Who do You Say that I am?

Sermon for 9-13-09
Scripture Mark 8:27-38

From the time of this scripture lesson to the current day, we hear a form of this question about Jesus “Who do they say that I am?” and a great variety of answers, both among Christians as well as non-Christians. You know sometimes it is very hard to communicate effectively. Let me tell you a story: A priest and a rabbi were fishing a creek along the side of a road one afternoon, when they realized they needed to make a sign. They pooled their resources and came up with a sign saying, "The End is Near!!" and decided to show it to any car that might come along. The first driver that drove by didn't appreciate the sign and shouted at them: "Leave me alone, you religious nuts!" In a few seconds they heard a big splash. They looked at each other in shock and the priest said to the rabbi, "Maybe we should just put up a sign that says 'Bridge Out'…"

Back to the question of the day, “Who do you say that I am?” The more conservative Christian voices, from fundamentalist and some evangelical churches, have a clear answer about Jesus’ identity based on the literal reading of the Gospels. These voices agree that Christians need to accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and to convince others to do the same. The voices that are more liberal or progressive are more into defining Jesus by how he lived his life and how they encounter him in prayer and life, believing that God is Still Speaking.

This morning before I get further into this sermon I want to ask you to take a pen or pencil and write down on your bulletin the first 2 or 3 words that come to your mind as I ask again, “Who do you say that Jesus is?” Many of us still have the answers that we were taught early on in Sunday School. For some of you the answer you had at age 7 or 8 no longer makes much sense but that is all you have. Don’t feel bad if it’s difficult for you to pin Jesus down; it’s difficult for us whose education and vocation are all about Jesus.

Marcus Borg, a minister, scholar, and author, talks about two paradigms for seeing Jesus. A paradigm is a comprehensive way of seeing a whole, a large framework within which we see. One paradigm is belief-centered, emphasizing the importance of having specific beliefs about Jesus, as well as God, the Bible and so forth; the other paradigm is way-centered, emphasizing that Christianity is about following Jesus on a path to transformation.1 Most UCC churches and pastors, including myself, tend to follow the second paradigm; the Gospels and the rest of the Bible are holy and sacred, yet not divine products that are inerrant, without error. I do not interpret the gospels literally but as a historical product coming from the memory and metaphors of the early Church. Borg says and I agree that the Gospels are not God’s story of Jesus but early Christianity’s story of Jesus, their memories of Jesus. In the same way the Jewish Bible, our Old Testament, is not God’s story but the Israelites’ memory of the history of that time.2

Mark is known as the earliest gospel to be written, probably somewhere between 60 to 75 or 80 CE, at least 30 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Yet from Mark’s writing, this early Christian community was still trying to come to grips with who Jesus was. Jesus as usual could sense what was going on, so he asks his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And then, “who do you say that I am?” Don’t you love Peter, so impetuous, so out there?! He answers, “You are the Messiah!” Did you know that Peter was the first person to ever call Jesus Messiah? Messiah means “anointed one” and the Jews had been expecting such a one for centuries. Yet this Jesus was not anything like the popular notion of what the Messiah would be like. These disciples were trying to let go of the idea of a messiah who would establish peace through violence and conquest. It was so hard for them to hear Jesus say that instead he would be the one to suffer and be killed.

After Jesus talks about his suffering and death, Peter jumps right in again, forgetting who was teacher and who was student and took Jesus aside to straighten him out. Jesus was so disturbed by this discussion that he called Peter Satan. After this conversation with Peter, Jesus felt like he needed to call the crowds together and tell it like it was with these words, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake … will save it. For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life?” (v.34a-36) This was a disturbing text to his followers then as well as for us now. Not only was Jesus going to suffer but if they (and we) wanted to serve him, they too (and we) would suffer, even lose our life. I wonder how many of us are ready to accept that cost of discipleship. Taking up one’s cross is not just accepting any burden, but rather being prepared to put one’s life on the line for the sake of Jesus and the gospel.

If we are going to put our life on the line for Jesus, we’d better be clear as to who he is. You know we can say who Jesus is by the way we live our lives, in our choices about how we use our resources, in our decisions about how we respond to others in our world. We say who Jesus is when we welcome children, when we reach out in support and concern to individuals, when we support mission and ministry with our pledges and our prayers. We say who Jesus is in the way we relate to one another. We say who Jesus is by how we treat both the poor and the powerful, both family and friends and neighbors near and far.

It’s also important that we use words, and especially that we are clear for ourselves as to who Jesus is. Who is this Jesus for you? Is he Lord? Savior? Friend? Brother? Teacher? Prophet? Christ? Do you see him as more of a social reformer, a radical healer, a miracle worker or a suffering Messiah? Your answer can be a word or a short sentence. Who is willing to share?
I love Jesus. For me Jesus is my teacher and my guide. He’s also my friend, someone with whom I can share my deepest thoughts and feelings. It doesn’t matter to me whether he was born of a virgin; how he died, or whether or not he ascended into heaven. For me he is alive, alive in my heart and soul! He is Christ, he and God are One and also I believe that each of us have within us the Divine Spirit and are One with God and each other. I love to share him with others. So I thank you very much for allowing me to share Jesus with you week after week as well as your being willing to share Jesus with me. Amen and Amen

1 Borg, Jesus, p.14-15.
2 Ibid., p.24

Faith Without Works is Dead

A Labor Day Sermon for September 6, 2009
Scripture: Proverbs 22:1-2, 8-9, 22-23; James 2:1-10, 14-17

Last week we began looking at the book of James, famous for its doctrine of faith and works, proclaiming that faith without works is dead. This was different than Luther and Paul’s emphasis on “salvation by faith alone.” Today’s reading is unrelenting in the way it goes after the question of what it means to live as a person of God, what God requires. James chastises those who show favoritism and make distinctions between the rich and the poor. He focuses on the kind of partiality that excludes or marginalizes people based on their outward appearance. It’s interesting that the Greek word for favoritism is a word that means literally “to lift up your face.” We show favoritism to a person by literally lifting up our face, lifting our eyes, lifting our cheeks, lifting our smile, expressions that look interested in and welcoming of the other. I’ve certainly seen that happen in public places, where the person with the unattractive clothing, hairstyle, grooming is ignored by others looking at the floor or away—giving the air of don’t bother me. I’ve seen how expressions change when a smart looking, well-dressed person enters.

