04/30/2017 ~ Third Sunday of Easter ~ *Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19; 1 Peter 1:17-23; Luke 24:13-35.
Explaining Scripture
“They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while Jesus was talking to us on the road, explaining the Scripture to us?’” — Luke 24:32.
In my first year as pastor here I was asked this question: “When we recite a creed in the service, I’ve noticed you always use the Nicene Creed. Why don’t you use the Apostles’ Creed?”
“Well,” I explained, “as far as anyone can tell, no Apostle had any hand in or even heard of the Apostles’ Creed. It was written a long, long time after the Apostles were alive and actually a long, long time after the Nicene Creed was composed.” (Slight pause.)
Let me unpack that a little. The earliest trace of anything called the Apostles’ Creed happened nearly 700 years after the Resurrection, sometime around the year 710 of the Common Era. Further, the first written trace of the Apostles’ Creed is found in what we today call France.
Now as to why the Apostles’ Creed spread and became popular, the Emperor Charlemagne had a significant impact on that. Charlemagne ruled the Holy Roman Empire, as it was called, from the year 800 to 814 of the Common Era. Despite the fact that it was only about 100 years old at that point— perhaps Charlemagne didn’t know that— the Emperor insisted the Apostles’ Creed be used throughout the Empire.
Thereby, the Apostles’ Creed became widely used in the West. That’s not a surprise since the Apostles’ Creed is a product of Europe, a product of the West. But it has never been used in liturgical practice in Eastern Orthodox Churches. And that’s not a surprise either since Eastern Orthodox Churches were largely outside of Charlemagne’s influence.
Now, as to why one might use the Nicene Creed rather than the Apostles’ Creed, the answer is simple given the history I just recited. And, to elaborate on the Nicene Creed a little, it was composed by a church council which met in the city of Nicaea in what is modern day Turkey.
This happened in the year 325 of the Common Era. It was the first unified Church Council ever and this creed is used in both the church in the East and the church in the West. Further, the Nicene Creed is the only Creed ever sanctioned by any council of the church. (Slight pause.)
So, why bring up all this about church creeds? Well, toward the end of today’s Gospel reading we hear a very interesting statement. The two travelers who have encountered Jesus return to where the disciples are gathered and hear these words: “Christ has risen! It is true! Jesus has appeared to Simon!” These words from Luke reflect what Paul writes about thirty years before Luke is composed.
And what Paul records is what some call the earliest Creed of the church because these words probably pre-date even Paul’s writings. Paul says Christ was (quote:) “...buried and..., on the third day, Christ was raised in accordance with the Scriptures and... was seen by Cephas— Peter...”— part of an early record in the writings of Paul and exactly what we hear in Luke. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the work known as Luke: “They said to each other, ‘Were not our hearts burning within us while Jesus was talking to us on the road, explaining the Scripture to us?’” (Slight pause.)
I need to make an obvious statement. We live in the year 2017 of the Common Era. Sometimes that gets in our way when we try to understand stories which were written 2,000 years ago.
You see, when we hear the question, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there...?” our brains can play a little bit of a trick on us. One reaction might be ‘did this person not buy the newspaper and read the headlines that morning?’ As I am sure you realize, there were no newspapers.
Further, estimates of the population in Jerusalem run anywhere from a low of 20,000 to a high of more than 1,000,000. The most credible of these estimates run in the range of 100,000.
But this was also the Passover season, so it’s likely many, many pilgrims were in town because of that. So for sake of argument, let’s put the estimated population of Jerusalem this time at about 150,000.
My point is, especially with a population that large, news did not travel with any speed at all in ancient times. So, one might start to wonder why that question about ‘did you not hear what happened’ is even in this story.
That would not have spread. Why ask that question? You see, that someone might have heard this among a population this large in Biblical times just stretches credulity. And, therefore, one might, I certainly do, start to ask, “what is really going on here with this story?” or “What is this story getting at?”
I need follow all that up with yet another statement, but this one is less than obvious. The manuscript from which these words are taken depicts the village of Emmaus as being some seven miles from Jerusalem. Other ancient manuscripts say Emmaus is twenty miles out from Jerusalem.
However, Biblical historians have never been able to find any ancient town with the name Emmaus. Further, there does not even seem to be any hidden meaning it the name. Its likely meaning is “warm spring.” So the name is completely innocuous.
I think all this information again prompts me to ask questions like, “where is this story trying to lead us?” “What is it trying to tell us?”
Well, that’s when I turn to the phrase that says Jesus explained Scripture to these travelers. More specifically, what does it mean that Jesus explained Scripture (quote:) “...beginning with Moses and all the prophets,...”? (Slight pause.)
I need to make one more obvious statement. The only Scripture Jesus knew is what we call the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.
And for those who first heard or read this story, the words used here— ‘Moses and all the prophets’— would have had a very specific meaning. When the word Moses was used referring to Scripture in ancient times people took it to mean the Torah, the Pentateuch— the Book of Moses. Add the Prophets to that and what do you have? The only Scripture Jesus knew.
And what does the Torah and the Prophets— the Hebrew Scripture— the only Scripture Jesus knew, say? The Hebrew Scripture insists God loves us and God wants to be in covenant with us. (Slight pause.)
Now I suppose you have noticed over time that I often speak about the covenant of God. Why would I concentrate on covenant so much? Well here’s one thing. Scholars tell us there are at least 12 signs of the covenant in the Hebrew Scripture— signs of the covenant with Noah, with Abraham, with Moses, with David, with the Priests.
And again, what does that covenant in Hebrew Scripture say? It says God loves us and wants to be in covenant with us. That is what the Hebrew Scripture— the only Bible Jesus knew— is about. That’s it; that’s all; case closed— covenant. (Slight pause.)
Now, I can hear the skeptical among you say what Jesus explained had to do with the Messiah. And that is not about covenant. My take on this is simple. The resurrected Jesus is yet another a sign of the covenant.
Why do I say the resurrected Jesus is a sign of the covenant? Here’s one reason right from this reading. (Quote:) “Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it and gave it to them.”
When we celebrate Communion still today the words we use insist the meal is a sign of the covenant. (Quote:) “This cup is the new covenant— the new covenant.” (Slight pause.)
All that brings me back to statements of faith, what we commonly called creeds. I maintain statements of faith are not a list of what we believe, although many people take them that way. Rather, I say statements of faith are a description of God, which is not a list of what we believe. It is a description of God.
Now, if you ask me what I believe, this is what I say: God loves us and wants to covenant with us. And I believe the resurrected Jesus is a glorious sign of that covenant. (Slight pause.)
