and a sound in the sky, coming down from above

it surrounds you and sighs and is whispering of 




In the fourth month of our exchange student’s arrival, she asked, as I typed up a sermon, if I ever felt “out of ideas.” If I ever felt out of ideas?!?

“Oh, If you only knew!” I said, exasperated. “You should see what I have to contend with! The tyrants I have to try and keep amused, to keep from openly revolting!”
Of course I feel out of ideas

Especially when all I get from scripture, is a story like this; the “riveting” tale of how this story came about. The “high-drama” of this collection of Jeremiah’s prophecies. This story, about a story. This book, about a book!

…I mean, c’mon! What am I supposed to do with that?
How is that ever going to compete with the smartphones nearly all of you have in pockets. All the cat-videos you have at your fingertips, just begging for your attention?!?

If it has to come from a book at all, please let there be a little action! Maybe a movie that’s been made out of it. That way I could show a clip, and try to keep your attention with that!
Not this business of a book, about the making of that very book!

Why, if I tired to preach on that, it wouldn’t be long before I’d hear snores, the restless shifting in the pews and the lifting of sleeves to check watches!
What am I supposed to do with this book, about a book? This story, about a story? I’m a sitting duck with material like that

Of course I don’t have any ideas when it comes to something like this, this story about a story…

Not that such indifference to God’s Word is anything new
In this scripture about the making of this scripture, the king himself listens as this scripture. And the king is no more interested than the rest of us. He just sits there, unfazed. In fact, as the scripture is read, he idly cuts it up. Tossing the pieces in the fire, for as much as he cares!

If there is anything interesting in this story, it’s that extraneous detail. 
That this scripture we’re hearing from, tells of it’s own destruction. That odd fact that the destroyed scripture must have been preserved, seeing as we heard from it. Whoever it is that happened out of the purview of our passage to keep it. Whatever it is, that the scripture the king tired to silence, has kept the scripture being read over all the years.

So how about that?
Apparently the words the powerful king, didn’t fare as well as the words he tried to destroy. In the end, it is the words of the prophet who wasn’t even allowed in the temple, that are still heard. And not the words of the king history has all but silenced. 

Well, it’s an unexpected twist to be sure. That it isn’t the story of the powerful king that’s retold, but this story, the story of the story the king tried to destroy…

Honestly, though, that’s not a lot to go with. In the end, it’s still just a story about a story… 

If it were the story of the king, there’d be intrigue, power struggles and battles. I could show a clip from Game of Thrones as an illustration!

This passage, though, just tells a story about a story. 
The story of God’s Word, sure. God’s Word that, admittedly, isn’t silenced as easily as the now silenced king would have thought. But it’s still just a story about a story…

The story that the king tried to destroy, and so God just hid the prophet and his scribe. So God put the two to work again, on another draft. A draft that, seeing as we just heard from it, must have been preserved.

A draft that, God is still preserving, actually…
And not just that the prophet’s writing were saved, and then canonized, and then over all these years the Bible has persevered. Although, when you consider it; only God could have pulled of that kind of capper…

And that’s what God is up to, right now.
This week, when the poor pastor opened the Bible to see what scripture has been assigned. And today, as you hear that this story about a story is God’s Holy Word for us…

Over all these years, God is still keeping this scroll. 

The wonder of it. That this scripture is just as vulnerable today, as it was that day it was read in the king’s hearing. And still, against all odds, the scroll keeps being read from in the hearing of the people.

God did that through the prophet Jeremiah. Preserving the prophet and his scroll. And God does it with you folks and this poor pastor…

A pastor with no other scripture to preach on. 
And you, who really, deep down, want to hear this story. This story about a story. You, who know this story has something to say to you…

Truth is, you don’t want to be entertained… 
Okay, you do. 
But, when it comes to this story, you know something more is at stake than your attention span.  You can tell that this story about a story, is like no other story. This story is about a story, is the story. The story of God’s Word.

Truthfully, that’s the most compelling thing we have to talk about this morning. Not cute anecdotes or cliches. Just this, the story of God’s Word. God’s Word which will not be silenced. God’s Word which continues to speak.
So receive what this story is about, the Word of God:
This scripture, it isn’t a clandestine report of how the book of Jeremiah was smuggled to your ears this morning. It’s about the what the saying of Jeremiah are, God’s Word for the people of God. 

God’s Word that was put on Isaiah’s lips. And then on Jeremiah’s pen. And now, your heart. That’s right, in your hearing, the Word of God is written in your heart. 

That’s why, people of this book, this story about a story, still has the power to steal your attention. Not because it’s interesting, although frankly, it is. But because God is doing something with it. 

God takes this story, and gives it to you
Gives you what this story promises, the new heart. A heart that’s had its iniquity forgiven, its sins forgotten.

Here, receive what this story gives,; as I declare it to you:
  • In the name of the one who is the Word of God made flesh, your iniquity is forgiven. That day the Word made flesh was crucified, your sin was left there, forgotten forever. 
That’s what this story about as story is about

That kind of story, it has the power to steal your heart. Doesn’t it? It can even give you a new heart. A heart that’s been covered by the Word of God. 

This scripture about scripture. This story about a story. This sermon about a sermon trying to conjure the courage to say something like; here of all places, and you of all people, are the fulfillment of this story, this scripture.

Now, as you hear that God has given you the heart promised long ago, the scripture about scripture is fulfilled. Now, as the living Word comes to you, this story comes to its end

How’s that for interesting?
That God has made this assembly the fulfillment of this scripture.

Just as the action of this story of God’s Word, happened outside of the story. God’s preservation of this scroll. 
So the real action of this sermon happens outside of what’s written; God giving you what was not even given to the king; the new heart, the new covenant, the Word made flesh.

In the end, the sermon isn’t what I do or say with it, but what God does and says with it. That God fulfills this story about a story, as you just sit there like the king! As the Word not even the king could silence, speaks again.

I have nothing left to say. All there is to say it’s what’s already been said. So listen to that. “The days are surely coming, says the Lord…”


And the days are surely coming, aren’t they?

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