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Al Rhodes-Wickett Conformed and Confirmed "Little Boxes" Malvina Reynolds Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes made of ticky tacky,
And the people in the houses all went to the university,
And they all play on the golf course and drink their martinis
dry And the boys go into business, and marry and raise a family
Malvina Reynolds was one of my favorite writers as I was growing up. And she had a marvelous ability to dare us to look at ourselves, and to see what is good, and also to see that which is not so good. Her questions challenge us yet. At what point do we have enough? At what point do we have too much? And does it ever happen that we already have too much, and yet we are giving of our priceless time and skills in order to acquire more? You buy a computer. The mouse is thrown in, absolutely free! Pretty good deal, huh? And, of course you need a couple of diskettes for backing up your files. Make that a couple of dozen. That way you can back up the entire system. But then, what good is it to have a nice computer, unless you have a printer? Right? And you’ve got to get that modem in order to send and receive your E-mail and to explore a billion things all over the earth. Software? Did I forget software? Or buying clothes. Your spouse falls in love with this skirt, indeed a very pretty one, but it just needs a few accessories. This blouse would look very nice with it, but I just don’t have the right colored shoes. You see, the solution to this dilemma is pretty clear to me, but somehow another answer is found, and we wind up with the skirt, blouse, shoes, make-up, necklace, and belt. And on the way out of the store she says, "Look over here, there’s another blouse that also looks very nice." Have any of you heard of the 18th Century French philosopher, Denis Diderot. The story about him is that he once received a gift of a beautiful scarlet dressing gown. (No, this does not mean that he was "in drag". In those days the word "gown" also applied to men’s clothing.) At any rate, he liked it so much that he immediately threw away his old gown. And then he made a discovery. His surroundings now seemed to appear shabby and unworthy of his magnificent gown. The pleasure he had in the new clothing began to dissipate. And he found himself lower in spirit than before receiving his wonderful gift. Years later Diderot wrote an essay entitled "Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown." "That imperious scarlet robe forced everything to conform with its own elegant tone." Then Harvard economist Juliet Schor continues the story of Diderot. "He grew dissatisfied with his study, with its threadbare tapestry, the desk, his chairs, and even the room’s bookshelves. One by one, the familiar but well-worn furnishings of the study were replaced. In the end, Diderot found himself seated uncomfortably in the stylish formality of his new surroundings, regretting the work of this "imperious scarlet robe that forced everything else to conform with its own elegant tone." Now this morning, Jane? read to us the words of someone who lived before Denis Diderot. In our Bibles we call him the apostle Paul. In a strange way, he learned the same lesson of Diderot, but Paul was more clear and forceful in saying it. And so we hear his words so clearly, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God –what is good and acceptable and perfect." Amazing. Paul was writing some 18 centuries prior to Denis Diderot. And it would seem that the Apostle had some real urgency in this. It’s as if Paul were drawing a line in the sand. He’s saying to each one of us that we can live in the "merry" ways of the world, or we can spend our days in ways that lift our hearts and minds, and fill us with the blessing of God’s Spirit. So different are these things. We can be conformed to the world, or we can be confirmed into the fellowship of those who are welcoming God’s love and spirit into their lives. And yes, sometimes people will fall from one side to the other. But it doesn’t change the radical difference between them. Conformed. It clearly denotes that our decisions and values and choices come to us not from within us, but rather from the world around us. It means we have adopted the standards and values that seem, at any given time, to be in vogue. "Confirmed", it’s the word that is used when someone becomes part of a community of faith. It means that the decisions and directions of our lives spring not from the confusion and manipulation around us, but rather that we are directed through this unpredictable world by the Spirit of God that comes into us. "Conformed" means that we take our cues from the latest theories, the most recent fads, that newest self-help book, maybe an on-line horoscope, or even our children’s ouiji boards. Far too often, when we are conformed to the world, these things give directions to our lives that is shallow to say the least. "Confirmed" means we are open for the loving guidance of God, and as we look at the culture around us, it is clear that there are some choices we must make. It’s a pretty stunning contrast. The conformed are always trying to add on, do something else. Our culture says that you can never have enough. You always need more. More. More. The confirmed are focused on the ministry the Spirit gives
them. The conformed are also like the young woman who said, "I thought about signing up for short-term missions, but they didn’t have anything in the two-hour range." The confirmed are like those who will stand in support of people of any faith, including those at the Jewish Community center that was attacked last week. The conformed are looking for someone who will fix their lives without their incurring a great deal of obligation in return. Those confirmed as followers of Jesus, share his love for the world and the people in it, and find joy in serving others in Jesus’ name. Remember the second text this morning? Peter, who did a lot of clutzy things as he traveled with Jesus, finally got it right. When Jesus asked them who they thought he was, the others gave the easy answer. But Peter – perhaps he was the only one that knew; perhaps they all knew but Peter was the only one with the chutzpah to say it out loud. Jesus was indeed the one they were waiting for. He would change the people’s hearts and he would change the world. And none of this, none of this would be accomplished by conforming to the ways of the world, but rather by giving ourselves over to God’s ways. And having done so, we are no longer like the world, and therefore able to begin, with God’s guidance, to change the world. I want to close with a story of Harry Houdini, a generation ago the best known among magicians and especially escape artists. He had challenged the world: He could be locked in any jail cell in the country and set himself free in short order. But one time he did not get out quickly at all. Entering the cell, he immediately got out the picks that were hidden in his belt. He did everything he could think of to get through that door, but nothing was working. And finally, hours later, by far the greatest failure of his life, and in utter frustration he leaned against the door, and it opened. The door had never been locked at all. But in Harry Houdini’s mind, the door was locked, and therefore, he could not escape. When one conforms to the ways of the world, their mind is like door that is locked. When we see the movement of God’s hand in this world, and when we confirm that life as our own, the doors are open. This is not to say that everything will be easy, but rather that there is great strength and understanding given to each of us for the task of making this world better. Thanks be to God. Amen. Worship Service Benediction: The love of God does constantly flow in us. The Creativity of God, continues to show in us. The Peace of God is does silently grow in us. Let it flow, let it show, let it grow! Amen. |
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