SERMON ~ 11/10/2013 ~ “Different”

11/10/2013 ~ Proper 27 ~ Thirty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Twenty-Fifth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Haggai 1:15b-2:9; Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21 or Psalm 98 ; Job 19:23-27a; Psalm 17:1-9; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17; Luke 20:27-38 ~ Possibly Stewardship Sunday ~ Stewardship Sunday # 495 also ~ Veteran’s Day Weekend.

Different

“Jesus said to them, said to the Sadducees, ‘The children of this age marry each other but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age to come and in the resurrection from the dead do not take husbands or wives.  Indeed, they can no longer die— like angels they are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.’” — Luke 20:34-36.

In a recent article theologian Marcus Borg asked a pertinent question.  “What does it mean to be Christian?”  Please note, Borg did not say “What does it mean to be a Christian?” but rather, “What does it mean to be Christian?”

Only then did Borg asked the next and obvious question.  “What makes a person a Christian?”  (Slight pause.)

Borg’s purpose in writing the article with these questions was not to provide criteria for deciding who is and who is not a Christian.  It was not about separating sheep from goats, about deciding who is in or who is out.  Rather, the article asked ‘what lies at the heart of being Christian?’

And being Christian, says this writer, is not very much about believing a set of statements which might be construed as the right things.  However (and to look at it differently), the notion that Christianity is about believing a set of teachings or doctrines is a widespread phenomena in our age.  That, says this theologian, is a relatively recent distortion of Christianity.

Seeing Christianity simply as a set of beliefs, he says, began with the Reformation of the 1500s and the Enlightenment of the 1600s.  And, unfortunately, seeing Christianity simply as a set of beliefs continues today in many quarters.

In fact, historically, even currently, many Protestants distinguished themselves from Catholics by using comparisons between what they believe and what Catholics believe.  And, of course, historically, even currently, many Protestants divide themselves into multiple churches and denominations, often with each church or denomination distinguishing themselves from other churches and denominations by using comparisons between what they believe and what other churches believe.

Not only do we tend to miss that the origins of this happened in the 1500s and 1600s, but we do not realize in drawing those lines dissecting beliefs churches and people were merely mirroring what was happening in the world of that era.  And this changed emphasis in the nature of belief and how it happens.  And it was a result largely of modern science and scientific ways of knowing things.

You see, the Reformation leads to the Enlightenment.  Without the Reformation there is no Enlightenment, case closed.  And, once the Enlightenment dawns, it calls into question many conventional Christian ideas as people begin to study specific phenomena, begin to study why things really happen.

And so, the earth was, perhaps, not at the center of the universe.  Creation, perhaps, did not take six days.  And maybe a world-wide flood did not kill every land creature.

So, having listed some of the ideas the Enlightenment questioned— this concept of an earth centered universe, the nature of how creation happened, etc.— all that baggage— the real question becomes this: were these things, were these ideas items never actually involved in a real understanding of Christianity— never involved in a real understanding of Christianity?  (Slight pause.)

“Jesus said to them, ‘The children of this age marry each other but those who are considered worthy of a place in that age to come and in the resurrection from the dead do not take husbands or wives.  Indeed, they can no longer die— like angels they are children of God, since they are children of the resurrection.’”  (Slight pause.)

Later in the same article Borg says the language of “believing” has, in fact, been part of Christianity from the first century onward, by far predating the Reformation and the Enlightenment.  But before the Reformation “believing” did not refer primarily to believing the right doctrines.

Rather, to believe meant something like the word out of an old form of English known as Middle English— the word “belove.”  The meaning of belief was to ‘belove’— to love God so much as to commit one’s self to a relationship of attentiveness and faithfulness.  Commitment to God and fidelity to God are the ancient and the real meanings of faith and of believing.

I think when you carefully read the conversation Jesus has with the Sadducees you realize there is neither a denial nor a confirmation of the rules about a brother needing to marry the widow of another brother.  Nor is there a denial or a confirmation of the resurrection.  The effect of what Jesus says is this: God lives.

And a God who lives is a God to be beloved.  A living God is a God with whom we need to be in an attentive and faithful relationship.  In short, Christianity is not about a set of rules or theological precepts to be believed.  Christianity is about having a relationship with a living God who, in turn, calls us to be in a relationship with one another.  (Slight pause.)

Well, I suspect know what you might be asking yourself now.  How does all this fit in with the idea that this is our “Enlistment Sunday,” a day on which we invite people to make a financial commitment to the church?  What’s that segue?  Well, let me try to unpack it.  (Slight pause.)

I have told you many times what the financial state of this church is.  Our endowment pays for all the upkeep, case closed.  Anything people pledge or put in the plate, we give away.

Therefore, let me address the practical first.  All of us make decisions about our own finances.  Often finances are formed by down to earth judgments like “how much money do I have in my budget to do XYZ.”

Now, sometimes what we loosely refer to as our heart influences decisions about money.  Here’s an example I bet a lot of us have faced.  We go to buy a new car.  And we see a car we really, really like.  We like how it looks.  We like how it feels.  In fact, we love it.

But there is a car over on the other side of the lot.  It’s a good car and it costs less.  But we don’t really love it.  Do we follow our heart?  (Slight pause.)

So, here’s what I am suggesting: first, please, make a sound financial decision.  Do not give more than you are able.  That makes no sense— giving more than you are able.

Next, whatever you give, please give because you love God.  Personally, I think giving because you love God is the only way giving to any church makes sense.  And also on the practical side, give because you think we— we— as a church, strive to do the work of God, strive to do the work of justice God would have us pursue.  (Slight pause.)

So, an Enlistment Sunday is not about rules, definitely not about resurrection, and, most assuredly, not even about money.  An Enlistment Sunday is about love of God— God who invites us to love our neighbor.

An, yes— that old question: who is our neighbor?  Look around you in the pews— neighbors.  Go out the doors, on to the streets— neighbors.  Get on a plane, go to Chicago— neighbors.  Go to London— neighbors.  Go to Frankfort— neighbors.  Go to Tehran— neighbors.  (Slight pause.)  And, do we love God.  Amen.


Amen.

11/10/2013
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York

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 Congregational Response and Benediction.  This is an précis of what was said: “Borg asked ‘What does it mean to be Christian?’ and ‘What makes a person a Christian?’  Clearly, it is not definitions.  It is loving God who invites us to love neighbor.”

BENEDICTION: We can find the presence of God in unexpected places.  God’s light leads us to places we thought not possible just moments ago.  God’s love abounds and will live with us throughout eternity.  The grace of God is deeper than our imagination.  The strength of Christ is stronger than our needs.  The communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than our togetherness.  May the one triune God sustain us today and in all our tomorrows.  Amen.