08/26/2012 ~ Proper 16 ~ Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 1 Kings 8:(1, 6, 10-11), 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84; Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69.
Spiritual Practices
“Stand therefore— stand fast— and with truth as the belt around your waist put on justice as your breastplate. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready— zeal?— to spread the Good News of peace.” — Ephesians 10:15.
Occasionally, in private, I tell the story I am about to relate. I may have even told this story before in the course of offering a sermon from this pulpit. But I don’t remember doing so. So, if I did, it was a long, long time ago.
Hence, at the risk of repeating myself, I want to offer the story about a significant point, a crucial time, in the lives of Bonnie and Joe Connolly. It is the story about when I came to a realization that God might be calling me to go to Seminary. (Slight pause.)
When I moved to the State of Maine, I became aware of Bangor Theological Seminary. Since I occasionally had the thought that I might be a candidate for the ordained ministry, I intentionally got on their mailing list.
(I remember pulling a card down off a poster on a wall. I remember writing it and mailing it.) As would any good institution of higher learning, they sent me some literature from the Seminary about every three months.
After a year of doing that, they sent me a letter with a post card enclosed. It asked me to check off a box— yes or no— did I still want to stay on the mailing list? I understood. After all, it cost them money to send out mailings, so why not ask that question?
While I did want to stay on the mailing list, I was convinced my time for Seminary had not yet arrived. So, I sent back a long letter explaining that. About a week later a Seminary catalogue came in the mail— nothing else— not even a cover letter— just a catalogue. The Seminary had never sent me a catalogue before.
The package arrived on a Friday. Bonnie and I were busy. I put it aside. But Bonnie had to work that Saturday and I did not. So, after she left I sat down and started to read.
Inexplicably, as I paged through a list of course descriptions, I found myself crying. It was at that point I remembered I once asked an Episcopal priest friend what it felt like when she realized she had a call to ordained ministry. “Oh,” she said. “It felt awful. I sat at my kitchen table and cried.”
And there I was, sitting on the couch at 10A Lincoln Street in Brunswick, Maine, reading course descriptions— and mind you, course descriptions are really quite boring— there I was, sitting on the couch at 10A Lincoln Street in Brunswick, Maine, reading really boring course descriptions and weeping. And I knew I was probably in trouble.
So, I made an appointment with my pastor, Bill Imes, and we had a long, long talk. A little over a year later, I found myself taking classes at the Portland branch of Bangor Seminary. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Ephesians: “Stand therefore— stand fast— and with truth as the belt around your waist put on justice as your breastplate. As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready— zeal?— whatever will make you ready to spread the Good News of peace.” (Slight pause.)
There is thesis which has been around for quite some time and its premise has recently gained some added traction because of studies done in the academic world. It says this: we humans communicate by telling stories.
I would strongly suggest a part of story telling is description. And I think that’s what we are hearing in this passage from Ephesians— description. But it is a description which everyone in the First Century of the Common Era who heard or read Ephesians would have understood.
You see, the martial imagery, what sounds like images of war-making to our ears, images prevalent in this reading, clearly reflect the social setting of the mid First Century. The dominance of the Roman Empire, the pervasiveness of its military presence, that the Roman Army was an army of occupation in most places in the Mediterranean, would have given these words about armor and strength ready currency with its contemporary audience.
Yes, it is a tragedy that the church has often aligned itself with various empires in the course of history. And that reality makes it even more difficult to hear this passage afresh. But that is exactly what we have to do— listen with fresh and keen insight.
Now, part of the problem in hearing what this passage says is ours too. A straight translation of the words from the Ancient Greek gives us no sense of the subtle meanings found here. So we tend to see this passage in a completed sense, as a command, when we hear (quote): “be strong in Christ, draw your strength from Christ and from the strength of that mighty power.”
However, the strength sought here does not come all at once. The tense of the verb suggests not an immediate event or a command but an ongoing action. Second, “be strong” could be heard as demanding that people become strong out of their own resources or by their own talents. But the admonition is passive.
Thereby, this “being made strong” or “being empowered” is not one’s own doing, not of one’s own volition. It is happening to us, not because of us.
This meaning can become clearer for us given the words toward the end of the passage. (Quote): “Pray also for me so that when I speak God will open my mouth and put words on my lips giving me a message which will make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News...”
All of which is to say what we find in this section of Ephesians is a story. It is a story about God acting in the life of an individual and in the life of a community told in a way which could readily be understood by that community. And we moderns sometimes have a hard time hearing that. (Slight pause.)
The first Sunday I preached here I said a pastor’s job, week to week, is to share something about the individual faith of that pastor, about a relationship with God, in the hope that such sharing might help others. And I also said that it was beyond me to tell that story in just one Sunday or in a month of Sundays or in a year of Sundays. And so I shared some of that story earlier.
As it turns out, it’s been sixteen years of Sundays and I’m still at it. That says either a) I’m not good at telling the story or b) the story of any relationship with God is so rich and multi-faceted that the story can and does go on and on and on. My vote is ‘b’— the story can and does go on and on and on. (Slight pause.)
So, what’s your story? What is your story of your relationship with God? What is your story of your relationship with God within the community of faith?
You see, my premise here is these words from Ephesians reflect a story about a relationship with God and the story of the community of faith in its relationship with God. If my premise is accurate, and this passage does that, then purpose of this story is to encourage us to do the same. (Slight pause.)
If we are, in the words of Martin Luther, a priesthood of all believers, we all have a calling. It may not be to the ordained ministry. But it is one of sharing. And unless we share our story with each other and then share it with those outside of the community of faith, the story is destined to die.
Now, I for one, do not see sharing the story as easy. It is simply necessary. And it is a spiritual practice. But we tend to be afraid of sharing, despite the thought that this is a spiritual practice, despite the thought that this is necessary.
Why? Probably we conjure up images of people who speak of faith in terms of combat. It conjures up images of people who speak of faith in terms of aggressiveness. But, even though this passage speaks about strength, it is not about combativeness.
You see, being strong does not mean you need to fight or be combative. Being strong means you need to have the strength to refrain from aggression.
So, let us do as this passages says we should. Let us (quote): “...spread the Good News of peace.”
Why? The peace of Christ does surpass our understanding. But unless we share that— that the peace of Christ surpasses understanding— no one will know about the peace of Christ surpasses understanding. And that, my friends, sharing a story of a relationship with God— your story of a relationship with God— is a spiritual practice. Amen.
08/26/2012
United Church of Christ, First Congregational, Norwich, New York
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is an précis of what was said: “Here is another modern heresy: ‘Beliefs make you a better person.’ The reality is: beliefs do not make you a better person. Behavior does. Spiritual practices have to do with behavior.”
BENEDICTION: Let us trust God to provide all we really need. God knows us, loves us and blesses us in Jesus, the Christ. Let us love one another as Christ has loved us. And may 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.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday, July 15, 2012
07/15/2012 ~ Ceremony of Shalom for Tom Rasely ~ Proper 10 ~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Seventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 6:1-5, 12b-19; Psalm 24; Amos 7:7-15; Psalm 85:8-13; Ephesians 1:3-14; Mark 6:14-29.
Chosen and Adopted
“Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless and to be full of love. God, likewise, intended us, through Christ, Jesus, to be adopted children— such was the pleasure and will of God” — Ephesians 1:4-5.
Twenty-five years ago, on July the 11th... this year that date was last Wednesday... twenty-five years ago, on July the 11th I was on that island in Penobscot Bay, Maine, which many of you have heard me talk about. When I came ashore on that day, there she was: Bonnie Scott. Little did I know one year and six weeks later we would get married.
At the time I was working on Wall Street at L. F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin. But it was 1987. You may remember that year in October the market had a little incident, a little meltdown— 500 points of meltdown— in one day.
If you google L. F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin and check the Wikipedia entry, you will see it says the firm suffered heavy losses in that crash and was acquired by Franklin Savings Association. It also says, despite the take over, the firm filed for bankruptcy less than two years later. In short, after the crash the firm I worked for was in the process of going ‘belly up.’ [1]
I could see that ‘belly up’ handwriting on the wall since in less than a year the company went from employing 2,200 to just about 600. I was one of the 600.
But I knew Bonnie and I were getting married in September of '88 and I also knew she was not moving to New York City. I was moving to Maine. So in June, before the full ‘belly up’ happened, I asked my boss to lay me off. So he did.
Now, Bonnie always says when she got married she did not know she was marrying a pastor. But I didn’t know that either. However, by the Fall of 1991 I was taking classes at Bangor Seminary and then, in November, Bonnie’s job as a newspaper photographer was eliminated in a 10% cutback. Who knows? Maybe Wall Street would have been safer.
In any case, that is when we decided to move to Bangor. I entered seminary full time and Bonnie looked for work there.
While we were at the Seminary, Bonnie held a series of temp jobs before landing a permanent one. We lived in three different apartments as the seminary kept moving us around. Bonnie’s mother died and I was called to be an Associate Pastor at the Waldo County Cooperative of churches. (Slight pause.)
It is sometimes said that moving, marriage, changing jobs and the death of a parent or spouse are the four most of the most stressful things which happen to people. In the eight years from when I moved to Maine until we came to Norwich, we had moved a total of seven times, Bonnie’s Mom died and Bonnie and I, together, had about fifteen different jobs.
I offer this litany not to suggest that we had it hard. We did not. Stressful? Probably. Hard? No.
Many people go through situations much more difficult than what I just outlined— being unemployed for long stretches, health issues, losing multiple relatives or friends in a short span of time. Our stress pales in comparison to what others have endured.
I offer my litany to make one point: change happens. Change is a part of life. Some changes are more stressful than others. But at some point we all have or we all will face moving, changing jobs, the death of someone close. If you think you can escape change, you are flat out wrong. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Ephesians: “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless and to be full of love. God, likewise, intended us, through Christ, Jesus, to be adopted children— such was the pleasure and will of God” (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? (Slight pause.) And yet... and yet... “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us...” That statement gives us only two choices: either it is delusional or it makes total and unequivocal sense. (Slight pause.)
Our niece, Phoebe— the doctor in Los Angeles niece— recently posted a New York Times article on her Facebook page. [2] The article was about friends and how, over time, the mix of friends and the mix of friendships change.
As the article pointed out Phoebe— and perhaps this is why she posted it— is at a pivotal age when it comes to friendships. She is in the workplace for the first time— a real job as some of us like to call it. Many of us, most of us, statistically at least, make deep and lasting friendships in high school and college and only some after that.
The friends we make after getting to a mature age, said the article, come and go as these friends are often work related and/or children related. That is, you make friends through the workplace and with the parents of your children’s friends.