There is one more layer here. One needs to ask the question, ‘What does covenant mean?’ Covenant means God loves us unconditionally.
And what does unconditional love mean? Unconditional love encompasses forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, freedom, equity.
So, I want to suggest covenant—this forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, freedom, equity and love— in both the Hebrew Scriptures and in the New Testament— are central to Who God is. Therefore, I praise God from Whom all the blessings of covenant— these blessings of forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, freedom, equity and love— flow. Indeed, praise God. Amen.
04/30/2017
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 Choral Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “There is, unquestionably, a difference between Eastern thought and Western thought. Western thought gets into explaining things, delving into detail. Eastern thought tends to look at the an experience as opposed to explaining it. It could also be said Christianity is an Eastern religion which we Westerners try to explain using Western philosophy. Perhaps we would be wise to concentrate on the experience of God’s forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, freedom, equity and love.”
BENEDICTION: Let us serve the world in the name of Christ. Let the love of Christ find expression in us. 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.
Sunday, April 30, 2017
Sunday, April 23, 2017
SERMON ~ 04/23/2017 ~ “Abba, God”
04/23/2017 ~ Second Sunday of Easter ~ *Acts 2:14a, 22-32; Psalm 16; 1 Peter 1:3-9; John 20:19-31 ~ Blessing/Dedication of the Quilts.
Abba, God
“Blessed be Abba, God of our Savior, Jesus, the Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead;...” — 1 Peter 1:3.
On April 13, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission, on its way to the moon, was rocked by an onboard explosion. The command module went dark. Astronaut Jim Lovell radioed mission control: “Houston, we have a problem.”
And so, “Houston, we have a problem” became a cultural touchstone. Books, movies, sportscasters, politicians, plays, novels, use these words as shorthand for saying something has gone terribly awry.
Except... the astronaut Jim Lovell did not say that. Indeed, no astronaut on Apollo 13 said, “Houston, we have a problem.” So, that’s not just one of the all-time great misquotes. It is a cultural myth.
First and to be accurate— astronaut Russ Swigert, not Jim Lovell did say something. But what was actually said was a little more prosaic, less poetic. “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”
Now, I’d be the first to say that’s not a big difference. But it is different. As I said— more prosaic. It’s slower. And it’s in a different tense. So where did the idea that Jim Lovell said “Houston, we have a problem” come from, anyway? (Slight pause.)
If you guessed from the movies you would be both right and wrong. Soon after the movie Apollo 13— a movie in which Lovell was played by Tom Hanks, so they wouldn’t let the other astronaut do it because Tom Hanks was playing that part— in which Lovell was played by Tom Hanks and is given that line— soon after the movie Apollo 13 was released, the world became infected with these words, easily one of the most used catchphrases ever.
But it makes sense that the phrase was rewritten for the movies. As its screen writer William Broyles has insisted, you can’t say something has happened. Because if you say something has happened it’s over. It’s done. That may be what was really said. But it’s not dramatic. And this was a suspense movie. Suspense needs to be present, to be continual.
On the other hand, the movie was only partially to blame for this myth. In 1983 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, used “Houston, we have a problem” as the title of its weekly radio program about... space history. [1] (Slight pause.)
There are all kinds of cultural myths, things into which the culture buys, that are simply not true. And indeed, the culture imposes all kinds of myths on Christianity.
Here’s an example. The iconic image of the cross widely used by and in the culture has a central vertical beam transected by a horizontal beam about a third of the way down— like that one. (The pastor points to the chancel cross.)
But the actual crosses Romans used to kill people was different. The cross on which Jesus was executed was probably T-shaped— a vertical element with a horizontal beam on top, like a ‘T.’ That allowed executioners to tie the victim to bean then raise the person being murdered to the top.
Here’s another myth along the same lines. Rumor to the contrary, the cross was not a symbol used by early Christians.
The symbol of a cross was extremely rare before the mid-4th Century of the Common Era. And depictions of Jesus on a cross did not occur with regularity until the 6th century. And when these first appeared, the image of Christ was that of a monarch dressed in royal garb levitating off the cross. They tried to make it look like Jesus was not nailed to the cross.
So Christianity is 300 years old before the image of a cross becomes common and 600 years old before the crucifix— a cross with a body— becomes common. It’s at least another century before a partially naked body on the cross, the image often seen today, becomes common. But myths— myths meaning falsehoods in this case— imposed by a cultural eons after the New Testament times insist these images should be paramount when they have no real relation to when things happened and how things were looked at. [2] (Slight pause.)
We find these words in First Peter: “Blessed be Abba, God of our Savior, Jesus, the Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead;...”
First Peter is one of the so called ‘general epistles,’ not attributed to Paul, not addressed to a particular church. Here it speaks to the condition of churches across lines of time and place.
One commentary says this letter is written for churches alienated from the surrounding society. Put differently, the early church is a counter-cultural church. The early church does not buy into the dominant culture, does not buy into imposed cultural myths. [3]
Now, a more traditional translation for this passage would have said (quote:) “Blessed be the God and Father of Jesus Christ.” But if the churches to which this letter was sent did not buy into the dominant culture, did not acquiesce to imposed cultural myths, they would never have referred to God as Father.
Why? Only those associated with the dominant culture of the era— the Romans— would have referred to God as Father, common in the Roman culture. Further, and as I have often said here, you can search all of Scripture and you will not find God referred to as “Father” in the original languages. It’s not found in the Hebrew Scriptures, not found in the New Testament. To call God Father is simply an imposition of the Roman culture on Christianity.
Jesus does, however, call God Abba, which means “Daddy.” This is and is meant to be a term of intimacy, a relational term.
All that brings me to what I think are the key questions raised by this reading. Who is Abba, God? What does Abba, God have to do with resurrection? (Slight pause.)
Well, having said God is relational, let’s take that a step further. In the Congregational tradition we often use the term covenant. In fact, covenant is meant to have familial, relational understandings, familial, relational meanings. Since God is a God of covenant the claim made in Scripture and by our forebears— God adopts us as God’s own— relational. (Slight pause.)
I tried to unpack all that because I want to illustrate that this epistle is, in its own way, quite counter-cultural. Let’s start with the words Savior and salvation.
At the beginning of this reading the word Savior is applied to Jesus. But we need to realize Savior is not an exclusively Christian term. Savior is applied to God in the Hebrew Scriptures constantly. Hence, the relationship of Jesus and God is here intertwined in an intimate way.
Now, the word salvation has a very specific meaning in the context of Scripture. And this passage says (quote:) “...you are receiving the outcome of your faith— salvation.” In the context of Scripture salvation means freedom.
I believe this passage, therefore, offers a very specific, very direct message. The resurrected Jesus is a sign from God and a sign of God that the promises of God are real.
