Abiding in a Tent ~ Eighth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time

07/18/2010 ~ Eighth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 11 ~ 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Amos 8:1-12 or Genesis 18:1-10a; Psalm 52 or Psalm 15; Colossians 1:15-28; Luke 10:38-42 ~ A Union Service with the Sherburne United Church of Christ.

Abiding in a Tent

“O Yahweh, who may abide in your tent? / Who has the right to enter your tent? / Who may dwell on your holy mountain? / Those who walk blamelessly; / those who conduct themselves with integrity, / and do what is right; / those who work for justice / and speak the truth from their heart—” — Psalm 15:1-2.

[At the Children’s Time the Pastor had a large picture of the vacation place on an island in Maine where he would be next week and asked if God takes a vacation. The answer was: no, God is always with us, at our side, loving us. At the point the pastor came out of the pulpit with many small prints of different places at that vacation place, asked people to pass the pictures around and chatted with members of the congregation as that was done.]

As these things go, July seems to be a pretty significant month for Connolly clan anniversaries— or at least the part of the Connolly clan which goes by the name Bonnie and Joe Connolly. (Slight pause.) I first met Bonnie on July 11th, 1987. For those of you who don’t have a calendar calculator handy, that was 23 years and one week ago today on that island.

One year and four days after that July day in 1987, July the 15th, 1988, I moved to Maine to marry Bonnie. And twelve days short of eight full years after that, on July the 3rd, 1996, right after I graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary, we arrived in Chenango County. I had accepted a call as Pastor and Teacher here, at the United Church of Christ, First Congregational, of Norwich.

I’d be the first to admit Bonnie pays more attention to those kind of personal anniversaries than I, even when it comes to July. I tend to say: “July— ‘that’s when Major League Baseball holds the All Star Game’ or ‘that’s when the Open is played’— can’t miss those.” On the other hand, when you get that many dates of personal note bunched together, you do notice.

But I, therefore and also, am led to wonder about anniversaries. Why do we do celebrate them, notice them? I mean, I’m all for celebrating. After all, as you are probably aware, we don’t simply have a service of worship. We celebrate a service of worship.

And, indeed, there is a significant amount of remembering, looking to and at our Christian heritage incorporated into every worship. Just in and by the recitation of Scripture we remember.

But even as we celebrate and remember, I think we also need to do some looking forward. Bonnie and I are actually about to do this since this time next week we on that island in the middle of Penobscot Bay where we met those twenty-three years ago.

And, needless to say, those twenty three years ago, neither of us would have predicted my journey to and through seminary. Neither of us would have predicted that we would be here, with you, now.

So, when we return to that island next week, we will look to the past and remember. But we will also be looking forward.

Why? Because we will remember that, when we met, we did not know where we would be these many years hence. And so it will be yet again. We will not know what comes next as we stand on the shore of the island. And we will wonder what tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow will bring.

This I do know: sometimes what tomorrow brings is simply waiting on God. Sometimes what tomorrow brings is something new and different for us, something already imagined by God in ways we cannot yet dream about.

I know this: there is and there will be and there is only one constant in tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow: it will be both the same as today and yet again different than today. As an Ancient Greek philosopher said, “you cannot step into the same river twice.” The river, you see, is always changing. And yet the river is always there. (Slight pause.)

And these words are from Psalm 15: “O Yahweh, who may abide in your tent? / Who has the right to enter your tent? / Who may dwell on your holy mountain? / Those who walk blamelessly; / those who conduct themselves with integrity, / and do what is right; / those who work for justice / and speak the truth from their heart—” (Slight pause.)

I think the compilers of the lectionary have made a sound choice in placing Psalm 15 next to the story of Abraham and the visitors. Abraham’s hospitable actions have several characteristics. They extend toward those who appear unexpectedly and, in this case, these visitors also happen to be strangers.

Abraham’s actions follow a certain protocol: seeing, meeting, welcoming, honoring, inviting, refreshing, preparing, serving, ministering. These can be summed up in one word: welcoming.