On the other hand the article went on to say, those who become real friends at no matter what age or what time in your life, those who become real friends, are the ones with whom we bond deeply. And no one really can explain which of will bind, which person will become a friend. They just are. They just happen. But it certainly seems there are more to these deep ties than mere accoutrements, more to these deep ties than surface attributes. (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? And yet... “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us...” (Slight pause.)
God, you see, is always with us. God is with us always. God, the prime mover, chooses to befriend us. And then God takes this extra step. The writer of Ephesians calls it adoption— we are adopted by God. God declares us children.
What does it mean— that we are adopted by God? (Slight pause.) It does not mean that we will fail to have cares and fail to have stress. It does mean that God is always there, present to us, listening to us. In that, the tie is deeper than mere friendship. It is familial. We are a part of the family of God. And that is a binding tie. (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? (Slight pause.) Tom Rasely has been our good friend. I suspect that will not cease. Frankly, I suspect if either we or Tom allow distance to shatter our friendship, we will all have some explaining to do in front of Saint Peter.
So, in a couple of minutes, we will have a Ceremony of Shalom for Tom as he goes off to Indiana. But, and I have made us all aware of this in the past and as recently as out Children’s Time, Hebrew is a very different language than English. Words in Hebrew have multiple meanings and change meaning before our eyes. [3]
Shalom is no exception. It does, in fact, mean ‘goodby.’ But as you heard it also means ‘hello.’ Shalom also means ‘welfare’— welfare as in well being, safety. Shalom also means ‘peace,’ as in transcendent peace, and ‘quietness,’ and ‘to restore,’ and ‘prosperity,’ and ‘wellness,’ and ‘rest,’ and ‘completeness.’ [4]
Given all these meanings— meanings each of which have to do with connectedness— and given the fact that we are all children of God, all related, all family, I want to suggest the promise of Scripture is simple. God is with us always. Why? God loves us. And God invites us to love one another in the same way God loves us— as family. Amen.
07/15/2012
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: “We are not called to church. We are called to be church. We are church when we raise each other up in love and when we support one another’s gifts and talents.”
BENEDICTION: And let us, above all, surround ourselves with the perfect love of God, a love which binds everything together in harmony. 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.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.F._Rothschild
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/fashion/the-challenge-of-making-friends-as-an-adult.html?_r=1
[3] At the Children’s Time the pastor had addressed the multiple meanings of the word Shalom and suggested that God is constant.
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom
Chosen and Adopted
“Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless and to be full of love. God, likewise, intended us, through Christ, Jesus, to be adopted children— such was the pleasure and will of God” — Ephesians 1:4-5.
Twenty-five years ago, on July the 11th... this year that date was last Wednesday... twenty-five years ago, on July the 11th I was on that island in Penobscot Bay, Maine, which many of you have heard me talk about. When I came ashore on that day, there she was: Bonnie Scott. Little did I know one year and six weeks later we would get married.
At the time I was working on Wall Street at L. F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin. But it was 1987. You may remember that year in October the market had a little incident, a little meltdown— 500 points of meltdown— in one day.
If you google L. F. Rothschild, Unterberg, Towbin and check the Wikipedia entry, you will see it says the firm suffered heavy losses in that crash and was acquired by Franklin Savings Association. It also says, despite the take over, the firm filed for bankruptcy less than two years later. In short, after the crash the firm I worked for was in the process of going ‘belly up.’ [1]
I could see that ‘belly up’ handwriting on the wall since in less than a year the company went from employing 2,200 to just about 600. I was one of the 600.
But I knew Bonnie and I were getting married in September of '88 and I also knew she was not moving to New York City. I was moving to Maine. So in June, before the full ‘belly up’ happened, I asked my boss to lay me off. So he did.
Now, Bonnie always says when she got married she did not know she was marrying a pastor. But I didn’t know that either. However, by the Fall of 1991 I was taking classes at Bangor Seminary and then, in November, Bonnie’s job as a newspaper photographer was eliminated in a 10% cutback. Who knows? Maybe Wall Street would have been safer.
In any case, that is when we decided to move to Bangor. I entered seminary full time and Bonnie looked for work there.
While we were at the Seminary, Bonnie held a series of temp jobs before landing a permanent one. We lived in three different apartments as the seminary kept moving us around. Bonnie’s mother died and I was called to be an Associate Pastor at the Waldo County Cooperative of churches. (Slight pause.)
It is sometimes said that moving, marriage, changing jobs and the death of a parent or spouse are the four most of the most stressful things which happen to people. In the eight years from when I moved to Maine until we came to Norwich, we had moved a total of seven times, Bonnie’s Mom died and Bonnie and I, together, had about fifteen different jobs.
I offer this litany not to suggest that we had it hard. We did not. Stressful? Probably. Hard? No.
Many people go through situations much more difficult than what I just outlined— being unemployed for long stretches, health issues, losing multiple relatives or friends in a short span of time. Our stress pales in comparison to what others have endured.
I offer my litany to make one point: change happens. Change is a part of life. Some changes are more stressful than others. But at some point we all have or we all will face moving, changing jobs, the death of someone close. If you think you can escape change, you are flat out wrong. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Ephesians: “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless and to be full of love. God, likewise, intended us, through Christ, Jesus, to be adopted children— such was the pleasure and will of God” (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? (Slight pause.) And yet... and yet... “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us...” That statement gives us only two choices: either it is delusional or it makes total and unequivocal sense. (Slight pause.)
Our niece, Phoebe— the doctor in Los Angeles niece— recently posted a New York Times article on her Facebook page. [2] The article was about friends and how, over time, the mix of friends and the mix of friendships change.
As the article pointed out Phoebe— and perhaps this is why she posted it— is at a pivotal age when it comes to friendships. She is in the workplace for the first time— a real job as some of us like to call it. Many of us, most of us, statistically at least, make deep and lasting friendships in high school and college and only some after that.
The friends we make after getting to a mature age, said the article, come and go as these friends are often work related and/or children related. That is, you make friends through the workplace and with the parents of your children’s friends.
On the other hand the article went on to say, those who become real friends at no matter what age or what time in your life, those who become real friends, are the ones with whom we bond deeply. And no one really can explain which of will bind, which person will become a friend. They just are. They just happen. But it certainly seems there are more to these deep ties than mere accoutrements, more to these deep ties than surface attributes. (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? And yet... “Before the foundation of the world, before the world began, God chose us...” (Slight pause.)
God, you see, is always with us. God is with us always. God, the prime mover, chooses to befriend us. And then God takes this extra step. The writer of Ephesians calls it adoption— we are adopted by God. God declares us children.
What does it mean— that we are adopted by God? (Slight pause.) It does not mean that we will fail to have cares and fail to have stress. It does mean that God is always there, present to us, listening to us. In that, the tie is deeper than mere friendship. It is familial. We are a part of the family of God. And that is a binding tie. (Slight pause.)
Have I mentioned things change? (Slight pause.) Tom Rasely has been our good friend. I suspect that will not cease. Frankly, I suspect if either we or Tom allow distance to shatter our friendship, we will all have some explaining to do in front of Saint Peter.
So, in a couple of minutes, we will have a Ceremony of Shalom for Tom as he goes off to Indiana. But, and I have made us all aware of this in the past and as recently as out Children’s Time, Hebrew is a very different language than English. Words in Hebrew have multiple meanings and change meaning before our eyes. [3]
Shalom is no exception. It does, in fact, mean ‘goodby.’ But as you heard it also means ‘hello.’ Shalom also means ‘welfare’— welfare as in well being, safety. Shalom also means ‘peace,’ as in transcendent peace, and ‘quietness,’ and ‘to restore,’ and ‘prosperity,’ and ‘wellness,’ and ‘rest,’ and ‘completeness.’ [4]
Given all these meanings— meanings each of which have to do with connectedness— and given the fact that we are all children of God, all related, all family, I want to suggest the promise of Scripture is simple. God is with us always. Why? God loves us. And God invites us to love one another in the same way God loves us— as family. Amen.
07/15/2012
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: “We are not called to church. We are called to be church. We are church when we raise each other up in love and when we support one another’s gifts and talents.”
BENEDICTION: And let us, above all, surround ourselves with the perfect love of God, a love which binds everything together in harmony. 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.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L.F._Rothschild
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/fashion/the-challenge-of-making-friends-as-an-adult.html?_r=1
[3] At the Children’s Time the pastor had addressed the multiple meanings of the word Shalom and suggested that God is constant.
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shalom
Sunday, July 8, 2012
07/08/2012 ~ Proper 9 ~ Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Sixth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48; Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13.
Repentance
“And so, they— the disciples— set off proclaiming repentance as they went.” — Mark 6:12.
I was going to start my comments with a presumption that most of us know what a flash mob is. But perhaps not only do some fail to know what a flash mob is, the truth of the matter is you’ve probably never personally experienced one.
Although, after our Children’s time, you may now be more familiar with flash mobs that was a video of one of them. [1] I know I’ve seen videos of flash mobs on the internet, but as I said I’ve never personally experienced one, myself. I’ve never been in a place where a flash mob is happening.
So, making the presumption that we don’t all know what a flash mod is, let me briefly explain flash mob. A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a very public place to offer an artistic performance of some kind.
Most often, the place they gather is not normally one used for performing works of art. Most of the time it is not a theater or an auditorium but flash mobs gather in a town squares or at stores or at malls.
As I suggested, these people gather primarily for the purpose of offering an entertainment, an artistic expression of some kind and they usually have some kind of corporate sponsorship. Please notice: a flash mob, whether it’s sponsored by an entity or it’s just a group of people having fun, is in no way spontaneous. You need to do a lot of planning to organize a flash mob.
After the flash mob offers its performance, it is common for the participants, with a suddenness equal to their gathering together, to disperse as if nothing had happened. And, needless to say, most of the time a video is made of these performances. The real point of these events is, after all, that they can be seen by many, broadcast on television or shown on the Internet.
One of our parishioners recently posted a video on a Facebook page of a flash mob that happened just this May. (It was the one the children watched.)
That flash mob was organized by a local bank in the Spanish city of Sabadell. The bank sponsored it to celebrate its 130th anniversary. In this case a group of performers gathered in a crowded town square, in Sabadell, and preformed an arrangement of The Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. [2]
At the beginning there was only one instrumentalists, a bass player, standing in the middle of the square playing some notes. He was then joined by a cellist. Next, a reed player and some violinists emerged from a building on the square and joined in the harmonies.
Slowly musicians and singers joined in as people who happened to be in the square, shoppers and those on their way to work, watched. Once all the performers were assembled and playing their parts, the total of people participating in this version of The Ode to Joy numbered 100.
And once everyone had arrived, the performance the orchestra and chorus gave was at a very high, professional level. A performance like this was and needed to be not just well planned but well rehearsed.
