SERMON ~ 07/07/2013 ~ SEVENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST ~ “IN PAIRS”

07/07/2013 ~ Seventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 9 ~ Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Isaiah 66:10-14; Psalm 66:1-9; Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20 ~ Communion Sunday ~ Pastor Joe Also Preaches at the North Guilford Church.

In Pairs

“...Jesus appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead in pairs to every town and place the Rabbi intended to visit...” — Luke 10:1.

The musical 1776 purports to be about how the American Declaration of Independence came together.  I have friends who insist on watching the movie version every July 4th (just on Thursday, last).  One of the characters portrayed in the show is a founder of this nation, John Adams.  Unquestionably, Adams had a pivotal role in our origins.

He was a Harvard lawyer and a member of the committee who worked with the main writer of the aforementioned Declaration, Thomas Jefferson, on composing this document.  It declared America was and had a right to be an independent nation.  In an amazing career, Adams was also our First Vice President and our second President.

Additionally, this native of Massachusetts was a Delegate to the First Continental Congress, the Second Continental Congress, our Minister to the Court of St. James, to the Netherlands and to France.  Last, acting in that capacity of Minister, what we today would commonly call an ambassador, Adams was pivotal in negotiating the treaty which ended the Revolutionary War.

In that very same show, 1776, Adams is pictured as making a pronouncement many today would call prophecy.  These words are given to the actor portraying Adams (quote): “I have come to the conclusion that one useless man is called a disgrace; that two are called a law firm; and that three or more become a Congress!”  (Slight pause.)

Now, as I said, many might agree with that sentiment.  However, there is a problem.  John Adams never said those words.  John Adams never wrote those words.  Peter Stone, the Librettist for 1776, wrote those words.

You see, the musical 1776 presents a myth, a myth about the making of the Declaration of Independence, certainly.  Was the Continental Congress slow to act when, in fact, the Revolution had already started?

Yes.  Therefore, frustration with Congress does, to a certain extent, explain how the Declaration developed.  So, one question about that quote which surely must arise is this: is presenting a fabrication to support a myth always appropriate?

I need to be clear: there are several meanings attached to the word myth.  One suggests whatever topic being considered is simply a fabrication, a falsehood.  In short, that kind of myth denies a deeper truth.  However, another meaning suggests a myth— while clearly a fabrication, a falsehood— that myth is being offered in an effort to uncover a deeper truth, a deeper meaning.  (Slight pause.)

America, not unlike a lot of other countries, abounds in myths.  Some of them uncover deeper truths.  Some do not.  Unfortunately and therefore, some myths deny reality.

Here’s one American myth which denies reality.  America is a country founded on Christian principles and was founded by Christians.

A claim which says America is a country founded on Christian principles by Christians is simply incompetent in its reading of history— incompetent.  On the other hand, when I hear that claim, I wonder why it would be of any conceivable importance?

And then I realize... it is a myth.  And I ask myself, what myth is actually being claimed here and why?  (Slight pause.)

This is a truth about myths in general: many are based in a tribal experience.  Hence, I think making a claim about America as being founded on Christian principles by Christians is trying to make a claim about America being a part of the tribe known as Christianity.  And that leads me to ask the obvious: what are Christian tribal claims?  Are there any?  (Slight pause.)

And these words are from the Gospel we commonly call Luke: “...Jesus appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead in pairs to every town and place the Rabbi intended to visit...”  (Slight pause.)

A movie just opened up whose title proclaims an obvious American myth: The Lone Ranger.  That American myth is so obvious the title needs little explanation.

We Americans believe one person can do it all.  Please notice, what I did not say.  I did not say one person fails to make a difference.  That is a deep truth: one person can and does make a difference.

But the American myth is one person can do it all.  When you think about it, that myth gets repeated over and over and over again in movies.  Indiana Jones, Rambo, The Fugitive and nearly every John Wayne movie ever made follows the sole hero myth.

And then there’s the whole list of so called Super Hero movies from Batman to Superman to Captain America.  All these have the same thing in common.  The individual will triumph without any help from anyone.  (Slight pause.)

I want to suggest the Christian myth is exactly the opposite.  You see, Jesus sends the disciples out... in pairs.  Now, a lot of attention is paid to what follows that description— the detailed instructions to the disciples and the prophesies, what will happen to them.

But I believe the short simple phrase about being sent out in pairs is pivotal.  The disciples, you see, are never alone.  Not a one of them has to do everything on their own.  They have someone next to them all the time to support them.  I think this is a key as to how and to why they are successful.  (Slight pause.)

Well, in short, a basic Christian myth— myth meaning a key to a deeper truth— is not The Lone Ranger.  Nor is it Indiana Jones or Rambo or The Fugitive or Batman or Superman or Captain America or The Flash or The Green Lantern— etc., etc., etc.

Indeed, if there is any basic myth into which Christianity buys— a basic deep truth into which Christianity buys— it is this one: love your neighbor.  And so, Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs for mutual support.  In my book, that is the real, deep truth, the reality of loving neighbor is based on support— mutual support.  (Slight pause.)

Last, I have said this here before, but I need to note a piece of American History we seem to have forgotten or we ignore.  It’s called the Declaration of Independence.  Most of us remember that toward the beginning this document says that among our rights are the pursuit of (quote): “...Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

What we forget is that at the very end, the closing words say this (quote): “...we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor” — we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.  (Slight pause.)  So, if this nation is, as some claim, a Christian nation, then I think we need to live up to the words in the Declaration which insist we are not lone rangers, which insist we need to mutually support one another.

We need to support our neighbor.  We need to follow the commandment Jesus gave us to love our neighbor.  I firmly believe that Jesus sent the disciples out in pairs simply as a lesson in mutual support.  Amen.

07/07/2013
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 Congregational Response and Benediction.  This is an précis of what was said: “If we are, in fact, a Christian Country, what is the claim of the Bible about what that might mean.  Again and again it legitimates not the people on the top but the people on the bottom or those who move toward helping those on the bottom.  It takes an amazing degree of denial and selective attention to miss this obvious pattern in Scripture.”

BENEDICTION:
Redeemer Who sustains us, visit Your people; pour out Your courage upon us, that we may hurry to make welcome all people not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in Your name.  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.