tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82528458819395129632024-03-05T02:27:10.772-08:00Saint Louis Mennonite PastorReflections on faith and life, from the Saint Louis Mennonite Fellowship.Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-73253362531294861302015-07-08T09:50:00.001-07:002015-07-08T09:51:42.168-07:00Sermon for Kansas City Mennonite Convention<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During the Kansas City convention this past week, I was invited to preach a sermon at the contemplative service on Saturday evening. After a long week, full of many different emotions, I felt called to reflect on the consequences of our actions, and the pain in the midst of our church community. Here is basically the text of my sermon.</div>
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<b>Sermon for convention</b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">http://mennoniteusa.org/news/delegates-grapple-with-israel-palestine-resolution/<br />
this is a picture of my delegate table. You can see a bit of the back of my head.</td></tr>
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Good evening friends, it is good to gather in this service of
contemplation and worship this evening.
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We have come to the last night of convention. Tomorrow, we return
home. Back to the usual rhythms of life, whatever those might look
like for you. Janeen did a wonderful job expressing some of the
emotions that you may have brought to this space this evening-joy and
exhaustion and grief and hope and all the rest.
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For me, I'd like to start with a confession. I have wept more this
week than I have in any week since my father died 6 years ago. I
have felt the pain because of the choices of the church and how we
treat one another. So I have a simple prayer for my sermon this
evening. I pray that I might not cause any more pain in this service.
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So with that, lets turn to the scripture text. We've been working
through the story of Luke 24, the Emmaus Road. We've reflected about
being on the way together. And Janeen, as she planned this service
months ago, thought, since it's the last night of convention, it
might be good to reflect on the end of our passage, and to talk about
what happened after Cleopas and his friend dashed back to the city of
Jerusalem, where Jesus, equally fleet of foot, came to the disciples
gathered together in the upper room.
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There is much to chew on here-the
disciples with their disbelieving joy, the traditional “Shalom
Alchem”, “Peace Be With You” greeting, Jesus eating the fish so
resonate of the feeding of the 5000, and the nets left by the sea,
the scriptures opened a second time to explain the journey that the
Messiah had to take. But what caught me when I read this text
months ago, and where I want to draw you as well is to the hands and
feet that Jesus showed to his disciples. It's an ancient tradition to
contemplate the wounds of Christ. To reflect on the pain of our
savior.
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But something else struck me as I though of this familiar story
again, and I'd like to see if it resonates with you. I was struck
that Christ still had wounds in his hands and his feet. Now you might
say that makes sense-why not? It's only been three days since they
were wounded, it stands to reason that there would still be holes in
them. At the same, though the surprise has been dulled by 20
centuries of repetition, wouldn't it be reasonable to expect that
the resurrected Lord, the king of glory, with his new body, the first
fruits of the new creation, the one which would sit at the right hand
of the father would be healed of the marks of the cross that he
carried just a few days before? Yet it is the lamb who had been slain
who sits on the throne.
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And I'd like to honor that the Christ risen on Easter Sunday carried
the wounds of his past. Actually, I'll say that more strongly. I'd
like to claim that the risen Christ can be recognized by his wounds.
The resurrection stories are all about recognizing Jesus- you
discover Christ when he says “Peace Be With You” You know it's
Jesus when he calls your name: Mary! The savior of the world is made
known in the breaking of the bread.
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And here, the disciples recognize Jesus because he bears the marks of
the cross. His wounds were the testimony to his reality and his
resurrection.
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And we are wounded people too. We have been hurt. And we are a
wounded church, with pain that abounds in our midst, and we do harm
to one another as well as offer healing.
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We claim that we are the body of Christ. Should we not look to the
wounds in the church and of the church to discover Jesus? But this is
not what we do.
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I noticed an
editorial by Paul Schrag in the Mennonite World Review a few weeks
ago. He wrote “</span><span style="color: #232323;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Rumor
has it the church is a place for people who’ve got their act
together. People who will tell you how well everything is going.
People who think pretty highly of themselves. We can see where this
rumor started. We like to make a good impression on a Sunday
morning...</span></span><span style="color: #232323;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">we
cover our flaws and try to look perfect. A denomination can do this
just as well as an individual Christian. Why reveal our disputes and
problems? That’s not very “missional.” We do so much that is
good. This is what the world needs to know. The messy parts can stay
behind closed doors. We have a reputation to protect.”
(http://mennoworld.org/2015/06/08/editorial/honest-imperfection/)</span></span></div>
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That good reputation is a sin. It belies the evidence of the Gospel.
The Bible is a book full of wounded
people. The writers of scripture were not afraid to tell the story of
David murdering Uriah, the story of Noah getting drunk and exposing
himself to his sons, the story of Abraham trying to pass Sarah off as
his sister, the story of Jesus cursing the fig tree for not having
figs when it wasn't the season for figs, and many many others. You
can't open the good book without running into broken people doing
foolish things.
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And so it is with us-every
congregation I've been a part of had it's stories of woundedness, and
when we listen well, we may learn to love better.
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A mostly harmless story-I was a youth pastor at Faith Mennonite
Church in Newton. After the Christmas program, they handed out
Christmas bags, with peanuts, chocolate, and candy canes. I expressed
some surprise at the absence of the traditional oranges, which were
essential to the Christmas bags of my youth. And the high school
youth sheepishly told me the story of how years earlier, they had
been playing catch (or throwing oranges at each other) after the
Christmas program, and had broken one of the large basement windows
in the church, and ever since there hadn't been oranges in the bags.
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Just as the broken relationships between Jacob and Esau and Isaac and
Ishmael reverberated down through the centuries in ancient
hostilities, so to do the wounds that we bear reverberate in our
lives.</div>
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So I celebrate when we as a church tell true stories, because just as
Cyneatha said this morning, it is in those stories, shared over
broken bread that we come to love one another. The stories of our
wounds come together to reveal the deeper brokenness in the church
and the world, and Christ who is found at the margins reveals himself
in the pain of his children who gather.
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In social science circles, we call it intersectionality-the ways that
different structures of oppression come together to build up a
community based on power and control. So lets reflect on those ways
that people are working to reveal the wounds in the church.
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We have mourned the violence of John Howard Yoder this week, and have
acknowledged the violence that continues in our congregations and our
communities, and I think of the work that Rachel Halder at Our
Stories Untold and Carolyn Holderread Heggen have done to reveal the
deep ways we continue to put the fears of institutions and concern
for perpetrators above the needs of survivors.
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I think of when Erica Littlewolf acknowledged that we're meeting in
Kansas City, on the edge of the Kansas Prairies, and reminds us of
the Kiowa, and the Kansas and the Wichita and the Osage and many
others, who lived on this land, I remember how I intersect this
story. This is the land of my birth, and the land of my father and
grandfather and great-grandfather before me. Here that Mennonites
came for good land, bringing the winter wheat that made this part of
the country the breadbasket to the world, but we came to land that
was not our own, stolen only a few short years before from those who
possessed it. Iris DeLeon Harshorn and other leaders have begun to
teach us more about the history of the land that we pretend to own
through the Doctrine of Discovery, and is warning us of the danger in
celebrating our own exodus journeys without remembering those who
were swept away for our journey.</div>
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Today, I come from the city of St. Louis, and our community has
experienced a great deal of brokenness in the last year. Or, more
accurately, the brokenness that has been part of our community for
hundreds of years has been highlighted, because of the tireless work
of activists in the #Black Lives Matter movement.