In Proverbs verse 2 we are told that there is a common humanity between the rich and the poor, because ‘the Lord is the maker of them all.’ In verse 8 the author warns of sowing injustice and goes on to say that those who share their bread with the poor in generosity will be blessed; the last couplet continues in the same vein of warning not to rob the poor or crush the afflicted at the gate—a place where legal matters were decided. The last verse gives the reason for all this is that the Lord is an advocate for the poor and will destroy those that destroy or despoil the poor.

Because this is Labor Day weekend, a national holiday in this country, I want to focus on workers in the USA, many of whom are poor. I will talk more about the nonworking poor, including my experience with homeless people in a later sermon. In years gone by, we would not write about the workers and the poor in the same paragraph; however, with the demise of unions plus the high rate of unemployment in this time of national crisis, many workers and former workers would be included in the poverty statistics. So on this Labor Sunday lets take a few moments to think about workers and work places and how we as people of faith can follow James command to act out our faith by good works. My main resource is UCC’s Justice and Witness ministries, who have had a whole campaign for some time entitled Jesus was a Low-Wage Worker. You will find more information on this on our bulletin board in Sherwood Hall if you are interested, and of course on the website at ucc.org.

A job should lift everyone out of poverty, not keep them there. But in the U.S. today, fully one-quarter of all jobs pay poverty-level wages. Women and people of color are more likely to hold these jobs than white males. All workers are made in God's image and deserve living wages. Some of these low wage jobs are unnecessarily dangerous, so much so that in the U.S. someone dies from an occupational illness or injury every eight minutes. Nearly 80% of low-wage workers have no paid sick days, so you can imagine what happens if they or their child becomes sick! Besides not having sick leave, these jobs have very few benefits such as health insurance, a pension or retirement plan. They often have inconvenient hours or may be part time. Most of these jobs do not lead to opportunities for advancement.

Just this past week in the NY Times, there was an article on how often Low Wage Workers are cheated, denied proper overtime pay, as well as being paid less than the minimum wage. This study that was based on a survey of workers in NY, LA, and Chicago revealed that 68% of the workers interviewed had experienced at least one pay-related violation in the previous week. Workers that were injured on the job were pressured by their employers not to file for worker’s compensation to pay for medical care and loss of wages. In fact only 8% filed for compensation. 26 % were paid less than minimum wage in the week before they were interviewed and 76% of those who worked overtime were not paid the proper amount of overtime. Well I could go on with more facts and statistics about the injustice towards workers but let’s look at how all this fits with our James reading.

James talks about how we are all to love our neighbor as ourself, calling it the royal law. He says if we know about someone who lacks daily food or clothing and we only say “Go in peace, keep warm and eat your fill,” but do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?” If there are no works, there is no real faith. As both Proverbs and James say, God makes all people equally valuable, and we are not to play favoritism in our hospitality and love. Of course sometimes we don’t even have any idea of who is suffering and who is doing okay.

What can we do? It’s especially hard now with so much unemployment to increase wages. Workers need jobs. If all they can find are poverty level jobs they have to take it. Now even those workers who use to be well paid are willing to take low paid work, better than unemployment or no income at all. Besides continuing to advocate and legislate for higher minimum wages, we can also speak up for the right of all workers to form and join unions that have done so much for so many. To quote the UCC brochure, “God gave us the Sabbath but unions brought us the weekend, the 8 hour day, paid vacations and holidays, health insurance and pensions.”

Let me share a story with you about what one man did back in the 50’s.1 Sandor Teszler had come to the US from Hungary after escaping from a concentration camp with his family in the early part of World War II. Trained as a textile worker, he made his way to Spartenburg, SC, which has long been a center of the textile industry. In the 1950's, he noticed an intensity of racist rhetoric and the reemergence of the Ku Klux Klan. He recognized the danger in all this due to his earlier experiences in Europe, and he was unwilling to ignore it for the sake of business. He decided to find the place where there were the most intense racial tensions, and he went there to build a new factory, hiring blacks and whites without regard to their race. Both communities were uneasy and suspicious about his intentions; however the money was good so the workers came.

In the end, Sandor hired 16 new employees: 8 white and 8 black. In the mill, there was one bathroom, one set of showers, one water fountain. After initial introductions and a tour of the plant were complete, one white worker boldly asked, "Is this gonna be some kind of integrated plant?" Mr. Teszler replied, "You are being paid twice as much as any other textile worker in the area. You can work with us here in the way we work, or you can go somewhere else. Any other questions?" There were none, and all 16 employees stayed. The plant grew in production and more employees came and stayed in spite of their initial unease. Because of Sandor Teszler’s courage and vision, an entire industry was integrated.

