Here is my sermon, so far, for Sunday, October 14, based on Hebrews 4:12-16.

Performative Words (Hebrews 4:12-16)

Maryellen asked her son, Calvin, to tell his dad it was time for supper. Calvin went into the living room where his dad was watching a baseball playoff game. “Dad, it's time for supper.” His father didn't budge. “Dad, Mom wants us to eat now.” Still no response. “Dad, your car is on fire!” And up his dad jumped.

There are words that can make things happen, and there are words that don't. Partly it is in the speaker, partly in the choice of words, and partly in the situation. Jesus seemed to know which words to use to get a response, and the Bible has many stories of God's words setting events in motion, from the first creation story to leaders like Moses and prophets like Jeremiah.

In the Great Commission to baptize and make disciples of the nations, we have performative words, words that changed the world. As followers of Jesus, we have a responsibility to use words well in promoting people's access to the empire of God or the empire of heaven, and to trust that God's word. This is the first stewardship responsibility I intend to lift up over the next few weeks. It is linked to the call to be as innocent as doves and as cunning as serpents. Just as the author of Hebrews describes God's word as active and sharper than any two-edged sword, we need not neglect the use of words that may be sharp in order for them to be active.

We begin with the need to be able to act with authority, an ability grounded in prayer, biblical and faith understanding, relationships, confidence in the wisdom and power of God, and how we live. Most of these tasks will be addressed on other Sundays. The part I begin with today is confidence. When a child is learning to ride a bicycle, their confidence is secured when there are no training wheels, and nobody staying close to the bicycle. We cannot have confidence in God until we have taken risks in response to God's calls to us in our lives. Doubting in itself is not a sin: letting doubts chain us is.

Gideon is one of the heroes in the Book of Judges who doubted God and tested God repeatedly. Unfortunately, we are rarely able to have God reassure us in ways similar to what was done for Gideon. As we take small risks for God, and experience successes, we grow our capacity to take big risks, and to show the confidence needed for our words to be taken as authoritative.

We need to be mindful of others, to understand how they see particular situations or values, and how to helpfully get their attention. Calvin knew his dad's love for his car would get him to move when food and his wife were not enough. This means taking the time to understand. The main failing with most educational programs directed at teens and other target groups is the failure to really understand them. An educator who excelled at this is Barbara Coloroso. She would not tell her students they needed to dress warm when it was freezing cold. She would show them a frozen leg of pork or similar chunk of meat and say, “See this. If you don't protect yourself, this is what can happen to your hands or arms.”

To be really mindful of others, we need to love them. If we don't love them, our false images about them will cause us to misunderstand them. Barbara Coloroso loves children more than most of the specialists and advocates for particular causes, so she knows how to communicate with them. So stewardship of the command to love one another is part of our stewardship of our use of words.

In this way, we are better able to choose the right words and the right way to present them.

Performative language succeeds in walking the thin line between imperative language and descriptive language. Imperative language commands people to do things, and people are hard-wired to initially resist commands as part of claiming our individuality. Descriptive language describes without pushing an action. The difference is partly in the particular words, and partly in how they are delivered. “You deserve a break today” combined with a video of people enjoying particular food in a particular place prompts people to make a particular decision. It sounds like descriptive language, but it does more than that. “Come in, Come in and sit down,” is more invitational than imperative, and sometimes works at getting people to quit socializing at presbytery and other meetings and sit down so the meeting can begin.

The last component is the situation. About 54 years ago, some people got dreaming about building a new sanctuary, a sanctuary for the congregation that was expected to need such a sanctuary. Until someone said, “Let's build it,” it was just conversation. The situation was right: growing congregation, passion for music, available resources, an expansive spirit that had already spun off other congregations. The sanctuary we have now was a BHAG at first, a big hairy ambitious goal. What big hairy ambitious goals might we now consider? Which ones will we change into reality through performative language? The UCW for ANWC had a BHAG of ending child poverty in Alberta, and is working to achieve that goal. Some of you have seen the doll in the office that was part of previous projects. This year's project is to deliver 70,000 paper dolls to the MLAs in November. Here is how you can help. ....

Use the next few minutes to talk to someone near you about a BHAG for St. Matthew's.

We have a commission from Jesus to change the world, one person at a time. Our success in fulfilling that commission depends in part on our ability to use performative words, words that flow from personal authority, words directed through loving relationships, words directed at situations that need to change, words that are carefully and heartfully chosen and expressed, words that may need to be sharper than a razor. Our willingness to take risks in using performative language is part of our stewardship responsibility. According to the author of Hebrews, and from experience, trusting in God and daring to be bold in approaching the throne of grace leads to mercy, grace and help. Our boldness for the sake of Jesus mission in the world will be blessed. So let's go into the world, walking with God, daring to speak change in the world. Amen.