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And I have found myself struggling with how to speak faithfully,
pastoring a church that is almost entirely white in a segregated
city, preaching a style that is almost quintessentially middle class
Mennonite, and coming from a religious tradition that encourages me
not to speak to government, not to challenge political systems of
oppression and evil, but instead to simply acknowledge that the world
is fallen and get back to the work trying to transform the church and
to leave the public realm to its own devices.
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I have been strengthened by the challenges of Ewuare Osayande and
Cyneatha Millsaps and Christian Parks and Nekeisha Alexis and Regina
Shands Stoltzfus and Jesse Dunnigans and James Long and Michael Blair
and Tierra McCoy many others who have taught me that anti-oppression
work is core the gospel, that Jesus spoke up against that fox Herod
and called the Pharisees white washed tombs and turned over the
tables of the money changers and that I cannot love my neighbor
without being willing to confront all the injustice that she faces in
solidarity.
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So I will acknowledge that it's the 4<sup>th</sup> of July today, and
America is celebrating it's independence. We will shoot off rockets
to celebrate our victory in warfare, we will sing the national anthem
to remember the land of the free and the home of the brave,
politicians from across the spectrum will praise this country as the
greatest nation the world has ever seen, and they will pray that God
might bless America.
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And I am so much more aware today than I was about the ways in which
this is not true. That we have stacked the deck against black and
brown people, that urban ghettos and the persistent wealth gaps in
our cities, and jails filled with black bodies are not accidents of
history, but are deliberate policy choices by a government founded in
white supremacy.</div>
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And I hope well tell the stories of this week. We have caused pain
this week. With each resolution we passed, or didn't pass, people
have grieved. So let us remember the stories well.
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I will remember the woman who wept that we could not stand with the
oppressed Palestinian people.
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I will remember the man who challenged us to rewrite the resolution
on sexual abuse, to make it stronger and better, and we would not.</div>
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I will remember so many people who stood at microphones and bared
their souls and experienced their church decide against them, grumble
against them, even silence their voices.
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And most of all, I will remember the pain in the eyes of my LGBTQ brothers and
sisters, grieving the wounds we offer once again, when we deny their
agency and do not trust their love.
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Friends, you who have gathered this evening, lets resist the
temptation to paper over the holes in the body of Christ, lets not
try to rush forgiveness and lets not accept cheap grace. Instead,
lets remember these stories, and add them to the story of what makes
Mennonite Church USA.
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Those are my stories. I know you have your own, and I don't presume
to speak for you. Which is where we will turn next in our service.
May you remember the wounds that you have experienced, and that you
have caused. And may you find Christ there.
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Amen</div>
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Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-41165186827622156662015-01-11T20:30:00.001-08:002015-01-11T20:30:12.313-08:00SLMF 40th Anniversary Sermon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Matthew 13:52</div>
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Good morning friends,</div>
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it is good to gather in worship with
all of you today!</div>
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I hope that this Sunday morning finds
you well!</div>
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We have a special occasion today-</div>
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Today, as you know, we are celebrating
the 40<sup>th</sup> anniversary of the founding of the St. Louis
Mennonite Fellowship, our little congregation here. It was in January
of 1975 that a small group gathered in Edgewood Children's center for
the first worship service of a new congregation.
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This is the first of at least two
events LCG has planned this year to acknowledge this milestone. We're
also hoping to invite back parts of our family who have moved away in
a more formal weekend of celebration later in the spring.
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It's an important part of the rhythm of
life to mark these kind of anniversaries, to engage our memories and
connect with the things that have gone before, to remember that we
are part of something a lot bigger than just a momentary community-we
are part of a great cloud of witnesses, part of an institution built
before us and that will last beyond us.
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Our scripture text this speaks to the
value of both remembering our history and claiming our new
directions. After telling a bunch of parables, like the one about
the farmer who goes out to sow his field, and throws the seed in
different kind of ground, and the one where he talks about the weeds
in the field that are left until harvest, Jesus asks his disciples
who have heard these stories to commit themselves to bring treasures
both new and old out of the storehouse.
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That I think is the heart of the
gospel-to tell an old old story in a new way for a new community.
And I think that this is one of the really special things we get to
do at anniversary celebrations-these moments like this Sunday give us
an opportunity to bring out treasures that are special occasion
things-the fine china, the heirloom pieces, and give them a day in
the sun. This is an opportunity to turn aside from the novel, and
focus on the core things that make us who we are. And in the same
way that birthdays or wedding anniversaries give us the opportunity
to celebrate those that we love, and in the very act of celebrating
them, remember why we love them, so too are we called to remember
today where we have been so that we have a better sense of where we
are going.
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So what sort of old and new treasures
might we dig out this morning? I did a little summary of our history
this summer while we were working on visioning, so I don't want to do
that again. Instead, I want to reflect on an even older treasure.
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Because the story of SLMF begins not
just when the congregation started worshiping in January of 75.
Instead, it starts with Fern and Barry Heib, in 1972, who came to St.
Louis to organize people with Mennonite upbringings here in the city
of St. Louis to gather together. They started a book study, which
began January 15<sup>th</sup>, 1973, based on the book <i>The
Anabaptist Vision</i><i><b> </b></i>by
Harold S. Bender.
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And this is the old treasure that I want to start with.
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How
many people have heard of <i>The
Anabaptist Vision?</i>
That's about what I was expecting. It's not that well known these
days. But for a generation of Mennonites, it was the most important
piece of Mennonite writing.
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Harold
S. Bender was a Mennonite leader, and a professor at Goshen College
and the Goshen Seminary. After World War Two and the stress the war
put on the church, he saw Mennonites beginning to acculturate-to come
in contact with broader American society and ask what exactly it was
that justified their continued existence as a distinctive group, and
at the same time get swept up in the great religious tumult of the
time, torn between fundamentalist and liberal forces that were
sweeping the country. And his response was an essay, called <i>The
Anabaptist Vision </i><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.goshen.edu/mhl/Refocusing/d-av.htm">https://www.goshen.edu/mhl/Refocusing/d-av.htm</a></u></span></span>,
which was designed to remind Mennonites of their theological roots,
and call them back to their historical legacy that superseded the
contemporary conflict.
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or at least that's the pop-culture telling of the story. James and
Steve might correct me a bit where I exaggerate.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Bender's focus was on three distinctive Christian virtues that he
believed were the legacy of the first Anabaptists in Switzerland,
brought faithfully to the United States by their descendants, the
Mennonites.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
First: That discipleship is the essence of Christianity. As Conrad
Grebel, one of the founders of Anabaptism wrote, “so today, too,
every man wants to be saved by superficial faith, without fruits of
faith, without the baptism of test and probation, without love and
hope, without right Christian practices, and wants to persist in all
the old fashion of personal vices.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Second, that the church a community of believers. That the church is
made up of only the people who want to be there is so obvious to us
today as to go without saying. But it was not that long ago that the
assumption was that every person in a town would be part of the
church, baptized at birth, married in the church, and buried in the
church cemetery, regardless of what they believed or how they acted.