But Abraham does not act in a hospitable way because of a desire to please a visitor, even a visitor who, as the text implies, may be divine. These actions are meant to be seen as everyday gestures, a holy commitment to be welcoming— to live welcoming— on the part of Abraham.

What was offered was appropriate for all visitors, not restricted for only important ones. Further, when Abraham says (quote): “If I have found favor in your eyes, please do not pass by our tent.”

This sentiment gives the visitors the freedom to respond without embarrassment. Why? The sentiment embraces emotionally. (Slight pause.)

Our tendency is to concentrate on narratives in a story, action rather than the emotional life we might find therein. This seems to be especially true when we read Biblical stories. Our inclinations lead us to concentrate on what happened, on what transpired and on what resulted from a situation rather than on how people interacted.

So what can be said about the behavior exhibited rather than the plot? What can we say about the emotional life of this story? (Slight pause.)

What is clear is Abraham and Sarah have no preconceived notions about what might happen, no preconceived notions about the future and what or who they might encounter. What is clear is they are present to one another and are willing to be present to whomever they encounter.

And a divine visitor does show up. Do they know? Perhaps— but they treat everyone equally.

In so doing they are listening for the voice of God. They are not even sure when or if God will speak. But they strive to listen always. They understand it as part of the covenant.

All of that brings us back to the Psalm. (Slight pause.) Who may abide in the tent of Yahweh, God? (Quote): “Those who walk blamelessly; / those who conduct themselves with integrity, / and do what is right; / those who work for justice / and speak the truth from their heart—”

Sounds like a tall order, that. Does it not? Blamelessness, having integrity, working for justice, speaking the truth— not easy stuff.

And, if you listen only to the narrative implied it is a tall order. You see, when we listen to just the narrative gleaned both from the Genesis reading or the Psalm we might be directed toward results and results only— only what happens in the end.

That would be a mistake. Why? Seeing only the results might lead us toward a belief in what I call the ‘Santa Claus narrative’ we get in our heads about God. You know— “You better watch out, / You better not cry / Better not pout / I’m telling you why / Santa Claus is coming to town.”

We get God and Santa Claus mixed up because we think of our relationship with God as being a series of transactions. Dear God— I want this. And you get it or you don’t. And then you ask again. And you get it or you don’t. In this narrative God becomes a consumerist god, a god who simply enters into transactions.

But is that the God described here or, indeed, the God described in all Scripture? Is that an accurate description of God, a valid narrative, the true story of God? Or is the God described in Scripture a God who enters into relationship, a God who touches us on an emotional level?

I think the God being described in both readings and in all of Scripture is a God who invites us to be open to listening to God, open to the will of God. In short, the God being described in Scripture is a God who is still speaking. (Slight pause.)

So. what do we need to do? We need to do what Abraham and Sarah did. We need to be open. We need to listen. Why?

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow— as I suggested, twenty three years ago Bonnie and I did not know what tomorrow would bring. And when we are on the island next week, we will wonder yet again about tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow.

Now this much I can guarantee— not only will God still be speaking tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow, but whatever happens, God will be at our side— not on our side but at out side. God will be with us in our emotional life.

God will love us when things go wrong. God will love us when things go right. God will love us when we succeed. God will love us when we fail.

And God will still speak to us, and perhaps gently nudge us as we seek to walk in the will of God. As I am sure you realize, that is exactly what Abraham and Sarah did— seek to walk in the will of God.

You see, it’s not the narrative which takes precedence in any of these stories. It’s the state of being. And when we seek to walk in the will of God— guess what? We will abide in the tent of God. Amen.

