Scripture and Society
“As [Lydia] eagerly listened, Christ opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.” — Acts 16:14
Over the course of my adult life, I have had the privilege of being a member of different churches across three denominations: Catholic, Episcopal and the United Church of Christ— Congregational. But an individual belongs to a local church and, as it happens, each of the individual, local churches to which I belonged have had outstanding music programs.
I was reminded of my early involvement with church music last week when I was driving around and I heard a piece of music on National Public Radio. The work was quite familiar to me— Credo III, a Gregorian Chant version, sung in Latin, of the Nicene Creed.
You see, by the time I was a High School Sophomore I was a member of the adult choir at my local Catholic church. The notes of the chant floating in the air transported me back to the poorly lit choir loft at Saint Thomas Church.
In the Mass, a priest would intone these words [the pastor chants]: “Credo in unum Deum.” The choir responded: “Patrem omni potentem, factorem caeli et terrare, visibilum omnium, et in visibilium.” I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible— the Nicene Creed. (Slight pause.)
I got to my destination before the Credo ended. I sat there, car running, radio on, waiting for the final notes. I had not thought about that music in years. But, as you can see or perhaps hear, I was culturally attuned to it. I say that because its essence was clearly seared into my soul, never to be forgotten.
Most of us on the ‘Reformed Church’ side of the Protestant ledger where Congregationalists sit, are probably unfamiliar with Credo III. Folks in the so called ‘high church tradition,’ Catholics, Anglicans, who rely more heavily on elaborate liturgy, are likely to be on the side of the spectrum where these things are heard, felt.
But here’s the real truth: all church is local. Each local church has its own culture, especially when it comes to music.
I have an example of that. At the Episcopal Church I attended in Manhattan, when the first bar of a hymn was played, the congregation stood. Standing when the music started was the habit of that local culture. When Bonnie and I were (pardon the expression) courting, the first time I went to a service at First Parish Church, United Church of Christ in Brunswick, Maine, being used to what happened at my church in New York City, when the initial notes of the opening hymn played, I jumped to my feet.
I looked around and realized everyone else was planted firmly in their seats. Some folks stared at me. Perhaps a little embarrassed she had not schooled me in the local culture, Bonnie tugged mightily on my sleeve, trying to pull me back to the seat.
But I figured I’d be waiting there for them when they stood. So I didn’t move. And I was there for them when they stood.
I learned my lesson, though. The two church cultures treated this differently and at the Brunswick Church one stood only toward the end of the introduction. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Luke/Acts in the section called as Acts: “As [Lydia] eagerly listened, Christ opened her heart to accept what Paul was saying.” (Slight pause.)
When reading Scripture some vital questions need to be asked. First, ‘What do we, because of understandings based only in our own culture, the culture in which we live today, read into the words?’
Second: ‘Which details in Scripture are details simply about that culture, that time, so long ago when Scripture was written?’ After all, the details which are merely part of ancient times are simply a part of ancient times. They have no bearing on the message God might have for us.
Last, ‘what details can we find which might tell us something not about the culture of ages past and not about our current culture. What details might reveal something about the culture of the Dominion of God?’ (Slight pause.)
Now, if that sounds like a tall order, it is. But make no mistake about it. Unless we ask those questions, we are not taking Scripture seriously— and, of course, I’m making the assumption that everyone here takes Scripture seriously— unless we ask those questions, we are not taking Scripture seriously. We are simply using it like a rabbits foot. Rub it and get some answer— any answer will do.
Further, when we fail to ask those questions, the answers we do get will probably be both comforting and self serving. Why? The answers we get will likely be ones which support our own culture, not the culture of the Dominion of God.
You see, as mentioned earlier, one’s own culture gets seared into the soul. There is no way around that. The current culture is so pervasive it is both hard to recognize and hard to ignore.
How hard are cultural influences to recognize? Before the American Civil War, based simply on what could be found in Scripture, pastors in both the South and the North vigorously defended the practice of slavery.
And, indeed, there are many passages in Scripture which can be seen as defending slavery. There are many passages which can be seen as defending polygamy, passages which can be read as defending apartheid. These passages were written when those practices were, culturally, normal. But those practices are not theologically normal. They are culturally normal— or were culturally normal.
