01/28/2018 ~ Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany, Known in Some Traditions as the Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Deuteronomy 18:15-20; Psalm 111; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13; Mark 1:21-28 ~ Annual Financial Meeting of the Church in Our 204th Year.
No Real Existence
“...as to eating food which was sacrificed to idols, we know that idols have no real existence and that there is no God but the One, true God.” — 1 Corinthians 8:4.
At the start of my meditation two weeks ago I spoke about being a pastor in a small, rural, five church cooperative in the State of Maine. Last week at the start I addressed how people use Facebook. The place I start today combines the two.
I am a member in a number of clergy groups on Facebook. Recently a discussion broke out on one of those pages about pledges and budgets in small, rural churches.
Making pledges in thousands and thousands of small, rural churches is not a common practice. Indeed, the year before I arrived at the Waldo County Cooperative was the first time any of the five churches employed pledges. For many of us sitting here today that would raise an obvious question: ‘how can you possibly make a fiscal plan without pledges?’
This would be the answer you’d get from anyone in small, rural churches. ‘We plan. But make a pledge? If you make a pledge you do not trust God.’
For people in small, rural churches this is cut and dry: make a pledge and you are entertaining false gods since you don’t believe God will provide. You are, effectively, saying false gods are real; the One, true God is not. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in First Corinthians: “...as to eating food which was sacrificed to idols, we know that idols have no real existence and that there is no God but the One, true God.” (Slight pause.)
As you know here, in this church, we both make pledges and have a considerable endowment that helps support us. Pledges, even having an endowment— these are about making plans... if you treat them that way.
Making plans is something any business would do. And we are in a business, the business called church. For any business, even the business called church, to not plan could be seen as less than prudent.
But that fact also leads to an obvious question: in this church, among this group of the people of God, what is our most important asset? Is it that we pledge? Is it that there’s an endowment? Is it that we budget? After all, these can all be considered assets and they are simply a part of planning. And planning— that’s just a part of business!
So, what are our most important assets? (Long pause.) I want to suggest Scripture (the pastor holds up a Bible) and the assets commonly called freedom, justice, peace, hope and love as God sees these and which are found therein— these are our most important asset. I also want to suggest our second most important asset is you, this congregation here gathered, the people of God. (Short pause.)
To say anything less than the ideas of freedom, justice, peace, hope and love as God sees these and our people are our most important assets is to write off what Paul says about false gods as poppycock. Indeed, that is what people in small, rural churches are getting at when they insist if you make a pledge you don’t trust God. They are saying we, members of these small, rural churches, will not set up false gods.
Again and to be clear, I do not recommend we fail to pledge, I fully appreciate the support of the endowment and it is prudent to budget because preparing a budget means we are simply making a plan. But that plan is a simply that: a plan. It is not a god. So what am I saying is if pledging, the endowment and making a budget are not seen as our most important assets? These are indeed false gods. That’s what I’m saying.
So as we consider the budget today, let us we remember what we need to understand as a church. We are engaged in a business— the business of sharing the freedom, justice, peace, hope and the love of God. In fact, as would be true of any business, we have a client.
That client, our client, our only client is the same client of Whom Paul speaks— the One true God, the living God, the Triune God. And since God is our client, our most important assets are the freedom, justice, peace, hope and the love of God found in Scripture and our people. Amen.
01/28/2018
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: “The first words I said today suggested it’s inappropriate to separate worship and work, business and the Word, a heresy rejected by the church sixteen hundred years ago. Indeed, we need to see the world through eyes of faith. And the first thing that changes when the world through eyes of faith is our world view. When we see things with eyes of faith business is seen in a different light. And so yes, we are a business. And God is our client. And we are assets and because the world is seen through eyes of faith and we the asset which sees the world through eyes of faith, we are empowered to share the assets called freedom, justice, peace, hope and the love of God as found here (the pastor again holds up a Bible) in Scripture.” [1]
BENEDICTION: People of light, turn toward God with joy and be free and open to the empowerment God offers. People of unity, be one in Christ. People of commitment, dare to run the race with courage. May the Spirit dwell with us and may the peace of Christ, which surpasses our understanding keep our hearts, minds and spirits centered on God, this day and forevermore. Amen.
[1] At the start of the service, during the announcements, this was said: “As has been our practice for some time now, we will be engaged in what is commonly termed worshipful work, as we will both worship and have that meeting. Our by-laws state each service of worship is a meeting of the church, which is directly in line with our Congregational polity. Hence, the only difference this week is we will do what some of what might loosely call business along within the worship. To draw the real comparison, some might call worship of God our real business. However, a belief that the two— worship and work, business and the Word— can be separated, is a heresy rejected by the church about sixteen hundred years ago. Rumor to the contrary, our Christian heritage makes the claim that there is no such thing as secular and sacred. It is all one piece.”
Sunday, January 28, 2018
Sunday, January 21, 2018
SERMON ~ 01/21/2018 ~ “They Followed”
01/21/2018 ~ Third Sunday after the Epiphany ~ Known in Some Traditions as the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time; Jonah 3:1-5, 10; Psalm 62:5-12; 1 Corinthians 7:29-31; Mark 1:14-20.
They Followed
“...Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed.” — Mark 1:17-18.
I have said something like this before. I am quite sure, even if you do not have a computer and know nothing about computers, you have heard of Facebook.
I am equally sure, whether or not you fall into the aforementioned category, you have heard people complain about other people who express political opinions on Facebook. That complaint usually sounds something like this.
‘Facebook is for keeping up with my friends and family in the area and across the country. Facebook is great for posting fun pictures I’ve taken and the obligatory pictures of cats and dogs. I am simply not interested in anything else.’
I, at least tacitly, probably agree since I post my sermons on Facebook and little else. O.K.— I occasionally post a picture of a cat. (Referring to a parishioner in the congregation the pastor says:) Mary is nodding ‘yes.’
Further, my interest in politics lies in the analysis of mathematics— demographics and that kind of stuff. I, in fact, suspect my colleague the Rev. Mr. David Spiegel of the First Baptist Church, whom I greatly admire, holds a similar view, especially when it comes to what is written on one’s Facebook page. Perhaps one reason for that is David’s Bachelor’s Degree is in sociology, a field of study which relies heavily on the mathematical analysis of demographics
However, unlike what I do— post sermons on Facebook— David occasionally posts what he calls thoughts. This is what he posted last week. (Slight pause.)
