Text : john 12:1-11

Its been a hard weekend freinds, but it happened. Always just when you dont think it will happen God moves in mysterious ways. Once again I am left speachless from a gracefilled nourishing evening.

For those who would like to read, my sermon is

As the German born American theologian Paul Tillich wrote, the first duty of love is to listen.

Spoken or unspoken, the first duty of love is to listen.

For some the dull silence in a service or the awkward silence in conversation is excruciatingly painful. For me it is love. As a child, however, I never understood it as love; I only saw it as an obstacle to life. Yet there are real people in the world who, after deep prayer and soul searching, commit their lives to God in perpetual silence, out of complete and unabridged love. The silence of listening for most is threatening, scary and something to be avoided at all costs. Listening and giving value to the stories of those on the streets, enthusiastically embracing someone who just needs a good hug, or sitting in silent vigil at the bed side of a dying patient, would for most be considered a waste of time. It is however this silence of listening, of answering the call of the other in their hearts, draws my soul into the cosmic dance of creation happening all around us, and challenges me to encounter those who have no one to listen to them. The silence of listening opens my heart in prayerful adoration to the sprit of obedience, enabling myself to seek the silence of obedience in our church, in our world and in ourselves.

The word Obedience comes from the Latin root ob "to" + audire "listen, hear." To listen, to hear. Monastic communities are most often known for this quality of listening and hearing. Within theses deep-rooted monastic traditions is found this need to listen attentively to those we serve. This silence challenges us to push against the world’s constant need for continuous communication. Perhaps one of the oldest, and by many theological scholars, considered the root of the western monastic traditions, the Order of St. benedict confronts this call to obedient listening head on in their rule of life. Written by their spiritual father, St. benedict, in the 6th century, the first word of the rule is Listen Benedict continues, “ listen my son, and with your heart hear the principles of your master. Listen carefully to what benedicts monks are asked to use. “ Listen my son, and with your heart.” How many of us can truly say that we listen with our hearts? All day long we are bombarded with noise, chaos, family, friends, emails, radio’s violence, death, and a society that thrives on needs and wants. How can you listen to the things of value in your life, the things that create silence in a meaningful way?

In the Benedictine order, Oblates – or those who are not professed monks or nuns but choose to associate their lives with a particular house or monetary of the order- take three vows when they are ready to make their commitment to the order. The vow of obedient is one that stimulates great growth in those who follow it. The second of the three rules is Obedentia. Although from the same Latin roots as obedience, obedentia comes not from the brain but from the heart. Although one can rightly associate obedience with enslavement and loss of individualism, benedict challenges us to step out of our cerebral faith, instead not leading with our voices but following with our hearts. To encounter the god of mercy and compassion in everything we do with our hearts. The one question that is asked of us here, today, is not “ did you check everything off on your to-do list” but where you present and ready to listen with love, listen with your heart to those situations and people you met in your journey today?

Counter that with a festive atmosphere, Jesus having just razed lazurs from the grave is sitting at super surrounded by those he loves. There I am sure was a great air of appreciation and levity among the guests. Mary being absorbed in her duties as hostess suddenly does something that I could only pray no one would ever do to me at a party; she gets down on the ground and anoints Jesus feet. Now, I have heard of bringing wine, or cheese, or getting someone a nice spa package as a thank you to someone but this one defiantly takes gratitude to a whole new level. Personally, my selfish westernized sense of prudence and personal space would make me want to die for even the thought of someone getting down anywhere near my feet. However Mary isn’t content with just anointing them, being moved to the point of tears that could only be created by the obedientia that Mary had for Christ she unbinds her hair and wipes his feet. I can only to vividly imagine the scene in that dinning room. Jesus is having a great time with his friends, enjoying delicious food and wine with the people he loves. The room is full of warmth and life. Without any warning, Mary at Jesus’ feet cracks the seal on the jar of fragrant perfume and begins her work. The room is paralyzed by the fragrance, all conversation stops. The spot light is now focused directly on Jesus with Mary at his feet. I am moved to my core at the mental image of this scene. Mary full of tears is at the feet of her master, Jesus, weeping, bearing her soul, expressing her obedientia to him for all that he is to her.

Mary listened completely to her heart. Even when society dictated the opposite, Mary got down and wept at the feet of her savior. Mary opened her heart, against all odds to allow the silence of obedient service to permeate her soul. Notice how she utters no words, but calmly weeps and obediently servers her master. We are challenged today to follow Mary in her obedentia to Christ, to listen, act and pray with the heart in everything we do. Mary for us this evening highlights our need to anoint those we meet with our oil of listening heart. We must embrace those we meet everyday with this act of obedentia, since with every encounter we encounter Christ all over again. The pan handler on Granville, the cracked out drug addict on E. Hastings, your regular barista at Starbucks, your partner in life, each deserves the equal share of our obedentia since in each we find Christ.

Now is the time friend’s, for us to remove our iPods, put down our coffee, and stop making excuses about personal space allowing our walls of privacy to be torn down and get into the work that is calling us. We must be present, like Mary at the feet of Jesus, to listen from our heart to those we encounter. To the drug addict on e Hastings, the homeless person on Granville, the countless un-named victims of homophonic or spousal abuse or those forgotten by their families in care homes, the kids who wake up every morning to a world devoid of love This is who we must listen to, theses are but a small representation of who our hearts must respond to. This friend's, like Mary at that dinner party is not something we do because we think it will make us look good. This is something we do, because we can do no other. Christ is encountered in all those we meet, good or bad. It is our job like Mary to seek out the person of Christ and tend to his needs from our heart. We must answer each others call, and in doing so answer the call of our savior who today reminds us that the first duty of love, is to listen.