Deering Community Church Sermons

Let Us Go Over To the Other Side

2009-06-29T19:24:00.000-07:00

Sermon for June 21, 2009
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41

You know Jesus can be difficult sometimes; just when we are settling in, getting comfortable here he comes telling us to go to the other side. We’ve had a long hard day. All we want to do is sit down to read the newspaper, have a refreshing drink, maybe watch some TV or a movie. Or if you were the disciples in Jesus time, maybe you were just about to relax on the shoreline and tell some fish stories about the day’s catch. And then you see that Jesus isn’t sitting down and he has that look in his eye. Finally he speaks and says, “Why are you getting comfortable, we need to go over to the other side.”

This isn’t the first time Jesus has told them to go over to the other side. In Matthew you may remember that he told the disciples to go over to the other side of the lake and he meets them halfway, walking on the water. Why can’t Jesus just relax, get comfortable on this side, the side we are already on?

In this particular scripture Jesus and his disciples had finished a very successful day of teaching and learning. They were on the Sea of Galilee, the kind of sea that could get very rough at nighttime or anytime. Most boats went around the lake,(it was really more like a lake) close to the shore, not across the lake. On the other side was foreign territory, the land of the Gerasenes—the place where Jesus drove out the demons from Legion into the swine who then hurtled down the bank into this same sea of Galilee.

The disciples were obedient and they all got into the boat. Knowing the threats as these local fishermen would have known, would you have gotten in the boat with Jesus? Do I go over to the other side when Jesus tells me to go? Or do I roll over and settle deeper into my comfort zone.
We know our side, the side where we are comfortable, where the risks are decreased. Yet Jesus is persistent. The first time he told me to go I was a teenager, very involved in church youth group. I thought about being a minister but it was just too scary. Not many women did that back in the 60’s. I wanted to get married and have children. I convinced myself that being a social worker made more sense; it would be just as good as being a minister. Maybe I would be a missionary social worker.

Getting back to the Bible story, we know that Jesus got in the boat with his disciples and quickly fell asleep in the back of the boat. A terrible storm came and they were so afraid. They woke Jesus up with a exclamation of blame, “Teacher do you not care that we are perishing?” You know the rest of the story, Jesus calms the storm and then it’s his turn to question, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?”

Why won’t you go to seminary? Why won’t you go do missionary work in Africa? Why won’t you go back to school? Why won’t you read the scripture in church? Why won’t you go repair and build houses in New Orleans? What are you waiting for? What do you do with the rest of your life? Jesus says, Go! But I don’t have enough money; I don’t want to be so far away from my family. I’m too old! I’m too young! It’s so easy to think of excuses. It’s just too scary, too risky. That big storm may arise and then what would you do.

To the elders, I quote Fred Buechner, “ Keep going, Jesus says, because to keep going is to keep living and to stop going is to stop living in any way that much matters.” 1 Jesus says let us go over to the other side. Who knows how far it is to that foreign land or what awaits us when we get there if anything at all?

Where is our faith? Why do we have so much fear? Many of us fear current or potential suffering and pain, bad health, death of loved ones and of our own death. Some of us fear being alive without living. We fear loss and loneliness. In these days there are more things to fear than usual due to terrorism, economic troubles, and environmental damage. Some of us have the pain of broken relationships, alienation from family, concern about our children both young and old. Maybe we are hearing Jesus tell us to Go, and we are just too scared to go. We want to make the world a better place; we want to follow the words and actions of Jesus, but is the risk of a big storm just too much?

Faith is having trust in the company of Jesus Christ. It believes that the world can be transformed by love; that angry waves can be calmed, and no matter what comes your way, you are not alone. You may recall that our Gospels are filled with Jesus and angels saying, “Do not be afraid; peace be with you. This is not because there are no scary things in our world, yet they need not paralyze us. They need not stop us because we are not alone in the boat. Faith is about going to the other side, especially when we know that the odds are against us. It’s easy to get so comfortable that we don’t even hear Jesus telling us to Go over to the other side. However, I believe along with Fred Buechner that “Christ sleeps in the deepest selves of all of us, and whatever we do in whatever time we have left—whether that be 5, 10, 20 or 50 years, wherever we go we can call upon him and he will come awake within us, to give us courage, to give us hope, to show us, each one, our way.”

Harry Emerson Fosdick says:

Fear imprisons, faith liberates;
Fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
Fear
disheartens, faith encourages;
Fear sickens, faith heals;
Fear makes
useless, faith makes serviceable;
And, most of all, fear puts hopelessness
at the heart of all, while faith rejoices in God!

My prayer is that we will help each other to increase our faith so that when we hear the call to “Go over to the other side” we will be able to get in the boat, knowing that the Holy Spirit is with us to the end of time. Amen and Amen

1 Secrets in the Dark, p. 296.

THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS LIKE?

2009-06-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sermon for June 14, 2009
Scripture: Sam. 15:34-16:13, Mark 4:26-34

Another mystery of our faith—the Kingdom of God! By now some of you may recognize the phrases, “is like” or “is as if” as undoubtedly leading us to parables, one of Jesus’ favorite teaching tools. Jesus was never without a story and he fit the stories to his audience, their experience in life and their maturity. I know there are some of you out there that also have a lot of good stories, lots of ideas. Today’s sermon is going to be a congregation participation sermon. I haven’t done one of these for a while. When I do, I always learn a lot and I hope you do to.

All of the gospels have many parables but the parable about God as the seed sower is only in Mark although the mustard seed is also in Matthew and Luke. Eugene Petersen in The Message translates the passage like this: “Then Jesus said, “God’s kingdom is like seed thrown on a field by a man who then goes to bed and forgets it. The seed sprouts and grows—he has no idea how it happens. The earth does it all without his help: first a green stem of grass, then a bud, then the ripened grain. When the grain is fully formed, he reaps—harvest time.”

What could this possibly mean? I’m sure most of you gardeners out there don’t just throw down seeds and forget them. Let’s look at the next parable: the mustard seed. The land I grew up on had lots of mustard plants. I really liked them. They usually were taller than the grass but never, as far as I know, did they grow into a big tree. Jesus is exaggerating to make his point. In the Middle East of Jesus’ time, the mustard plant was considered a weed. One of my references described it as a woody, fast growing and spreading, persistent nuisance. Maybe it’s a bit like our dandelions. Since I have so little grass I appreciate the dandelions, and I never have seen them grow as tall as they did this year. But what is Jesus’ point? What is the kingdom of God like?

I’m going to throw out some possibilities but I hope you will be thinking of your own answers. Could it be that the kingdom will grow without any effort from us? Maybe we don’t have to be concerned about evangelizing after all. If we look at our story from the Hebrew Bible lesson, we know that David certainly didn’t do anything to make God choose him. The youngest of the children in the family, he was out watching the sheep and Jesse, his father, didn’t even think about including him in the lineup of sons that Samuel wished to see as he hunted for the God-picked ruler of the nation. He was too young, and also slight of build and certainly not well regarded by his family. Who would choose him? Is the kingdom all about God’s grace?

Is the Kingdom a place, a plot of land somewhere? No, it has to be a vision of God and his son Jesus, a vision of what things will look like when they are as God wants them to be. What will that be like?

One more thought before I ask you to share your reflections. Some of you may remember that I grew up in Maine on Sebago Lake where my parents helped my grandmother run a tourist home. After my grandmother died, we became quite poor, as there was no will, and my mother had to divide up all the property with her two sisters. Not only did we lose our home and our many acres of woods and pastures, but also my parents lost their ability to earn a livelihood from the homestead. My favorite scripture found both in Matthew and Luke was: Be ye not anxious, consider the lilies of the fields and the birds of the air. They neither toil nor spin or sow nor reap yet they have all that they need. So do not worry as your heavenly Father will provide. Here too was that kingdom phrase, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be yours as well.” Mt. 6:33. So maybe the kingdom of God is a place where we do not have to be anxious. That first man just went to sleep and the seeds grew, he knew not how. So much of what we ponder about God and God’s world is a mystery for us.

Would some of you share what your thoughts and stories are on what is God’s kingdom?

To close I’d like to share with you a great mustard seed story, borrowed from Rev. Christina Berry: “Millard and Linda didn’t plan to stay longer than a couple of hours. They just wanted to see the place and hear the story. Truthfully, Millard just wanted to see what his pal Clarence had up his sleeve. See, Millard was a millionaire at age 29, And now, everything was coming apart. He should have been happy. But he was in poor health. Linda was saying she might leave him. The money wasn’t buying him any joy in life. So he went to see his friend Clarence. As it turned out, what Clarence had going was not up his sleeve, it was all over the place down there in rural South Georgia. It was Koinonia Farm, founded in 1942, as an interracial, intentional Christian community. There, people of all colors shared a simple life, committed to nonviolence, to justice, to following the teachings of Jesus.

From a small seed, Koinonia Farm grew, Clarence Jordan’s crazy idea of sharing in community as Christians, without regard to race or social class. It was a noxious weed, as far as its neighbors were concerned. They threatened the families of the farm. They bombed the produce stand – not once, but twice. They tried everything they could think of to make Koinonia Farms, and the people who lived there, go away. It was an affront to their way of life, and it would not go away. It stood over and against everything they held dear: private ownership, acquiring wealth, racial separation, and it would not go away.

Millard and Linda came for two hours and stayed for a month. After that visit, they put their marriage back together, gave away most of their wealth, and came up with the idea of “Habitat for Humanity.” Today, Habitat builds houses alongside people in need all around the world. From a small seed, a planned two-hour visit, a ministry of the kingdom grew. A tiny little seed, starting with a few houses in rural Georgia, flourished and grew and grew and grew, until it was everywhere, and it couldn’t be stopped.”

We don’t know how the tiniest of seeds becomes the greatest of all shrubs. In the same way, we never know how or when the still speaking GOD will use any of us or how God will use this church to bring about the Kingdom of God, whatever that may be. We’re called to observe whatever is our mustard seed and see where that crazy plant growing all over the place takes us. We don’t know where it is going to take us, but we know we aren’t going to be standing still! It just may take us to the Kingdom of God. The One who plants us, the One who calls us to grow like crazy, the One who makes all things new, has some big plans in mind for us! Amen and Amen

Mysteries of our Faith

2009-06-07T12:00:00.000-07:00

Sermon for Trinity Sunday, 6-7-09
Scripture: John 3:1-17

There was an early father of our Christian faith named St.Augustine. This great theologian was so obsessed with the mystery of the Holy Trinity that he wrote 15 volumes on it. I want to tell you a story that some of you may have heard before. Augustine was at his wits' end, trying to understand this concept. One day he was walking on the sandy beach by the ocean. He was talking to himself about the Trinity: "One God, but three Persons. Three Persons--not three Gods but one God. What does it mean? How can it be explained? How can my mind take it in?" And so he was torturing his mind when he saw a young boy on the beach. He approached the boy to see what he was doing. The child had dug a small hole in the sand. With his hands the boy was carrying water from the ocean and was dumping it into the little hole. St. Augustine asked, "What are you doing, my child?" The child replied, "I want to put all of the water of the ocean into this hole." Once more St. Augustine asked, "But is it possible for all of the water of this great ocean to be contained in this little hole?" And the child asked him in return, "If the water of the ocean cannot be contained in this little hole, then how can the immensity of God be contained in your small head?" With that the child was gone.

If you were listening to the Children’s Story, you may be ahead of Augustine and have somewhat of an understanding of the Trinity. Let me say that the Trinity is not a concept that you will find in the Bible. It was in the 10th century that the church established this doctrine. The early Christians discovered that they simply could not speak of God without speaking of the three ways in which God had been revealed to them. The most familiar phrase is Father Son, and Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit although here are some others: Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer; Abba, Servant, Paraclete. An Indian, Raimundo Panikkar, keeping in mind the threefold experience at the heart of Hindu as well as Christian faith formulates it this way: Source, being, and return to being, which relates to God is above all, through all, and in all.i One that I like a lot is the Lover, the Beloved, and the Love. I do see God as a relational, dynamic, tri-personal mystery of love, a community of sorts. Those of you who have listened to my sermons for awhile know how important community is to me. So it’s not surprising that I would see in the Trinity this one God in a relationship mode with a Mother/Father, Creator, Christ our Savior and teacher, and the Holy Spirit our guide, relating to each other in holy community—a dynamic, three way love.

I like to use the metaphor of a dance, borrowed from Barbara Brown Zikmund. This dance is not rock and roll or hip-hop, where each person does his or her own moves, or ballroom dancing where two partners dance together. The dance I’m thinking of is more like the circle dance with each person of the Trinity joining hands together in a dance that has no beginning and no end, a dance where both the dance itself and each of the partners is eternal. No partner is greater than the other. Just like the metaphor of the human body for the Church, each partner has it’s own specific role as it moves in rhythm showing joy and love. This community of the Trinity is not static but ever moving, and it is moving right here today in this church and in each of our own beings.

Now what does any of this have to do with the Gospel reading of being born again? First of all, both the Trinity and being born again are great mysteries in our faith. In this passage we have Nicodemus going to pay a visit to Jesus. Nicodemus was a religious man of some note; in fact the scripture called him “the teacher”, not “a teacher”, pointing to his religious pre-eminence. Yet for all his pre-eminence, Nicodemus was missing something. There was an emptiness there, something was not quite right with him. He went by night to visit Jesus as it would not have been proper for such a man to be seen as interested in Jesus. Nicodemus expresses confusion, not unlike our own when we come upon something that does not fit with our preconceived notions of who God is. Who among us would not have questioned Jesus saying we had to be born again—at our age? The word Jesus speaks is that Nicodemus must be born "anothen"—a Greek word that can mean either "from above" or "anew." Maybe we should consider both words-- both a time of birth ("anew") and the place from which the new birth will come ("from above").ii Here we have a birth, generated by the Spirit, a transformation initiated by God and being proclaimed by Jesus. How’s that for an example of the Trinity? I wonder if some of us, whether baptized or not, could be waiting in these days after Pentecost for the coming of Spirit who will recreate us from above? Is it possible that we all may need to be born again in order to have our minds open to the newness of the Still Speaking God that never stops creating and surprising us. In these past five years have you been open to new things happening in this church—maybe a new way to consider race, refugees, women in prison, gay relationships, people from other countries and other faiths? Both individually and as a congregation, I believe the Spirit has been moving among us, giving us new birth.

Barbara Brown Zikmund says “When we worship a triune God we celebrate the love which flows in God’s eternal dance of togetherness, and which we know through Jesus Christ as Lord of the dance.”iii She further points out that in a Trinity where God is no longer seen as a solitary we can see a vision of a community where we are in mutual relationships, working together with shared responsibilities for justice and care.

As we prepare ourselves to celebrate Communion I invite all of you to come join in the dance. You and I, your families, your friends are all invited to come join the dance of unending joy. The Trinity circle breaks open and the Christ, the Spirit, and the heavenly Parent are still holding hands as they invite us to join in, to create an ever larger community as we become their partners in gathering up all of life to keep dancing the radical dance of justice and love. Please come and join in the dance. Amen.iv

i From Trinity and the Religious Experience of Mankind, used in Elizabeth A. Johnson’s She Who Is (New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 2001) 210.
ii New Proclamation B 2009, referenced in SAMUEL at the UCC sermon site.
iii “Trinity and Women’s Experience”, The Christian Century, April 15, 1987, pp.354-356.
iv Parts of today’s sermon were taken from previous Trinity sermons I have preached.

Up, Up and Away

2009-05-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

Ascension Day Sermon for May 24, 2009
Scripture: Acts 1:1-11, Luke 24:44-53

This is the 7th and last Sunday in Easter for 2009. I had a choice of preaching on the scriptures for this Sunday or focusing on the Ascension of Jesus. This is my 6th Easter season and I have never preached on Ascension. I looked at the lectionary/sermon site of the national UCC and the only thing there are the scripture references—no sermon seeds, no stories to use, no references to articles. I then turned to another favorite site—the Center for Progressive Christianity--again no references or articles. What should I do? There are plenty of sermons from fundamentalists and evangelical churches on this topic but I doubted that these would be very helpful to me and they were not. Being only a month away from my wonderful, energizing Sabbatical, I decided to take on the challenge of sharing with you some of my thoughts about the Ascension in ways that make sense for me in the hopes that these words might be helpful in your own thinking.

Ascension Day comes 40 days after Easter. Luke, the author both of the Gospel Luke and of the Acts of the Apostles sets the scene in Bethany. He reminds the reader that after Jesus’ resurrection on the 3rd day, Jesus made many appearances to his disciples in the next 40 days. He spoke to them about the kingdom, he told them to remain in Jerusalem, waiting for the promise of God. He told them that just as John had baptized with water, they would soon be baptizing with the Holy Spirit. So when he had gathered them together in Bethany, the disciples asked if this were the time when the kingdom would be restored in Israel. Jesus responds that the timing is none of their business; it’s God’s business. He goes on to tell them that when the Holy Spirit comes to them, they will be his witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Next, while the disciples watched, Jesus, their beloved Lord, was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. Wow! What a shocker! Imagine us standing along side these men, these eleven disciples that had loved Jesus so much that they had left everything to follow him! I can imagine all or us would be standing there looking up with our mouths opened with amazed looks on our faces. Where is he? What happened? Can anyone see him? As we continue to stare with strange expressions on our faces and hearts pounding, two men in white robes (angels?) stood before us saying, “Why do you just stand there looking up at an empty sky? Snap out of it before you get a crick in your neck.1 There’s work to be done so get started.” (Now there was another part of the men’s speech: “This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” I’m not about to try to explain what all that means. It may be part of the reason progressive Christians seldom preach on the Ascension. As you know I am not one that takes the Bible literally even though I believe its truths are much greater than the specific words used by scribes and translators who labored and still labor to bring us as accurate a picture as possible of something that was written down at least 25 years (in the case of Luke) after it happened.2 However, I believe it’s important not to miss the deep truths in the ascension scriptures, by getting hung up on trying to use scientific 21st century logic. For me the important part of the ascension is the spiritual part. If Jesus is no longer walking beside us here on the earth, then the Good News is that Jesus is now available to dwell within us as part of the Godhead, the Trinity. Yes he is still with us and can give us the strength to be his witnesses wherever we are or wherever we are being called.