‘For every expert you cite, I can find an expert who disagrees. For every study you cite, I can cite an opposing study. For every anecdote you share, I can find one that tells the opposite. For every personal experience you share, I can share one.’
‘So where does this leave us in this day of passionate stances and strongly held beliefs? It leads us to a need to listen. We need to listen to each other, listen to what our deepest values are.’
‘We need to put aside winning. Winning diminishes understanding. Winning only serves to destroy another. Ultimately, winning does not lift us as a society and a culture; it serves only to divide us further.’
‘I am naive in this regard’ David continues. ‘And I am well aware of my naivete, because I believe we can do better as a people. I have strongly held opinions. Further, I am not averse to having civil discussions centered around them.’
‘But I have no interest in winning arguments. I am more interested in finding ways to lift us all as a society. Childish rhetoric has gotten out of hand. It needs to stop if we want to be better versions of ourselves.’ [1] (Slight pause.)
Thank you, David. As I said, I greatly admire David. I am proud and happy to call David not just a colleague but a friend. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the work commonly known as Mark. “...Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed.” (Slight pause.)
Rudolf Bultmann was one of the great theologians of the 20th Century. One of my professors, Burt Throckmorton, studied with Bultmann in Germany. Bultmann said there is a tension in Mark to which we do not pay enough attention. (Quote:) “The proclaimer becomes the proclaimed.”
But what did Jesus proclaim? Jesus proclaimed the Dominion of God is at hand. Obviously and at the same time, that Jesus is the Christ is a part of what we proclaim. Indeed, in telling the story, Mark and the early church proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
And yet... and yet what does Jesus proclaim? Jesus proclaims the aforementioned Dominion of God which is at hand.
It seems to me (and probably to both Throckmorton and Bultmann) we can grapple with the Messiahship of Jesus more easily, more readily than what the Messiah, Jesus, actually proclaims— this Dominion of God at hand. Hence, perhaps a key to this reading is to ask what is the Messiah proclaiming about the Dominion? What’e being said? (Slight pause.)
First things first: the Gospel reading clearly presents an immediate, present-tense summons. This is, therefore, a proclamation about a new era— the presence of God as that presence is and can be experienced by humanity, the reality of that presence— and because of the reality of that presence— a reorientation of one’s life to the reality of that presence must happen.
So why do the disciples immediately leave their nets, leave their father, follow without delay? They get it. The Dominion of God, with its new era of the reality of the presence of God, is at hand. They must participate... because they get it. (Slight pause.)
I think the term “at hand” is the least understood phrase in Mark, maybe in the New Testament. You see the disciples promptly respond because of an understanding that they are a part of the immediacy of the summons.
They understand this new era involves them, their participation, their reorientation. That is what the Dominion of God being at hand means to them.
Also please notice: in the summons Jesus offers this new era is constantly unfolding, constantly happening. It is not in the past tense. Neither is it in the future tense.
The new era of the Dominion of God is always in the present tense. There is always something to do in this new era as this new era constantly unfolds.
Indeed, I think that is where the challenge both to us and for us lies. And perhaps that is also what we do not understand. The new era of the Dominion of God is not about the past, not about something which happened two thousand years ago. The new era of the Dominion of God is not about the future, not about something which will happen.
The new era of the Dominion of God is constantly happening, unfolding now, present, real, available. So the call of the Messiah, Jesus, is not simply to the disciples. Jesus calls us in the present tense, now.
And so what is the new era, the unfolding Dominion about? Perhaps that brings me back to what the Rev. Mr. Spiegel said. ‘Winning diminishes understanding, only serves to destroy another.’ Winning diminishes understanding, only serves to destroy another. I don’t think we in modern society liked to hear that. Frankly, I don’t think people who lived in Jesus’ time liked to hear that. (Slight pause.)
Let me put this another way. Perhaps when we stop trying to win it may become possible to start acknowledging one another’s hopes, fears, wishes, joys, concerns.
Let me put this another way yet again. The constantly unfolding Dominion is about how we respond to God. The constantly unfolding Dominion is, therefore, about our participation because our participation in the constantly unfolding Dominion of God is about striving to seek the will of God. (Slight pause.)
Of course, that still leaves the obvious question: ‘what is the will of God?’ I want to suggest the will of God is about freedom— freedom as God might see freedom, not freedom as we might see freedom. The will of God is about justice— justice as God might see justice, not justice as we might see justice.
The will of God is about peace— peace as God might see peace, not peace as we might see peace. The will of God is about hope— hope as God might see hope, not hope as we might see hope. The will of God is about love— love as God might see love, not love as we might see love.
And so, how might this freedom, justice, peace, hope and love as God sees freedom, justice, peace, hope and love happen? We need to remember two things which are proclaimed by Jesus, Who is the Christ, the Messiah.
First, we need to remember the Dominion is the constant presence of the reality of God. Second, we need to participate in that reality. Participation— that is what following means.
And we, therefore, need to remember that freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are not to be won. When freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are won that creates winners and losers. In God’s economy there are no winners. There are no losers. Everyone is included in God’s economy.
Hence, freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— God’s freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— are to be shared. When God’s freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are shared that is when we participate in the Dominion of God.
You see, I think one of the things we need to remember is that Jesus teaches about freedom, justice, peace, hope and love. But we need to remember at the core of that teaching is a much more basic message. God will be with us— God will be with us when we participate in the Dominion by and through the sharing of freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— this freedom, justice, peace, hope and love of God with everyone.
And when we participate in the Dominion of God then... then... the Dominion of God is truly at hand, now, present, real, available. And then also we...we... become disciples who follow. Amen.
01/21/2018
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: “This must be my week for Facebook and Baptist pastors who are my friends on Facebook. The Rev. Dr. Susan Polizzi, formerly of the First Baptist Church of Norwich, had a post on Facebook this week. She quoted Saint Augustine of Hippo. Augustine, of course, lived in the late 4th and early 5th Century, so this Bishop from ancient times couldn’t have anything to say to us today, right? Well, this is what Augustine said: ‘No one heals one’s own self by wounding another.’ My word: I think Augustine and Throckmorton and Bultmann and Spiegel and Polizzi and Connolly are all on the same page and it’s not a Facebook page.”