(Quote:) “Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope....” The resurrected Jesus is a sign from God that freedom— the freedom God offers— is real, a sign from God that God not only wants to be but is in intimate relationship with us.
Further, all this is not a transaction, something paid for, something bought. Relationships are not bought or sold, not something bargained for. That a relationship with God can be relegated to a transaction is, I believe, a cultural imposition placed on Christianity.
After all, the culture thinks there is a cost for everything, everything can be bought or sold. But this passage tells us God willingly, freely and graciously wants to be in relationship with us now and forever. In short, this passage is counter-cultural. (Slight pause.)
In a couple of minutes we, as a Congregation, will be doing something very counter-cultural. We will dedicate some quilts. One could argue these quilts are worth quite a bit of money. But that would imply a transaction— something cultural.
But no money will be taken or accepted for these quilts. They will, rather, be given away to those who need them. And doing that is counter cultural. And, like it or not, we Christians are just that: counter cultural.
How do I know we Christians are counter cultural? Well, the last time I looked we believe God— no one else— offers freedom. We believe peace is possible. We believe hope is real. We believe joy abounds. We believe love lasts forever. And we believe God gives all this to us freely. No transaction is involved.
Indeed, the last time I looked that kind of trust— trust in the realities of freedom, peace, hope, joy and love are in short supply in the culture around us. Therefore, by definition, I’d say we Christians are counter cultural, especially because we trust that the freedom, hope, peace, joy, love of God is with us now and forever— no strings attached. Amen.
04/23/2017
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: “Earlier I said the Romans referred to God as Father. So how did that term creep into Christianity? There are a myriad of ways but there is no doubt that this is one way and it has to do with language, linguistics: by 315 of the Common Era Christianity is the official religion of the Empire. And the Latin words Deus Pater— which mean God the Father— sound very much like the Roman god Jupiter— Deus Pater— Jupiter. And, again, that’s bring historians studying language— no theology there at all; it’s about language. In short, about 1,700 years ago the church probably adopted those words and simply used what was common in the culture and in so doing acquiesced to the culture because it’s certainly not a Scriptural term.”
BENEDICTION: Go out in the strength and love God provides. Praise the deeds of God by the way you live, by the way you love. And may the steadfast love of God and the peace of Christ, which surpasses understanding, keep our minds and hearts in the companionship and will of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
[1] See this article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/04/13/houston-we-have-a-problem-the-amazing-history-of-the-iconic-apollo-13-misquote/?utm_term=.fdfa6c3520e8
[2] See this article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-cross/2017/04/14/dae63c1a-1fa8-11e7-be2a-3a1fb24d4671_story.html
[3] This information is from The Interpreter’s Bible, the electronic edition in the section which covers an introduction to 1 Peter.
Abba, God
“Blessed be Abba, God of our Savior, Jesus, the Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead;...” — 1 Peter 1:3.
On April 13, 1970, the Apollo 13 mission, on its way to the moon, was rocked by an onboard explosion. The command module went dark. Astronaut Jim Lovell radioed mission control: “Houston, we have a problem.”
And so, “Houston, we have a problem” became a cultural touchstone. Books, movies, sportscasters, politicians, plays, novels, use these words as shorthand for saying something has gone terribly awry.
Except... the astronaut Jim Lovell did not say that. Indeed, no astronaut on Apollo 13 said, “Houston, we have a problem.” So, that’s not just one of the all-time great misquotes. It is a cultural myth.
First and to be accurate— astronaut Russ Swigert, not Jim Lovell did say something. But what was actually said was a little more prosaic, less poetic. “Okay, Houston, we’ve had a problem here.”
Now, I’d be the first to say that’s not a big difference. But it is different. As I said— more prosaic. It’s slower. And it’s in a different tense. So where did the idea that Jim Lovell said “Houston, we have a problem” come from, anyway? (Slight pause.)
If you guessed from the movies you would be both right and wrong. Soon after the movie Apollo 13— a movie in which Lovell was played by Tom Hanks, so they wouldn’t let the other astronaut do it because Tom Hanks was playing that part— in which Lovell was played by Tom Hanks and is given that line— soon after the movie Apollo 13 was released, the world became infected with these words, easily one of the most used catchphrases ever.
But it makes sense that the phrase was rewritten for the movies. As its screen writer William Broyles has insisted, you can’t say something has happened. Because if you say something has happened it’s over. It’s done. That may be what was really said. But it’s not dramatic. And this was a suspense movie. Suspense needs to be present, to be continual.
On the other hand, the movie was only partially to blame for this myth. In 1983 National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, used “Houston, we have a problem” as the title of its weekly radio program about... space history. [1] (Slight pause.)
There are all kinds of cultural myths, things into which the culture buys, that are simply not true. And indeed, the culture imposes all kinds of myths on Christianity.
Here’s an example. The iconic image of the cross widely used by and in the culture has a central vertical beam transected by a horizontal beam about a third of the way down— like that one. (The pastor points to the chancel cross.)
But the actual crosses Romans used to kill people was different. The cross on which Jesus was executed was probably T-shaped— a vertical element with a horizontal beam on top, like a ‘T.’ That allowed executioners to tie the victim to bean then raise the person being murdered to the top.
Here’s another myth along the same lines. Rumor to the contrary, the cross was not a symbol used by early Christians.
The symbol of a cross was extremely rare before the mid-4th Century of the Common Era. And depictions of Jesus on a cross did not occur with regularity until the 6th century. And when these first appeared, the image of Christ was that of a monarch dressed in royal garb levitating off the cross. They tried to make it look like Jesus was not nailed to the cross.
So Christianity is 300 years old before the image of a cross becomes common and 600 years old before the crucifix— a cross with a body— becomes common. It’s at least another century before a partially naked body on the cross, the image often seen today, becomes common. But myths— myths meaning falsehoods in this case— imposed by a cultural eons after the New Testament times insist these images should be paramount when they have no real relation to when things happened and how things were looked at. [2] (Slight pause.)
We find these words in First Peter: “Blessed be Abba, God of our Savior, Jesus, the Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope which draws its life from the resurrection of Jesus, the Christ, from the dead;...”
First Peter is one of the so called ‘general epistles,’ not attributed to Paul, not addressed to a particular church. Here it speaks to the condition of churches across lines of time and place.
One commentary says this letter is written for churches alienated from the surrounding society. Put differently, the early church is a counter-cultural church. The early church does not buy into the dominant culture, does not buy into imposed cultural myths. [3]
Now, a more traditional translation for this passage would have said (quote:) “Blessed be the God and Father of Jesus Christ.” But if the churches to which this letter was sent did not buy into the dominant culture, did not acquiesce to imposed cultural myths, they would never have referred to God as Father.
