Difference between revisions of "Sermon for February 11th, 2024"

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John 8:2-11

2 Early in the morning he [Jesus] came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and began to teach them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and, making her stand before all of them, 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. 5 Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They said this to test him, so that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once again he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 When they heard it, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus straightened up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”

Psalm 34:15-18

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17 When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and rescues them from all their troubles. 18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.

Faith & Film XII - Waitress: The Musical

• [Film Clip #1: Trailer] (1:34)

One Minute Film Summary

Jenna Hunterson is a waitress, and according to everyone who knows her, a "Pie Genius." But the pies she makes at the diner where she works are for Jenna an escape from the harsh reality of her life: An abusive husband and an unwanted pregnancy. She daydreams of entering and winning a local pie-making contest that will give her enough money to leave her husband and start a new life. She also begins to have an affair with her gynecologist, a kind, gentle (but married) man who notices her and listens to her. For Jenna, the affair (like the pies she makes) is an intoxicating escape from the harsh reality of her life. Jenna is encouraged by her two friends and fellow waitresses, Dawn and Becky, who are also trying to fill the void in their lives in the best ways they can. Jenna is also sometimes antagonized and sometimes encouraged by Joe--a crotchety old man who owns the diner and several other establishments in town. Through the course of the film (and many songs) Jenna wrestles with her desperate situation, her own choices (which often seem to make things worse), and with the new life that is growing inside her womb.

Three Dreamers

In this (somewhat longish) clip, Jenna's friend Dawn is about to go on a blind date, and asks Jenna to make her a special pie to take to her date. Pay attention to the three ingredients, the three friends, and the connection between dreams and believers.

• [Film Clip #2: Dreamers] (5:06)

Like we saw last month in the movie "Holdovers" the number three is important here. Sugar, Butter, Flour coming together to create something more than themselves, three friends working in sync to help, support, and even transform each other. This is a human reflection of the work of the Trinity--God in three persons, working to create, sustain, and transform the world. But there is another Trinity at work in the film, too--not a human one that deals only in dreams, but a more subtle one, a divine Trinity that has the power to actually transform reality. More on that later.

Adultery & Judgment

Jenna's affair with her doctor is an undeniable and substantial part of the film. She knows that it's wrong, and says as much several times. And yet, as a viewer, you find yourself rooting for this adulterous affair, because of how horribly bad Jenna's husband is, and how the doctor genuinely cares for her, and helps her to see find value, worth, and significance in herself. In this next clip, as Jenna embraces the doctor, she speaks out loud a wish for her unborn baby:

• [Film Clip #4: You Matter to Me] (1:37)

In so many recent films, with values that are decidedly less biblical, less scriptural, an affair like this one would have been portrayed as justified, perhaps even positive and liberating. But while it might be "understandable" given Jenna's situation, I like how the film doesn't shy away from the real moral dilemma her affair presents.

Here's Joe--the crotchety old man who owns the diner--with Jenna in an (awkward) encounter. Joe is the conscience of the film...and if you haven't figured it out yet, something more, too.

• [Film Clip #3: Joe] (2:23)

Joe, of course, represents God the Father, who is called the "Ancient of Days" in the Old Testament. God alone judges, and sets the standards of morality in the law that we are called to follow. Note carefully that Joe does NOT tell Jenna that she shouldn't leave her husband--just that she ought to do it "fair and square." He doesn't judge her for all that has happened to her that is beyond her control, just for her own choices and actions. And...if you pay attention, despite his crotchety demeanor, his confrontation of her comes from a place of love. Here's a clip a little later in the film, when Joe dances with Jenna at the wedding of their friend, Dawn:

• [Film Clip #5: Old Man] (2:32)

We are so often told that we must believe in God--but we often forget that God first believes in us, and sees in us what we could be, what we should be, not what we have been. God judges us yes, but God also helps us. I love the line at the end of the song: And if you lack the strength of your own, hold out your hand and take it from an old man.

Amazing, Saving Grace

In a lot of modern films, the heroes and heroines are supposed to somehow save themselves. Anything less is seen as a sign of weakness. But our Christian faith teaches us otherwise: We can participate in the process, we can repent and cry out to God, but ultimately, we can't turn around our lives by ourselves. We need God...in three persons, blessed Trinity. In case you're wondering who the second person of the Trinity is in this film, the second person who "saves" Jenna, empowers her, and transforms her life, here you go (and no, it's not her husband, Earl):

• [Film Clip #6: Everything Changes 1] (3:10)

Father, Son and Holy Ghost--or in this case, God the Ancient of Days, the Christ Child who came into the world as a baby and changed everything, and the Holy Ghost. Wait a minute...who is the Holy Ghost? I don't have a clip for you, but it's Jenna's mother, who appears several times as a ghost in the film, and whose spirit is present in Jenna from the beginning, just as the Holy Spirit lives and dwells within each of us.

When God comes into our lives, everything changes, not ALL at once, but in due time--faith is a journey, and we still have to do the right thing, and Jenna does Here's one last clip, as she breaks up with the Doctor. In the reprise that follows, listen for the very religious choice of words: being saved, being turned around (which is literally the definition of repentance), and being born again.

• [Film Clip #7: Everything Changes 2] (3:16)

God leaves an inheritance to us--his Kingdom for all eternity. Notice on the chalkboard, the pie Jenna names for Joe is "Old Joe's Slice a Heaven Pie." How much pie is that? A lot.

Epilogue

Wrapping up this beautiful film, and our series on Faith and Film this year, I'll say again what I've told you many times. I don't think that Hollywood (or in this case Broadway) writers, actors and directors always set out to tell a particularly Christian story. But I do believe that our story, the gospel message of divine love and redemption, of grace and forgiveness, of paradise lost and regained, is the most beautiful and moving story in the world. And when you see or hear a story that touches those chords deep within you, that sings directly to your soul...it's for a reason. You are hearing echoes of the song that the author of all creation wrote for YOU before the world began. It's a love song and a lullaby, a reminder that you matter, that you are wonderful and wonderfully made, and that you are loved beyond your wildest imagination.