Get What You Need - August 22, 2021

Recorded Worship on YouTube

Sermon - “Get What You Need”, By Carolyn Smith

Summer at church sometimes takes on a lazy hazy feel - The soothing experience of the

spirit, calming, restful, safe and relaxing, somehow we make friends with God when the

sun drifts through the trees, we dabble with transformation, and in warm breezes, we

more easily fall into the Spirit’s call and embrace. We sing Spirit of Gentleness, and

Come and find the quiet center-

How many of you are resting in this moment? Sensing that peace?

I wonder too for some or many of us, our thoughts drift, our prayers rise up... faces and

names rise, situations and concerns rise, ... we have things close to the surface that need

prayer and care. And maybe some of them well up, because they are harder than gentle

breezes seem to fix.

All summer with our song series, we’ve heard a variety of music that matters to you, it’s

been said that “where words fail, music speaks.” We’ve heard longing, joy, hope, and

dark frustration, from Doris Day’s “Secret Love” to Billy Joel, the Stranger. Some

extremes of emotion or loud heavy metal are awkward to manage in church as we know it

though - it keeps its distance, -those who do come in might mollify themselves with

saying “I haven’t got it as bad as others” except I wish, or I wonder if we could be less

tidy with the extremes and engage with the Spirit at work beyond typical church comfort

zones.

So to be handed a song by what has been named “the Greatest Rock & Roll band in the

world,” was a treat and a challenge. As much as I am comfortable in the pews singing

Spirit fo Gentleness, I have a hardcore love of Rock & Roll. Harold Devenne - the who

also brings our prayers later today - he requested I take a look at the Rolling Stones, and

their song“You Can’t Always Get what you want.” A song that says somehow ‘never

give up, be open to something totally different.’ I WISH I could play it for you and I’d

be totally content if you were to pause this live stream, and go listen .... I posted it in

Facebook a couple of days ago so you might find it there... It kind of ‘shakes the

foundations’ that the Stones - the iconic and world changing band fronted by swaggering

Mick Jagger and the everlasting Keith Richards, has made its way to this pulpit of sorts.

And these swaggering rock-n-rollers provide an veritable look and soundtrack for our

parable today, of the Lost Son - the Prodigal - an eye-rolling, over-confident fellow

setting off, partying in unseemly company while squandering his inheritance, thumbing

his nose (or likely raising a middle finger) to authority and orthodox expectations. It’s

“told you so” parable, easy in its extremes.. .we like wagging our fingers because the

lesson is so obvious!

But it’s all relative... any “I told you so” wisdom that I have comes from my fair share in

making mistakes and facing frustrations. Any wisdom I’ve earned didn’t come easily or

elegantly any more than anyone else. When I look back and get past the embarrassment

in my head... I know I was trying hard to figure my way out - trying to look capable,

instead of awkward like I felt.

This Stones song begins surprisingly with the entirely elegant London Bach Choir - a

foreshadowing contrast to the swaggering and irreverent song it turns into... it swings

between themes of drugs and politics, standing up defiantly and retreating to lazy, hazy

bad behaviour... it’s a pure late 60’s Coming of Age experience.. at one point swinging

from a drug-fuelled party to a protest march, singing

“And I went down to the demonstration To get my fair share of abuse

Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration, If we don’t, we're gonna blow a fifty-amp

fuse”

He’s Loud and frustrated enough to march, and then what? He fizzles out to lazing

around by the drug store, drinking cherry soda, hanging with strangers, all the swagger

deflated into a clumsy and awkward dolt... Feel the extremes of the song and the story, -

the Prodigal son- prodigal meaning Extravagant, Foolish, Wasteful...a cocky Jewish kid

setting off with confidence to languishing in an unkosher pig-sty... lower than low! It’s

interesting that this story, like the Good Samaritan -still means something to generations

who probably haven’t even been to church ever... because nearly everyone recognizes

the shame and struggle trying to find our way in hard places...... So while this is

extreme, the truth is often much less flashy: we have all stood in an awkward places

thinking we wanted one thing, and then realizing we were off-base. A fork in the road,

maybe having messed up and or made the wrong call. Sold out on our values, trying to

salvage our dignity, but a bit or a lot lost.

This deflated guy in our parable knows what’s coming... “I will set out and go back to

my family and say: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer

worthy to be called your son. Maybe he’ll take me back as one of his servants.

And the Parent has a choice. Common human response, and the basis of our laws and

our justice system, and many a family’s discipline structures are just so obvious. This

Dad has every right to be angry and teach this kid a lesson. Natural consequences, Fire

and brimstone. We want for the Dad to be vindicated, like the brother, who plays the

role of authoritarian, he points it out indignantly - we want The lazy good-for-nothing son

to learn his place. For every memory we have of times we were pushed around.... We can

feel the want, except it tastes bitter.

And I wish I was playing you the song right now... as the rhythm and the chords and the

energy shift from bitter frustrated awkwardness ... and shift and lift up and come together

and rise with new energy... You can’t always get what you want.... You can’t always get

what you want....

But if you try sometimes..... you might just find .... You get what You need! Oh

yeah...

With energy something like dawning awareness - like the light that dawns on the son, and

in all who witness...a hopeful grace-full lesson... instead of vengeance. Because if you

haven’t guessed... it’s the lousiest secret in the world - Our story - this lost son & this

surprising parent is the Kingdom of God... our Kin-dom - the family of- our Loving

Forgiving Parent God. The Spirit we are supposed to follow and create together - a

grace-filled family that turns the ways of the world upside down.

Where the boy returns home, wanting what’s coming to him, trying to own up,

You can’t always get what you want.... But if you try sometimes....

And the Dad tries something unexpected... Father meets him with open arms, wanting -

no - NEEDING to embrace this precious one - This parent, NEEDING to lift him up, to

heal him ... NEEDING to grant a second chance... To offer GRACE...

And the lost one - Wanting just to be allowed back in shame, who NEEDED instead to

discover GRACE.

And the music in the song progresses and swells ... and yeah - its one reason the Stones

might be the Greatest,... The music swells, shifting the awkward swagger into confident

fullness somehow channelling a that grace with a Spirit of assurance.... If you try

sometimes, you might just find... you get what you need...

Try again. God knows that people, individuals, growing up kids fall back so easily.

God knows that cultures, nations, power-structures are so tied to pride and bitterness, that

progress can collapse just like that.... Even our small aches and worries ... they don’t

necessarily feel small on the inside... do you doubt that this parable is an everyday

reminder of to you as a lanky kid, the brother, or maybe the giver?

God knows it’s a good thing for this world that the Spirit works outside of churches so

often - it’s a hopeful thing that even the “Greatest Rock & Roll Band in the world could

channel somehow some Spirit Wisdom wth just a lifting rhythm and a groove...”.

Each week I’ve offered a reminder to try this..., hoping it becomes your favourite habit...

to catch yourself in those moments, when bitterness and wanting, or the ache sets in, to

name them as a moment in need of grace... to pause and breathe deep, to feel and hear

and know the call and beckoning of the Spirit of love embracing you... you are beloved,

worthy to be lifted back to the graceful rhythm of life in the kindom...

Just what you need. Amen.

Deborah Laforet