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Sermon by Steve Smith          Order of Service 

July 13, 2008    The Pre-Meal Syndrome          Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 12:19-21

        As you know from listening to me for these past few years, I have an interest in scientific research, especially the kind that offers a rational explanation for the irrational behavior that can sometimes afflict the unsuspecting masses. So when I heard about some studies trying to establish a biochemical link between being hungry and the resulting changes in behavior patterns, I was immediately interested. While the initial studies have involved a rather small group of primates, the results look promising. Without going into technical detail, let me give you an overview of the work so far.
They started with a group of animals that had been fed regularly and routinely on a fairly consistent basis, and then randomly delayed their feedings for an indeterminate time to see what would happen. As you might expect, the males in the test group were the first to show signs of irritability, as they began to vocalize their frustration with a variety of grunts, groans, and eventually shrieks. At this point, the females would respond by mimicking or aping the sounds being made by their male counterparts, and often finished with much arm-waving and finger-pointing.
Predictably, the males would then fly into a frenzied rage, throwing straw and other small objects in the general direction of the cackling females, and repeatedly pounding on the door that usually opened when they were being fed. What ensued at that point is difficult to render into laymen’s terms without offending our Protestant sensibilities. Let it suffice to say that the researchers were frequently required to medicate the primates to quell the melee before any of their test subjects suffered any lasting injuries. Each of the subjects was equipped with a helmet that allowed the researchers to record changes both in brain waves and in the blood chemistry that many experts believe controls the functions of the brain.
What they are looking for are the enzymes and amino acids that they believe act as on-off switches, if you will, for the brain activity coinciding with the identified behavior. Is there a physical control mechanism that governs the irritability, the aggression, or the indifference that presents itself as stupefaction or apparent helplessness when we get hungry? Those are the pressing questions facing these researchers, who hope to move forward from here with the possible development of a pill that could help moderate the irritable and sometimes aggressive behavior; or perhaps they can develop a series of behavior modification exercises that would help their subjects maintain some self-control in the face of a feeding crisis.
Women, being the intuitive creatures they are, have been pointing in this direction for some time, whether they were counseling taking a “chill pill” or offering a series of constructive suggestions on how men could better occupy their time rather than pounding on doors or tables when hungry. Okay, I admit to making up the research study, but it sounds plausible, doesn’t it? I for one would feel much better about my irritable behavior when I’m hungry if there was an amino acid or an enzyme that I could blame for my PMS: and for guys, that stands for “Pre-Meal Syndrome.” Judging from today’s reading in Genesis, this syndrome has been observable since the beginning of recorded history. In a story that was undoubtedly part of an oral tradition well before it became part of our accepted scripture, we find evidence of someone doing something they would come to regret while under the influence of their hunger.
The story comes fairly early on in the timeline of biblical history, in that section where our ancient ancestors endeavored to explain the origins, or the genesis of human behavior, or of long-standing feuds, or of rifts between different factions of the same ethnic group. Considering the age of the story, we are looking at a period when humanity was struggling to organize itself into societies and communities. They were looking for ways to curb the primeval urges and impulses that seemingly coursed through their veins, and establish a semblance of predictable law and order that could be applied to keep people from acting on those destructive compulsions.
Thus the story of Jacob clutching Esau’s heel is a wonderful picture of the jealousy and antagonism that characterized these two patriarchs from the very moment of birth. As we progress further into the story of the fledgling Jewish heritage, we find that one of Esau’s nicknames – Edom – is the root of a people group who were a perennial thorn in the flesh of the Israelites: the Edomites. Time and again you can find them attacking, raiding, or otherwise disrupting the peaceable lives of Jacob’s descendants. According to the story we read, centuries worth of discord can be traced back to some serious sibling rivalry that expressed itself in a strange episode that sounds so wacky that it very well could have happened in the wonderful world of dysfunctional families.
To set up our story, we’re told that each of the parents had their own favorite child. Thank goodness that the modern family of today has long since recognized the destructive power of this dynamic and abandoned it, and no longer shows any partiality whatsoever in the well-balanced and healthy families we find as the backbone of any advanced nation. Esau was Isaac’s favorite; he was a man’s man, a man of the open country, a hairy guy, a stealthy and skillful hunter who loved meat and lots of it. Jacob, meanwhile, was Rebekah’s favorite: he was a quiet and reflective man, who preferred the cool of his tent to the ravages of the Middle Eastern sun.
One day, Esau (whose name is translated “hairy”) came back in from the open country. And as any man’s man can tell you, being outdoors all day has a way of generating an enormous, insatiable appetite. Jacob was home cooking a stew over the home fires, with his mother no doubt looking on with maternal pride in his cooking skills. “Me hungry! Give me stew!” Esau begins his entreaty. Stirring the delectable delight and sipping it carefully, Jacob no doubt made some appreciative sounds to kindle Esau’s desire. “First give me your birthright,” he said. Esau’s irritability is starting to kick in, and he’s probably pounding on the door frame right about now, starting to throw the straw up in the air while making shrieking sounds. As part of the biochemical process, he completely loses his mental function and quickly becomes irrational.
From there, his helplessness kicks in as he senses his imminent demise. “I’m dying. What good is my birthright? Just give me some stew. Please!” Jacob, sensing that he now has the upper hand, presses in to close the deal. “Promise me first,” he says. By now, Esau is nearly faint from his weakened condition, and probably had to be helped by having someone spoon the stew into his mouth, but he promises. And so, we’re told, Esau thought so little of his rights as the firstborn son that he gave them away in exchange for some lentil stew. Do you see what kind of trouble we can get into when we are in the middle of a feeding crisis?
For his part in this transaction, Jacob would eventually rise to become one of the leading stars in the litany of Old Testament patriarchs, while Esau, or Red, would sink to become a has-been after being had by his scheming brother. But before we read anything into the story about God rewarding the schemers, we need to remember that Jacob himself would fall victim to scheme after scheme while he was undergoing a spiritual transformation. More importantly, we have to ask ourselves why the preacher is carrying on for so long with an old story that no longer has any appreciable application for our modern and enlightened society. Or does it?
It might be an old story, but the reality of the human condition is that we still have those primeval urges and impulses seemingly coursing through our veins. Our minds are still affected by primitive compulsions, while the chemicals that control our brain function occasionally play hopscotch with our thought processes and leave us feeling addled, or irritable, or enraged, or helpless. While we might realize that picking a favorite child to dote on can have some negative impact on the other kids, sometimes it’s hard to resist doing something special for the one that has a special place in our heart. While the scientists might not have done any clinical studies yet on the impact of our brain chemistry and wave function when our feeding time is delayed, I can tell you from observation and even from personal experience that delaying the meal time can sometimes get messy.
Thousands of years after the telling of the story, we’re still looking for ways to curb the primeval urges and impulses that seemingly course through our veins, and to establish a semblance of fair and predictable law and order that can be applied to keep people from acting on those destructive compulsions. Sociologists want to characterize religion as a form of social control, as do political philosophers. If you want to take a psychological approach to religion as opposed to a systems approach, you can look at religion as a form of personal control, as people use the mandates and external pressure to help maintain some self-control when faced with destructive urges and impulses. If you were to look at this issue from a contemporary spiritual perspective, one which integrates the various facets of a variety of disciplines, you could define the entire process as a form of personal transformation leading to social change.
In a revolutionary approach to transforming those primitive urges and impulses, the author of Romans suggests that we do the opposite of what we’re feeling when someone mistreats us. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Honor one another above yourselves. Be patient in affliction. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, don’t curse them. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Do not take revenge, but leave room for God to act. And then, quoting Proverbs, If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
By stopping ourselves in the midst of our table slamming or mocking behavior, we can begin to see our own actions in a different light. By pondering a different approach to handling the crisis we’re in, we have to consider the impact our words and actions are having on the people around us. By intentionally changing the course of our own lives, we are going to increase the pressure on those people to consider their own behavior. By leaving room for God to act, we are opening the door for God to effect transformation in those lives as well. If Esau had approached his brother differently when he came in ravenously hungry; if Jacob had adopted the role of a servant instead of a schemer, who’s to say how history might have been changed?