Why do we tell this story? Pastor Wes Morgan says “the purpose of telling the story is twofold. First, to share that Jesus --our Savior -- did not simply fade away like some breath on the wind after the resurrection. Rather he is still in the world only now in the new body- a body called the church, the church that shares his mission of love and care. Second, telling the story reminds us that His form -- his substance-- his identity—are instead made one with the Father's -- and yet somehow remains unique …” I think that fits quite well with my sermon title of “Up, Up and Away Yet Still Here.”

It’s hard to have someone you love and maybe even depend on to leave you—even under the best of circumstances. We all know the pain—if not first hand—of losing loved ones by death or divorce. How many of you have said goodbye to a son or daughter as they left for college? I can remember how hard my mother cried when she and Dad drove me to the University of Maine, about 150 miles from home, probably 4 or 5 hours on the little country roads back in the 50’s. I also remember my mother’s story of how she wanted to go away to school, got accepted and was so homesick for her mother that she had to come back home, never to return. Now what does all this have to do with Ascension. Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children is to let them go, in spite of the pain. Jesus had to leave his disciples. He had taught them well; he had loved them well; he had assured them that he would be close by, that the Holy Spirit would be their Advocate, an Advocate or Counselor that could lead them, inspire them, teach them. The Christ part of Jesus, that part that is divine, would be there for them and for us always. With the physical leadership of Jesus no longer there, the disciples would have to do it on their own—be witnesses in the world. So the important thing about the Ascension, was not Jesus’ physical absence but his spiritual nearness.

When Jesus was living amongst his followers, there were certain places where he could be found. His first sermon as recorded in Luke 4 was the Isaiah passage that says Jesus was sent to bring good news to the poor, proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and to let the oppressed go free. He wasn’t found in fancy palaces or with the leaders of his day; he was found amongst the oppressed, those whose lives cried out for justice and peace. And now there is no one but us to do the work that Jesus began. I love the way Annie Dillard writes about this in her book, Holy the Firm: We can stand looking up into heaven or we can believe the promise of Jesus. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses.” …

Ascension Day is not a call to look up. It is to trust that Christ’s promise is down and in and around us. We are not alone—you and I who dance and climb, who run and get knocked down, we who lie on the grass or sit watching the late night news. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit, promised by Jesus surprises us at every turn, saying, “Guess who?” Guess who is being given the power by the Holy Spirit to be Christ’s witnesses in Deering, Hillsboro, Weare, and to places far away. Guess who is being called to teach Sunday School, to read scripture, to organize potlucks, to help at the Food Pantry, to build homes for those still homeless from Hurricane Katrina? Guess who is being called to use their talents of quilting, sewing, crafts, canning and so forth to prepare for the Church/Guild Fair? Guess who is needed to use their financial expertise and their building and gardening expertise to make of this church a viable, safe and attractive building? Maybe someone here will go back to school to become a minister. And I haven’t even begun talking about the gifts we have in this church in leadership, music, outreach, and hospitality!

We are not a perfect church, nor are we perfect people. The thing we have going for us is that power of the Holy Spirit if we only let the Spirit fill us and lead us. If we strongly believe in this power Jesus was talking about, we cannot be held back. We don’t have to wait for more members, more money—all we have to do is let that power of the Spirit bring us hope, bring us vision, and do what God is calling us to do. Sure we may get discouraged some times but if we remember to call on the risen Jesus that is as close as our hearts, we can overcome. God’s grace and love can bring us individually and as a church to new beginnings and maybe even new destinations.

Oh how they tried to keep Jesus down: the authorities, the Pharisees, even at times his family and his disciples. They used trickery, betrayal, violence, even death itself. But no one can keep Jesus down. He rose right off that cross and literally or symbolically—however you believe--resurrected and ascended. There are so many things that try to keep us down: poverty, illness, anger, uncertainty, lack of education, lack of friends and community. But I’m here to tell you that with the power that Jesus promised, no one can keep us down, not even ourselves. God’s love lifts us up, and the teachings of Jesus point us in directions that may surprise us. Jesus is with us until the end of time. There is nothing that will separate us from that love of Christ. I thank God that Jesus is the head of our church and has made us partners with him. I pray that we can all let that Holy Spirit that descends on Pentecost take us to new heights of giving and receiving blessings as we reach out as witnesses to Jesus. Amen

1Anna Murdock from Midrash online
2 This is based on the estimate that Jesus was 33 years old when crucified and the book of Luke was written between 59 and 62 CE.

The Eunuch and the Foreigner

2009-05-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Sermon for May 10, 2009 Easter 4B
Isaiah 56:3-8, Acts 8:26-40, 1 John 4 7-17

What long scripture readings today! Some of you may be thinking we’ll be here till noon time with Communion and all. It was quite common in India for the service to go a couple of hours. Don’t worry—I’ll make the sermon short and to the point.

The book of Acts shows how the disciples follow Jesus’ instructions to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you,” (MT. 28:19-20). By the time we meet Philip in Chapter 8, persecution has forced the early Christian community to leave the safe boundaries of the city of Jerusalem. The conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch, one of the first non-Hebrews baptized as a Christian, falls between the conversion of the Samaritans by Philip earlier in this chapter and then Peter’s preaching to the Gentiles in Chapter 10.

Who is this man? A foreigner from Ethiopia, a black-skinned African, a eunuch, a high official of the queen, her finance minister—the Ben Bernanke of Ethiopia. He does not fit the usual early descriptions of Africans as “ignorant”, “brutish,” “idle,” or “thievish”. He was reading the Bible, probably in Greek. He was a court official with a high rank. One of my commentators mentioned that it was not accidental for Luke to identify him as Ethiopian as his baptism was important in fulfilling Jesus’ promise that his disciples would be his witnesses not only in Jerusalem but “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:7).

Not only is this man an Ethiopian but he is also a eunuch, meaning he has been castrated. There are two kinds of eunuchs described in classical texts: those castrated from birth and those castrated after reaching physical manhood. Especially for those who are eunuchs from birth, their bodies took on feminine aspects, voices like a teenager, and bodies that were gangly or awkward. This man was probably middle aged due to his high court position.

He was being driven in a chariot and reading Isaiah as he went along on his way to worship in Jerusalem. As a eunuch he was an incomplete male and would have been excluded from any Jewish congregation because he could not have male heirs, yet he had a hunger for God. I wonder if he was thinking about himself as he read those words of Isaiah: “he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth. He was denied justice and taken away, cut off from the land of the living” to paraphrase the scripture. And just as God does so many times, God intervened and had an angel direct Philip to go to exactly the place where he would encounter the eunuch and have the opportunity to help him understand the scripture. Philip jumped from the Isaiah passage, that many believe was predicting the Messiah’s coming, and went on to “evangelize”, to tell the good news of Jesus, the Christ. I wonder how far Philip read with him that day. I wonder if he read to the 56th chapter, the verses Betty read for us today. Here it says both the foreigner and the eunuchs who keep the Sabbath and hold fast to the covenant will be brought to God’s holy mountain and be made joyful in God’s house of prayer. Let me quote the last few lines of that passage: “for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples. Thus says the Lord God, who gathers the outcast of Israel. I will gather others to them besides those already gathered.”

Whatever Philip said, the eunuch heard the call of the Lord. Almost immediately the eunuch saw water on the desert road and asked to be baptized. Philip baptized him and then we are told the Spirit snatched Philip away and the eunuch saw him no more.

I am here to tell you this morning that God is Still Speaking. Just as God spoke to Isaiah, God speaks to us today. Both the eunuch and the foreigner were excluded in the Old Testament times. And I ask you who is being excluded today? How many African Americans are welcomed into some of our churches? How many gays and lesbians feel comfortable in many of our places of worship? What about truck drivers with pony tails and tattoos? Who else is the “other” in our communities? What about those with physical or mental disabilities? Those who have little or no money? If any of these folks came to DCC, would they be welcomed? I certainly hope so. Its progress to be an Open and Affirming Church that says we accept and even desire to welcome and affirm GLBT and others into every aspect of our life together. The true test is how we actually live out that commitment. Inclusivity is at the very heart of who God is. If you read about the disciples’ journey as they went out to witness to Jesus and the Good News, you will see that over and over again they had to be poked and prodded by the Holy Spirit to go past their comfort zones. It’s no different with us. We all have those places where our beliefs are ahead of what we are comfortable with in real time. We all have those old ways of thinking and doing that are hard to change.

In the letter of first John we are told that God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. An example that I have used before is appropriate to repeat on this Mother’s Day: Imagine the healthiest love possible of a mother for her child and multiply it many times and you have the Love that is God. God loved us so much that God sent his only son into the world to show us how to live. Now it is up to us to open our hearts and minds to love all of God’s children no matter how much of a challenge it may be. The hymn that we are about to sing is about the wideness in God’s mercy. How wide is wide? It’s wider than our hearts have ever stretched. How broad is the love of God? It is broader than our minds have ever stretched. That same Holy Spirit that sent an angel to Philip telling him to appear to the Ethiopian eunuch is present here today. That Spirit is calling to you and to me, calling us to reach out to others, to show them the Love that is God, and to invite them to walk the Way with us. May God bless us all as we keep trying to manifest God’s love to our hurting world. Amen and Amen.

Torn Apart and Filled with Love

2009-01-11T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 1-11-2009
Scripture: Acts 19:1-7, Mark1:4-11

“No shepherds. No angels. No Magi. No star. No stable. Not a word about Mary and Joseph. Mark's story of Jesus begins at the river: "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." There's no list of ancestors. None of the cosmic wonder that opens John's Gospel: "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God." Mark's word is far more ordinary and direct" "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan." Jesus entered the river with others to be washed in a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”1

We are so familiar with the first chapters of Matthew and Luke, filled with the Christmas stories. John’s Gospel is less familiar but we have heard the more metaphysical beginnings of Jesus as the Word and the light shining in the darkness. Mark gets right to Jesus’ baptism, filled with the drama of the heavens being torn apart and a Spirit descending on him like a dove. And then most amazing, the Word comes from God that Jesus is his son, the Beloved! It’s unclear as to whether or not this voice is a public or private voice. We don’t know if anyone else heard God’s voice or if it was heard only by Jesus. Did anyone else see the heavens torn apart or just Jesus? By the way, in Matthew and Luke it says the heavens are opened up, not torn apart. The word for torn apart in Mark comes from the Greek scizomevnou, meaning “to divide by use of force, split, divide, separate, tear apart…” the root for our word schizophrenic. It is not used again in Mark except at the time of Jesus’ death when he speaks of the veil of the Temple, being “torn in two, from top to bottom”2

For Mark’s Jesus, the world would never be the same again—the heavens would never be able to close up as tightly as before this happened. Barbara Lundblad in a sermon on this topic suggests that at this point Jesus begins to tear apart the pictures of whom the Messiah was suppose to be:

Tearing apart the social fabric that separated rich from poor.
Breaking
through hardness of heart to bring forth compassion.
Breaking through
rituals that had grown rigid or routine.
Tearing apart the chains that bound
some in the demon's power.
Tearing apart the notions of what it means to be
God's Beloved Son. 3

When Mark’s narrative continues, we are told that the Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. Those of us who know the story know that Jesus will be there for 40 days, being tempted by Satan. So there’s no doubt about this baptism leading Jesus to a new place.

Have you ever had a time in your life when your whole world changed? For some of our more evangelical church family, they may tell you it was the time when they were born again. For some of you that were baptized as adults, it might have been the time when you decided to be baptized. For most of us there are many moments, small and large that have impact on our life, that are defining moments. Maybe baptism itself, especially for those of us baptized as infants, should be thought of as not a once for all event but an invitation to constant growth.

Often it’s when we find a torn place in our lives that we can go forth in a new way, do a new thing. Maybe it is in those torn places that we can hear Jesus calling us. I always remember how the Chinese symbol for crisis is made up of two symbols: danger and opportunity. What are these torn places? A loss through death or divorce, a loss of function such as seeing, hearing, walking, or the ability to be independent are significant ones. Also, a relocation, both voluntary or involuntary, maybe my experience in India will be a torn place of change for me. It’s a radical change of some sort in your life.

In our Gospel lesson today there is another significant aspect that allows Jesus (and us) to be able to break away from the old and go on with the new and that is, knowing that we are loved. God tells Jesus that he is the Beloved, one in whom God is well pleased. Some of us are fortunate enough to have family that let us know in no uncertain way that we are loved. Others are not so fortunate. Henri Nouwen reminds us that in baptism God says, “All I want to say to you is: You are the beloved, and all I hope is that you can hear these words with all the tenderness and force that love can hold. My only desire is to make these words reverberate in every corner of your being… You are the beloved.” Whatever your situation, there is God’s love to inspire you, to comfort you, to give you confidence. I believe that one of the greatest duties of the church is to let the people know about God’s love. Can you imagine yourself as beloved? Can you imagine every woman, man, and child sitting here today as God’s beloved? What about your neighbors, those you work with, those you go to school with? If we each were to think about ourselves and each other as God’s beloved, do you think it would make a difference in our actions, how we treat each other, how we make laws and policies in our governments?

God comes to us through torn apart heavens and troubling waters. I love the Negro Spiritual, “Wade in the Water”, which is said to be a coded song telling the Negro slaves ways to escape to their freedom, covering their tracks and scent by entering the water. I wonder what it means for God to be troubling the waters in our life. Is troubled water a necessary part of our journey to be free?

Baptism is one of only two sacraments in the United Church of Christ. A sacrament means an outward and visible sign of an inward, spiritual grace given by God. When a baptism is performed, we are exhorted to remember our own baptism. Remembering helps us know who and whose we are; it reminds us that we are God’s beloved; it can help us find an equilibrium that is necessary when our heaven is torn apart or when God is “troublin’ the waters”. At this time I am going to walk up and down the aisles sprinkling you with water as a ritual for you to remember your own baptism, remember how you are God’s beloved sons and daughters. It’s also a way that I want to bless you as I leave for my Sabbatical to India. As the water is sprayed, please know that you are not only God’s beloved but that each of you is also very special to me. No matter where you are or where I am, may the water remind us of the Holy Spirit and of that special connection that we have. Amen!

1 Barbara Lundblad, “Torn apart Forever”, online sermon.
2 Mark 15:38-9)
3 Op.cit

A Light for All People

2009-01-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Epiphany Sunday, January 4, 2009
Scripture: Isaiah 60: 1-6 and Matthew 2: 2-12

Oh, star of wonder, star of night; guide us to thy perfect light.

Epiphany—a revelation, a manifestation of Divine Presence right in the midst of ordinary life! In the church year, Epiphany is twelve days after Christmas, January 6. Epiphany celebrates the visit to Jesus of the wise men from the East, often called the three kings or the Magi. The Greek word for the Magi really has nothing to do with kings “but designates a priestly class of Persian or Babylonian experts in the occult, such as astrology and the interpretation of dreams.” (New Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 7, p. 140)

In Isaiah we have a prediction of camels from the East bringing gold and frankincense and praising the Lord. That scripture opens with a resounding call, “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.” The next verse describes thick darkness covering the earth and all its peoples, but then the light of the Lord shines forth, bringing all nations to the brightness of dawn. Epiphany is also used as a word referring to a sudden brightness that lights up our mind, gives us insights we never had before. It is definitely a gift. It may be something that comes to an individual or to whole community. It is like the bright light shining in the darkness. Light attracts, brings people together.

In the world of Isaiah there had been a number of prophecies, known to religious and pagans alike, about the possibility of a promised King. There was a belief that a special star would be the sign of the birth of this special person. Since the wise men were astrologers, it would be common for them to study the sky for signs of extraordinary events.

Today let’s look at the journey of the wise men to see what we can learn from it that might apply to us spreading the light in our world today. In the Gospel of Matthew we are given a time and place for this story. It was in Bethlehem of Judea in the time of King Herod, this King Herod ruled from 37-4 BCE. Now Herod was considered the King of the Jews so when he heard that another “King” had been born. He was indeed threatened. And the inquirers were not local folks but were from far away, from the East. They would be considered pagans or Gentiles as opposed to Jews, yet here they were, having come a very long distance to pay homage, to worship this King of the Jews. The fact that these wise men were from another nation and another religion, establishes in my mind how Jesus was for all people, all nations, all races, and so forth right from the very beginning. To reinforce that belief, we have the story in Luke where it is the Jewish shepherds in the fields around Bethlehem to whom the angels appear. The angels say, I am bringing you good news of great joy for ALL the people; to you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.” (2:10-11) These shepherds are as poor as the Magi are rich. Jesus is for all, rich or poor. Through God’s grace in the birth of Jesus, the dividing wall was broken down to create one new human family, all loved by God.

By now most of you know that I believe that God wants us all to be part of a loving, inclusive community. Most of us Christians have been taught that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Light—so far so good. For me, Jesus is definitely the way, the truth, and the light; however, I do not interpret the Bible literally as do our Fundamentalist and Evangelical brothers and sisters, who believe that only those that accept Jesus as their personal Savior will be saved and have eternal life as part of God’s family. Some of you have heard me express my affinity to Progressive Christianity, which talks about Jesus being the “Gate” to the realm of God for us as Christians, yet also recognizing the faithfulness of others who may use different names for the gateway to God’s realm. I believe it’s crucial that in our enthusiasm for including all people in God’s family and in our common life that we do not impose on them the necessity of becoming like us. Saying all of this brings me back to my sermon title of Jesus being the light for all people. It doesn’t matter if you are rich or poor, black or white, young or old, gay or straight, Asian or African, Middle Eastern or American, the teachings and promises of Jesus are available to all. I further believe that it’s up to us to preach the gospel of Jesus at all times to all peoples and when necessary, to use words.