Even in St. Louis today, there is a huge population of Catholics who
have a complicated relationship with the mother church, neither truly
in nor comfortably out.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Third, Christians are called to peace-to an ethic of love and
nonresistance as applied to all human relationships. Pilgram
Marpeck, a wonderful leader of the early Anabaptists wrote “All
bodily, worldy, carnal, earthly fightings, conflicts, and wars are
annulled and abolished among them through [the] love of Christ.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And while historians have a wonderful time reflecting on the ways
that this was, and was not an accurate reading of exactly what the
early Anabaptists believed, I'm struck by the ways that this
vision-the vision of a church of believers who come together to try
and live faithfully in peace remains core to who we are today.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This treasure is one that is deeply rooted in the DNA of our
congregation.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That
group gathering in January of 1975 had a lot of
difficult decisions to make in those early days-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Just for example, the name “The St.
Louis Mennonite Fellowship” was tricky- there was a vigorous debate
between church and Fellowship, before we decided Fellowship sounded
friendlier.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But organization followed organization,
and by the end of February, 1975 we had created a statement of
purpose. This is a treasure that we don't bring out too much anymore,
the membership covenant is our more common centering document, but I
thought it was fascinating when I read it again this week, so you get
to hear it too:
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />So listen to these words from our
past-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are a group which shares Christian
beliefs. Our purpose is discern and to follow Christ’s teachings in
our present situations. We propose to affiliate with one or more
Mennonite Church Conferences. We will meet for worship, discussion,
fellowship and service. Leadership responsibility will continue to be
shared by group members.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Along with this, there was a list of
Beliefs:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Believer’s Baptism: Baptism is an
outward sign that a person has made the decision to follow Christ.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Separation of Church and State: A
Christian obeys the state as long as this obedience does not conflict
with allegiance to Christ and His church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Pacifism: Christ taught us that we
should live in peace with all men. A Christian will do all in his
power to prevent harm to any person.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Church Discipline: Members of the body
of Christ have a responsibility for mutual support and admonition in
an effort to help each other realize more fully the life style of
Christ.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Separation from the World: We are aware
that following Christ’s teachings is not always in harmony with
contemporary culture. A Christian does not conform to contemporary
culture to the extent that it interferes with his life of commitment
to Christ.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
While this is not a document that we
use these days, I think this holds up quite well, 40 years later! In
fact, I think that these first values continue to shape us as a
congregation. We've grown and changed a lot, but these founding
principles still ring true.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Shared lay leadership is still key to
our structure, with LCG and congregational meetings driving our work,
and we still have a willingness to let people into the structures of
power. Believer's Baptism remains important to us-we preach that
Christianity is about our choice to embrace God, as well as God's
unconditional love for us. Pacifism continues to be a guiding
light-the violence embedded in the American system is a common
refrain in prayer and preaching. And we are still concerned that
contemporary culture conflicts with our commitment to Christ. And in
all these things we do together, we continue to try and live out
mutual support and encouragement, sharing meals and stories and
moving help and the like, as we try together to remain faithful to
Christ's calling in our lives.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Which brings me to the new
treasures-because I'm excited to see what the next 40 years has to
offer for SLMF, and how we're going to continue to live out the
vision that we have of the church-a community of believers who have
come together to try together to live faithfully in Christ's way of
peace in a world of violence.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I am excited about you all-the group of
people that God has called together in this place, and the ways large
and small that we are shaping together ourselves and the city of St.
Louis. We keep coming up with new treasures all the time-the church
song, fun church retreats, engaging Sunday School classes, service to
our community, caring for each other in times of grief. And I am
excited what treasures we will put together in the years to come.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are many things that will happen
in the world around us in the next 40 years-I expect the increased
secularization of society will continue to advance, we'll have to
figure out what that means for us. The polarization in our country
certainly could get worse before we figure out how to talk to one
another again. I hope our reluctance to get involved in partisan
politics serves us well. The challenges of global warming will be
much more evident in 2055 ago than they are now. I am curious how we
will adapt to the challenges ahead.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But I am confident that the vision that
we share, the treasures that we have received, and those that we pass
on will continue to hold us in good stead in the days to come. </div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-55831737395455903742014-09-19T10:33:00.001-07:002014-09-19T10:34:53.350-07:00Forgiveness is tricky Genesis 50:15-21, Romans 14:1-12, Matthew 18:21-35<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Greetings</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/rmbrndt_1655-1669/1655-69_images/prodigal_son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.rembrandtpainting.net/rmbrndt_1655-1669/1655-69_images/prodigal_son.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is good to gather in worship with
all of you this Sunday. I am feeling pretty energized today-it's
been an exciting week! I spent the last two days listening to
inspiring preaching and powerful teaching about the structures of
racial discrimination and institutionalized violence in our society.
It was a stretching experience- challenging both to my way of life
that comfortably enjoys the privileges of my whiteness, and also to
listen to people who sometimes said things that I really really
disagreed with, with some conspiracy theories and pseudo-scientific
nonsense, but I come away inspired to continue the work of social
transformation in a country that has not yet overcome it's sinful and
shameful history.
</div>
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</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Equally, I had a wonderful time at
retreat last weekend, and I hope that those of you who made it out
were also blessed by the cool weather, the good company, and Roland
Kuhl's reflections on the church as a mosaic and a parable that God
is speaking into the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have some work ahead of us,
collecting and collating the conversations we have had over the last
couple of months and turning them into a direct kind of proposal for
the congregation, and that is work we are going to do. But I decided
a week or two off from visioning will be good for me, and probably
for all of you as well.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Forgiveness is important.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So lets talk about
forgiveness. We have before us powerful stories-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Joseph, reunited
with his brothers after they betrayed him and sold him into slavery.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paul, encouraging
people at each other's throats fighting over essential theological
differences to get along.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And Jesus,
encouraging us to forgive seventy-times seven times. (or 490, for
those of us who do not have quite as much poetry in their souls).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And the Bible is
full of these kinds of powerful stories of forgiveness. Jacob,
reunited with Esau, The Prodigal Son are all stories of people
reuniting with one another. And even more are the stories of God's
forgiveness- The Old Testament can be summed up as a story of the
people abandoning God, experiencing the consequences, repenting and
asking for forgiveness, and being restored to the beloved community.
Jesus again and again told the people that he healed “your sins are
forgiven”, often without them ever vocalizing the request. And on
the cross he asked God, “Father forgive them, for they know not
what they do”.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So this is
something that we have to talk about.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Forgiveness is tricky</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But
forgiveness is tricky. It's no easy thing to imagine reuniting with
brothers who have sold you into slavery, or to be told that you have
to forgive others or you won't ever be forgiven by God. It's hard
not to remember old wounds, and it is very counter cultural to
suggest that you should let your brother torment you 77 times before
getting fed up.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And the way that we talk about
forgiveness can be a very dangerous thing-this is not solid ground on
which we walk.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have this image of
forgiveness-someone does something wrong to you, you tell them about
it, they feel bad, and say that they are sorry, and you forgive them,
and graciously allow them back into relationship.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But the world doesn't really work that
way.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tending relationships is almost an
infinitely complicated task. Anyone we know for more than a few years
and deal with in any kind of intimate way almost by definition will
collect a list of faults and challenges that is bound to drive us a
little bit nuts, sticking in the back of the mind and coloring our
relationships. The bitterness that can build up in families over a
lifetime can resonate from generation to generation. It is little
wonder that we tread so lightly on difficult subjects like politics,
religion, and race, for we know how long our memories are, and how
fraught the webs of relationships we weave.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't think that it is entirely a
coincidence that the biggest stories of forgiveness in the Bible take
place between people who have been separated for a long time-Jacob
and Esau, Joseph and his brothers, the prodigal son, these people
went away, and then came back. There was time for emotions to cool,
for memories to fade.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is in some ways easier to forgive
the one big thing than the stream of small annoyances that are the
frictions of everyday relationships between parents and children,
between spouses, between coworkers and brothers and sisters in the
church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Really, it is rare that this little
drama plays out like we'd wish, with one person clearly in the wrong,
one person clearly in the right, and both of them willing to ask for
and offer forgiveness, so that reconciliation and transformation
might occur. Most of the time, both sides are the aggrieved party,
and believe that they have been wronged, both sides want the other to
ask for forgiveness, and often suggest they do not owe anyone an
apology. After all, Forgiveness is tricky.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Forgiveness misused</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And Forgiveness can be misused.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sometimes the Biblical teaching on
forgiveness can feel like an attack when we aren't ready to forgive,
an outside pressure on deeply personal work, a aggressive attempt by
an adversary to use our theology to gain the upper hand in a struggle
that is not finished yet.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I know you have felt the temptation to
use forgiveness as an excuse to hold a grudge- that old playground
complaint, “they should forgive me! I've said I'm sorry!”
