Sunday, Aug. 10, 2008

Delivered by Rev. Ellen Brantley

SERMON:       Beautiful Feet

TEXT: Romans 10:5-15

          I could never be a podiatrist.  I don’t like feet.  I mean, I know we need them and everything; I just don’t like looking at them or touching them – except for baby feet, and sometimes little kids.  But adult feet?  No thanks.  You’ve never seen me do a service with foot washing and you probably never will.  I’m sure I shouldn’t be telling God what I will or will not do, but I do have limits, and I draw the line at feet.

          So, why would I title a sermon “Beautiful Feet”?  Well, it comes from the last verse in the passage we read from Romans:  “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”  Actually, the line is originally from Isaiah, and Paul was paraphrasing scripture as he wrote to the church at Rome.  Isaiah included a bit more when he wrote:  How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God reigns.’”

          We’ve heard it time and time again that “proclaiming the good news” is a big part of our calling as disciples of Christ.  Also, this is first in a list of the responsibilities expected of church members:  “proclaiming the good news.”  But we tend to be uncomfortable with evangelism, either because we tend to be private people who believe that faith is a personal matter, or because we feel unsure about the right words to say, or because we are afraid of offending others as we have been offended by those who share their faith in a very “in your face” kind of way.

          But take note that Paul doesn’t say, “beautiful are the words of those who bring good news.”  Paul and Isaiah both wrote “beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.”  So maybe it’s not so much what we say to people about our faith, but how we act it out.

          I know it sounds like a cop-out, like a good rationalization for not having to talk about our beliefs – and sometimes, for some people it is.  But not always.

          Most of you know that a group of us just returned from a mission trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.  We worked with an organization called Re-Member which is not church-sponsored, but rather a non-profit corporation.  Some have called Re-Member a “non-evangelical mission” as there is no overt evangelizing allowed by volunteers.  But the founder, Keith Titus, rejects the non-evangelical designation.  “Re-Member’s approach to outreach ministry is based on [an] understanding of [the] Christian responsibility, mandate, and desire to feed, clothe, shelter and heal those who are marginalized by society.”  While “most board members [and many volunteers] over the years would describe their motivation as springing from their faith…,” they do not travel to the Reservation to preach, proselytize, or convert.” 

          So we went, not with words of good news, but with ears to listen, open minds for understanding, hearts full of compassion, and feet to stand in solidarity with the Lakota people.  And we were the ones who were changed.  We were humbled by their close connection with God.  We were inspired by the depth of their spirituality.  We were moved by their dedication to family, past, present, and future, and by their broad definition of family.  And we were challenged by their respect for all people of all races.  In many ways, it was not our feet that brought the Lakota good news.  Rather it was their beautiful, open arms that shared the good news with us.

          Don’t get me wrong, the Lakota people live in terrible poverty.  They continue to be cheated and mistreated by our government and by their neighbors as they have been throughout history.  The unemployment rate is 85%.  The infant mortality rate is among the highest in our country.  The average life expectancy is 47.  And many have succumbed to the evils of alcoholism, drugs, and violence. 

          But hope is alive on the rez.  Despite all that they’ve lost or had taken from them, they are committed to hanging on to their identity, their language, and their culture.  And Re-Member is committed to continuing and expanding their work on the reservation to provide beds, to repair homes, and in the next year they will begin building homes to help the Lakota people “put back together that which is broken” – to help them re-member.

          And there is hope for all people in Paul’s words to the Romans:  “There is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.  For, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’”

          And salvation can come to us in this lifetime, on the rez, in the poverty of inner cities all over the country, and in our own moments of struggle and despair.  “Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”  This is the good news.

          But we need to think seriously about how we can bring this good news to others – to those who perhaps have never heard.  How can we have BEAUTIFUL FEET? 

          Granted, not all of us can travel to an Indian Reservation or to other far-away mission fields.  But as a church we can all work together as church members, committee members, Sunday School teachers and students, cooks, custodians, musicians, worshippers to make sure that everything we do points to Jesus Christ and sends a message of good news.  Perhaps we should consider a permanent relationship with the Re-Member organization and plan on sending groups annually to work with them and to stand with the Lakota.

          Also as individual disciples of Christ, if we can’t bring a message with our feet, we can through our prayers, over the telephone, with cards and notes of encouragement, and in our relationships and encounters with family, friends, and strangers.

          One of the things that impressed me the most about the Lakota people was their respect for their country.  Despite the centuries of abuse and disrespect they have suffered through the actions of the American government, the Lakota people consider this “their” country, they fly the American flag, and they consider it a great honor to serve in our military and to fight in our wars.  To me, that is an example of BEAUTIFUL FEET.

          Here’s another.  Listen to the Ten Indian Commandments:

Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.

Remain close to the Great Spirit.

Show great respect for your fellow beings.

Work together for the benefit of all mankind.

Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.

Do what you know to be right.

Look after the well being of mind and body.

Dedicate a share of your efforts to the greater good.

Be truthful and honest at all times.

Take full responsibility for your actions.

          So similar are these to the Ten Commandments in the Bible, that we would do well to make them our own.  How will you bring good news to others today and in the days and weeks to come?  May we all strive to have BEAUTIFUL FEET….

          To the glory of God!            AMEN.