Ash Wednesday, March 1, 2006

Pastor Gary E. Benson      

Zumbro Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minnesota

 

“Yours Are the Hands of Christ”

 

Remember when you were a kid and you would say, “Let’s see who has longer fingers, a bigger hand?”  Such a demonstration was always a bit embarrassing for me.  Why, because I have always had small hands.  However, I do remember well working in the lumberyard and factory as a teenager and young adult doing heavy work lifting and moving lumber.  I kept thinking maybe someday doing this heavy work my hands will grow and be real manly like my Uncle Grant. Guess what? My hands remained small. In fact, I will never forget the ultimate insult (I thought) when Sara and I were looking for wedding bands 35 years ago. The jeweler said, “Let me see your hand, your ring finger. Man, that is really small, I think you could save money and by a woman’s ring; it would fit you fine.”

 

Regardless of the size of our hands, as a part of the miracle of life, the gift of our physical body, we know hands express so often the best and the worst of who or whose we are.  In fact, do you remember when you were first taught to pray? You may have heard the words, “Now fold you hands.”  Or in the classroom, “Raise your hand,” or before meals, “Wash your hands.”  Whole litany: Clap your hands; let’s have a show of hands; can you join hands on this project …..” You could add many more illustrations, I know, but now let’s change gears, if you will.

 

What images and thoughts enter your mind and spirit when you hear our Lenten theme, “Yours Are the Hands of Christ.” In a cliché, “Doesn’t that take such words to a higher level; be it a deeper meaning?

 

In this book, Yours Are the Hands of Christ, author James Howell shares this familiar poem,

 

Christ has no body now on earth but yours,

no hands but yours,

no feet but yours.

Yours are the eyes through which the compassion

of Christ is to look to a hurting world.

Yours are the feet with which he is to go about

doing good.

Yours are the hands with which he is to bless now.

 

Throughout our Lenten worship, we are going to be reminded, if not challenged, to be mindful of what it means for each of us in our own unique manner to be the hands of Christ, as well as what it means to join hands with others to be united as the hands of Christ in mission.

 

What this means in daily life, is that, in language that I have used before, we dare not remain “militantly modest” about the expression of our faith in daily life.  What this means is that our faith is not meant to be invisible, such that you cannot distinguish a Christian in daily life from a non-believer.  By such call to action, are we discounting Luther’s “saved by grace through faith?” Certainly not; we are celebrating such.  As thankful recipients of God’s grace through faith, we cannot keep such goodness and blessing to ourselves, but rather choose to give witness and expressions of God’s love in Christ through us.

 

When I say that, I think of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, a person who has been lifted up as a premier expression of faith.  For Mother Teresa, being “the hands of Christ,” meant to facilitate a place and process. I will never forget her words, “In order that in Calcutta, India, the down and desperate need not die in the gutter. Rather we seek to provide a place and people in order that the dying might die with dignity.”  Her simple and yet profound sacrifice would be, as the title of her book suggests, Something beautiful for God.

 

To be the hands of Christ is to move from the heart, to sharing the hard work of witness, to be, in the words of James, “…not only hearers of the word, but doers also.”   After all, Jesus didn’t come in order that we would simply feel different, but that we would be different, our thoughts, words, AND deeds!

 

The sanctuary you are seated in, St. Marys Hospital, colleges of the church are what? Expressions of “the hearts and hands of faithful people” … expressing the mission of Christ through actions. Reaching out, ministering to needs, to the growth, to possibilities of others to be those who share the Spirit of Christ through them.

 

Sometimes you provide the support; prayer for support, or your hands are literally the support of “going and serving.”  In a culture that embraces entertainment, in many ways many folks are finding that to have a life that is meaningful means not holding on to all we have (hugging ourselves), but sharing, gifting, facilitating and enabling others to live with dignity, and to claim, as Jeremiah says, “a future of hope.”

 

This day a hand will place an ashen cross on your forehead. A hand will place in your hand a wafer and a cup of wine. May such gifts of grace empower you to celebrate God’s gift of forgiveness and promise, in order that when we hear the words “Go in peace, serve the Lord.” Such proclamation will be but a prelude of sharing a heart of faith and hands of service.  Yours are the “Hands of Christ.”

 

Now I ask you to hold your hands in front of you and repeat after me, “These are the Hands of Christ.” May they be something beautiful for God.