Forgiveness is dangerous.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And what is worse, the theology of
sometimes forgiveness is used as a weapon of abuse. In situations of
domestic violence, abusers will often beg for forgiveness after
beating up their spouses, eloquently pleading for another chance,
invoking the scriptures to justify their partner remaining in a
broken relationship. This a pattern of violence that should rightly
be horrifying for everyone. Forgiveness never requires staying in a
wounding relationship. Forgiveness is not a weapon.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I just spent two days remembering the
history of racial oppression in our society-the ways in which
whiteness and blackness were constructed in colonial America for the
purpose of domination and violence, the ways in which we continue to
treat black bodies as suspects and targets, and allow the judicial
system to treat them in ways we would never allow the bodies of white
children to be used. Did you know that about 1/3 of black men in
their 20's are under the supervision of the criminal justice system
in this country?-in prison, jail, on probation, or on parole. And
sometimes people suggest that we need a fresh start, from a racial
perspective, to let ancient history lie, that those are events of our
past, and that it is time for forgiveness.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I don't think I need to tell you that
this is a dangerous narrative-the powerful cannot demand forgiveness
from those they oppress. We may forgive, but while damage is still
apparent, there remains restitution to be made.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Forgiveness is essential</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But despite the
fact that forgiveness is tricky, and can be misused, and is really
really hard, I deeply believe in the value and power of forgiveness,
of letting our hearts heal, and not holding grudges. Forgiveness is a
promise, not a threat.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because when done well, forgiveness
means hope for those who are excluded, and second chances for all of
us, because we have all sinned and fallen short of God's call in our
lives.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The most powerful stories of
forgiveness I know are stories of victims and offenders reconciling.
In this process, crime victims talk with the perpetrators who harmed
them, explain the pain and suffering they experienced, and then the
criminals tell their stories, and ask for forgiveness for the wrongs
that they have caused.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When it works well, it can be life
giving and transformative for both parties-a chance to discover the
human in people that were previously enemies, a chance to let go of
old hurts and start fresh.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Equally, the power of programs like
Project COPE that welcome ex-offenders back into society is that they
are based on the power of forgiveness, the possibility of paying your
debt, and returning to health.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And one of the things that makes me
angriest about our society is the ways in which we prevent that from
happening-the casual ways that employers discriminate against
offenders, locking them out of many jobs, the difficulties our
partners have in finding housing and new communities that will trust
them. They have been marked permanently with the sins of their youth.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Big stories</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our stories of forgiveness this morning
are these kinds of big stories-these are not half-hearted examples of
forgiveness, momentary lapses quickly brushed over in long and
positive relationships, nor are they simply choosing not to grumble
out loud. These are hard choices, made to transform families and to
make all things new.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Joseph was sold into slavery by his
brothers, and was left alive only because of their sense of guilt. He
had not seen his father or mother for his entire adulthood, and when
his brother's appeared before him, he spent months torturing them,
threatening them with imprisonment and even death.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The story that we have this morning is
only the happy ending, when he gave up the charade, confessed his
status as their brother, and embraced them with joy.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Paul tells of the early battles in the
church between the strong and the weak, where sides were drawn up as
to how Christians were supposed to live in the world, and we know
that there is nothing more vicious than Christians who disagree with
one another about what God wants. Some said you can eat anything,
others avoided meat sacrificed to idols. Some said that you have to
keep the Sabbath holy, others said that all days were alike, and I'm
sure everyone told everyone else that they were going to hell. But
Paul's message is clear-who are you to pass judgment on the servants
of another? Who are you to decide for Jesus Christ who is one of his
worthy disciples? For a church that has been riven ever since with
schisms and arguments about what is and is not sin, in a Mennonite
Church threatening each other based on whether or not same sex
relationships are sinful, Paul's words still resonate: “welcome
those who are weak in faith, but not for the purpose of quarreling
over opinions.”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And finally our gospel story, where
Jesus tells a story where our choice to forgive, or not to forgive,
is at the heart of our salvation, the heart of what it means to be
Christian.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Peter asks Jesus, how often should I
forgive my brother or sister? Seven times? Which is already a
lot-that is far beyond an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
This is well beyond 'fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame
on me!' Peter is offering a week's worth of forgiveness, a sabbath
rest of resolution.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But Jesus says that is not enough- I
can just imagine him smiling, and saying no, no, my friend. Seven
times? You can find seven reasons to forgive a brother by breakfast.
70 times 7 times. Forgive again and again and again. Because letting
go of the sins of others is one of our key disciplines.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because
forgiveness as a life giving act- when we don't bear grudges, and
don't remember the faults of our brothers and sisters, we also set
down a burden that we didn't need to carry, and we give the chance
for new relationships and new life to flourish. When we practice
forgiveness well, we get a little more deeply in touch with the God
who prayed father forgive them from the cross, the God who will
always wait, arms open, for the prodigal son, will always sweep,
looking for the lost coin, will always welcome you home with love and
joy.
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
May it be so.</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-8916172875567118182014-09-01T10:49:00.003-07:002014-09-01T10:49:18.388-07:00Sermon for August 31<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning
friends!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is good to
gather in worship with all of you this Sunday.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope that this
day finds you well, and that you are enjoying the three day weekend.
Tomorrow I hope that you take time to honor labor day. It is a good
chance to remember the value of work, and the meaning it creates in
our lives, to remember the struggles of workers through history who
have fought for humane treatment from their employers and won things
like paid vacation, holidays, and regulated work weeks, to consider
the work yet to be done in improving conditions for workers, like
better parental leave, and to pray for those who are not able to find
work, or are not paid a reasonable wage for their efforts.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is the last
Sunday in our sermon series about visioning, before our retreat next
weekend. I'm excited about gathering with all of you to talk about
our work together with Roland Kuhl! It's going to be a fun weekend,
hopefully not too hot, and filled with good friends and good
conversation.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I wanted to start
this morning with a quick summary our work last Sunday, when we
talked about what priorities might be most important for us as a
church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We had lots of
good ideas, which I hope we unpack more, but three major themes
emerged out of our common reflections.
</div>
<ol>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
a focus on
children and youth-there was a sense that we have a wonderful
opportunity right now to expand our family friendly spirit, and work
on how we care for kids in our congregation.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A focus on
our neighborhood-working with the international institute or other
neighborhood groups or on our own to increase our connections with
this community.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A focus on
inter cultural connections in St. Louis, particularly with Bethesda
Mennonite Church.