07/18/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational
A Union Service with the Sherburne United Church of Christ

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is an précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: “Speaking of remembering history, the pastor of this church from 1860 to 1877 was Samuel Scoville. Sam was the son-in-law of Henry Ward Beecher, the Pastor of Plymouth Congregational Church in Brooklyn and certainly one of the most famous people in America at that time. Beecher said this: ‘I never knew how to worship until I knew how to love.’ God stands with us. Surely that is one definition of love— standing with someone. I would suggest that when we worship, it needs to be an expression of love. But how is worship accomplished? Perhaps it means simply seeking the will of God and, thereby, abiding in the tent of God.”

7/11/2010 - 13th Annual Dixieland Jazz Service

THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL
Norwich, New York 13815

July 11, 2010 ~ 10:00 a.m.

Seventh Sunday after Pentecost, Known in Some Traditions as the 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 10)

A Summer Union Service
United Church of Christ, First Congregational
First Baptist Church
Broad Street United Methodist Church
Christ Lutheran Church

13th Annual Dixieland Jazz Service

THOUGHTS FOR MEDITATION—
“All music is folk music; I ain’t never heard no horse sing a song.” — Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” — Victor Hugo

NOTE: There was a mission aspect to this service of worship: Strawberry Sundays served at a Coffee Hour run by Christ Lutheran. The Free Will Donations were targeted for Our Daily Bread Food Pantry.

CHIMING OF THE HOUR

PRELUDE # 1 — Washington and Lee Swing
A Ragtime Classic, Washington and Lee Swing comes out of the same era as Dixieland and, hence, has many of the same musical roots. It was actually written as the “fight song” for Washington and Lee University by one Thornton W. Allen (class of 1913) in 1910. By 1924 more than fifty colleges had written Washington and Lee University for permission to adapt it. And yes, this song is of very little theological import. But it is great fun.

PRELUDE # 2 — A Closer Walk with Thee
This Gospel favorite makes an easy transition into many genres. Therefore, early on it became a staple of those who played jazz (there is a famous recording by clarinetist Pete Fountain) and, thereby, is a natural piece to be offered in a Dixieland arrangement.

WELCOME AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

A TIME FOR MEDITATION— I’ve Got Peace Like a River #478
Isaiah uses the image “peace like a river” (Isaiah 66:12). The tune has its roots in African American Spirituals and it is likely this was originally a Mississippi River work song. Words such as are found in the text can sustain those who find themselves enmeshed in poverty and captivity.

WE PRAISE GOD

CALL TO WORSHIP
ONE: Praise the Lord!
MANY: Praise God in the sanctuary.
ONE: Praise God for mighty deeds.
MANY: Praise our
great living God
whose steadfast goodness
and love endures forever!
ONE: Praise God with trumpet,
lute, reed and harp!
MANY: Praise God with
tambourine and dance,
with voice and hands
and trumpet,
with trombone, piano, clarinet,
with tuba, drums and strings!
ONE: Praise God with
clanging cymbals,
with loud clashing cymbals!
MANY: Let everything
that breathes
praise the Lord!
Let us praise the Lord together
and worship God
with prayer and song!

HYMN— Amazing Grace #547
This hymn by Newton is an autobiographical reflection on the time he was caught in a storm while captain of a slave ship. It is an obvious plea for forgiveness for one’s actions towards other humans, in this specific case, the captives on Newton’s ship. In making such an appeal, this hymn, historically, has had a special meaning for people from oppressed communities.

*THE CONGREGATIONAL GREETING OF PEACE
ONE: May the peace of Christ, whose present reality we celebrate, be with you.
ALL: And also with you.

*THE SHARING OF THE PEACE

OFFERTORY
I Woke Up This Morning Insert
As these things go, I Woke Up This Morning is a very new song composed in the genre known as Spirituals. It probably dates no earlier than sometime the 1960s or 1970s. By the 1980s it is found in collections. But as is true of most works with the designation ‘Spiritual’ the origins of this work are murky, its writer unknown and it, hence, in the most real sense, if true ‘folk’ art.

