01/10/2016 ~ First Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Known in Some Traditions as the First Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Baptism of the Christ ~ Isaiah 43:1-7; Psalm 29; Acts 8:14-17; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22.
Fear Not
“...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; / I have called you by name, you are mine.” — Isaiah 43:1b.
I consider Ann Kansfiled a friend. We— she and I— served together a number of years ago on a committee of the New York Conference of he United Church of Christ. Since she lives and works in New York City, we keep in touch by Facebook rather than by a more direct route.
Ann, ordained in the United Church of Christ, is the first female chaplain for the Fire Department of the City of New York. She is also the co-pastor at the Greenpoint Reformed Church in Brooklyn.
Her Dad was, at one point, the President of New Brunswick Seminary, a Reformed Church seminary in New Jersey. Her father, a person of great courage and integrity, lost his position at the seminary. That happened, because he decided it was more important to officiate at the wedding of his daughter and her partner than to pander to church politics.
Ann posted this story, this reminiscence of her father— who is, to be clear, still very much alive— on Facebook this week. “In 1966 a guy walked into the parsonage in Astoria with a gun and pointed it at Big Norm”— big Norm— that’s her Dad— “and then said, ‘I’m gonna shoot him Father, and you can’t stop me. I’m gonna shoot him.’”
“Aside from asking why the door to the parsonage was unlocked in 1966, one immediately wonders what ended up happening. Well, as the story is usually told...” says Ann, “terrified out of his mind and especially afraid for his young bride who was in the next room (but who had no idea about what was transpiring), my father managed to say, ‘You’re right. I’m not going to stop you.’”
“But my Dad kept the guy talking and talking and talking. He finally calmed down and left.”
“That intruder was angry. Who knows if he did or did not want to shoot the other guy. He didn’t get a chance. Why? My Dad kept him talking and the police picked him up minutes later not far from the parsonage.” (Slight pause.)
There is no question about this: we all get angry at times. Sometimes we can’t handle that anger. But most people find some kind of release. But sometimes anger can turn to rage.
I also think we need to be aware anger is often connected with fear. And fear and anger combined can be a short and very slippery step from rage, from violence. (Slight pause.)
Next weekend we celebrate the Martin Luther King Holiday. But since we will be at Chenango Valley Home, as you heard earlier, and have a service of Lessons and Carols planned, let me bring Dr. King into this conversation.
In the Laureate Address in 1964 this Baptist pastor extolled modern progress in technology. Please note: at that point technology did not yet include personal computers or hand held devices with which you can access all the knowledge humankind has to offer. Dr. King said despite modern progress there was something missing.
(Quote:) “There is a sort of poverty of the spirit which stands in glaring contrast to our scientific and technological abundance. The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually. We’ve learned to fly like birds and swim like fish, but we have not learned the simple art of living together....”
Later in that talk these words were offered (quote:) “...in spite of temporary victories, violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problems; it merely creates new and more complicated ones.”
“Violence is impractical because it is a descending spiral ending in destruction for all. Violence is immoral because it seeks to humiliate the opponent rather than win understanding;.... ...it thrives on hatred rather than love. Violence destroys community and makes brotherhood impossible.”
“Violence leaves society in a monologue rather than a dialogue. Violence ends up defeating itself because it creates bitterness in the survivors and brutality in the destroyers.”— Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. — the Laureate Address. [1] (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah: “...Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; / I have called you by name, you are mine.” (Slight pause.)
Three times in the Isaiah passage we heard the instruction “fear not.” This instruction is also given in chapters which follow today’s reading. In short, the message is “do not be afraid” and that message should be perfectly clear.
That imperative can also be read this way: “take courage” or “be courageous.” Further, what is being addressed here is not individual courage. What is being addressed is the courage of the entire community.
I would, on the other hand, suggest courage needs to start on the individual level. Having started there, it has the potential to become communal— an amazing idea: communal courage. (Slight pause.)
So, what is courage— really? (Slight pause.) I think courage is the grace to face fear. Note: Courage is not the ability to overcome fear. Fear is real; it cannot be overcome; fear, however, can be faced. Courage is the grace to face fear.