James says do not play favoritism; he says we should not make a distinction in welcoming between rich and poor, between black and white, between young and old, gay and straight, first world and third world, free and imprisoned, sick and healthy, naked and clothed, hungry and fed. In the end, these are all false dichotomies, for we are all children of God. If we profess that we are followers of Jesus and then fail to warmly welcome all people and care for those in need, James would say, ‘So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead” (v. 17) What are you called to do for your works? Maybe it’s to advocate and stand in solidarity with the low-wage workers who are seeking to improve both their wages and working conditions. Maybe it’s to care for the homeless and encourage and support the unemployed. If lots of us, especially those who profess faith, do this kind of work, then poverty-wage jobs can be changed into living-wage jobs and if not the next Labor Day, one day soon we really will have something to celebrate. Let us pray and work towards abundance for all, a more fair distribution of resources, and a faith that is shown through action as well as words. Amen

1 From an online sermon by Rev. Dr. Trace Hawthorn

From an online sermon by Rev. Dr. Trace Hawthorn

Sermon for August 30, 2009
Scripture: James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8

For the next five weeks our lectionary lists the book of James for our epistle lesson. Although I may not focus each of these weeks on James, I do plan to include this book in our worship/preaching through September. The book of James has been quite controversial in terms of being included in the canon—the writings approved by the church hierarchy to be the Bible. Martin Luther was especially opposed to James writing as Lutherans and others believe that faith-- trust in God’s steadfast love--is the only requirement for salvation. This belief is referred to as “salvation by faith alone”. Paul also emphasizes that we are put right with God through God’s grace, through faith in Jesus Christ, and not by works. Another reason for criticism of this epistle is that Christ is not emphasized; in fact the words appear only twice and there is no reference to Jesus dying on the cross to pay for our sins, no mention of baptism or what God’s grace means. With James it is very clear that one needs to do works in order to be a Christian.

The authorship of James has also caused a fair amount of disagreement; however, most scholars say he was James, the younger brother of Jesus; the same James that was the first patriarch in the church in Jerusalem, a leader of the earliest church there.

This letter of James is a letter of action. James tells the Christians to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry and to be doers of the Word! The way Petersen puts it in the Message is: “Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.” He goes on with saying, “don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!” James than tells his church members what real or true religion is: Anyone who sets himself up as “religious” by talking a good game is self-deceived. This kind of religion is hot air and only hot air. Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world.” In most versions of this text the words are—Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.” In those times widows and orphans were the main types of people that were poor. Due to the patriarchy and the social codes, women without a husband or children without a father would have little or no financial resources. Even today that is so true in many of the developing countries. In general this is a phrase referring to all oppressed people.

In James’ church there were many wealthy folks who wanted to profess their faith but were not interested in caring for the poor. In this short book there are five paragraphs negative about wealthy Christians, more per page than in any other book, e.g. in today’s reading: "Let the believer who is lowly boast in being raised up, and the rich in being brought low, because the rich will disappear like a flower in the field.” Of course those words wouldn’t have anything to do with most of us! Or would they? As Christine Villa says in Still Speaking Devotions, "Rich” is relative. I'm fabulously rich compared to some people and pitifully under-funded next to others. So let's say someone with far fewer resources than I have is reading this scripture. What kind of person comes to their mind when they read "the rich”? Do they picture a house like mine, a car like mine, or a grocery cart filled like mine? Maybe so. What do you think of when you read the passages about the rich? I picture folks with millions of dollars in the bank, fancy houses in prestigious neighborhoods, several cars including a Lamborghini. Well could it be that some of these remarks about the rich do apply to some of us?

Looking at our gospel reading, Jesus had a similar problem with the Pharisees, who are focusing on things such as dietary laws, asking why he and his disciples ate without washing their hands, or eating things from the market without washing them. Jesus responds by saying that Isaiah was right, that “these people honor me with their lips but their hearts are far from me.” Jesus told the crowds that there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. Even though the Pharisees knew the scriptures, tithed their income, even dropping coins into the begging pot, they did not care for the widows and orphans, the prostitutes, the blind, the lepers, and other outcastes in the society at the time. Jesus is saying that the Pharisees get too wrapped up in things that don’t really count. They did not practice hospitality to the stranger, or take time to meet the needs of the down and out! They did not have real religion. The prophets in the Old Testaments like Micah, Amos and Isaiah said the same thing. Do not oppress the outcasts; furthermore all rituals and liturgical sacrifices are worthless without constant love, justice, kindness and walking humbly with the Lord.

I heard a story about St. Francis of Assisi1 “He was praying in an ancient church that was badly in need of repair. He heard a voice from a crucifix which was over the altar saying, “Francis, go and repair my church that you will see falling into ruin.” Francis went to get his tool chest, but he soon realized that the voice of God was referring to some thing else. The voice of God again said, “Not the bricks, Francis. The people are in need of repair.” Then Francis went out and took care of orphans and widows. The voice of God still speaks today and says, “Francis. Peter, Christine, (etc.) Go and repair my church which is falling into ruins.” And God is not talking about bricks and mortar.

What are we doing in this church to care for the “widows and orphans”? Besides the money we give to the many denominational appeals and local agencies, we have had several members travel to hurricane-affected areas to work with others to rebuild homes; we provide various material things, plus our interest and supportive presence at the Women’s jail in Goffstown, through our Deacons fund we help folks with rent who otherwise might be evicted; we pay utility bills and provide fuel and repairs on cars; we visit people in their homes that are lonely, sick, or have special needs; we provide both money and food for the Weare and Hillsboro/Deering Food Pantries; some of you assist with refugee families; others minister to the GLBT community and those who love them though PFLAG; we are in the process of gathering items to be sent to Zimbabwe where there is always so much need. All of you that do these and similar things are being doers of the Word.

One last caution, be sure not to interpret “widows and orphans” too narrowly. The place you may be called to be doers of the word could be with someone in your own household, your child, your parent, your spouse, or your rich neighbor, who is lonely and estranged from all his family. You just never know when you will have the opportunity to be doers of the word as James commands.