*OFFERING RESPONSE— God of Grace (# 436)

WE LISTEN FOR GOD’S WORD
IN SCRIPTURE AND SONG

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN THE SECTION KNOWN AS THE TORAH— Exodus 15:1-2, 19-20
READER: Scholars agree: the Exodus is the central event of the Hebrew Scriptures. Chapter 15 of Exodus contains two hymns. The first is often labeled The Song of Moses. The second is often labeled The Song of Miriam. Placed right after the Hebrews have crossed the expanse, both hymns commemorate the event. The Song of Moses takes up a good part of that Fifteenth chapter. The Song of Miriam comes second and is quite brief. Hence, on an initial reading, The Song of Miriam might seem to be an afterthought. But just as we can tell the difference between Elizabethan English and Twenty-first Century English because of differences in style, grammar and spellings, when scholars examine The Song of Miriam they come to the conclusion that The Song of Miriam very much predates The Song of Moses and, indeed, may be some of the oldest words recorded in Scripture. I shall first read a small section of The Song of Moses and I shall then read The Song of Miriam. Hear now this reading as it is found in the work known as Exodus.

[1] [Having crossed over] ...Moses and the Israelites
sang this song to Yahweh, God:
“To you, O God, I will sing:
You have triumphed gloriously;
horse and rider You have flung into the sea.
[2] Yahweh is our strength and courage;
You have become our deliverance;
You are our God, and we will praise You,
God of our ancestors— we exalt You!”

[19] And once Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and chariot drivers went into the seabed, Yahweh let the water collapse upon them. But the Israelites had walked through the seabed on dry ground.
[20] Then the prophet Miriam, who was the sister of Aaron, picked up a tambourine in her hand; and all the women followed her, dancing with tambourines in their hands [21] while Miriam sang this:
“Sing to Yahweh, God,
Who has triumphed gloriously;
Who has flung horse and rider
into the sea.”

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

HYMN— Wade in the Water Insert
This hymn, a so-called ‘slave song,’ has an important place in American history. Harriet Tubman sang it as a warning to runaway slaves. The message of the song was the escaping slaves were being told to abandon the land paths and move to the water. By traveling along the water’s edge or across a body of water, the slaves would throw chasing dogs and their keepers off the scent.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES IN THE SECTION KNOWN AS THE WRITINGS— Ecclesiastes 3:1-2, 4, 6, adapted
READER: No faith can survive long that is founded on the slippery slope of muddled piety. Often passages from the group of Biblical books known loosely as The Wisdom Literature offer doses of reality as a tonic. This is one such passage. Hear now this reading as it is found in that section of the wisdom literature knows as Ecclesiastes.

For everything there is a season,
and a time
for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant,
and a time to pluck up
what is planted;
a time to weep,
and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn,
and a time to dance;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
and a time to keep,...

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

The next hymn is Precious Lord, Take My Hand, Tom Dorsey’s lament written after the death of his wife and newborn son in a car accident in 1932. Tom Dorsey became known as Gospel Tom Dorsey, the father of Gospel music after this hymn was published. In the nineteen twenties Dorsey had been a jazz musician who worked with Ma Rainey, but later became a choir director for forty years at the Pilgrim Church in Chicago. Gospel Tom’s Precious Lord, Take My Hand is hymn # 472.

HYMN— Precious Lord, Take My Hand #472
‘Georgia Tom’ Dorsey adapted this tune to his text after his wife and newborn son died in a car accident in 1932. Dorsey, born in 1899, was greatly influenced by the New Orleans style of music.

A READING FROM THE HEBREW SCRIPTURES— 2 Kings 2:4-14
READER: It has often been said God is on the side of the outcast and the oppressed. Indeed, some of the most compelling artistic expressions about God, a God who reaches out to humanity, come from those who are oppressed. Certainly there is no era recorded in Scripture in which the offspring of Abraham could not be said to be an oppressed people and, thereby, a people who looked to God for salvation. Still, the work of God in defense of the outcast and the oppressed through the Spirit of God continues and we look to the stories of Scripture to assure us that the Spirit of God continues to work among us. Hear now this reading from Second Kings.