BENEDICTION: Through God’s grace, by being attentive to God’s will, our deeds and our words will change our world for we will discover ways to proclaim release from the bondage or narrowness. Let us seek the God of Joy whose wisdom is our God. Let us go in peace to love and serve God. Amen.
[1] Used with permission. Lightly edited for this context. Any loss of the initial meaning is the fault of the editor.
They Followed
“...Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed.” — Mark 1:17-18.
I have said something like this before. I am quite sure, even if you do not have a computer and know nothing about computers, you have heard of Facebook.
I am equally sure, whether or not you fall into the aforementioned category, you have heard people complain about other people who express political opinions on Facebook. That complaint usually sounds something like this.
‘Facebook is for keeping up with my friends and family in the area and across the country. Facebook is great for posting fun pictures I’ve taken and the obligatory pictures of cats and dogs. I am simply not interested in anything else.’
I, at least tacitly, probably agree since I post my sermons on Facebook and little else. O.K.— I occasionally post a picture of a cat. (Referring to a parishioner in the congregation the pastor says:) Mary is nodding ‘yes.’
Further, my interest in politics lies in the analysis of mathematics— demographics and that kind of stuff. I, in fact, suspect my colleague the Rev. Mr. David Spiegel of the First Baptist Church, whom I greatly admire, holds a similar view, especially when it comes to what is written on one’s Facebook page. Perhaps one reason for that is David’s Bachelor’s Degree is in sociology, a field of study which relies heavily on the mathematical analysis of demographics
However, unlike what I do— post sermons on Facebook— David occasionally posts what he calls thoughts. This is what he posted last week. (Slight pause.)
‘For every expert you cite, I can find an expert who disagrees. For every study you cite, I can cite an opposing study. For every anecdote you share, I can find one that tells the opposite. For every personal experience you share, I can share one.’
‘So where does this leave us in this day of passionate stances and strongly held beliefs? It leads us to a need to listen. We need to listen to each other, listen to what our deepest values are.’
‘We need to put aside winning. Winning diminishes understanding. Winning only serves to destroy another. Ultimately, winning does not lift us as a society and a culture; it serves only to divide us further.’
‘I am naive in this regard’ David continues. ‘And I am well aware of my naivete, because I believe we can do better as a people. I have strongly held opinions. Further, I am not averse to having civil discussions centered around them.’
‘But I have no interest in winning arguments. I am more interested in finding ways to lift us all as a society. Childish rhetoric has gotten out of hand. It needs to stop if we want to be better versions of ourselves.’ [1] (Slight pause.)
Thank you, David. As I said, I greatly admire David. I am proud and happy to call David not just a colleague but a friend. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the work commonly known as Mark. “...Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed.” (Slight pause.)
Rudolf Bultmann was one of the great theologians of the 20th Century. One of my professors, Burt Throckmorton, studied with Bultmann in Germany. Bultmann said there is a tension in Mark to which we do not pay enough attention. (Quote:) “The proclaimer becomes the proclaimed.”
But what did Jesus proclaim? Jesus proclaimed the Dominion of God is at hand. Obviously and at the same time, that Jesus is the Christ is a part of what we proclaim. Indeed, in telling the story, Mark and the early church proclaim Jesus as the Messiah.
And yet... and yet what does Jesus proclaim? Jesus proclaims the aforementioned Dominion of God which is at hand.
It seems to me (and probably to both Throckmorton and Bultmann) we can grapple with the Messiahship of Jesus more easily, more readily than what the Messiah, Jesus, actually proclaims— this Dominion of God at hand. Hence, perhaps a key to this reading is to ask what is the Messiah proclaiming about the Dominion? What’e being said? (Slight pause.)
First things first: the Gospel reading clearly presents an immediate, present-tense summons. This is, therefore, a proclamation about a new era— the presence of God as that presence is and can be experienced by humanity, the reality of that presence— and because of the reality of that presence— a reorientation of one’s life to the reality of that presence must happen.
So why do the disciples immediately leave their nets, leave their father, follow without delay? They get it. The Dominion of God, with its new era of the reality of the presence of God, is at hand. They must participate... because they get it. (Slight pause.)
I think the term “at hand” is the least understood phrase in Mark, maybe in the New Testament. You see the disciples promptly respond because of an understanding that they are a part of the immediacy of the summons.
They understand this new era involves them, their participation, their reorientation. That is what the Dominion of God being at hand means to them.
Also please notice: in the summons Jesus offers this new era is constantly unfolding, constantly happening. It is not in the past tense. Neither is it in the future tense.
The new era of the Dominion of God is always in the present tense. There is always something to do in this new era as this new era constantly unfolds.
Indeed, I think that is where the challenge both to us and for us lies. And perhaps that is also what we do not understand. The new era of the Dominion of God is not about the past, not about something which happened two thousand years ago. The new era of the Dominion of God is not about the future, not about something which will happen.
The new era of the Dominion of God is constantly happening, unfolding now, present, real, available. So the call of the Messiah, Jesus, is not simply to the disciples. Jesus calls us in the present tense, now.
And so what is the new era, the unfolding Dominion about? Perhaps that brings me back to what the Rev. Mr. Spiegel said. ‘Winning diminishes understanding, only serves to destroy another.’ Winning diminishes understanding, only serves to destroy another. I don’t think we in modern society liked to hear that. Frankly, I don’t think people who lived in Jesus’ time liked to hear that. (Slight pause.)
Let me put this another way. Perhaps when we stop trying to win it may become possible to start acknowledging one another’s hopes, fears, wishes, joys, concerns.
Let me put this another way yet again. The constantly unfolding Dominion is about how we respond to God. The constantly unfolding Dominion is, therefore, about our participation because our participation in the constantly unfolding Dominion of God is about striving to seek the will of God. (Slight pause.)
Of course, that still leaves the obvious question: ‘what is the will of God?’ I want to suggest the will of God is about freedom— freedom as God might see freedom, not freedom as we might see freedom. The will of God is about justice— justice as God might see justice, not justice as we might see justice.
The will of God is about peace— peace as God might see peace, not peace as we might see peace. The will of God is about hope— hope as God might see hope, not hope as we might see hope. The will of God is about love— love as God might see love, not love as we might see love.