Now, my personal favorite flash mobs— stuff I’ve seen on the Internet— was on our shores. It was a Macy’s Department store in downtown Philadelphia. For those of you unfamiliar with that venue, the building, itself, is left over from the days yore of department stores were— more popular?— I don’t know. And the building, itself, was dedicated in 1911, and when that happened the name of this store was Wanamaker’s, not Macy’s. And the atrium, which is seven stories in that store— a balcony with seven stories— houses the world’s largest organ.
In October 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together a group of singers to perform the Hallelujah Chorus in that space. Now, the organ is regularly played during the day, so the fact that music might be playing was not unusual. The fact that a bunch of trained singers who all looked as if they were only shopping at the store themselves would suddenly join together singing the Hallelujah Chorus was and is unusual. [3]
Again and needless to say, besides the singers who knew what was going on, the store was packed with shoppers. The shoppers (and, of course, all us folks who have seen the video) have had the experience: we’ve seen a random act of culture.
There are, obviously, two parts to these random acts of culture: performance and experience. But I want to suggest they are or should be more intertwined than we realize. For instance, the Hallelujah Chorus was so familiar to most people that not only did the assembled singers give voice to this piece.
Nearly everyone who found themselves standing in that seven story atrium with the world’s largest pipe organ pumping out Handel’s notes joined in. With so many people singing, it did not matter who was there as a a part of the flash mob and who was there to just shop. Suddenly, community— real community— was formed. Everybody sang. [4] (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as the Gospel of Mark: “And so, they— the disciples— set off proclaiming repentance as they went.”
With all that goes on in this reading it is easy to lose track of something very central to the Christian community and the teachings of Jesus: repentance. But what is repentance? What does repentance mean. (Slight pause.)
You have heard me say this before— (or you’ve probably heard me say this before). Repentance means turning toward God. Repentance means turning our lives over to God. Further, repentance means if you are facing away from God, you need to turn around and move toward God.
Now, I’d be the first to say for many people imagining that they are not in agreement with God or imagining that God is not in agreement with them is the hard part of that premise. To imagine that you are not in agreement with God or that God is not in agreement with you certainly take an amount of humility.
However, put on a more human level, think about your spouse or your closest friend. Are you always in agreement with them? Are they always in agreement with you? If the answer to that question is ‘no’ how likely is it that you are always in agreement with God or that God is always in agreement with you?
Now, coming back to the thought that the disciples proclaimed repentance, what does it mean not to be repentant but to proclaim repentance? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest that proclaiming repentance, for Christians, means practicing what we preach. When it comes to practicing what we preach, author Diana Butler Bass says there are four key words to consider: prepare, practice, play, participate.
Prepare: learn the story. Study Scripture. Take Scripture seriously. If you don’t know what’s going on, it’s difficult to be a part of anything.
Practice: be intentional about understanding issues of justice and freedom. When Jesus says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” there is an understanding in those words that the reign of God does not somehow fall from heaven on those who simply wait.
Play: it is easy to take life too seriously. When we take life too seriously that often turns into anger. It seems to me anger is the currency of our age. Mirth, laughter, satire, celebration, joy are essential to a vibrant, healthy spirituality. Indeed, laughter, not anger, has the ability to help people move in concert, together, toward difficult ends.
Participate: too often we divide performers from the audience. That is a false dichotomy when it come to spiritual life. And perhaps that is what I like about that Hallelujah Chorus flash mob I described. It seemed that there was no audience. Everybody was singing. (Slight pause.)
So, what is repentance really about. It is about us. It is about who we are as we interact with others. It’s about understanding that our life with God and our life with those around us needs to be steeped in love, in acceptance, in care... and in community. Amen.
[1] At the Children’s Time the pastor had the children watch a Flash mod which is described later in these comments. The point being made with the children was that people working together to produce something beautiful is like people working together in a church.
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=share
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU
[4] It needs to be noted that at the end of the service the pastor announced that the computer on which the flash mob for the Children’s Time had been played would be, after the postlude, set to play the Hallelujah Chorus flash mob so those who wanted to stay in the Nave to see the video could see it.
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:
“Frederick Buechner, the famous writer and theologian has said this about repentance: ‘Biblically speaking, to repent doesn’t mean to feel sorry about, to regret. It means to turn, to turn around 180 degrees. It means to undergo a complete change of mind, heart, direction. Turn away from madness, cruelty, shallowness, blindness. Turn toward the tolerance, compassion, sanity, hope, justice that we all have in us at our best.’”
BENEDICTION: Redeeming Sustainer, visit Your people; pour out Your courage upon us, that we may hurry to make welcome all people not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in Your name. 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.
Repentance
“And so, they— the disciples— set off proclaiming repentance as they went.” — Mark 6:12.
I was going to start my comments with a presumption that most of us know what a flash mob is. But perhaps not only do some fail to know what a flash mob is, the truth of the matter is you’ve probably never personally experienced one.
Although, after our Children’s time, you may now be more familiar with flash mobs that was a video of one of them. [1] I know I’ve seen videos of flash mobs on the internet, but as I said I’ve never personally experienced one, myself. I’ve never been in a place where a flash mob is happening.
So, making the presumption that we don’t all know what a flash mod is, let me briefly explain flash mob. A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a very public place to offer an artistic performance of some kind.
Most often, the place they gather is not normally one used for performing works of art. Most of the time it is not a theater or an auditorium but flash mobs gather in a town squares or at stores or at malls.
As I suggested, these people gather primarily for the purpose of offering an entertainment, an artistic expression of some kind and they usually have some kind of corporate sponsorship. Please notice: a flash mob, whether it’s sponsored by an entity or it’s just a group of people having fun, is in no way spontaneous. You need to do a lot of planning to organize a flash mob.
After the flash mob offers its performance, it is common for the participants, with a suddenness equal to their gathering together, to disperse as if nothing had happened. And, needless to say, most of the time a video is made of these performances. The real point of these events is, after all, that they can be seen by many, broadcast on television or shown on the Internet.
One of our parishioners recently posted a video on a Facebook page of a flash mob that happened just this May. (It was the one the children watched.)
That flash mob was organized by a local bank in the Spanish city of Sabadell. The bank sponsored it to celebrate its 130th anniversary. In this case a group of performers gathered in a crowded town square, in Sabadell, and preformed an arrangement of The Ode to Joy from Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. [2]
At the beginning there was only one instrumentalists, a bass player, standing in the middle of the square playing some notes. He was then joined by a cellist. Next, a reed player and some violinists emerged from a building on the square and joined in the harmonies.
Slowly musicians and singers joined in as people who happened to be in the square, shoppers and those on their way to work, watched. Once all the performers were assembled and playing their parts, the total of people participating in this version of The Ode to Joy numbered 100.
And once everyone had arrived, the performance the orchestra and chorus gave was at a very high, professional level. A performance like this was and needed to be not just well planned but well rehearsed.
Now, my personal favorite flash mobs— stuff I’ve seen on the Internet— was on our shores. It was a Macy’s Department store in downtown Philadelphia. For those of you unfamiliar with that venue, the building, itself, is left over from the days yore of department stores were— more popular?— I don’t know. And the building, itself, was dedicated in 1911, and when that happened the name of this store was Wanamaker’s, not Macy’s. And the atrium, which is seven stories in that store— a balcony with seven stories— houses the world’s largest organ.
In October 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together a group of singers to perform the Hallelujah Chorus in that space. Now, the organ is regularly played during the day, so the fact that music might be playing was not unusual. The fact that a bunch of trained singers who all looked as if they were only shopping at the store themselves would suddenly join together singing the Hallelujah Chorus was and is unusual. [3]
Again and needless to say, besides the singers who knew what was going on, the store was packed with shoppers. The shoppers (and, of course, all us folks who have seen the video) have had the experience: we’ve seen a random act of culture.
There are, obviously, two parts to these random acts of culture: performance and experience. But I want to suggest they are or should be more intertwined than we realize. For instance, the Hallelujah Chorus was so familiar to most people that not only did the assembled singers give voice to this piece.
Nearly everyone who found themselves standing in that seven story atrium with the world’s largest pipe organ pumping out Handel’s notes joined in. With so many people singing, it did not matter who was there as a a part of the flash mob and who was there to just shop. Suddenly, community— real community— was formed. Everybody sang. [4] (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as the Gospel of Mark: “And so, they— the disciples— set off proclaiming repentance as they went.”
With all that goes on in this reading it is easy to lose track of something very central to the Christian community and the teachings of Jesus: repentance. But what is repentance? What does repentance mean. (Slight pause.)
You have heard me say this before— (or you’ve probably heard me say this before). Repentance means turning toward God. Repentance means turning our lives over to God. Further, repentance means if you are facing away from God, you need to turn around and move toward God.
Now, I’d be the first to say for many people imagining that they are not in agreement with God or imagining that God is not in agreement with them is the hard part of that premise. To imagine that you are not in agreement with God or that God is not in agreement with you certainly take an amount of humility.
However, put on a more human level, think about your spouse or your closest friend. Are you always in agreement with them? Are they always in agreement with you? If the answer to that question is ‘no’ how likely is it that you are always in agreement with God or that God is always in agreement with you?
Now, coming back to the thought that the disciples proclaimed repentance, what does it mean not to be repentant but to proclaim repentance? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest that proclaiming repentance, for Christians, means practicing what we preach. When it comes to practicing what we preach, author Diana Butler Bass says there are four key words to consider: prepare, practice, play, participate.
Prepare: learn the story. Study Scripture. Take Scripture seriously. If you don’t know what’s going on, it’s difficult to be a part of anything.
Practice: be intentional about understanding issues of justice and freedom. When Jesus says, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” there is an understanding in those words that the reign of God does not somehow fall from heaven on those who simply wait.
Play: it is easy to take life too seriously. When we take life too seriously that often turns into anger. It seems to me anger is the currency of our age. Mirth, laughter, satire, celebration, joy are essential to a vibrant, healthy spirituality. Indeed, laughter, not anger, has the ability to help people move in concert, together, toward difficult ends.
Participate: too often we divide performers from the audience. That is a false dichotomy when it come to spiritual life. And perhaps that is what I like about that Hallelujah Chorus flash mob I described. It seemed that there was no audience. Everybody was singing. (Slight pause.)
So, what is repentance really about. It is about us. It is about who we are as we interact with others. It’s about understanding that our life with God and our life with those around us needs to be steeped in love, in acceptance, in care... and in community. Amen.
[1] At the Children’s Time the pastor had the children watch a Flash mod which is described later in these comments. The point being made with the children was that people working together to produce something beautiful is like people working together in a church.
