The Journey Continues
SCRIPTURE TEXT: Deuteronomy 34:1-8
PREACHER: Rev. Monte Marshall
This morning’s scripture reading from the book of Deuteronomy has been a meaningful text for me over the past 23 years of my life. As I left the staff of University United Methodist Church in Austin in 1994, to begin a three year leave of absence from pastoral ministry, I chose to preach my farewell sermon on this text. Since then, I have drawn from this biblical story in my preaching before other congregations, including this one, to speak of God’s vision for us that always calls us forward on a continuing journey beyond the status quo and into the “something more” of God’s promised future.
So this text connects deeply with my life, but no more so than on this day in which I end my tenure as the pastor of this congregation, say good-bye to all you, begin my retirement, and anticipate with you, new pastoral leadership for Travis Park United Methodist Church. This story of Moses gets me thinking about transitions, endings and beginnings, journeys past and journeys yet to come. The story stimulates personal reflections on the direction of my life, the longings of my heart, and my own accomplishments and failures through the years.
Now I’m not so presumptuous as to claim for myself a status anywhere near that held by Moses. He was, according to one commentator, “the first and preeminent leader of the Israelites, who led the people out of Egypt to the threshold of the promised land; he is also the lawgiver and the archetypal prophet. He is the dominant character in the OT narrative from Exodus through Deuteronomy.”[1] In fact, as Deuteronomy ends, superlatives are used to speak of Moses: “Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom YHWH knew face to face.”
Well, needless to say, I’m no Moses! My role among the people of God has not been nearly so dramatic, effective or memorable. I can also assure you that unlike Moses, I’m not 120 years old and I’m not dying, just retiring to Fredericksburg.
Nevertheless, there are some ways in which I identify with Moses this morning. According to the scriptures, Moses led the Hebrew people on a journey through the wilderness for 40 years. As it turns out, I began my professional work in the church in 1976, some 41 years ago. In this particular moment, I feel as though I’m standing with Moses atop Mount Nebo at the end of a long journey, remembering the past, and looking ahead to the future.
The text remembers a past promise: “’This is the land I swore to Sarah and Abraham, to Rebecca and Isaac, to Leah, Rachel, and Jacob that I would give to their descendants.” The reference here is to geography. But here’s the deal: God’s dream for us has always been about so much more than geography. God’s dream for us encompasses a vision of God’s people living in faithful relationships with God and one another.
This is the New Testament emphasis. Jesus no longer speaks of the promised land as real estate; instead, he proclaims the reign of God marked by faithful relationships. He teaches us to practice unconditional love and justice in the world.
This is the journey we’re on. We’re following Jesus, the Christ, and moving ever-more deeply into the reign of God. And this congregation has been at it for 171 years!
We’ve been guided by God’s vision for us, and this is how we’ve expressed that vision: “Today, the people of Travis Park United Methodist Church continue seeking to make the world a better place through transformation of self and community. We serve and learn as brothers and sisters from all walks of life: rich and poor, housed and homeless, gay and straight, black and brown and white, secular and sacred, PhD and GED. The people of Travis Park Church seek to live and love as God does: passionately and unconditionally. God calls us on a journey forward, to break down the walls of prejudice, and to embrace all our brothers and sisters.”
It is gratifying to know that people are noticing the journey we’re on. People are noticing the ways in which the reign of God is being lived out at Travis Park United Methodist Church.
For example, as many of you may know, our sanctuary was used recently as a satellite location for the Festival of Homiletics, an annual event hosted this year in San Antonio, that brings together some of the best preachers in the country with an international audience of pastors and others to explore the art of great preaching.
On the Thursday morning of the Festival, our sanctuary was packed as United Methodist bishop, Will Willimon, delivered the opening sermon on the theme: Border Crossings with Jesus. I was sitting way up in the back of the balcony with Eric Vogt who will soon be the new senior pastor of this congregation.
When Bishop Willimon finished his sermon, there was some time left before the next session. At that point, the moderator for the morning, Pastor Anthony Bailey, the lead pastor of Parkdale United Church in Ottawa, Canada, came to the pulpit. To my complete surprise, he called for me to join him at the pulpit.