And so, how might this freedom, justice, peace, hope and love as God sees freedom, justice, peace, hope and love happen? We need to remember two things which are proclaimed by Jesus, Who is the Christ, the Messiah.
First, we need to remember the Dominion is the constant presence of the reality of God. Second, we need to participate in that reality. Participation— that is what following means.
And we, therefore, need to remember that freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are not to be won. When freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are won that creates winners and losers. In God’s economy there are no winners. There are no losers. Everyone is included in God’s economy.
Hence, freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— God’s freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— are to be shared. When God’s freedom, justice, peace, hope and love are shared that is when we participate in the Dominion of God.
You see, I think one of the things we need to remember is that Jesus teaches about freedom, justice, peace, hope and love. But we need to remember at the core of that teaching is a much more basic message. God will be with us— God will be with us when we participate in the Dominion by and through the sharing of freedom, justice, peace, hope and love— this freedom, justice, peace, hope and love of God with everyone.
And when we participate in the Dominion of God then... then... the Dominion of God is truly at hand, now, present, real, available. And then also we...we... become disciples who follow. Amen.
01/21/2018
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: “This must be my week for Facebook and Baptist pastors who are my friends on Facebook. The Rev. Dr. Susan Polizzi, formerly of the First Baptist Church of Norwich, had a post on Facebook this week. She quoted Saint Augustine of Hippo. Augustine, of course, lived in the late 4th and early 5th Century, so this Bishop from ancient times couldn’t have anything to say to us today, right? Well, this is what Augustine said: ‘No one heals one’s own self by wounding another.’ My word: I think Augustine and Throckmorton and Bultmann and Spiegel and Polizzi and Connolly are all on the same page and it’s not a Facebook page.”
BENEDICTION: Through God’s grace, by being attentive to God’s will, our deeds and our words will change our world for we will discover ways to proclaim release from the bondage or narrowness. Let us seek the God of Joy whose wisdom is our God. Let us go in peace to love and serve God. Amen.
[1] Used with permission. Lightly edited for this context. Any loss of the initial meaning is the fault of the editor.
Sunday, January 14, 2018
SERMON ~ 01/14/2018 ~ “Getting Used to the Word”
01/14/2018 ~ Second Sunday after the Epiphany ~ The Second Sunday of Ordinary Time ~ 1 Samuel 3:1-10, (11-20); Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18; 1 Corinthians 6:12-20; John 1:43-51 ~ The Weekend of Martin Luther King Day on the Secular Calendar.
Getting Used to the Word
“Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But Eli repeated, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ Now Samuel had not yet encountered Yahweh. The word of God had not yet been revealed to this young one.” — 1 Samuel 3:6-7.
In my comments last week I noted that before being called to be pastor and teacher here in Norwich I had served as a part time Associate Pastor— 20 hours a week— at a five church cooperative in rural Maine— Waldo County, Maine to be precise. Sometimes someone asks the obvious question. Five churches— how does that work on a Sunday morning?
The full time pastor, the Rev. Mr. Jim Wood, and I took turns. One week I would preach at three churches and Jim would preach at two. The next week I would preach at two; Jim would preach at three.
End to end, the distance from the farthest-most church to the farthest-most church among those churches was 40 miles. Of course, if you are trying to start the services within the time frame of 8:45 a.m at the earliest and 11:15 a.m. at the latest, logistics between the churches, that is knowing all the back roads and shortcuts between the churches, becomes critical.
Now, when it comes to five church cooperatives, some of you might remember the Rev. Dr. Chuck Maxwell who served as the interim pastor here in Norwich. Chuck was at this church during the time between when the Rev. Mr. Hollister left and I arrived. Chuck actually also once served a five church cooperative. But he did it all by himself.
How did that work? How could he get to all the churches in one morning? I actually asked Chuck that question. He had a simple, somewhat amazing response.
This five church cooperative was on an American Indian Reservation in North Dakota. When Chuck went from church number two to church number three, traveling East to West, he crossed over a time zone from Central Time to Mountain Time. He gained an hour which gave him the time to start all the services in the morning, at least in terms of locally calculated time if not the time calculated by Chuck’s own body clock.
In any case, I need to come back to the Rev, Mr. Jim Wood, the full time pastor with whom I worked at the Waldo County Cooperative. Jim would sometimes embarrass me in a very specific way.
He would not say this to a parishioner or in front of a parishioner but, on occasion, when were with a colleague, he would point to me and say “We should ordain this guy right now (you see I was just licensed for the position). After all, he’s been involved in church work all his life. He can do all this pastor stuff.”
Now, as I indicated, that was embarrassing. And it was also not true. And it was also wrong— very wrong. Yes, Jim appreciated the fact that I had been involved in churches my whole life and he appreciated my skill set.
But most of the time, and certainly in my case, that is what it is and that’s all it is: a skill set. Someone may have a skill set but without anything else it’s unvarnished, untested.
To learn and to understand how to do anything takes not just talent, not just a skill set. It takes time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life, experience and testing to hone that skill set, in order for any skill set to become adequately developed. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the work known as First Samuel: “Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But Eli repeated, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ Now Samuel had not yet encountered Yahweh. The word of God had not yet been revealed to this young one.” (Slight pause.)
One day in a Seminary class one of my professors asked this question: “Why does college take 4 years, 4 years to get a Bachelor’s Degree? After all,” she said, “if you worked hard at it for 8 hours a day, five days a week, 52 weeks, it’s likely you could do all the necessary work to get a degree. So why does it take 4 years?” (Slight pause.)
We all looked at each other with blank stares. I am sure none of us had ever considered that question.
Here’s the reasoning this professor gave: it takes 4 years because you need time to become acculturated, to become accustomed to this group you are intent on joining and are actually joining, this group who holds a degree in a specific area. Indeed, you may already have a fine skill set. That skill set will help you immeasurably.
But you need time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to have that skill set become adequately developed. A skill set needs to be honed.
I might add, just a degree will not suffice. Work in the field, work after a degree, is a necessary component, a part of honing a skill set.
As I am sure you realize professional Baseball has the minor leagues and professional Football and Basketball rely on college programs. Why? These are places where skill sets are honed. And honing a skill set takes time. (Slight pause.)