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg&feature=share
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU
[4] It needs to be noted that at the end of the service the pastor announced that the computer on which the flash mob for the Children’s Time had been played would be, after the postlude, set to play the Hallelujah Chorus flash mob so those who wanted to stay in the Nave to see the video could see it.
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:
“Frederick Buechner, the famous writer and theologian has said this about repentance: ‘Biblically speaking, to repent doesn’t mean to feel sorry about, to regret. It means to turn, to turn around 180 degrees. It means to undergo a complete change of mind, heart, direction. Turn away from madness, cruelty, shallowness, blindness. Turn toward the tolerance, compassion, sanity, hope, justice that we all have in us at our best.’”
BENEDICTION: Redeeming Sustainer, visit Your people; pour out Your courage upon us, that we may hurry to make welcome all people not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in Your name. 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.
Monday, July 2, 2012
07/01/2012 ~ Proper 8 ~ Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24 or
Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 ~ COMMUNION SUNDAY.
NOTE: THIS SERMON WAS OFFERED AT THE NORTH GUILFORD "SUMMER CHURCH" AT 9:00 A.M. THE PASTOR THEN HURRIED OVER TO NORWICH FOR THE REGULAR SERVICE AT THAT CHURCH AT 10:00 A.M.
Just Believe
“While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, some people came from the house of the synagogue officer and said to that officer, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ But Jesus overheard the remark and said to the leader of the synagogue: ‘Do not fear— just believe.’” — Mark 5:35-36.
For today’s generation the late baseball player Tug McGraw is probably best known as the father of the famous country music singer Tim McGraw. However, since I am getting to the point where some might call me ‘long in the tooth’ I remember Tug McGraw before his son Tim was an apple in his eye. And I remember Tug as an outstanding relief pitcher who was in the Major Leagues from the late 1960s right through the early 1980s— 19 seasons.
McGraw was a part of the World Series winning 1969 New York Mets, the 1973 National League Pennant winning New York Mets and the 1980 World Series winning Philadelphia Phillies. And Tug always had a way with words.
His first major league manager was Casey Stengel, so perhaps the reason he could compose a well turned phrase was that he learned a ballplayer had to be able to speak well and he learned the art of speaking baseball at the foot of a master. Stengel— the old professor as he was called— was known for his sharp wit and his ability to talk at length on anything baseball-related.
In any case, perhaps the reason Tug stands out in my memory bank is a catchphrase he invented for those 1973 National League Pennant winning New York Mets. But before I talk about the phrase McGraw invented, for those of you who don’t follow baseball, I need to explain the 1973 Mets.
Under their manager Yogi Berra (someone who also had and has a way with words) the 1973 Mets won the National League East title. And they did so with a 82–79 record. They then won the National League Pennant by beating a much stronger Cincinnati Reds team in the playoffs.
But that 82–79 record in the regular season meant their winning percentage was .509. Hence, they had by far, the least number of regular season wins of any pennant winning team in major league history, something Baseball is still embarrassed about, 39 years later. And that’s where McGraw and his words come in.
Every time the Mets would win, McGraw would shout out “You Gotta Believe!” Every time the Mets would lose, McGraw would shout out “You Gotta Believe!”
And then his teammates picked up on it. And then the press picked up on it. And then the fans picked up on it. People started making banners with the words “You Gotta Believe!” emblazoned on them and marching around Shea Stadium. If the Mets were winning by ten runs the fans would shout “You Gotta Believe!” If the Mets were losing by ten runs it did not matter. The fans would shout “You Gotta Believe!” (Slight pause.)
“You Gotta Believe?” Believe what? Believe you can throw a baseball? Believe you can hit a baseball? Believe you can win a baseball game? Yes, the Mets did win the 1973 National League Pennant. But did they win simply because they proclaimed “You Gotta Believe?” (Slight pause.)
These words are from the work known as Mark: “While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, some people came from the house of the synagogue officer and said to that officer, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ But Jesus overheard the remark and said to the leader of the synagogue: ‘Do not fear— just believe.’” (Slight pause.)
What is belief? People say they believe in Jesus. What does that mean? Indeed, what does someone believe, what is it someone believes if they say they believe in Jesus?
In this passage, it is clearly not a belief in Jesus being invoked since it is Jesus who says (quote): “Do not fear— just believe.” So, in what is Jesus inviting people to believe? (Slight pause.)
In her book Christianity After Religion: the End of the Church and a New Spiritual Awakening Diana Butler Bass says when the Protestant reformation came along people started to place more of an emphasis on Creeds. Now some would define a Creed as a list of beliefs, a set of principles onto which one is expected to sign, a list of beliefs one was at least expected to affirm.
But Creeds have only been defined that way, as a list of beliefs, since about the time of the Reformation. What I find fascinating about that timing is it coincides with the dawn of what might be called Western science.
Suddenly, right about the time of the Reformation, people are looking at the heavens through telescopes and seeing things they have never seen before. And right about the time of the Reformation, people are looking at droplets of water through microscopes and seeing things they have never seen before.
In short, things we humans never saw before and things we humans never thought about before, things we never knew existed before are coming into focus for us. We are making new discoveries. And we humans start to look at the world with a new set of eyes. We start seeing things as a list of facts to be gathered. (Slight pause.)
Now I, for one, do not want to overturn the discoveries of the Enlightenment and all that it brought. I like electric lights, computers and flush toilets, all benefits of scientific knowledge. But I do want to suggest that when we look at faith, when we look at belief like a science problem, we are headed down a questionable path. But why? Why is that a questionable direction? (Slight pause.)
The word ‘Creed’ comes from the Latin word Credo. We translate the Latin word Credo as ‘I believe.’ Fair enough. And in fact, the first words of the Nicene Creed in Latin are Credo in unum Deum... I believe in One God...
But to say the word Credo means I believe is somewhat deceiving. You see, the intent of the word Credo is not to affirm an item of belief or affirm a list of beliefs. The word Credo means I give my heart. So, in order to translate the phrase Credo in unum Deum accurately we should say “I give my heart to One God.” (Slight pause.)
I want to suggest giving one’s heart to God is not an affirmation of God as if God was just another item on a check list. If we give our hearts to God it means we long to be in a deep relationship with God.
All of which is to say in Scripture and perhaps even in Baseball, giving one’s heart is the key ingredient of belief. And when Jesus says to the synagogue officer (quote): “Do not fear— just believe” that is what Jesus is talking about— giving one’s heart to God. (Slight pause.)
We need to be in relationship with God. That’s what belief is about. And what we will find out over time is, once we are in relationship with God, God calls us to be in relationship with one another. (Slight pause.) Belief— it’s the easiest thing we will ever do. It’s the hardest thing we will ever do. Amen.
North Guilford Church
07/01/2012
Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 ~ COMMUNION SUNDAY.
NOTE: THIS SERMON WAS OFFERED AT THE NORTH GUILFORD "SUMMER CHURCH" AT 9:00 A.M. THE PASTOR THEN HURRIED OVER TO NORWICH FOR THE REGULAR SERVICE AT THAT CHURCH AT 10:00 A.M.
Just Believe
“While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, some people came from the house of the synagogue officer and said to that officer, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ But Jesus overheard the remark and said to the leader of the synagogue: ‘Do not fear— just believe.’” — Mark 5:35-36.
For today’s generation the late baseball player Tug McGraw is probably best known as the father of the famous country music singer Tim McGraw. However, since I am getting to the point where some might call me ‘long in the tooth’ I remember Tug McGraw before his son Tim was an apple in his eye. And I remember Tug as an outstanding relief pitcher who was in the Major Leagues from the late 1960s right through the early 1980s— 19 seasons.
McGraw was a part of the World Series winning 1969 New York Mets, the 1973 National League Pennant winning New York Mets and the 1980 World Series winning Philadelphia Phillies. And Tug always had a way with words.
His first major league manager was Casey Stengel, so perhaps the reason he could compose a well turned phrase was that he learned a ballplayer had to be able to speak well and he learned the art of speaking baseball at the foot of a master. Stengel— the old professor as he was called— was known for his sharp wit and his ability to talk at length on anything baseball-related.
In any case, perhaps the reason Tug stands out in my memory bank is a catchphrase he invented for those 1973 National League Pennant winning New York Mets. But before I talk about the phrase McGraw invented, for those of you who don’t follow baseball, I need to explain the 1973 Mets.
Under their manager Yogi Berra (someone who also had and has a way with words) the 1973 Mets won the National League East title. And they did so with a 82–79 record. They then won the National League Pennant by beating a much stronger Cincinnati Reds team in the playoffs.
But that 82–79 record in the regular season meant their winning percentage was .509. Hence, they had by far, the least number of regular season wins of any pennant winning team in major league history, something Baseball is still embarrassed about, 39 years later. And that’s where McGraw and his words come in.
Every time the Mets would win, McGraw would shout out “You Gotta Believe!” Every time the Mets would lose, McGraw would shout out “You Gotta Believe!”
And then his teammates picked up on it. And then the press picked up on it. And then the fans picked up on it. People started making banners with the words “You Gotta Believe!” emblazoned on them and marching around Shea Stadium. If the Mets were winning by ten runs the fans would shout “You Gotta Believe!” If the Mets were losing by ten runs it did not matter. The fans would shout “You Gotta Believe!” (Slight pause.)
“You Gotta Believe?” Believe what? Believe you can throw a baseball? Believe you can hit a baseball? Believe you can win a baseball game? Yes, the Mets did win the 1973 National League Pennant. But did they win simply because they proclaimed “You Gotta Believe?” (Slight pause.)
These words are from the work known as Mark: “While Jesus was still speaking to the woman, some people came from the house of the synagogue officer and said to that officer, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?’ But Jesus overheard the remark and said to the leader of the synagogue: ‘Do not fear— just believe.’” (Slight pause.)
What is belief? People say they believe in Jesus. What does that mean? Indeed, what does someone believe, what is it someone believes if they say they believe in Jesus?
In this passage, it is clearly not a belief in Jesus being invoked since it is Jesus who says (quote): “Do not fear— just believe.” So, in what is Jesus inviting people to believe? (Slight pause.)
In her book Christianity After Religion: the End of the Church and a New Spiritual Awakening Diana Butler Bass says when the Protestant reformation came along people started to place more of an emphasis on Creeds. Now some would define a Creed as a list of beliefs, a set of principles onto which one is expected to sign, a list of beliefs one was at least expected to affirm.
But Creeds have only been defined that way, as a list of beliefs, since about the time of the Reformation. What I find fascinating about that timing is it coincides with the dawn of what might be called Western science.
Suddenly, right about the time of the Reformation, people are looking at the heavens through telescopes and seeing things they have never seen before. And right about the time of the Reformation, people are looking at droplets of water through microscopes and seeing things they have never seen before.