Looking at another meaning, Epiphany means to behold the world or one’s life in a new way. For me learning about the teachings of Progressive Christianity was an epiphany. It helped me blend my Christian faith with my worldview of inclusiveness. I have recently been reading a lot of the Hindu beliefs and rejoice when I learn that the Hindu religion teaches both tolerance and universal acceptance, teaching that all religions are equally worthy of respect. One of the authors I was reading says he is proud that he can honor the sanctity of other faiths without feeling he is betraying his own.1

Throughout this Advent and Christmas season, I have preached a lot about the suffering in the world; we had our own share of suffering in NH with those many hours without power, without light. Star of wonder, Star of Night,….Guide us to your perfect light. I think we appreciate light more than ever now. In the gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” If we talk about the hope, joy, peace, and love of Christmas, and sing these joyous, blissful songs without seeing and helping with the terrible suffering and anguish in the world around us, the Christmas sentiments will indeed be only “pious platitudes” (Nettleson). We celebrate Christmas because we do live in a suffering world; and the One has come to bring us light, to give us life. Emmanuelle, God with us. My prayer for you and for me is that in this week and forward, we let Jesus’ light shine in us as we go into the world. We, too, can be the light in the world. Epiphany is about sending out those who have learned the good news to share it with all nations. Go Tell It On the Mountain that Jesus Christ is born. May we have the courage and the love to both recognize and follow where God calls, even if at times these places terrify and horrify us. May God bless us and help us. Amen

1Shashi Tharoor, The Elephant, the tiger, and the cell phone,2007.

Christmas Message (2008)

2008-12-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2008
References: Rev. Ed Bacon, Christmas Eve 2006 and Sr. Joan Chittester

The wonderful Christmas stories are being read in many churches this night. The first two chapters of Matthew and Luke are the basis of our Christmas narrative. Each of these gospels presents a very different story. In Matthew, Joseph is the main character. Mary does not speak nor does she receive any revelation. There is no story of the birth itself, no stable, no manger, no angels or shepherds, all of these are in Luke. Tonight, however, I want to talk with you not about these details but about the meaning that lies beneath the stories. Beneath the story of the baby born in Bethlehem, beneath the story of the shepherds, the magi, the angels, the virgin mother, the no-room-in-the-inn—beneath all of these wondrous stories is this deep, deep life truth which tells us that the journey from fear and anxiety to joy and peace always goes through compassion and generosity for others. For the angels this night say that this news is to be good news for all people not just for me and mine, but for our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe, in South America, in homes here in America where parents have lost their jobs recently or have been without income for a long time. The baby born in Bethlehem is not only about peace in my heart and peace in my life. The Christmas story is about peace for all people—the people in Iraq and Afghanistan, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in Sudan, (add other war zones) and in Jerusalem.

Odetta, the great folk singer that recently died, sang:

There’s fighting in the city where baby Jesus grew.
All in all the Prince of Peace we send a prayer to you.
Walking through Jerusalem I see the signs of war
Calling on the Prince of Peace to walk the streets once more.
Walking in Jerusalem just like the prince of Peace.
Praying for Jerusalem. May all the fighting cease.
O Jerusalem, O Jerusalem
Sweet little baby born in a stable
O Jerus’lem in the morning.

My friends, the message of Christmas is that you and I are given the vision of God, the one God who always in every age wants to become embodied anew—not in the daylight but in the deepest darkness of night. God wants to be born in you and me tonight—in the people who have heard the message of the angels that the one God is not just for our tribe but for everyone. We are the ones who have heard the angels say, “Fear not. Receive this love which will not only make you loving and lovely but will, if you say yes to it, work through everything you do in your life to make the whole world loving and lovely as well.” (Fr. Bacon)

There’s something very different about Christmas this year because of the economic recession. Suddenly, from one end of society to another, people are faced with an unusual vulnerability. For some, the fall down the economic ladder has been severe, for others, less dramatic. With less money available many people have had to find a new way to do Christmas, one that doesn’t depend on things. Maybe this Christmas will be one in which we learn again to focus on love rather than things. As Sister Joan Chittester says, “The parties will be smaller – and more intimate. The gifts will be more useful – and less disposable….In fact, it may actually become a “feast” again, rather than simply a shopper’s holiday.”

So let’s celebrate the feast where the central ingredient is the message that God will always seek human beings to be the bearers of the divine power, God’s power, that makes possible compassionate, inclusive, justice-seeking, peacemaking, forgiving, healing and reconciling love. The message is about a way to bring love and peace not just to me, not just to you, not just to our kind, not just to our religion, but to bring peace to all people, all nations, and the entire world. When you and I love like that, Christmas comes again not just for our families, not just for our hearts, not just for our church, not just for our religion but for the whole world.
So as we participate in this holy celebration, may your Christmas be—as Sister Joan says—“made merry by the gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh, of generosity and serenity and spirit, that this year will surely bring.” May joy and peace go with you tonight and continue throughout the year to come. Merry Christmas!

Blessings and Joy

2008-12-14T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 3B, 12-14-08
Scripture: Psalm 126, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22, Luke 1:45-56

I hope all of you will be with us tonight at Vespers when we will be reading many of the Advent and Christmas scriptures. Rather than repeating those scripture, this morning I have chosen to go with an alternate Gospel lesson, the Magnificat or Mary’s Song. I love this scripture. It comes after Mary has gone to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is pregnant with John the Baptist. Have you ever thought about how long it must have taken Mary to walk the 85 miles from her home in Nazareth to Elizabeth and Zechariah’s place in Judea near Jerusalem? (And then back again.) Elizabeth is overjoyed at seeing Mary and she shouts out, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” She continues to bless her as her baby jumped in her womb. “And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.” (In Luke 1: 41-45)

No wonder Mary stayed for three months with Elizabeth. Remember she is a pregnant teenager, between ages 12 and 14 most sources say, without a husband. Can you imagine what Mary might have been concerned about in terms of a scandal with her being an unwed mother? Who would ever believe her that she had never been with a man? That God was the Father of her baby? Her humility and faithfulness made her assent when the angel asked her to carry the son of God. She responded,, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.” (1:38a) All good and well, but what will her parents say? How will Joseph, her fiancé, respond? Will he reject her? In the gospel of Luke, Joseph is only mentioned in the beginning, Gabriel comes “to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David.” And as she arrives at Zechariah’s house, Elizabeth begins joyously blessing her. What a relief! We are told that Mary stays with Elizabeth three months and then returns home. I believe she stays because she needs her older cousins’ reassurance and affirmation. We all need someone who affirms us in difficult times. Other than Elizabeth, at this point, Mary only has the memory of an angel’s visit.
The next voice in Luke is Mary’s proclaiming what has been called one of the most revolutionary speeches in the entire Bible, also one filled with great joy. She starts off with saying that her soul magnifies the Lord and her Spirit rejoices in God because God has chosen her in spite of her heretofore lowly position in life and from then on generations now and to come will call her blessed.

She than expands this thought to say that:

You have put down the mighty from their thrones
and exalted those of the lowest status.
You have filled the hungry with good things,
but the rich you have sent away empty

Mary’s song is good news for the homeless on the streets of our nation’s Capitol, the hungry and oppressed in Zimbabwe; the refugees from Congo and Sudan; for the street children in Calcutta, for the AIDS orphans in Africa, to just name a few of our suffering poor. These words would be painful and shocking for those who wield power, the leaders of the Empire then and now, who live affluent lives while either perpetuating, or permitting, grave injustices to happen to vulnerable people.

The words can be so mesmerizing until we don’t really listen to how radical they are. The words turn things upside down. Instead of God being impressed with money, power, status, the poor and the vulnerable are lifted up. During this season of love personified, I have continued to preach about having compassion and doing unto others as Jesus has commanded us. I hope that our hearts have been turned upside down also and that we will not be focusing so much on material things for our friends and relatives that already have so much, but instead focus on meeting all with kindness and compassion and sharing with others who are in need. The Good News of Christmas is news that must be shared, celebrated, and then lived!

In today’s Psalm we are told how the people rejoiced as God restored their fortunes. I love the words, “May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy. (126:3-6) This reversal of fortune is raised up in the Magnificat. We are also told in Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians, to rejoice always, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. The joy that Jesus talked about in his final days was this joy that comes from deep inside. It’s joy that takes into account all the sufferings and cruelty of the world and still can say Yes to God, yes to being partners in bringing light to the dark places. It’s a reminder of triumph, that kind of triumph that Jesus talked about in John 16:33 …in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But be of good cheer; I have conquered or overcome the world.” This promise of Jesus always makes me think of our sisters and brothers in Zimbabwe, those that pray and shout for joy despite how bad things are all around them. That joy and faithfulness I believe is one of the greatest things we can learn from our Ukama partnership.

For me blessings and joy go together. When I feel joy I feel blessed and I want to bless others, even God. One of my favourite blessings is in Psalm 103: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless God’s holy name. Yes, it is good for us to give blessings to God as well as letting God bless us. Elizabeth, who had waited so long for a child, was already filled by joy at her own pregnancy when Mary appeared at her door. No wonder she was so quick to bless Mary. Elizabeth seems to have been the only person that knew Mary was pregnant with the Messiah. She seems to have been the first person to publicly confirm what the angel told Mary. Luke says after the child leaps in Elizabeth’s womb that she was filled with the Holy Spirit. All of this was quite mind boggling to Elizabeth. She says, “and why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me?” It’s pretty amazing when we realize that God has come to us, that God has chosen us. When I was getting ready to do volunteer work and live in community in Washington, DC, one of my friends gave me a bookmark with a quotation from John 15:16: “You did not choose me but I chose you.” I saw that quote almost daily right up to the point of deciding to go to seminary and become an ordained minister. I often would marvel about being chosen. If any of you were like me, always picked last for team sports, you know how wonderful it feels when you are chosen, It was wonderful and amazing to me that Jesus would choose me to become a minister..

It is equally amazing to feel that you have been blessed. There’s a wonderful blessing benediction that goes like this: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.” One of the favorite expressions I often heard from my mother was “Bless your heart, Barbie. I’m so glad to see you.” It meant a lot to me, so much that on the first anniversary of my mother’s death, I sat at her grave and wrote a poem with that title. You may have noticed that I quite often sign my emails and letters with “Blessings” or “Bless you”. It’s not an unconscious, random sign-off. I really want to affirm you and let you know that you are special to God and to me. Just as God came to Mary, God comes to ordinary people to let them know they are special. God comes to us in those people that bless you in your life, whether or not the word blessing is used. I also believe that God comes through us when we bless each other. It is in God’s coming to us through Jesus, the Christ child, that we are blessed and filled with joy in this wonderful season of Love. Thanks be to God for coming and living amongst us. Amen.

Prepare Ye the Way: for Peace

2008-12-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 2B, 2008
Scripture: Isaiah 40:1-11, Psalm 85, Mark 1:1-8

Welcome to the second Sunday of Advent, the Sunday of Peace. In a time when there is so much violence and conflict: wars, abuse, terrorist attacks and so forth, the world is certainly a place in need of Peace. Isaiah foretold a time when there would be such a peace—that a child would lead all natural enemies such as the wolf and the lamb, the calf and the lion to lie down together. The prophet in Isaiah 2 says that God shall judge the nations and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isa 2:4) and in our reading today he is talking about comforting his people and then we hear, “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord,” (Isa. 40:3), the same refrain that opens the Gospel of Mark. Both Isaiah and Mark continue with “prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” (Mark:1:3 and Isa 40:3.) Mark goes on then to introduce John the Baptist as the person who will prepare the way for the Christ.

Have you ever seen a Christmas card with a picture of John the Baptist? His image just doesn’t sell in the sentimental world of angel choirs, Christmas cookies, loving families, shepherds in the field and wise men bearing gifts. Instead we have an odd looking fellow who has been living in solitude in the wilderness of Judea. He fed on honey and wild locust and dressed in garments of camel hair with a leather belt around his waist. He studied the Scriptures, and we are told he especially was drawn to the prophetic ministry of Elijah, after whom he modeled his own ministry. Some of the other gospels, particularly Luke, goes into much more detail on his preaching. What is consistent is John’s announcing that Jesus is coming: “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (1:7-8) As I read to you this morning, that’s about all that Mark says about John, other than he baptized Jesus in the Jordan.

Each Sunday of Advent we prepare a little more for that wonderful birth of Jesus. Even though Jesus and John were cousins, born only three months apart, possibly playing together as children, in their adulthood it is John that prepares the way for Jesus. Each of us is important in preparing the way for Jesus to be born into our hearts and into the world. Last week we focused on the importance of hope, coming out of the darkness to prepare for the Christ child. This week I want to focus on Peace.

World peace seems pretty slim, then and now; according to one resource ‘in almost 3600 years of recorded history, the world has known only 292 years of peace (less than 8%). During this period there have been 14,351 wars, large and small, in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. There have also been in excess of 8000 peace treaties that were made and broken.1 Pretty gloomy isn’t it!

In spite of this history of the lack of peace, I will remain hopeful that we will move to more sustained periods of peace in the world. However, today I want us to look more towards inner peace, a peace that strengthens us from the inside-out—the kind of peace that we can feel even though we are struggling with both inside and outside problems. Maybe some of you are in a wilderness place where you feel lost, alone, without that comfort of Isaiah 40. Maybe you are completely overwhelmed. Yet I am here to proclaim that it’s still possible to be peaceful inside. The peace that Jesus brings is not the absence of problems or trouble. The peace that Jesus brings is a new way of looking at God and knowing God is always with us.

Let’s go back to John the Baptist. John calls us to repent, kind of an old fashioned word that we don’t use much today, but it means to STOP where we are, to turn around and examine where we have just been and consider if a change is in order. Repentance is not merely feeling sorry and giving things up. It is a complete turn around in one life. It is turning from something disastrous to something wonderful. One of my resources said it’s like turning from a dead end to an open highway, or like turning from a stagnant puddle to a bubbling spring. So I urge each of you to ask the Holy Spirit if there is anything in your life that is not pleasing to God. Is there anything that dishonors God, anything that has become more important to us than God? Is there anything we need to repent of, anything that God wants us to do that we are not doing? I think that John was asking us to turn away from everything Jesus spoke against, anything that creates barriers between human beings. We need to turn away from everything that oppresses others or ourselves. We need to turn away from anything that does not reflect justice, compassion or peace. Maybe before you go to bed tonight or if you are a morning person, get up early enough tomorrow to spend some quiet time listening and talking to God.

There’s actually been research done at Duke University on what can help us have peace of mind. I want to briefly share the eight things they came up with:

The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was found to be a major factor in unhappiness.
Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
Forcing yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
Refusing to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
Cultivating the old-fashioned virtues—love, humor, compassion and loyalty.
Not expecting too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
Finding something bigger than yourself to believe in.

Believing in something bigger than ourselves is why most of us are here on Sunday morning. The Peace that comes through the birth of baby Jesus brings us a new way of looking at God, and gives us the assurance to know that God is with us always and all ways. The next step is for us to bring light into the world by the life we lead. My prayer is that we can all become the signs of hope and peace in the darkness that surrounds so many. May our lives reflect the Love that is God. God with us, Emmanuel. And peace on earth, goodwill to all. AMEN.

Dread and Hope: Where is God Now?

2008-11-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for Advent 1B 2008
Scripture: Isaiah 64:1-9, Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19, Mark:13: 24-27, 32-37

Welcome to Advent 2008, the beginning of the New Year for the church. Traditionally the first Sunday in Advent has the theme of hope. With the scriptures we just read, we certainly need some hope. Both Isaiah and the Psalm are filled with doom and gloom. These texts were written in the midst of and out of the suffering of the people Israel, God’s favored people in the Hebrew scriptures. These people were really upset and tired of their suffering. Now, let me read a few headlines from our World news in the last few days:
*THE bodies of five Israeli hostages seized by Islamic militants were recovered on Friday from a Jewish centre in Mumbai after it was stormed by Indian commandos. Almost 200 people died in the 2 day attack.”

*A WAL-MART employee in New York state's Long Island died on Friday when a throng of shoppers surged into the store and physically broke down the doors.
*MORE than 500 people have died in a cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe. *The water-borne disease has killed "more than 500" and affected "more than half a million" people.
Is it any wonder that people today as well as in Isaiah’s time ask, “Where is God? Why doesn’t God do something?” Or as the prophet Isaiah says, “O that you would tear open the heavens and come down so that the mountains would quake at your presence.” (64:1). “You have hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity.” (64:7b) Isaiah continues to beg God to turn away from his anger for this people’s sin, “Yet, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay and you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Do not be exceedingly angry, O Lord, and do not remember iniquity forever. Now consider, we are all your people.” (vv.8-9) The Psalmist also asks God, “How long will you be angry with your people’s prayers (80:4) and closes with a request, “Restore us, O Lord God of hosts, let your face shine, that we may be saved. (v.19).

Have you heard anyone recently cry out, “Where are you God?” Maybe you have cried out yourself. Or have you ever prayed, but felt like you were only talking to yourself? Have you ever stood by the bed of a loved one who was suffering and prayed to God for help, but felt like God was far away? When we are suffering, or when someone close to us is suffering, we often wonder "Where is God?"

When I reflect on this question of where is God now, no writings touch me as deeply as that of Elie Wiesel in his book, Night, about his experiences in the Auschwitz death camp. He remembers one night when the guards were to hang several prisoners, including a young boy, before thousands of prisoner spectators. “The head of the camp read the verdict. All eyes were on the child. He was lividly pale, almost calm, biting his lips. The gallows threw its shadow over him. This time the camp executioner refused to act as executioner. Three SS replaced him. The victims mounted together onto the chairs. The three necks were placed at the same moment within the nooses. "Long live Liberty!" cried the two adults. But the child was silent. "Where is God? Where is He?" someone behind me asked. At a sign from the head of the camp, the three chairs tipped over. Total silence throughout the camp. On the horizon, the sun was setting. …"

“Then the march past began. The two adults were no longer alive. But the third rope was still moving; being so light, the child was still alive... For more than half an hour he stayed there, struggling between life and death, dying in slow agony under our eyes. And we had to look him full in the face. He was still alive when I passed in front of him. Behind me I heard the same man asking: "Where is God now?" And I hear a voice within me answer him: "Where is he? Here He is - He is hanging here on this gallows. . . "

I believe if we take a serious look at Jesus, our Lord who died hanging on a cross we begin to see that the answer to "Where is God?" is precisely this: God is with those who suffer. That's where God is. God is with our brothers and sisters in Zimbabwe; God is with the family of the dead Walmart worker; God is with all those victims of the attacks in Mumbai. And it is in Jesus where we learn to look for God. I truly believe that we can find God in both joy and in suffering and there is no doubt in my mind that God is definitely right there in our suffering world. Besides the places I have already mentioned I’m sure that God is also in the Congo and the Sudan, where killings, kidnappings and rapes continue to cause a mass migration to refugee camps; he’s in those people that are suffering and dying with AIDS, especially in those countries whose government will not provide appropriate treatment; in the homes in our country where the economic situation is preventing parents from being able to pay the bills to say nothing of a commercial Christmas for their children; in the nursing homes where some elderly are alone and forgotten; in the mental hospitals and rehabilitation centers where the sick and addicted AND their families are struggling; on the streets of our cities where men, women, and children have no place to call home; in Iraq and Afghanistan where our men and women are engaged in war and with the citizens of those countries are being injured and killed. In our Gospel lesson Mark was addressing people that were afraid and desperate. The politics were such that their lives were threatened along with the life of Jesus. Then and now when people are scared and in chaotic situations, it is so easy, as Maren Tirabasi says in the Still Speaking Devotional, “to grasp for what Jesus calls false messiahs and false prophets.” She goes on to say, “Some of them have names--"perfect gift" or "vodka bottle," "too-busy-to-think," "credit card," "depression," "do-it-all," "photo-card family." Like Isaiah we want God to do something spectacular to prove that God is there and in control. Or, we grasp for something to try to make us feel better.

