Sidney UMC - UMC Scouting Sunday/6th Sunday after the Epiphany - 02/12/23 - Sermon - “Solid Food!”

Sunday 02/12/23 - Sidney UMC 

Sermon Title: “Solid Food!”                                       

Old Testament Scripture: Psalm 119:1-8                                    

New Testament Scripture: 1 Corinthians 3:1-9

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 5:21-37

          So, I remember one day when I was in high school, a fellow classmate of mine came into the cafeteria during our shared school lunch period. I honestly can’t remember which classmate he was, as I did not really know him that well.

          What was weird about this particular day though, was that I saw some students crowding around him and laughing, while the student I am talking about never opened his mouth. I then noticed as I looked at this student more closely that he had metal on his teeth. Not like the metal that some have had who have worn braces, but this metal looked a little different. I was about 20-30 feet away, but I just had to be nosy and see what was going on. So, I went up to see my fellow classmate, let’s call him “Matt,” because I honestly can’t remember his name. Well as I approached, I noticed that the other students were still laughing and joking with “Matt,” yet as I said, his teeth were not moving. His head and his arms were moving, but not his teeth!

          So, I said hello to everyone, then I asked “Matt” what’s going on? He then said, with what looked like some wiring of sorts on his teeth this, “I got hurt and broke my jaw in three places”. At this point my other classmates laughed. Why did they laugh? Well, my classmates and myself could not really understand what “Matt” was saying very well. Most of the kids, including myself we not being mean, this was just sort of a new novelty that weren’t used to.

          I then asked “Matt,” “I’m sorry man, can you say that again?” So “Matt” said again, “I got hurt and broke my jaw in three places”. To make sure that I had down what “Matt” said, I said, “So you got hurt and broke your jaw in three places?” He said, “Yes”. Of course, my classmates are giggling because his voice sounds weird his mouth all wired shut.

          So, me being me, the first question that I thought of and asked was this, “Well Matt how do eat with your jaw wired shut?” He said, “With a straw”. Apparently “Matt” would suck his food up through a straw, but it had to be pureed in a blender, so it could get through his teeth. There were some small gaps in his wired teeth for the liquid to get through, but nothing big could get into his mouth. So, then I asked “Matt,” “so, are you just eating milkshakes?” Matt then said, “No I eat a lot of normal stuff, I just puree it in the blender first”. He did say though that some things pureed in the blender are just not the same. So, I then asked “Matt” what did you have for dinner last night. He said, “I had a steak, a baked potato, and green beans”. I then asked, “you threw all that in your blender, pureed it, and drank it?” He said “yes?” I then asked, “Well how was it?” He said, “nothing like eating it for real”.

          For the next month or two, “Matt” ate through a straw everyday at lunch time in my high school cafeteria. At school, he mostly had a milkshake or some kind of fruit and vegetable smoothy. After about a week though, I could tell he hated having his mouth wired shut, and also not being able to eat solid food. When “Matt” finally got his jaw unwired, he was so happy to eat solid food again. Anyone here ever have to be on an all-liquid diet? For most people I know, they did not enjoy not being able to eat solid foods.

          Imagine even further, if for the rest of your life here on earth, all you ate was a liquid diet? No longer can you eat anything solid, just liquids, as long as you are on this earth. We know that there is enough nutrition in many liquid diets that they will keep alive, and that they can give you all the basics you need. Yet, are we happy though with just the basics, just the baseline, or do we want to grow beyond just drinking milk, to eating “Solid Food”! Every parent that is nursing a baby or feeding a baby with baby formula has to make that decision of when to start feeding the baby food that is beyond just liquid. Going from milk to “Solid Food!” is an important thing. I cannot imagine we would want to be on a liquid diet our whole earthly life, as God wants to be on a diet that includes “Solid Food!”

          This morning, the Apostle Paul in his letter or epistle to the church in Corinth or the Corinthians is talking about going from spiritual milk to “Solid Food!” In the same way that my classmate was miserable just being on just a liquid diet, with his jaw wired shut, we generally, want solid foods. I mean I don’t know anyone who goes to a barbeque just for the lemonade! I don’t many people who go the best burger joint in the area just to get a soda!

          Yes, in this life we are called to grow and to develop. It is a great joy then to have this annual UMC Scouting Sunday, as scouts are called to grow and develop. In a similar way that a new Christian starts their faith journey as a “Baby Christian,” a new scout is starting their new journey in scouting much in the same way. Our reading from 1 Corinthians this morning tells us that as we grow in faith and as we grow closer to Christ, that we go from “Baby Christians” drinking spiritual food, to hopefully eating the solid food of a mature faith in Jesus Christ. When a person joins scouting, they are new to scouting. Maybe they are like a baby drinking milk, but then they advance, they grow, they learn. This is similar to the progress of the Christian life, and it is also in many ways the progression of scouting.

          This is why I have said so many times that values of the church are very similar to the values of scouting. This is also why on Scouting Sunday it is so important to me to communicate how our Christian faith connects with the mission, vision, and values of scouting.

          As some of also know, our United Methodist Church bishops and leaders decided as of this year, 2023, local United Methodist Churches would no longer be Chartered Organizations for the Boy Scouts of America, or BSA. We still love Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, but because of all of the realities of lawsuits and liabilities we can no longer be the Chartered Organization of BSA units. We still proudly host Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, we are still excited to have you under our roof, because we believe in you, your leaders, your parents, your families, and in what you are you doing. Scouts and scout leaders, you have the support of me and of this congregation. We still are proudly able to host Girl Scouts, as well, which are an important part of scouting, as well.