Question: does it take time to discern the voice of God? My answer is ‘yes.’ I would, equally, suggest if you think otherwise, you ignore the witness of Scripture. Scripture is clear about this: the voice of God needs to be listened to and absorbed and what is heard needs to be pondered for good length of time.
Equally, when it comes to listening for the voice of God I maintain we all have that skill set. We can all, probably in different ways, hear the voice of God. The voice of God is available to each of us because God endows us with that skill set.
But, as the Apostle Paul suggests, none of us has a skill set that covers everything, all the gifts needed. We all have different gifts and talents.
Interestingly and equally, I think that is precisely where this turns back to what my Seminary professor said about why it takes 4 years to get a degree in the context of a community. The thing people often miss about honing a skill set is this is something done in the context of community.
The voice of God is, you see, not the sole possession of any one individual. No single individual alone has access to, can hear a fullness of the voice of God, the message offered by of the voice of God in its entirety.
Which is also to say the voice of God needs to be heard in community. I would go as far as to say the voice of God is heard only in community. The skill set we broadly identify as listening to the voice of God has always and historically been done only in community.
In fact, here’s something we do not get about the Hebrew Scriptures because our tendency is to read what we find there with 21st Century eyes. Our modern eyes constantly search for outstanding individuals rather than outstanding groups.
But a basis of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Hebrew people, is the community, not the individual. You see, the very word for prophet in Hebrew, Nevi'im, is not singular. The word, itself, is always plural. There is no singular form of the word. And the word means guild of prophets.
So, that leaves the obvious question: how is the voice of God discerned, how should the voice of God be discerned in our modern context? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest the voice of God needs to be discerned in only one way— in community. And for a community to discern the voice of God the community needs time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to have that skill set become developed, honed. (Slight pause.)
As you know, last week we commissioned a Transition Committee who shall be striving to discern the voice of God as I am retiring in 18 months and as this search for a new pastor gets launched. Search for a pastor, striving to discern the voice of God— tall order these. And, as has been said, this committee will be relying on you. Why? The voice of God is discerned in community.
I need to be clear about this. Part of being a member of the community in the Congregational tradition is an idea some might label as ‘compromise.’ That is not a popular idea in modern times.
Indeed, it might even be labeled as a counter cultural idea in today’s society. My way or the highways seems to be our response. But, to be blunt, what some call compromise others call listening to the voice of God in the context of community.
Why do I say that? These words are in First Samuel: “Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’” And as you know, Yahweh called and called and called.
And finally, finally, Samuel relied on what someone else said— in this case relied on what Eli said. And Eli— Eli was, of course and by definition, not an individual prophet. A group of prophets stood with Eli even when Eli was alone. Eli was a member of the guild of prophets, the Nevi'im— plural, not singular.
And so what did Eli, a member of the Nevi'im, the prophets, say? (Quote:) “Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if you are called again, say, “Speak, Yahweh, God, for your servant is listening.’” You see, it does take time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to hone a skill set, especially for a community. Amen.
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 have said this many times. It applies today. The late poet Maya Angelou always said she was surprised when someone told her they were a Christian. Her response was, ‘doesn’t that take a lifetime to accomplish?’ I, personally, am always surprised when someone tells me they know the will of God, hear the voice of God. My response is ‘doesn’t that take a community and the sharing of time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing?’”
BENEDICTION: We do not always know where the voice of God will lead us. But when we hear the call we need to follow. May the voice of God be open and clear. May our sense of God’s purpose be keen and true. May we be aware of God’s promise to be with us in our journey. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, and the presence of the Spirit of Christ which is real and available, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge, love and companionship of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
Getting Used to the Word
“Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But Eli repeated, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ Now Samuel had not yet encountered Yahweh. The word of God had not yet been revealed to this young one.” — 1 Samuel 3:6-7.
In my comments last week I noted that before being called to be pastor and teacher here in Norwich I had served as a part time Associate Pastor— 20 hours a week— at a five church cooperative in rural Maine— Waldo County, Maine to be precise. Sometimes someone asks the obvious question. Five churches— how does that work on a Sunday morning?
The full time pastor, the Rev. Mr. Jim Wood, and I took turns. One week I would preach at three churches and Jim would preach at two. The next week I would preach at two; Jim would preach at three.
End to end, the distance from the farthest-most church to the farthest-most church among those churches was 40 miles. Of course, if you are trying to start the services within the time frame of 8:45 a.m at the earliest and 11:15 a.m. at the latest, logistics between the churches, that is knowing all the back roads and shortcuts between the churches, becomes critical.
Now, when it comes to five church cooperatives, some of you might remember the Rev. Dr. Chuck Maxwell who served as the interim pastor here in Norwich. Chuck was at this church during the time between when the Rev. Mr. Hollister left and I arrived. Chuck actually also once served a five church cooperative. But he did it all by himself.
How did that work? How could he get to all the churches in one morning? I actually asked Chuck that question. He had a simple, somewhat amazing response.
This five church cooperative was on an American Indian Reservation in North Dakota. When Chuck went from church number two to church number three, traveling East to West, he crossed over a time zone from Central Time to Mountain Time. He gained an hour which gave him the time to start all the services in the morning, at least in terms of locally calculated time if not the time calculated by Chuck’s own body clock.
In any case, I need to come back to the Rev, Mr. Jim Wood, the full time pastor with whom I worked at the Waldo County Cooperative. Jim would sometimes embarrass me in a very specific way.
He would not say this to a parishioner or in front of a parishioner but, on occasion, when were with a colleague, he would point to me and say “We should ordain this guy right now (you see I was just licensed for the position). After all, he’s been involved in church work all his life. He can do all this pastor stuff.”
Now, as I indicated, that was embarrassing. And it was also not true. And it was also wrong— very wrong. Yes, Jim appreciated the fact that I had been involved in churches my whole life and he appreciated my skill set.
But most of the time, and certainly in my case, that is what it is and that’s all it is: a skill set. Someone may have a skill set but without anything else it’s unvarnished, untested.
To learn and to understand how to do anything takes not just talent, not just a skill set. It takes time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life, experience and testing to hone that skill set, in order for any skill set to become adequately developed. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the work known as First Samuel: “Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’ And Samuel got up, went to Eli and said, ‘Here I am, for you called me.’ But Eli repeated, ‘I did not call; lie down again.’ Now Samuel had not yet encountered Yahweh. The word of God had not yet been revealed to this young one.” (Slight pause.)