Why? Only those associated with the dominant culture of the era— the Romans— would have referred to God as Father, common in the Roman culture. Further, and as I have often said here, you can search all of Scripture and you will not find God referred to as “Father” in the original languages. It’s not found in the Hebrew Scriptures, not found in the New Testament. To call God Father is simply an imposition of the Roman culture on Christianity.
Jesus does, however, call God Abba, which means “Daddy.” This is and is meant to be a term of intimacy, a relational term.
All that brings me to what I think are the key questions raised by this reading. Who is Abba, God? What does Abba, God have to do with resurrection? (Slight pause.)
Well, having said God is relational, let’s take that a step further. In the Congregational tradition we often use the term covenant. In fact, covenant is meant to have familial, relational understandings, familial, relational meanings. Since God is a God of covenant the claim made in Scripture and by our forebears— God adopts us as God’s own— relational. (Slight pause.)
I tried to unpack all that because I want to illustrate that this epistle is, in its own way, quite counter-cultural. Let’s start with the words Savior and salvation.
At the beginning of this reading the word Savior is applied to Jesus. But we need to realize Savior is not an exclusively Christian term. Savior is applied to God in the Hebrew Scriptures constantly. Hence, the relationship of Jesus and God is here intertwined in an intimate way.
Now, the word salvation has a very specific meaning in the context of Scripture. And this passage says (quote:) “...you are receiving the outcome of your faith— salvation.” In the context of Scripture salvation means freedom.
I believe this passage, therefore, offers a very specific, very direct message. The resurrected Jesus is a sign from God and a sign of God that the promises of God are real.
(Quote:) “Christ, who with great mercy gave us a new birth: a birth into a living hope....” The resurrected Jesus is a sign from God that freedom— the freedom God offers— is real, a sign from God that God not only wants to be but is in intimate relationship with us.
Further, all this is not a transaction, something paid for, something bought. Relationships are not bought or sold, not something bargained for. That a relationship with God can be relegated to a transaction is, I believe, a cultural imposition placed on Christianity.
After all, the culture thinks there is a cost for everything, everything can be bought or sold. But this passage tells us God willingly, freely and graciously wants to be in relationship with us now and forever. In short, this passage is counter-cultural. (Slight pause.)
In a couple of minutes we, as a Congregation, will be doing something very counter-cultural. We will dedicate some quilts. One could argue these quilts are worth quite a bit of money. But that would imply a transaction— something cultural.
But no money will be taken or accepted for these quilts. They will, rather, be given away to those who need them. And doing that is counter cultural. And, like it or not, we Christians are just that: counter cultural.
How do I know we Christians are counter cultural? Well, the last time I looked we believe God— no one else— offers freedom. We believe peace is possible. We believe hope is real. We believe joy abounds. We believe love lasts forever. And we believe God gives all this to us freely. No transaction is involved.
Indeed, the last time I looked that kind of trust— trust in the realities of freedom, peace, hope, joy and love are in short supply in the culture around us. Therefore, by definition, I’d say we Christians are counter cultural, especially because we trust that the freedom, hope, peace, joy, love of God is with us now and forever— no strings attached. Amen.
04/23/2017
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: “Earlier I said the Romans referred to God as Father. So how did that term creep into Christianity? There are a myriad of ways but there is no doubt that this is one way and it has to do with language, linguistics: by 315 of the Common Era Christianity is the official religion of the Empire. And the Latin words Deus Pater— which mean God the Father— sound very much like the Roman god Jupiter— Deus Pater— Jupiter. And, again, that’s bring historians studying language— no theology there at all; it’s about language. In short, about 1,700 years ago the church probably adopted those words and simply used what was common in the culture and in so doing acquiesced to the culture because it’s certainly not a Scriptural term.”
BENEDICTION: Go out in the strength and love God provides. Praise the deeds of God by the way you live, by the way you love. And may the steadfast love of God and the peace of Christ, which surpasses understanding, keep our minds and hearts in the companionship and will of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
[1] See this article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/retropolis/wp/2017/04/13/houston-we-have-a-problem-the-amazing-history-of-the-iconic-apollo-13-misquote/?utm_term=.fdfa6c3520e8
[2] See this article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-cross/2017/04/14/dae63c1a-1fa8-11e7-be2a-3a1fb24d4671_story.html
[3] This information is from The Interpreter’s Bible, the electronic edition in the section which covers an introduction to 1 Peter.
Sunday, April 16, 2017
SERMON ~ 04/16/2017 ~ “Fear and Trembling”
04/16/2017 ~ Resurrection of the Christ ~ Easter Day ~ Also Known as The Feast of the Resurrection ~ *Acts 10:34-43 or Isaiah 65:17-25; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24; 1 Corinthians 15:19-26 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Luke 24:1-12; Added Reading: 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 [ILV].
Fear and Trembling
“...Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell the disciples to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’” — Matthew 28:10
A vibrant early morning Sun burst over the horizon of the Judean hillsides. In all those places where darkness had lurked before crystals of light splashed brilliant beams. This was a dazzling array, bristling with energy. It seemed to extend itself into new territories, just as a vivacious youngster might intrude, as if probing places it had never even been allowed before.
But all that was happening outside the cave. Inside the depths of this stone fortress, deep in the bowels of it, there was little light.
And it was not just dark. It was also wet, dank. There was a constant drip, drip, drip as pellets of water fell slowly from the roof into puddles on the floor. And so, a long way back from the opening of the cave an eerie essence of night enshrouded two women.
They were both named Mary. But most everyone, all their friends, called one of them Mags. Mags was her nickname because her hometown was Magdala.
Just before the Sun had made its entrance Mary, the faster of the two, was running in front of her friend Mags. She was afraid and decided she needed to hide. It was then, when Mary had made that decision, that this crevice in the side of the hill, this cavern, presented itself. She plunged into the shadows of the opening.
Mags did not, herself, think hiding was the best thing to do right now. But Mary and Mags were life-long friends, best friends. And when your best friend insists on something, you go along.
Mags, the more observant of the two, saw some lamps by the mouth of cave. Mags also had more foresight. She grabbed a single lamp and lit it before plunging toward the depth of night which this hole on the side of the hill presented.
That lamp was proving, however, to be of limited assistance. Given the moisture in the air, its wick had become a little wet. Hence, the flame often flickered.
Also, the cloth which stuck up from the reservoir of oil had gotten to a point where most of it had burned away. It would not be much longer before they needed to move back toward to the entrance of the cave just so they could see.