[4] Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to Jericho.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. [5] The company of prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha, and said to him, “Do you know that today the LORD will take your master away from you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know; be silent.”
[6] Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here; for the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.” But Elisha said, “As the LORD lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So the two of them went on. [7] Fifty of the company of prophets also went, and stood at some distance from them, as they both were standing by the Jordan. [8] Then Elijah took his mantle and rolled it up, and struck the water; the water was parted to the one side and to the other, until the two of them crossed on dry ground.
[9] When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me what I may do for you, before I am taken from you.” Elisha said, “Please let me inherit a double share of your spirit.” [10] Elijah responded, “You have asked a hard thing; yet, if you see me as I am being taken from you, it will be granted you; if not, it will not.” [11] As they continued walking and talking, a chariot of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them, and Elijah ascended in a whirlwind into heaven. [12] Elisha kept watching and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariots and the cavalry of Israel!” But when Elisha could no longer see Elijah, Elisha grasped his own clothes and tore them in two pieces.
[13] Elisha picked up the mantle of Elijah that had fallen and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. [14] He took the mantle of Elijah that had fallen, and struck the water, saying, “Where is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” When he had struck the water, the water was parted to the one side and to the other, and Elisha went over.

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

The hymn is Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. It is found on an insert. Considering its origins in the African American community, this must not be seen as a hymn about redemption in the sweet bye and bye. Rather, as it recalls the scene in Second Kings, this is a hymn which insists there is a continuation of and there is a continuing of the work of God among the people of God.

HYMN— Swing Low, Sweet Chariot Insert
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot, a hymn in the Spiritual tradition, a hymn which probably had its origins in the mid Nineteenth Century, should not be seen as a lament but as a call to understanding that there are things eternal. As is true of most Spirituals, this hymn adapts readily to the Dixieland style.

A READING FROM THE GOSPELS— Matthew 16:24-26
READER: Those who think the message of the New Testament conveys just a simple message, have either ignored the New Testament, have never read the New Testament or confine themselves to looking at only the parts which please them, while throwing out the rest. Looking at only the parts of Scripture we like, as opposed to studying the whole is more common than we realize. Thomas Jefferson, to use one example, actually compiled and published a book with only the parts of the New Testament he liked. (Slight pause.) This next reading is one commonly called The Hard Sayings of Jesus. Here the idea is addressed that discipleship, following God and the Word of God, comes at a cost. Hear now this reading from the Gospel we have come to know as Matthew’s.

...Jesus told the disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. [25] For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. [26] For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?”

This is the Gospel of Jesus, who is the Christ.

The theologian Reinhold Neibhur said anything worth doing takes longer than one lifetime to accomplish. The work of seeking God’s justice and God’s will and God’s freedom is a continuing work. Let us recommit to that idea with We Shall Overcome, hymn # 570.

HYMN— We Shall Overcome #570
While this hymn is classified as a spiritual, its origins are unclear, as there are at least three tunes from which it may have been adapted. One is the spiritual, “No More Auction Block for Me.” Another is a hymn in the European tradition, “Sicilian Mariners” and a third is a hymn, “I’ll Be All Right.” Despite murky origins, a prominent place for this hymn in the History of American Christianity was ensured through its use in the Civil Rights Movement.

A TIME OF PRAYER AND DEDICATION

PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE
Sharing of Joys and Concerns
Silent Prayer
Pastoral Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer (‘debts’)

READER: Julia Ward Howe wrote the words to My Eyes Have Seen the Glory in December 1861, after the election of President Lincoln, but before the inauguration and the secession of the southern states. The tune pre-dates these lyrics and was already being used with other lyrics in the abolitionist movement and at camp meetings. Whenever this text is sung it should be remembered that the intent of the writer was not a proclamation of patriotism or nationalism, but an insistence that the people of God must seek the justice of God. Hence, it should be remembered that, as God’s people, we are called to always seek justice. I especially invite you to examine the last verse which remembers the cross. As a hymn of praise, please join with us in hymn # 610, My Eyes Have Seen the Glory.