In short, things we humans never saw before and things we humans never thought about before, things we never knew existed before are coming into focus for us. We are making new discoveries. And we humans start to look at the world with a new set of eyes. We start seeing things as a list of facts to be gathered. (Slight pause.)
Now I, for one, do not want to overturn the discoveries of the Enlightenment and all that it brought. I like electric lights, computers and flush toilets, all benefits of scientific knowledge. But I do want to suggest that when we look at faith, when we look at belief like a science problem, we are headed down a questionable path. But why? Why is that a questionable direction? (Slight pause.)
The word ‘Creed’ comes from the Latin word Credo. We translate the Latin word Credo as ‘I believe.’ Fair enough. And in fact, the first words of the Nicene Creed in Latin are Credo in unum Deum... I believe in One God...
But to say the word Credo means I believe is somewhat deceiving. You see, the intent of the word Credo is not to affirm an item of belief or affirm a list of beliefs. The word Credo means I give my heart. So, in order to translate the phrase Credo in unum Deum accurately we should say “I give my heart to One God.” (Slight pause.)
I want to suggest giving one’s heart to God is not an affirmation of God as if God was just another item on a check list. If we give our hearts to God it means we long to be in a deep relationship with God.
All of which is to say in Scripture and perhaps even in Baseball, giving one’s heart is the key ingredient of belief. And when Jesus says to the synagogue officer (quote): “Do not fear— just believe” that is what Jesus is talking about— giving one’s heart to God. (Slight pause.)
We need to be in relationship with God. That’s what belief is about. And what we will find out over time is, once we are in relationship with God, God calls us to be in relationship with one another. (Slight pause.) Belief— it’s the easiest thing we will ever do. It’s the hardest thing we will ever do. Amen.
North Guilford Church
07/01/2012
Sunday, July 1, 2012
07/01/2012 ~ Proper 8 ~ Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24 or
Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 ~ COMMUNION SUNDAY ~ Joe Also Preaches at North Guilford.
Great Is Your Faithfulness
“Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed. / They are new every morning; / great is Your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22-23.
You may have read in the newsletter or heard me say that the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ has elected a New Conference Minister, the Reverend Mr. David Gaewski. David has, for 15 years, been a Conference Minister with the Maine Conference and will assume the duties of our Conference Minister on August 13th.
In most aspects, searching for and electing a new Conference Minister is a little like searching for and electing a new pastor. The one minor difference is in a local church a pastor designate will lead a service of worship and give a sermon and then it comes time for the pastor to be elected. After the pastor has done this, the church will take a vote to determine if that pastor will be called.
A Conference Minister designate does not lead worship or offer a sermon at a Conference Meeting where a vote will be taken. But a Conference Minister designate does give an address to the Conference before the vote is taken. Is there a difference between a sermon and an address? Yes. An address is much, much longer.
Now, rumor has it that we pastors excel at being long winded. So, giving an address is probably not a burden for us. But, since I’d like to pass on some of what David said and, as suggested, an address tends to be long, I will offer but a small piece of what David spoke about. (Slight pause.)
It was, he said, in the neighborhood of 100 years ago when three of his four grandparents sailed past the Statue of Liberty and found themselves stepping ashore at Ellis Island. They came to the United States determined to make it, to establish a life here by whatever means they could devise.
In a real sense, like many other immigrants who came to these shores, they brought nothing with them, their life savings having been spent just on getting here. So, in the words of David, they brought nothing with them other than a pocket full of dreams.
Two of David’s grandparents were economic refugees. The other two were political refugees. Not one of them spoke a single word of English when they arrived. Polish was the native tongue of each grandparent. Some went to their grave speaking only at best broken English.
All together these two couples had seventeen children, many of whom died before they reached the age of majority— adulthood. The roots of this family were planted in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Today David has twenty-three cousins spread out from the aforementioned Bridgeport to Rochester, from Maine to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to New Hampshire and from Syracuse to Long Island. Also, at least one cousin has made the reverse trip, gone back across the pond and now lives in southern France.
Among these relatives are counted an Episcopal priest, a Catholic evangelist, an early gay rights advocate, ardent Republicans, passionate Democrats, nurses, engineers, photographers, poets and, of course, there is one who happens to be a United Church of Christ Conference Minister. These, he said, these family connections, are the roots that ground him. These are the roots— roots which have wound up negotiating many diverse paths— roots of an immigrant family who arrived here with a pocket full of dreams— roots from which spring David’s own dreams. (Slight pause.)
Historians speculate that as few as 400,000 people crossed the Atlantic in the 200 years known as the 17th and 18th centuries— the 1600s and the 1700s. From 1836 to 1914, however— a span of less than 100 years, over 30 million people— and that 30 million counts only the Europeans, not people from other places— over 30 million people migrated to the United States.
I think one of the things our modern brains have a hard time understanding is that the vast majority of these 30 million people left their homelands and, for the most part, never saw either their place of birth or their close relatives who remained in their native land ever again. They left everything behind.
Once here, that was it. There was no going back. Regular travel was less common then and certainly something done largely by the wealthy, by people of the upper class, by people of means.
It has often been said we are a nation of immigrants. Perhaps more importantly we are a nation of immigrants who largely arrived here with little else than a pocket full of dreams. And just as happened to the family of the Rev. Mr. Gaewski, often the ones who arrived here worked very hard at turning their dreams into reality.
There is, needless to say, a different term, for some reason rarely used by people when referring to hard work. Hard work means being disciplined. It takes discipline to tackle hard work. And, to used yet a different term, to look at hard work and discipline in a slightly different way again, it means that a person who works hard is faithful. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Lamentations: “Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed. / They are new every morning; / great is Your faithfulness.” (Slight pause.)
A long-standing and firm tradition of interpretation places the work called Lamentations in the period following Babylonian military assaults on Judah in 597, 587, and 582 Before the Common Era. In, short, this writing appears in the aftermath of the Babylonian invasions of Jerusalem, the fall of Jerusalem.
The survivors would have wondered whether they could continue to survive as a people. Leading families had been deported to Babylon; the king’s palace, the Temple, and the city walls had been razed.
A long siege of the city had left many dead, ill, suffering from famine. Along with overwhelming physical and social devastation came the collapse of the community’s entire theological and symbolic world.
The words of the prophets and the promises to Abraham and Sarah had turned empty, so the questions to be asked were obvious. Where was God— God who promised to dwell with them in Zion, to be with the house of David forever? Where was God— God who brought them out of Egypt to the land of promise? Had God contributed to the devastation of their world?
And still, despite all the turmoil with the fall of Jerusalem and the ensuing Babylonian Exile, given these disasters, the writer makes a stunning claim: God is faithful. “Great is your faithfulness.” Why? (Slight pause.)
I think there are often some pretty sound human truths we tend to ignore and even to hate to acknowledge. Maybe we just block them out. Here’s an example of one: life is an experiment. Get used to it.
We humans do things all the time which have no sure or predictable outcome. Life is made up of a whole series of risks. Some work out. Some don’t. And, again, we ignore or even to hate to acknowledge the fact that we take all kinds of chances all the time. Why? Well, maybe it’s because we are risk averse. Or at least we like to think we are risk averse.
But the truth is, you take your life in your hands every time you pull out of your driveway, every time you walk cross Broad Street, South Broad Street or North Broad Street. Put another way, too often we miss the fact that life is precious and frail. It is only when a loved one— a friend, a relative— is seriously ill or dies that we tend to pay attention to how tenuous our existence is.
Those 30 million who came to these shores were taking enormous risks. So, when David Gaewski speaks of his family who were immigrants he looks back on familial history and says (poetically) they had dreams. And yes they did. And yes we do. We have dreams. (Slight pause.)
So, given the tenuousness of life, given the risks of life, what does it mean to say God is faithful? (Slight pause.) I believe one of the things it means is not just that God dreams but that rather God dreams right along with us. But the primary dream God does have is that God will walk with us through life— this dangerous, risky life.
Further, the dream God has for us is one of relationship. The dream God has for us is that we will dream together and that we will dream with God. We, together with God, will dream of a life filled with challenges, a life filled with opportunities, a life where each of us and all of us is surrounded by love and support. (Slight pause.)
God is faithful. But we also need to understand that the faithfulness of God extends across lifetimes, across generations, across centuries, across millennia. It is in these terms— lifetimes, generations, centuries, millennia that the true faithfulness of God can be understood. The Hebrews, after all, built the pyramids, founded a homeland and then were conquered and yet survived.
Which is not to say each of us in our own lifetimes is unimportant to God. It is to say that the faithful promise of God is a promise of eternal life, is the promise whose climax is found in Jesus. Amen.
07/01/2012
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’m sure most of you wouldn’t think of me this way but maybe one of my problems is I’m too much of a traditionalist. I heard a weather forecaster on Saturday say, ‘Hey! The weather for the Fourth of July Weekend...’” and I went the 4th of July Weekend is a Wednesday this year. But people do try to move things around like that don’t they? I’m a traditionalist in the sense that I say, “Leave them where they are at.” We went over 200 years leaving the Fourth of July on the 4th of July on the 4th of July. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? No, I think I’ll celebrate Christmas on December the 29th. No. Leave it where it is. My point is: we need to experience things where they are at. The lyric in this last hymns says ‘Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above.’ We need to experience God where God is and God is all around us throughout the ages, throughout the universe.”
BENEDICTION:
Let us place our trust in God. Let us go from this place to share this Good News: by God we are blessed; in Jesus, the Christ, the beloved of God, we are made whole. Let us depart in confidence and joy that the Spirit of God is with us and let us carry Christ in our hearts for God is faithful. Amen.
Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 ~ COMMUNION SUNDAY ~ Joe Also Preaches at North Guilford.
Great Is Your Faithfulness
“Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed. / They are new every morning; / great is Your faithfulness.” — Lamentations 3:22-23.
You may have read in the newsletter or heard me say that the New York Conference of the United Church of Christ has elected a New Conference Minister, the Reverend Mr. David Gaewski. David has, for 15 years, been a Conference Minister with the Maine Conference and will assume the duties of our Conference Minister on August 13th.
In most aspects, searching for and electing a new Conference Minister is a little like searching for and electing a new pastor. The one minor difference is in a local church a pastor designate will lead a service of worship and give a sermon and then it comes time for the pastor to be elected. After the pastor has done this, the church will take a vote to determine if that pastor will be called.
A Conference Minister designate does not lead worship or offer a sermon at a Conference Meeting where a vote will be taken. But a Conference Minister designate does give an address to the Conference before the vote is taken. Is there a difference between a sermon and an address? Yes. An address is much, much longer.