More importantly, courage is the grace to face fear while in no way responding with violence— any kind of violence. And that means not just physical violence. That means social violence, economic violence, verbal violence, structural violence— you name it— violence is violence is violence is violence. (Slight pause.)
The claim of God in this passage from Second Isaiah is that we belong to God. Hence, fear— and the anger and violence which often follows on the heals of fear— should not be a part of our agenda. Because we are created by God, belong to God our agenda needs to include facing fear in ways which avoid violence— facing fear in ways which avoid violence. (Slight pause.)
Speaking of which, did you hear? Pope Francis was at it again this week— ruffling feathers. The pontiff posted a video which is an impassioned plea for interfaith dialogue.
The video called for people of all religions to work together for peace and featured a Buddhist, a Jew, a Muslim and a Christian. It also showed footage of the Pope meeting and praying with members of other faiths.
“Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers,” the Pope says on this post, on this video. “Most of the planet’s inhabitants declare themselves believers. This should lead to dialogue among religions. We should not stop praying for it and collaborating with those who think differently.”
A Buddhist teacher is then shown saying, “I have confidence in the Buddha.” “I believe in God,” says a Rabbi. A Catholic priest says, “I believe in Jesus, the Christ.” An Islamic leader adds, “I believe in God, Allah.”
I need to remind you this is a video posted by the Vatican. The video comes back to the Pope who says, “Many think differently, feel differently, seeking God or meeting God in different ways. In this range of religions, there is only one certainty: we are all children of God.”
After the Pope says that, the video then cuts back to the religious leaders. Each of them then repeats the same refrain: “I believe in love.” “I believe in love.” “I believe in love.” “I believe in love.”
The Pope finishes the video by saying “I hope you will spread my prayer request: that sincere dialogue among men and women of different faiths may produce the fruits of peace and justice.” [2] (Slight pause.)
Church historian Diana Butler Bass has said we are experiencing a new Reformation, a new understanding of God. And the reason our politics seem to be so divisive, so filled with fear and anger, is that we are not actually fighting about politics. We are fighting about God.
Some people, she says, still believe in an “elevator God,” a God who is somewhere in the sky or in some other plane, a God who manipulates and fixes, God who will make things right. But many no longer believe in or buy into an “elevator God.” These people believe God is with us— here, now. (Slight pause.)
I want to first suggest this is an accurate assessment. The Reformation we are now experiencing says God is with us here, now. If anything, that is a consistent message in Scripture: God is with us here, now.
Second, with the advent of this Reformation, if God is with us here and now, we need to have the grace and the courage to face fear. Why? Because what people are most fearful about is change. If this is a Reformation— and that’s where I stand: this is a Reformation— change is a given.
Having faced fear, especially fear of change, we need to be participants in the Reformation, in the revolution many are experiencing everyday. That revolution is a non-violent revolution. That revolution says in facing fear we strive to walk with God and we strive to see one another, in the words of the Pope, as (quote:) “children of God.”
So, perhaps what we really need to do is to heed the imperative proclaimed by Second Isaiah. (Quote:) “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; / I have called you by name, you are mine.” We are children of God— this God who walks with us— here, now. Fear not. Amen.
01/102/2016
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 a précis of what was said: “Question: define a reformation, a revolution. We call ourselves Protestants. The word does not mean protesting anything. In Latin testari is to witness. Pro means for. We are witnessing for— witnessing for the Gospel. And that is the revolution: to witness for the Gospel which says we are children of God. Further and I hope this is obvious, when the Pope says there is a need for interfaith dialogue and we are all— all of us in all faith traditions, no exclusions— children of God, I don’t think you need to look much further for a revolution, a reformation.”
BENEDICTION: Depart in peace for God’s promised covenant is real and is forever. And may the love of God guide us, the word of the Christ empower us and the gifts of the Spirit dwell in us, this day and forever more. Amen.
[1]
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-lecture.html
[2]
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/pope.francis.releases.emotional.new.video.regardless.of.religion.we.are.all.children.of.god/75882.htm
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