</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, we had about
31 responses, and we've got about twice that many people in the
church, so I don't want to say that 'these are our projects'. This
will require some more reflections on how to move forward, which is
part of what we want to do next weekend. But I think it's an
interesting start.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And there are two
things I'll point out-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
First, I'm excited
that we hired Jennifer-we already said she was going to work on our
relationships in the neighborhood and to work with Christian
Education, particularly for children, and I feel like this indicates
a sense of self knowledge that is quite healthy.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And second, if you
put one of those goals down on your sheet, I'd encourage you to
consider how you might participate in this work in our congregation,
and strengthen our current efforts. Whether that's teaching Sunday
School or helping with youth group or cooking the peace meal or
coming to the yard sale or singing in the joint choir with Bethesda,
there are some good ways we are already engaged in this work. It is
my prayer that these thoughts might serve as fuel for our
conversation next week.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But today, I want
to take our thoughts in a little different direction. Last week our
question was 'what are we supposed to do?' Today, I'd like to reflect
on 'who we are called to be?' It's a subtle difference. After all,
our character is defined by our actions. But I think it is useful,
as we do our visioning, to think not just about what we are doing,
but how we are doing it.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i>The Gospel and
Our Culture Network </i>is a
Christian organization working to help churches find new ways of
being faithful in a changing culture. We know the changes that have
happened in the last few decades. There is modern communication
technology connecting us 24/7, a rapid decline of church attendance
in the United States, significant shifts in our public morality, and
other dynamics that have reshaped our culture at a remarkable rate.
And the church universal, as well as the church particular has to be
aware of and engaged with these trends. Many of the models that have
served the church well for generations seem to be less constructive
in our current context.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
as a way of thinking about how churches might successfully flourish
going forward in the 21<sup>st</sup>
Century, these scholars looked at churches doing good work, and asked
what ties them together? What are the characteristics that seem to be
bringing life?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
They
highligh<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">t
12, which I've included in the bulletin. They are all interesting,
and worth thinking about for us, but a list of 7 was already to many
last Sunday, so I'm not going to try and summarize them for you.
Instead, what I'm going to do is let you read them, and I'd like you
to think about which ones we are good at as a congregation (pick 1)
and which ones might be a growth area (1 again, if you can), and
that's what you can share when we break into small groups after the
sermon. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Instead
I'd like to reflect on this question of congregational character, or
personality. The Gospel and our Culture network does not outline
theological decisions that congregations were making that lead to
successful congregations-they found healthy churches in lots of
different traditions, from the most liberal to the most conservative.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
they did not outline programs our worship styles that led to
congregations flourishing-these congregations had all sorts of
different ministries, and lots of different ways of praising God.
There was no magic formula that made a congregation a success. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">No,
what these scholars found was that the congregations that were
healthiest demonstrated a set of character traits that applied to
different theological and practical ways of being church, they had a
personality that connected with neighbors and strangers in such a way
that people were drawn towards Jesus. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Now,
this isn't exactly a clean distinction-the trait of 'practicing
hospitality (number 9)' requires some particular tasks-welcoming
visitors, making it easy to navigate the unwritten congregational
rules, lots of easy ways to make deeper connections, things like
that. We have to demonstrate our personality, after all. You may say
you're friendly, but if you spend the whole party sitting in the
corner, no one else will notice. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
so I've been thinking about the personality that the church should be
trying to practice. And its sort of a tricky question. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Rachel and I had a
conversation last week about the events in Ferguson, and how hard it
is to speak well publicly in times of crisis. It is so easy to say
something that is perceived as rude or one-sided or mean, or cruel.
And the public dialogue can be so harsh-putting things on the
internet is asking to get yelled at, sometimes by people who actually
agree with you. Yet at the same time, it would be strange for the
church not to speak, to ignore the structural racism embedded in our
society that leaves so many out, to call for love and justice in our
relationships with the poor, and to invite everyone to practice peace
in times of conflict. to proclaim the gospel in the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or, as the Gospel
and our Culture Network would put it, we are trying to have a vital
public witness (11), to behave towards one another in a Christian way
(6), and to celebrate the diversity that God has put here on earth
(7). Which means that we find ourselves stumbling towards good ways
of speaking with one another, trying to listen well, and have open
ears and open hearts, while still being clear about where we stand
and what we believe in (2 and 12).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In our daily
lives, we're trying to have the personality of Jesus, and that's
something that we can do, regardless of what we believe, or where we
fall on the political or theological spectrum.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
that is part of what I see Paul getting at in Romans 12 this morning.
Paul isn't listing out programs. He isn't giving the church tasks
that fit in the 7 priorities. He's outlining a way of being in the
world-love that is genuine, prayers for those who persecute us, honor
others above ourselves, don't be proud, feed your enemies, these are
techniques that call for the nascent Christian community to try and
be a peculiar kind of people in attitude as well as in deeds.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And
that makes me think about parables. We often think of the parables as
instructions for practice-rules for living. But I think they make
sense most as instructions for being-for the personality we're trying
to live out. Stories like the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son, the
Labors in the Vineyard are filled with people acting in remarkable
ways, challenging what it means to be good people, pushing us to
think about a deeper understanding of love, justice, and real
relationship. They challenge us to get beyond priorities to the very
ways that we think about being human, think about who we are as a
church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So
too, then should we look at ourselves, and ask, what is our
personality as a congregation, and where might we want to push
ourselves a little bit, develop new traits and practices,
intentionally live out something new.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So
I'm going to invite you now to turn to your neighbors, in groups of
two and three, and reflect on the personality of SLMF, to pick out
some of the missional character traits that you think we do well, and
you think we might do well to work at, and we'll see what we come up
with.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Ready?
Begin!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">1.
Missional character trait: The missional church proclaims the Gospel.</span></span><br />
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Missional
character trait: The missional church is a community where all
members are involved in learning to become disciples of Jesus.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
Bible is normative for this church's life. It sets the standard for
our life as a people.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">4.
Missional character trait: The church understands itself as different
from the world because of its participation in the life, death, and
resurrection of its Lord.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">5.
Missional character trait: The church seeks to discern God's specific
missional vocation for the entire community and for all of its
members.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">6.
Missional character trait: A missional community is indicated by how
Christians behave toward one another.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">7.
Missional character trait: The members are engaged in a community
that practices reconciliation and embraces the diversity that God has
created here on earth.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">8.
Missional character trait: People within the community hold
themselves accountable to one another in love.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">9.
Missional character trait: The church practices hospitality.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">10.
Missional character trait: Worship is the central act by which the
community celebrates with joy and thanksgiving both God's presence
and God's promised future.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">11.
Missional character trait: This community has a vital public witness.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">12.