In our Judeo-Christian heritage so often we have looked for God in the wrong places. We have tended to look for God among the powerful and mighty instead of the poor and suffering. Maybe when we all learn where to find God and commit to being there with God, then that Christmas prophecy of Isaiah will come to fulfillment: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness--on them light has shined. For unto us a child is born; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:2,6)

Let us remember on this first Sunday of the Advent season that Advent begins in darkness. This morning we lit one candle on the Advent wreath to express our hope in the growing light of Christmas. But Advent begins by recognizing the darkness in our world, with the hope and expectation that there will be a new day. We have all been celebrating God’s coming in Jesus on Christmas for many years. But will he come again this year? Will he come to those who sit in darkness who yearn to see a great light? In Mark we are told to keep alert, to keep awake—“for you do not know when the time will come …in the evening or at midnight, or at cockcrow, or at dawn. So what I say to you I say to all keep awake.” (excerpts from13:35-37).

If we believe that the baby Jesus is God incarnate, the Christ, and that he is the light of the world, a light that has come to shine in the darkness and darkness cannot overcome it, how does that make a difference to those who sit in darkness now? I suggest that the whole story of Christmas teaches us to look in unexpected places—a baby born to two poor people in a barn in tiny Bethlehem. Who would have expected the Messiah, God’s own self to be born homeless, wrapped in a rag, and laid in a manger among the animals! So whenever we are wondering where God is, perhaps what we need to do is to remind ourselves of where to look. So in these next four weeks, instead of asking each other, “Are you ready for Christmas?, we need to start asking each other: “Are you ready for Christ?” Will you come with me to find him and join our light and love to his in helping to heal this hurting world? If so this will indeed be a Christmas to celebrate! Amen and Amen!

Talents, Faith and Fear

2008-11-23T20:15:00.000-08:00

1st Thessalonians 5:1-11, Mt. 25:14 to 30
Sermon for 11-23-08

This is our third parable from chapter 25 of the Gospel of Matthew. Today’s reading comes in the middle of the Wise and Foolish Bridesmaids, a story about being ready and the Sheep and the Goats where Jesus tells us to minister to the “least of these” and we will be ministering to him. I decided to save “the Talents” for Stewardship Consecration Sunday as I assumed it would be most appropriate for emphasizing the giving of our money and our gifts of time and talents.

Our letter of Paul to the Thessalonians, the oldest of all the NT scriptures sets the stage as he describes the Christians’ belief in that time that the day of the Lord, the end of the world, or some would say the second coming of Christ—which Paul believed would happen in his lifetime--would happen unannounced and everyone needed to be ready, be awake. None of us likes to be faced with the unknown. I think Paul was saying that whatever happens, our life and our world is in God’s hands and will unfold in God’s way. In the meantime we need to live in joy and confidence and encourage each other to not worry about timetables as whatever happens we will be alive in Christ.

Parables are tricky things, ideas and stories that are open to many different interpretations. Let me start off with telling you the traditional interpretation of this parable. The talents that are described are huge sums of money, multimillions of dollars, more than most of us today and certainly in that day would ever see. The Master, who is usually seen as God has given each of his slaves a certain amount of Talents and then goes away. The first two invest the talents and greatly increase the Master’s wealth; the third slave buries the Talent given to him. When the Master returns, each slave shows what he has done with the wealth given to him. The two that increased their wealth were greatly praised; the one who only buried his wealth was chastised severely and even thrown into the “outer darkness”. The moral of the story would be that God has given us all talents and money and we are to multiply those gifts and return them back to God. You can see why I thought this would be a good Stewardship scripture, motivating all of you to give back to God, so that God could say to you, “Well done, good and trustworthy slave; you have been trustworthy in a few things so I will give you even more and you will come share the joy of your master!” Sounds good, doesn’t it? Hopefully such an example would encourage you all to give generously to the Church, God’s agent here on earth. However, because it didn’t ring true for me that God would be such a harsh master, I was eager to see other interpretations.

Now some more background on an alternate interpretation of this scripture: The economy in Jesus’ day was an economy of scarcity in which it was believed that there was a limited amount of wealth so if any one accumulated more that needed, he was seen as depriving others. Many today shrug this off with, “No big deal! The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, that’s just the way it is.” In Jesus day there was another economy also, an Honor economy. Honor too was seen as a limited quantity so if you accumulated too much honor, too quickly you were seen as greedy and grasping. From this point of view the master in this parable would be seen as not honorable but greedy. His great wealth would have been considered as obtained dishonorably and very possibly illegally. The first two slaves followed in his footsteps and did not confront him with his greed. Now the third slave who was called lazy actually did what rabbis advocated—if you received money from someone for safekeeping, you were to bury it in a safe place to make sure you were able to return it to its owner. Other scholars have suggested that maybe this third slave might have been challenging the motives and methods of his Master by refusing to participate in an unfair society, showing faith in the face of fear? (I wonder if any of you feel guilty about participating in our commercial society through owning stocks in corporations which support things such as guns, wars, unhealthy practices or products such as cigarette companies to just name a couple of the many harmful things that corporations make money on. It’s been a concern of mine for a long time and why I encouraged that our church endowments be invested in socially responsible companies.)

A third interpretation of this parable notes that Jesus is talking to his beloved disciples very close to the time they are to be parted by Jesus’ crucifixion. Jesus has already told them enough stories about how the kingdom of heaven is big enough for all and how much God loves them, more than any of them could have deserved. This minister1 feels Jesus is now telling this story to give them courage, that they have been entrusted with something of enormous value and to make the best of it. This interpretation sees the third slave as one so fearful of what lies ahead that he’s paralyzed; he does not live his life fully because of his fears.

We are living in anxious and fearful times right now; the radio, TV, and newspapers remind us everyday of how bad off our economy is. However, we do not have to give in to that fear like the third slave. It seems his fear of the master may have been what immobilized him from sharing his gifts or producing something of value with his talent. His fear kept him from taking a risk. Those of you that have heard me preach for a while, know that I believe in a God that is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. Faith in this kind of God allows us to be fearless in sharing and using our gifts. All of you sitting out there this morning have different tools, some have more financial resources; others have more time; others have more talents such as singing, painting, teaching Sunday school, decorating, reading scripture, cooking, praying, sending cards or notes, cleaning up from coffee hours and potlucks. We all have been given something to use and to give to build God’s kingdom. It’s important to me that Deering Community Church consider stewardship as containing all of these different things.
This year our goal has been for everyone to join the circle of giving. We hope that you will pledge money if you can, even a small amount; however, today as we consecrate our stewardship offerings, I want each of you to take the paper that was in your bulletin and write down what non-financial gifts you will be willing to share with us in the year ahead. Even if you have already given us a pledge card about money, please take a little time and prayerfully consider what else you are willing to do for this church. As I’ve said so many times before, no one has to do everything and everyone can do something. I know there are some of you that do so many things, they won’t all fit on the page. You can keep on doing all you want to do but please limit yourself to no more than two or three things on the paper. Be sure to sign your name as it’s a three way promise between you, Deering Community Church and God. Put these in the collection plates along with your pledge cards if you have yet to turn those in. And then we will consecrate all that this community of faith has to give in a circle of hands after the offering has been received.. May whatever fear you have be tempered with faith that God is good and that God loves you. May we live fully and courageously as we join hands in building a part of God’s kingdom right here in Deering. Thank you and God bless you for all that you do. Amen

Unto the Least Of These

2008-11-16T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 11-16-2008
Scripture: Mt. 25:31-44

Sometimes our Gospel lesson today is called “The sheep and the goats” although I’m much more comfortable focusing on Jesus’ teachings about compassion and how whatever you do or don’t do to the least recognized persons you do or not do to him. The last part of this scripture, I believe, is the moral core of all of the teachings of Jesus; but what about the first part—the judgment part? It’s so hard for me to accept that at the end of our life God is going to judge us and separate us into the good sheep and the bad goats. Liberal minded Christian pastors are inclined to want to assure everyone that God’s love will always give them another chance and that in the end if they see the error in their ways they will be forgiven. Margaret Seymour and I have an ongoing discussion where she thinks my picture of God is much too sweet and light and not enough judgment. Even Don Johnson has been known to wonder if my assurance of forgiveness is one where I leave out true repentance. Some pastors, including me, often talk about the grace of God, meaning that we are forgiven and loved even when we don’t deserve it. One of our great Christian theologians, Bonhoeffer wrote about cheap grace—grace that is without discipleship, without the cross, without the incarnate Jesus. I’m always pleased to hear different points of view from this congregation; I really do welcome them.

So I’m not at all certain about the part of this scripture that condemns the goats, those that did not show compassion for the least of these and therefore will be cast into eternal punishment whereas the righteous ones will have eternal life. Maybe some of you wish that you had a pastor that knew all the answers, but then you probably wouldn’t be here if that was what you really wanted. There’s so much I don’t know; I struggle along with you to try to understand what God is saying, knowing that God is still speaking.

Yes, you have heard me talk more than once about Jesus saying that when you give food to the hungry, water to the thirsty, and so forth that you are giving it to him. Jesus claims to be in each of us, no matter how rich and famous or poor and marginalized. In this passage he is talking, however, about the “least of these”, those that are begging on the streets of Calcutta, those that are huddled together in refugee camps in Sudan, those brothers and sisters that do not have food to eat in Zimbabwe; the day workers from Mexico gathered on the corner, hoping to get some work; the men and women suffering and dying with AIDS; those that are in prison for all kinds of different crimes. These are the folks that most of the middle and upper class don’t think about; out of sight, out of mind. This part of the scripture is very clear to me. It’s not enough just to be compassionate to those around us; we are to go out of our way to show love in action to those that we might ignore because of their race, their social class, their mental illness, their addiction to drugs or alcohol to give you a few examples. Can you think of a specific person that you have seen or know about that might fit the example of “the least of these”; someone you try not to come face to face with? Is there anyone that can’t think of someone like that?

I want to tell you a story that I have seen on the internet several different times, most recently when Margaret sent me an email. Listen to see if it reminds you at all about what you may or may not have done. I’m going to tell the story in the first person as a boy who is a freshman in high school but it could be any of us in many different types of settings..

One day, when I was a freshman in high school, I saw a kid from my class was walking home from school. His name was Kyle. It looked like he was carrying all of his books. I thought to myself, 'Why would anyone bring home all his books on a Friday? He must really be a nerd.' I had quite a weekend planned (parties and a football game with my friends tomorrow afternoon), so I shrugged my shoulders and went on.

As I was walking, I saw a bunch of kids running toward him. They ran at him, knocking all his books out of his arms and tripping him so he landed in the dirt. His glasses went flying, and I saw them land in the grass about ten feet from him. He looked up and I saw this terrible sadness in his eyes. My heart went out to him. So, I jogged over to him as he crawled around looking for his glasses, and I saw a tear in his eye. As I handed him his glasses, I said, 'Those guys are jerks. They really should get lives.’

He looked at me and said, 'Hey thanks!' There was a big smile on his face. It was one of those smiles that showed real gratitude. I helped him pick up his books, and asked him where he lived. As it turned out, he lived near me, so I asked him why I had never seen him before. He said he had gone to private school before now. I would have never hung out with a private school kid before. We talked all the way home, and I carried some of his books.

He turned out to be a pretty cool kid. I asked him if he wanted to play a little football with my friends He said yes. We hung out all weekend and the more I got to know Kyle, the more I liked him, and my friends thought the same of him.

Monday morning came, and there was Kyle with the huge stack of books again. I stopped him and said, 'Boy, you are gonna really build some serious muscles with this pile of books everyday!’ He just laughed and handed me half the books.

Over the next four years, Kyle and I became best friends. When we were seniors we began to think about college. Kyle decided on Georgetown and I was going to Duke. I knew that we would always be friends, that the miles would never be a problem. He was going to be a doctor, and I was going for business on a football scholarship.

Kyle was valedictorian of our class. I teased him all the time about being a nerd. He had to prepare a speech for graduation. I was so glad it wasn't me having to get up there and speak.

Graduation day, I saw Kyle. He looked great. He was one of those guys that really found himself during high school. He filled out and actually looked good in glasses. He had more dates than I had and all the girls loved him. Boy, sometimes I was jealous! Today was one of those days.

I could see that he was nervous about his speech. So, I smacked him on the back and said, 'Hey, big guy, you'll be great!' He looked at me with one of those looks (the really grateful one) and smiled. ' Thanks,' he said.

As he started his speech, he cleared his throat, and began 'Graduation is a time to thank those who helped you make it through those tough years. Your parents, your teachers, your siblings, maybe a coach...but mostly your friends... I am here to tell all of you that being a friend to someone is the best gift you can give them. I am going to tell you a story.'

I just looked at my friend with disbelief as he told the story of the first day we met. He had planned to kill himself over the weekend. He talked of how he had cleaned out his locker so his Mom wouldn't have to do it later and was carrying his stuff home. He looked hard at me and gave me a little smile.

'Thankfully, I was saved. My friend saved me from doing the unspeakable.' I heard the gasp go through the crowd as this handsome, popular boy told us all about his weakest moment. I saw his Mom and Dad looking at me and smiling that same grateful smile.

Not until that moment did I realize the depth of what I had done. Never underestimate the power of your actions. With one small gesture you can change a person's life. For better or for worse. God puts us all in each other’s lives to impact one another in some way. Look for God in others.

What a great story! The boy says to look for God in others; Jesus would say, “When you show kindness to another; when you help out someone that is feeling down and out, you are doing that to me.” We sometimes think that religion is all about believing stuff and if we have the right beliefs we will be okay in the sight of God. Some of you may remember last week’s sermon about, “Are you Ready?” Our faith has a lot to do with being ready, being aware, opening our eyes and seeing what’s happening in our world and where we need to show that love Jesus taught us by both his life and his words. Jesus the Christ is all around us, in you and in me, in the homeless, the unemployed, the sick, the hustler, the alcoholic, in the person seated next to you. My prayer is that we can all open our eyes a bit wider and see those people that need a friend, those that are lonely and hurting. Remember that we are all God’s beloved. Would you turn to someone sitting close to you now and say, “You are God’s beloved” or “God loves you and so do I”. As we enter the holiday season, do whatever you can to share your blessings with others and remember to also be kind and loving to yourself. Amen and Amen

Are You Ready?

2008-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Sermon for 11-9-2008
Scripture: Amos 5:18-24, Mt. 25:1-13

Today’s Gospel reading is about bridesmaids, weddings, and oil for the lamps. To someone who doesn’t know about the customs in the time and location of this scripture, it may seem confusing; for example, instead of generosity, selfishness seems to be praised. Yet this parable is not about generosity at all. It’s important to remember first of all the Christian community in Matthew’s time was still waiting for Jesus’ return, although there had already been a delay, a delay that may have caused questioning and some falling away from the faith.

In that day marriage customs were very different from our customs today. The time for the wedding ceremony was not specified. Some sources suggest that it was actually considered smart to trick the guests by arriving at an unexpected hour. Instead of the bridesmaids escorting the bride, in Jesus’ time they were to wait for the bridegroom and then, with their lamps brightly shining, escort him into the wedding ceremony.

Before getting to my main point about being ready, let me share with you the common allegorical understandings of things in this story: the bridesmaids are the church—waiting for the Second Coming of Christ; the bridegroom of course is Christ; the wedding feast is the great and joyous occasion when Christ comes for his Church; the delay of the bridegroom is the delay of the Second Coming whereas the bridegroom’s arrival in the dark of the night is the Second Coming itself; the closing of the door is the final judgment.1

So I ask you, Are you ready? If you are like me, you have been asked this question many times. Are you ready to go? Are you ready for the dinner guests? Are you ready for Christmas? Are you ready? You may be thinking, ready for what? Are you ready for the Lord?

I remember one of my mother’s friends, a deeply committed evangelical Christian, being so amazed that my mother and I did not believe in the Second Coming. She was a true believer that Jesus would actually return in the flesh and be in our midst as the man Jesus. Yet I say to you today that I do believe that Jesus Christ may come to you and to me at any moment. In fact I believe that the Christ, the incarnation of God, comes to us many times in our lifetime. Today’s Gospel reading ends with Jesus warning us, “Keep awake, therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” If we are like the bridesmaids without enough oil for their lamps, we will not see him; we will not be able to receive him. I don’t know about you, but I know for myself, I want to be sure to be ready!

It’s so easy to get this parable wrong if we are not careful. We might see this story as a tribute to two core American values: individualism and meritocracy—getting what we get because we earned it. Here’s an example of the first value: individualism. The 5 wise bridesmaids say to the other five, “I’ve got my oil, so it’s up to you to get yours.” It’s that part of our culture that says we should look out for number one, pull ourselves up by our own bootstraps. In a broader sense it’s saying our nation is the only country that counts; do whatever makes us richer and forget about the other countries. The other value, meritocracy, says, “Everybody gets what they deserve. Because the wise bridesmaids worked hard to prepare, they are rewarded. The foolish bridesmaids, playing when they should have been working, got what they deserved.” This is a lot like saying those on welfare should not have a decent place to live or adequate medical coverage because they don’t work and therefore are lazy; if not they would have a job and could get what they need. Or we can extend this example to poor countries, saying they deserve their suffering because they didn’t make good decisions. Now all of this may sound familiar in our world; however, no way does it have anything to do with the Kingdom of God. This heavenly kingdom is a place of abundance; grace of God is about being blessed without deserving that blessing. As one article said, “the password for entrance into the kingdom has never been ‘try harder’.

