June 15th Sermon Capsule

So this week, I was supposed to be answering the question about whether or not animals go to heaven. It was a question from the congregation as a part of our "Summer of All Request Sermons". I did my homework, found pertinent scriptures and was ready to go, when while praying Saturday night, I was struck with the phrase "not doing, but being". Well this certainly put a kink in my plans, but I quickly found myself thinking of Luke 10:38-42 (the story of Jesus' visit to Mary and Martha).

My new sermon focussed on the fact that Martha was so caught up in doing that she was missing just being with Jesus, while Mary chose to merely be with Jesus. The story then shows Martha complaining about this, but Jesus telling her that Mary has chosen the better thing. I pointed out that many of us are so busy doing that we miss out on just being, with God, with our families, with our friends, etc.

I further challenged the men, especially on father's day, especially in a culture that so values hard work and providing for our families, to not miss out on the opportunities to be dads, husbands, friends, etc. because they are too busy doing. The ironic part of this reality, is that if you asked many men, why they are so busy doing, they would tell you it's for their families, but if you asked those same families what they wanted most from these men, the families would say they just want their husbands/fathers/sons being with them.

In case you were curious about my original sermon, the answer was neither "yes" nor "no", since I could find no place in scripture that supported either stance explicitly. Instead I pointed to several places in scripture where there is a concern for the whole of creation including the redemption and renewal of all of creation, and said that at the least it could be implied that God loves and cares for creation very much. I also pointed to Mark 16:14-15 where Jesus instructs the eleven to "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation." (v. 15, NRSV) Such an instruction would at least imply the possibility that animals also need to hear the good news of Jesus Christ.

So go on believing Lucy, Lucky, Max, and Sophia will be in heaven with you, and also make time to just be instead of always getting caught up in doing.