December 17,2023
Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus
"Accompaniment" Sermon by Rev. Trip Porch
December 17, 2023 Based on Luke 1:26-45
In 2021, the famed author Michael Lewis, who has written hit books like The Big Short, Moneyball, and the Blindside, almost quit writing all together. It was because in May of that year, his 19 year old daughter Dixie, and her boyfriend Ross were suddenly killed in a car accident.
As you might imagine, the loss of a child is an experience unlike any other. It’s a complete upheaval of your life, and its utterly earth shattering.
Michael described his particular experience of the loss in a couple of ways, but he says the predominant experience was that it was incredibly isolating, like you suddenly find yourself alone in the middle of thick forest and you are given a machete and feel like you are the only one who can find your way out.
He said it felt like there was no one who could help him fix it because there was no one fully understood the particulars of what he was going through, with the particularities of the accident, and his particular relationship with Dixie and her boyfriend.
But in the end, he realized that he didn’t need someone to help him fix it, or get him over it, or get better, what he needed was actually what he ended up getting:
People who were willing to show up, without having answers, without having words, but willing to be with him and bring love.
Michael says: “I get it, you never know. What do you say to someone whose child has just died? My instinct before I had this experience probably would be to hide and leave them alone because I don’t know what to say or there’s nothing to say. Like I feel so sad for my friend whose child has died, but I don’t want to impose because there’s nothing you can do to make it better. So, I’m not going to show up on their doorstep and bother them.”
But then He goes on:
“But I have a friend, a wonderful, wonderful friend, the writer Dave Eggers.
My daughter Dixie died, I got the news in the morning, and I think about an hour later, Dave is there, he’s sitting on my doorstep with food. He heard about it and just went and bought food and now he’s here and he's crying. And he says, I want you to know… I’m not leaving. I'm not gonna bother you, I'm just gonna sit outside in my car but I'm not leaving.”
Michael said “I would never have thought that would be something I wanted. But In retrospect, it was just such a gift, just to feel that feeling of being connected, someone insisting that I can't help you, but I'm gonna be there anyway. I’m not going to let you be alone through this”
[Sources: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/michael-lewis/id1521578868?i=1000555975206 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/author-michael-lewis-nearly-stopped-writing-after-daughters-death-60-minutes/]
I think this is an incredibly powerful lesson. What do we need when we are grieving, when the weight of the world is on our shoulders, when we are weary and tired? I think we need folks who are willing to accompany us. To show up at our doorstep with food and just be there. Friends who can meet us where we are and bring love with them.
Every advent we hear this story of these cousins, Mary and Elizabeth, we hear the story of how they learn they’ll get pregnant, and how important their children will be. We hear about all the complicating factors of their pregnancy, how Elizabeth was old and past the point of being able to be pregnant, or so she thought.
And how Mary was young and engaged to be married to Joseph, and how this unmarried pregnancy would complicate her life, and actually put her in real danger, ending her engagement, making her an outcast to her community, potentially ruining her life.
And then we hear this small little detail, a line that’s easy to gloss over, but yet I think it’s really
important… how these two women come together to support one another.
Elizabeth becomes pregnant, and the scripture says she withdraws and keeps to herself for 5 months alone. 5 months alone… 5 months of morning sickness, and back pain, 5 months of solitary weariness.
Mary, receives news that she, an unmarried teenager, will become pregnant, and I imagine her heart sinking… She responds to the angel.. “how can this be?” And then, in a tone I imagine to be devastated… “I am the Lord’s servant… Let it be with me just as you have said…”
I imagine Mary finding herself, like Michael Lewis, in the middle of a thick jungle. Feeling alone and isolated, like she is the only person who can understand her circumstances, and that she is the only person who could see her way out.
Where do you turn when you’ve just received news like this? Who do you reach out to when the world as you know it has been upended?
Mary also withdraws from her community, but instead of seeking to be alone she goes to her cousin Elizabeth’s. Someone who might understand her, someone who gets it… and as soon as Mary greets Elizabeth, Elizabeth’s baby kicks and jumps and leaps, which Elizabeth interprets to be a sign of Joy, she doesn’t disparage Mary for her circumstances but helps her discover the joy and gift of her circumstances.
It’s a beautiful image I think, these two weary women accompanying each other, leaning on one another for support, helping each other not only navigate through difficulty, but find moments of joy along the way.
I got to attend a workshop recently that was led by Kimberly Wagner who is a preaching professor at Princeton Seminary, but she is also a specialist in preaching to communities that have gone through trauma, particularly collective trauma.
She gave us an image to talk about journeying through trauma, it was actually childbirth. She said often people think folks in trauma need experts, doctors or nurses in the delivery room who can help to fix the problem, or anesthesiologists who can take away their pain, but she said what people actually need is that other person who can be there at childbirth a midwife. Someone whose job it is not to remove them from pain, but someone who will sit with them in it and accompany them through it.
I think this is what Mary and Elizabeth offer each other… accompaniment through their weary journey. I think this is what Dave Eggers offered Michael Lewis when he said… I’m not going anywhere.. I’m not going to bother you, but I’m not leaving you… I’m just going to stay in the drive.