Missional character trait: There is a recognition that the church
itself is an incomplete expression of the reign of God.</span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.22in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-154283782025341472014-08-29T15:27:00.001-07:002014-08-29T15:27:20.243-07:00Seven Priorities Results<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Hello
friends, </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
wanted to share with you the results from our conversation last
Sunday. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I'll
summarize these in my sermon on Sunday, but I felt like our
thoughts centered on three subjects, with some great ideas that
didn't fit in the larger three. If you don't see your thoughts
represented here, let me know. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">One
thing I notice- we have some energy for the things that we hired
Jennifer for, which I find very exciting!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">If you have thoughts about how I've grouped these, or what might be missing, I'd love to know</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Children (Christian Formation)</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Put
more of a focus on Christian Formation</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Youth
can lead anytime they help. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Work
with children. Bloom where we are planted. Maybe have some joint
children's activity with Bethesda</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Christian
Formation for young children</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">Pay
more attention to our youth: more formal bible/theology education
would be so beneficial to help them understand what it means to be
"</span><span style="color: black;"><i>called
to learn and grow and breath and live into the image of Jesus", </i></span><span style="color: black;">and
to make an informed decision if that's what they really want to do.</span>
</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Race
Relationships (Intercultural Transformation)</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Race
Relations: Visible activity participate to bring people from north
and south. Kids program jointly with Bethesda</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Intentional
work on race relations.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">More
involvement with Bethesda</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Undoing
Racism and intercultural transformation</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Bethesda</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Race
Relations</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Improve
Race Relations, neighborhoods, and greater community.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Neighborhood
Work (Holistic Christian Witness)</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Talk
to Strangers on the streets every day. Get to know them. Stop passing
them up.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Our
church should make it a priority to get to know our neighbors. We
need to get out and talk with them. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Bringing
people in from neighborhood more intentionally for activities and
just to share.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Visitors</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Walk
around the neighborhood. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Make
connections with community we are in. Connect with International
Institute. Broaden from black/white to culture.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Work
alongside initiatives with international institute</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Focus
on neighborhoods and development</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Be
friends with the unchurched. Take a walk during Sunday Service time</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Misc</b></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Vertical
and Horizontal Relationships Coming together</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Refocus
on 1-2 ministries/activities per year. </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Are
we too scattered? Do we have good focus? Is it possible to identify
one or 2 to put energy into?Focus on growing in numbers</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Try
to live more like Christ</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Intentional
Community</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Reconciliation
requires leadership to implement</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Empowered
need to initiate the movement-reconciliation locally and nationally</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Creation
Care, simplicity prioritize</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Work
on being a powerful center for peace and healing in our community and
the world. </span>
</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-74344889600675564912014-08-24T20:41:00.001-07:002014-08-24T20:41:30.374-07:007 Priorities for the Church<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends,
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
it is good to gather in worship with
you this morning!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today we are picking up where we left
off a couple of weeks ago, working through some questions of church
vision on our way to retreat. By the way, have you signed up for
retreat yet? Jennifer has the sign up sheet for this Sunday, and we'd
love to get names nailed down this Sunday so that we can get meals
formalized!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This morning, we're moving from
examination to evaluation, from what is to what might be. For the
next two weeks, I'd like to think about what we might want to do
differently as a congregation, and the question for you at the end of
the sermon today is this: “are there ways you'd like to see us live
out our missional priorities better?”
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Or, I put it in my original outline,
“What are we called to do?”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The vehicle I want to use to help us
consider this question is the <i>Purposeful Plan for Mennonite Church
USA</i>. Mennonite Church USA over the last several years has been
working on it's own strategic plan-a list of what we want to do, and
why. I really enjoy this document, and the whole thing is available
on the web if you're interested-it's enough for a serious book study.
I won't try and go through the whole 25 pages! Instead, there are two
parts I want to use for our reflections over the next two weeks.
Today, we're going to reflect on the 7 priorities that the Mennonite
Church has chosen for itself, the sense of the larger tasks where we
ought to be putting our time and energy. Next week we're going to
think a little bit about process, rather than content, and look at 12
traits of a Missional Congregation, and reflect on how we live those
out in St. Louis. I'm hoping that these tools might help us as we
think about what we might want to do together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So today-the 7 priorities. I've put a
little summary of each of these priorities in the bulletin, you may
have seen them last week as well. You can pull it out and follow
along. These don't map perfectly over what SLMF is doing-the
priorities of a denomination do not always line up with the
priorities of the local congregation, that's natural. But hopefully
they will get you thinking about the ways we should be framing the
tasks we are going to choose for ourselves, and thinking about what
it is most important to be working towards.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And what I'd like to do is explain each
of the 7 priorities, and follow it with a question I'm curious about
for us going forward.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first priority is Christian
formation. As Christians, as a church, our first task is to get
closer to God. We are not static objects, fixed in place. We are
called to learn and grow and breath and live into the image of Jesus.
The Bible is filled with stories of growth-Jacob reconnecting with
Esau, Joseph reuniting with his brothers, Jonah, learning from his
mistakes, Paul transformed on the Damascus Road. So too are we called
to become something new in the image of Christ, through prayer and
worship and study and conversation and practicing things that are
difficult or frightening.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
what I wonder is this- Are we being well formed? Is there anything we
might do together to help in our formation? </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
second priority is Christian Community. We cannot be fully faithful
by ourselves. We are supposed to tell our stories, unpack our
understandings, reach out to one another. We are called to be a
community of believers, extending hospitality, practicing unity and
faithful relationships. Whether that is practicing medation with
John Doggette, joining with others in cooking the peace meal, or
sharing in potluck, we are called to be together, not Christians on
our own. Facing a world filled with temptations, struggles, and
violence, it is in the support of friends, of brothers and sisters in
Christ that we learn to flourish. </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
I wonder-Do we foster community well? Is there more we should say to
one another? </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
Third priority is Holistic Christian Witness. We do not just exist
for ourselves, and for one another. The church exists for the sake of
the world. As God said to Abraham, “through you all the nations of
the world will be blessed.” This is a very big task-everything
from proclaiming peace in a world of violence to feeding the hungry
and inviting people to experience the love of God in Christ. It is
the heart of the work of the church. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em> </em>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">And
here I wonder-is our witness properly integrated into the work of the
church? Do we do enough outside these walls together? </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Now,
you may have noticed that these first three closely parallel the core
tasks that we have claimed for ourselves as a congregation in our
covenant that we wrote together. We are called to discipleship
individually, collectively, and to the community. This is not a
coincidence. And we could be done here. But Mennonite Church USA
picked a few more important tasks that they wanted to highlight, and
as we try and focus our energy, I think it's interesting to think
about what else is important to achieve together, beyond the big
three in order for our common life together to be fully in line with
God's calling. So these are a little bit more for comparison's sake,
though they are also things we could put more energy into. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">The
fourth priority is </span></span></span></span></em><strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stewardship.
</span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">All
that we have is God's. We are but guests in this world, and we are
called to remember who really owns our stuff. Thus, in a world of
hunger and poverty, we are called to be generous with our resources.