So what can we do to be ready and how will we recognize the coming of Christ?

In our Old Testament reading today Amos tells us what not to do as we wait. He brings a complaint from God against the people’s worship. God complains that the people are just going through the motions and not thinking about what their worship means. God is unhappy with these indifferent people. Amos brings God’s words to the people, “I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies .... Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps" (Amos 5:21, 23). In fact most of the book of Amos tells us what God hates about the people’s hypocrisy and religious practices. So what should the people do? Amos quotes one of my very favorite scriptures to remind them and us of what is important, "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream" (5:24) In my mind this goes so well with Micah, a prophet that came a little after Amos. A few weeks ago we studied his words from God, that wonderful passage that goes, “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.”

Jesus says keep awake meaning for us to keep focus, not to be distracted from what Jesus has taught us. In the very last part of this chapter of Matthew, Jesus continues with words that help us know what we should be doing as we wait. Being prepared is feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, welcoming the stranger, visiting the sick and those in prison. I’ll be preaching on this, probably my favorite scripture, next week. In this passage we will be judged as to whether or not we used our resources to fill the food banks, or cleaned out our clothes closets to provide others with something to wear, or worked for affordable health care for all, or made sure every prisoner had someone show up on visitor's day, and to bring it right here, did we greet the first time guest at church and say, 'here, this is a good place to sit, right next to me.' 2

So I’ve shared some scripture which I believe helps us to know what to do as we are waiting for the Christ and/or the Kingdom of God. Now I ask one last question: How will you recognize Jesus, the Christ? I believe that human beings are God’s language. God speaks to all of us through all of us.3 It may be a child without parents; someone who is hungry; someone with mental illness, someone who is your neighbor; an elderly woman in Hillsboro House, a visitor to our church; a group of people who are being persecuted; someone in need of justice. God moments come in different forms, but they do have something in common. They require our attentiveness to notice them.

Personally, instead of waiting for a Second Coming I prefer to think about how Christ has already come and is just waiting for us to recognize him again and again, in the most unlikely places and in the most unlikely people. And maybe the Kingdom of Heaven will be for us a great banquet. The big difference is that I do not believe that God ever closes the door on us no matter how late we are in recognizing God. Of course those many years when we are not aware, not ready, life may be pretty difficult for us. And then suddenly or after a long, slow journey, we realize that we do see the Messiah; we are filled with God’s presence. And we can’t stop singing! Alleluia and Amen.

1 Bruce Epperly, online sermon.
2 Thom Shumann, shared in a Midrash email.
3 Lindy’s Nuggets on Textweek.com.

Loving and Giving

2008-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Stewardship Sermon, October 26, 2008
Scripture: 2 Cor. 8:

Today is the beginning of our Stewardship Campaign. Did you ever look at the word stewardship? There are several small words in that big word. First there’s “stew”—that’s what a congregation can get into after a stewardship sermon; Then there’s war, which is what can take place in a trustees’ budget discussion; ‘ship’ is the third syllable. Like the Titanic, if there’s a hole in church giving, it can sink pretty fast. Finally the word ‘hip’, a reminder that total stewardship is about the whole body!

I don’t know why but somehow Stewardship sermons make me want to tell a joke or two. In these days of economic worries, I want to tell you about a little boy who wanted one hundred dollars very much. He prayed and prayed for two weeks and nothing happened so he decided to write a letter to God requesting the one hundred dollars. When the post office received the letter addressed to “God, USA”, they didn’t know what to do with it, so sent it to the President at the White House. The president was so impressed he instructed his secretary to send the little boy a five dollar bill. “That should look like a large sum of money to one so young,” he said. And indeed the boy was delighted with the five dollars and immediately sat down to write a thank-you note to God, which read: “Dear God, thank you for sending me the money. However, I notice that for some reason you had it sent through Washington, DC and as usual the government deducted ninety-five percent!”

This year the Stewardship Committee chose generosity for the theme. Our poster quotes Proverbs in saying “the world of the generous gets larger and larger.” In our pledge letters we included a quote from today’s epistle from Paul to the Corinthians that points out the generosity of Jesus in becoming poor so we could become rich. Paul links this generosity with love, he says that he is testing the genuineness of the Corinthians’ love by encouraging them to continue their earlier example of giving to the offering according to their means, and even beyond their means. He finishes our portion of the letter by quoting Moses when he was instructing the Israelites about taking just enough manna for their daily needs, “The one who had much did not have too much and the one who had little did not have too little.”

We are all aware of the financial crises in our world at the moment. It’s bound to affect some of you sitting out there this morning. When you think about your financial gifts to the church, you do have to make sure you have enough for your own needs. I believe all we have comes from God in one way or another. 1 Chronicles 29:14 reads, “Yours, Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the splendor, and the majesty; for everything in heaven and on earth is yours. All things come from you, and of your own do we give you.” So according to this, God is the owner of all we have, and we are the ower.

When I was in Washington, DC I sometimes attended the Church of the Savior, whose membership commitment says: "I commit myself, regardless of the expenditures of time, energy, and money to becoming an informed, mature Christian. I believe that God is the total owner of my life and resources. I give God the throne in relation to the material aspect of my life. God is the owner. I am the ower. Because God is a lavish giver I too shall be lavish and cheerful in my regular gifts."

So in keeping with this kind of theology of receiving, the first question is not "How much do I give to God of what is mine?" Rather it is "How much of God’s do I keep for myself?" At various times in our life, we may need to receive from the estate that has been entrusted to us almost 100%. At other times in our life, we may need to receive for ourselves from the estate 90% or less. But whatever stage of our life, one thing is clear: All that we have is a trust from God. We came into this world with nothing, and we leave this world with nothing. When thinking about giving back to God remember that our God is an extravagant God. God wants to lavish on us great abundance. In Luke 19:28-30 Jesus promises those who would abandon everything and follow him that they should receive "many times over" (RSV) with respect to their earthly needs and human friendships.

I heard a quote this week about loving and giving that I really like: "One can give without loving, but one cannot love without giving." (repeat) Our Gospel lesson has Jesus reiterating what the Old Testament prophets said, "’You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ I believe that you who are part of this church want to know and show God’s love. Most of you come because you want to be closer to God, and there is something in this body of Christ that helps you do that. This love of God naturally leads to the second greatest commandment which includes loving and caring for ourself and others.

In the 2 Corinthians passage we see Jesus as the perfect example of one who willingly became poor so that we may become rich. He set aside what could have been much glory and material riches to join himself to broken humanity. This kind of generosity is something that comes from God’s grace and not something we can say we want and immediately get. “Generosity is a quality which will develop in our lives only as we look to the Spirit of Christ to change us from within.”1 It comes as we allow Christ to work in our hearts and souls. The generosity I am talking about is not just giving money, but it is also giving of our time and talent. We don’t all have the same resources, but we all have something to give that this church needs. If any of you are doubtful about that come and talk to me. Certainly, if we are to survive in this society, much of the financial resources we possess have to be used for our own existence. Yet, once Jesus has touched our life, many of us will want to give generously to the church. This reminds me of a minister who wrote to a wealthy businessman, and requested a donation for the church. He promptly received a blunt refusal, which ended with these words: "As far as I can see, this Christian business is just one continuous GIVE, GIVE, GIVE!" The minister wrote the following reply: "I wish to thank you for the best definition of the Christian life that I have yet heard!"

Did you know that there are over 2000 verses in the Bible about how we treat the poor and oppressed ?2 You may remember that Jesus says you cannot serve both God and mammon or wealth. You cannot serve God and do whatever you please with your money. In that same discussion Jesus says "Don't be anxious, because everything you need will be given to you." Jesus talks a great deal about the kingdom of God -- and what he means by that is a life reorganized toward caring for each other. To do that, our abundance and the poverty of others need to be brought into a new balance. This process has nothing to do with being Republicans or Democrats, liberals or conservatives, socialists or capitalists. If we have the technology to go to the moon and create all of these small and powerful electronics, we can certainly find a way to share our abundance, showing our generosity to others, just as God shows generosity to us.

I’d like to repeat a story I have shared with you before. One day a clerk in a shoe store in Nova Scotia witnessed a little barefoot boy standing by the hot air register outside the bakery shop next door trying to keep warm. He wasn't sure if he should invite the boy into the store or just what to do with him, when a middle-aged lady came by and began to talk with the boy. About five minutes later, she brought him into the store and bought him new shoes and a pair of heavy woolen socks. He then overheard the boy ask the lady a question. "Are you God's wife?" Her reply was, "No son, I'm just one of God’s children." The boy said "Well, I knew you must be some kin to him." And quickly thanked her and ran out the door.

I believe that the grace of generosity comes from knowing that we are one of God’s children. And just as important it comes because we know that not only are we the children of God, but that all other people, are also children of God, The abundant grace of generous giving arises out of knowing that we can make a difference to someone in need, out of knowing that we can help others, as God has helped us, and that we can be for others the healing hands of God, the giving hands of God, the comforting hands of God.

Generosity arises out of love for our brothers and sisters and out of our love for God, and out of God's love for us. Without financial support, this church could not carry on, providing all of us a place to worship, to receive spiritual nourishment, the availability of a professionally trained minister for pastoral care, including funerals and weddings. Without generous giving this church would not be able to reach out to care for the spiritual and practical needs of the larger community. The miracle is that when we give graciously and openly, with love, we also receive, both individually and as a church. What goes around, comes around and the world of the generous just keeps getting larger and larger. My prayer is that at the end of this pledge season we can stand together in a circle, hand in hand, knowing that we have all given what we could, large or small. May God’s grace and love surround us. Amen.

One in the Spirit

2008-10-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Ukama Sunday, October 19, 2008
Micah 7:14-20; 1 Cor. 12:12-26

I wonder how much you know about the origins of what is now the country of Zimbabwe. I knew that at one time it had been a very fertile, rich place, called the bread basket of Africa. As I did further research I learned that the name Zimbabwe came from the area called Great Zimbabwe, located in the southeastern part of the country. The ruins of this area, which had been a great Shona Empire between the 11th and 15th centuries, were encountered in the 16th century by the Portuguese explorers but never officially confirmed till the 19th century. The ruins of this former city extend more than 60 acres, include a hilltop fortress and walls of stone monoliths. Between 12 to 20000 people lived here. The huge structures at the Great Zimbabwe were a symbol of the power and wealth of those who lived there. The Shona kings became very wealthy and powerful by controlling trade between the southern Africa interior and the East African coast.

From the 1830’s to 1890’s traders and missionaries, including Cecil John Rhodes explored the region. In 1889 Rhodes was a given a British mandate to colonize what was then named Southern Rhodesia and eventually the white minority opted for self-government. From the 1930’s to 1960’s black opposition to colonial rule grew with two black Nationalist groups emerging, one of which was Mugabe’s Zanu group. Ian Smith became Prime minister in 1964 and tried to get Britain to declare the country independent which they refused to do. Finally in 1965 he unilaterally declared independence—of course under white minority rule, causing much international outrage. Yet it was not until the early 70’s that saw an intensification of black guerrilla warfare against the white rule and that extended on till 1980, when British supervised elections named Mugabe as prime minister. Mugabe was then seen as a hero among the predominantly black nations in Africa. Mugabe soon began trying to get rid of any opposition; and economic crises, strikes, and riots filled the next 20 years, getting increasingly worse in 2000 when squatters seized hundreds of white-owned farms. reclaiming what they believe were stolen from them earlier In 2000 Morgan Tsvangirai almost beat Mugabe in elections which observers say were seriously flawed and then we know the most recent election was won by Tsvangirai but Mugabe insisted on a run off election. The opposition party had been so scared by Mugabe’s people who had carried out severe beatings and kidnappings that there was no such thing as a fair election in the runoff. Most recently S.African’s Mbeki has tried to help workout power sharing but it seems that Mugabe is not willing to give up any of his power.

The history of all this is much more complex than I have time to share with you. There’s an excellent a timeline of Zimbabwe’s historical events if you wish to google it. But now let’s get on with some history of the UCCZ and our Ukama partnership. On October 19, 1893, the Mission Station at Mt. Selinda was established and the United Church of Christ Zimbabwe was born. In 1996 the NH Conference of the UCC and the Zimbabwe UCC established a partnership for the purpose of promoting a deep friendship (Ukama) between the two settings of the United Church of Christ. We have been partners ourselves with the Rimbi church since ? and have enjoyed both Rev. Foroma and Balance Chimbangwa from that church visiting with us. Originally, there was not to be any financial exchange between the two settings or the individual churches, mostly due to how money can often change relationships from equal to one up, one down. Because of the terrible economic hardships in the past five years, there has been a change where donations are very much needed and welcomed. Still the main reason for the partnership is to grow in Ukama (friendship) and be One in the Spirit. The Ukama website lists the different aspects of our covenant relationship. The number one item is “to give and receive spiritual nourishment through prayer, moral support in times of joy, sorrow, hardships, and celebrations. One way we do this is through letters and I urge you to write a letter this coming week so that we can send it with our Conference leaders that are planning a trip there next month. You may also feel called to share some financial gifts with them. There is an insert explaining the Ways you may give if you wish to do so.

One of the things I admire most about our Zimbabwe sisters and brothers is their joy in worship and their great faithfulness. The Micah passage was chosen for today by Rev. Chapola, a Zimbabwean that has been studying at Bangor Theological Seminary for several years and has recently been called to a church in Maine. He chose this passage because of its emphasis on prayer. There is no doubt about it that the UCCZ members are praying people. Micah is imploring God to do again the wonderful things God’s done for his people in the past. In verses 18 to 20 Micah reminds God and the people that God is not angry forever, God is gracious, loyal, compassionate, forgiving, and keeps promises. Just like in Zimbabwe today, the nation was on its knees, both literally in praying and figuratively because they were at a very low point. Micah asked God to shepherd his sheep and to remember God’s promises to the ancestors. The people in Zimbabwe may be asking, God, why is all this happening? Yet they trust just as Micah does that God’s compassion is with them. God is their hope. They do believe that God will provide just as he has done for the Hebrew people in the desert. In Zimbabwe we have so many people hungry, most have only one meal a day and sometimes that is just wild fruit. The hyperinflation continues and cash itself has become scarce. People line up at the bank, starting at 3 am to get their daily withdrawal. One woman calculated the price of goods by the number of days she had to spend in line at the bank: a day for a bar of soap, another day for a bag of salt, and four days for a sack of cornmeal. (NY Times article 10-2 ) The new $50,000 dollar bill, the limit that can be withdrawn doesn’t even pay the transportation to get to the job. Some business owners are trying to give transport tickets daily in order for their employees to come to work; no workers, production stops, economics worsen, more hunger and so forth.

How hard it must be to continue suffering so much and still have faith that God loves them and will never leave them! Our Ukama partnership means that their suffering is our suffering; however, we still eat three meals a day and have relative safety wherever we go. The burdens of our partners weigh heavy on our minds. We must walk with them in prayer and by continuing to encourage them with letters and sharing resources as appropriate. Ukama is a word that means “We are like family”. The Zimbabweans take great comfort in knowing our concern and caring. With them as with so many situations today, I often find myself saying “All I can do is pray.” It is so important that we lift them up to the Spirit. The Rev. Kim McKerley says that “God has blessed us richly over these 12 years of Ukama/Partnership. Through this holy relationship, we have learned, by God’s grace, how much we need each other, and how much we love one another.” As Paul’s letter reminds us in v. 26, “If one member suffers, all suffer with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”

Jesus in John17:21 prays that we may all be one. He prays that we will be one with God, one with him and one with each other. . His prayer for oneness was not about sameness. Jesus is praying that above all else, all of his followers all over the world, for years to come, would be one in their relationships with each other, and with God. As some of you know that same scripture was the spirit that led the UCC to be born 50 years ago from 4 different denominations. But we don’t all have to be one organizationally. Different strokes for different folks! The important thing is that we love and honor each other and God. If we have oneness in purpose, Jesus says that the world will know that God loves us just as God loves Jesus. So I invite you to join with me in opening our hands to pray: Loving God, we are ukama with our Zimbabwe partners. We lift up their burdens and our burdens. We all have difficulties and we all are differently gifted. As Paul reminds us we are all one in the body of Christ. Together we are a whole. Make us one in the Spirit. Let us share each others joys and sorrows as we pray to our brother Jesus and our parent God. Amen

Do Not Be Conformed To Your World

2008-08-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sermon for 8-24-08
Scripture: Romans 12:1-8

Let me start off this sermon with Eugene Petersen’s translation of the first few
verses of our Roman’s passage: “So here’s what I want you to do. God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering” Our NRSV says “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God”. “…Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead fix your attention on God”.

In a wonderful book by Martin Luther King, Jr. called Strength to Love, there is a sermon based on Romans 12 where he talks about “Transformed nonconformity”. He acknowledges how strongly our culture pressures us to become like those around us, especially ‘respectable society’. He says instead Christians must find a way to live in the world but not of the world. He adds, “We must make history and not be shaped by history.” Another brilliant quote that further describes this first part of Romans 12: “Most people are thermometers that record or register the temperature of majority opinion, not thermostats that transform and regulate the temperature of society.” We all know examples of how the church went along with society instead of the teaching of Jesus—think about slavery in this country as well as most of the German church supporting Hitler. It’s still happening with many churches that build up wealth for the institution and do very little for the poor or do not welcome people of different sexual orientation, races, or nationalities. King said “There are some things in our world to which men of goodwill must be maladjusted. I confess that I never intend to become adjusted to the evils of segregation and the crippling effects of discrimination, to the moral degeneracy of religious bigotry and the corroding effects of narrow sectarianism, to economic conditions that deprive men of work and food, and to the insanities of militarism and the self-defeating effects of physical violence.”

What about each of you out there this morning? What do you conform to or are you a nonconformist? Sometimes nonconformity can just be a form exhibitionism and I’m not talking about just behaving weirdly or acting out for shock value. I came across a story about the French sociologist, Jacques Ellul; who worked with marginalized youth in Bordeaux in the ‘50’s and ‘60’s. He stated that his goal was not to make them “adjust” to the normal patterns of society but to move them from being ‘negatively maladjusted to society to becoming positively maladjusted’, to become non-conformists of a different kind, an example might be--going from crime and drugs to advocating for the homeless and organizing workers.