And I think this is the time of community we are called by God to be for each other in the midst of our weary world. To accompany one another. To show up for each other whether or not we have words or answers anything but love to offer. Just to show up for each other and not try to fix things, but just sit with them in it.
And I think it’s important to note: it doesn’t have to be in big ways… like offering a pregnant teenager a couch to crash on for three months or spending your day parked in a friends driveway, I think the small ways off accompaniment are just as powerful.
Receiving a card, or a text that just says “I don’t know what to say but I’m thinking of you”.
Remembering the birthday or anniversary of someone’s loved one who died and reaching out. Or, as my family experienced when we were going through a weary time we had a friend who sent us a poem every Friday as a little act of love, support, and a chance to remember the joy and beauty in the world.
How does a weary world rejoice?
We find joy in connection.
So let us form those connections… Let us show up for each other in small ways and big and not allow any weary person to hack their way through the jungle alone…
Amen.
WE GATHER IN AWE AND PRAISE
PRELUDE
WELCOME Rev. Trip Porch
One: This is the day that the Lord has made
All: Let us rejoice and be glad in i
CANDLE LIGHTING – Julia Swanson, Caleb Stripes, Astrid Stripes
One: How does a weary world practice joy?
All: By dancing, and throwing birthday parties.
One: By hanging Christmas lights and holding sleepy babies. By singing loudly and
looking for good news.
All: By telling the story of Jesus, and showing up for one another and our
community.
One: There are a million ways to practice joy. So today we light the candle of joy as
a reminder and a charge.
All: With God’s help, may we bring joy into a weary world. Amen.
*RESPONSE “Wait for the Lord” sung many times
*PRAYER OF CONFESSION Marie Boozer
One: God of laughter,
God of open front doors
and family reunions,
we confess that we often doubt good news.
All: We move through this world
waiting for the other shoe to drop,
waiting for life to fall apart,
waiting for our humanity to get the best of us.
One: Instead of leaning into joy, we lean into scarcity.
All: We lean into fear.
We lean into isolation.
One: Forgive us for forgetting that joy is amplified when shared.
All: Heal the wounds we have from past hurts,
and teach us how to throw open our doors like Elizabeth. Show us how to
find joy in connection.
Amen.
*ASSURANCE OF PARDON
*RESPONSE OF PRAISE “He Came Down” HE CAME DOWN
He came down that we may have joy;
He came down that we may have joy;
He came down that we may have joy;
Hallelujah forever more. Text: Cameroon song
*PASSING OF THE PEACE
One: The peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all,
All: And also with you.
WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
ANTHEM “A New Magnificat” Carolyn Jennings
PRAYER OF ILLUMINATION
SCRIPTURE Luke 1:26-45 CEB
When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a city in Galilee, to a young woman who was engaged to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David’s house. Her name was Mary. When the angel came to her, he said, “Rejoice, favored one! The Lord is with you!”
She was confused by these words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Mary. God is honoring you. Look! You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and he will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of David his father. He will rule over Jacob’s house forever, and there will be no end to his kingdom. The Holy Spirit will come over you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Therefore, the one who is to be born will be holy. He will be called God’s Son. Look, even in her old age, your relative Elizabeth has conceived a son. This woman who was labeled ‘unable to conceive’ is now six months pregnant. Nothing is impossible for God.”
Then Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be with me just as you have said.” Then the angel left her.
Mary got up and hurried to a city in the Judean highlands. She entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. With a loud voice she blurted out, “God has blessed you above all women, and he has blessed the child you carry. Why do I have this honor, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. Happy is she who believed that the Lord would fulfill the promises he made to her.”
CHILDREN’S MESSAGE Marie Boozer
SERMON
WE RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD
HYMN “I Can Celebrate You” CRANHAM
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE followed by The Lord’s Prayer (on screen)
MOMENT FOR MISSION Christmas Joy Offering
TIME OF OFFERING
OFFERTORY RESPONSE CRANHAM
Praise the One Creator, praise the Living Christ
Praise the Holy Spirit, praise both day and night
Praise when you are weary, praise in times of joy
Praise, my soul, with all your strength and your heart and voice
PRAYER OF DEDICATION
One: Holy One, this Advent season we wait in joy,
All: And we give with joy.
One: Joy for all you have given us;
All: Joy because of your sacred promises.
One: Receive these generous offerings,
All: And use them to spread your joy in our world.
Amen.
*HYMN NO. 106 “Prepare the Way, O Zion” BEREDEN VAG FOR HERRAN
TIME OF COMMUNITY SHARING
CHARGE AND BENEDICTION
CONGREGATIONAL RESPONSE “Light Dawns on a Weary World” TEMPLE OF PEACE
Light dawns on a weary world
when eyes begin to see
all people’s dignity.
Light dawns on a weary world:
the promised day of justice comes.
(refrain) The trees shall clap their hands;
the dry lands gush with springs;
the hills and mountains shall break forth with singing!
We shall go out in joy,
and be led forth in peace,
as all the world in wonder echoes shalom.
Text: Mary Louise Bringle, 2001; used by permission
POSTLUDE
Acknowledgments: Unless otherwise indicated, all texts and music are printed and broadcast under OneLicense.net license #A-702452