My son has composed a song called “Mystery and Wonder”, where he talks about the hard financial times he’s having in his life and all the pain he sees around him. He says he wants to make love to the whole wide world; however, maybe that’s not the way. Then he has these lines:

And I want to take all that on
While I’m buying groceries on credit
So
I’m singing to 5 of you,
Sometimes it’s 50
500’s a really big score
Maybe I should cool it
But I can’t help myself
I keep talking myself
out of pain
And I really can't see another way
Everywhere I go I see
people in need of mystery and wonder
Everywhere I go I see people in need of
dreamers and blunders
Everywhere I go I see people in need of magic and
grace
Everywhere I go I see people in need of love

So I say to you: Every day we see people in need of mystery and wonder, magic and grace. Everyday we see people in need of love. Real religion has many parts; faith without action or action without faith just won’t do. Every day we have that opportunity to be kind, to listen, and to bring gentleness to someone. Let us take a few moments of silence right now to see if God brings anyone to our mind who needs our ministering today. It may be someone in a pew not too far from you. Let us pray: Gracious and Holy One, let us listen right now to you. Let us ask each day for you to lead us to someone who needs some care, some love, some company. (silence) Thank you Jesus and brother James. Amen

1 Edward Markquart, Sermons from Seatle

Choose This Day Whom You Will Serve

Sermon for 8-23-09
Scripture: Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; John 6:56-69

Choices, choices, choices! In our country we have many choices and sometimes we really like being able to choose; other times it’s so darn hard. Our scripture lessons for today both show choices about whom to follow, whom to serve. Let’s first look at the reading from Joshua. The only thing most of us know about Joshua is that he “fit the battle of Jericho and the walls came tumbling down.” According to one of my resources there is no evidence at all of a battle in Jericho, nor of the Hebrew conquest of Israel. According to this archeologist, the Hebrew tribes were one of many tribes in the area and their ways and religion gradually displaced those of the other tribes residing there.

By the way, I decided to look up the relationship of the words Hebrew and Israelites and found that Hebrew became the name of the Israelites. Its origin is not cultural or racial but social and political. “It seems that the word "Hebrew" became a general word for everyone the powerful viewed as social outcasts and troublemakers. It was a pejorative nickname applied to those who caused problems. Cultural identity made no difference… The new followers of Joshua and the Moses-tradition also were "Hebrews." In those days, during the upheaval that overthrew the kings and the cities and finally gave the land to farmers, the name Hebrew became associated with those who rebelled in the name of Yahweh.”1

We are told in Joshua 23 that a long time had passed since the battles and the Lord had given rest to Israel from their enemies. Joshua was old and well advanced in years. (v.1). Joshua gathered all the tribes together and they presented themselves before God just before they were about to go into the Promised Land. Moses had died and Joshua took his place as Israel’s leader. His people were looking for marching orders, instructions on what to do next. But Joshua doesn’t just do that; he recounts with them the whole history of God working in their lives. He reminds them exactly how they got to where they were right then, a history of God’s protection and love. At the end of this history lesson, Joshua tells the people to revere the Lord and serve him in sincerity and faithfulness; however, he says, “If you do not wish to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” (v.16)

Now let’s go to our gospel lesson, the 5th and final week that our lectionary has chosen the 6th chapter of John with the many comments of Jesus about being the bread of life as well as his miracles in feeding the multitudes with 5 loaves and two fish. In today’s reading Jesus talks about eating his flesh and drinking his blood. He says whoever eats this bread will live forever. Many of his followers said that this teaching was too difficult and they turned away, leaving only the 12 apostles.

Many times in our life of faith, we find things that are too difficult, so difficult that many decide to leave either that particular church or that denomination or just stop believing in Christianity, Islam, and so forth.

Let me tell you a story about a man who joins a monastery and takes a vow of silence. He's allowed to say two words every seven years. After the first seven years, the elders bring him in and ask for his two words. "Cold floors," he says. They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him back in and ask for his two words. He clears his throat and says, "Bad food." They nod and send him away. Seven more years pass. They bring him in for his two words. "I quit," he says. "That's not surprising," the elders say. "You've done nothing but complain ever since you got here."

So finally as Jesus notes how the crowds have diminished and followers have disappeared, he says to the twelve: “Do you also wish to go away?” (v.67) Peter answers for them, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” (vv.67-68)

Why do people leave Jesus? Why do people leave the church? What happened to all the many former members of DCC? Even one of the great preachers of our day, Barbara Brown Taylor, left the organized church, writing a very interesting book entitled, Leaving Church (2006). Please be assured that I am not equating leaving the church, especially any particular church, with leaving Jesus. In fact the essence of Barbara Brown Taylor’s book was that she left the church in order to save her faith.

One preacher wrote, “The ‘hard sayings’ of the enigmatic Jesus are only one reason why some people quit the faith. Still others leave church because of boredom, legalistic pettiness, superficial platitudes, unanswered prayers, bitter disappointments, intellectual doubts, nagging questions, or life traumas that ‘crush the spirit’.”2 I’m sure most of you out there could add to this list. We do not have to agree with, or even understand everything the preacher preaches or the officers and committees decide upon. We can acknowledge that the church is an earthly institution that will never be perfect. After all no one ever said Christians were perfect, just forgiven—a bumper sticker I remember. Benedictine nun, Joan Chittester, says that we can not be happy about many things in church, yet remain as a "loyal member of a dysfunctional family." So yes most churches are not perfect. I doubt if you have ever found one that was even though you may have found one, possibly this one, that really suits you.

Getting back to choices, do you remember Moses (Deuteronomy 30) saying to the sojourners in the desert that he has set before them this day life and prosperity, death and adversity. If they choose to obey God’s commandments they will prosper and be blessed; other wise they shall perish. He ends with saying that he has set before them life and death, blessings and curses. “Choose life so that you and your descendants may live…”(v.19b).

Whom do you choose to serve? In every generation, we have to make our own decisions within our own particular context. Decisions like these are not easy even if we are sure we are making the right decision. So many times we just can’t figure it out ourselves, and we wonder whether that voice we hear deep inside is God or just our own will. We know that some of the beliefs and practices our forebears had do not make any sense to us today. The United Church of Christ emphasizes that God is still speaking; God has not spoken once and then stopped talking. Our understanding of God must grow and change just as we do. We get new insights from books, from speakers and preachers, through prayer as well as from observing life itself. As our individual lives and our world grows, we see things a different way. I just heard this week about how much the brain, especially the frontal lobes, have grown in the last 2 million years, allowing human beings to use imagination and other scientific/logical thinking that was not possible in early life.

