Buffet Wisdom
May 26, 2024
Year B; Trinty Sunday; Farewell
Isaiah 6: 1-8
Psalm 29
John 3: 1-17
Isaiah 6:1-8
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and the hem of his robe filled the temple. Seraphs were in attendance above him; each had six wings: with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory.”
The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”
Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.” Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”
Homily by Rev. Megan Limburg
The cover of your bulletin tells you it is Trinity Sunday today, traditionally observed a week after the Day of Pentecost, and as the long green season of Pentecost begins, and as summer starts!
However, as this is my last worship service with you all, I will take just a few minutes on the Trinity and then turn to today. Trinity Sunday honors our understanding of God as three within one, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Creator, Redeemer, and Sustainer.
Our readings assigned for today do not discuss the Trinity. All we have is the reference in our passage from Isaiah, to the seraphs calling out: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts….”.
The Trinity is not discussed in our readings, because the word Trinity does not appear anywhere in the Bible.
Of course, the words Father, and Son, and Holy Spirit, appear numerous times, but the understanding, and hence the name “Trinity” came much later. The doctrine of the Trinity was developed in the 4th century, but this day to remember the doctrine of the Trinity, did not enter the church calendar until well into the Middle Ages.
This day is the only day in the liturgical calendar reserved to honor and remember a doctrine, an idea, that difficult to define and grasp mystery in our faith, the Trinity.
Ok, if the Trinity is never mentioned in the Bible and yet is central to our faith, I am going to move on now to some Jimmy Buffett lyrics that are also not in the Bible, but may help us as brothers and sisters, siblings in Christ on this day of farewell.
In case you have not been here when I have quoted the lyrics of Jimmy Buffett’s songs, I’ll quickly say that no less than the legendary musician and lyricist, Bob Dylan, said his favorite song writer was Jimmy Buffett.
And I hasten to say that Bob Dylan and I are not talking about Buffett’s hits like “Wasting Away Again in Margaritaville”, but many of Buffett’s lesser known and quite thoughtful songs.
As I prepared for this day over the past many weeks, 2 songs kept coming to me with comfort and challenge.
Buffett wrote the first song I want to mention, after the horror of Hurricane Katrina hitting New Orleans in 2005, 19 years ago.
Buffett loved New Orleans and agonized with all of us to see the destruction in that beautiful city.
He wrote the song, “Breathe in Breathe Out Move On” as comfort and guidance in the tragedy and pain of Katrina, and to remind us all to not stay in the pain of the past but to live now, the preciousness of life that can disappear in a night of rain.
The opening verse says:
I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesn't use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"
The chorus talks about the hurricane and the terror of the flooding of the 9th Ward.
The second verse continues:
Now you may be thinking that I was had
But this watch is never wrong
And If I have trouble the warranty said
"Breathe in, breathe out, move on"
The song ends, nudging us to move forward:
According to my watch the time is "now"
The past is dead and gone
Don't try to shake it, just nod your head
Breathe in, breathe out, move on
Now as a longtime grief counselor, I would not say, just forget the past, I would not say move on and pretend you do not feel sadness or grief. We need to grieve, I need to grieve, the ending of our ministry together. But I love Buffett’s song, as it reminds me to not get stuck. Life is short, and we do not have much time, yes, not much to gladden the hearts of others.
We are called as Christians to notice in the time that is yes, as the watch tells us, the time is NOW, and how are we called to carry God’s love into a hurting and broken and swamped world?
So as we say farewell we can both cry, AND breathe in and breath out and move on, as Trinity and SMWC are called into the future to continue all that we have worked on together, welcoming newcomers, growing the Pantry, collecting plastic, offering refuge and home to those in pain, and inviting all to the table, and yes, even occasionally, dancing!
I bought a cheap watch from a crazy man
Floating down Canal
It doesn't use numbers or moving hands
It always just says "now"
A second Buffett song has hummed in my head these past months.
As you know I am leaving as I have realized that I must take more care of myself. As a life long high energy workaholic, I must and know I am called, to change, to slow down a bit, to learn to be quieter, to balance and provide time for me and time for my dear husband. I am searching for a call to part-time ministry, and I pray I can, and have dear loved ones frequently reminding me, NOT to turn it into full time work!
And so, the song by Buffett, “Slack Tide”, has been humming in the back of my mind.
I didn’t know what a slack tide was until I heard this song. It is defined as:
“Slack tide is the short period in a body of tidal water when the water is completely unstressed, the time in the tidal cycle with minimal water movement. It occurs between the ebb and flow phases when tidal currents momentarily pause, resulting in calm waters.”
I ask for your prayers that I can grow in my openness, that I can maybe learn a bit, how to live in more slack tide moments, even slack tide days! Moments of calm waters.
Buffett’s final verse of “Slack Tide” again expands this need out from myself and into that hurting world we are called to help.
Well, we could use some quiet
We could use a little calm
Find the good in everybody
Share that "one love" balm
Watch the predators and prey
Swim along side by side
'Neath the blue sky and mangroves
Down at slack tide
So, as we say farewell, know that I will pray for you, and I ask your prayers for me, for Tim and for Mocha, as we will continue as siblings in Christ, though we will sail in different waters.
Amen.