As I made my way down, he began telling a remarkable story. On the previous evening, Pastor Bailey had been exploring the River Walk. He continued the story: “I came across a man in a wheelchair. He was selling some items. He was wanting to make some money. And I said, ‘Well, I don’t need 50 batteries. Do you have anything smaller?’
That’s all he had. So I said, ‘Well, let me just give you some money.’ And then I walked away.”
But the Spirit grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and turned me around. And I said—I’ll call him Mike, that’s not his name—I said, ‘Mike, I just felt propelled by the Spirit to come back and talk with you.’
And we began to talk and he shared the very sad story of his reality living on the street—being robbed and beaten and so forth.
And I asked him, I said: ‘When last did you eat?’
He said, ‘Early this morning. I’m trying to get some money to get some food and to stay at the Salvation Army.’
‘Well,’ I said, ‘Why don’t we go to supper?’
“Navigating his wheelchair through some of these chairs in the restaurant wasn’t easy. Disheveled with a sheet over him, stained with blood and other things, his worldly belongings on the back of his motorized wheelchair, we sat and ate, spoke and listened.
“One of the things he told me was the tremendous ministry that this congregation undertakes for the homeless people. He said: ‘There’s a place there that offers you dignity. On the street and in this city, nobody cares about people like me—but that church does. We can come there and eat, there are showers, and people treat you with respect.’”
Pastor Bailey then said to me: “I wanted to honor you and your congregation, from the testimony of this man, on behalf of this whole conference…to give thanks for the way in which you have responded to God by crossing borders…to experience and to extend the hospitality that is gracious, that is respectful and is dignified, and that is loving.”
And then to the congregation he said: “We give God thanks for the ministry of the church of Jesus Christ that crosses borders and ascribes to the beloved of God what is due them. Thanks be to God.” [2]
Pastor Bailey’s words were met with a sustained, standing ovation from the packed house. I was deeply moved, but the honor belongs to God and to you, Travis Park United Methodist Church.
Through the witness of a homeless man in a wheelchair on the River Walk, Pastor Anthony Bailey caught a glimpse of the journey that this congregation has been on. The journey’s been tough and costly at times, but we’ve stayed the course, following Jesus into the reign of God.
There are no words to describe how grateful I am for the opportunity to have journeyed with you over these last five years. You have made me a better pastor and a better person. You have blessed Laura Jean and me beyond measure. We love you.
But now, my journey with you comes to an end. On July 1, I will no longer be the pastor of this congregation. Pastoral care will no longer be my responsibility, including presiding at weddings and funerals. I ask each of you to honor this fact. I will, however, always be a friend.
Even so, I grieve this ending—but that’s okay. Loving deeply and grieving deeply seem to go together. And perhaps you’ll grieve with me, just as Israel grieved the death of Moses.
But please remember, the journey continues and new leaders are coming! For the Israelites, God raised up Joshua and the people followed him into the promised land.
For Travis Park United Methodist Church, God has raised up Eric and Valerie Vogt. Eric will be the senior pastor and Valerie a quarter-time associate pastor. I know them well. Valerie was my associate pastor during my last year in Pflugerville. They will serve this congregation faithfully and well, and you’ll love them, especially their two boys, Caleb and Jacob.
And now, from our vantage point atop Mt. Nebo, I invite you to look with me into the “promised land” of God’s reign that is before us:
The world can still be a better place in which to live. And God invites us to join in this work—so the journey continues!
Speaking personally, I want to live and love as God does—passionately and unconditionally—but I’m not there yet. This means that transformation of self is still on the agenda—so the journey continues!
Our communities are crying out for transformation—so the journey continues!
There are still so many to serve, including new neighbors moving into our mission field—and there is still so much to learn—so the journey continues.
There are still walls of prejudice to break down and brothers and sister to embrace—so the journey continues!
We have come so far together, but there are still unfulfilled dreams ahead—so the journey continues!
My dear friends, I urge us all to move forward into future. Don’t look back. Look ahead. Don’t be afraid. Take courage. Be of good cheer. And always remember: God is with us! We are not alone! Thanks be to God! Amen.