Joshua was challenging his people to worship the One God and not the idols that were the gods of their forefathers. What is idolatry? The dictionary has the unhelpful definition of worshiping idols and also blind or excessive devotion to something. One of my references said that idolatry exists when there is a separation of spiritual values such as love of God and neighbor from the way we carry out our lives day by day. When we make the choice that Joshua is talking about, it’s really a choice of priorities: what is most important to us--loving the things of the world or loving God. If we choose something in the world such as money and make its acquisition the highest good, that would be idolatry. When we do that, we are making this thing our god. Money, to continue with the same example, is not bad in itself. It has many valuable uses. It becomes bad when it becomes so important to us that more important things, such as honesty, are neglected. Last week Don Johnson preached about the idolatry of putting our nation first, believing that Americans are God’s chosen people as well as making an idol of consumer capitalism. He reminded us of H. Richard Niebuhr saying that we must be willing to take a stand against the world. Don points out that any church, and I would add any Christian who blindly serves the nation state, is betraying God by “having other gods before Him.” So, if we have too great a focus and loyalty to worldly things and too little trust and faith in God, it is the same as worshipping idols. In our Joshua text, a single moment of choice is given to the Israelites. I believe that for us it is not a single choice, a single decision. If not daily, at least weekly or monthly we are presented with choices where we have to decide whether or not to serve God, to try to love others as God has loved us, or to put worldly or self-centered values above the great commandments. Jesus said the two greatest commandments are to love the Lord, your God, with all your heart and all your soul and all your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Joshua’s choice: “As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.”

What about you?

Prayer: Gracious God, be with us in our choices. Give us courage, give us clarity, that we may serve you as you want us to. Thank you for the many ways we know you; keep us open to the Spirit in all ways now and forevermore. Amen.

1 Roy H. May, Jr., Joshua and the Promised Land.
2 Dan Clendenin, Journey with Jesus.

Two Flags

by Don Johnson

Over the last 25 years that we have been hosting Fulbright professors from around the world, we have visited many churches in New England, including this one. The visitors ask many questions about American religion, but the one that arises the most is, “Why is the American flag in a church?” Today, I would like to investigate with you this issue and how as believing Christians we should respond to the question of “Two Flags.” The two flags, one representing our Christian community, the flag given by the Guild in honor of my mother, and the other one symbolizing our nation.

One way to resolve the two flags is to argue that they represent the same values and there is no contradiction between them. Today’s scriptures explains how the nation of Israel is seen as God’s chosen nation and made sacred by divine covenant that stipulated God would favor Israel if its people followed His rules. In Psalm 111, there is little question what nation God favors, “He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations.” But what happens if we Americans see ourselves as a new Israel, as God’s chosen people? Does this transfer of the chosen really work?

From the beginning of our history Americans have claimed to be the new Israel and heir to God’s divine favor. Governor Winthrop in 1630, , standing in Boston, preached to his people that, “we shall be as a City upon a Hill, the eies of all people are uppon us...if God be with us who can be against us?” America, then, would be God’s favored people also, by establishing a "New Jerusalem" in a "new Canaan. " Here a purer form of Christianity could prosper and would serve as a moral and religious beacon for the entire world. Woodrow Wilson spoke in a similar vein when he announced that “America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of the Holy Scripture.” Later in 1983, President Reagan explained "Therefore, this country is compelled by scripture and the Lord Jesus Christ to oppose Russia with all military and political means.” George W. Bush adopted Winthrop’s words when he reminded us after September 11th, "Our nation is chosen by God and commissioned by history to be a model to the world of justice."As a European writer noted, after September 11th, “This idea of God choosing the people of America is as strong today as it was three centuries ago…a statement that one never hears from European leaders.”

Another explanation of the elevation of one’s nation comes out of world history following the French Revolution. Since then, or perhaps even before, the nation-state as the major unit of political organization has dominated world politics. From the origin of nation-states with England, France and Spain, the number has now grown to 193 nation states, most earning that status with the end of European and American colonialism.

In the nation-state system everyone gives their ultimate loyalty to their state. Each state, although imposing a common civic morality within its borders, outside the borders deals with the other nation-states without any morality except one’s “national interests.” National leaders are free to kill, kidnap, torture, lie, steal and commit other acts that inside the state would be considered evil, and often punishable by law.

Most world historians now agree that in the past 200 years the nation-state has gained almost total power over its citizens. It has also replaced religion as the major shaper of our collective world views and moral structures. The nation-state alone can take our lives and give them back, make war and negotiate peace settlements. As one scholar explains, the modern nation state, “defines [our] purposes, meanings and goals...i All this power to define reality was once situated in the realms of religion. Nation states, beyond shaping our collective consciousness also control the means of violence. In the 20th century alone, the bloodiest century in history, national wars have taken about 140 million lives.

We call loyalty to one’s nation patriotism. We have all have taken several courses on United States history and remember our revolutionary hero Nathan Hale, who at age 21 spoke these words when he was about to be hanged, words that we learned in the East Deering school house, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country." We may also remembers Stephen Decatur, our great naval hero who declared his loyalty in 1816, “Our country!... right or wrong.”
The eminent orthodox Christian writer, G. K. Chesterton, wrote America is "a country with the soul of a church." Albert Einstein, concerned about the excesses of nationalism wrote, "Heroism on command, senseless violence, and all of the loathsome nonsense that goes by the name of patriotism — how passionately I hate them!" George Bernard Shaw once commented, "You'll never have a quiet world till you knock the patriotism out of the human race."