Order of Service     July 13 , 2008          Back to Sermon
"NC" refers to The New Century Hymnal, The Pilgrim Press (1995)

Welcome, Announcements, Joys and Concerns
A Candle for Peace NC #591
Call to Worship
Leader: Jesus said, “Come unto me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
People: Lord, we come to worship seeking peace and healing, for we are weary and burdened.
Leader: By your powerful grace you have sought us out, and found us. Fatigued by life’s pain, we find peace and forgiveness in you.
People: Today, help us find the good in this life by delighting in your presence. Teach us to experience your presence in all our daily activities.
Leader: We thank you, Lord, that nothing in all creation can separate us from your love in Jesus.
People: We thank you, Lord, that through Jesus, we have the privilege of being God’s children.
Leader: Accept our praise and worship, Lord God, for it comes with grateful hearts.
Hymn NC #31           All Things Bright and Beautiful
Responsive Prayer        
Leader: Holy God, draw near to us as we offer our prayers to you. We long for your closeness; you are the one who brings joy to our hearts and healing to our souls.
People:  We long to walk in your ways. We set out to do the right thing but end up doing the things we didn’t want to do.
Leader: Forgive us for our sins. (Silence) Thank you for going the distance with us no matter how far we wander from you.
People:  Strengthen us with your inner life, Merciful God, that we may change our ways. Give us the courage to reach out to all with your love.
Leader: Teach us to see others as you see us - you see the strength of our character, our heart, and our spirit.
People: Enable us to see with the eyes of your heart, to listen with the ears of your love, and to live with the strength of your Spirit.
Leader: Lord God, silence our fears and strengthen our faith. Let your love surround us, bringing peace to our hearts.
People: Spirit of God, enter our hearts with your peace that passes all understanding. Come gently where there are tears. Come calmly into our anxious lives, and give us an awareness of your presence.
Pastoral Prayer, Lords Prayer        
Hymn NC #505                        Sweet Hour Of Prayer
Psalm 34:1-10, Genesis 25:19-34, Romans 12:9-22
Sermon                    The Pre-Meal Syndrome
Offering, Doxology, Dedication
Hymn NC #597             Shall We Gather At The River
Benediction
Leader: We go from here, Lord God, asking that our lives may show forth the marks of God’s love and care.
People: We, who bear the fruits of God’s labor, rejoice as those who have been blessed.
Leader: Go forth to celebrate God’s grace, knowing that you dwell in the very heart of God. Go forth with hearts filled with gratitude and love for all of God’s creation.

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