The God Who Is
“Hence, as to eating food which was sacrificed to idols, we know that idols have no real existence and that there is no God but the One, true God.” — 1 Corinthians 8:4.
As mentioned earlier, next week, in an acknowledgment of an American God, we will celebrate an important American feast day: Super Bowl Sunday. People think either the Giants or the Patriots will win. That’s logical, right? But neither the Giants nor the Patriots will win. NBC, the network broadcasting the game, will be the real winner.
[At this point on the audio you will hear Tom Rasely interrupt as an adjustment to the microphone system is made.] You see, NBC is charging $3.5 million for each 30 second commercial spot. As a comparison, $42,000 was the cost for the first Super Bowl in 1967. Adjusted for inflation, $42,000 in 1967 equals $274,000 today. (Slight pause.) Like I said, at $3.5 million, NBC wins the Super Bowl, hands down.
All of which to say there may be a football game next week and it may be the most important feast day in America. But very few people even acknowledge the real game being played.
That game started months ago when NBC put the commercial spots on sale. And, by the way, they sold out. All the spots are gone.
Indeed, one thing which fascinates me about the comparison of modern times and ancient times is not that we make up gods, although we do. One thing which fascinates me is that, just as in ancient times, we pay so little attention to reality.
I am as happy and as satisfied as anyone to watch a good football game. But our society seems to want to believe the Super Bowl is a conflict waged for the possession of Mount Olympus. It’s not.
So, I make no pretense that the Super Bowl is anything but a game. Its true meaning is, in that sense, meaning-less. It’s just entertainment, not to be taken seriously.
And certainly one of the points Paul makes in Corinthians is simple: God is not a game. God is to be taken seriously. In short, Paul is concerned with the reality of God.
Therefore, Paul does not get distracted by the accouterments, by the trappings. Paul pays attention to the real game. Paul takes God seriously. So, we need to do the same; we need to take God seriously. (Pause.)
Shortly, we will take a look at the budget. Anyone who knows me knows I take budgets seriously.
But therefore, today is the Super Bowl. The real work happened over the last several months as some dedicated people put the budget together.
So I also need to say this: by its structure there is one question any church budget needs to ask and to answer. Where is God leading us— the reality of God— where is God leading us? If a budget does not reflect where God leads, if it is does not lead down a path of caring and compassion and sharing and inclusion, then we need to change how we do things.
But also, to make that kind of determination, to change how a budget is done, we— all of us— need to spend at least a couple of years in prayer and deliberation. In short, we need to take budgets seriously. Thereby and more importantly, when we do the work of God— God who is real— when we do the work of God we do take God seriously. And, in fact, putting a budget together can be the work of God. Amen.
01/29/2012
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “As suggested earlier, theology says there is no divide between secular and sacred. But, if I were to posit such a divide, I would suggest it looks like this: the sacred deals with reality, especially the reality of God, and the secular tries to avoid reality. Indeed, when the secular tries to deal with reality, it— perhaps unknowingly— crosses over into the sacred.”
BENEDICTION: People of light, turn toward God with joy and be free and open to the empowerment God offers. People of unity, be one in Christ. People of commitment, dare to run the race with courage. And may the Spirit dwell with us, may the peace of Christ, which surpasses our understanding keep our hearts, minds and spirits centered on God, this day and forevermore. Amen.
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