A HYMN OF PRAISE— My Eyes Have Seen the Glory #610
Julia Ward Howe, suffragette and abolitionist wrote this text to the camp meeting tune when she witnessed a parade of Union troops near Washington, D.C. This was after the election but before the inauguration of Lincoln, just before the onset of the Civil War. The hymn, of course, expresses the sense of a clear religious call to action. That same call, but in a more secular sense, also served as a basis of the Union’s mission. It was the call to freedom for all people. Therefore, the hymn, if we are true to the sense of what the words actually mean, remains a call for all Christians to the kind of action that might ensure the freedom offered in the dominion of God.

CHILDREN’S TIME
(The Children were invited to hand out kazoos to everyone in the Congregation. The Congregation was invited to march out behind the musicians playing their kazoos and singing When the Saints Go Marching In.)

COMMISSION AND BENEDICTION

BLESSING: Hear now this blessing: let us walk in the Spirit, remembering that we are one in Christ, for, in the Dominion of God, the grace of true freedom is the inheritance of those who walk in the love of God.

And may we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe of God, that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.

*CLOSING HYMN— When the Saints Go Marching In
This tune is often associated with the march back from the grave-side. The joy expressed is because the deceased knows God face to face.

Note: this lyric is the one often used by Louis Armstrong throughout this career.

Oh, when the saints go marching in,
When the saints go marching in—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

And when the sun begins to shine,
And when the sun begins to shine—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the moon turns red with blood,
When the moon turns red with blood—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

On that hallelujah day,
On that hallelujah day—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

Oh when the trumpet sounds the call,
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When God’s revelation comes,
When God’s revelation comes—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the rich go out and work,
When the rich go out and work—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When the air is pure and clean,
When the air is pure and clean—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When we all have food to eat,
When we all have food to eat—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

When our leaders learn to cry,
When our leaders learn to cry—
Oh Lord, I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in.

NOTES ON THE DIXIELAND SERVICE
Jazz, of which Dixieland is a sub-set, is nearly impossible to define. The Encyclopedia Britannica makes a self-admitted partial attempt by labeling jazz as an idiosyncratic musical form, developed by African-Americans, decidedly American in its many strands, often improvisational, containing rhythmic complexity, European harmonics, blues, group dynamics, solo ‘riffs’ and speech intonations. It is a unique experience which can never quite be repeated a second time.
The origins of Jazz, and especially the Dixieland variety, are found in the New Orleans area, dating to the brass bands of the mid 1800s. By then the custom had already developed to have brass band music at funerals. The tempo on the way to the grave was solemn, as one mourned loss. On the return trip the tempo was vibrant and the singing loud, as an expression of joy because a friend or relative was now with God. This music was, thus, early on, tied to worship, as was much music which developed out of the African-American experience. Jazz has, since its inception, influenced the worship experience and vice-versa.
Many jazz forms developed as African-American, Creole and Caucasian musicians exchanged musical and cultural experiences. The terms ‘Dixieland Style’ and ‘New Orleans Style’ are, at times, interchangeable. The earliest recordings of Dixieland date at 1917. At about that same time the purveyors of jazz and its many variations began migrating north, since there were more job opportunities in the north. Further, being a musician often meant one found only limited employment in that field and Chicago and New York City were willing to offer opportunities to the migrants.
Last, it should be noted that Spirituals, a genre used in this service several times, has close connections to Dixieland, at least in terms of sensibilities. But it should also be noted that Spirituals are notorious for having many and varied lyric possibilities, something rare in Western European music.

Note: All the readings were are adapted from the Inclusive Language Version of the Bible or the paraphrase known as The Message.

07/04/2010 ~ Sixth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 9 ~ 14th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ 2 Kings 5:1-14 or Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 30 or Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16 (Used: Galatians 6:1-10, 14-16); Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 ~ Fourth of July Holiday on the Secular Calendar ~ Communion.

Freedom and Responsibility

[Jesus said]: “...therefore ask the overseer of the harvest to send out the laborers, the workers to the harvest.” — Luke 10:2.


I do not remember the exact date the letter arrived. I do know it was the first week of November, 1967. I was 19.

Those of a certain age will be familiar with the first words in the letter and recognize exactly what they meant. (Slight pause.) “Greetings from the President of the United States.”

For those a little younger, this letter informed me I had been drafted into the Armed Forces of these United States. It was my draft notice. The President who sent those greetings was Lyndon Baines Johnson.

I remember watching television more than three years earlier when that very same President interrupted the regular broadcast. United States Navy vessels had been attacked off Vietnam in the Gulf of Tonkin, he said. It later turned out the facts were not quite in line with what was reported. No U. S. vessel had been attacked.

Though still in High School when I heard Johnson, I was sharp enough to recognize the war was about to escalate and the numbers of those drafted would increase. I was also sharp enough to recognize people of my age would carry the brunt of that.

All of which is to say I was neither innocent nor in denial about what would happen once drafted. Vietnam was my likely destination.

That draft letter had one other piece of news. The date set for induction was December the 5th, my mother’s 44th birthday. Happy birthday, Mom. (Slight pause.)

At the time I was a computer operator working at Bloomingdale’s Department Store in New York City. The next day I gave two weeks notice.

That afternoon the boss called me into the office of a senior vice-president and, much to my surprise, told me the company was acting on my behalf to get the draft notice postponed. That would allow the company to assign me someone to train to do my job.

Mind you, they had not asked my permission to intervene. They just did it. I went along, in part because I did not want to be inducted on my Mom’s birthday.

Within days I got a second notice. The induction date was set as January 20th, 1968. In short, the large, well known company for which I worked, could and did get my draft postponed. It was a life lesson in real world power. (Slight pause.)

And on January 20th, 1968 I was off to Fort Jackson, South Carolina, for Basic Training. Late March landed me in Fort Lee, Virginia, for Advanced Training.

The next significant date in this sequence is hard to forget. 42 years ago today— July 4th, 1968— I arrived in Vietnam. Happy Independence Day. (Slight pause.)

I’ve always said my brother is the one who got the smart genes in our family. First, whereas I dropped out of college, he did not. Second, because of that, by the time he was eligible to be drafted the system had changed. Draft numbers were assigned by date of birth.

Before that, individuals were chosen completely at random. The draft is, you see, the only time I ever have won a lottery.

Realizing he had a very low draft number, Jim applied for conscientious objector status. And he got it.

Now, I could have done that. I knew all the same priests who signed letters in support of his stand.

And, in fact, even before I graduated from High School, I knew enough about the South East Asian conflict to be totally aware it was an ineffective foreign policy and a military strategy poorly thought out and poorly executed. Last, it seemed, even then, to stand on questionable moral grounds. So, why did I go? (Slight pause.)

Rumor to the contrary, the system of government under which we live in American is not a democracy. Rumor to the contrary, the system of government under which we live in American is not a republic.

The system under which we live is a democratic republic. Democratic republic— this is not a particularly high falutin, intellectual term. You can look it up in any competent high school civics text book. We just don’t pay much attention to it in our country. Political commerce seems to prefer the mindless rhetoric which confines us to the terms democracy or republic, neither of which is accurate.

So, what does it mean to be a democratic republic? So, what does it mean to live in a democratic republic?

Perhaps this will help: in the initial draft of the Declaration of Independence, again and again, the inhabitants of the 13 colonies are referred to as (quote) “subjects.” But then something amazing happened. Jefferson methodically wiped the word “subjects” out of the text and, each time that word appeared, he changed the word from “subjects” to the word “citizens.”

“Citizens”— no longer subjects, we Americans became and are a people whose allegiance was not to a monarch but to one another. [1] As far as I am concerned, from that point forward as a nation, we have been bound to hold one another in mutual covenant— citizens not subjects. (Slight pause.)