Now, rumor has it that we pastors excel at being long winded. So, giving an address is probably not a burden for us. But, since I’d like to pass on some of what David said and, as suggested, an address tends to be long, I will offer but a small piece of what David spoke about. (Slight pause.)
It was, he said, in the neighborhood of 100 years ago when three of his four grandparents sailed past the Statue of Liberty and found themselves stepping ashore at Ellis Island. They came to the United States determined to make it, to establish a life here by whatever means they could devise.
In a real sense, like many other immigrants who came to these shores, they brought nothing with them, their life savings having been spent just on getting here. So, in the words of David, they brought nothing with them other than a pocket full of dreams.
Two of David’s grandparents were economic refugees. The other two were political refugees. Not one of them spoke a single word of English when they arrived. Polish was the native tongue of each grandparent. Some went to their grave speaking only at best broken English.
All together these two couples had seventeen children, many of whom died before they reached the age of majority— adulthood. The roots of this family were planted in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
Today David has twenty-three cousins spread out from the aforementioned Bridgeport to Rochester, from Maine to Los Angeles, from Atlanta to New Hampshire and from Syracuse to Long Island. Also, at least one cousin has made the reverse trip, gone back across the pond and now lives in southern France.
Among these relatives are counted an Episcopal priest, a Catholic evangelist, an early gay rights advocate, ardent Republicans, passionate Democrats, nurses, engineers, photographers, poets and, of course, there is one who happens to be a United Church of Christ Conference Minister. These, he said, these family connections, are the roots that ground him. These are the roots— roots which have wound up negotiating many diverse paths— roots of an immigrant family who arrived here with a pocket full of dreams— roots from which spring David’s own dreams. (Slight pause.)
Historians speculate that as few as 400,000 people crossed the Atlantic in the 200 years known as the 17th and 18th centuries— the 1600s and the 1700s. From 1836 to 1914, however— a span of less than 100 years, over 30 million people— and that 30 million counts only the Europeans, not people from other places— over 30 million people migrated to the United States.
I think one of the things our modern brains have a hard time understanding is that the vast majority of these 30 million people left their homelands and, for the most part, never saw either their place of birth or their close relatives who remained in their native land ever again. They left everything behind.
Once here, that was it. There was no going back. Regular travel was less common then and certainly something done largely by the wealthy, by people of the upper class, by people of means.
It has often been said we are a nation of immigrants. Perhaps more importantly we are a nation of immigrants who largely arrived here with little else than a pocket full of dreams. And just as happened to the family of the Rev. Mr. Gaewski, often the ones who arrived here worked very hard at turning their dreams into reality.
There is, needless to say, a different term, for some reason rarely used by people when referring to hard work. Hard work means being disciplined. It takes discipline to tackle hard work. And, to used yet a different term, to look at hard work and discipline in a slightly different way again, it means that a person who works hard is faithful. (Slight pause.)
And these words are from the work known as Lamentations: “Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed. / They are new every morning; / great is Your faithfulness.” (Slight pause.)
A long-standing and firm tradition of interpretation places the work called Lamentations in the period following Babylonian military assaults on Judah in 597, 587, and 582 Before the Common Era. In, short, this writing appears in the aftermath of the Babylonian invasions of Jerusalem, the fall of Jerusalem.
The survivors would have wondered whether they could continue to survive as a people. Leading families had been deported to Babylon; the king’s palace, the Temple, and the city walls had been razed.
A long siege of the city had left many dead, ill, suffering from famine. Along with overwhelming physical and social devastation came the collapse of the community’s entire theological and symbolic world.
The words of the prophets and the promises to Abraham and Sarah had turned empty, so the questions to be asked were obvious. Where was God— God who promised to dwell with them in Zion, to be with the house of David forever? Where was God— God who brought them out of Egypt to the land of promise? Had God contributed to the devastation of their world?
And still, despite all the turmoil with the fall of Jerusalem and the ensuing Babylonian Exile, given these disasters, the writer makes a stunning claim: God is faithful. “Great is your faithfulness.” Why? (Slight pause.)
I think there are often some pretty sound human truths we tend to ignore and even to hate to acknowledge. Maybe we just block them out. Here’s an example of one: life is an experiment. Get used to it.
We humans do things all the time which have no sure or predictable outcome. Life is made up of a whole series of risks. Some work out. Some don’t. And, again, we ignore or even to hate to acknowledge the fact that we take all kinds of chances all the time. Why? Well, maybe it’s because we are risk averse. Or at least we like to think we are risk averse.
But the truth is, you take your life in your hands every time you pull out of your driveway, every time you walk cross Broad Street, South Broad Street or North Broad Street. Put another way, too often we miss the fact that life is precious and frail. It is only when a loved one— a friend, a relative— is seriously ill or dies that we tend to pay attention to how tenuous our existence is.
Those 30 million who came to these shores were taking enormous risks. So, when David Gaewski speaks of his family who were immigrants he looks back on familial history and says (poetically) they had dreams. And yes they did. And yes we do. We have dreams. (Slight pause.)
So, given the tenuousness of life, given the risks of life, what does it mean to say God is faithful? (Slight pause.) I believe one of the things it means is not just that God dreams but that rather God dreams right along with us. But the primary dream God does have is that God will walk with us through life— this dangerous, risky life.
Further, the dream God has for us is one of relationship. The dream God has for us is that we will dream together and that we will dream with God. We, together with God, will dream of a life filled with challenges, a life filled with opportunities, a life where each of us and all of us is surrounded by love and support. (Slight pause.)
God is faithful. But we also need to understand that the faithfulness of God extends across lifetimes, across generations, across centuries, across millennia. It is in these terms— lifetimes, generations, centuries, millennia that the true faithfulness of God can be understood. The Hebrews, after all, built the pyramids, founded a homeland and then were conquered and yet survived.
Which is not to say each of us in our own lifetimes is unimportant to God. It is to say that the faithful promise of God is a promise of eternal life, is the promise whose climax is found in Jesus. Amen.
07/01/2012
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’m sure most of you wouldn’t think of me this way but maybe one of my problems is I’m too much of a traditionalist. I heard a weather forecaster on Saturday say, ‘Hey! The weather for the Fourth of July Weekend...’” and I went the 4th of July Weekend is a Wednesday this year. But people do try to move things around like that don’t they? I’m a traditionalist in the sense that I say, “Leave them where they are at.” We went over 200 years leaving the Fourth of July on the 4th of July on the 4th of July. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? No, I think I’ll celebrate Christmas on December the 29th. No. Leave it where it is. My point is: we need to experience things where they are at. The lyric in this last hymns says ‘Summer and winter and springtime and harvest, sun, moon, and stars in their courses above.’ We need to experience God where God is and God is all around us throughout the ages, throughout the universe.”
BENEDICTION:
Let us place our trust in God. Let us go from this place to share this Good News: by God we are blessed; in Jesus, the Christ, the beloved of God, we are made whole. Let us depart in confidence and joy that the Spirit of God is with us and let us carry Christ in our hearts for God is faithful. Amen.
06/24/2012 ~ Proper 7 ~ Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fourth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49; Psalm 9:9-20 or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 18:10-16; Psalm 133; Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41 ~ Annual Organizational Meeting in Our 198th Year; A Ceremony of Shalom for Martha and Bob O’Keefe ~ a Ceremony Honoring Members in Long Standing.
Open Wide Your Hearts [1]
“We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; we have opened our hearts wide to you. There is no restriction in our affections; we are not holding anything back; you, on the other hand, are holding back your affection from us. It would be fair— I speak as to children— if you would open your hearts as widely to us as we do to you.” — 2 Corinthians 6:11-13.
As you are probably aware because of the picture on the front page of The Evening Sun Wednesday, I once again hosted the Community Honors Banquet, the 15th time we’ve celebrated the honor students. This year I decided that, instead of asking one of my colleagues to offer the Invocation and Benediction, I’d do it myself.
This is part of the prayer I used as a Benediction (quote): “Give us, we pray, gentle reminders that true love is a discipline and is, therefore, not arrogant or boastful or rude. Grant us the grace that we may we be strengthened to work in Your service among all people.” (Slight pause.)
Love as a discipline: I’ve said that from this pulpit. But, I suspect, I’ve not repeated it in a while. I think it’s a worthy concept— love as a discipline. But further and also, love is the discipline through which we do accomplish the work of God among all people. (Slight pause.)
Yesterday morning on National Public Radio, Scott Simon interviewed three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, now a law professor, Nancy Hogshead-Makar. Among the interesting things she said was that those gold medals were not the most important aspect of her participation in sports.
The most important aspect, she said, was that she did it. She said she went to practice on days she did not want to go to practice, when with every cell in her body did not want to go to practice.
But she also knew she needed to be committed to something bigger than being in a good mood on any particular day. In short, participation was a discipline. And success, she discovered, was not in the medals. The medals were a side-effect. The discipline, itself, was the success. (Slight pause.)
We, in the church, are or should be engaged in the discipline of love. I want to suggest that, just as an athlete needs to go someplace to practice, it is a good idea to gather for worship. It is a place we can practice the discipline of love just through out interactions with one another.
But we also know the discipline of love needs to go beyond these walls. On the other hand, if we do here what we are instructed to do in Scripture— instructed in Scripture— love one another— this becomes and is a safe place to practice. If any of us takes a tumble while we practice, we are surrounded by coaches who will help us.
Hence, I want to offer this reminder: this building is not the church. You are, we are the church. And how do we ensure that we remain vital as we practice? I think Paul has a pretty good answer: “open wide our hearts.” Amen.
06/24/2012
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: “In the work Christianity After Religion Diana Butler Bass says this: if you want to knit, you don’t study the doctrines of knitting. You go find a knitter, someone who will teach you knitting. You form a relationship with that person, you sit with a group of knitters and then you start to learn by doing and by practice. Christianity is something we do, a practice. You can, indeed, study Christian doctrines. But Christianity is learned by forming relationships with practitioners and then by doing and by practice.”
RESPONSIVE BENEDICTION:
PASTOR: Now go! Go, led by the marvelous light of Christ! Go, be a blessing!
MANY: Let us be a blessing! Let us be a light for the world! Let us be the Body of Christ! Amen! And again— Amen!
ONE: 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.
[1] Note: this is a homily— a short sermon— in part because of the Ceremony of Shalom and the Annual Meeting both of which took place in the context of this service of worship.
Open Wide Your Hearts [1]
“We have spoken frankly to you Corinthians; we have opened our hearts wide to you. There is no restriction in our affections; we are not holding anything back; you, on the other hand, are holding back your affection from us. It would be fair— I speak as to children— if you would open your hearts as widely to us as we do to you.” — 2 Corinthians 6:11-13.