And in a world where environmental degradation is threatening the
flourishing of our children, we must pay attention to the earth we
have been given. We are to be generous people with one another and
with those who are in need. </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
I wonder-is this a priority that we should spend more time on? Our
budget usually works out pretty well, and we have offering every
Sunday. Are there different ways we should encourage generosity, or
work for environmental sustainability?</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Number
5 is Leadership Development.</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">We
are all called to leadership at some level, in the church, at work,
at home, and in the broader community. I'm excited that Jennifer is
going to get to stretch her pastoral gifts in our midst, and we're
always looking for people to serve on committees, as chairs, and on
LCG. Actually, I think one of our strengths as a congregation is a
leadership structure that is open to new people. I have always been
amazed at how people who have been part of the church for 20 or 30
years are comfortable seeing things change and develop as new members
come in and are woven into the fabric of the community. Of course,
we could also say that one of our weaknesses is that we can
overburden people with leadership-it's hard to be a bump on a log at
SLMF without someone tapping you to do something!</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
I wonder, do we develop leaders well? Do we equip the people we call
to do the work appropriately?</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Number
6 is Undoing Racism and Advancing Intercultural Transformation</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">We've
seen a stark example of the divisions in our society over the last
few weeks in Ferguson. Both the economic differences and different
understandings of how the world works between blacks and whites has
been demonstrated in sharp relief. And it is my prayer that we as
Christians might be peaceful emissaries, reaching out to everyone
with words of hope and transformation, learning how to reach form
ourselves into bridges that reach across cultural divides. </span></span></span></span></em>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">But
I wonder-</span></span></span></span></em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Should
we do more to become anti-racist as a congregation, and if so, what?</span></span></span></span></em></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-style: normal;">Finally,
the last priority: </span></span></span></span></em><strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Church-to-Church
Relationships</span></span></span></span></strong></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For
MCUSA this means engaging with other Anabaptists, like Mennonite
Church Canada, the Church of the Brethren and the Mennonite Brethren,
but it also means getting connected with people who are very
different, like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the
Church of God in Christ. For us, I think about our connections with
Illinois Mennonite Conference, and camp Mennohaven, as well our work
with Isaiah 58, or Metropolitan Congregations United, or the Peace
Meal, and our relationship with Bethesda, and the congregations that
rent our building. Each of these relationships is something we could
spend more time on, or less time on, depending on how we hear God
calling us. </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And
I wonder, how should we be in relationship with other congregations? </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">So
that's what the denomination is supposed to be about these days. But
these are not just tasks-they are a rubric to discern action. So for
Mennonite Church USA, there is a list of what we are doing in each of
these areas. You might remember the 12 scripture project we did a
couple of years ago, collecting 12 scriptures that really spoke to us
as a congregation. That was sparked as a part of Christian Formation.
Or you may remember that Jennifer Harris-Dault went to the women
doing theology conference, All You Need is Love, which was part of
our leadership development initiative. </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />And
that's what I'd be curious about from you today. Are there ways we
should be living out God's mission in a new way? Are there things
you'd like us, as a congregation to consider? Or, which of these
priorities would you like us to focus more on, and why, and what
might that look like? </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">I've
passed out note cards, because now I'd like some notes, some thoughts
about where we might be called in a new way because of the priorities
that we have already claimed. And the way I want you to do this is as
follows: Get in a small group, either two or a few more, and then
write down the other person's suggestion (or go in a triangle or
square, as necessary). And then we'll pass them in during the
offering time. And what I'd like is two things-1) What is the
priority you'd like to see us work on, and then 2) a specific way you
might be interested in see us live that out together. </span></span></span></span></strong>
</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-34647783350379989152014-08-19T15:00:00.003-07:002014-08-19T15:00:55.443-07:00Prayers for Ferguson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends.<br />It is good to
gather in worship with all of you this morning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I had a whole different sermon planned
for this week, and it's mostly written, but you're not going to get
to hear it until next week, when we'll pick up our conversation about
visioning. I decided that it was better to talk about the events in
Ferguson.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I decided to change directions after
one of those odd little God moments that sometimes happen.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Thursday evening I was here at
church, rather than at the protest march in Ferguson, where I really
wanted to be, because we hosted a wedding here yesterday, and I was
making sure everything was set up for the rehearsal, and I locked up
after they were done. I was a little grumpy about it, you know that
kind of 'hrumph, I could be doing something socially active and more
useful, or at least hanging out at home with Rachel and Jonah' kind
of feelings.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But before we got started, the bride,
Deneen, pulled me aside, and thanked me for being a gracious host.
She said that it had been a hard week, and I asked her why, and she
explained that some of her good friends lost a son in Ferguson over
the weekend. She wondered if I had heard of Michael Brown.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I learned that she knows the Brown
family well. That she had to shut down her Facebook account this
week, because of how much stress it was causing her on her wedding
week, and how much she hurt for her friends. And I was reminded that
we are connected, in unexpected ways with one another. And it was
pretty clear at that point were I was supposed to be for the evening.
And I am honored that we all, the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship,
were able, in our own small way, to be of comfort to someone in need.
A privilege we were given because we have been willing to
inconvenience ourselves, and open our building to the community where
we live, even when it's a bother.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Faced with a world with so much
violence and pain, it is important for all of us to inconvenience
ourselves for the sake of the Gospel.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So this morning, I want to lift up
Ferguson, and the city of St. Louis, and the police departments of
our city and our county, and reflect on who we are called to be and
what we are called to do in these times of unrest and concern, and to
invite God's presence in to our hearts today.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The events of the past week probably do
not need repeating, but it seems fair to remember them together
anyway.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Saturday afternoon, a Ferguson
Police officer, Darren Wilson, shot and killed Michael Brown, an
unarmed 18 year old resident of Ferguson.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Which was tragedy enough, adding to a
list of moments in our society where Police officers have used their
authority to wield deadly force to end the lives of unarmed people.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But in the days that followed, Michael
Brown's killing went from a tragedy to a national circus, garnering
the attention of everyone from the president on down, leading to
protests around the nation, with a signature posture-raising hands in
the sign of surrender, and the slogan 'hands up, don't shoot!'.
Last Sunday night, dramatic protests in Ferguson escalated into
looting, and left a Quick Trip smoldering. In the nights to come,
the police response escalated to tanks, snipers, rubber bullets, and
tear gas, and things got so tense that Governor Jay Nixon intervened
on Thursday, changing the chain of command, and reduced the
militarized tactics. After a peaceful night on Thursday, tensions the
last few nights have remained high, with some sporadic looting, and a
curfew imposed yesterday. And so we wonder, gathered today, what will
happen next. Whether things will continue to calm. What will happen
to the police officer involved. Whether anything will change in our
city. And I also wonder what this means for me. About what I'm
supposed to think about these events, and what I'm supposed to do
going forward.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I don't think there are certain
answers to the questions we face. I don't want to pretend like I know
what happened on Saturday afternoon, or to suggest that it's clear
what our nation or local government should be doing in terms of law
enforcement, and I don't want to speak to much for people who aren't
me-to say 'the police should be doing 'x' or the governor should be
doing 'y', or even 'all Christians should be doing 'z'. But I also
feel like the church has something to say about Ferguson. Actually,
there are lots of things we could say about Ferguson, but there are
two I'd like to focus on.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first is this:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We don't know what happened for sure
last Saturday. But we do need to continue to say that our society is
shaped by patterns of injustice.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is easy enough for me, as a white
middle class man, to become complacent about the system of justice in
the United States. If I am in trouble, I can call the police, and
they will be very helpful, regardless of what story I bring to them.
If I go to court, I can trust that people will listen to me, and
treat me with respect.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But that is not the justice system that
many people, particularly black people and poor people experience in
our country. Their relationship with the legal system is much more
combative, a place of discrimination and fear, where you can get in
trouble for things you didn't do, and have no recourse but to submit
to the system.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In St. Louis County, you are much more
likely to be pulled over if you are black than if you are white,
despite police finding more contraband in the vehicles of white
people than black people. In the United States, as a black person,
you are much more likely to be arrested for the same crime as a white
person, and put away for a longer period of time. You are much more
likely to face an aggressive arrest, and rude or even violent
treatment from a police officer. Over the last decade, on average 2
black men were killed by police very week.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And we can talk about why this
happens-how mistrust of the police becomes a self fulling prophecy,
how dangerous neighborhoods lead to police offers who treat everyone
they meet as a potential threat, how white people with political
power push harder on the issues that matter to them, and give less
attention to injustices that are not quite as germane to their lives,
so that unbalances develop between wealthy and poor areas, but the
end result is that our justice system discriminates on the basis of
the color of your skin, and God weeps at that reality.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I remember, this week, that Jesus'
run-ins with law enforcement looked a lot more like how black people
in our country experience the police than how I do.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus told stories about the law.
