Hebrew Scripture Reading-Exodus 35: 20-29
Imagine if you will a giant box of threads and yarns such as this one. It has everything in it that a weaver could possibly desire. Further imagine that every thread and yarn is utterly different than the next one. Some are thin, while others are thick. Some are shiny and slick, others are rough and durable. Some are bright and ostentatious, others are more earthy and humble. Some would be described as fresh from the factory, while others have more of a vintage look. Now, I want you to each imagine that you are one of these threads or pieces of yarn.
I don’t want any of you to be modest or self-deprecating. Pick something nice. Let me give you an example of what you don’t want to pick. This last week I learned that there are rugs out there called rag rugs. People take old clothes and cut them into strips that they then weave together. I don’t want any of you to think you were cut from some dirty, ol’ rag unless there is something absolutely majestic and honorable about that dirty, ol’ rag.
So think about what you want to be. Think about what color and texture you will be. We’ll let you keep it a secret. You don’t have to tell the person next you what you’ve decided to be. Don’t worry, Dwight, you don’t need to tell anyone that you selected hot pink. Has everyone selected something? Alright, now I want you to look closely at your thread and take a second to feel proud about it. I mean think about how strong the fibers are. Marvel at the color of dye that was used. Think to yourself, “Yeah, baby, that’s me, and I am beautiful.”
I am of the opinion that pride can be healthy if it comes in the right dose and the right form. It’s good to feel good about oneself, to have a healthy sense of self-esteem. But, of course, one can have too much of a good thing, and that is when pride becomes a form of narcissism. It’s generally a good idea to look in the mirror before you leave the house in the morning, but you don’t want to look in the mirror forty times a day. You would be spending way too much time worrying about your looks and not enough time thinking about kids who go to bed hungry at night.
But even if we are able to keep our vanity under control, is there something more to being a thread or a yarn? I mean here we are a bunch of beautiful threads and yarns in a giant box, but is that all we really want in life? Wouldn’t life be kind of lame if all we did was lay around thinking, “Ahh, my golden sparkles are so pretty, so very pretty”? Our culture today actually seems to breed this kind of thinking. If you look at enough facebook and myspace profiles, you’ll definitely find personalized websites that seem to be saying, “Hey, look at me, I’m bright and beautiful.” Everyone wants to be the next American Idol or the Next Top Model. We live in a glamour-obsessed society.
The other problem with just being a bunch of threads and yarns thrown into a box is that there is the danger that some of us might get tangled into knots. No offense Dwight, but not everyone wants to spend their life wrapped around a strand of hot pink. (I hope Eunita didn’t select hot pink.) Troubled by the prospect of unwanted tangles here among us, I hope you don’t mind, but this past week I took it upon myself to figure out what could possibly be done with all you threads and yarns so that we don’t become a bunch of knots. In order to do this, I decided I needed to do some research on weaving.
I had never really been exposed to the art of weaving, so the first thing I discovered is that it truly is an art. There are lots of woven masterpieces out there regardless of whether one is talking about a tapestry hung on a wall or a stocking worn on a foot. No matter how beautiful a single piece of thread is, it can’t compete with the beauty of something woven from many threads. Today, it has become popular to bash “organized religion” in favor of a more individualistic form of spirituality. Sure, there might be some ugly versions of organized religion out there, but I think this view fails to see the beauty that can be produced from artfully combining all of our different individual threads together into a single woven piece.
A good question is how do we keep ourselves from becoming one of those ugly pieces of fabric that one would just as soon keep in a storage closet. In doing my research, I learned a few things about the technique and artistry of weaving something. The first thing I learned is that when one weaves using a loom, one weaves so that you are essentially combining two sets of threads. One set is called the warp. It runs vertically. These are the threads that are attached to the loom and held in place. The other set is called the weft. It runs horizontally. These are the threads that are woven over and under the warp threads by what is called the shuttle.
I was tempted this morning to make jokes about how all of us are “warped” threads, but I actually think members of a church are really part of the weft. I like to think of the vertical threads of the warp as God’s love and support. These are the threads that are always there. They are essential for keeping us from getting tangled into knots. Without the vertical threads, we can never reach our full potential and our true calling in life. We are the unspiritual misfits who no one wants to be around.
The other thing I learned in doing my research is that good weaving requires doing the planning and designing necessary to achieve the pattern you desire. One has to make drawings and calculations. One has to figure out what colors need to go where. You don’t want the hot pink to sneak into the yellows and greens. Churches at their best have to figure out how they can make the best use of all the different threads they contain. I think we do a pretty good job here. We might not always get things perfect, but I still think the end result is a masterpiece that all of us can be proud of.
On this Sunday in which we dedicate our stewardship pledges to the church and celebrate the ministries that these pledges support, I think it’s appropriate that we take a step back and appreciate with fresh eyes what this church has achieved. Look at all the precious and wonderful lives that have been interwoven. Look at all of the care and love that enables us to unite in creating something special full of meaning and beauty.
This morning I wanted to find a weaving that would represent our church. Thanks to a gift from Ruth Hammer, I found the perfect thing. Christopher and Mike, let’s bring forth the weaving that represents this church…
(As our organist Christopher Schindler plays the tune for the hymn “The Weaver’s Shuttle Swiftly Flies,” Mike King carries in a banner that has the word “love” woven in large, colorful letters.)
Thank you Christopher and Mike. Our scripture this morning is about the Israelites bringing their offerings to the tabernacle. It talks about how everyone whose heart was stirred brought a contribution. Some brought gold and fine jewelry, but some brought beautiful yarns and fine linens that they had made themselves. This morning as we dedicate our pledges. I want you to consider the rich and colorful masterpiece we have created and will continue to create. Let its beauty stir your heart and let your contribution to the church be made with a healthy sense of pride, knowing what we can accomplish together. Amen.