If we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, we have to go beyond our comfort zone. We have to do try to figure out what it is that God wants us to be and do to contribute to the common good of our society. A lot of this depends on what gifts we have been given. With our gift(s) comes a task, a way of contributing to the larger community. The “renewing of our minds” part is reflecting and very possibly changing our attitudes, our orientations to the world around us. As we are transformed, changed behavior results, including our relationship with God, therefore helping us discern what we are to believe and to do.

My friends, I read Paul’s metaphor of the body and gifts in Romans as applying both to individuals and to the church, but largely to the church. After telling individuals “not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned”, Paul brings up how we are all one body in Christ, members one of another—mutual dependency. Paul uses the human body as a metaphor to show how the church is to function. Just like our bodies have many parts that are responsible for different things: the eyes for seeing, the nose for smelling, the legs for walking, the church has many parts but all work together for the ministry of Jesus. Both in our bodies and in our churches to be healthy there has to be an awareness of the others, a relationship between diversity and unity. I see this example applying not only to the different parts of one local church but also to churches within the larger faith community.

Lets look at some specific examples to make this scripture more understandable. In our church here in Deering, we have some people whose gift it is to provide beautiful music; others have gifts of Bible reading; some have gifts of preparing the sanctuary for worship; others have gifts in cooking or cleaning up, making lovely flower arrangements and gardens, or crafting quilts or canning jams and pickles; others have gifts in reaching out to those in need, some have gifts of public speaking and organizing things such as Forums and Chicken Barbeques, some have gifts of generosity with time and finances. I could go on and on—this is a congregation of such an abundance of gifts.

When we look at the larger church community such as the conference, the denomination, and interfaith groups, we see some faith communities that are exceptional in worship, some in missions, some in education, some in peacemaking, some in radical hospitality. The important thing to remember, no matter what our gifts are, we are more alike than we are different and we can enrich each other as individuals and as faith communities as we come together to share our gifts. All of the churches and the individuals are equally loved and honored by God. We are all made in the image of God, and the churches in New Testament times are all called to live as one body in Christ. I believe that God wants us to go even further and reach out to non-Christians, both those of other faiths and those who profess no religion. I can’t imagine anything that would please God more than seeing all his children caring for each other and for the earth. There are so many ways we can cooperate to work for the common good for all. The more we de-emphasize tribal and national loyalties, the more we can make this a world of love and peace. I ask each of you to join with me in this task so that we will indeed bring about God’s kingdom of Isaiah 55:12-13: For you shall go out in joy, and be led back in peace; the mountains and the hills before you shall burst into song, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Amen and amen!

GO Sermon for June 15, 2008

2008-06-26T07:16:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Matthew 9:35-10:8

In the Gospel of Matthew for the last few Sundays we have been hearing about the many miracles of healing that Jesus performed. Today we make a slight transition as Jesus goes out and about in all the cities and villages, teaching in the synagogues, and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom. He also kept on curing every disease and sickness. What he encountered were all kinds of people in great need; Matthew’s words describing these people are “harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” He quickly realized he was going to need some help.

Let me tell you a story. One day I was walking in the neighborhood of my old city, a rather poor area, when I came upon a lemonade stand with several children sitting behind the box that held the lemonade with a homemade sign, “Lemonade 10 cents”. I decided to stop and refresh myself. The kids were excited that they had a customer. One boy came over and asked if I wanted to buy a cup of lemonade. As I assured him that was just what I wanted, he went back and brought me a cup of lemonade that his partner had poured. I gave him a quarter and started drinking while he went back to get change. By the time he brought back my change, I was almost finished drinking. He gave me the change and then asked if I were finished drinking. “Almost”, I said. “Why?” He then said, "That's the only cup we have, and we need it to stay in business."

Now I’m sure that you would agree that it's difficult to operate a lemonade stand if you only have one cup . (Adapted from an illustration in e-Sermons.) We sometimes make that same mistake in the church. By that I mean expecting the pastor to be the only one that goes out to share the Good News. In our gospel reading, Jesus looked at all the harassed and helpless people and said, the harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. He then calls his 12 disciples and gives them the authority to do all that he has been doing. He calls them to GO. He doesn’t preface his instructions with professional sounding words such as, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Oh, No! He just calls to them and gives it to them straight: “Go, proclaim the good news, cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.” Wow! What a job description! I can imagine that they must have felt some anxiety. This was to be their first solo mission without their leader. Yet if Jesus authorizes his apostles to do these things, it means he will be working through them, giving them the necessary power.

As I started to reflect on these instructions, it made me think about what is church all about today. Our faith talks about the priesthood of all believers; we have some set aside, ordained, to be leaders and teachers, yet all are being called to help out. We are all called to teach, to share the good news, and to bring healing to our broken world. In our modern day we don’t talk about cleansing lepers or casting out demons or raising the dead; however, I believe those tasks are still being asked of us with a slightly different vocabulary. We are certainly called to minister to the outcast—last Sunday’s sermon was all about Jesus being sent to those that were on the margins or were excluded” by the “proper folks”: the lepers was sort of a code word for all those seen as unclean or sinners such as the hemorrhaging woman, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the Samaritans. Moving right along, are we called to cast out demons? What about rewording this concept to speaking truth to evil—going out with the armor of God, to stand up for those who are being treated unfairly, where injustice reigns? The church is certainly called to do something about systemic evil, the powers and principalities who are institutionalized in ways that cause suffering and injustice; for example, those not having enough money to pay for doctors or healthcare and therefore, suffer with illness and die in much greater numbers than those of us who can obtain medical services. And that leads us to death. Raise up the dead? Although we know some people who are pronounced medically dead do survive, most of us no matter how hard we try, probably can’t bring people back from physical death but what about emotional and social death? How many people do you know or have you known over the years that seem so depressed, so isolated, so lifeless that we may have described them as appearing half-dead? That group of people certainly needs some attention, some care. So it seems to me, in one form or another, all of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples still hold, still apply to us.

One of the most important characteristic of the church that comes to me as I observe Jesus’ words and actions is that the church has to be about movement. The church is not following Jesus if we just stay static, “preserve-our-level-of-comfort-and-let-them-come-to-us spirituality. (From S.A.M.U.E.L.—UCC online preaching help for 6-15) Here it comes again: we must go out and share what we have, our gifts from God, with those that have not known about the “good news” nor been touched by God’s love. The helpless and harassed evoked Jesus’ compassion. He knew that he could not do it all himself, that he needed help. It’s very much the same for me as the pastor of this church. I can’t do it all by myself; I need you, God needs you to go out into the world. I know how uncomfortable most of you are with the word evangelist. This church is much more like St. Francis, who said: “Go out and preach the gospel and when necessary use words”. I had heard that expression; however, I only learned the background of this statement this past week. Let me share it with you: According to legend, one day St. Francis “informed his brethren that he planned to go into the nearby village on a preaching mission. He invited a novice to go along. On their way, they passed an injured man and Francis promptly stopped, saw to the poor fellow's needs and arranged medical care for him. They went on and soon passed a homeless man who was near starvation. Again, Francis stopped his journey and ministered to the hungry, homeless man. So it went, all through the day: people in need, Francis lovingly caring for them as best he could until the sun was low in the sky. He told his novice friend it was time for them to return, now, to the monastery for evening prayers. But the young man said, "Father, you said we were coming to town to preach to the people." Francis smiled. Then he said, "My friend, that's what we've been doing all day." E. Carver McGriff, Relationship Evangelism,Times of Refreshing, CSS Publishing Company.)

This is wonderful, faithful evangelism, ministering to people in their need, not worrying about numerical growth, just sharing God’s love in a concrete fashion. Yet there are times when we need to use words. Even St. Francis would admit to that, “when necessary use words.” I want to share how joyous I am to have Jesus as my guide and comforter when I reach out to others, especially those that seem to have something lacking in their life, those that are lonely, those that are dealing with one or more serious problems. In our Gospel reading, Jesus saw all these folks that seemed like sheep without a shepherd and knew he had to enlist his disciples to minister to them. Apostle means those sent. God is calling the people in our church to be apostles, to go out with compassion and tender care. The particular way and the particular people we are being called to vary. There’s one thing that I’m sure of and that is we are not called to just sit still, but to be on the move as Jesus and his apostles were, to be open to those that we meet along the way. I’m very aware that today’s sermon sounds a lot like last weeks sermon. Most preachers will admit that they probably have only 3 or 4 sermons, different words certainly, different illustrations, but only a few important messages. This is certainly my “Go” sermon, Go out into the world and share the good news with others. Go! Follow Jesus’ words and actions. Amen!

HOPE AGAINST HOPE June 8, 2008

2008-06-26T07:05:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Romans 4:13-25; Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26

What an amazing number of possibilities to preach on from today’s lectionary! After much reflection I feel called to focus on the readings as being filled with people faced with great challenges, in situations where many people would be overwhelmed and probably very discouraged. In spite of this, they continued to hope against hope that things could change.

In Paul’s letter to the Romans, he reviews the Genesis story about Abraham: this man is called by God to leave his home, his country and go to an unknown land that God was to show him. As most of you remember, Abraham did not have any children by his wife Sarah, and yet God promised him that he would have many descendants, and this was when they were already in their old age. Yet God told Abraham to look toward heaven and count the stars—if he could—and that would be how many descendants he would have. Abraham had faith in God and kept journeying on with hope against hope.
In the Gospel of Matthew we are first introduced to a low level tax collector. Tax collectors were scorned because they worked for the Roman government and cheated their own people by taking more taxes then required in order to line their own pockets. So we find this tax collector, also named Matthew, sitting at the tax booth. He was financially better off than most but because of his job he was a social outcast. Jesus approaches him and said “Follow me”. With a sudden spark of “hope against hope” in his heart, Matthew drops everything and got up and followed Jesus.

Continuing on in our scripture, we are introduced to a leader of the synagogue whose beloved daughter has just died. This man would have been part of the group that criticized Jesus for eating and drinking with the outcasts—the tax collectors, the prostitutes and other sinners. Yet he loved his daughter soo much that he risked his reputation to ask for help from Jesus. He was hoping against hope that Jesus could help him and Jesus responded and started to follow him.

Suddenly there was an interruption. In the other gospels we are told that Jesus felt a power going out of him and asks who touched him; however in Matthew we are simply told that there was a woman who had been suffering from hemorrhages for twelve years. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be made well.” Jesus responds by saying “Take heart, daughter, your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well. (9:21-22) She hoped against hope that Jesus would pay attention to her, but why would he—she was an outcast, a woman seen as ‘unclean’ for all those years. Can you imagine how she must have felt when Jesus spoke to her and the bleeding immediately stopped
Jesus then continues following the synagogue leader; he is laughed at by the mourners when he tells them that the daughter is not dead but sleeping. He takes the girl by the hand and the girl gets up. Amazing things happen when we follow our hope against hope.

Let’s look at some examples from the recent primary campaigns. John McCain, several months ago was at a very low ebb in terms of supporters, especially low in the money needed to wage a successful campaign. He had to dismiss most of his primary workers and take regular airplanes as opposed to chartered jets. Now McCain had experienced hope against hope before as a prisoner of war so it was nothing new to him, to hope against hope and be determined to go on fighting for the nomination of the Republican Party. Although others thought it was hopeless, he persevered and became the presumptive nominee. On the Democratic side we have Barack Obama, who by the very fact of his African blood had two and a half strikes against him. Even many of my black friends didn’t dare support him at first as they didn’t want to waste their vote. Obama and those who believed in his candidacy from the beginning had to hope against hope that he could be the nominee. Obama, like McCain, had earlier times in his life that he had to hope against hope, even writing a book called the Audacity of Hope. Whatever happens next November, we will have a president that knows what hope against hope is all about, and I believe that will be positive for his leadership.

What about the gays and lesbians that have been discriminated against in so many ways? Here’s a group of people, like African Americans, who can relate to Abraham’s journey of leaving his home and family to go on an unknown journey. Even though they may not travel a long way physically, the alienation and hostility, the differences of life style, make them feel as removed from their families as those who have traveled a long way. Many of them give up and succumb to depression and addictions; however, many more hope against hope and continue to journey to better times, some even to reconciliation with their families.

Another example of hope against hope are the illegal immigrants that cross the border at great risk to their lives in order to have opportunity to earn a living, to be able to take care of their families. Now some of you may think, why be concerned about them, they are breaking the law. I only ask you to remember that Jesus says very clearly in our gospel that he desires mercy not sacrifice, that he has come to call not the righteous but sinners. We, also, only have to look into our own lives to see the many things we have done or left undone to know we also are in need of God’s steadfast, unconditional love.

In my own life as your pastor, I sometimes get discouraged, sometimes my faith is challenged. For over 50 years I have been praying, “Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief.” I wonder why the membership and attendance of this congregation remains so low. What am I suppose to be doing? I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit praying for me when my own words seem inadequate. I will continue to hope against hope that I can lead this church to be faithful to Jesus’ teachings whether we have 20 or 80 participating in worship.

What can each of us do this week to follow Jesus and bring some healing to our hurting world? Those of you that are in the work world see many people each week, people that need to be touched, to be listened to. Those who do not go to a job, go other places—the grocery store, the doctor’s office, the drug store, the gas station. We see others that are in need of a smile, in need of some attention. There may be someone, like the hemorrhaging woman, that is searching for someone to relate to, to share her pain with. A few days ago I had a phone call from my, and she was really down; I asked a few of you to pray about the situation. When I called her the next day, she was feeling so much better. Not one, but two, friends had visited her. I believe those friends were God’s angels. I believe each of you is also God’s angel, meaning you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, and you are being called to do God’s work in this lonely, stressful world. Jesus has asked us to follow him, to provide for others that gentle healing presence. There are so many people who are in need of acceptance, recognition, forgiveness and love. Will you go from this holy place this Sunday and compassionately reach out and touch the lives, the hearts, the souls of others? You can do it even if you feel that you are inadequate, even if you feel too shy, even if you feel unworthy. You can go forward with hope against hope, and Jesus will be with you. Thanks be to God! Amen and amen!

LISTENING, SHARING, DOING AND HEALING

2008-06-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Beginning a Sacred Conversation about Race
Sermon for May 18, 2008
Gen 1:1-2; 4a; 26-27; 31a; 2 Cor. 13:11-13; Matt 28:16-20

My dear brothers and sisters, today is a special day in the United Church of Christ; it is the day that many churches in our denomination are beginning a SACRED CONVERSATION ON RACE. It is also Trinity Sunday; however, I have chosen to focus on race and will use the scriptures chosen for this Sunday to elucidate some of the thoughts I will be sharing with you. Today’s sermon will indeed be a very personal one. As many of you know my first husband, Roland Luckett, whom I married in 1964 was an African American from Jackson Mississippi. Some of you have met our biracial children, Jason and Josslyn. I will share with you some of the experiences I have had being part of a biracial family.

I see two important points in the Genesis reading that pertain to our focus: 1) God made humankind (literal translation, earthlings) in God’s image; and 2)God saw everything that he had made and pronounced it very good.

While there is nothing in the Genesis creation story mentioning race or ethnicity, the claim that all humans were created in God’s image does point to equality. However, in the history of race relations in our country, this equality has not been present. People of African descent have often been considered less than human; our early constitution specified that those people not free, in other words African slaves, who were then called Negroes, would be counted as 3/5’s of a person.

Now to go to our Gospel lesson in Matthew, we hear Jesus telling his followers to make disciples of all nations. What was Jesus’ conception of all nations? From the names cited in Matthew, there would be Palestine, Transjordan, Syrophoenicia and possibly Egypt, certainly Jews and Gentiles, Greeks and Romans.(Norman Gottwald and Laura Lagerquist-Gottwald, “Lectionary Readings for Trinity Sunday with Resources for a Sacred Conversation on Race, May 18, 2008”) As far as we know there was not a lot of racial animosity and prejudice in the ancient worlds; however, there was animosity between various political and religious groups, much of it based on class and gender; there were slaves but instead of these people being slaves because of their race, they were usually slaves because of economic problems or because of being captured in battles. There was also a prejudice of the able bodied against the disabled and those with diseases such as leprosy. We hear again and again in the gospels how much separation and division existed, and we also hear how Jesus, again and again, would break through the stigma that separated people. The stories of the tax collectors, the Good Samaritan, the Woman at the well, the lepers are few of the more familiar ones. The early Christian church followed Jesus’ examples of inclusion, not exclusion.

Sadly, in modern times there is a history of colonialism, slavery, and militarism that has fueled more and more discrimination, perpetuating and sadly reinforcing oppression of people based on skin color, national origin, ethnicity—Native Americans, African Americans, Latinos, Asians and most recently Middle Easterners. In the days of slavery in this country, the notion that African Americans were less than human made it okay to deny them freedoms: their right to maintain families, earn a livelihood, or even a right to life. So much of racism in this country is rooted in a 400 year-old system of economic exploitation that continues even today. At this point I want to make a differentiation between prejudice and racism. All racial groups have prejudice, stereotypes associated with different racial groups; however, racism, as with all isms such as capitalism, socialism, etc. is a system that has power. Our power brokers--political, economic, and religious--have for a long time been white males and are just recently in this country becoming more diverse. Blacks in this country have not had the power to do such things as racially profile whites, deny housing or jobs to whites, in the way that whites can do these things to blacks. This is what I’m talking about when I speak of racism, This racism has definitely been part of our Christian faith—for a radical example think Ku Klux Klan. It’s always amazing to me to see how much prejudice and hatred is justified by one’s religion. Jesus’ compassion for the poor and the marginalized, his command that we love even our enemies, is in my mind so contrary to what Christians have done over the centuries. We all have our blind spots, our irrationalities and if we are to have a sacred conversation about race it’s important that we listen to others, share our own stories, and then figure out a plan of action that we can take that will contribute to abolishing racism in both those places close to us and in the larger world.