But for now they sat near one another on the hard floor. And Mary... Mary was weeping. After a time of sitting there next to her friend, just listening to her friend, Mags reached out and touched Mary’s shoulder. When she did that she realized Mary was not just crying. Her whole body was trembling, shaking.
“Mary,” Mags whispered, “Mary, everything will be fine.”
“How can you be so sure?” came the response.
“Listen to what the Rabbi, our teacher, Yehoshua, Jesus, said. ‘Do not be afraid.’”
“You saw Jesus. Please tell me I was not dreaming.”
“Yes,” said Mags. “I saw the Rabbi.” Her head nodded in the affirmative but she wondered if Mary was able to see this action in the dim light.
“Did you see the other one also?” Mary asked.
“The one whose clothes were as radiant as the Sun?” It was a memory Mags did not think she could easily forget. “Yes. I did. I saw that one.”
Mary let out a sob. “Tell me, tell me... do you remember what was said?”
Mags nodded again. “That one also said ‘Do not be afraid;...’”
Mary probed some more. “And what else did you hear?”
Mags was wondering why Mary insisted on hearing all this again but she took a deep breath and continued. “I heard Jesus had been raised and we should go and tell the disciples, our friends.”
“What else did you hear?”
“Well, one of the things I heard,” Mags allowed, “was something we already know. Jesus was crucified, killed by the Romans, an enemy of the Empire.”
“It hurt just to hear those words. I know Jesus died. I saw it. I watched. When it was repeated, hearing those words forced me to relive the execution.”
Slowly Mary responded. “So... Mags... you heard that— you heard that Jesus is dead and you are not afraid?”
“No. I am afraid. I am scared out of my wits.” Mags was again shaking her head up and down and also side to side in the dark. “That is, I was afraid, I was scared out of my wits until... until I saw... Jesus. Then I was fine” (Slight pause.) “But now I’m frightened all over again.”
“Why? Why are you frightened again?”
“How do we explain this to our friends, the Rabbi’s friends?” (Slight pause.)
The wick on the lamp began to sputter, the light falter. Mags spoke up. “I think we need to leave.”
She stood, reached down to Mary and helped her friend to her feet. They hugged. They cried together.
Finally Mary said, “Mags, you’re wonderful. You are a wonderful friend.”
Mags said, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Slowly they headed toward the entrance of the cave. Slowly the shadows faded away as daylight angled into the opening, bouncing off stones traveling into the cave, seemingly playful, somehow joyous.
Mary and Mags burst out of the crevice on the hill into the full brightness of day, holding each other’s hand. It was no longer early in the morning but the Sun was still vibrant. The light bristled with energy.
Mary looked at her friend and asked, “So what shall we say? What shall we tell the others.”
At first Mags just shrugged her shoulders. (Slight pause.) Then she smiled. “I know. We simply need to be honest. Jesus was with us. We need to say that. Jesus was with us. We need to name that reality.”
Mary said, “Maybe that’s what really frightens me: just saying it.”
Mags shook her head in affirmation again and then was silent for a bit. Finally she spoke. “The Rabbi said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ And I think not being afraid has little to do with this fear. After all, this is really about trust. And I trust Jesus. I trust what Jesus said. ‘Do not be afraid’”
“So that’s what we need to tell the disciples,” she continued. “That’s what we need to tell everyone. We need to trust what God has done. We need to trust that the light... even more light than we can see on this morning... we need to trust that the light of God is with us and will be with us because Jesus is with us.” (Slight pause.)
Mary smiled. “Mags, you’re wonderful. You are a wonderful friend,” she said.
Mags responded, “You’re not so bad yourself,” and reached her hand out to Mary.
“Let’s go find the others. They are probably afraid and they are probably hiding. We need to tell them to trust everything Jesus said. We need to tell them Jesus is with us.” Amen.
04/16/2017
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: “I need to say two things: first, in Aramaic, the language which would have been spoken in Roman Palestine in New Testament times, to be saved meant to be made alive. Second, I am sure the well known American composer Irving Berlin was a nice fellow. He wrote Easter Parade and also a lesser know Easter Song, It’s a Lovely Day, Happy Easter. I want to suggest, however, that to merely say, ‘Happy Easter’ is not a Christian sentiment. So, let me make a suggestion: if someone walks up to you today and says, ‘Happy Easter’ shake their hand and say, ‘Christ is risen.’ ‘Christ is risen’ is the Christian sentiment.”
BENEDICTION: Hear now this blessing and then please join with me in the responsive Easter acclamation found in the bulletin. May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the love of Christ, Jesus, and in the knowledge of the Holy Spirit this day and forever. And please join with me in the Easter Acclamation.
ONE: Rejoice, people of God! Christ is risen from the dead! Go in peace to love and serve God. Christ is with you always. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
MANY: Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Fear and Trembling
“...Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; go and tell the disciples to go to Galilee; there they will see me.’” — Matthew 28:10
A vibrant early morning Sun burst over the horizon of the Judean hillsides. In all those places where darkness had lurked before crystals of light splashed brilliant beams. This was a dazzling array, bristling with energy. It seemed to extend itself into new territories, just as a vivacious youngster might intrude, as if probing places it had never even been allowed before.
But all that was happening outside the cave. Inside the depths of this stone fortress, deep in the bowels of it, there was little light.
And it was not just dark. It was also wet, dank. There was a constant drip, drip, drip as pellets of water fell slowly from the roof into puddles on the floor. And so, a long way back from the opening of the cave an eerie essence of night enshrouded two women.
They were both named Mary. But most everyone, all their friends, called one of them Mags. Mags was her nickname because her hometown was Magdala.
Just before the Sun had made its entrance Mary, the faster of the two, was running in front of her friend Mags. She was afraid and decided she needed to hide. It was then, when Mary had made that decision, that this crevice in the side of the hill, this cavern, presented itself. She plunged into the shadows of the opening.
Mags did not, herself, think hiding was the best thing to do right now. But Mary and Mags were life-long friends, best friends. And when your best friend insists on something, you go along.
Mags, the more observant of the two, saw some lamps by the mouth of cave. Mags also had more foresight. She grabbed a single lamp and lit it before plunging toward the depth of night which this hole on the side of the hill presented.
That lamp was proving, however, to be of limited assistance. Given the moisture in the air, its wick had become a little wet. Hence, the flame often flickered.
Also, the cloth which stuck up from the reservoir of oil had gotten to a point where most of it had burned away. It would not be much longer before they needed to move back toward to the entrance of the cave just so they could see.