As you are probably aware because of the picture on the front page of The Evening Sun Wednesday, I once again hosted the Community Honors Banquet, the 15th time we’ve celebrated the honor students. This year I decided that, instead of asking one of my colleagues to offer the Invocation and Benediction, I’d do it myself.
This is part of the prayer I used as a Benediction (quote): “Give us, we pray, gentle reminders that true love is a discipline and is, therefore, not arrogant or boastful or rude. Grant us the grace that we may we be strengthened to work in Your service among all people.” (Slight pause.)
Love as a discipline: I’ve said that from this pulpit. But, I suspect, I’ve not repeated it in a while. I think it’s a worthy concept— love as a discipline. But further and also, love is the discipline through which we do accomplish the work of God among all people. (Slight pause.)
Yesterday morning on National Public Radio, Scott Simon interviewed three-time Olympic swimming gold medalist, now a law professor, Nancy Hogshead-Makar. Among the interesting things she said was that those gold medals were not the most important aspect of her participation in sports.
The most important aspect, she said, was that she did it. She said she went to practice on days she did not want to go to practice, when with every cell in her body did not want to go to practice.
But she also knew she needed to be committed to something bigger than being in a good mood on any particular day. In short, participation was a discipline. And success, she discovered, was not in the medals. The medals were a side-effect. The discipline, itself, was the success. (Slight pause.)
We, in the church, are or should be engaged in the discipline of love. I want to suggest that, just as an athlete needs to go someplace to practice, it is a good idea to gather for worship. It is a place we can practice the discipline of love just through out interactions with one another.
But we also know the discipline of love needs to go beyond these walls. On the other hand, if we do here what we are instructed to do in Scripture— instructed in Scripture— love one another— this becomes and is a safe place to practice. If any of us takes a tumble while we practice, we are surrounded by coaches who will help us.
Hence, I want to offer this reminder: this building is not the church. You are, we are the church. And how do we ensure that we remain vital as we practice? I think Paul has a pretty good answer: “open wide our hearts.” Amen.
06/24/2012
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: “In the work Christianity After Religion Diana Butler Bass says this: if you want to knit, you don’t study the doctrines of knitting. You go find a knitter, someone who will teach you knitting. You form a relationship with that person, you sit with a group of knitters and then you start to learn by doing and by practice. Christianity is something we do, a practice. You can, indeed, study Christian doctrines. But Christianity is learned by forming relationships with practitioners and then by doing and by practice.”
RESPONSIVE BENEDICTION:
PASTOR: Now go! Go, led by the marvelous light of Christ! Go, be a blessing!
MANY: Let us be a blessing! Let us be a light for the world! Let us be the Body of Christ! Amen! And again— Amen!
ONE: 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.
[1] Note: this is a homily— a short sermon— in part because of the Ceremony of Shalom and the Annual Meeting both of which took place in the context of this service of worship.
Sunday, June 3, 2012
06/03/2012 ~ Trinity Sunday ~ First Sunday after Pentecost ~ Ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 4 ~ Isaiah 6:1-8; Psalm 29; Romans 8:12-17; John 3:1-17 ~ Inter-generational Sunday.
JOE: Tom Rasely! Did you know that strange as it may seem, the Bible is about Baseball.
TOM: Baseball? Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday. And he invented it right over in Cooperstown, New York. Now, Abraham is in the Bible. But Abraham probably lived about four thousand years ago. Moses is in the Bible. But Moses probably lived about three thousand years ago. Jesus is in the Bible. But Jesus lived about two thousand years ago. And they all lived in what we today call the Middle East. The Middle East— that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from here. Even by jet, that would take better than a half a day to get there. Abner Doubleday lived in Cooperstown, New York, about forty-five miles away and by car it’s an hour from here. Now, legend has it that Doubleday invented Baseball there, in Cooperstown, in 1839. I know because I’ve been in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and that’s what it says, right there in the Hall of Fame. And if there is anything I know, it’s that 1839 is not thousands of years ago. 1839 is only about 170 years ago.
LINDA: Tom— Baseball is in the Bible. The first words in Genesis say: “In the Big Inning...”
TOM: Oh, yeah?
JOE: Yeah.
TOM: Well who’s on first?
LINDA: What do you mean?
TOM: All baseball players have funny names. And some of those names are even pretty strange. I mean, in the past baseball players have had names like Dizzy Dean. And Moose Skowron— he played for the Yankees. And today we have Joba Chamberlain— Joba Chamberlain— that name doesn’t sound like the name of a baseball player. That sounds like a character out of Star Wars. But a guy named Joba Chamberlain plays for the New York Yankees. At least when he’s not on the disabled list. Anyway, Charles Dillon Stengel— speaking of funny names— Charles Dillon Stengel is known to most people as Casey Stengel. And Casey said you can’t have a baseball team without a catcher— so let’s forget about a catcher and start on First Base. If the Bible is about Baseball, who’s on First?
LINDA: What do you mean who’s on first?
TOM: If the Bible is about baseball, what’s the name of the player who plays first base in the Bible?
JOE: What is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: I know that! Who’s on first?
JOE: Who is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: Can one of you please tell me the name of the person who is playing the position of first base on this Bible baseball team?
LINDA: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
LINDA: No.
TOM: I didn’t think you were playing first base. So, who is the name of the person playing first?
JOE: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
JOE: No.
TOM: O.K. We got that straight now. You’re not playing first. And you’re not playing first. So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. Wait! You can’t both be playing first!
JOE: No. We’re not.
TOM: So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: All right. You’ve got two people playing first base.
LINDA: No. You don’t understand. When Moses asked God to tell Moses what the name of God is so Moses could tell the people of Israel that name, the word God used to identify God’s own self was the Hebrew word Yahweh.
JOE: And the Hebrew word Yahweh is, in Hebrew, a form of the verb to be. Hence, the name of God is...
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. That can’t possible be right. No one can be named ‘I AM.’ It’s just too strange.
JOE: Hey! If someone can be named Dizzy or Moose or Joba, how can you say ‘I AM’ is a strange name?
TOM: Well, I guess you have a point. But I’ve heard people call God by a lot of names. I’ve heard God called Creator. I’ve heard God called the Light. I’ve heard God called Rock— now that name sounds like a baseball player— Rock. I’ve heard God called Father.
LINDA: Yes. God is called by a lot of names in the Bible. But of all those names you mentioned, Father is the one you will never find in the Bible.
TOM: What do you mean Father is not in the Bible. Didn’t Jesus teach the disciples to start a basic prayer to God with the words “Our Father...”?
LINDA: No.
TOM: What do you mean no? We said a prayer that started with the words “Our Father...” just a couple of minutes ago and I know Jesus taught that prayer to the disciples.
LINDA: No. The prayer Jesus taught the disciples was more personal and more intimate than that. Jesus told the disciples to pray saying “Our Daddy...”
TOM: But this is God! That sounds way too...too... too informal— “Our Daddy...”
LINDA: But that’s what it really says in Scripture in the original language— “Our Daddy.”
TOM: All right, so where did we get Father?
JOE: We got it from the Romans. They called their chief God ‘Father.’ So, the term ‘Father’ is not in the Bible. It just started being used because the Romans were using it for their god.
TOM: But the Romans worshiped a lot of gods; the Romans were pagans.
JOE: I think you’ve made my point. They were pagans.
LINDA: And since God is not called Father in the Bible, maybe we should just stick with the name Yahweh— “I AM.”
TOM: I AM is on first?
JOE: I AM is on first.
TOM: O.K. Who’s on second? Bet I got you with that one. Who plays second base on this Bible team? It ain’t ‘I AM’ is it?
LINDA: No. It ain’t I AM.
JOE: Jesus is on second.
LINDA: Today we celebrate the Trinity and in the Trinity Jesus is known as the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is on Second.
TOM: Oh, yeah? Think you’re smart with that one, do you? (Mocking.) Jesus is known as the Second person of the Trinity. So, Jesus is on Second. Well, I know my theology too. And Jesus had two natures. Jesus is fully human and Jesus is fully divine. So, maybe Jesus is not just on second. Nah, nah, na, na, na!
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: What? Shortstop?
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: Jesus plays shortstop.
JOE: You are right on that one, O grand inquisitor of all things baseball and Bible. Our Christian claim is that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. So, Jesus gets to play second. And Jesus gets to play shortstop too.
TOM: Who’s on second?
JOE: Jesus.
TOM: Who plays shortstop?
LINDA: Jesus.
TOM: But how can someone play two positions?
LINDA: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned.) Yeah.... fully human; fully divine.
LINDA: Right.
TOM: O.K. Explain that. Explain how someone can play two positions.
JOE: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned again.) Right. O.K. It’s Jesus. But you still have the hot corner! You haven’t got the hot corner covered yet!
LINDA: The hot corner?
TOM: Third base! Where you have to be ready for someone dropping down a bunt. Where the batters hit wicked shots right down the line! And you don’t have it covered! Wham! Crack! And there goes a line drive right over the bag...
JOE: Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. You know who covers the hot corner.
TOM: I do?
JOE: You do.
TOM: (Pause.) The Spirit of God?
JOE: See? You do know your theology. The Spirit of God, sometimes called the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Paraclete...
TOM: Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball!
JOE: That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball?
TOM: Of course it does! The Holy Spirit must be wearing a pair of cletes.
JOE: Right. Well, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete, sometimes called the Spirit which is present to us, sometimes called the Spirit in our midst... the Spirit is there to handle all those bunts which might catch us unaware and all the hot shots down right the line.
LINDA: The Spirit of God is always with us. The gifts of the Spirit, the gifts God gives us are many: wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy, discernment. The Spirit of God is at work in our lives. And we can rely on the Spirit to guide us through life.
JOE: And our experience of God, the example of Jesus and the guidance of the Spirit is the real reason we say Baseball is mirrored in the Bible.
TOM: Why do you say that?
JOE: Tom, what’s the object of the game of baseball?
TOM: To score runs?
LINDA: Close! Not quite right, though. The object of the game is to be safe at home.
JOE: And if we pay attention to the fact that God, the Great I AM is on first...
LINDA: And Jesus plays both second and short...
JOE: And the Spirit covers third...
LINDA: And that God, Jesus and the Spirit is the Trinity and that God, Jesus and the Spirit are the Trinity...
JOE: When we pay attention to all that...
TOM: I know. I know. We will be safe at home with God.
JOE: Safe at home...
LINDA: Safe at home...
LINDA AND JOE: Amen!
TOM: 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: “Who is on first? One of my Seminary professors posted this on Facebook. On Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mysterious love that provides the cement for the universe. Love must always have its object, and God, as God truly is, is always a community of love. All things are rooted in that love and all things will return to that love. We can no more escape that love than we can escape gravity or other forces deep in our nature. And God is always one step beyond our understanding. After all, God who could be understood by theologians would be subject to manipulation by them.”
