August 4, 2024 - Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost - Dreams and Imagination's Role in Miracles

Dez Valdez (pronouns they/them) gave the Sunday sermon today. They had recently gone on with the SE Youth Collective and Pastor Emillie to Wallowa Lake Camp in Joseph, Oregon. This is the introduction to the "I am" Sunday readings.

 

Recently the SE Youth Collective, Vicar Dez and Pastor Emillie took our high school students on a trip to the Wallowas to do some learning about the Indigenous history of Oregon and explore our own histories and where our values come from. They visited the Tamaskalit Center near Pendelton, the Maxville Heritage Center in Joseph, and the Nez Perce Wallowa Homeland in Wallowa and heard many impactful stories from the folks there.

Dez preached about the history and stories they had learned about at the camp about the flooding of Celilo Falls caused by building dams on the Columbia River for hydroelectric power. Celilo Falls disappeared in hours after The Dalles Dam floodgates closed on March 10, 1957. In the sermon they linked this history to the connection people that Jesus was addressing made with their history that had been passed on by their oral traditions and scripture. 

Dez also talked about the imagination needed to "see" Celilo Falls when looking over the massive lake while linking this to the vulnerability demonstrated in the stories that were shared at the camp. Jesus always calls on both vulnerability and imagination to inspire when he is sharing lessons with the people.

The dialogue between Jesus and the people in this Gospel passage is extraordinary. They are looking for a repeat of the feeding of the 5,000. They sought a permanence in the performance of miracles that Jesus refuses to provide.

Jesus' makes clear that this is not why people should follow him as far as he is concerned. 

The crowd is complaining. Some things are worth complaining to God about. Sometimes, asking God for assurance that God is still with us, and remains with us, is understandable and appropriate. When Jesus answered, “Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves” Jesus really isn't scolding the crowd for seeking bread because they were hungry. Jesus wants the crowd to try to imagine more. Not more bread but something more. 

After all, God was delivering Israelites from slavery, not just satiating their hunger.