Rector's Sermon - Sunday, March 16, 2003

First Reading	Psalm	Epistle	Gospel
Genesis 17:1-7, 15-16	22:26, 28-30	Romans 4:13-25	Mark 8:31-38

    I’ve told this story to several past vestries, but it is time to share it with all of you. Fifty years ago, the Armstrong Cork Company sent its training class for would-be junior executives for three months of orientation at its main manufacturing plant in Lancaster, PA. The recruits would learn of all the floor covering products and then would be sent out as salesmen to the small floor covering retailers around Lancaster County.

    One day a young trainee was called into the office by the training officer and told, “Red, we are sending you out to a very tough customer in Lititz. We know this guy does a good business, but we've never been able to sell him anything. We don’t have any expectations, although we sure would love to know why he buys all his products from our competitors.”

    So on a sultry July day, the novice salesman drove out to Lititz. The owner was a formidable guy, with salty-gray bushy eyebrows. It was obvious this guy brooked no nonsense. “Well now, what do you have?” the owner briskly greeted the salesman. The salesman opened his box of samples and took out one of Armstrong’s best products, a sample of acrylon tile. Before he could open his mouth, the owner said, “Wait a minute, why would I ever buy that?” The salesman began, “Because this tile is excellent in bathrooms. It cuts neatly around fixtures and is very resistant to water. Even if there is standing water on it for a couple of days, it will not come unglued nor will the glue come up thought the tile edges and bleed. It is a far better product than ordinary linoleum.” “Oh,” said the owner. “Well what else do you have?” Next the salesman pulled out a sample of heavy gauge asphalt tile. “What?” exclaimed the owner. “Who would ever want that these days? I sell to homeowners, not to builders of warehouses.” “Yes, I know,” the salesman calmly mustered, “but many people are fixing up their basements as clubrooms these days. They want something very tough, something that will not gouge if a radio or junior’s chemistry set drops on it. Moreover, it’s a good tile to put below grade because it’s resilient to mold and mildew that’s often present in basement areas. It’s easy for homeowners to install, too, and can easily be taken up and repositioned in case the do-it-your-selfer makes a mistake.” “Oh, well, what else to you have?” Again, the whole script was repeated. The owner would demand why anyone would buy it, and the salesman would calmly, but firmly tell him.

    At last the salesman got all through his sample case. The owner leaned back in his swivel chair, and even allowed what might have been the softening of his frown at the salesman and then said, “Young man, you are the first trainee Armstrong has ever sent me who has exhibited confidence in your products.” It’s a true story. For the rest of his time in Lancaster, that retailer in Lititz became my father’s best customer.

    All three of today’s lessons deal with trust and faith in God’s plan. Abraham was the prime Biblical example of someone who had exemplary confidence in God. In today’s reading God came to Abraham and said, I have something wonderful in store for you and Sarah. Even at your late stage in life, God has a mission for you. I am going to make you and Sarah the ancestors of a nation. Abraham could have very easily and logically said, Yea, sure, I’m 99 years old and you are going to do what?” and turned, walked away, and rejected the whole overture. But that was not Abraham’s way. Instead, he stopped, bowed, listened, and accepted what God had to say.

    In today’s epistle, Paul was writing to the church at Rome. Things were undoubtedly precarious for the fledging community there. Paul reminded them of the example of Abraham who despite all outward circumstances, had confidence that God would not betray him. Paul assured them that the church would live and endure despite incredible odds, just as Sarah and Abraham had produced a nation against incredible odds.

    In the Gospel passage, we can sense the anger and hurt in Jesus’ words. Some would-be disciples undoubtedly had left Jesus. The disciples who have stayed were expressing their doubts. They were none too sure they wanted to accept the hard words about suffering that Jesus was telling them. Even Peter tried to argue Jesus out of what he was saying. Jesus was emphatic. In effect, he laid it all out and said, “Do you believe in my enterprise? Do you have confidence in the Gospel to overcome suffering, and even death? That’s the way it is, and there is no way of getting around it without being false to the Gospel.”

    The lessons made me think again of the story of the young salesman sent out on the road to Lititz. All the copious cases and fancy promotional accouterments of our lives won’t hide or mitigate what is certainly always an appropriate question for people of faith: Do we have confidence in God’s promises? Do we believe in the promised products of the Gospel?

     And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen