North Guilford Church at 9:00 a.m. ~ A Summer Church ~ 08/29/2010

North Guilford Church at 9:00 a.m. ~ A Summer Church ~ 08/29/2010 ~ Proper 17 ~ 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16 or Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14 ~ At the U.C.C. (10:00 a.m.) the Sermon is a Play by Rasely and Connolly— When You Pray: A Dialogue, and not in line with the Lections.

Orthodox

“One Sabbath, when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal, the guests were watching closely.” — Luke 14:1

Many of you, perhaps most of you, know Bonnie and I moved here from the State of Maine and were welcomed by the people of Chenango county fourteen years ago. When we moved here Bonnie decided she wanted to reacquaint herself with the game of golf.

You see, she had learned how to golf when she was a teen, played a lot in her twenties and early thirties and is, therefore, very good at it. If she does not break 100, it’s not just that she’s disappointed; for her 100 or over is an abnormal score. She will sometimes even break 90. (And, for those of you unfamiliar with the game, that is good.)

But she made a basic mistake when she married me. She did not first ask if I was a golfer. I was not. So, having married me, that was one way we were not able to share time together. As a consequence, her game started to become neglected.

But she did want to play, so once we moved to Norwich she made golfing more of a project. And I was a part of that project. I was going to learn how to play. All of which is to say, about 13 years ago, I took up the game.

Now, to be clear. Even now, these 13 years after taking up the game, I am an awful golfer. I am just terrible, despite Bonnie’s sound tutelage and encouragement.

In fact, I have never outplayed Bonnie. She always plays better than I do. But why would I want to better her? Can you imagine that headline in the newspaper? “Pastor Beats Wife.” That wouldn’t look good, would it?

Now, as poorly as I play the game, I really, really like it. And I like to play it right. What you may or may not know, is there is a lot to learn about the game of golf besides just hitting the ball. One of the prime aspects of the game, something Bonnie taught me, is called golf etiquette, the manners one maintains on the course.

Among these customs are: the player with the lowest score on the previous hole in a round tees off on the next hole first. In the fairway or on the green, the player closest to the hole shoots last. Finally, on the green, one does not step into or onto the imaginary line between the ball of another player and the hole.

You see, when someone walks on a green with spikes, standard footwear when golfing, small holes are left in the grass, in the turf. So, the surface on the grass is made a little more rough when players walk on it.

Now, this last one about not stepping in between the ball and the hole is meant to allow the ball a smoother path to the hole after it is hit than it would have had if these little holes not were left in the grass. Of course, if you’re playing at five in the afternoon, it’s likely dozens of people have walked in that line between the hole and the ball. Still, it is simply common courtesy to not walk in the line of another player. (Slight pause.)

And these words are from the Gospel known as Luke: “One Sabbath, when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal, the guests were watching closely.” (Slight pause.)

I give titles to all my sermons even when, like this morning here in North Guilford, the title is not published. While doing field work at Bangor Seminary, giving a sermon a title is something I was encouraged to do by one of the pastors with whom I studied. It does help me, I think, focus on what I want to say. The title of this one is Orthodox.

And, indeed, I want to raise the question: ‘what is orthodox?’ And I want to raise that question in the context of the people watching Jesus and watching Jesus in this particular setting, that of a meal.

Eating is essential for life. But a dinner with guests is of social importance and in this era it was an occasion to which people of one’s own class were invited. So, there is an sharing of values and ideas, a settled and agreed upon etiquette, rules being illustrated, just in having a meal, a little like there is a settled etiquette, a set of rules, on the golf course.

In the settled rules of guests at the meal we hear about in this story, the status and rank of individuals are legitimatized by their inclusion in the guest list and their location on the seating chart. Since meals had important social implications for this era and place, for those who first heard or read the words of this narrative— this story which contained a meal— those who first read or heard the words of this narrative would also have taken the meal as a symbol for the in-breaking of God, the anticipated rule of God.

Now, we will celebrate the Sacrament of the table today. Hence, we need to see this celebration in the same way those in New Testament times saw it: as a foretaste of the eternal time when we are in the presence of God.

So, as to that term orthodox: what does orthodox mean? According to the dictionary, it means adhering to the accepted or traditional and established faith, especially in religion.

So, indeed, some might take orthodox to simply mean following the rules, a little like not stepping in the line of a ball on the green. But does it really mean following the rules? And, if so, what was Jesus doing?

After all, Jesus does a number of things that don’t follow the established rules of the game. With everyone watching, Jesus heals on the Sabbath. That’s against the rules.

Then, with everyone watching, Jesus tells the parable about who sits where at the table. Since the rules of this era state that the status and rank of individuals are legitimatized by their inclusion in the guest list and by their location on the seating chart, this kind of social occasion is the power lunch of the era.

But Jesus says the table and, by extension, the Dominion of God, is not about who has power. Jesus suggests the rules they go by are wrong since they are about power.

Jesus then proposes inviting a different group to the next “power lunch”— those who are poor, those who have physical infirmities, those who cannot see. These are not only beyond the categories of family, friends and rich neighbors usually invited to the table. These are, by Jewish law, the unclean. Hence, what Jesus proposes is a social system without reciprocity, without payback. (Slight pause.)

So, what are the rules? What does it mean to be orthodox? I think, in the eyes of Jesus, to be orthodox means loving God and loving neighbor. Those are the rules, the etiquette, which need to be followed. Does what Jesus says make those who heard it uncomfortable? Yes.

That having been said, as we gather at the table, let us remember not just those who are here. Let us remember all those who might feel excluded in our midst.

Please notice, I did not say let us remember all those whom we might exclude. I am not saying we might exclude anyone.

I am saying let us remember all those who might, for whatever reason, feel excluded. What I am saying is their feeling is not their problem. Their feeling is our problem. And does that make us feel uncomfortable?

We do need to remember, we are brothers and sisters of everyone in the remembrance we call the Sacrament of the Table. Hence we need to follow the etiquette of love Jesus espouses. And that etiquette says we need to not just welcome the outcast. We need to stand in solidarity with the outcast. Amen.

North Guilford, New York (A Summer Church)
08/29/2010

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: “Organized religion often stresses ritual at the expense of justice. But Jesus took as radical a stand as anyone ever did and found the essence of the ancestral religion he practiced known as Judaism in morality. Jesus denounced the fusion of attention simply rites or rules while being indifference to justice as an abomination. Jesus also suggested that rites, unlike justice, were dispensable.”

A READING, A PLAY AND THOUGHTS ABOUT PRAYER FROM 8/29/2010

08/29/2010 ~ Proper 17 ~ 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Jeremiah 2:4-13; Psalm 81:1, 10-16 or Sirach 10:12-18 or Proverbs 25:6-7; Psalm 112; Hebrews 13:1-8, 15-16; Luke 14:1, 7-14 ~ Joe Also At North Guilford at 9:00 a.m. ~ Sermon is a Play by Rasely and Connolly ~ At U.C.C. Used a Responsive Reading of Psalm 111 and Matthew 6:1-15.

A READING FROM THE GOSPELS — Matthew 6:1-15
INTRODUCTION:
You may remember Tom Rasely wrote a setting of The Lord’s Prayer for the children of the church. When Tom showed the Church School group the printed version with the music and lyrics he asked who wrote the music. They answered Mr. Rasely wrote the music. Then Tom asked who wrote the words. And they got the answer about the words right also, because they said Jesus wrote the words. However, never in the New Testament did Jesus actually refer to God as Father. What Jesus said is more intimate than that. Jesus called God, not Father, but Daddy. Therefore, one can rightfully wonder why we address God as Father. You see, in all the Hebrew Scriptures God is never referred to by the name ‘Father.’ For Jewish people, to personify God in that way would have been blasphemous. And, indeed, one of the things which got those who heard Jesus upset was that Jesus referred to God as ‘Daddy.’ This was not because of the intimacy of the word ‘Daddy’ but this seemed to them as if Jesus was personifying God and was, therefore, blasphemous. So, let’s look at this word ‘Father’ we use for God so often and ask some questions. If Jesus did not refer to God as Father and the Hebrew Scriptures do not refer to God as Father, where does the image of God as Father come from? Well, it comes not from Judaism and not really from early Christianity. It comes from Roman secular culture and Roman religion. The Roman God Jupiter was the king of the gods, and was also called (quote): “Father God, the Best and Greatest.” Further, since the early church tried to blend itself into Roman culture, when it referred to God it started to us the term ‘Deus Pater’ which means Father God. Why? Not only does that, then, piggyback onto the fact that the prime Roman God was referred to as Father God, the name Jupiter and the Latin phrase ‘Deus Pater,’ which means Father God, are similar in sound sequence. (The pastor intones this:) Jupiter — Deus pater. In addition, one of the things we fail to recognize about this transitional time in the first centuries of the Church is how significant the influence of the Latin language was. By the Fourth Century, when Jerome translates the Scriptures into Latin, God is called Father in that translation of Scripture. But this naming by Jerome is merely a codification and a bringing together of pieces of Scripture which have already been translated into Latin and are already in circulation. Indeed, the translation done by Jerome which then becomes the only Bible the church uses for a thousand years, thereby, ratifies the action the church took in promulgating The Nicene Creed, a Creed which has already decided God can be called Father. And certainly, something many of us overlook today is this piece of history: by the time of the resurrection, Greek, though widely used, is a language in decline. Latin is becoming the prime language people speak. Additionally, when it comes to the culture of Rome it goes without saying this is a very patriarchal culture. Therefore, addressing God as ‘Father’ is a given in that context. No one questions it. All this brings us to the reading we have today. Because of those traditions which are not original but came into common use after Scripture is written, we call God ‘Father’ in many translations, even though it is inaccurate. So, rather than concentrating today on the term ‘Father’ as you listen to this reading, and later as you listen to what will be said in our little dialogue after the reading, I invite you to think about what is being said concerning prayer and concerning the God to whom we pray. Hear now this reading as it is found in the work known as Matthew.

“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no reward from your Father in heaven.”

[2] “So whenever you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be praised by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. [3] But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, [4] so that your alms may be done in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

[5] “And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. [6] But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

[7] “When you are praying, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. [8] Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

[9] “Pray then in this way:

Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
[10] Your kingdom come.
Your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.

[11] Give us this day our daily bread.
[12] And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.

[13] And do not bring us to the time of trial,
but rescue us from the evil one.

[14] For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; [15] but if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

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

When You Pray: A Dialogue
By Tom Rasely and Joe Connolly

MAN: Our Father, who art in heaven, hal…

GOD: Yes?

MAN: Excuse me, don’t interrupt. Can’t you see I’m trying to pray.

GOD: But you called me.

MAN: Called you? Called who? I didn’t call anybody. Please leave me alone so that I can finish my prayer. Where was I? Oh yes... our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed…

GOD: See? You just did it again.

MAN: Did what??

GOD: You called me. You said “Our Father who art in heaven...” Well, here I am. What’s on your mind?

MAN: And you are...?

GOD: Well, I’m know by a lot of names... Jehovah, the Great I Am, El Shaddai, Yahweh, Adonai, Lord, Elohim... Jesus called me Abba, which does not mean Father. It means Daddy. But back when Rome was dominant, back when Jesus was alive, the Romans pictured God as Father, so Father became fairly popular, if quite inaccurate, as a way to address me. Sometimes, I even answer to that name. In any case, I heard you and assumed you were trying to recite the prayer Jesus taught the twelve when you used the term “Father” and so I thought I’d butt in. What’s on your mind? What do you want? What do you mean?

MAN: Now, wait a minute. I didn’t “mean” anything by it. I mean, I was just... you know, just saying my prayers. I always say the Lord’s Prayer.

GOD: I am well aware of that.

MAN: Yeh... well it makes me feel good; and I figure, hey, it can’t hurt. Right?

GOD: We’ll see about that. Just go ahead and pray as you were praying.

MAN: Oh, all right. Hallowed be thy name.

GOD: Hold it. What did you mean by that?

MAN: By what??

GOD: By what you just said: hallowed. Do you know what that means?

MAN: It means... it means... good grief. How do I know what it means; I’m no minister. It’s just a part of the prayer. (Looks uncomfortable.) By the way, what does it mean?

GOD: It means “set apart,” “honored,” “holy,” “wonderfully and personally important.”

MAN: Oh. Well, I guess that makes sense. I never thought of it before.

GOD: I know. Go on. Continue where you left off.

MAN: Yeh. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

GOD: Do you really mean that?

MAN: Mean what?

GOD: What you just said, about my will being done?

MAN: Uh... yeh... sure. Why not?

GOD: O.K. What are you doing about it?

MAN: Me? Doing? I... what do you mean? What should I be doing about it? I just think that it’d be good if You had control of everything down here like You have... You know, up there. It just seems like a good idea, doesn’t it? Besides, I’m praying about it, aren’t I?

GOD: What makes you think I have control? Have I got “control” over you?

MAN: Well, I go to church. At least, sometimes I do.

GOD: That isn’t what I asked you. I asked about the control I have over you. What about your bad temper? Do I control that? Your temper could be a real problem, you know. And then, there’s the way you spend your money— all on yourself. And what about the kind of books read?

MAN: Now, just a cotton-picking minute, here. I’m as good as the rest of those people who go to church. Maybe even better.

GOD: (Feigning being affronted.) Well, excuse me. I thought you were praying that my will be done. If that’s to happen, it will have to start with the ones who are asking for it in prayer— like yourself, for example.

MAN: All right. All right. I guess I do have some hang-ups, now that you mention it. And I guess I could probably name some other things I do which are less than adequate.

GOD: I know I certainly could, if I was in your shoes.

MAN: Ah, well, it’s just that I haven’t thought about it very much until now. But, really, I guess I would like to— maybe even should— cut out some of those things. I guess it’d be nice to be free of them. I mean, I mean really free.

GOD: Ah, now we’re getting somewhere. We’ll work together, you and Me. Some successes might truly happen. What do you think? Does working together on some of the areas where you think you might fall short appeal to you?

MAN: Look, God, I need to finish up here. This praying time is taking a lot longer than usual, and I’ve got a lot of things to do, so... Give us this day our daily bread.

GOD: You might also want to consider cutting down on the white bread. It’s not very good for you.

MAN: What is this? National Criticize-Me Day or what?? Here I am, doing my religious duty and all of a sudden You break in and remind me of all my problems. Frankly, I’d be better off without all the hassle.

GOD: Really? Well, you should know that this praying stuff is a dangerous activity. It’s always just possible that you’ll get an answer. You could even wind up “changed.” And that’s what I’m trying to get across to you. You called me and here I am. So, it’s too late to stop now. Keep on praying; I’m especially interested in the next part. (Pause.) Well, go on.

MAN: I’m scared to.

GOD: Scared? Of what?

MAN: I know what You’ll say.

GOD: Try me.

MAN: (Takes a deep breath.) Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

GOD: What about Bert?

MAN: Ya’ see?? Ya’ see?? I knew it. I knew you’d bring him up. Look God, you know the lies he told about me. He’s cheated me and not just once.

GOD: More like seventy times seven?

MAN: Yeh... well, n-n-not quite that many. But I’ve sworn to get even and I will: an eye for an eye, and all that. That’s Biblical.

GOD: How about turning the other cheek? That’s Biblical, too. Besides, what about your prayer? Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

MAN: Well, I guess didn’t mean it.

GOD: Well, at least you’re honest about that. C’mon, admit it. It can’t be much fun carrying that load of bitterness around inside you. Can it?

MAN: No. But I’ll feel better just as soon as I get back at my old buddy Bert.

GOD: (Pause.) You won’t, ya’ know. You won’t feel any better getting back. In fact, eventually you’ll feel worse. Revenge isn’t sweet. Every day you let the sun go down on your wrath should remind you of just how unhappy you are. I can help you change that.

MAN: You can? How?

GOD: Forgive Bert.

MAN: Chee-yah, right.

GOD: You forgive Bert, and my forgiveness will be yours. Then hate will be Bert’s problem and not yours. You may lose the money Bert owes you but you will have peace in your heart. Which of those is truly worth more?

MAN: But I can’t just forgive Bert.

GOD: Then, based on what you were praying, how can I “just forgive” you.

MAN: (Sighs.) Oh, I guess Your right. But then you always are, aren’t you? (Slight pause.) I guess more than revenge on Bert, I really do want to feel that peace you mentioned. Hey, will You take revenge on Bert?

GOD: (Clears throat.)

MAN: Oh, I guess that’s not a good question. All right, all right— I forgive him. I forgive him. (Slight pause.) Wow, I guess I really do forgive him. Woo. I suddenly feel better. God, can You help Bert to find the right road in life. He’s bound to be just as miserable... as miserable... as me, huh?

GOD: Not your concern right now. Let me remind you, how do you feel?

MAN: Well... yes... better. I do feel better.

GOD: Good. Now go on with your prayer.

MAN: O.K. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Is... is that what You just did?

GOD: That’s the way it works. Now, just don’t put yourself in a position where you can be so easily tempted.

MAN: What do you mean by that?

GOD: Well, to start with, some of your so-called friends are beginning to get you into all sorts of trouble. Don’t be fooled by them. They’ll advertise that they’re having fun, but for you it will be your ruin. And don’t use me as an escape hatch.

MAN: Oh God, I’d be the last person to do that.

GOD: Oh, man! You were the last person to do that. You’ve done it a lot lately. You get caught in an uncomfortable situation, and then you come to me saying “God, help me out of this mess and I’ll never do it again.” But you do.

MAN: Well... yeh, I guess I do. I’m sorry. I really am. Up to now, I thought if I just prayed the Lord’s Prayer every day, then I could do whatever I wanted. I never expected anything like this to happen.

GOD: Few do.

MAN: Yeh, right. Well, I guess I’d better finish the prayer. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.

GOD: Do you know what would really bring me glory?

MAN: (Thinking.) No, but I’d like to know.

GOD: The thing that would really bring me glory is to have a people who truly love me; a people who truly believe that I hear when you pray; a people who truly act like I’m a part of their lives. A one-sided relationship is not a relationship at all. So, let’s see what we can do, you and I ... together.

MAN: Together, amen.

GOD: Forever and ever, amen.

08/28/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, NY

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: “How often has someone said to you (they say it to me), ‘Oh, I was just going to think good thoughts and I hope they are with you.’ I feel like saying, ‘Really? Well, I had hoped you’d pray.’ I appreciate the good thoughts, but you see when you pray then that becomes this three way covenant [the pastor makes a triangle with the fingers of his hands]. Any way you want to look at the triangle— you, God, me. If you’re thinking good thoughts, that’s wonderful, but that’s just you and me. Where’s God in the mix?”

FURTHER THOUGHTS ON PRAYER

“Prayer is an attitude toward life that sees everything as ultimately sacred, everything as potentially life-changing, everything as revelatory of life’s meaning. It is our link between dailiness and eternity.” — Joan Chittister

“In prayer it is better to have a heart without words, than words without a heart.” — John Bunyan — The Pilgrim’s Progress

“The doctrine of the material efficacy of prayer reduces the Creator to a cosmic bellhop of a not very bright or reliable kind.” — Herbert J. Muller, educator, historian, and author (1905-1980)

“Prayer always thrusts one out into action sooner or later. One of its main functions is to induce one to think creatively; it stretches the imagination; it enables one to see things and people not as they are but as they might be.” — Muriel Lester, social reformer and pacifist (1883-1968)

“Prayer does not use up artificial energy, doesn’t burn up any fossil fuel, doesn’t pollute. Neither does song, neither does love, neither does the dance.” — Margaret Mead, in Jane Howard’s book, Margaret Mead (1984)

“Trust, which is a virtue, is also a habit, like prayer. It requires exercise. And just as no one can run five miles a day and cede the cardiovascular effects to someone else, no one can trust for us.” — Sue Halpern (1993)

“Not thinking critically, I assumed ‘successful’ prayers were proof that God answers prayer while the failures were proof that there was something wrong with me.” — Dan Barker, former preacher, musician (b. 1949)

“Beware lest a stern Heaven hate you enough to hear your prayers!” — Anatole Francois Thibault

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.” — Alfred Lord Tennyson

“The Christian can realize union with God not only through interior prayer, but also in action.” — Ramon Bautista, Catholic priest in the Philippines

“Patient listening and the grace of the Spirit are the decoding devices of prayer. It is a good habit to ask, ‘What is God saying to me in this situation?’ Listening to our lives is part of prayer.” — Marjorie J. Thompson — Soul Feast

“Listening is the first expression of communication in prayer. We know that listening precedes speaking in the development of children’s language skills. The same order applies to the development of our prayer life. Something in our spirit is touched by the Divine Spirit before we are drawn to speak.” — Marjorie J. Thompson in Soul Feast

“Most of our problems with prayer arise from our tendency to turn spiritual growing into a set of laws or a gymnastic exercise. I have seen great inner struggle, fatigue, and guilt result when we treat prayer like a discipline.... It is best to have some form of deliberate opening to God each day, but we need not be troubled if the form and expression change.” — Flora Slosson Wuellner in Prayer, Stress, and Our Inner Wounds

“A man prayed, and at first he thought that prayer was talking. But he became more and more quiet until in the end he realized that prayer is listening.” — Søren Kierkegaard in Christian Discourses

“Jesus asks us to move from a concern for relevance to a life of prayer, from worries about popularity to communal and mutual ministry, and from a leadership built on power to a leadership in which we critically discern where God is leading us and our people.” — Henri Nouwen — In the Name of Jesus

“Could there be anything more blessed than to imitate on earth the ring-dance of the angels and at dawn to raise our voices in prayer and by hymns and songs to glorify the rising Creator?” — St. Basil, Bishop of Caesarea (4th Century of the Common Era)

“Your cravings as a human animal do not become a prayer just because it is God whom you ask to attend to them.” — Dag Hammarskjold

“If the only prayer you said in your whole life was ‘thank you,’ that would suffice.” — Johannes Eckhart (A.K.A. Meister Eckhart)

“Prayer should be brief and pure, unless it happen to be lengthened by an impulse or inspiration of divine grace.” — Rule of Benedict

“The function of prayer is not to establish a routine; it is to establish a relationship with God who is in relationship with us always.... The function of prayer is to bring us into touch with ourselves, as well. To the ancients, ‘tears of compunction’ were the sign of a soul that knew its limits, faced its sins, accepted its needs, and lived in hope.” — Joan Chittister

“More tears are shed over answered prayers than unanswered ones.” — Mother Teresa

“All poetry is prayer. What else could it be?” — Jean Valentine, poet

“I don’t believe in the power of prayer. I believe in the power and presence of God, so I pray.” — Craig Satterlee, Lutheran Pastor legally blind since birth.

“If the gods listened to our prayers, all humankind would quickly perish since we constantly pray for many evils to befall one another.” — Epicurus, philosopher (341-270 B.C.E.)

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single kind act is better than a thousand head-bowings in prayer.” — Saadi, poet, 1200 AD

“I have lived to thank God that all my prayers have not been answered.” — Jean Ingelow, Victorian poet

“Good deeds are the best prayer.” — Serbian proverb

“As an act of love, prayer is a courageous act. It is a risk we take. It is a life-and-death risk, believing in the promises of the gospel, that God’s love is indeed operative in the world. In prayer we have the courage, perhaps even the presumption and the arrogance or the audacity to claim that God’s love can be operative in the very specific situations of human need that we encounter.” — John E. Biersdorf, Healing of Purpose

“To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against the disorder of the world.” — Karl Barth

08/22/2010 ~ 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

08/22/2010 ~ Proper 16 ~ 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Jeremiah 1:4-10; Psalm 71:1-6 or Isaiah 58:9b-14; Psalm 103:1-8; Hebrews 12:18-29; Luke 13:10-17 ~ Ceremony of .-: (Shalom) for Richie Bonnie, Josh Borfitz, Skye Ingraham ~ Special Music ~ Johnson Family Trio and Richie Bonney and Henry Carpenter Trombone Duet ~ Used the Jeremiah and the Luke.

This Is the Day

“This woman, this daughter of Abraham and Sarah, has been in bondage for eighteen long years. Should she not be set free, released from these shackles on the Sabbath?” — Luke 13:16.

Well, I am quite sure the world is on its last legs— going to you know where. I probably shouldn’t say that word from the pulpit. I know a colleague who says it this way: “H-E double hockey sticks!” I know this to be true, I know the world is on its last legs because of all the drivel I see or hear about on television, on this thing generally called reality TV.

Of course, reality TV is not about reality. Reality shows are the most scripted and edited things you’ll ever see— not at all real. Somehow a reality program called Jersey Shore has managed to get to a second season. But the second season does not happen in New Jersey, that state apparently being too bland. The second season is in Miami.

Even so, it’s still called Jersey Shore. This year the program, much to everyone’s surprise, is being watched by more people than watched the first time around.

And the show called American Idol doesn’t yet know who will be empaneled as judges for its next season, so breathless reports concerning this dilemma say the show is on its last legs. However, in the previous season, last year, of all the programs with regular schedules, American Idol was the most watched.

And three young women from one family, the Kardashians, are now into their fifth season of this unreality called reality. As far as anyone can tell, none of them has any talent except the talent commonly known as being famous for being famous. Indeed, somehow, not only is their program in its fifth season, it has managed to breed a spinoff, aptly called The Spin Crowd.

If all this makes no sense to you, join the club. But perhaps the bigger problem concerning this collection of drivel is that it offers proof positive there is nothing new under the sun. A New York Times article pointed that out this week.

The truth is reality shows that exalt indolent, loud-mouthed exhibitionists in our seemingly materialistic, celebrity-obsessed age are simply an extension of a time-honored form of entertainment. These kinds of shenanigans reach back at least to the turn of the Twentieth Century.

That era, around 1900, was a time of landed gentry, debutantes and grandiose social seasons in places like Newport, R.I., London and the French Riviera. (If truth be told, these kinds of things date back much further than the early Twentieth Century but I needed only go back that far to make the point.)

And, indeed, a little more than a century ago ordinary people in small towns all across America avidly followed the follies of the idle rich in the society pages of newspapers. A listing of First Class passengers on ocean liners was regularly published. The maiden voyage of the Titanic was a story in the equivalent of the style section in newspapers— that is until it hit an iceberg.

There were celebrities back then too and their claims to fame were not much nobler than those of the Kardashians or even Mike, A.K.A. ‘the Situation,’ of Jersey Shore infamy. Women and men made news by spending money frivolously or by having grand weddings with millionaires or titled Europeans.

They had their own notorious, lurid scandals— even murder cases. One Harry K. Thaw killed the well known architect Stanford White in 1906 over the fact that White had an affair with his wife— a model and actress, Evelyn Nesbit. “Model and actress”— those words sound like they come from today’s headlines.

News judgments back then skewed toward entertainment just as now. The New York Herald was the first American newspaper to use the wireless telegraph in 1899. This was a new fangled thing we know now as the radio but then carried only Morse Code instead of voice transmission. Marconi, inventor of it was invited by the Herald not to facilitate the transmission of important news, like reports about the Second Boer War, which broke out at that point. He was asked to communicate the results of the high-society sailing regatta called the America’s Cup. (Slight pause.)

Celebrities of yore might have worn more clothes. But that was fashionable then. Did they have better manners? Perhaps but probably not.

Then as now, the famous went to a lot of parties (it seemed to be their job in that era also) and were often simply famous for being famous. Television merely invaded the process that was already there and perhaps broadened the social pool. This has all happened before. [1] (Slight pause.)

And these words are from the Gospel commonly referred to as Luke: “This woman, this daughter of Abraham and Sarah, has been in bondage for eighteen long years. Should she not be set free, released from these shackles on the Sabbath?” (Slight pause.)

One of the dangers of reading sections of Scripture, as we do in Sunday Worship, is it fosters understandings about who Jesus is, about who God is, that are episodic in nature, makes the readings appear to be locked in a specific time. We read the call of Jeremiah and we begin to think in terms of being called to one specific thing and that’s it. It’s over. And we apply that sense to us.

We listen to a story about a healing and then try to read some specific message about the efficacy, the effectiveness of what has been done, into the incident (and then apply it to us). Or we listen to a story about the sacred nature of the Sabbath and fail to understand that the point being made is not about worship or even rest, per se. We take ‘Keep Holy the Sabbath,’ as if it was restricted to the Sabbath.

The setting aside the Sabbath was originally understood as a radical act which said all people are equal when standing before God. No one had the right to subjugate others for any reason or any cause. And if you did not remember that on the other six days, at least one day was set aside for this imperative. (Slight pause.)

So, do we believe in an episodic God, a God who is with us on occasion? Do we believe in a God whose presence is periodic? Or do we believe in a God who is with us... always?

Do we believe in the God who spoke to Jeremiah and said (quote): “...I am with you...”? Do we believe in a God who resists discrimination, exploitation and oppression and who wants people to be released from (quote): “shackles”? (Slight pause.)

When we pay attention to the episodic, to things like reality television or the America’s Cup, when we place an overemphasis on the next sporting event, the next election and treat them as if they were signs of an apocalypse, when we, thereby, make celebrities of not just the individuals but the episodic we have made a mistake. Why? God is with us... always. (Slight pause.)

In several minutes we shall have a ceremony of Shalom in which we will honor the participation of Richie Bonney, Josh Borfitz and Skye Ingraham in this community of faith. Now, given what I have just said, some of you might think that this is a paradox. After all, are we not then over emphasizing the episodic with this recognition?

No. While we are marking a significant milestone in the lives of these young people and of this community, we do so fully aware of one truth: every day belongs to God in its totality. But all days also belong to God. And so too, God will always be with them, these young people, and with us— all of us, each of us. And that’s why we celebrate.

You see, in our worship, we strive not just to set this day apart. We strive to know and to more fully understand that every day we need to recognize and honor the idea that we trust God and that we are empowered by God.

This is also true: we are, all of us, each of us, called by God. And that call is not just on a Sunday. That call is each day and every day. So, that call is episodic only in the sense that we experience time.

How so? You see, the call of God to us is a call to a relationship which is to last forever. (Slight pause.) Today, at this Service of Worship, we will close with the hymn This Is the Day. (Quote): “This is the day our God has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.”

That, my friends, is true every day and forever. If we truly believe the promise of God, that we will be with God throughout eternity, then we will all be singing this hymn throughout eternity, not just today, not just on the Sabbath.

So, perhaps the real challenge the words of Jeremiah and the words of Jesus pose to us, perhaps the challenge is very basic. Do we believe God is with us, not just in the episodic, not just in what we do daily? Do we believe in the eternal promises of God? Do we believe God stands with us always and forever? Amen.

08/22/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, NY

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 have used this quote before. It bears repeating today. The theologian Reinhold Niebuhr said ‘Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime;...’ When we forget we are a part of a continuum, when we forget those who came before us and those who will come after us, we wallow in the egocentricity of celebrity. When we have the humility to see and to appreciate those who have come before and those who will come after us we allow ourselves to hope. Indeed, Niebuhr’s full quote reads: ‘Nothing that is worth doing can be achieved in a lifetime; therefore we must be saved by hope.’”

[1] NY Times ~ 08/20/2010 ~ The TV Watch ~ Yes, They’re Sleazy, but Not Originals ~ by Alessandra Stanley.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/20/arts/television/20reality.html?scp=2&sq=titanic&st=cse

TEN? - A Two Character Dialogue by Tom Rasely and Joe Connolly

08/15/2010 ~ Proper 15 ~ 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19 OR Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56 ~ Used Exodus 20:2-17 [ILV] and Matthew 22:34-40 [ILV] because of a Special Sermon.

Below, printed before this sermon, are the readings and the introductions used before the readings at this Service of Worship.

Exodus 20:2-17 [ILV]
In popular art, the so called “Ten Commandments” are often pictured as being written in two tablets. That is because they are divide into two parts. One part deals with loving God and one part deals with loving neighbor. Further, the context in which these words are spoken is the appearance of God on Mount Sinai. Hence, to see this passage as apart from the covenant offered by God is to misread it. Indeed, seen in its true context, these words are among the most radically liberal in all Scripture. The Decalogue, you see, stands as a critical principle of protest against every kind of exploitative social relation— both public and interpersonal. It is, thereby, a social vision of possibility which can be transformative and liberating. Hear now this reading from the Tanakh in the section known as the Torah in the book known as Exodus.

[1] Then God spoke all these words:
[2] I am Yahweh, your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, the house of bondage;
[3] you shall have no other gods except me.
[4] You shall not make for yourself any idol, any carved image or likeness, whether in the form of a thing that is in heaven or that is on the earth or that is in the waters. [5] You shall not bow down before them or worship them or serve them; for I am Yahweh, your God, a jealous God. For the iniquity of the parents I punish the children, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, who turn from me, [6] but I show kindness, steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and heed my commandments.
[7] You shall not utter the Name of Yahweh, your God, to make wrongful use of the Name, to misuse the Name, for Yahweh will not acquit anyone who utters the Name so it may be misused.
[8] Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. [9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work. [10] But the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh, your God. You shall not do any work on that day— neither you or your son or your daughter, nor your workers— men or women— nor your livestock, your animals, nor the resident alien, the foreigner, who lives in your towns, who lives among you. [11] For in six days Yahweh, your God, made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that they hold but rested the seventh day; therefore Yahweh has blessed the Sabbath day and consecrated it, made it sacred.
[12] Honor your mother and your father, so that their days may be long in the land that your God has given to you.
[13] You shall not murder.
[14] You shall not commit adultery.
[15] You shall not steal.
[16] You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
[17] You shall not desire your neighbor’s house; you shall not desire your neighbor’s wife, or worker— male or female, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Matthew 22:34-40 [ILV]
When all the laws found in the Hebrew Scriptures are added up, there are not just ten. There are 613 so called commands. Jesus reduces these to what we have come to call the two great commandments. But really, the two are so intertwined that most people readily acknowledge they are actually a single commandment. And, indeed, Jesus makes it clear: all Scripture can be seen in these words. Hear now this reading from the work we have come to call the Gospel According to Matthew.

[34] When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had left the Sadducees speechless because they were astonished at the teaching they heard, they gathered together, [35] and one of them, a lawyer, attempted to trick Jesus with a question. [36] “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” [37] Jesus answered:
“‘You shall love God Most High, your God,
with all your heart,
and with all your soul,
and with all your mind.’
[38] That is the greatest and first commandment. [39] The second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] On these two commandments the whole Law is based and the prophets as well.”

***

TEN?

A Two Character Dialogue by Tom Rasely and Joe Connolly [1]

TOM: All ready for this? OK, ladies and jelly-spoons. Today we’re going talk about the 10 commandments.

JOE: The what?

TOM: No, not ‘The What.’ The Ten Commandments. You know, like in the movie with Charlton Heston? You’ll find them in Exodus— the 20th Chapter.

JOE: Exodus? I thought that was a movie with Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint, not Charlton Heston.

TOM: No. The Heston movie is a story about Israel.

JOE: I thought the Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint movie was about Israel.

TOM: (Annoyed.) Well, it is. But the movie with Heston is called The Ten Commandments. It tells the story about Israel that’s right out of the Bible, a story from the book of Exodus. That story is about what happened 3,000 years ago. The Paul Newman and Eva Marie Saint movie is called Exodus tells the story about the founding of the modern country known as Israel. That story is about what happened 60 years ago.

JOE: Well, then they are still both about Israel.

TOM: (Slight pause.) O.K. great! So which one are you? Siskel or Ebert?

JOE: Siskel is no longer with us.

TOM: Great— you can be him, then.

JOE: Right— about this 10 commandments stuff— I thought you could also find the Ten Commandments in places other than the 20th Chapter of Exodus.

TOM: Yeah. You can. There is a different version in the 5th Chapter of Deuteronomy. And there is yet another version in the 34th chapter of Exodus. But I wanted to talk about the ones in the 20th Chapter of Exodus. [2]

JOE: Well, hold on, now! If there are 10 Commandments in Exodus 34 and 10 Commandments in Deuteronomy and 10 Commandments in Exodus 20, that makes 30 Commandments, doesn’t it? That would be a lot of commandments to follow. Sounds kind of hard. And why would you want to talk only about the ones in Exodus 20? What makes them so special?

TOM: (Simmering.) O.K. O.K. Now, today I want to talk about the 10 Commandments we find in the 20th Chapter of Exodus. O.K.? (Pause.)

JOE: (Pause.) O.K. (Pause.) They are not commandments, you know.

TOM: (Sarcastic.) Oh right. They’re only called The Ten Commandments. They’re not really commandments. I should have known that— all that ‘thou shalt not’ stuff. They can’t really mean it, right?

JOE: I’m serious. They are not commandments. They are Words.

TOM: That’s brilliant. What else would they be?

JOE: No, I mean they are Words. Words with a capital ‘W.’

TOM: Ooh! W-W-W-words. Oh, yeah, that makes sense.

JOE: What I mean is: they’re not commands. There is actually no command tense in the Hebrew Language. So they cannot be commandments— no command tense; not commandments— but they are Words— Words from God. In fact, in Hebrew they are referred to three ways. They are called “the ten words,” or “the ten sayings” or “the ten matters” but they are not called the ten commandments. Even when words which illuminates what we so inaccurately call the “Ten Commandments” is rendered in the Greek, the Greek word used is “decalogue.” Decalogue means “ten words” or “ten terms.” But it does not mean “Ten Commandments.”

TOM: Fine. Next you’re going to say that there aren’t really ten of them.

JOE: There aren’t.

TOM: Of course there are ten of them.

JOE: How can you be so sure?

TOM: Because there’s a copy etched in stone right in the capital building of the State of South Carolina. (Slight pause.) I saw it on CNN. (Slight pause.) I saw it on FOX News. (Slight pause.) So, I know it’s true. (Slight pause.) I even saw it on MSNBC, huh? OK?

JOE: Well (sighs), that image of two tablets we often find on the walls of buildings is a representation of what we, in our society, have come to call the Ten Commandments— or at least it’s a representation of the ones found in the 20th Chapter of the Book called Exodus. But, in fact, just within those ten, different groups look at them in different ways. Jewish people number them differently than Reformed Protestants who number them differently again than those in the Orthodox tradition who number them differently again than those who are Catholics and Lutherans. [3] And so, yes— even when numbered differently, as all these different traditions do, ten is the traditional number we use when we refer to them. But ten is not really the issue here.

TOM: So, what do you mean ten isn’t the issue? Look, look— I’ve got a Bible right here, O.K.? And right here at the top what says right there in the chapter heading what is says is “The Ten Commandments.” There: what do you think of that?

JOE: Well, when you consider how the Bible was put together, you quickly come to an understanding that all those chapter headings were added much, much later by editors, by people who did not write the actual words of the text.

TOM: Oh, yeah, right— and I suppose the chapter and verse numbers were added later too.

JOE: They were.

TOM: Oh come on. Don’t be ridiculous. Peter and Paul made sure that the chapters and verses were in the King James Bible. That’s the one Peter and Paul used, isn’t it? And, look, how else could those early Hebrews know where to find all their favorite verses if things weren’t numbered? Bookmarks hadn’t been invented yet, and they sure were a long way from looking up things on-line, like I do. I really like Google, don’t you? You can find anything.

JOE: Now, now, now— slow down. And let’s start at the beginning, shall we? (Slight pause.) How was the Bible written?

TOM: Woo... well, well... maybe it wasn’t written. Maybe it just kind of came together by itself.

JOE: Yes, well some people do think that it just came together, kind of by itself. But the Bible was written and compiled and edited by people across the expanse of a long, long period of time. The Hebrew Scriptures were written and compiled and edited over the course of almost the entire one thousand years before Jesus was born. In fact, if we look at just the first five books of the Bible, the Pentateuch, it contains at least four documents written different at very different times. These four documents were all written between about one thousand years before Jesus was born and about 500 years before Jesus was born. Then, these four were combined into one document probably right after the Jews spent time in captivity, in exile in Babylon. And, needless to say, if the Pentateuch came together about 500 years before Jesus was born, that’s about, eh— (calculating) 2,100 years before the King James Bible was translated and published.

TOM: All right, that’s all very interesting. But I really don’t care about ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek or about this document stuff or even about translating. I just care about the Ten Commandments. So, let’s get back to them.

JOE: Well, now, you may not care about ancient Hebrew or Ancient Greek, or even about translating, but translating from these ancient languages is really the key here. You see, contrary to popular belief, Paul and Peter did not speak or write in Elizabethan English. Those two apostles spoke in ancient Greek, not in Elizabethan English. We know Paul could actually write in Greek, since one part of a letter by Paul says it is written in his own hand. But we are not even sure if Peter could write. Maybe he just dictated what got written down. So, it’s possible someone, maybe a scribe— a secretary— just copied down what Peter said.

TOM: Peter had a secretary? Cool.

JOE: (A little resigned with that response.) Like I said, the New Testament, the Christian Scriptures, are all written in ancient Greek. The Scriptures used by the Israelites are written mostly in ancient Hebrew. And, since most of us English speakers read Scripture in English, when these documents are translated into English and when we read it in English, we need to realize everything we read in these translations of Scripture is not being read in its original language. I’d suggest that in order to really understand what is being said, you need to know something about translation and about how translation works. Then, on top of that, while you probably don’t need to be fluent in ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek, it is helpful to know just a little bit about how they work.

TOM: Like I said, that’s all very interesting. But I really don’t care about ancient Hebrew and ancient Greek or translating. I just care about the Ten Commandments. So, let’s get back to them.

JOE: You do have a one track agenda, don’t you?

TOM: See, I was thinking maybe it would be a good idea if the Ten Commandments got an update.

JOE: An update??

TOM: Yeah. Like number 1: “No other gods.” I mean, come on. This is the 21st century; we’re supposed to be open-minded. How can we stand for “no other gods?”

JOE: Open minded? That’s more like empty minded.

TOM: What?

JOE: I didn’t say anything.

TOM: And then there’s number 2.

JOE: What’s wrong with that one?

TOM: Not one, two.

JOE: All right, is there something the matter with that one too?

TOM: One-two? (They look at each other.) Ah, skip it. The problem is number two is way long. I mean, you start off with “You shall not make for yourself any graven image,” and by the time you get to the part with “thousands of them that love me keep my commandments,” you’ve pretty much lost track of what you were reading. And you’ve got this “jealous God” business. I thought God was supposed to be… you know... nice.

JOE: Oh?

TOM: You know, kind of like a holy Santa Claus or something.

JOE: Oh???

TOM: Yeah, yeah, like Santa Claus. We ask and God gives. And number 3. Look at number 3. “You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain.” I mean, GOD! Who would do a thing like that? And then along comes number 4, talking about the Sabbath. First of all, who uses a word like Sabbath anymore? And then six days this, and six days that, and six days blah, blah, blah. It’s all over the Scripture. I just want things more simple— modern. (Pause.)

JOE: Today is the Sabbath, you know. Are you keeping it holy?

TOM: Boy, you sure have a way of straying from the point. Let’s get back to these commandments. And I guess we could leave the next bunch alone, right?

JOE: Oh, really?

TOM: Yeah. I mean, it’s probably still not a good idea to murder or steal or bear false witness or commit adultery. So we leave them in. Although, poor old Dr. Phil to say nothing of Jerry Springer— and who would want to say anything about Jerry Springer— poor old Dr. Phil would be out of a job if people didn’t murder or steal or bear false witness or commit adultery, wouldn’t he?

JOE: Any other thoughts, Mr. Scribe?

TOM: Only one. And that’s number 10.

JOE: One is ten? That can’t be right.

TOM: No, no, no— there are ten-or however you want to put it, but I want to talk about one.

JOE: What’s that about tenors? We aren’t talking about the choir, you know.

TOM: Are you doing that on purpose?

JOE: But you just said tenor…

TOM: Look, ten— just ten! Not tenor! Ten— ten— it’s got that business of coveting. I have to tell you, I’ve lived in the same place all my life and never once have I coveted my neighbor’s ox. Or my neighbor’s a… my neighbor’s a...

JOE: Donkey... donkey.

TOM: (Relieved.) OK, yeah, right! My neighbor’s donkey. Anyway, enough with the coveting. If I really, really want something but don’t actually get it, I’m just dreaming about it, right? No foul, no harm. Right? Who cares? So, you see? I’m thinking the ten commandments really do need to be re-worked— this coveting stuff has got to go.

JOE: Well, got to go? Huh? That’s a lot of history you’d be throwing away.

TOM: Well, I sure don’t like throwing history away. So, maybe if we just brought the coveting up to date it would make more sense. Maybe it should say, “Don’t covert your neighbor’s truck” or “Don’t covert your neighbor’s swimming pool.” You know— just make it modern.

JOE: Well, the ten commandments already were re-worked, you know.

TOM: Oh? When? Did Fox News cover that? They are fair and balanced. They cover everything. I’m sure Fox would not miss a re-work of the ten commandments. Re-working the ten commandments— that would be news, wouldn’t it?

JOE: I guess I need to bring you up to speed. The ten commandments were re-worked. You can find that re-working in the Gospels.

TOM: Godspell? Isn’t that a musical?

JOE: Not Godspell. The re-working of the Ten Commandments is in the Gospels. The Gospels, the Gospels— the first four books you find in the New Testament? The story of Jesus?

TOM: Oh, those! And Jesus revised the Ten Commandments? In the Gospels?

JOE: Yup! Revised and abridged. In the Gospels you can find where Jesus said there are just two commandments.

TOM: Two??? Who’s going to set that up on a stone on some state capital building? Two is simply not impressive enough.

JOE: Look at what Jesus says in the book of Matthew, chapter 22, starting with the 37th verse.

TOM: Oh, so I was right about that chapter and verse thing, huh?

JOE: (Ahem.) When Jesus was asked what is the greatest Word from God, this was the answer: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two hang all the Law and Prophets.”

TOM: All of it, huh?

JOE: Yes. And then in the book that we know as The Gospel According to the School of John, in chapter 13, verse 34, it says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

TOM: That’s it?

JOE: That’s it. That’s all that is needed.

TOM: And you’re saying they’re not commandments?

JOE: They are imperatives. They are a call to action. They are a call for interaction, if you will. And they are Words to us and for us. They are Words offered to you and Words offered to me. They need no revision; they do need application. They need no particular scrutiny to be understood; they do need to be heeded.

TOM: Well... well... I suppose so. But the ten commandments are still there behind those two, even if it’s like you said— ten Words.

JOE: Well.....

TOM: Well what?

JOE: Perhaps the basic question is simple: is what we find in Scripture, is the Bible about the decrees of God or is the Bible about the character of God? If the Bible is about the decrees of God, then there are not just ten commandments. There are 613 commandments to be found in the Torah. These are what the Rabbi’s call The Law of Moses.

TOM: 613? I could never keep track of 613 commandments, let alone obey them!

JOE: Well, don’t worry about keeping track of all those commandments. After all, if you accept what Jesus said about the two commandments, then it can it all actually be reduced to just one Word.

TOM: Yeah, right— one Word.

JOE: No. It’s true. What Jesus said can all be reduced to just one Word.

TOM: All right, Mr. Smarty-pants— one Word. What it is?

JOE: (Pause.) Covenant.

TOM: (Pause.) Covenant? What does that mean?

JOE: Some say Covenant is the structure by which the biblical text organizes itself. But it goes beyond that. The word covenant illustrates the relationship we need to have with God and the relationship we need to have with each other. Covenant means commitment. Covenant means a commitment living with one another. Covenant means a commitment to respecting one another. Covenant means a commitment to appreciating the gifts God gives to each of us. Covenant means a commitment to listening to one another. Covenant is a commitment to growth, a commitment to the sharing of joy, the making of peace, a commitment to a future of hope, a commitment to the reality of love. Covenant explains, illuminates and illustrates the character of God. So, you see? One word— covenant— one Word. So, what do you say to that?

TOM: (Thinking with a shrug.) Amen?

JOE: Amen.

08/15/2010
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, NY

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: “Some societies place a prime emphasis on rules. Other societies see it differently. They place a prime emphasis on relationship. Rules and relationship are, in fact, two main themes found in Scripture. But I would suggest worthy rules develop only when relationship happens first. To say rules can be developed on their own or have a standing of their own and live in insolation from relationship is to deny the God of the Trinity who grants life and in whom we believe. So, which society will we be? One that sees relationship as prime or one that sees rules as prime?”

[1] It does need to be noted that there was a good deal of laughter among the congregation throughout this presentation.

[2] Deuteronomy 5:6-21; Exodus 34:1-27; Exodus 20:2-17. There was a chart in the bulletin with all three passages side by side.

[3] There was a chart in the bulletin illustrating the differences among these traditions.