But for now they sat near one another on the hard floor. And Mary... Mary was weeping. After a time of sitting there next to her friend, just listening to her friend, Mags reached out and touched Mary’s shoulder. When she did that she realized Mary was not just crying. Her whole body was trembling, shaking.
“Mary,” Mags whispered, “Mary, everything will be fine.”
“How can you be so sure?” came the response.
“Listen to what the Rabbi, our teacher, Yehoshua, Jesus, said. ‘Do not be afraid.’”
“You saw Jesus. Please tell me I was not dreaming.”
“Yes,” said Mags. “I saw the Rabbi.” Her head nodded in the affirmative but she wondered if Mary was able to see this action in the dim light.
“Did you see the other one also?” Mary asked.
“The one whose clothes were as radiant as the Sun?” It was a memory Mags did not think she could easily forget. “Yes. I did. I saw that one.”
Mary let out a sob. “Tell me, tell me... do you remember what was said?”
Mags nodded again. “That one also said ‘Do not be afraid;...’”
Mary probed some more. “And what else did you hear?”
Mags was wondering why Mary insisted on hearing all this again but she took a deep breath and continued. “I heard Jesus had been raised and we should go and tell the disciples, our friends.”
“What else did you hear?”
“Well, one of the things I heard,” Mags allowed, “was something we already know. Jesus was crucified, killed by the Romans, an enemy of the Empire.”
“It hurt just to hear those words. I know Jesus died. I saw it. I watched. When it was repeated, hearing those words forced me to relive the execution.”
Slowly Mary responded. “So... Mags... you heard that— you heard that Jesus is dead and you are not afraid?”
“No. I am afraid. I am scared out of my wits.” Mags was again shaking her head up and down and also side to side in the dark. “That is, I was afraid, I was scared out of my wits until... until I saw... Jesus. Then I was fine” (Slight pause.) “But now I’m frightened all over again.”
“Why? Why are you frightened again?”
“How do we explain this to our friends, the Rabbi’s friends?” (Slight pause.)
The wick on the lamp began to sputter, the light falter. Mags spoke up. “I think we need to leave.”
She stood, reached down to Mary and helped her friend to her feet. They hugged. They cried together.
Finally Mary said, “Mags, you’re wonderful. You are a wonderful friend.”
Mags said, “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Slowly they headed toward the entrance of the cave. Slowly the shadows faded away as daylight angled into the opening, bouncing off stones traveling into the cave, seemingly playful, somehow joyous.
Mary and Mags burst out of the crevice on the hill into the full brightness of day, holding each other’s hand. It was no longer early in the morning but the Sun was still vibrant. The light bristled with energy.
Mary looked at her friend and asked, “So what shall we say? What shall we tell the others.”
At first Mags just shrugged her shoulders. (Slight pause.) Then she smiled. “I know. We simply need to be honest. Jesus was with us. We need to say that. Jesus was with us. We need to name that reality.”
Mary said, “Maybe that’s what really frightens me: just saying it.”
Mags shook her head in affirmation again and then was silent for a bit. Finally she spoke. “The Rabbi said, ‘Do not be afraid.’ And I think not being afraid has little to do with this fear. After all, this is really about trust. And I trust Jesus. I trust what Jesus said. ‘Do not be afraid’”
“So that’s what we need to tell the disciples,” she continued. “That’s what we need to tell everyone. We need to trust what God has done. We need to trust that the light... even more light than we can see on this morning... we need to trust that the light of God is with us and will be with us because Jesus is with us.” (Slight pause.)
Mary smiled. “Mags, you’re wonderful. You are a wonderful friend,” she said.
Mags responded, “You’re not so bad yourself,” and reached her hand out to Mary.
“Let’s go find the others. They are probably afraid and they are probably hiding. We need to tell them to trust everything Jesus said. We need to tell them Jesus is with us.” Amen.
04/16/2017
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: “I need to say two things: first, in Aramaic, the language which would have been spoken in Roman Palestine in New Testament times, to be saved meant to be made alive. Second, I am sure the well known American composer Irving Berlin was a nice fellow. He wrote Easter Parade and also a lesser know Easter Song, It’s a Lovely Day, Happy Easter. I want to suggest, however, that to merely say, ‘Happy Easter’ is not a Christian sentiment. So, let me make a suggestion: if someone walks up to you today and says, ‘Happy Easter’ shake their hand and say, ‘Christ is risen.’ ‘Christ is risen’ is the Christian sentiment.”
BENEDICTION: Hear now this blessing and then please join with me in the responsive Easter acclamation found in the bulletin. May the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in the love of Christ, Jesus, and in the knowledge of the Holy Spirit this day and forever. And please join with me in the Easter Acclamation.
ONE: Rejoice, people of God! Christ is risen from the dead! Go in peace to love and serve God. Christ is with you always. Alleluia! Christ is Risen!
MANY: Christ is risen, indeed. Alleluia!
Sunday, April 2, 2017
SERMON ~ 04/02/2017 ~ “The Spirit Bids Us”
04/02/2017 ~ Fifth Sunday in Lent ~ Ezekiel 37:1-14; Psalm 130; Romans 8:6-11; John 11:1-45 ~ Communion Sunday.
The Spirit Bids Us
“‘...I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, you will return to life and I will settle you back on your own land; then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will act, will make all this happen’ says the Sovereign, Yahweh, God.” — Ezekiel 37:14.
In my comments today I want to briefly, I hope, relate some personal history. I know in doing this I run a chance that what I am about to say may directly relate to me only.
I hope that’s not true. I hope you find places where this history, this story— or at least its consequences— might have some personal resonance with you. So please bear with me.
In the late Fall of 1967 I was working for Bloomingdale’s Department Store in computer operations. I was not yet twenty.
As happened to many of us in that era, I got a draft notice. I was to be inducted in the Army on December 5th, it said. That date was, ironically, my mother’s birthday.
I brought the draft letter into the office to show my boss and gave my obligatory two weeks notice. Now without telling me, the company contacted my draft board and had the notice rescinded and delayed for a month so I could train a replacement. Therefore within a week I got a letter saying my induction date was pushed back to January 6th.
And so, on January 6th, 1968 I became a member of the United States Army, spent eight weeks of Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, then was shipped off to Cooks School at Fort Lee, Virginia. Why Cooks School?
I’ve always said it’s typical Army logic. I was in computers. Computer— that starts with ‘C.’ Cook— that starts with ‘C.’ In the Army’s way of thinking, if they both start with ‘C’ it must be a match.
Next, I landed in Vietnam— and this is a another date filled with irony— I landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, on July 4th, 1968. Yes, I arrived in Vietnam on American Independence Day.
Now, I am not going to tell any war stories. What I want to talk about is post war. Back then, if you returned from Vietnam with less than five months to serve in your hitch, you were eligible to be discharged.