One day in a Seminary class one of my professors asked this question: “Why does college take 4 years, 4 years to get a Bachelor’s Degree? After all,” she said, “if you worked hard at it for 8 hours a day, five days a week, 52 weeks, it’s likely you could do all the necessary work to get a degree. So why does it take 4 years?” (Slight pause.)
We all looked at each other with blank stares. I am sure none of us had ever considered that question.
Here’s the reasoning this professor gave: it takes 4 years because you need time to become acculturated, to become accustomed to this group you are intent on joining and are actually joining, this group who holds a degree in a specific area. Indeed, you may already have a fine skill set. That skill set will help you immeasurably.
But you need time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to have that skill set become adequately developed. A skill set needs to be honed.
I might add, just a degree will not suffice. Work in the field, work after a degree, is a necessary component, a part of honing a skill set.
As I am sure you realize professional Baseball has the minor leagues and professional Football and Basketball rely on college programs. Why? These are places where skill sets are honed. And honing a skill set takes time. (Slight pause.)
Question: does it take time to discern the voice of God? My answer is ‘yes.’ I would, equally, suggest if you think otherwise, you ignore the witness of Scripture. Scripture is clear about this: the voice of God needs to be listened to and absorbed and what is heard needs to be pondered for good length of time.
Equally, when it comes to listening for the voice of God I maintain we all have that skill set. We can all, probably in different ways, hear the voice of God. The voice of God is available to each of us because God endows us with that skill set.
But, as the Apostle Paul suggests, none of us has a skill set that covers everything, all the gifts needed. We all have different gifts and talents.
Interestingly and equally, I think that is precisely where this turns back to what my Seminary professor said about why it takes 4 years to get a degree in the context of a community. The thing people often miss about honing a skill set is this is something done in the context of community.
The voice of God is, you see, not the sole possession of any one individual. No single individual alone has access to, can hear a fullness of the voice of God, the message offered by of the voice of God in its entirety.
Which is also to say the voice of God needs to be heard in community. I would go as far as to say the voice of God is heard only in community. The skill set we broadly identify as listening to the voice of God has always and historically been done only in community.
In fact, here’s something we do not get about the Hebrew Scriptures because our tendency is to read what we find there with 21st Century eyes. Our modern eyes constantly search for outstanding individuals rather than outstanding groups.
But a basis of the Hebrew Scriptures, the Hebrew people, is the community, not the individual. You see, the very word for prophet in Hebrew, Nevi'im, is not singular. The word, itself, is always plural. There is no singular form of the word. And the word means guild of prophets.
So, that leaves the obvious question: how is the voice of God discerned, how should the voice of God be discerned in our modern context? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest the voice of God needs to be discerned in only one way— in community. And for a community to discern the voice of God the community needs time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to have that skill set become developed, honed. (Slight pause.)
As you know, last week we commissioned a Transition Committee who shall be striving to discern the voice of God as I am retiring in 18 months and as this search for a new pastor gets launched. Search for a pastor, striving to discern the voice of God— tall order these. And, as has been said, this committee will be relying on you. Why? The voice of God is discerned in community.
I need to be clear about this. Part of being a member of the community in the Congregational tradition is an idea some might label as ‘compromise.’ That is not a popular idea in modern times.
Indeed, it might even be labeled as a counter cultural idea in today’s society. My way or the highways seems to be our response. But, to be blunt, what some call compromise others call listening to the voice of God in the context of community.
Why do I say that? These words are in First Samuel: “Yahweh called again, ‘Samuel!’” And as you know, Yahweh called and called and called.
And finally, finally, Samuel relied on what someone else said— in this case relied on what Eli said. And Eli— Eli was, of course and by definition, not an individual prophet. A group of prophets stood with Eli even when Eli was alone. Eli was a member of the guild of prophets, the Nevi'im— plural, not singular.
And so what did Eli, a member of the Nevi'im, the prophets, say? (Quote:) “Eli said to Samuel, ‘Go, lie down; and if you are called again, say, “Speak, Yahweh, God, for your servant is listening.’” You see, it does take time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing in order to hone a skill set, especially for a community. Amen.
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 have said this many times. It applies today. The late poet Maya Angelou always said she was surprised when someone told her they were a Christian. Her response was, ‘doesn’t that take a lifetime to accomplish?’ I, personally, am always surprised when someone tells me they know the will of God, hear the voice of God. My response is ‘doesn’t that take a community and the sharing of time, training, involvement, work, an exploration of emotional life and testing?’”
BENEDICTION: We do not always know where the voice of God will lead us. But when we hear the call we need to follow. May the voice of God be open and clear. May our sense of God’s purpose be keen and true. May we be aware of God’s promise to be with us in our journey. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, and the presence of the Spirit of Christ which is real and available, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge, love and companionship of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
Sunday, January 7, 2018
SERMON ~ 01/07/2018 ~ “The Light”
01/07/2018 ~ First Sunday after the Epiphany, Known in Some Traditions as the Baptism of the Christ and Know in Some Traditions as the First Sunday in Ordinary Time (Proper 1) ~ Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 29; Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:4-11 ~ Installation/Commissioning of the Transition Committee ~ Communion Sunday.
The Light
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” — Genesis 1:3.
A little later we shall be commissioning, installing, the Transition Committee who will begin the process of searching for a new pastor. As is known and as I have stated publicaly, I shall be retiring in July of 2019.
And yes, that date is still 18 months away. However, because I have made that announcement this church can get a head start on the process. In fact, before a church gets to the point of seeing profiles from pastors, doing interviews, a Transition Committee works on creating a profile for a church and that can take many, many months.
And no, I will not be in any way involved in the search. To do so is a violation of ethics. And no, I will probably not stay in Norwich. If I lived here this is the only church I could not attend. That would, equally, be a violation of ethics.
That having been said, I came here in 1996. I am in my 22nd year. July of 2019 shall be in my 24th.
Given that I served two years in a five church cooperative in the great State of Maine before arriving in Norwich, I shall be in my 26th year of pastoral work, 25 full. 25 years in ministry seems satisfying given the age at which I started. I was old. And the 24 years here is a goodly number of years in any one position, especially for me.
Let me unpack that ‘especially for me’ comment. As you know (or as many of you know), I was involved in professional theater work as a writer where a job that lasts days or weeks, not years, is normal.