So, why did I acquiesce and allow my self to be drafted? After all, I was fully aware it placed me in harms way, the policy of the government went beyond being flawed to being incompetent and I clearly had avenues I could exercise which might have led to deferment.

Further, I had no sense of ‘gung-ho!— now it’s off to war I go’ to which some in their teen years might have been readily susceptible. And, yes, I was against the war on many levels, including the moral. So, why? (Pause.)

I realized that, as a citizen of a democratic republic, as a citizen of this democratic republic, as one designated by chance, by tradition, by law, by age to serve in the armed forces, I had a responsibility to others.

Now, you may agree or disagree with that decision. But maintaining that I needed to be responsible is where I came down.

For me, the responsibility found in mutual covenant was key. Put another way it’s this simple: real freedom can be found only in the collective. Therefore and paradoxically, real freedom depends on the responsibility assumed by each individual. (Pause.)

And these words are from the work known as Luke: [Jesus said]: “...therefore ask the overseer of the harvest to send out the laborers, the workers to the harvest.” (Slight pause.)

You may have noticed the themes of the Epistle and Gospel readings intertwine this week. In Galatians self indulgence is taken to task.

Luke comes at the same topic from a different angle by addressing how the Good News spreads. When I say ‘how the Good News spreads,’ we need to pay heed not to details but to principles. In this case the principles include mutual responsibility.

The disciples are sent out. What is it which binds them in covenant? This message (quote): “...the reign of God has drawn near.” Once we are clear as to what the disciples are commissioned to do, to spread the Word about the reign of God, only then can we ask ‘how do they go about it?’

And how do they go about it? First, Jesus tells them to pray. So, in prayer, they embrace the humility and repentance found in accepting communal responsibility.

Second, they are commissioned by God. God is in charge. This is not a place for individualistic, self-appointed entrepreneurs.

Indeed, they go out two by two physically, therefore, embracing the humility and repentance found in accepting communal responsibility. And embracing humility and repentance can and does, you see, form living community. (Slight pause.)

So, what is this (quote): “reign of God” which has drawn near? Can it be it has something to do with the freedom granted by God? And can it be that it has something to do with the humility and repentance found in accepting communal responsibility? (Slight pause.)

The closing words of the American Declaration of Independence say this (quote): “...for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” (Slight pause.) The signers of the Declaration embraced humility, repentance and accepted communal responsibility. (Slight pause.)

It is often said freedom is not free. And our human experience says in order to achieve freedom we need to be vigilant about preserving freedom.

But none of us are up to that task alone. Being a lone ranger works only in the movies. We need to be in covenant with one another. We need to rely on one another to see the full reality of freedom and its gifts. (Slight pause.)

As Christians who wish to seek the freedom promised by the reign of God, we must work toward community and in community. So, perhaps the way we need to think about our freedom on this Independence Day is that it is really “Interdependence Day,” a day on which mutual respect and mutual responsibility is held sacred. (Slight pause.)

Yes, freedom is not free. The freedom promised by the reign of God is empowered when we form living community, when we are responsible to one another.

So, let us remember these words of the Gospel: “...therefore ask the overseer of the harvest to send out the laborers, the workers to the harvest.” You see, when the Word is spread, is when we accept responsibility for spreading the Word. And then living community is formed. Amen.

07/04/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is an précis of what the pastor said before the blessing:
“I’ve said this before: most people believe the idea of church is to bring people into church. The idea Jesus seems to have, indeed the idea which seems to define church, is this: let us send people out from the church to be disciples who spread the word about the Dominion of God drawing near. Two paradoxes there— that is the way community gets formed. And it is formed out of the humble willingness to be a living community.”

[1] The Washington Post; Jefferson Changed ‘Subjects’ to ‘Citizens’ in Declaration of Independence; By Marc Kaufman; 07/03/2010
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/02/AR2010070205525.html?nav=rss_email/components