Copyright 2010 – The Anglican Parish of Stephen & St Mary, Mt Waverley

Not to be copied or republished without written permission

MARY, MOTHER OF OUR LORDSeptember 5 2010

Gods Alternative Agenda For Our Lives

Grant Bullen

Introduction

What would a teenage Palestinian village girl in the first century, dream of for her life? What would her agenda for future happiness consist of? It’s probably impossible to imagine from this distance... but whatever it was, Mary’s personal plan for her life was swept away from the moment that angel appeared. God’s agenda for Mary was radically different – a child out of wedlock with all the scandal and shame attached; dependent for ever now on the generosity of the ageing odd-job man, Joseph... “Oh, and there’s one more thing... did I mention that the child is actually going to be the Son of God!”

It’s what we all dread – that God will ask us to do something that we cannot bear.

Our Dread... and Our Compromise

Do you realise how common, probably universal, this fear is – fear that God will want us to do something that contravenes our personal agenda for happiness and fulfilment. What is it for you? Can you name it?

I’ve told you before that when at 15 I ‘heard’ God ask me to spend my life as a priest... how I was horrified at the idea. (Yes, it was nowhere near as radical as having God’s baby, but as a teenage boy I couldn’t imagine anything much worse.) And how, because I was one of those odd kids that chatted to God occasionally, I endeavoured to make all sorts of deals... compromises with God. ‘Now there’s no way I’ll be a priest, BUT what I will do is x,y and z!’ Being a priest did not fit in with my personal plans for happiness.

From early childhood, we start developing these agendas, these dreams of what will bring us happiness. A huge one in my family was ‘being married would make you happy’... so that was non-negotiable. Often it’s the career we’ll have... or perhaps the house we’ll live in... or simply to have lots of friends or... These recipes for fulfilment begin early – some last forever, while others refine and adapt with time... and even sometimes reappear in a totally different form.

Regardless of what they are, we all have them... and we feel entirely convinced that we do indeed know what will make life good for us. (If only other people would cooperate! If only circumstances would fall our way! If only God would do something for a change and actually help us!)

And so our relationship with God is always going to be some sort of compromise deal. Especially as we have this awful suspicion, not at all helped by Scripture, (after all looked what happens to Mary), that God isn’t as committed to our agendas as He should be... indeed perhaps He thinks he has a better plan. So if He’s not going to actually help us, He at least needs to be kept safely out the way... so He doesn’t mess things up.

So we establish a ‘reasonable’ compromise with God. ‘I’ll manage my own life thanks, because I know how it needs to be... and if you’re not prepared to help, well at least stay out of the way. (And You seem pretty good at the non-action bit!) And I’ll get on with arranging my own happiness and fulfilment... These are the non-negotiables... and the deal is, you can muck around with what’s left over. I’ll turn up to church now and then, scramble the odd prayer or two (because as you know, I’ve got a lot to be getting on with here)... and I’ll pick up a bit of self-improvement from your department as we go along.’

Do you realise how common, probably universal, these compromise deals are? What’s yours? What are the no-go zones in your life? What’s non-negotiable?

Experience

And how’s this working out for you? (While you’re thinking, I’m happy to chat along in the background about how it’s going for me...)

At the genteel age of 54 this is what I’ve learned... two things...

The first thing experience has taught me is that... I don’t have much success at engineering my own happiness. I’ve tried incredibly hard over many decades to get my fulfilment-recipes to cook right... but as I stand here today I have to admit all my dreams (all of them) have hit dead-ends. Some have come true but didn’t pay off like I thought they would. Others have proved eternally elusive. Simply... my life hasn’t been as I wanted it to be.

The second thing is even worse... All my suspicions about God have proven true! God has not played along. I don’t mean He’s stuffed things up for me – it’s more that He’s stood watching... waiting... sometimes in tears... and sometimes I catch the hint of a smile. My worst teenage fears are correct – God does indeed have a radically different plan for my life. He has a totally different perception of what matters for me... of what will actually lead me to fullness of life. And He’s not about to change His mind... no matter how much I rant and weep. And He’s eternally patient... and relentlessly engaged... and when it comes to His agenda for me... He’s not giving up.

You remember that incredible ‘final’ interchange between the resurrected Christ and Peter? “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go.” That’s about how it feels for me at 54! There’s nothing else to be done, but to surrender to God... and see how His agenda for me works out.

Liberation

Now that may sound terribly depressing... but that’s not the way I see it. Far from it... The faith says that when we reach this place, we might just be on the doorstep of liberation!

When the agendas for happiness, the dreams and hopes of the perfect life... run out of steam and die. And when we no longer have the energy or belief to start again... space opens up... both interiorly and externally. First comes grief at all that is lost... emptiness that feels like barrenness. And then follows an indescribable strangeness... ‘What is this odd place without agenda and striving? How can I live here?’

And then the emptiness is revealed as space... delicious open, unencumbered and free space! And into the space flows the river of grace... of God’s very different agenda... for our happiness and our fulfilment. This is what the Christian faith promises... that beyond the place of our surrender to God’s agenda... is freedom... and the fulfilment we always yearned for. And the pilgrim awakes with a mouth-breaking smile... ‘Oh, so this is what you intended all along. Now I get it! Great idea!’

Once I thought this divine agenda would be a new life- direction as in a new career... or at very least a new wife!! You know, as in... ‘I got confused and thought I should be a priest but really what God means me to be is a brain surgeon.’ But I don’t see it like that anymore. It’s more... a simple trust in where I am, and how life is opening for me... without any dreams or hopes or striving. Just the trust in what is... here and now... And most importantly, in whatever comes. No illusion of control now... no dream of what it could or should be... just whatever God brings.[1]

The YES of Mary

So how can the Blessed Virgin Mary do in an instant what it takes the rest of us a whole life to manage – that is, surrender to God’s agenda for her life? What the story tells us is that she listens to the angel deliver God’s alternative plan... and straight away says, ‘How fabulous! Bring it on!’ (Please excuse my truncated adaption of the Magnificat!)

I assume it is a story... a story told to inspire and encourage us in our long long journey to faith... So that we too might break through to that fertile space of surrender where we can say to God... ‘Whatever! Let’s do it!’

Conclusion

So some questions to conclude:

  1. Where would you see yourself being on this journey?
  2. Are you afraid of what God might ask you to give up?
  3. How is your own agenda for happiness working out?
  4. What if God did indeed have a better plan?

And two comments...

If your dreams aren’t working out as you want... maybe that’s not such a bad thing. Maybe life is encouraging you to consider God’s alternative?

If you are already in that fertile place of surrender to God... how blessed are you. Prayer for you is so simple now and Mary is your guide. ‘Yes... Bring it on... Whatever... No holding back now.’

1

[1] And often now I hear the tradition say that the only agenda God has for us is relationship with Him... just getting lost deep in His love... but that’s another sermon.