August  11, 2021

THE  SCULPTOR
 
 

INTRODUCTION

 

The title of my homily is,  “The Sculptor.”

 

When we were little kids, many of us tried working with clay.  We also loved crayons and did our works of art. Kids can do that for hours and love every minute of the work.

 

Then most of us stop – and continue on with something else.

 

But don’t forget what Jesus said,  “Unless you be like little children, you might miss seeing the kingdom of God.”

 

Teachers of little kids, when was the last time you did some sculpting with clay – and enjoyed every moment of the enterprise?

 

A friend of mine gave me  this statue of the face of Christ which he made.

 

He was looking out at the street of his hometown in Lititz, Pa.  That’s where they used to make pretzels and Gilda’s Blouses. He made clay sculptures – and sold them in his pottery shop.

 

Well, this day he looked out the window and saw some men digging up his street to fix some pipe.  He noticed a pile of red clay off to the side. He went outside and asked the construction workers  if he could have some of their clay. They gave him a box full of red clay from the streets of Lititz, PA.

 

I was talking to him once – while preaching in his town – and he showed me his shop.  Then he said, he would make me a statue of Christ – out of the red clay – from his street.

 

It took him over a year. I was in that area for a few years – so I saw his work in progress. Interesting – watching him like a little kid  - work with clay.

 

He would bend it – form it – scrape it – cut it – shave it.

 

Then he would bake it a few times in his kiln.

 

Interesting watching the whole process – for well over a year.

 

And here is his final product – sculpture – work of art.

 

It’s been on a shelf on my book shelf for over 30 years now.

 

It elicits thoughts and prayers – especially of that of Christ  - God – becoming part of our earth.  The word became flesh – street flesh – and dwelt amongst us.

 

ABOUT FACE

 

I once read an essay by Joseph Epstein entitled, “About Face.”

 

He begins his essay with these words, “At fifty,” wrote Orwell, “everyone has the face he or she deserves.”

 

Then he adds, “I believe this and repeat it with confidence, being myself forty-six and hopeful that for me there is still more time. “I hope,” he continues,  “that is, that withing the next four years I shall be able to develop a noble brow, a strong chin, a deep and penetrating gaze, a nose that doesn’t disappoint.

 

What do we look like?  What is our face look like after all these years?

 

Next time you’re on a bus  - window seat – and you’re alone and you look out the window – what do the faces look like while walking down the street. So too those in church off to the side – or on a parch bench or a mall seat?

 

Wonder what’s going on the skull – behind the face of those you see?

 

We are all sculptors.

 

Meditate on what you see?

 

HOLY MOSES

 

In today’s first reading we hear about Moses – and how his face – his memory affected the his people.

 

Whom have we lost – whose death affected our faces – our lives – the sculpture – called me.

 

IF’S BY JESUS

 

Today’s gospel has 6 if’s by Jesus.

 

Therapists like to say people are loaded with ifs. People are loaded down with if only’s.

 

They sculpt our face.

 

Jesus says in today’s gospel that if we thought about listening better – talking to other’s better – being with other’s better – if only we brought God into our relationships with each other better – then we would be better.

 

If we refused to listen to each other – how much worse – we would be.

 

If we prayed to and with and for each other – how much would our face be.

 

CONCLUSION

 

I assume the goal is to become more and more Christ Like, more and more Christ Looking.

 

I used to love to ask, “What happens when we walk into a room?

 

Do we get Yes Vote or a No Vote?

 

When people see our face, this face made from the clay of the earth,  like someone seeing this face of Christ, do they go, “Oooh! Nice. Amen.”