That’s why, if we happen to find a specific practice in Scripture which feels comfortable in today’s culture, without thinking, we buy into that cultural detail. Slavery is the obvious example.
Why did people think slavery was acceptable? The pre-Civil War culture said slavery is normal. And that culture was, as is all culture, seared into the soul. (Slight pause.)
It has been said the Bible is the most counter-cultural document ever written. Why? Scripture tries to convey the culture of the Dominion of God. Scripture tries to convey the culture of the love of God. Take my word for it— the culture of the Dominion of God and the culture of the love of God is very counter-cultural. (Slight pause.)
So, what can we see in this story of Lydia which might suggest the culture of the Dominion, the culture of love is present? Can we look at the culture today and the culture in New Testament times, sort out those influences and, perhaps, see what message about the Dominion of God and the love of God is present in the text? (Slight pause.)
Lydia is a gentile. Her name tells us that. Still, a group of Jewish men, Paul and the companions, engage in conversation. That would be abnormal on at least two counts.
Paul would not speak to someone who was a gentile. Paul would not speak to someone who was a woman. Either would have been a violation of the cultural standards in that era.
Additionally, it was not normal in that era for women, even a gentile woman, to have rights. Women were thought of as property. So, we know Lydia is really unusual because the story tells us she is both independently wealthy and the head of a household.
We know she was wealthy because she was (quote): “a dealer in purple cloth.” In this era wealthy people are the only ones allowed to wear or buy purple cloth and it is very expensive. A merchant dealing in purple cloth— Lydia would access to wealth and more— station and mobility.
And the fact that Lydia is the head of a household and no male is mentioned also says she is wealthy. Last, it needs to be noted that, in this era, ‘head of household’ meant all the people living in the house and all the relatives and all the slaves— yes, there was slavery.
As for the culture today, women are not property but every statistic you can find shows do earn less then men even when working the same job and you know and I know are often made into objects by our culture— objectified. So, the interaction we see between men and women in this story does not exactly jibe with how the culture today sees women and certainly does not jibe with how the culture in New Testament times saw women.
All this leaves us asking, once we examine the cultural aspects of the story and the culture today, what’s left? What’s left is men and women interacting as equals, acting as disciples of Christ. They seek the will of God, the love of God, the Dominion of God as the story of Christ reflects that Dominion. They listen for the voice of the Spirit of God. (Slight pause.)
Culture, when you think about it, comes in small pieces— when do the people of the church stand for a hymn? Culture, when you think about it, comes in large pieces— are women property? Are women treated as objects? And we really do need to pay attention to both the small pieces and the large pieces.
The culture of the Dominion comes in only one piece. All people are equal before God and one another. All people are equal before God and one another. Hence, all people are loved by God. All people are invited, by God, to love one another. That... is what culture of the Dominion of God looks like.
So, what is our job, now, here today, as the culture called church, this local church? We need to be on a journey of self discovery as we try to seek the culture of God, try to follow the culture of love.
How? Scripture is actually primary but Scripture should not be treated like a rabbits foot. Be wary of conclusions which are simply or only cultural— meaning our culture.
Indeed, let us remember that the culture of the Dominion, the culture in which God wants us to live, has only two precepts: love God; love each other. And let us seek a culture of discipleship, seek to be a congregation which shares the culture of God, this culture of love.
And let us allow the culture of love to supersede all other cultures. Let us allow the culture of God to be seared into our soul. Amen.
05/09/2010
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 Benediction. This, then, is an précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: “There is no question about this: the culture gets seared into us— ‘cross on the green, not in between.’ [1] But there are times the culture of God, the culture of love must supercede the culture which surrounds us. And, therefore, the biggest challenge we will ever face is twofold. Discerning what the culture of God really is and allowing for that culture to be seared into our soul.”
[1] At the Children’s Time the pastor talked about traffic lights. They are not actually red and green. But we can’t see that because everyone tells us they are red and green so we believe they are red and green, even though they are not. So called ‘green’ lights actually have some blue in them. So called ‘red’ light actually have some orange in them.
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