Rev. Eugene N. Nelson, Jr.
The Community Church of Sebastopol
June 1, 2003
Acts 1: 15-17; 21-26
The world of the two Matrix films is an upside down world where, instead of people being in control of machines, machines are in control of people. People live their lives in pods where they are used by the machines as an energy source – the building blocks of this vast matrix. But, of course, the people don’t know this. They think they are living in a world of blue sky and green trees, where they have families and jobs and trout streams. But it is all a computer-generated program, all part of the matrix. None of it is real. But a few people have escaped the matrix; a few know the truth. And they are engaged in a desperate battle against the machines.
In the current film, Matrix Reloaded, issues of choice, being chosen, and destiny come up time and time again. Morphias, one of the human leaders in the war against the machines, believes that he has finally found the Chosen One, the one human being destined to lead humanity to its final victory. His name is Neo. Morphias believes with all his heart and soul that Neo is the One, destiny’s chosen one. Indeed, Morphias – much like an evangelist – invites others to share his faith in Neo, who interestingly, has already once risen from the dead.
But as the film progresses, Morphias’ faith in Neo is challenged. Neo might not be as unique as Morphias had believed. There have been others before him, others who were thought to be the Chosen One, and who eventually were used by the machines. It might very well be that the appearance of Neo has had nothing to do with destiny or being chosen, but in fact has been set up ahead of time by the machines running the matrix. Toward the end of the film, even Morphias is having some doubts. And he wonders…if he has been wrong about Neo, then is there anything he can believe in? What can he hope for? When the film concludes, we also are left wondering about Neo. Is he just a tool of the matrix, or could he truly be the Chosen One? I guess we’ll find out next December when the third film is released.
Now if you have not seen this film, it may sound like I am speaking a foreign language this morning. In fact, if you have seen the film it still may sound like I am speaking a foreign language. For me, this film was at times almost impossible to follow and understand. But as confusing as it sometimes was, still I admired its willingness to grapple with some interesting issues – at least, interesting to me; issues with theological overtones. Just what does it mean to be chosen? How do you know if you are chosen? And if you are, what difference does it make for the way you live your life? Chosen by whom and for what?
In our text for today, the followers of Jesus are gathered together. Peter, taking leadership of the group, proposes that they select a new apostle to replace Judas. He even lays out some job qualifications. The group offers two names. A process is decided upon. They will pray for guidance, then cast lots. They are open to God’s guidance and prayer is an important part of their decision process. When the final decision is made, they truly believe that Matthias has been chosen, not by themselves, but by God, for this all-important work.
Do you ever feel that way? Do you ever feel chosen? Do you ever wonder if maybe you have been chosen for something special in this life? Just what does it mean to be chosen? I think of all our graduates. Such an exciting time for them. For many of them, life must seem a vast potluck of opportunities and possibilities. At least I hope it does. But in this time of endings and new beginnings, in this time of commencement, I wonder if any of them have any sense of being called, of being chosen – that maybe there is something out there that only they can do.
Fred Craddock, one of my favorite preachers, tells this story: “In southwest Oklahoma there is the little community of Custer City. My wife, Nettie, and I ministered there for three years. The population was about 450 on a good day. There were four churches: a Methodist church, a Baptist church, a Nazarene church, and a Christian Church – Disciples of Christ church. Each had its share of the population, and on Wednesday nights and Sundays, each church had a small collection of young people. The attendance rose and fell according to the weather and whether it was time to harvest the wheat.
“The best and most consistent attendance in town, however, was at the little café where all the pickup trucks were parked and all the men were inside discussing the weather and the cattle and the wheat bugs and the hail and the wind and whether we were going to have a crop, while their wives and sons and daughters were in one of those four churches. The churches had good attendance and poor attendance, but the café had consistently good attendance. The men were always there.
“Now once in a while they would lose a member there at the café because his wife finally got to him or maybe his kids did. So you would see him go off sheepishly to one of the churches. But the men at the cafe still felt that they were the biggest and strongest group in town, and so they met on Wednesdays and Sundays and every other day to discuss the weather and such. They were not bad men. Indeed, they were good men, family men, hard-working men.
“The patron saint of the group at the café was Frank. Frank was 77 years old when I met him. He was a good man, a strong man, a pioneer, a rancher, a farmer, and a cattleman. He had been born in a sod house but had since prospered. He had his credentials, and all the men there at the café considered him their patron saint. ‘Ha!’ they said, ‘Old Frank will never go to church.’
So I did not bother Frank. That is why I was surprised, indeed the church was surprised and the whole town was surprised and the men at the café church were absolutely bumfuzzled, when old Frank, 77 years old, presented himself before me one Sunday morning for baptism. I baptized Frank. Some in the community said that Frank must be sick, said he must be scared to meet his maker. Some said, ‘He’s got heart trouble you know, going up to be baptized. I never thought old Frank would do that, but I guess when you get scared…’ There were all kinds of stories. But this is the way Frank told it to me. We were talking the day after his baptism and I said, ‘Frank, do you remember that little saying you used to give me so much? ‘I work hard, I take care of my family, and I mind my own business?’ It was always your way of saying to me, ‘Leave me alone. I’m doing what I do and I’m not a prospect for your church.’
“‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘I remember. I said that a lot.’
“’Do you still say that?’
“’Yes,’ he said.
“’Then,’ I asked, ‘What’s the difference now?’
“He said, ‘I didn’t know then what my business was.’
Concludes Craddock “Frank discovered what his business was. It was to serve human need. So I baptized Frank. I raised my hand and said in the presence of those who gathered, ‘Upon your confession of faith in Jesus Christ and in obedience to his command, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.’ Do you remember that? Do you remember that?”
Earlier I asked, do you ever feel chosen? Now I want to turn that around and say, like it not, accept it or not, you are chosen. As surely as the disciples believed that Matthias was chosen, as surely as Morphias believes that Neo is chosen, so I believe that you are chosen – we are chosen. In the 15th chapter of Gospel of John, Jesus says, “You did not choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last….” Do you remember that? Dare to remember that! You are chosen!
Getting back to the Matrix, my advisors Kevin-Derrick Caldwell and Lana Sundance at our conformation retreat, reminded me of a moment in the film when even the chosen one must make a choice. At a crucial moment toward the end of the film, Neo chooses a specific act of love. He does what no one before him has done. It’s as if in that moment he discovers what his business is, and it’s going to change everything that happens. He pays attention. You pay attention! What is your business? What is it that is becoming inside you? What is it that is singing inside you – a song that must be sung? What is it within you that must be spoken? What is it within you that is pulling you out of your safe silence, that refuses to let you rest easy with the way things are? Oh, you are called all right, you are chosen. It took old Frank 77 years, but finally he discovered what his true business was in the world. When will it be for you?
You see, in baptism Jesus says to each one of us, “I am going to take back the world. I’m going to turn everything upside down and reclaim the Kingdom of God. And guess who is going to help me?” God’s great adventure awaits us. So let’s get on with it!