Rhinehold Niebuhr is certainly one of the most thoughtful American theologians to address the tension between our nation and our God. His Moral Man and Immoral society, argues that individuals may choose to act morally and take the consequences, even death, but nation-states cannot act morally, because their leaders are bound to place national survival above all other values. In his fine book, The Irony of American History, he argues that the Unites States cannot possibly be chosen by God, because it is a nation state like all others. He tried to convince Americans, in the heat of the Cold War, that we are one nation among many and we use power to gain our objectives like all other nations. Those of us who agree with Niebuhr suggest that we must recognize that we are not God’s chosen people, but are, like any nation, fully capable of sinfulness.

Seeing the American flag beside the Christian flag should remind us that we as a nation live in a fallen world, a world of power politics and fierce competition for wealth and status, far removed from God’s promised kingdom. It reminds us that in a nation-state, even our own, power usually determines results and we must understand power if we are to take the serious steps to heal the pain and injustices in our nation and the world. The Christian flag symbolizes “thy kingdom to come,” God’s future kingdom of peace, justice and mercy. Even as we honor our nation we must accept God’s final judgment on each of us, on our nation and on our world.

But that tension between the nation in which we live and God’s promised kingdom doesn’t excuse us from making the effort to turn our fallen world toward the direction of God’s promised kingdom. In his famous Serenity prayer, Niebuhr taught us that we can change some things even though we cannot change everything. We must not be discouraged when our attempts to do good make us feel like Sisyphus pushing his rock up the hill, only tantalizingly near the top it rolls back down on him. Niebuhr calls for realism in our foreign policy and in our Christian life. He reminds us that nothing of true value can be accomplished in a single lifetime and no great endeavor can be achieved alone. If we are to be part of social change, we must work together as a community. We also need to proceed in humility and realize that our lonely shouting and anger achieves nothing in dealing with any kind of real power, much less the ultimate power of the nation-state.

The other Niebuhr brother, H. Richard, visited Germany in the 1930s as the Nazis were gaining power. Returning home, after many discouraging talks with German Christian leaders, he wrote his famous book, The Church against the world, where he writes, “If Christians continue to betray their mission to the oppressed, God will raise another people in their place.” His words, written at a time when most German Christian leaders were doing little to oppose Nazism, remind us that our faith insists that we be part of a church that in our own time has the courage to stand against the world. ii Peter Gomes, the minister of the Harvard Memorial Church, echoes this thought in our own time, “If you are really willing to choose between your culture and the God who delivered you, and you choose the God who delivered you, then you can do it, but you can't have it both ways."

Our American problem is further confounded, not only by our mistaken assumption that we are God’s chosen, but in the last thirty years, by the elevation of another false god to be worshipped along side our nation - consumer capitalism. As the Harvard theologian Harvey Cox wrote in 1999, “The Market is becoming more like the Yahweh of the Old Testament—not just one superior deity contending with others but the Supreme Deity, the only true God, whose reign must now be universally accepted and who allows for no rivals.” iii

The most difficult choices for modern Christians revolve around the fact that churches function in nation states and too often confuse their loyalties and conflate nationalism and capitalism with the Christian faith. Any church that blindly serves the state or economic system in which it functions, is betraying our sovereign God and “having other gods before Him.”

Many of America’s most successful churches now merge nationalism, market economics and Christianity into a popular mix accompanied by light shows and rock music that offends no one and promises individual happiness, personal wealth and a mindless commitment to American national interest - all in the name of a loving God. If we are to honor God’s sovereignty and Jesus’ command that we side with the downtrodden, good works, charity and innocence rooted in superficial knowledge just won’t do. If we are to translate Jesus teachings into our own time, we must understand both the radicalism of our scriptures and how the politics of power functions. To do that we have to know how our social and political system as well as the global world actually works. We must study and be willing to face facts instead of responding to emotionally charged sound bites. This is the path of sacrifice of time, effort and money, and sometimes much more.

The great German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, teaches us the possible price of dissent when we go against the nation-state. In 1939, Bonhoeffer who had earlier studied at Union Theological Seminary, visited his mentor Rhinehold Niebuhr in New York. Neibuhr advised Bonhoeffer not to return to Germany. But Bonhoeffer decided to return to his home country. From Germany he wrote to Neibuhr, “I have no right to participate in the reconstruction of Christian life in Germany after the war if I do not share the trials of this time with my people.” In 1944, Bonhoeffer was executed for his part in the plot to assassinate Hitler. No wonder Bonhoeffer could speak with such conviction on cheap grace. In his seminal book, The Cost of Discipleship, he defines cheap" grace as “the preaching of forgiveness without repentance, baptism without church discipline; Communion without confession. Or as the prophet Zephaniah warns us, “Gather together, gather, O shameless nation, before you are driven away like the drifting chaff, before there comes upon you the fierce anger of the Lord, before there comes upon you the day of the Lord's wrath.”

So we have two flags, one standing for the nation we love; one standing for our faith. We surely hope that our nation really is as we pledge, “one nation under God” and that we also understand our most famous prayer, “Thy will be done, thy kingdom come But what if our nation chooses not to follow God’s laws and clearly behaves more like the Assyrians, Babylonians and Egyptians, so much scorned in the Old Testament. If and when that day should come, will we have the courage to pledge our ultimate allegiance to the Christian flag and really act on the higher calling of our Christian faith.

i . Julian Thomas, Quoted in Connie McNeely, Construction of the Nation-State, 1994,p. 7
ii . H. Richard Niebuhr, The Question of the church in the Church against the World, Chicago, 1935.
iii . Harvey Cox “The Market as God: Living in the new dispensation The Atlantic Monthly, Vol.283 No.3, March 1999)

Deep Hunger

Sermon for August 2, 2009
Scripture: Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; John 6:24-35


