Sermon for January 31st, 2016

Luke 15:1-10

1Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming near to listen to him. 2And the Pharisees and the scribes were grumbling and saying, “This fellow welcomes sinners and eats with them.” 3So he told them this parable: 4“Which one of you, having a hundred sheep and losing one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? 5When he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders and rejoices. 6And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 7Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

8“Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? 9When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.’ 10Just so, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Faith & Film IV: The Martian

• Film Clip #1: Trailer

A true story: When I was interviewing for the position of pastor here at First Presbyterian Church (almost four years ago!) the chair of the pastor search committee told me in no uncertain terms, in a phone conversation, that the church was "not interested in a pastor who would stay for a few years and then move on to a bigger church somewhere else." She asked what I would do if presented with that choice? I told her I'd make a deal with her: My plan was to stay in El Paso, and there wasn't a church in Texas, the United States, or anywhere in the world where I'd rather serve as pastor. She seemed pleased with that answer, until I said, "Except..." Except? Well, I said "anywhere in the world." But if there's ever a mission to colonize Mars, and they're looking for a Presbyterian pastor to go with them and launch the First Presbtyerian Church of Mars...I would have to give it serious consideration. And I would. However, whenever I tell this story, it's usually at this point that my wife, Amy, chimes in with something like "And your NEXT wife would probably enjoy that very much!" So, I think we're safe for now, although this film certainly did remind me of that longstanding dream.

Film Summary

The Martian begins in the near future, with the third manned mission to Mars, known as Ares 3. The crew of Ares 3 is intended to live on the surface of Mars for a month, but has to abort the mission early when a dust storm threatens to destroy their return vehicle. In their hasty escape, one crew member, Mark Watney, is struck by a piece of heavy equipment which punctures his suit. His crew searches for him in the midst of the storm, but ultimately presumes him to be dead, enters the return vehicle, and leaves Mars behind. When news reaches earth, a funeral service is held for Watney. However, we quicly learn that Watney is not dead, merely wounded. He manages to make his way back to the space habitat, where he is able to treat his wound and recover. The rest of the film details his struggle to survive in the hostile Martian environment, to regain communication with earth and his crew, and for all of the above to find a way, against all odds, to bring him home.

What's in a Name?

Names, in literature and in film, often have meaning. The hero of this film is Mark Watney. The name Mark is certainly familiar to readers of the Bible--it's one of our four gospels. But the name is older than that. It is of Latin origin, and is derived from the name of the Roman god of war...you guessed it...Mars. Mark means Mars. But it gets better: His last name, Watney, is an Old English name that means "Water Island." So, Mark Watney is a lone island of water on the dry planet of Mars. He is water in the desert--a familiar image in both Old and New Testaments.

There's another biblical name worth mentioning here, even though it is not explicitly used in the film. Let me see if you can guess it, though. At one point in the film, Mark Watney says, "Wherever I go, I'm the first. It's a strange feeling. Step outside the Rover, first guy to be there. Climb that hill, first guy to do that. 4.5 billion years, nobody here. And now, me. I'm the first person to be alone on an entire planet."

And of course, we are reminded of Adam, the first man in the biblical story of creation. In Hebrew, Adam means "red earth" or "red dirt" which is what Mark Watney collects at the beginning of the film. He is by trade a botanist, and there's a great sequence in the film where Watney (the water in the desert) actually grows the first plants in that red earth.

But as much as Watney is a type of Adam, he also reminds me of another character from the Bible--one of my favorites, in fact. At the beginning of the film, Mark Watney seems to have everything going for him: He is an astronaut on a prestigious mission, a one in a million opportunity. In a bonus scene that ultimately got cut from the film, he is described as "everyone's favorite crew member." He's smart, he's handsome, he's healthy. And then disaster strikes, his friends leave him behind; he is lonely and cut off from everyone. At least he still has the habitat, which he lives in and uses to miraculously grow food. And then disaster strikes again, and he loses the habitat, and he loses his food. At his lowest point, there's a scene of Watney sitting on a pile of Martian rock, contemplating his own imminent death.

By now, we should be thinking of Job--a blessed man who has everything, and loses it all, then loses even more. The classic image of Job is one sitting on a pile of ashes, wallowing in self-pity. But neither Job nor Mark Watney wallow in self-pity for too long. Both look up to the heavens for help, and help comes. For Job, it's God appearing in a whirlwind. For Mark, it's his ship and his crew, returning to save him.

Job has an ongoing dialog with God, and contrary to his image as being "patient" he actually goes back and forth between crying out to God for help, and crying out in anger against God, who he seems to hold responsible for his predicament.

There's a similar back-and-forth between Mark Watney and God. At one point, Watney is shaving wood from a cross that one of his crew-mates left behind, because he needs the shavings to make fire. He looks at the figure of Jesus on the cross, and says

Job

crucfix scene and appeals to god

unmerited grace

===something bigger / optimism

bring him home

Commander Lewis, I may need you to do something for me. If I die, I need you to check in with my parents. They will want to hear all about our time here on Mars. I know that sucks, and it will be hard talking to a couple about their dead son. It's a lot to ask. Which is why I'm asking you. I'm not giving up. I just need to prepare for every outcome. Please tell them. Tell them I love what I do, And I'm really good at it. And I'm dying for something big and beautiful, and greater than me. Tell them I said I can live with that. And tell them, thank for being my mom and dad.