BENEDICTION:
PASTOR: The blessing for today is used by natives of the islands in the South Pacific. Let us recite it together as a Unison Prayer.
MANY: O Jesus, please be the canoe that holds me up in the sea of life. Please be the rudder that keeps me on straight paths. Be the outrigger that supports me in times of stress. Let Your Spirit be the sail that carries me though each day. Keep me safe, so that I can paddle on steady in the voyage called life. God of all, bless us so we may have calm seas, a warm sun and clear nights filled with stars. Amen.
[1] It needs to be noted that in the posting of this sermon on the web there will be some discrepancies between the published text and the audio file, since the recording of this happened when three people exchanged dialogue in “real time” and in real time intentional and unintentional additions and cuts happen. But the text is close to the recording.
[2] It needs to be noted that this sermon came after a Children’s Time during which the Pastor tried on a lot of baseball hats with the emblems of different teams and asked the children to identify the teams. The pastor then asked: which team is God on? And one youngster got it right: God is on everyone’s team. The pastor then immediately transitions into this sermon. The parts were played by Pastor Joe Connolly. Tom Rasely, Music Associate and Linda Oehme, Deacon and a Member of the Executive Council.
Baseball, the Bible and the Trinity [1]
A Tri-logue (A Dialogue for Three People) [2]
A Tri-logue (A Dialogue for Three People) [2]
JOE: Tom Rasely! Did you know that strange as it may seem, the Bible is about Baseball.
TOM: Baseball? Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday. And he invented it right over in Cooperstown, New York. Now, Abraham is in the Bible. But Abraham probably lived about four thousand years ago. Moses is in the Bible. But Moses probably lived about three thousand years ago. Jesus is in the Bible. But Jesus lived about two thousand years ago. And they all lived in what we today call the Middle East. The Middle East— that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from here. Even by jet, that would take better than a half a day to get there. Abner Doubleday lived in Cooperstown, New York, about forty-five miles away and by car it’s an hour from here. Now, legend has it that Doubleday invented Baseball there, in Cooperstown, in 1839. I know because I’ve been in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and that’s what it says, right there in the Hall of Fame. And if there is anything I know, it’s that 1839 is not thousands of years ago. 1839 is only about 170 years ago.
LINDA: Tom— Baseball is in the Bible. The first words in Genesis say: “In the Big Inning...”
TOM: Oh, yeah?
JOE: Yeah.
TOM: Well who’s on first?
LINDA: What do you mean?
TOM: All baseball players have funny names. And some of those names are even pretty strange. I mean, in the past baseball players have had names like Dizzy Dean. And Moose Skowron— he played for the Yankees. And today we have Joba Chamberlain— Joba Chamberlain— that name doesn’t sound like the name of a baseball player. That sounds like a character out of Star Wars. But a guy named Joba Chamberlain plays for the New York Yankees. At least when he’s not on the disabled list. Anyway, Charles Dillon Stengel— speaking of funny names— Charles Dillon Stengel is known to most people as Casey Stengel. And Casey said you can’t have a baseball team without a catcher— so let’s forget about a catcher and start on First Base. If the Bible is about Baseball, who’s on First?
LINDA: What do you mean who’s on first?
TOM: If the Bible is about baseball, what’s the name of the player who plays first base in the Bible?
JOE: What is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: I know that! Who’s on first?
JOE: Who is not the name of the one who plays first base on the Bible baseball team.
TOM: Can one of you please tell me the name of the person who is playing the position of first base on this Bible baseball team?
LINDA: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
LINDA: No.
TOM: I didn’t think you were playing first base. So, who is the name of the person playing first?
JOE: I AM.
TOM: You play first base?
JOE: No.
TOM: O.K. We got that straight now. You’re not playing first. And you’re not playing first. So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. Wait! You can’t both be playing first!
JOE: No. We’re not.
TOM: So, who is playing first?
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: All right. You’ve got two people playing first base.
LINDA: No. You don’t understand. When Moses asked God to tell Moses what the name of God is so Moses could tell the people of Israel that name, the word God used to identify God’s own self was the Hebrew word Yahweh.
JOE: And the Hebrew word Yahweh is, in Hebrew, a form of the verb to be. Hence, the name of God is...
LINDA AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.
TOM: No. That can’t possible be right. No one can be named ‘I AM.’ It’s just too strange.
JOE: Hey! If someone can be named Dizzy or Moose or Joba, how can you say ‘I AM’ is a strange name?
TOM: Well, I guess you have a point. But I’ve heard people call God by a lot of names. I’ve heard God called Creator. I’ve heard God called the Light. I’ve heard God called Rock— now that name sounds like a baseball player— Rock. I’ve heard God called Father.
LINDA: Yes. God is called by a lot of names in the Bible. But of all those names you mentioned, Father is the one you will never find in the Bible.
TOM: What do you mean Father is not in the Bible. Didn’t Jesus teach the disciples to start a basic prayer to God with the words “Our Father...”?
LINDA: No.
TOM: What do you mean no? We said a prayer that started with the words “Our Father...” just a couple of minutes ago and I know Jesus taught that prayer to the disciples.
LINDA: No. The prayer Jesus taught the disciples was more personal and more intimate than that. Jesus told the disciples to pray saying “Our Daddy...”
TOM: But this is God! That sounds way too...too... too informal— “Our Daddy...”
LINDA: But that’s what it really says in Scripture in the original language— “Our Daddy.”
TOM: All right, so where did we get Father?
JOE: We got it from the Romans. They called their chief God ‘Father.’ So, the term ‘Father’ is not in the Bible. It just started being used because the Romans were using it for their god.
TOM: But the Romans worshiped a lot of gods; the Romans were pagans.
JOE: I think you’ve made my point. They were pagans.
LINDA: And since God is not called Father in the Bible, maybe we should just stick with the name Yahweh— “I AM.”
TOM: I AM is on first?
JOE: I AM is on first.
TOM: O.K. Who’s on second? Bet I got you with that one. Who plays second base on this Bible team? It ain’t ‘I AM’ is it?
LINDA: No. It ain’t I AM.
JOE: Jesus is on second.
LINDA: Today we celebrate the Trinity and in the Trinity Jesus is known as the Second Person of the Trinity. Jesus is on Second.
TOM: Oh, yeah? Think you’re smart with that one, do you? (Mocking.) Jesus is known as the Second person of the Trinity. So, Jesus is on Second. Well, I know my theology too. And Jesus had two natures. Jesus is fully human and Jesus is fully divine. So, maybe Jesus is not just on second. Nah, nah, na, na, na!
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: What? Shortstop?
JOE: Shortstop.
TOM: Jesus plays shortstop.
JOE: You are right on that one, O grand inquisitor of all things baseball and Bible. Our Christian claim is that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. So, Jesus gets to play second. And Jesus gets to play shortstop too.
TOM: Who’s on second?
JOE: Jesus.
TOM: Who plays shortstop?
LINDA: Jesus.
TOM: But how can someone play two positions?
LINDA: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned.) Yeah.... fully human; fully divine.
LINDA: Right.
TOM: O.K. Explain that. Explain how someone can play two positions.
JOE: Tom... it’s Jesus.
TOM: (Resigned again.) Right. O.K. It’s Jesus. But you still have the hot corner! You haven’t got the hot corner covered yet!
LINDA: The hot corner?
TOM: Third base! Where you have to be ready for someone dropping down a bunt. Where the batters hit wicked shots right down the line! And you don’t have it covered! Wham! Crack! And there goes a line drive right over the bag...
JOE: Tom. Tom. Tom. Tom. You know who covers the hot corner.
TOM: I do?
JOE: You do.
TOM: (Pause.) The Spirit of God?
JOE: See? You do know your theology. The Spirit of God, sometimes called the Holy Spirit, sometimes called the Paraclete...
TOM: Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball!
JOE: That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about baseball?
TOM: Of course it does! The Holy Spirit must be wearing a pair of cletes.
JOE: Right. Well, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete, sometimes called the Spirit which is present to us, sometimes called the Spirit in our midst... the Spirit is there to handle all those bunts which might catch us unaware and all the hot shots down right the line.
LINDA: The Spirit of God is always with us. The gifts of the Spirit, the gifts God gives us are many: wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy, discernment. The Spirit of God is at work in our lives. And we can rely on the Spirit to guide us through life.
JOE: And our experience of God, the example of Jesus and the guidance of the Spirit is the real reason we say Baseball is mirrored in the Bible.
TOM: Why do you say that?
JOE: Tom, what’s the object of the game of baseball?
TOM: To score runs?
LINDA: Close! Not quite right, though. The object of the game is to be safe at home.
JOE: And if we pay attention to the fact that God, the Great I AM is on first...
LINDA: And Jesus plays both second and short...
JOE: And the Spirit covers third...
LINDA: And that God, Jesus and the Spirit is the Trinity and that God, Jesus and the Spirit are the Trinity...
JOE: When we pay attention to all that...
TOM: I know. I know. We will be safe at home with God.
JOE: Safe at home...
LINDA: Safe at home...
LINDA AND JOE: Amen!
TOM: 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: “Who is on first? One of my Seminary professors posted this on Facebook. On Trinity Sunday we celebrate the mysterious love that provides the cement for the universe. Love must always have its object, and God, as God truly is, is always a community of love. All things are rooted in that love and all things will return to that love. We can no more escape that love than we can escape gravity or other forces deep in our nature. And God is always one step beyond our understanding. After all, God who could be understood by theologians would be subject to manipulation by them.”
BENEDICTION:
PASTOR: The blessing for today is used by natives of the islands in the South Pacific. Let us recite it together as a Unison Prayer.
MANY: O Jesus, please be the canoe that holds me up in the sea of life. Please be the rudder that keeps me on straight paths. Be the outrigger that supports me in times of stress. Let Your Spirit be the sail that carries me though each day. Keep me safe, so that I can paddle on steady in the voyage called life. God of all, bless us so we may have calm seas, a warm sun and clear nights filled with stars. Amen.
[1] It needs to be noted that in the posting of this sermon on the web there will be some discrepancies between the published text and the audio file, since the recording of this happened when three people exchanged dialogue in “real time” and in real time intentional and unintentional additions and cuts happen. But the text is close to the recording.
[2] It needs to be noted that this sermon came after a Children’s Time during which the Pastor tried on a lot of baseball hats with the emblems of different teams and asked the children to identify the teams. The pastor then asked: which team is God on? And one youngster got it right: God is on everyone’s team. The pastor then immediately transitions into this sermon. The parts were played by Pastor Joe Connolly. Tom Rasely, Music Associate and Linda Oehme, Deacon and a Member of the Executive Council.
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