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.”