What are you hungry for today? Really hungry for? And I’m not talking about blueberry pie or rum raisin ice cream. What is it deep down inside of you that you desire?
In last week’s scripture there was a crowd of over 5000 listening to Jesus and they were hungry for something to eat on a physical level so we took a look at the Abundance available when we care for each other. The Revised Common Lectionary that I usually follow is spending 5 weeks in the 6th chapter of John, the gospel of the “I am” statements. In this week’s gospel reading Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (6:35)

In researching this sermon I came across a quote from a British journalist that I want to share: “Countries like ours are full of people who have all the material comforts they desire, together with such non-material blessings as a happy family, and yet lead lives of quiet, and at times noisy, desperation, understanding nothing but the fact that there is a hole inside them and that however much food and drink they pour into it, however many motor cars and television sets they stuff it with, however many well-balanced children and loyal friends they parade around the edges of it… it aches.” 1 Do you have that kind of aching hole inside of you? Maybe not, hopefully not. I’d love to know that all of you are so filled with the Spirit, so strong in your faith that this sermon does not apply to you and I’ll continue anyhow.

What are our deepest desires? What is it that will fill us? Some people believe that it is money and fame and then look at the sadness of Michael Jackson’s life. Others will believe that recognition and power and maybe a little sex thrown in will do it and then we look at the sadness of John Edwards and Governor Mark Sanford’s confessions and know that is not the answer. The great psychologists and psychiatrists have had their opinions: Sigmund Freud felt the desire for Pleasure, especially sexual pleasure was the answer. Alfred Adler said no it isn’t sex; it’s the desire for power, to be in control that is most important. Then we have psychiatrist Victor Frankel after his experience in the Nazi concentration camps. There both desire for pleasure and the wish for control and power were taken away, so he believes that the basic human hunger or the deepest drive within us is our deep longing for meaning and purpose, to have our lives matter.

There’s no doubt that the Israelites on their journey to the Promised Land had a lot of problems and today’s lesson from Exodus finds them grumbling again about what they do not have. They had only been on the road for about a month, but what a month it had been! They weren’t used to this refugee life, and started thinking that maybe being a slave wasn’t so bad. They were quick to complain and murmur when their needs weren’t being met. So Moses intervenes for them with God who promises to give them their daily bread, manna from heaven. The catch was that each morning they could gather only what they needed for the day. If they took too much it would rot. This was a test of both obedience to God and trust that God will provide.

How much is enough? The advertisers on TV and the internet constantly tell us we need more. We need things that yesterday we never even knew existed. As human beings, we always seem to be hungry for more. Physical hunger comes and goes. You’re hungry, you eat a meal and you feel better. But spiritual hunger is different. It gnaws away at you. Many try to fill this desperate hunger with work, food or even alcohol and drugs. It only causes even deeper hungry. People, places or things cannot fill a hunger and thirst that only a right relationship with God can fill.
The crowds that followed Jesus yesterday were back again, and Jesus accuses them of following him only because he filled their bellies. Knowing that they have missed the point, Jesus tries to tell them, “You guys think that manna in the desert was a big deal. The manna was just pointing toward Me. Plus Moses didn’t come up with that,” he tells them, “It came from God. And it wasn’t just about feeding hungry people. It was about getting them ready to go to a new place of freedom and promise.” For them and for us it is hard to see beyond the literal bread. Jesus tells them that God has a new and different kind of bread that would satisfy their deep hunger and that it was coming to them through himself, that he would give it to them and to us if we believed. Believing in Jesus is—living with our focus on him, striving to have him live in and through us. It is believing that he is the incarnation of God’s grace. When we believe in him, we are really convinced in our hearts that we, each of us, are loved by God, that God knows each of us and that each of us matters. Jesus is saying that he’s the only one who can truly satisfy the deepest hungers of our hearts and spirits. And once we find that satisfaction in Him, we’ll never experience that gnawing spiritual hunger and thirst again. Just as God fed the hungry Hebrews for 40 years with the manna, and just as Jesus fed the hungry crowds on the Lakeshore with bread, He still feeds us today through the Holy Spirit. God feeds us through his Word in the Bible as well as in his Still Speaking word. For those that are wandering in the deserts of uncertain health, uncertain employment, troubled relationships, or whatever, God’s Word reminds us of God’s love and faithfulness. When we believe in him, we are convinced and motivated to love others as God in Christ has loved us.

We are also fed through the Sacrament of Holy Communion. This is my body broken for you. Jesus is the real food, the most important food for life. Jesus has told you both in his words and his actions: don’t spend your time and energy and effort in buying food that spoils, empty relationships, useless junk food. Don’t stock your shelves with perishables—cars, gadgets, jewelry, clothes, or an overstuffed bank account.

The bread and cup, the body and blood of Jesus is our real food. It’s a strange food we consume, this food… called Jesus. We consume it, take it into ourselves like ordinary bread… like ordinary wine. We begin to digest it… until it becomes part of us. But... then the bread of life… does something else…. something the ordinary bread doesn't do. This real bread… this real food… the body and blood of Jesus… begins to consume us… begins to make us part of Jesus… and we too become non-perishable… we too become bread of life… living loaves for the world. Remember that your hunger of whatever sort matters to Jesus. You can spend your effort and energy… seeking to fill that hunger with all sorts of foods… but Jesus reminds you that it's the Spirit who can fill you… so eat as often as you can… so that you can go out into the world… and be bread... the body of Christ... for someone else. May our deep hunger be satisfied this day as we go to Christ’s table. Amen

1 Bernard Levin, ‘Life’s Great Riddle, and No Time to Find Its Meaning’.

ABUNDANCE

Sermon for July 26, 2009
Scriptures: 2 Kings 4:42-44, John 6:1-21

Let me tell you a couple of short stories to start this sermon off: Once upon a time there were two shoe salesmen who were sent by their company to a region in Africa where everyone went barefoot. One salesman dejectedly informed his superiors, "We might as well forget these people. No one here wears shoes." The other salesman elatedly informed the company, "Send as many shoes as you can as quickly as you can. Everyone here needs shoes!"

