Sermon by The Very Rev Chris Yaw; Luke 9:51-62
So, I sat down this week to write a sermon on this morning’s Gospel - you know, the one on these three procrastinating characters in St. Luke who put off following Jesus -
And I sat down at my desk to write this important sermon - right before I noticed that my computer screen needed cleaning - which you’ve got to do if you want to be able to concentrate on the characters you’re typing and not on the dusty screen -
So, I opened the desk drawer where I keep the screen cleaning cloth - it’s right next to the spare computer cords - which I immediately noticed were in complete disarray, having come uncoiled - and in need of rubber bands - which I keep in the kitchen -
So, I got up to go into the kitchen, but as I was walking down the hall, I ran into the cat - he was upside down and showing off his belly in desperate need of attention, so of course I had to stop and pet him - how can you pass up that?
So, I got to the kitchen, 45 minutes later, but then I’d forgotten why I was there…
And as I looked around, I thought… this room could sure use a coat of paint…
Now stop looking at me like I’m the only one...
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The people who study these things say that 20% of us - one-fifth of the population - are chronic procrastinators - that’s right.
That makes procrastination more common than alcoholism, panic attacks, and even depression.
We can define procrastination as: “The voluntary, unnecessary delay of an important task, despite knowing you’ll be worse off for doing so.”
And according to a book by Dr. Joseph Ferrari, a psychology professor at DePaul in Chicago, there are three types of procrastinators - and I wonder which one you are...
First off, there’s the Thrill-seeker.
That’s the one who craves the rush of putting off tasks until the last minute.
Thrill-seekers believe they work best under pressure.
These are people who seem to really thrive when they have a deadline.
Are there any Thrill-seekers here?
Then there are the Avoiders.
Those are the ones who procrastinate to avoid being judged for how they perform.
Avoiders are worried about what other people will think, how they’ll be be viewed, and put things off because they don’t want to do it unless it’s perfect.
Do we have any Avoiders here?
Then there are the Indecisives.
These are the ones who sincerely have difficulty making important or stressful decisions. They genuinely can’t make up their minds.
Often times it's because they can’t stop ruminating over all the different choices.
Any Indecisives here?
Now it’s important to mention that procrastinators are not lazy people - the phenomenon is much more complicated than that. Procrastination does not discriminate. It doesn’t matter what your gender, race, or age is. We’re all susceptible to procrastination.
So why do we do this?
Dr. Ferrari says we procrastinate on tasks we feel are “difficult, unpleasant, dangerous, stressful, or just plain boring.” If a task feels especially overwhelming or provokes significant anxiety, the easiest thing to do is just avoid it.
So, what's the solution?
There are many, but one of the biggest has to do with recovering the sense of urgency of the task before us.
When we are convinced that something is really important, we can more easily find the motivation to make that task our highest priority.
And recovering that sense of urgency may have to do with changing the story that we tell ourselves.
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This morning you and I find ourselves in the crowd, with the disciples, as Jesus encounters three procrastinators...
They seem to like Jesus, even believe him, but they're not ready to go 100%.
We may wonder, what made them back down from their initial interest?
Why procrastinate?
Why put it off?
Like you and me, they had a significant encounter with Jesus. Perhaps there was something about his charisma, his altruism, his kindness, and his love. It seems that something about him struck a chord with those onlookers, and we wonder why they begged off, and put aside, what would have been the best decision of their lives? Jesus is calling, God is calling and you're thinking, 'Ya, but I've got this great recipe for lasagna to make tonight...
And I wonder if it has to do with recovering the sense of urgency of the task before them?
Convincing ourselves that the pursuit before us is really important?
What is the story about our lives, about God in our lives, that we're telling ourselves that rearranges our priorities and makes us diminish the value of life's most important pursuit: to walk in the way of love?
I believe that God has unique and compelling work for you and me to do.
I believe that God has given each one of us unique ideas, plans, and desires, to create, to invent, and bring something magical and beautiful into the world.
And I believe that the more effectively we can see things as God does, to tell ourselves these truths, that are deeply rooted in our faith, the more effective we can be at living into the abundant Life Jesus has for us.
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Not long ago there was a big study done on back pain, and the efficacy of various treatments to bring about relief.
6,000 patients were enlisted - and they were offered a variety of treatments.
One of them was acupuncture. And when the results were tallied, acupuncture was reported by these patients as twice as effective as the other cures. But what was surprising, was that, just as effective as real acupuncture, was fake acupuncture.
There have been many studies done on wine, and, they are pretty conclusive, leading the American Association of Wine Economists to conclude that, when you remove the labels from the bottles, virtually nobody can tell the difference between good wine and super expensive wine.
In fact, people who study these things say that many of us, when the labels are removed, have a hard time distinguishing between liverwurst, spam, and dog food.
My point is that labels tell stories.
And humans are narrative beings. We respond to stories; we pattern our lives on stories. And the stories we tell ourselves about life define us.
Wearing that cruciform label is our job
Which is why keeping the story of Jesus in the center of our lives is so important.
This is the story that defines us.
This is the narrative that speaks to who we are and why we're here.
The three procrastinators we meet in our Gospel had at one point Jesus in the center of their radar screens. But things got in the way, different priorities arose, and different stories became more important.
And Jesus didn't have a lot of patience for this. It's not because he was rude or belligerent.
It's the passion of Frederick Douglass to free slaves, Dr King to give all people equal rights, and for you and me to feel the freedom, feel the Liberty of God's acceptance and forgiveness towards us, freeing us to be and to do - what the God who has called us to be and do.
Recovering our sense of urgency is rooted in this: knowing that God has work for us to do; that the time is short for that to happen.
So, what's in the way between us and Jesus?
What needs to go, so that more of God can get in?
How might we recapture that sense of urgency that our words, deeds, and lives really matter?
A 19th century Quaker missionary put it this way:
“I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do or any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”
Amen.