And theater is a tough racket. Therefore, outside of theater work I held many 9 to 5 jobs from computer operations to tour guide at South Street Seaport Museum to back office work on Wall Street— all to keep bread on the table.
Therefore, non-theater work alone takes up a lot of slots on my résumé. And with the theater work added, using one line per job, single spaced, that list runs 2 ½ pages.
Further, I was not with any single job before this longer than 4 years. So being here as long as I have was really quite a change. On the other hand, since I held so many jobs I think it has helped me in my work as a pastor. After all, I have had a multitude of life experiences.
Now that I’ve delved into that background, I want to focus on one item on that résumé— my work with the Actors’ Fund of America. The Actors’ Fund of America is a theatrical charity which supports performers and behind-the-scenes folk in the arts.
Founded in 1882, they offer social services, emergency financial assistance, counseling, affordable housing, employment and training services. They run the Lillian Booth Actors Home, both assisted living and skilled nursing, in Englewood, New Jersey.
I started out as a volunteer with them. I was later actually employed by the Fund— I left for a writing job, maybe not the best move I ever made but I left for a writing job— at which point I returned to being a volunteer.
Let me highlight two of my volunteer duties. I am sure this does not happen any more, but back then each year the Fund had a blood drive. Give a pint of blood? You get two tickets to a Broadway show. I ran the ticket table.
Also once upon a time, during Christmas week the Fund— at the intermission of Broadway shows— passed a basket, collected money. I helped organize that. Volunteers were, generally, out of work actors. Volunteer to pass a basket? Standing room is yours to have.
The reason I’m telling you this is to explain why I did it. First, this was about helping people. The people being helped were theater people— my people.
Being a starving artist myself, I could not do something grandiose. But I could do something. And, pardon the cliché, it is always better to light a candle than to curse the night. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the Torah— the teaching— in the work commonly called Genesis: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” (Slight pause.)
It seems to me we moderns have a number of quite inaccurate fixations about Scripture. Prime among them is when people see the first two chapters of Genesis as a story about the physical creation of the world, the universe.
I want to suggest there is a related, inaccurate fixation. It is to see this story as a story about an all powerful God who commands the world, the universe into existence.
The problem with these readings is at least threefold. First, obviously, the story is about theology, not physics and, therefore, not about matter, dust. It is not even about commanding matter, dust.
Second, in most translations when God names the day and the night, the words ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ are capitalized. These words, you see, are not meant to identify aspects of a 24 hour cycle. These are proper names. Day and Night are living, breathing entities.
Third, the story is written in Hebrew. Hebrew has no command tense. If there is no command tense, the very words translated as, “Let there be light” are not a command. Of course, if the words, “Let there be light” are not a command, one does need to ponder what is going on here? Put differently, what is the theology being addressed? (Slight pause.)
I want to suggest light is already present in the void. It is there, real, a living, breathing entity. Light is there, real, a living, breathing entity amid the formless, disordered, ominous, threatening, rebellious, destructive chaos.
Perhaps light feels overwhelmed, dare I say frightened. But in the midst of the chaos God invites the light, itself, to be present, to be there, real— to claim it is a living, breathing entity.
When the light hears the voice of God the light takes up God on the invitation. The light affirms its own nature and... the light does shine. Thereby, the light begins to provide a place and a context for viable life. Hence, the invitation of God to ordering— this forming, this shaping of life— becomes a living, breathing, real possibility. (Slight pause.)
There is no question in my mind about the theology of our heritage, about Who Christ is— Christ is the light— about who we are, about what the call of God is to us— to accept the call of God to participate in light. God invites us to the light which is already there, all around us.
When God says, “Let there be light” it is an invitation to participate in the ordering, forming, shaping, an invitation to participate in life giving ways. It is an invitation to movement, an invitation to the reality of hope, peace, joy, freedom, truthfulness, wisdom, love. (Slight pause.)
I started my comments by mentioning we will shortly be commissioning, installing, the Transition Committee who will begin the process of searching for a new pastor. I want to suggest this is not just an invitation from God about ordering, forming, shaping, of life. This is an invitation from God to hope, to peace, to joy, to freedom, to truthfulness, to wisdom, to love.
Why do I say that? The theology of Scripture is clear. God invites us to see what is already there. God invites ordering, forming, shaping through peace, joy, freedom, truthfulness, wisdom, love.
As a community of faith we have a great opportunity before us. God invites. We can and I believe we shall respond. I believe it is our calling to light a candle. Amen.
01/07/2018
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: “Sometimes things happen which can be defined only as strange or at least inexplicable. But usually when that definition is applicable there is a spiritual aspect. I was already nearly finished writing today’s meditation with its reference to The Actors’ Fund when I needed go down to the cellar in the parsonage to look for something. In the top of an open box which I am sure I had not looked at in twenty plus years were these two certificates from the Actors’ Fund to me. [The pastor holds up two framed certificates.] One indicates my life membership. The second indicates an award of merit after my second stint as a volunteer with the Actors’ Fund. I am accepting that as an affirmation that this is what I was supposed to talk about today— lighting a candle seemed to be a smart thing to do, that having happened.”
BENEDICTION: Howard Thurman was an African-American pastor, author, theologian, educator, mentor to leaders within the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Thurman wrote the poem Now the Work of Christmas Begins. I thought it might be an appropriate Benediction this morning. “When the song of the angels is stilled, / when the star in the sky is gone, / when the kings and princes are home, / when the shepherds are back / with their flocks, / the work of Christmas begins: / to find the lost, / to heal the broken, / to feed the hungry, / to release the prisoner, / to rebuild the nations, / to bring peace / among the people, / to make music in the heart.”
The Light
“Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” — Genesis 1:3.
A little later we shall be commissioning, installing, the Transition Committee who will begin the process of searching for a new pastor. As is known and as I have stated publicaly, I shall be retiring in July of 2019.
And yes, that date is still 18 months away. However, because I have made that announcement this church can get a head start on the process. In fact, before a church gets to the point of seeing profiles from pastors, doing interviews, a Transition Committee works on creating a profile for a church and that can take many, many months.
And no, I will not be in any way involved in the search. To do so is a violation of ethics. And no, I will probably not stay in Norwich. If I lived here this is the only church I could not attend. That would, equally, be a violation of ethics.
