Proper 8 A
June 29, 2008
Genesis 22:1-14
Psalm 13
Romans 6:12-23
Matthew 10:40-42
They say necessity is the mother of invention. *In 1863 Dr. Pemberton invented a tonic to help ordinary people get on with their lives as best they could in the midst of the Civil war. The little bit of morphine that was available was saved for the wounded soldiers. And they were lucky to have it. The doctor’s new concoction brought a burst of energy to those who drank it, with all the fringe benefits of feeling abundantly alive and perky. The recipe included a little dab of cocaine, Damiana, an herb widely used for its ability to kindle romance, and the extremely bitter sap from Kola nuts. To counter the bitter taste Dr. Pemberton threw in a little French wine (we all know medicine is easier to swallow when it tastes good). Dr. Pemberton poured his "French Wine Coca" in small glass bottles and sold it mostly to the wealthy folks in
In 1883 Pemberton’s tonic sales came to a screeching halt with the prohibition law. Once again prompted by necessity he changed the recipe a little, took out the Damiana and French wine. He used sugar to take care of the bitterness from the cola extract since it was illegal to use alcohol. (It was common thought that alcoholic drinks made people behave badly. Sometimes they became addicted to it. But back then, they thought cocaine was useful and harmless to most people.)
When he had the syrup like he wanted it, Dr. Pemberton carried a batch down the street to Jacob’s pharmacy and passed out samples mixed with soda water. Everyone fell in love with that drink! They said it was ‘delicious and refreshing’ just as the doctor claimed it was. And as an added bonus, the doctor told them, it was the perfect ‘temperance drink’. Right away they started selling it from the drug store soda fountain for a nickel a glass. The new carbonated drink was not only delicious and refreshing it was exhilarating and invigorating. People were eager to buy it for the way it made them feel when they drank it.
Mr. Frank Robinson was Dr. Pemberton’s accountant and his first partner in the new business, he gave the drink its name. He was the one who first wrote out the words, Coca-Cola. And those words written exactly as Mr. Frank wrote them in his own handwriting, became the trademark of what has become a multi-billion dollar industry. A dab of cocaine, plenty caffeine, and a bunch of sugar, I guess it was an invigorating drink! And refreshing. Still is.
By the time it was discovered that cocaine was not harmless, in fact was as addictive as alcohol, maybe more so, the Coca-Cola Company learned how to process the coca leaves a little differently to get the flavor without the ummph.* They could always add a little more cola than coca and get the kick they wanted from caffeine if they wanted to. I can’t imagine that there is anyone here who has not experienced refreshment from an ice cold coca-cola but in case you haven’t, surely have taken refreshment from some drink, even water.
Besides a little slice of history in anticipation of
Don’t you know Abraham’s soul was refreshed when he heard the angel of the Lord telling him to stop. Not to sacrifice his son. As the knife fell from his quivering hand, don’t you know his soul was refreshed when he saw the ram for the sacrifice caught in the thicket. Don’t you know he held his son tight in his arms while he laughed and cried as he felt life flood back into him after coming so close – so incredibly close – to going out of him completely at the loss of his beloved son from his own hand.
After telling the disciples all the unpleasant things that would happen to them, the threats and challenges they would endure for his sake, Jesus assured them that anyone who welcomed them and offered even a cup of cold water to refresh them for no other reason than they are his disciples, would be rewarded. Jesus knew their souls would need refreshment from the hard work of discipleship, from the demands of ministry, and the cost of obedience. He wanted his disciples to know that God would see to it that they got that refreshment the same way God saw to it that Abraham’s soul was refreshed for his obedience. When your soul is refreshed you feel a profound sense of okay-ness, that **‘All is well’.** Whatever has happened to you to weaken you is behind you and now is now. The life that is in you swells and lets you know that you can go on from here. You have the strength in your soul to do it.
I can’t tell you exactly how your soul is refreshed any more than I can tell you exactly how your body is refreshed, although I suspect many of you appreciate Dr. Pemberton’s contribution to that cause. God sees to it that each of us is refreshed in the way we need to be. And that won’t be the same for all of us. But I can tell you that what we do here week after week is offered for the refreshment of our souls as much as anything else. We come to be equipped for our ministries; to acknowledge our sins and ask forgiveness; to grow in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. But as much as any of that we are here to refresh our souls at our Lord’s Table. In one of our Eucharistic prayers we pray to the ***"God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ;" We say, "Open our eyes to see your hand at work in the world about us." Let us see that ram in the thicket and trust in your providence. "Deliver us from the presumption of coming to this Table for solace only, and not for strength; for pardon only, and not for renewal."*** Let us be refreshed in the sacrifice you have provided for us.
I know people come to church for all sorts of reasons but when people come to have their souls refreshed and leave here feeling refreshed, invigorated by the presence of the Holy One and full of life…..there’s no telling……there’s just no telling what good work we’ll do in the world or what relief we may be able to bring to ordinary people doing the best they can to get along in today’s world, in the name of Christ.
Copyright 2008. The Reverend Pamela S. Morgan
* -- * The story about Coca-Cola is from several online sources
** --** Paraphrase from a quote by Julian of Norwich
*** --*** taken from the Book of Common Prayer, Eucharistic Prayer C