When I think about the stories that have defined my attitudes about race, I have to go back to my family of origin and the place where I lived as do most people. As most of you know, I grew up in a small town in Maine, not too different from Deering. My family was middle class, early settlers in the town, owned a lot of property, ran a small seasonal hotel and were very prejudiced. Early on I heard derogatory comments about Jews, Negroes and even Roman Catholics. Anyone that was not like us, was inferior and someone with whom I should not to be in close relationship. I remember at about age 12 having a crush on a boy staying at our hotel whose name was Peter Brady. My mother quickly discouraged the crush saying that I could never marry anyone like that—he was Irish and Catholic, beneath us. To me these prejudices didn’t make any sense, especially as I got more involved with reading the Bible, where it seemed to me that God created all equally, and Jesus said to love our neighbor as our self, not specifying religion, race, class, etc.

Growing up I did not have contact with black people except when I went into Portland, the closest big city and would occasionally see a black woman running the elevator in one of the fancy department stores. As a teenager, probably 13 or 14, I went to a summer camp on Lake Winnepesaukee and met two blacks, one a minister and leader of the camp and the other, a boy of my age named Jesse Owens Perry. Jesse and I became special friends and continued writing to each other for a few years. When I was 15, I heard about Emmet Till, a northern black youth visiting in Mississippi who was killed for making a wolf whistle and saying, “bye Baby” to a female white store employee. That incident I believe was a beginning of my heightened interest and resolve to work for civil rights. Then the summer I was 19, back home from college, I had a job at a nearby institution for the mentally retarded. That same summer there were a group of young people from around the country working there from the American Friends Service program. That was when I met Roland. He was a very charismatic young man, and we quickly realized that we were attracted to each other. My parents didn’t forbid me to date him, yet were very critical, saying it wasn’t right because of the difference in our races. On our dates that summer we ran into a lot of stares and some negative comments, all of which made Roland very anxious. His history of discrimination in Mississippi caused him to know the terrible things that happened when races mixed, especially in a romantic way. Until 1967 when the Supreme Court overturned the Loving case of the marriage of a black woman and white man, most Southern states had what were called antimiscegenation laws, forbidding interracial marriages. The judge that tried the original case of the Lovings gave them a choice of a year in jail or move to another state. He said, Almighty God created the races, white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix . (Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia, 388 US. 1 (1967).)

Well, Roland and I continued our courtship for two years with letters and phone calls and a couple of visits. After graduating from the U. of Maine, I went to graduate school in Hawaii where Roland was stationed at Tripler Army Hospital. After two years of courtship in a multi-racial atmosphere, we were married and a year later, Jason our son was born. We moved to California when Jason was a year old and were blessed with a daughter, Josslyn. Those of you that have met my children know how lucky I am to have such loving adults in my life. Both have suffered from being black and sometimes from being white. Let me just share a few examples: The children grew up in a very white suburb of Orange County, CA, and Jason had many experiences of not being allowed to date his white friends once their parents realized he was biracial. He was stopped by police while walking in our neighborhood as they didn’t think he lived there; because he was black, he must be up to some mischief. When the children went off to college and were around more African Americans, they were sometimes discriminated for their whiteness, not sounding like or looking like the black students. Just in the last year, Jason told me the story of being followed by security when he was shopping in a drug store in a primarily white neighborhood with no evidence other than he was black. By the way it’s really hard to call a biracial person white, but no problem calling him black which goes back to the old “one drop” rule , which came out of the American South, meaning that a single drop of "black blood" makes a person a black.

Well, there are many more stories I could tell you about my own experiences, but I want plenty of time for us all to share after the service. In Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, he urges followers to put thing in order, agree with each other, and to live in peace. Here in this country that means taking on the racial realities of our life together, acting together to change the way our lives are structured, eliminating discrimination which comes both from structural racism and individual prejudice. We have to be aware and understand our different realities shape how we see ourselves and each other. I believe that by confronting the pain and committing ourselves to the common good of all, we can be healed and will flourish as a church and as a nation. May God guide and bless us. Amen

OUT OF MANY, ONE Pentecost 2008

2008-06-26T06:54:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Acts 2:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:3b-13

This is a day of celebration. This year on Pentecost we are celebrating the birthday of the church and also Pluralism Sunday. Seven weeks after Easter, Pentecost is celebrated as commemorating the time that Jesus’ words were fulfilled by having the Holy Spirit descend on his followers. It is the third most important festival in Christianity, after Easter and Christmas. Pentecost was and is a Jewish Festival coming 50 days after Passover, it celebrated the completion of both harvest and Moses being given the Law on Mt. Sinai. This story goes back to the Tower of Babel experience in Genesis 11. In the beginning, so the story goes, all people were one tribe and spoke the same language. At the beginning the whole tribe was behind the building of a single tower that would be bigger than anyone had ever seen. Unfortunately the building took much longer than anyone imagined—several generations. The grandchildren of the original builders didn’t have the same devotion to building this tower—it was more a chore than a sacred duty. Now of course we have no way of knowing exactly what happened way back then. One story has it that a worker carrying a brick to the very top, a task that took many months, fell and the people mourned the brick over the worker. As a punishment for their prideful attempt to build a tower with its top in the heavens and for their lack of compassion for each other, God caused these men to be scattered into different language groups. They were fragmented and separated and could no longer speak to or understand each other. (Our English word babble comes from this story.) This story can be a lesson for us that whenever we value the material world over the person, we lose our ability to understand each other, even if we speak the same language.

After Jesus was killed, we all know how sad his followers were. When Jesus made his after resurrection appearances to them, they were comforted and inspired. Peter decided to gather Jesus followers together in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost. Now these Jews that followed Jesus came from many different countries and language groups. Peter, however, was not distracted by this problem as he was so on fire with the good news of Jesus the Christ and his promise to give them the Holy Spirit as an Advocate. As he spoke humbly yet forcefully from his heart, everyone understood him and each other in their own language. As the scripture says, they all marveled saying,”Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us, in our own native language?"

Is it possible when we dare speak humbly and directly from our heart, we understand each other? Could it be that when we speak from that divine center that is part of all of us, when we speak the truth with compassion, we are able to communicate with others, even without words, that people become one again. It’s such a temptation in our modern world with its busyness and emphasis on profits and deadlines to value the brick over the person. I wonder how many here today spend much of their time fulfilling someone else’s dream and not working on their own. Each of us has the possibility each day to choose what we value: the brick or the person. An example of this compassion that comes to me is the story from the Special Olympics where those with mental retardation and development disabilities compete. In a race for the gold, one of the participants fell down and those behind him took the time to help him rather than taking the opportunity to run ahead and get the prize. Mark Nepo to whom I am indebted for much of the spin on the Tower of Babel story says it this way, “…when I am drawn to speak or listen with compassion, holding what is living above that the living make, things become one. Suddenly I belong again to the one tribe that holds each other at days end. So when we find ourselves speaking a language no one seems to understand, or, more important, when we can’t seem to understand or feel anyone else, we need to ask, ‘What brick am I carrying, and has it become too important?’”

These points carry over so well to the concept of Pluralism. The Center for Progressive Christianity, the Network of Spiritual Progressives and others have designated this year’s Pentecost Sunday as “Pluralism Sunday,” in which we are invited to celebrate the many paths to God. Jim Burklo, the director of Pluralism Sunday, talks about America having a long tradition of toleration for different religions; we tolerate having different faiths in our neighborhoods. What he hopes is that Pluralism Sunday will take a step beyond and actually embrace other religions and honor them at a deeper level. Another goal is to let the world know that there is a way to be Christian without the exclusivity and superiority that is so familiar to us in this country. If we are able to look beneath the outside differences with the compassion of the divine heart as opposed to valuing our own economic or belief system, pluralism will have a great chance of succeeding as we accept and embrace others on a deep level.

I have chosen as my sermon title, of Out of Many, One. Did you know this was the original motto of our country before “In God we trust”? When I was a child I remember the slogan about America being the melting pot, referring to the acceptance of the many different immigrant groups. A little later, maybe when I was a teenager, I heard people talking about America as a Salad Bowl rather than a melting pot, and I remember how much better I liked that term. It seemed more realistic and preserved all the beauty and variety that immigrants bring to this country, the diversity I talked about last week. Dr. Bob Cornwell has a wonderful description of this Salad Bowl: “We may be Americans, but we're also something else - African, Italian, Asian, English, Arab, Latin American. ... We're Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, Orthodox Christian, Catholic, Protestant, or perhaps none of the above. A good garden salad has lots of great ingredients that retain their identity even as they're tossed into the salad - tomato, green onion, spinach, baby arugula, radicchio, romaine, radish, carrot, croutons, maybe some blue cheese, and the dressing of one's choice. Each ingredient adds flavor and texture to the salad. It's true that over time assimilation does happen, but even with intermarriage and a standardized education, we remain products of our heritage and common experiences, just like a salad.” Out of Many, One. I really like that!

In this salad bowl we can share and learn from each other. Pluralism is recognizing that my way is not the only way; or as I have preached before, Jesus is my gate to God; however there are other gates for other people that are just as valid for them as Jesus is for me. We don’t have to agree; neither do we have to accept that anything goes. It is important to share our own beliefs respectfully. There are times when we may have to speak out strongly against certain religious or cultural practices such as girls’ genital mutilations. It would be a mistake to say that everything anyone does in the name of God is okay. A pluralistic view believes we get closer to God and each other when we let compassion lead us to understand the traditions of others with whom we share our planet.

Both Pentecost and Pluralism point to a God who enables us to speak and hear in ways that bring unity rather than divisiveness. Our other Bible reading in first Corinthians also celebrates pluralism as Paul talks about how there are many gifts yet the same Spirit or One body with many members—Out of Many, One. Although this reference is pertaining to the early Christians, I see it applying to us all being part of the mystical body of Christ. In researching this sermon, I came across this quote, “Whether they come from the Muslim world, or the Buddhist world, or the Christian world, or the non-believing world, they are members of the body of Christ because they've been called by God. They may not even know the name of Jesus, but they know in their hearts they need something that they don't have and they turn to the only light they have…” It might surprise you to know that this was said by Billy Graham.

Paul says we are all made to drink of the same Spirit which for me is like the Holy Spirit coming into all the gathered there in Jerusalem, all the Diaspora of Jews with many different languages. It reminds me of a hymn by Al Carmines that we will be singing after the sermon; according to our hymn book it was the first modern text to claim diversity as a gift from God. “Many gifts, one Spirit, one love known in many ways. In our difference is blessing, from diversity we praise one Giver, one Lord, one Spirit, one God known in many ways.” For me pluralism is a gift of God’s amazing creativity: diversity but more than that—God’s affirming that all of this is good, precious in God’s sight. And that we as citizens of the world as well as followers of a particular belief system are to reach out to the others in humility, affirming diversity and celebrating pluralism in the light of God’s vision of reconciliation, forgiveness and healing of the planet and all God’s children. God is calling us to celebrate our gifts and share them with the world. So I urge all of you to not just celebrate diversity on this Sunday, but to pay attention to how God is revealed in each and every life and nation and to fill our hearts with a compassion that will bring us together rather than separate us. Praise to our awesome Creator. Amen.

SO WE MAY ALL BE ONE May 4, 2008

2008-06-26T06:43:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Acts 1:6-14, John 17:1-11

Today I will preach the first of two sermons on my belief that we are all one, a beautiful unity in diversity. Our gospel reading from John 17 is the beginning of what is known as Jesus high priestly prayer. In the portion assigned to today’s lectionary Jesus is praying for a small group of followers, the ones that God gave to Jesus as his disciples. He prays about how all mine are yours and yours are mine and further asks that the Holy Father will protect them in his name, “so that they may be one, as we are one.” (11 b) Later in this same chapter in verses 20-23 Jesus says he also asks on behalf of others, not part of these known followers that they may all be one.
I want to share with you the image of oneness as a spoked wheel, a image that has been used at least as far back as Lao Tzu in Chapter 11 of the Tao when he writes, “We join spokes together in a wheel, but it is the center hole that makes the wagon move.” The Christian desert fathers, the early Christian mystics of the third century also used this image. Let me share with you the way Mark Nepo,a Jewish Buddhist describes this wheel:
“Imagine that each of us is a spoke in an Infinite Wheel, and though each spoke is essential in keeping the Wheel whole, no two spokes are the same. Clearly, in a spoked wheel, the spokes separate as they each move out to support a different part of the rim. And clearly, they are all connected in a central hub that gives them the strength to form a wheel.
We could say that the rim of that Wheel is our sense of community, family and relationship, and the common hub where all the spokes join is the one center where all souls meet. So, as I move out into the world, I live out my uniqueness, but when I dare to look into my core, I come upon the one common Center where all lives begin. In that center we are one and the same.” (The Exquisite Risk, p. 144),
What Nepo describes is an image for how we are all linked together and at the center is the source of all being, God—by whatever name we call that Source. It is the shared sacred unity of all life, the soul, the heart. The Hindus say Atman, Buddhists call it Dharma, the Spanish have the word El Meollo—that which is deeper that connects the one to many, for Christians it’s the Holy Spirit, that same Holy Spirit that Jesus promised us as he left us in the first chapter of Acts, the same Holy Spirit that came on Pentecost with the sound of a violent wind. This center, this hub of the Wheel signifies that deep realm of being where all souls meet. This happens when we pursue the truth of who we are. As we mysteriously look deeply into each other, we find ourselves. My belief is that no matter the outward diversity that identifies us, deep inside we have common desires and fears. The Beloved Community happens when we allow ourselves to reach out humbly in love and openness. No one, no religion, no one way in my opinion, holds all the answers. To quote Mark Nepo again, “All ways inform each other. Inevitably, all parts are necessary. Without the rim, there is no wheel. Without the center, the spokes cannot support a rim. Without the spokes, the center and rim are useless to the living…Without Spirit and a common ground of being, there is not enough strength in who we are to support any kind of community. And without our beautifully unique selves, Spirit and community will never inform each other.” (p. 142)

Unity does not mean sameness. Jesus was not specific in describing how we would all be one but his prayer clearly was for oneness not sameness. I never heard Jesus pray that we would all be the same in our beliefs. It is clear in both Acts and Paul’s Epistles that the early Christian communities had many disagreements. Just because we do not agree doesn’t mean that we have to build fences and not relate to each other. I’d like to think of that ‘Promised land” as a place where we will all be safe in sharing our disagreements, our differences. If we acknowledge the Hub as the center of our diverse lives, if we honor and respect each other in spite of our differences, I believe that process and that diversity will be a source of strength and joy. If we can listen to and show agape love to others, if we can be authentically whole hearted, all embracing, I believe we can create that Beloved Community that Dr. ML King talked so much about. For him the Beloved Community was a global vision in which all people can share in the wealth of the earth. In the Beloved Community, poverty, hunger and homelessness will not be tolerated because international standards of decency will not allow it. Racism and all forms of discrimination, bigotry, and prejudice will be replaced by an all-inclusive spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. As King became more exposed to oppressed peoples of many races and in many nations, he became more and more focused on the unity of humanity. He liked to talk about a “worldhouse”, a metaphor which captured for him the ideal of a world based on love, justice, and equal opportunity where loyalties to race, class, sex, tribe, religion, political differences, ethnicity and nationality would be transcended.

This notion that we are all expressions of the same Original Being, this Divine Presence that keeps expressing itself uniquely through all beings as we search for a shared truth is at the heart of the Hindu concept Thou Art That which teaches that we need to die to our smaller selves in order to rise to a vision that we share the same human nature with all others. In truth as hard as it is to accept, we are indeed each other—as beautiful and as brutal as the other. About 20 years ago I heard a poem by Thich Nhat Hanh titled “Call Me by My True Names”. It made such an impact on me and may have even been influential in my beliefs about oneness today. In the poem, which he wrote after a long mediation, there are three characters: a pirate, a girl, and himself. It’s a long poem but I would like to share it now:

Do not say that I'll depart tomorrow
because even today I still arrive.

Look deeply: I arrive in every second
to be a bud on a spring branch,
to be a tiny bird, with wings still fragile,
learning to sing in my new nest,
to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower,
to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

I still arrive, in order to laugh and to cry,
in order to fear and to hope.
The rhythm of my heart is the birth and
death of all that are alive.

I am the mayfly metamorphosing on the surface of the river,
and I am the bird which, when spring comes, arrives in time
to eat the mayfly.

I am the frog swimming happily in the clear pond,
and I am also the grass-snake who, approaching in silence,
feeds itself on the frog.

I am the child in Uganda, all skin and bones,
my legs as thin as bamboo sticks,
and I am the arms merchant, selling deadly weapons to
Uganda.

I am the twelve-year-old girl, refugee on a small boat,
who throws herself into the ocean after being raped by a sea pirate,
and I am the pirate, my heart not yet capable of seeing and loving.

I am a member of the politburo,
with plenty of power in my hands,
and I am the man who has to pay his "debt of blood"
to, my people,
dying slowly in a forced labor camp.

My joy is like spring, so warm it makes flowers bloom in all
walks of life.
My pain if like a river of tears, so full it fills the four oceans.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can hear all my cries and laughs at once,
so I can see that my joy and pain are one.

Please call me by my true names,
so I can wake up,
and so the door of my heart can be left open,
the door of compassion.

Although this poem may be disconcerting, it certainly was to me the first time I heard it, it says to me that as I work on myself to be more loving, more compassionate, more peaceful, more respectful I influence the core of all that is. I believe in a God that loves us all, forgives us and strengthens us. In our reading from Acts, Jesus asks us to be his witnesses in the world, much like that great commissioning that comes at the end of the gospel of Matthew. After Jesus left the disciples, they returned to Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. They went to the room where they were staying and they devoted themselves to prayer along with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus. I urge you not to forget the importance of prayer as you strive to recognize truth for you. Remember that one of the ways that prayer works is that it changes the person that prays. As I pray to see the Christ in all I meet, I believe that God opens my eyes in a new way and I am able to get closer to helping bring about the Beloved Community. I pray that as we participate in Holy Communion as the body of Christ that we will open not just our eyes but our hearts to the Oneness of Creation. Let us ask for the courage to pray with Jesus that we may all be One. Amen.