          In our reading from Psalm 119:1-8 for this morning we hear, once again in, 119:1-5:

¹ Happy are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord.
² Happy are those who keep his decrees, who seek him with their whole heart,
³ who also do no wrong but walk in his ways. ⁴ You have commanded your precepts to be kept diligently. ⁵ O that my ways may be steadfast
    in keeping your statutes! (Psalm 119:1-5, NRSV). 

          Being blameless, loving God, being like Jesus, being reverent. Sounds like a Christian and a scout to me.

          In digging in a little more into our reading from this morning 1 Corinthians 3:1-9, it says starting in 3:1, once again:

3 And so, brothers and sisters, I could not speak to you as spiritual people but rather as fleshly, as infants in Christ. ² I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for solid food. Even now you are still not ready, ³ for you are still fleshly. For as long as there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not fleshly and behaving according to human inclinations?                                               (1 Cor. 3:1-3, NRSV).

          Becoming more like Jesus, more humble, more loving, more caring, serving more, becoming more generous, praying, reading scripture, and etc., this is how as Christians we go from milk to “Solid Food!” Some of us in fact, might even hearts that might be wired up, like the jaw of my classmate in high school. It this is the case, how can our hearts ever go from spiritual milk, to solid spiritual food? Salvation, eternity, is free for taking through Jesus Christ. We repent of our sin and our brokenness, and we make him the Lord of our lives. As we walk with him and as we grow in him, we go from milk to solid food. Growing a new scout into an Eagle Scout, no doubt has parallels to the Christian walk with Jesus Christ. You see the Apostle Paul goes on in our reading from 1 Corinthians for this morning once again, telling us to follow God, to follow Christ. We are to humble ourselves, work hard, and be all that God has called us to be.

          According to the BSA Scout Law, there are 12 points a scout tries to live up every day, even though sometimes we might fail. As Christians, we are to be like Jesus Christ every day, even though somedays we fall short. We keep striving, we keep reaching, we keep praying, and keep moving forward. We when do this, we go from milk to “Solid Food!” What are the 12 points of the BSA Scout Law? Well let me read them to you:

TRUSTWORTHY. Tell the truth and keep promises. People can depend on you.

LOYAL. Show that you care about your family, friends, Scout leaders, school, and country.

HELPFUL. Volunteer to help others without expecting a reward.

FRIENDLY. Be a friend to everyone, even people who are very different from you.

COURTEOUS. Be polite to everyone and always use good manners.

KIND. Treat others as you want to be treated. Never harm or kill any living thing without good reason.

OBEDIENT. Follow the rules of your family, school, and pack. Obey the laws of your community and country.

CHEERFUL. Look for the bright side of life. Cheerfully do tasks that come your way. Try to help others be happy.

THRIFTY. Work to pay your own way. Try not to be wasteful. Use time, food, supplies, and natural resources wisely.

BRAVE. Face difficult situations even when you feel afraid. Do what you think is right despite what others might be doing or saying.

CLEAN. Keep your body and mind fit. Help keep your home and community clean.

REVERENT. Be reverent toward God. Be faithful in your religious duties. Respect the beliefs of others (https://www.scouting.org/about/faq/question10/).

          Many of us know that BSA and also the Girl Scouts are not specifically Christian organizations, and yet, so much of what these organizations teach and believe line up so strongly with the Bible and what Jesus teaches in the gospels. For this reason, churches have long partnered with BSA and Girl Scouts, because we share so much in common. It is also true that most Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts who earn the “Gold Award,” are not usually on America’s Most Wanted list. (https://www.girlscouts.org/en/members/for-girl-scouts/badges-journeys-awards/highest-awards.html).

          Does this mean scouts, Eagle Scouts, Gold Award recipients in Girl Scouts are better than other people. No, but it does mean that they spent a lot of time making themselves and others better. If we want to grow closer to Christ and to grow in faith as Christians, then we must try to live it out every day. Scouts must also live and grow, and as we all do, and in doing so, we will go from milk to “Solid Food!” Unless you want to be on a liquid diet for the rest of your life!

          In looking briefly at our gospel of Matthew 5:21-37 reading for this morning, once again, Jesus challenges us. Jesus challenges us to control our anger, to not be judgmental, to reconcile ourselves to each other, and to love one another. Jesus talks to us about our relationships, how we should strive to strengthen them. We have all made mistakes, sometimes relationships have failed, and yet we continue to strive to go from milk to “Solid Food!”

          Jesus certainly doesn’t pull any punches in this gospel of Matthew lesson, and some might even say he is even a little harsh. Jesus is challenging us to continue to strive after him, and continue to try to be and do better every day. Jesus talks about some sensitive subjects in this gospel of Matthew lesson. Nevertheless, we serve a living God of love and forgiveness. May we continue to move forward, moving from milk to “Solid Food!”

          Jesus then concludes our gospel of Matthew lesson talking to us about oaths, what we swear to, and how we act. You see friends, as Christians, we don’t have it all figured out, but we serve the one who has it all figured out. As scouts you don’t have to know everything, but you are continuing to learn and grow. The founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley said that we “Are going on to perfection”. We becoming every day all that God has called us to be in Jesus Christ. So, scouts, brothers and sisters in Christ, keep moving forward, and keep going from milk to “Solid Food!” Amen.