The second story may have taken place in one of our neighboring churches. A minister was making a home visit to one of the younger families in the community. A five-year-old boy answered the front door and told the minister his mother would be there shortly. To make some conversation, the minister asked the little guy what he would like to be when he grows up. The boy immediately answered, "I'd like to be possible." "What do you mean by that?" the puzzled minister asked. "Well, you see," the boy replied, "just about every day my mom tells me I'm impossible!"Here’s a question I’d like to have you think about: What seems to be impossible in your life or the life of Deering Community Church these days? Do you ever listen to the news and just let out a big sigh as you wonder about how in the world can we ever accomplish all the things that seem so impossible in our world today?" There’s health care, hunger, wars, the economy just to mention some of the big ones.

In each of our scriptures today there is a story about scarcity that is overcome by abundance. In each case there is someone who doubts it is possible; there’s someone who is generous and gives of what they have to get things started, and then a miracle happens—the few bits of food are multiplied not only to feed all those who are present but with much left over.

Let’s look in more detail at the gospel lesson in John. Jesus' disciples were faced with a big problem. They were surrounded by thousands of hungry people. Just like the shoe salesmen, the disciples mentioned had very different attitudes and points of view. Philip saw the problem and started worrying and calculating: "Two hundred denarii (six months' wages) would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little." No way did this little group of disciples have such resources and probably felt it was impossible so he gave up. Another disciple, Andrew, reacted very differently. He told Jesus that a boy had five barley loaves and a couple of fish with him and brought him to Jesus as part of the solution. He knew the boy didn't have enough to feed everyone, but he figured at least it was a step in the right direction.

And of course we know what happened. After directing the disciples to tell the 5000 men plus women and children to sit down, Jesus took the loaves and fish, gave thanks to God for them, and distributed them to the crowd. The leftovers filled twelve baskets!

People with positive attitudes may not be able to solve everything but they will certainly be likely to find solutions much more often than those who are overwhelmed and give up. Lao Tzu’s quote that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step is something I like to remember when I’m about to get overwhelmed with the terrible suffering in our world. I also remind myself that I’m not alone. God’s great power showed through in Jesus. I can’t explain it in words that seem reasonable or scientific; however, there is inside of me a place that truly believes that with God all things can be possible.

One of my online Midrash colleagues1 says that we are the disciples and wonders if we respond to the needs of the world with a theology of scarcity. Do we say, “But Jesus, what we have to offer is no way enough for any meaningful solution to the suffering. We don’t have enough money; we don’t have enough time or energy. What could we or I possibly have to offer that would make a difference to those starving in body and spirit? Where are the crowds today? What are they looking for? Where are all the cars going today? To a mall or a gym? To a restaurant? What are the people looking for? What hunger are they and we trying to fill? My guess is that most of us are searching to fill a hunger much deeper than the physical—as important as that is. As I think about this I am reminded of St. Augustine saying that our hearts are restless until we rest in God.

Those of you that know me well know that my background was one of scarcity of material things—who else would come back from India with thousands of dollars left from “free Lilly money” because of a long ingrained frugality. I have to really struggle to develop a theology of abundance. Mark Nepo, one of my favorite authors, says “One of the most difficult things for us to accept is that beneath all our dreams and disappointments, we live and breathe abundance. It is hard when in pain to believe that all we ever need is before us, around us, within us.”2

How do we get to this kind of faithfulness in the Spirit and confidence in our own gifts given to us by the Creator? What can we do to embrace the Abundance that is always quietly there? Maybe the real miracle in our scripture lessons is the miracle of caring—all else follows. Elisha and Jesus cared about the people, they nourished their hopes and fed their bodies and their souls. When Elijah’s servant and Jesus’ disciples protested that the job of caring before them was too big, too impossible, both of them simply asked that they get started to involve themselves in the solution—getting the people to sit down and then starting to distribute the food. Nepo says, ‘…I have discovered that we cannot eliminate hunger, but we can feed each other. We cannot eliminate loneliness, but we can hold each other. We cannot eliminate pain, but we can live a life of compassion.”3

After the resurrection, Jesus kept asking Peter, “Do you love me?”, and after Peter assured him of his love, Jesus commanded in one form or another, “Feed my sheep.”
To me this is the basis for all the miracles, this compassion and willingness to care for the other. I often call it a ministry of presence, and remember in our church although we have ordained ministers, everyone is a minister, sometimes referred to as the priesthood of all believers. Our ministry of presence arises out of God’s love for us, in gratitude for all the abundant blessings we have. This kind of caring and action creates hope and faith in those who are beneficiaries as well as those who act. When we come from a place of radical abundance, we make hope possible, rather than making despair convincing. (repeat) Everyone can do something and no one has to do everything. I think of our oldest member, Margaret Colburn, and what a ministry she has on the telephone. Through the years we’ve been together, so many of the people, the sick and the dying that I visit will tell me about Margaret’s calls and how much they mean. Kay Bliss, now passed on, would often tell me about how useless she felt, yet she would write to me and other church members with such loving thoughts. From the beginning of my ministry here, she was always so concerned about my well-being and so willing to help in any way she could.
There are many of you here that show your caring in so many ways, both in and out of the church. The more we share our gifts with others, the more abundance will be here. If we visit those that are sick or lonely, feed those that need food and/or hope, if we do those random acts of kindness, give our money as generously as we are able, always remembering that God will be with us, increasing our power and our love, we will be part of God’s miracles in this world.. In the end, I am sure we will have much left over, more blessings than we started with, more love, more joy, more hope, more of everything that we truly need. Thanks be to God, Amen.

1 Anna Murdock
2 Book of Awakening, p. 132
3 The Exquisite Risk, Daring to Live an Authentic Life, p. 240