IS JESUS THE ONLY GATE TO GOD? April 13, 2008

2008-04-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Scripture: Psalm 23, John 10:1-10

This week I am returning to a sermon that I preached three years ago, one that was quite well received. I have made some changes; however, most of it is the same. I started with a quote from Captain Eddie Rickenbacker about an experience of being lost at sea with his men for 21 days during WWII.[1] This Navy crew was flying to the Pacific Islands on a special mission when their plane crashed. Rickenbacker later wrote and I quote, “In the beginning many of the men were atheists or agnostics, but at the end of the terrible ordeal each, in his own way, discovered God. Each man found God in the vast, empty loneliness of the ocean. Each man found salvation and strength in prayer, and a community of feeling developed which created a liveliness of human fellowship and worship, and a sense of gentle peace.”

My guess is that most people who hear these words feel good about these men being able to find God, each “in his own way”; however, many if, not most, Christians today believe that the millions of people who find God outside of Christianity are not saved. The scripture reference for these beliefs comes from our Gospel today where Jesus says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved…” And later in John 14:6, an even stronger statement: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

The author of the Fourth Gospel is very fond of using metaphors, figures of speech where one word or phrase is used to illustrate a certain meaning in place of another word, usually used to help in understanding; let me give you a non- religious example: The Internet is an information superhighway or life is a journey. John is the Gospel of the “I AM” statements; I AM the bread of life, the true vine, the light of the world, as well as I am the gate. Historically, the Johannine community was a small minority of Jews who had become Christians and thus kicked out of the Temple and frequently persecuted. When people are a minority it is especially important to stick closely together and the belief that “our way is the only way” often is an identity marker as well as being a protective and self-enhancing belief. When circumstances change, as in the growth of Christianity, the language and often the original ideas remain. So for over 2000 years we have heard that Jesus is the only way to God, the only way to be saved.

When I was looking for various views to answer the sermon question, I came across quite a few websites that emphatically believed that Jesus is the only way to God. The reasoning was along these lines: “Either the Bible is right and there is no other way to salvation, or the Bible is wrong and all other religions are right. If all roads lead to God then the Bible is a false book and does not have any reliability. If anyone claims to be Christian and says that other religions are equally valid he or she is saying that Jesus is a liar. There are probably some of you here today that agree with these statements. This view is the product of a Christianity that takes the Bible literally rather than a truth set in a historical and cultural time. I can’t remember which Indian tribe has a creation story that ends with, this is all true and some of it actually happened!

Another view of those who believe that Jesus is the only way to God uses the example of the blind men feeling different parts of the elephant and each ending up describing the elephant in very different terms. This view says that each of these men was blind and each was wrong, stating that as long as we are blind we remain in the darkness, not aware of the truth of God being revealed through Jesus. I won’t discuss any more of these beliefs that come from the literal interpretation of the Bible as most of you are well versed in them.

There are Christians that do not believe in the exclusiveness of Jesus being the only way one can enter God’s kingdom. One of these groups is known as Progressive Christianity, a group that I have talked about in many different ways over the almost 5 years I’ve been with you. My last two long-term ministers before I went to seminary were both active believers in Progressive Christianity. One of them, Fred Plumer from the Irvine, CA church, is now the president of this group. They have eight basic points, the first of the original version says, we are Christians who “proclaim Jesus Christ as our Gate to the realm of God;” followed by the second point that says we “recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the gateway to God’s realm”. (Repeat) In 2003 they made some revisions to the 8 points and these two now read like this: “we are Christians who have found our approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus. The second point says we “recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way (or gate) to God’s realm, and acknowledge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.” I really like that. It’s the kind of belief that I believe would be very much approved of by the Jesus that I follow. I love Jesus; his way is my life. I believe that in Jesus Christ, God has opened a way into God’s eternal heart and everlasting life with others at the heavenly banquet table. It‘s not up to me to determine who else is sitting at that banquet table. But I know one thing for sure and that is the job of saying Yes or NO is already filled, taken by God, a God I believe has endless compassion and love, desiring all of us to repent and turn to God. There are so many mysteries in our faith, in our life, and I would encourage all of you to approach these mysteries with humility and gentleness. Another Progressive Christianity point is that we find more grace in the search for understanding than we do in dogmatic certainty—more value in questioning than in absolutes. So we may be surprised at who is sitting around that heavenly banquet table, if indeed we are sitting there ourselves.

In the New Interpreters Bible, the commentary I regularly use in preparing my sermons, Gail O’Day, a scholar of the Fourth Gospel, states that the statement that no one comes to the Father except through me is the joyous affirmation of a community that saw Jesus as the incarnation of God and accepted his statements that he and the Father are one. She differentiates between “Father” and “God” and says that “no one” meant those in this band of followers, not necessarily anyone in the world forever (Vol IX, p.744). She points out that this is not a cry of a powerful world religion but a religious conviction of a religious minority in the ancient Mediterranean world. She sees it as a being particular to this faith community rather than an exclusionary statement for all time and places. This scripture says “This is who we are… the people who believe in the God who has been revealed to us decisively by Jesus Christ.”

Let me affirm that Jesus is my gateway to God—God’s life, realm, being. Jesus is the Lord of the 23rd Psalm, my shepherd that leads me beside still waters. However, that does not mean that what is true for me as a Christian has to be true for all people. A contemporary author and theologian, Wm. Sloane Coffin, says as paraphrased by Marcus Borg, “God is defined by Jesus, but not confined to Jesus. Borg also quotes a Hindu professor at a Christian seminary that was preaching on the Gospel verse about the ‘only way’ as saying, “This verse is absolutely true—Jesus is the only way. And that way—of dying to an old way of being and being born into a new way of being—is known in all of the religions of the world. The way of Jesus is a universal way, known to millions who have never heard of Jesus.”[2] It seems to me that what the Hindu professor means is that the way of Jesus is not about a set of beliefs but about a way of life; not believing doctrines or words like Jesus, rather seeing the way of Jesus, his life as being the way of transformation from an old way of being and doing to a new way of being and doing. For us as Christians that new way is Jesus, the way of non-violent, unconditional love. Borg calls this Jesus as being the disclosure of what a life full of God looks like. We can say, “this is who Jesus is for us” without also saying, “This is the only way God can be known for anyone ever.” For me a theology of Christ that leads us to respect other religious traditions, not to deny their religious truth, is keeping with the belief that God is part of all of us, and we are all a part of God. My doorway may not be the doorway others can enter; however, it is my doorway and I am so thankful that for me that doorway to God is Jesus.

So as I end this sermon, I would urge any of you that are disturbed by what I’ve said today to come talk with me. In no way do I want to have a debate about our differences, yet I am always interested in what you have to say. Our opening story talked about how beautiful it would be to give others the freedom to experience their faith differently than ours. I pray that the words of Edwin Markham’s poem “Outwitted” could be true for us here at DCC.

He drew a circle that shut me out—
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win.
We drew a circle that took him in.

Amen and amen.

[1] Gary Wilburn, Gateway Into God’s Realm, online at www.tcpc.org/resources/articles/gateway.htm .
[2] Online, http://www.beliefnet.com/story/39/story_3972_1.html

TAKE, BLESS, BREAK, GIVE Sermon 4-6-08

2008-04-09T10:46:00.000-07:00

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35

We are an Easter people, Amen? As post-resurrection Christians we have heard, some of us for many, many years, stories about the appearances of Jesus to the faith community. Today’s scripture has one of the most well-known stories—the Walk to Emmaus. Let’s look again at the scripture you just heard: two people are leaving Jerusalem, to go to Emmaus. One is named Cleopas; many scholars think that the other person may be his wife, Mary, as there were missionary couples in those days. Why were they on their way to Emmaus? There may have been several towns called Emmaus which meant hot springs. For these two, maybe Emmaus was home, and they were eager to go home and try to sort out why all of these things had happened to Jesus, their beloved leader. Maybe they just had to go some place and hideaway and try to figure out “what next”. When we don’t know what to do, or we have lost hope some of us probably wish we could find a place, an Emmaus where we could hide away and have some quiet to try to make sense of things.

As these followers were walking along discussing all that had happened in the last few days a stranger joined them and asked what they were talking about. They did not recognize this man and went on to tell him all about the arrest, trial, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. And then this stranger started interpreting scripture to them, explaining how all that had happened needed to happen to give glory to God. Still the couple had no idea who this man was. Yet they invited him to stay with them for the night. I wonder how many times Christ has been present to us and we knew it not. How often we do not see or hear the Christ in the daily, ordinary living of our lives! How many times have we missed a spirit-filled opportunity because of our lack of hospitality! Even though I love the scripture where Jesus says when you do it to one of the least of these you do it unto me, or NOT. I know I let lots of opportunities go by. Maybe you do too.

Back to the scripture: Once Jesus accepted the invitation and sat down to eat with them, putting into motion the title of today’s sermon, the four-fold action of take, bless, break, and give, their eyes were open and they recognized the risen Christ. Now for those of you that are familiar with the Bible, Jesus had done this before—at the feeding of the 5000 and most recently at that Passover Supper the Thursday that Judas betrayed him. Throughout the Gospels, so much of Jesus’ ministry took place at meals. He was portrayed by his enemies as a drunkard and a glutton! Take, bless, break and give are not just part of our Holy Communion sacrament, they are the whole of the Christian life. Let’s look at each of these words separately:

Take: Jesus is there for us, ready to take what we bring to him whether it be a concern, an anxiety, or a gift. We offer what we have to him and more importantly to others in his name. We bring to him our dreams, our passions, our sorrows. We bring the work that we do, the art we create. We offer our brokenness as well as our best selves, and Jesus takes it all.

Bless: Whatever we give to the Lord, whether it be an internal or external thing, Jesus blesses it and offers it on to God. He doesn’t evaluate or criticize, he simply blesses what we offer and gives thanks. Just as Jesus blesses, we too can bless each other and give thanks for the goodness that has been given to us. In fact there’s no better way to respond to life than to bless and praise God.

Break: Jesus breaks the bread because unless it is broken it can not be shared. Just as at Jesus’ crucifixion his body was broken for us so he shares our brokenness, our pain. Very few if any of us can go through life without suffering—failure, loss, divorce, loneliness, illness, death. Brokenness is part of the journey of life. If we can befriend that brokenness, it’s possible to learn from it and to grow because of it. Sometimes it’s through the brokenness that we can be transformed. If a snake does not shed its skin it will become sick. A snake sheds its skin when it’s inside becomes bigger than its outside, a process that continue throughout its life. Part of our brokenness is a need to shed whatever is dead, whatever doesn’t work for us anymore. It could be dead ways of thinking or believing or seeing or relating. Shedding opens us up to self-transformation.

Give: Jesus gives us the bread and wine in remembrance of his life, death, and resurrection. As followers of Jesus when we eat at the Communion table, we know that the Risen Christ is in us. This holy communion that we receive from Christ we then give to those we meet on the way. “He took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them and their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” In giving and receiving our eyes are open so that we are better prepared to bring about God’s kingdom, that life of abundance where peace and justice reign.

Take, bless, break, and give. To close I share a summary of these actions as preached by Rev. Lori Sowdon:

We take the gifts of life, consciously aware of the Giver, our God. We bless the gifts, offering thanks for the gifts and praise to the Maker. We are broken in life, broken yet not destroyed, broken and healed, broken and raised to new life, broken to shine with the glory of God. We give, sharing God’s gifts with others. Perhaps our greatest expression of gratitude is in giving the gift away.

Take. Bless. Break. Give. These are the actions of a life lived in thanksgiving to God. May these four movements mark our lives as disciples of Jesus. May they become daily acts, drawing us into closer communion with God and with one another.

What Now? Sermon for March 30, 2008

2008-04-09T10:40:00.000-07:00

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:3-9, John 20:19-31

Can you imagine if you had been a disciple how you might have felt after the Easter morning revelation by Mary Magdalene that she had seen the risen Jesus? Thinking back on that last week, that week of intimacy, chaos, confusion, denial, horror and grief, what do you think you might have been thinking and feeling? Guilt and fear would probably be high on the list. We know that the disciples were gathered behind locked doors—except for Thomas. The women that went to the tomb probably also had a lot of fear and grief; however, they obviously had something else—great love. They certainly were not expecting a party, not a beginning of a story but an ending. They really had nothing to gain, in fact they could have had much to lose if the authorities saw them and associated them with this criminal. Yet still they made this early morning journey to the tomb, faithfully, lovingly showing up.

The gospel for today tells us that on the night of the empty tomb, the night of resurrection of Jesus from the dead, we have ten disciples huddled together in fear and confusion, behind a door tightly locked. Then suddenly without a knock, without a door opening, Jesus was standing in the midst of them, saying, “Peace be with you.” The same words we say most Sunday mornings right after the children’s story. Jesus said this peace greeting not once but twice; the second time was after he showed them his hands and his side. And then he did a Pentecostal thing—he breathed on them and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit”. He also authorized them to forgive sins. Can you imagine? These men were probably thinking that Jesus would be angry at them for their abandoning and denying him. But No, he treated them with great respect and love. The same thing happened a week later when Thomas who had been missing that first night finally saw Jesus. There was no reprimand for his having doubted that Jesus was alive. Jesus willingly let him touch the holes in his hands and side. The Easter scripture up to now has been focusing a lot on seeing, seeing and believing. Now Jesus says, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.” This is indeed a word to us and all the generations after the resurrection. We didn’t have to be there to know that Jesus the Christ lives. It’s amazing how Jesus can enter into us with the Good News even when we are scared, even when we have many doubts. Don’t ever let doubt stop you from believing and sharing the Good News. You may not have it all figured out; it’s enough to know that Jesus has given us peace, and the Holy Spirit is to be with us always. As one of the UCC Easter devotionals pointed out, for Christians, it is always the Easter season, “because ever since the Day of Resurrection we have been in the Easter era…Easter happens when anyone who suffers finds new hope. When anyone who is mistreated or neglected or belittled finds the freedom for a fresh start, (then) Easter occurs all over again.”[1] It’s up to us to put the teachings of Jesus into practice. In the next and last chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus reminds Peter of this three times in a row when he asks, do you love me? And then tells Peter, Feed my sheep and Follow me.

What is the Easter mission of our church? Now we have a long mission statement in the bulletin and then we have a short one, like a slogan, on the front of the bulletin: Love God, love your neighbor; seek justice, peace and diversity. For me that word love is the supreme activity that we are being called to do. Many of you know my concern about evangelizing, going out and sharing the good news. One of my favorite writers, Quaker Parker Palmer has written that “the mission of the church is not to enlarge its membership, not to bring outsiders to accept its terms, but simply to love the world in every possible way—to love the world as God did and does” (In the Company of Strangers).

What will bring the bright light of Easter to overcome the darkness of Good Friday? The Good News—and the scary responsibility--is that we are the ones that will bring the light to the darkness. We do that by faithfully and lovingly showing up like the women did at the grave on that Sunday morning. And then we go forth. We go forth with questions, with doubts, with love and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to bring about the passion of Jesus, to bring about the justice and peace of the kingdom of God. Just as Jesus breathed the Holy Spirit into his disciples, he has also given us that Holy Spirit and called us forth.

You know, Thomas gets a bum rap in our society; when people say doubting Thomas it really isn’t taken as a compliment. But you know he was the only one of the disciples that evening that was out and about. Sure he had questions and doubts. We might say he had to have some breathing space to try to understand what was happening and what it meant. I believe healthy faith has space for doubts, questions, unbelief. In fact for me one of the most meaningful verses in the Bible, as well as the scripture for my first sermon at age 17 is “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.” from Mark 9:24b.

Sometimes we have to go on in spite of our doubts. “There is a story about a pre-civil rights African American community in Florida. The story says that during times of political elections, this community would rent a voting machine and go through the voting process. Now, they knew that their votes would not be counted, but they voted anyway. When asked by members of the white community why they did this every year, they replied, "Oh, just practicing. Just practicing." Believing in what is not yet seen means we practice or behave as if it already exists. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." This is what leaders and visionaries do. They believe in something bigger than themselves and they begin to act as if it is so.”[2] I believe that our faith varies as did the disciples: sometimes we are filled with it; other times it’s barely there. Sometimes we believe even when we have not seen; other times we have seen it with our own eyes and yet are still filled with doubt. Last week on Dateline they showed a young man who had been seriously injured in a 4-wheeler accident. Despite efforts to save him, the brain activity was gone and the family was making preparations to donate his organs, when a relative with medical expertise noticed that something was changing in him physically. And to make a long story short, he came back from the edge of death and made pretty much a full recovery. Some people questioned the medical tests and evaluations; some felt there must have been a scientific mistake. The physicians assured that the tests were correct and that scientifically there was no way for someone with that much damage to recover. Yet he did. I wonder how many people who saw that program held on to the belief that there must have been a mistake instead of rejoicing that miracles happen.

Faith and fear, fear and faith: as William Sloane Coffin, one of our great prophets in the UCC, said, "As I see it, the primary religious task these days is to try to think straight...You can't think straight with a heart full of fear, for fear seeks safety, not truth. If your heart's a stone, you can't have decent thoughts – either about personal relations or about international ones. A heart full of love, on the other hand, has a limbering effect on the mind." Another great preacher, Harry Emerson Fosdick has written a poem of sorts about fear vs. faith:

Fear imprisons, faith Liberates;
Fear paralyzes, faith empowers;
Fear disheartens, faith encourages;
Fear sickens, faith heals;
Fear makes useless, faith makes serviceable;
Fear puts hopelessness at the heart of life, while faith rejoices in its God.

This poem certainly makes faith sound pretty wonderful to me. What needs to happen with you so that your faith will overcome your fears and your doubts? For most of us it’s not enough just to read the words; we have to experience Christ’s presence. Maybe you want to touch Jesus and KNOW that Jesus is really right here with you? Then hear what Jesus says to his disciples after they have received the Holy Spirit: “you are being sent out into the world and specifically to the world’s brokenness.” Will you (name some of people present) accept the commission to be part of the body of Christ and go forth in love? You are being called AND empowered to do what Jesus did. You don’t wait until you feel prepared and faithful enough, you go and then your faith and your power will increase. In your own way through the opportunities you are presented with, go, touch, heal, love, forgive in Christ’s name. Bring about justice and peace in this hurting world. Remember the Holy Spirit is within you and Jesus himself promises to abide with you till the end of time. God bless each of you as you go forth. Amen.

[1] David M. Powers, Stillspeaking Lent Devotional: Thursday, March 27.
[2] Wyvetta Bullock, Must We See to Believe? In e-Sermons.com.