truth, I still don't use most of what it available on the iPhone.

2. I choose not to take the time or the effort necessary to figure it out, unless I really need it.

3. For example, as we begin our fall programming, I am helping out with communicating with our youth about their Sunday evening activities. I asked Kristyn, one of their leaders from last year what was the best way to communicate with them.

“Instagram,” she told me.

“Really?”

“Yes,” she said, “and you can do it from your iPhone.”

3. So now I have an Instagram app on my phone, an Instagram name, and I'm trying to figure out how how to use it.

b. It takes time and effort to follow the God of endless possibilities.

1. Moses is called to lead God's people out of bondage and to the Promised Land.

2. an incredible opportunity, a possibility he had never imagined, but it will take much effort on his part to figure out what God is doing with him and to live into his calling.

3. Part of the challenge of discipleship is figuring out what God is doing with us, taking the time to listen for God, and making the effort to follow.

4. We have to work at it.

5. Following God makes demands on us.

100. Of course, when I get stuck trying to figure something out with my iPhone, you know what I do?

1. I ask one of my kids. Generally speaking, they keep the eye rolls to a minimum and help me out as best they can.

2. if help us figure out how to follow God, we have the example of God's kid, Jesus Christ, the one God sent to live among us, both as an example of us about how to live and as the one who saves us.

3. when we speak of the God of endless possibilities, we do so with concrete example of how Jesus lived in the real world.

4. What Jesus asked real people like us to do.

Move 3: It's complicated

a. If all I wanted to do was dial a phone number on my iPhone, I suppose that would be rather simple.

1. although I still haven't figured out why my phone sometimes seems to call people on its own.

2. Not to mention all the pocket dialing I do.

3. But to discover the possibilities my phone offers is complicated.

b. it can be complicated following God.

1. this morning in confirmation class we began talking about God by discussing the mystery of the Trinity.

2. One God; three persons.

3. Paul writes to the Ephesians, "God is above all, through all, in all..."  (Ephesians 4: 6)  Sounds great, but a little hard to explain when you think about it.
4. Complicated theology.

b. If we believe God is engaged in our lives and our world, then it almost has to be complicated because we live in a complex world.

1. When we face unexpected tragedy, or we ponder our world in which peace seems so elusive and violence and terror seem to carry the day, or when we how difficult it is for people to get along, or when we wonder how that person who we admire can hold beliefs that we do not admire, we recognize how complex our world and the people in it are.

2. Likewise the God who is at work in our world, the God who calls us to new possibilities, that God is a complex God.

3. But that is our calling – to give our lives over to this God who is revealed to us, this God who calls us to lives of discipleship; this God who we can never fully understand, but who continues to engage us.

Conclusion: The poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning, in her poem from “Aurora Leigh” writes, “Earth’s crammed with heaven, and every common bush afire with God; But only he who sees takes off his shoes, the rest sit round and pick blackberries, and daub their faces unaware.” http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barrett/aurora/aurora.html