May
11, 2014 Sermon - Proverbs
31:10-31
Okay,
So I know that this isn't a Psalm but I worked on this the last two day to
present for worship this morning and it is just a script.
I had the honor of representing Mount
Zion yesterday at the funeral of Joyce Ann Burk yesterday and Betty joined
me. I told her that I've often struggled with Mothers Day messages and
often seek others to speak ... so this was a rare occurrence of me speaking in
worship on Mothers day.
She asked me if I heard of the job
description for Mothers that was run and nobody wanted to seek out the
position. I looked for it on the internet, updated it just a bit and
decided it was a lengthy way to start the sermon. So here goes, would you
be interested in this job if you were applying for it?
JOB
DESCRIPTION: Long term,
team player needed for challenging permanent work in an often chaotic
environment. Candidates must possess
excellent communication and organization skills and be willing to work variable
hours, including: evenings, weekends and
frequent 24 hour shift on-call.
Some travel required: endless training practices and sports
events. Extensive courier duties a
must. Travel expenses not reimbursed.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Must be
willing to face stimulating technical challenges.
- Must be connected to every known form of Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, Snapchat) available and be willing to trace/track/stalk so that you can be up on everything your staff is up to.
- Must be connected to every known form of Social Media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Flickr, Snapchat) available and be willing to trace/track/stalk so that you can be up on everything your staff is up to.
- Must have
ability to plan and organize social gatherings of specific detail for clients
of all ages and mental outlooks.
Constructive or creative abilities a definite benefit.
- Must be indispensable to clients’ whims.
- Must be indispensable to clients’ whims.
- Must
understand that clients’ demands should not be taken personally when told you
are views aren’t relevant.
- Must be
willing to bite tongue repeatedly
- Must always
hope for the best but be prepared for the worst.
- Must be willing to include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. Occasionally, exposure to bodily fluids expected.
- Must be willing to include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility. Occasionally, exposure to bodily fluids expected.
- Must process
voucher request with limited petty cash supply.
- Must possess
the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in
three seconds with little evidence of distress should circumstances seem dire.
- Must assume
final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product.
POSSIBILITY
FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
Virtually none. Your job is to remain in the same position for years, without
complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills, so that those in
your charge can ultimately surpass you.
WAGES
AND COMPENSATION: Ability to maintain full time salaried
position beneficial as this position offers a reverse salary benefit. You pay for clients: Offering frequent raises and bonuses. Balloon payment for educational benefits on
behalf of client will be due upon at age of majority because of the assumption
that this investment will help them become financially independent.
BENEFITS:
No insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and
no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for
personal growth
And if you are
successful, free hugs for life
Anybody
interested … ? Only Mothers need apply.
Prayer
I'm not keen on
setting sermon titles, it seems that when they come up in the office they seem
to be a good idea only when I start to craft the sermon I realize that perhaps
it was a bad choice. So today is a good example. I called the
sermon "Rethinking the Goodly Wife," probably should’ve said
“Rethinking the Goodly woman." (Make the use of the term more
universal and obviously fits better into the end of the sermon. )
The
Capable wife, or the Proverbs Wife, ... Proverbs 31.10-31. This text if
most often selected for celebration of Mothers day and also at funerals. Not that there should be a correlation
between those two events. It just that
in this reading we are given the “superlative” … matchless, outstanding and
incomparable traits to of a five star woman!
Taken
in historical context, when this list (obviously, I'm using the man's
perspective) was prepared, only one percent of the women on the face
of the planet would have been "capable", in other words had the
resources at their disposal, to live as this woman.
When men hear Proverbs 31 a hear a
list … or they see their Mothers who obviously exhibits all these traits
in their eyes. The text was most probably written by a man (Salomon)
to men encouraging them to be on the look out for one of these
women, and the underlying tone is that if you find her don't be a fool and let
her walk away.
Women
approach this list slightly different.
It is an exhaustive
(if not exhausting) list similar to our job description.
I’m curious about
what Women think about this list? Ladies?
