Birds

June 22, 2020, 3 Pentecost

St. Barnabas, Falmouth, Massachusetts

The Rev. Nancy E. Gossling

 Jesus said, “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.”

Last week, I preached about fear and faith, about invisible enemies like systemic racism and COVID 19, and about the prevalence of violence throughout our nation. Today, the gospel passage from Matthew tempts me to talk about slaves and masters, maligning people and telling secrets, the division in our families and the destruction of our bodies. We yearn for peace, and yet the gospel says that Jesus came with a sword. Instead, I decided to talk to you today about birds.

In February of this year, my son gave me a bird feeder for my birthday. It was a creative and thoughtful gift that he had personally made out of wood and plexiglass. And I’ll tell you a secret. Although our last names are Gossling, like the baby birds of Mother Goose, and the members of our family are all birds of the same feather, we don’t always fly together in the same direction. Actually, occasionally, one of us goes rogue. We are uniquely created, and so we make different choices about how we live, what we think, what we do, and what we say. Every day we have new opportunities to make better choices. 

I attended a webinar this past week offered by the Rev. Richard Blackburn of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center outside of Chicago Illinois. I had attended a clergy clinic there on leadership development a few years ago and one on mediation skills training. Using the Bowen theory, we reflect upon our relationships and churches from a family systems perspective.

As a visual aid, imagine my birdfeeder. Some birds come alone; others come together. Some are willing to share their space; others are not. The sparrows, birds of the same feather, will be eating when suddenly the crows descend upon their group. Cawing their way to the table, clearly larger in size than the sparrows, they take over, like CHOP in Seattle. Might makes right, they claim; and then we suddenly hear the blue jays, noisy and conspicuous, aggressively scolding these predators with their harsh calls. Squabbles routinely break out between and among the species of God’s beautiful creatures!

When the squirrels arrive there is another shift in power. Their cousins, the chipmunks watch from a distance, waiting for their turn at the table. Occasionally a brilliant red cardinal, a red-winged blackbird, or a yellow finch will appear, adding splashes of color to this beloved community. Finally, when everyone has gone back to their nests, the gray mourning doves come for the cleanup. They coo quietly and peacefully, both in the morning and vesper light.

Our family loves the image of geese flying south for the winter. We imagine ourselves flying together as a unified and peaceful family unit, just like we do in our church communities, and in our nation, right? Flying in the proverbial V for victory, with one leader in the front, the goslings go together, honking their encouragement to one another, just like our political parties and the news media today.

If one bird is injured and drops out of formation, falling to the ground, like the hairs on our heads, another goose will accompany the injured party. On the ground, this goose will remain with the injured bird, until they both can fly again, or the injured bird has died. We call these birds our first responders. After health has returned, or the injured bird has died, one or both of these geese return to the flock. The flock, however, is different but similar to the one they knew before.

As human beings we are wired for togetherness, for making connections with other people, even virtually. We want our relationships to be meaningful, peaceful, and united. We want to know that there is a purpose to our lives and that who we are and what we do matters. We want to feel as if we are flying in the same direction with other birds; and we want opportunities to participate, to succeed, and to make a difference by our contributions.

I learned in this webinar that making connections with other people is important in three ways: Individually, relationally, and collectively. First, we need at least one person in whom we can confide intimately. Second, we need to share good times and bad times with our family and friends. And third, we need to be part of something larger than ourselves, finding a purpose greater than our mere existence. We want to connect with a transcendent power, and a community, that uses its energy for good.

I found Deb Gemma’s choice of songs today delightful. We are all destined for the same end, and yet, as Christians, we believe that “Christ is raised and dies no more, and that a new creation comes to life and grows, as Christ’s new body takes on flesh and blood.” These are words from our closing hymn today. We acknowledge, and do not deny, that people can destroy both our bodies and our souls, and so we put our trust in God. Some of us decide to follow Jesus as the gospel hymn proclaims, and from the Wild Goose Resource Group, in the offertory hymn Jesu asks, “Will you come and follow me, if I but call your name?”

I also found some statistics interesting. Data reveals that we can escalate our dying process based upon various factors. Air pollution will raise our odds of death by 5%, obesity by 20%, alcohol abuse by 30%, and loneliness by 45%. COVID 19 is a dangerous and loneliness disease, and each day we make choices about how we will respond to it. In fact, loneliness accelerates our aging process; and it can make us more demanding and critical of others, enabling conflict to erupt in our relationships.

Although we have been living year round in a condo in Cambridge, where a birdfeeder is not a possibility, Paul and I moved to Orleans on April 1st because of COVID 19. I put my bird feeder on the back deck of our family home, where we delight in watching the birds come to eat. At first, frustrated by the interference of the squirrels, we now laugh at their gluttony, and their lack of fear when we attempt to shoo them away. We cheer when the sparrows arrive in numbers, and marvel at the cooing sounds of the mourning dove.

I didn’t know that there are seven varieties of sparrows. The house sparrow nests in any sheltered cavity and avidly seeks out handouts in parks. These sparrows clearly like the Gossling handouts! The chipping sparrow is a common summertime resident, which is what Paul and I were before COVID 19. The American tree sparrow forms loose flocks often near trees and, like many of you snowbirds, they head south for the winter. The swamp sparrow is found in wet marshes or around pond edges, like we find here on the Cape, while the field sparrow resides in weedy fields.

I love to listen to the songs of the birds on the Cape, something that I don’t hear in Cambridge. The white-throated sparrow sings year round in a high clear whistle, not to be confused with a dog whistle, while the song sparrow often sings from the top of a bush. Of surprise to me was the appearance of the mourning doves. In fact they made me a little nervous; for they are a common species of suburbs and cities, rather than the beach. What on earth is the mourning dove doing here? I wondered; for you see, the spelling of “mourning” is not the word “morning” that describes the beginning of a new day. Rather it’s the word “mourning” that denotes sorrow and death. (Backyard Birds of New England, David Allen Sibley)

I think the mourning dove’s song is like the psalmist’s prayer for us today. We have much to lament and grieve. “Bow down your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and in misery. Keep watch over my life; save your servant who puts her trust in you. Be merciful to me, O Lord, for you are my God; and I call upon you all the day long. Gladden the soul of your servants, for to you, O Lord, we lift up our souls. For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, and great is your love toward all who call upon you.”

We are birds of a feather who flock together in Christian community, and statistics reveal that people who attend worship services regularly extend their lives by 25%. You see, Jesus tells us that even if we fall to the ground, God is the One who falls with us. God is our constant Companion, who accompanies us, whether we are flying high or lying low, whether we are singing or crying, whether we are breathing or not.

Jesus reminds us that God cares for all of God’s creation, counts every feather on our wings, and every hair on our heads. Jesus reminds us that God values us more than many sparrows; and so no wonder, countless people love the song, “My Eye is on the Sparrow.” No wonder people of black and brown color have sung it for centuries when feeling devalued, abused, and oppressed.

Throughout our lives, we may feel discouraged and down; and yet we can always remember that God is not only a member of our choir but also our choir master. There is great hope that we can find in the words of the Song, “My Eye is on the Sparrow.” “Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home, when Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He: His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free, for His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

Sing today, like a sparrow. Sing today because you’re free. Sing today because God’s eye is on the sparrows; God’s eye is on you and me.

Genesis 21:8-21

Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17

Romans 6:1b-11

Matthew 10:24-39

Gospel Hymn: Lift Every Voice And Sing # 136 “I have decided to follow Jesus” Offertory Hymn: “Will you come and follow me?” Closing Hymn: 1982 Hymnal # 296:“We know that Christ is raised”