I arrived back in the States on September 8th, 1969— two days over. I was released in San Francisco, took a cab to the airport, grabbed a red eye back home. New York City, here I come. (Slight pause.)
The years 1968 and 1969— and I was either in training or overseas for most of that time— 1968 and 1969 may have been two of the most tumultuous years in American history. Here are a couple of highlights (or is it low lights?) from just 1968 in chronological order. (Slight pause.)
North Korea seized the Navy Vessel, the USS Pueblo. The Tet Offensive was launched. The My Lai Massacre happened. Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek re-election.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Riots ensued. Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The country was in shock.
Anti-war protesters clashed with police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Many were jailed. Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis. Richard Nixon won the race for President with 43.4% of the popular vote. (Slight pause.)
And that was just 1968. My point here is not what happened. My point here is I missed it. I missed all that and a good chunk of 1969 too. I was oblivious to it.
Why? I did basic training, where you barely have time to breathe. I moved on to advanced training, where you barely have time to think.
Next I was stationed first in downtown Saigon where there was incoming ordinance all the time and later stationed just off Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at that time the largest airport in the world. Which is to insist during this period you might say I had things on my mind other than current events. (Slight pause.)
Looking at it all in retrospect, I realize when I got back it took me some time to recover, to fit into polite society again, to get grounded, to adjust. I might even suggest part of me never did recover from an experience of trauma and that trauma is connected with three things.
I saw a war first hand. Next, I did not see what was happening here, back in the States, first hand. But most of the people I encountered— that group commonly called polite society— had seen it. Last, to be straightforward about it— and I speak for a lot of Vietnam veterans in saying this— Vietnam veterans, myself included, did not receive a particularly warm welcome from that group commonly called polite society.
That having been said, at first when I did return I went back to work in computer operations. But not long after that I decided I needed to be involved in what I loved. And I loved professional theater. So I took some classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
To be clear, theater is just like many other job situations. You need contacts, referrals. Slowly but surely, I stared making the links necessary to get work.
As I have said here probably hundreds of times before, I started writing and had more than a modicum of success at that with theatrically related projects. What I have probably never said here before is the exercise of writing was a welcome, psychic release for me. The more I wrote, the more I recovered from my experience. (Slight pause.)
This is what we hear in the Scroll of the Prophet Ezekiel: “‘...I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, you will return to life and I will settle you back on your own land; then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and will act, and will make all this happen’ says the Sovereign, Yahweh, God.” (Slight pause.)
Ezekiel lived and preached during what may have been the most tumultuous years in the history of the Jewish people. The armies of the Babylon had conquered Judea, besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, took prisoners captive.
And so in this atmosphere of captivity, enslavement, Ezekiel has a vision. The picture seen by the Prophet is one of an abandoned battlefield strewn with bones.
And no wonder. The homeland has been destroyed. Those who survive live in exile. Their world is not just tumultuous. Their world had come to an end.
However, in the vision experienced by the Prophet the outcome of the journey is clear. (Quote:) “...I will put my Spirit within you....” (Slight pause.) I need to explain something. What the Prophet addresses here should not be given the benefit of hindsight, should not be given a Christian reading. This passage is not about resurrection.
While resurrection is a Jewish concept, it is not a part of the Jewish tradition until about two hundred years before the time Christ lives. Ezekiel lives about six hundred years before Christ. Hence, this passage is not about resurrection.
Indeed and as I often say, resurrection is not reanimation nor is it resuscitation. Resurrection is what it says it is: resurrection. In fact, in this passage the bones are reanimated but still do not have life. They simply have animation.
And animation is not enough. Something is missing that gives real life. What is missing? The Spirit of God is missing. So let me state the promise God makes one more time. (Quote:) “...I will put my Spirit within you....” (Slight pause.)
What is this Spirit of God about? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest the Spirit of God is about trust, hope, faith, belief and most of all about a reliance on God. Therefore, the Spirit of God is about God who walks with us, God who walks at our side, God who is our companion no matter... what... happens. (Slight pause.)
I think this is a human truth. We never actually get over trauma. We cope with it. But I also believe that the best coping mechanism known to humanity is trust, especially trust in God. And God constantly invites us to trust.
Once we trust in God— hope, faith and belief follow. Once we see this path of hope, faith and belief we begin to know we can rely on God, know that the Spirit of God walks with us, is at our side, is our companion no matter what happens. (Slight pause.)
Let me say something else very personal. Given my experience, I am not someone who thinks good things will always happen. I am no Pollyanna. I know better than that.
Equally, given my experience, I know life can be hard and sometimes feel brutal. Equally, given my experience I know my life is not of my own doing.
Given my experience, I have come to realize the Spirit of God walks with me, daily. Given my experience, I have come to realize the Spirit of God walks with us, daily. God gives me, God gives us a promise. That promise is one of trust, hope, faithfulness.
Therefore, the Spirit of God bids us to trust God as we go on this journey called life. And yes, there is no promise that all will be rosy, no guarantee that everything is peaches and cream.
But there is a promise. God promises that the Spirit of God will walk with us, be at out side, this day and forever more. Amen.
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
04/02/2017
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: “It has often occurred to me that we all have our own individual God. And for some people God is threatening, frightening, even violent. I think a God who walks at our side is a Spirit of Gentleness. [1]
BENEDICTION: God sent Jesus unto the world that we may believe. God sends us into the world that we may share this good news: in Christ we are not condemned, for Christ came to offer abundant life. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge of God, the love of Jesus, the Christ and the companionship of the Holy Spirit, this day and forevermore. Amen.
[1] Spirit of Gentleness (New Century Hymnal # 286) was the closing hymn of this service of worship.
The Spirit Bids Us
“‘...I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, you will return to life and I will settle you back on your own land; then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and I will act, will make all this happen’ says the Sovereign, Yahweh, God.” — Ezekiel 37:14.
In my comments today I want to briefly, I hope, relate some personal history. I know in doing this I run a chance that what I am about to say may directly relate to me only.
I hope that’s not true. I hope you find places where this history, this story— or at least its consequences— might have some personal resonance with you. So please bear with me.
In the late Fall of 1967 I was working for Bloomingdale’s Department Store in computer operations. I was not yet twenty.
As happened to many of us in that era, I got a draft notice. I was to be inducted in the Army on December 5th, it said. That date was, ironically, my mother’s birthday.
I brought the draft letter into the office to show my boss and gave my obligatory two weeks notice. Now without telling me, the company contacted my draft board and had the notice rescinded and delayed for a month so I could train a replacement. Therefore within a week I got a letter saying my induction date was pushed back to January 6th.