That having been said, I came here in 1996. I am in my 22nd year. July of 2019 shall be in my 24th.
Given that I served two years in a five church cooperative in the great State of Maine before arriving in Norwich, I shall be in my 26th year of pastoral work, 25 full. 25 years in ministry seems satisfying given the age at which I started. I was old. And the 24 years here is a goodly number of years in any one position, especially for me.
Let me unpack that ‘especially for me’ comment. As you know (or as many of you know), I was involved in professional theater work as a writer where a job that lasts days or weeks, not years, is normal.
And theater is a tough racket. Therefore, outside of theater work I held many 9 to 5 jobs from computer operations to tour guide at South Street Seaport Museum to back office work on Wall Street— all to keep bread on the table.
Therefore, non-theater work alone takes up a lot of slots on my résumé. And with the theater work added, using one line per job, single spaced, that list runs 2 ½ pages.
Further, I was not with any single job before this longer than 4 years. So being here as long as I have was really quite a change. On the other hand, since I held so many jobs I think it has helped me in my work as a pastor. After all, I have had a multitude of life experiences.
Now that I’ve delved into that background, I want to focus on one item on that résumé— my work with the Actors’ Fund of America. The Actors’ Fund of America is a theatrical charity which supports performers and behind-the-scenes folk in the arts.
Founded in 1882, they offer social services, emergency financial assistance, counseling, affordable housing, employment and training services. They run the Lillian Booth Actors Home, both assisted living and skilled nursing, in Englewood, New Jersey.
I started out as a volunteer with them. I was later actually employed by the Fund— I left for a writing job, maybe not the best move I ever made but I left for a writing job— at which point I returned to being a volunteer.
Let me highlight two of my volunteer duties. I am sure this does not happen any more, but back then each year the Fund had a blood drive. Give a pint of blood? You get two tickets to a Broadway show. I ran the ticket table.
Also once upon a time, during Christmas week the Fund— at the intermission of Broadway shows— passed a basket, collected money. I helped organize that. Volunteers were, generally, out of work actors. Volunteer to pass a basket? Standing room is yours to have.
The reason I’m telling you this is to explain why I did it. First, this was about helping people. The people being helped were theater people— my people.
Being a starving artist myself, I could not do something grandiose. But I could do something. And, pardon the cliché, it is always better to light a candle than to curse the night. (Slight pause.)
We find these words in the Torah— the teaching— in the work commonly called Genesis: “Then God said, ‘Let there be light;’ and there was light.” (Slight pause.)
It seems to me we moderns have a number of quite inaccurate fixations about Scripture. Prime among them is when people see the first two chapters of Genesis as a story about the physical creation of the world, the universe.
I want to suggest there is a related, inaccurate fixation. It is to see this story as a story about an all powerful God who commands the world, the universe into existence.
The problem with these readings is at least threefold. First, obviously, the story is about theology, not physics and, therefore, not about matter, dust. It is not even about commanding matter, dust.
Second, in most translations when God names the day and the night, the words ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ are capitalized. These words, you see, are not meant to identify aspects of a 24 hour cycle. These are proper names. Day and Night are living, breathing entities.
Third, the story is written in Hebrew. Hebrew has no command tense. If there is no command tense, the very words translated as, “Let there be light” are not a command. Of course, if the words, “Let there be light” are not a command, one does need to ponder what is going on here? Put differently, what is the theology being addressed? (Slight pause.)
I want to suggest light is already present in the void. It is there, real, a living, breathing entity. Light is there, real, a living, breathing entity amid the formless, disordered, ominous, threatening, rebellious, destructive chaos.
Perhaps light feels overwhelmed, dare I say frightened. But in the midst of the chaos God invites the light, itself, to be present, to be there, real— to claim it is a living, breathing entity.
When the light hears the voice of God the light takes up God on the invitation. The light affirms its own nature and... the light does shine. Thereby, the light begins to provide a place and a context for viable life. Hence, the invitation of God to ordering— this forming, this shaping of life— becomes a living, breathing, real possibility. (Slight pause.)
There is no question in my mind about the theology of our heritage, about Who Christ is— Christ is the light— about who we are, about what the call of God is to us— to accept the call of God to participate in light. God invites us to the light which is already there, all around us.
When God says, “Let there be light” it is an invitation to participate in the ordering, forming, shaping, an invitation to participate in life giving ways. It is an invitation to movement, an invitation to the reality of hope, peace, joy, freedom, truthfulness, wisdom, love. (Slight pause.)
I started my comments by mentioning we will shortly be commissioning, installing, the Transition Committee who will begin the process of searching for a new pastor. I want to suggest this is not just an invitation from God about ordering, forming, shaping, of life. This is an invitation from God to hope, to peace, to joy, to freedom, to truthfulness, to wisdom, to love.
Why do I say that? The theology of Scripture is clear. God invites us to see what is already there. God invites ordering, forming, shaping through peace, joy, freedom, truthfulness, wisdom, love.
As a community of faith we have a great opportunity before us. God invites. We can and I believe we shall respond. I believe it is our calling to light a candle. Amen.
01/07/2018
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: “Sometimes things happen which can be defined only as strange or at least inexplicable. But usually when that definition is applicable there is a spiritual aspect. I was already nearly finished writing today’s meditation with its reference to The Actors’ Fund when I needed go down to the cellar in the parsonage to look for something. In the top of an open box which I am sure I had not looked at in twenty plus years were these two certificates from the Actors’ Fund to me. [The pastor holds up two framed certificates.] One indicates my life membership. The second indicates an award of merit after my second stint as a volunteer with the Actors’ Fund. I am accepting that as an affirmation that this is what I was supposed to talk about today— lighting a candle seemed to be a smart thing to do, that having happened.”
BENEDICTION: Howard Thurman was an African-American pastor, author, theologian, educator, mentor to leaders within the civil rights movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr. Thurman wrote the poem Now the Work of Christmas Begins. I thought it might be an appropriate Benediction this morning. “When the song of the angels is stilled, / when the star in the sky is gone, / when the kings and princes are home, / when the shepherds are back / with their flocks, / the work of Christmas begins: / to find the lost, / to heal the broken, / to feed the hungry, / to release the prisoner, / to rebuild the nations, / to bring peace / among the people, / to make music in the heart.”
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