So
reading this passage on Mothers Day brings two challenges, how does a preacher
help folks who upon hearing this passage feel less than “superlative”
while others are looking at the list of all the traits they are looking for in
a mate only to discover that they are extremely rare. Further, Mothers day is a reminder to some
that their moms weren't there for them growing up and others who may be
mourning the loss of their mothers.
So
what I would like to do is approach this reading slightly different. Let's drop this as a list of a potential
spouse. Let's not judge ourselves. Let's not judge our mother who for whatever
reason wasn't present to us in our youth, and let's not mourn the loss of our
mother. Let's look at this passage in
context to it's placement in this book of wisdom.
Quick overview of Proverbs.
Proverbs is a collection of short quips about how one ought
to live out their life. It covers … just
about … well … everything.
Some quick examples ...
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of
knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction… Proverbs
1:7.
"For
wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things one may desire cannot be
compared with her." …
Proverbs 8:11.
Train up a child in the way he
should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it … Proverbs
22:6
Enjoyed too much
wine last night? ... Read Proverbs 23: 29-35
The book of Proverbs begins with
about nine chapters of listing the virtues of following Wisdom’s teaching, here
wisdom is personified as a woman, that every “man” should seek after. (using quotes to signify that this is
actually written to men but we are hoping that we can interpret that Women want
to be wise as well.)
"Men|" have three
potential states of being in Proverbs: a fool … simple …or wise! (Wisdom literature sits upon an understanding
of a “retributative justice” system and
these these labels have a direct correlation to you health, weath and
faithfulness status.
If you are sick, you must be doing
some to make you sick and so you are a fool.
If you well, you must be doing something
right and so you are wise.
If you are poor, again you are
doing something wrong, so you are a fool
If you are rich, you are doing
something right so you are wise.
If you are rich, healthy and wise
you are most likely righteous.
If you are poor, sick and a fool,
you are most likely sinful. )
Ryan O’Dawd, A senior scholar at
Chesterton Seminary located on Cornell University puts forth another intriguing
prospect (http://qideas.org/articles/to-a-man-but-for-men-and-women-rethinking-proverbs-3110-31/)
that the Proverbs woman is actually a
return to the start of the book of Proverbs and closing it out with an
exhaustive list of what men will find in courting wisdom. This view gives a different understanding
that God’s Wisdom is “Superlative” and courting her brings forth a man “that is
not embarrassed at the gates where he sits in discourse with the other elders
of the community.”
Now I
know that this is a bit of a stretch, it works for parts of the reading (look
at the reading) but not all (going and buying ships etc)
Also, this is the last chapter of
Proverbs. Remember in the first nine
chapters “men” were encouraged to court Wisdom, to love her and avoid all the
things that would detract our focus upon her.
And
then we have the Capable wife. It seems
that the natural progression of a courtship is to end in marriage. And so that is what happens, in Proverbs 31
we find that the man who had courted Wisdom is now married to her and look at
all that he benefits.
Understand
that we now use the term “man” or “men” universally to be woman and men, this
courtship ends with all of those who court Wisdom’s or God’s Wisdom, then will
benefit.
The
Proverbs women of chapter 31 is God’s wisdom universally available, not just to
men but also to women. Empowering for
All!
And it
is following God’s wisdom, being in tune with God’s wisdom and living into the
potential of our life, men and women, together.
Regardless
if you buy into this view or not,
When we
read this text on Mothers day let us not feel as if we will never find the
right spouse to match this list, feel frustrated because we can never attain
this list, feel regretful that our mothers didn’t measure up or mournful it is
because Mom is no longer with us.
Let us remember that God’s wisdom is universal
and applicable to all. ( a statement of fact rather than based on the premise
above)
And
that we can agree that these verses detail the acts of love and area a manifestation
of noble intent expressed as an outward sign of the inward dwelling of God’s
wisdom moving in and through those who have served as Mother to us.
And
so, quoting “The Message” … Give her everything she deserves, festoon her life
with praise!