And so, on January 6th, 1968 I became a member of the United States Army, spent eight weeks of Basic Training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina, then was shipped off to Cooks School at Fort Lee, Virginia. Why Cooks School?
I’ve always said it’s typical Army logic. I was in computers. Computer— that starts with ‘C.’ Cook— that starts with ‘C.’ In the Army’s way of thinking, if they both start with ‘C’ it must be a match.
Next, I landed in Vietnam— and this is a another date filled with irony— I landed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, on July 4th, 1968. Yes, I arrived in Vietnam on American Independence Day.
Now, I am not going to tell any war stories. What I want to talk about is post war. Back then, if you returned from Vietnam with less than five months to serve in your hitch, you were eligible to be discharged.
I arrived back in the States on September 8th, 1969— two days over. I was released in San Francisco, took a cab to the airport, grabbed a red eye back home. New York City, here I come. (Slight pause.)
The years 1968 and 1969— and I was either in training or overseas for most of that time— 1968 and 1969 may have been two of the most tumultuous years in American history. Here are a couple of highlights (or is it low lights?) from just 1968 in chronological order. (Slight pause.)
North Korea seized the Navy Vessel, the USS Pueblo. The Tet Offensive was launched. The My Lai Massacre happened. Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would not seek re-election.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated. Riots ensued. Senator Robert Kennedy was assassinated. The country was in shock.
Anti-war protesters clashed with police at the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Many were jailed. Jackie Kennedy married Aristotle Onassis. Richard Nixon won the race for President with 43.4% of the popular vote. (Slight pause.)
And that was just 1968. My point here is not what happened. My point here is I missed it. I missed all that and a good chunk of 1969 too. I was oblivious to it.
Why? I did basic training, where you barely have time to breathe. I moved on to advanced training, where you barely have time to think.
Next I was stationed first in downtown Saigon where there was incoming ordinance all the time and later stationed just off Tan Son Nhut Air Base, at that time the largest airport in the world. Which is to insist during this period you might say I had things on my mind other than current events. (Slight pause.)
Looking at it all in retrospect, I realize when I got back it took me some time to recover, to fit into polite society again, to get grounded, to adjust. I might even suggest part of me never did recover from an experience of trauma and that trauma is connected with three things.
I saw a war first hand. Next, I did not see what was happening here, back in the States, first hand. But most of the people I encountered— that group commonly called polite society— had seen it. Last, to be straightforward about it— and I speak for a lot of Vietnam veterans in saying this— Vietnam veterans, myself included, did not receive a particularly warm welcome from that group commonly called polite society.
That having been said, at first when I did return I went back to work in computer operations. But not long after that I decided I needed to be involved in what I loved. And I loved professional theater. So I took some classes at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.
To be clear, theater is just like many other job situations. You need contacts, referrals. Slowly but surely, I stared making the links necessary to get work.
As I have said here probably hundreds of times before, I started writing and had more than a modicum of success at that with theatrically related projects. What I have probably never said here before is the exercise of writing was a welcome, psychic release for me. The more I wrote, the more I recovered from my experience. (Slight pause.)
This is what we hear in the Scroll of the Prophet Ezekiel: “‘...I will put my Spirit within you, and you will live, you will return to life and I will settle you back on your own land; then you will know that I, Yahweh, have spoken and will act, and will make all this happen’ says the Sovereign, Yahweh, God.” (Slight pause.)
Ezekiel lived and preached during what may have been the most tumultuous years in the history of the Jewish people. The armies of the Babylon had conquered Judea, besieged and destroyed Jerusalem, took prisoners captive.
And so in this atmosphere of captivity, enslavement, Ezekiel has a vision. The picture seen by the Prophet is one of an abandoned battlefield strewn with bones.
And no wonder. The homeland has been destroyed. Those who survive live in exile. Their world is not just tumultuous. Their world had come to an end.
However, in the vision experienced by the Prophet the outcome of the journey is clear. (Quote:) “...I will put my Spirit within you....” (Slight pause.) I need to explain something. What the Prophet addresses here should not be given the benefit of hindsight, should not be given a Christian reading. This passage is not about resurrection.
While resurrection is a Jewish concept, it is not a part of the Jewish tradition until about two hundred years before the time Christ lives. Ezekiel lives about six hundred years before Christ. Hence, this passage is not about resurrection.
Indeed and as I often say, resurrection is not reanimation nor is it resuscitation. Resurrection is what it says it is: resurrection. In fact, in this passage the bones are reanimated but still do not have life. They simply have animation.
And animation is not enough. Something is missing that gives real life. What is missing? The Spirit of God is missing. So let me state the promise God makes one more time. (Quote:) “...I will put my Spirit within you....” (Slight pause.)
What is this Spirit of God about? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest the Spirit of God is about trust, hope, faith, belief and most of all about a reliance on God. Therefore, the Spirit of God is about God who walks with us, God who walks at our side, God who is our companion no matter... what... happens. (Slight pause.)
I think this is a human truth. We never actually get over trauma. We cope with it. But I also believe that the best coping mechanism known to humanity is trust, especially trust in God. And God constantly invites us to trust.
Once we trust in God— hope, faith and belief follow. Once we see this path of hope, faith and belief we begin to know we can rely on God, know that the Spirit of God walks with us, is at our side, is our companion no matter what happens. (Slight pause.)
Let me say something else very personal. Given my experience, I am not someone who thinks good things will always happen. I am no Pollyanna. I know better than that.
Equally, given my experience, I know life can be hard and sometimes feel brutal. Equally, given my experience I know my life is not of my own doing.
Given my experience, I have come to realize the Spirit of God walks with me, daily. Given my experience, I have come to realize the Spirit of God walks with us, daily. God gives me, God gives us a promise. That promise is one of trust, hope, faithfulness.
Therefore, the Spirit of God bids us to trust God as we go on this journey called life. And yes, there is no promise that all will be rosy, no guarantee that everything is peaches and cream.
But there is a promise. God promises that the Spirit of God will walk with us, be at out side, this day and forever more. Amen.
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
04/02/2017
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: “It has often occurred to me that we all have our own individual God. And for some people God is threatening, frightening, even violent. I think a God who walks at our side is a Spirit of Gentleness. [1]
BENEDICTION: God sent Jesus unto the world that we may believe. God sends us into the world that we may share this good news: in Christ we are not condemned, for Christ came to offer abundant life. And may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge of God, the love of Jesus, the Christ and the companionship of the Holy Spirit, this day and forevermore. Amen.
[1] Spirit of Gentleness (New Century Hymnal # 286) was the closing hymn of this service of worship.
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