About how unjust judges will ignore your pleas for justice, unless
you badger them so mercilessly that they decide it's easier to give
you what you want than keep resisting. How Pharisees sit in Moses'
seat, but hold hypocrisy in their hearts, white washed tombs who
ignore the needs of the widow and the orphan. About how police will
force you to carry their packs along the way, and you may want to
offer a second mile, as a subversive way of challenging their casual
dehumanization. And of course, it was the legal system of his day
that arrested him, tried him, beat him, humiliated him, and crucified
him.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are stories of good Centurions in
the Bible-Luke tells of a Centurion who trusted Jesus to heal his
servant without even coming to lay hands on him, and Cornelius taught
Peter that “Nothing is unclean that God has declared Clean” but
on the whole, law enforcement, while it kept the peace in ancient
Israel, was an uneasy burden.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So as we think about what it means to
be church in a country with such wounded systems, I hope that we
reflect on what it meant for Jesus to break the rules, and stand in
solidarity with the prisoner and the outcast.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But there is another story I want to
reflect on before we close this morning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because the story of the dynamics
between protestors and the police in some ways has gotten more
attention than the killing of Michael Brown.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last Sunday night, there was looting
and destruction of property, and in response Ferguson began to
escalate their police presence. And like many of you, I was stunned
by the images of police charging unarmed protestors with their hands
up, of pastors with rubber bullet wounds on their bodies, of snipers
and tanks on the streets of our city.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I've been thinking about the gospel of
peace that we proclaim.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Because there are a lot of people who
are trying to look like Jesus in this moment.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On Thursday, I got to sit with
community leaders planning how to insert themselves in a fraught
situation, wanting to work with protestors clamoring for justice and
guide them in the way of peace, and wanting to work with the
government and law enforcement, and to demand justice and a
demilitarization of the police response, and I heard them again and
again call for God's justice and God's peace to dwell on our city.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I have watched some of the videos
of pastors and alder-people like Antonio French who have dwelt with
protestors until all hours of the night, encouraging peace and calm,
and I've been inspired by their courage, and I've wondered what that
kind of calling might look like for me.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I have watched how the tensions
ebbed and flowed over the week, from the fierce conflict on Wednesday
to the calm of Thursday evening when Highway patrol captain Ron
Johnson, a Ferguson native, went so far as to lead the protest march
and talk with many people who faced tear gas and rubber bullets the
night before, to the uneasy back and forth on Friday and Saturday
nights, with increased police presence and sporadic clashes late at
night, and watching all of this, I've felt like we can see all the
complicated nature of humanity-struggling to find the right way
forward in a time of uncertainty, where there are no panaceas, no
easy ways to make things right, but people on all sides are
struggling to find a way forward together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And so I've been thinking about the
gospel call-to be clear about what we believe-discrimination is
wrong, and that violence is not the answer. And to be clear about who
we are- that we can be community, even in times of trouble, if we are
willing to be present to those who are in need, and that we can
embark on the long struggle of justice together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I've been thinking about what we
can do together. I expect many of you feel a certain sense of
powerlessness in the face of all of this. I'm going to join in prayer
this evening with our neighbors at St. John's Episcopal Church at
5:00, and I'd love to see some of you there. And I'm going to help
the clergy coalition on Monday as they help connect with students
going back to Normandy High School, but I hope that we as a
congregation keep our eyes and our ears open to see how we might push
for justice in a broken world, and seek peace in times of violence.
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In the name of Christ, Amen</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-36368862667371099282014-08-10T15:48:00.001-07:002014-08-10T15:48:55.746-07:00How did we Get Here?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Deuteronomy 6:4-9</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Isaiah 46:9-11</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is great to gather in worship with
you all, I hope that this Sunday morning finds you well.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We're in week 3 of our summer sermon
series about our common vision as part of the SLMF community, as
we're trying to think about who we are, and where we are going.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last week, you may remember, we talked
about who we are as a congregation-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
how we live out our calling to be
disciples of Jesus Christ, in our own lives, in the church community,
and in the world in which we live.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We had the opportunity to talk a little
bit about what works for us at SLMF, and what works a little less
well, and those conversations are already bearing fruit-you might
notice a more significant introduction for our guests, Peter and Liz,
and Ganesh and the Nepali praise group in the bulletin, which came
from a request for more details and a warmer written welcome for the
people who come join us in worship.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you have other things you'd like to
share, or particular thoughts that have sprung up, let me know!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, we're talking about history.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of my two majors in undergrad was
history, so I'm a big believer that it is in the stories of our past
that we learn about where we should go in the future. The successes
and mistakes that we make shape who we are, and are the best
instructors going forward.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is a deeply Biblical idea as well.
The Bible is a history book-the story of God's relationship with the
people of Israel over many generations. And we are all called to
remember that history, to tell it well. To write it on the door posts
of our houses, and on our gates, as our text this morning phrases it.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The question I will be asking you in a
couple of minutes is this: how did you get to SLMF? And what stories
do you want us to remember?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But before we get there, I want to tell
the story of the Saint Louis Mennonite Fellowship.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now I've only been here 7 years, so I
don't have all the stories, but I've read Michelle Weaver-Kaufman's
history of the congregation (It's fascinating, if you haven't looked
at it) and I've talked with founding members and long time members a
lot-actually, Leo and Mary Kay Kreider, two of our founding members
are here today, and I think Mary Kay brought some pictures from the
founding of the church if you'd be interested in some records of
those first days after the service. But anyway, I'll do the best I
can.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />I'd like to start with Deuteronomy
26:5. My father was a wandering Aramean. We could start with the Big
Bang, but I think it's better to say that the journey of SLMF begins
with the history of the people of Israel-Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
coming to know God, and goes through Moses, the burning bush, and the
ten commandments on Sinai, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah, and the
history of the Jewish people through war and exile and return, up to
the time of Jesus, when the teachings of a dusty prophet, and his
miraculous resurrection on Easter sparked a global movement called
Christianity, where disciples joined his original mission and spread
the good news of God's love through the world. That is our community.
Our somewhat more specific theological heritage comes from another
group of ragtag misfits, who faced down dominate churches in Europe
tied to the violent governments of their time, and insisted that God
had in mind a different kind of kingdom, and started baptizing one
another and refusing to go to war. After facing pretty intense
persecution from those who disagreed, Anabaptists spread through
Europe and eventually to the United States, where they found a home
for religious liberty, and settled down to farm in rural areas around
the country. But after some time, they began to move to the cities,
where there was work to be done, and people in need of help.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And so, Forty-two years ago, Fern and
Barry Heib came to St. Louis for Voluntary Service, and organized a
book study of Harold Bender's <i>Anabaptist Vision</i>
for people who might be interested in being Mennonite. Three years
later, meeting in Edgewood Children's center in a small room with a
big dog, the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship was formed. Soon after,
we called our first pastor-Leland Harder, and things were off and
running. By the way, that first worship service was 40 years ago this
January. We're probably going to want to do something nice!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So
that's where we come from. What have we done since our beginning?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, we could tell a LOT of stories
about the group of people called the St. Louis Mennonite Fellowship,
and what God has done with us over the last 40 years. I'll keep
myself to a couple that I think are important.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our Mennonite identity is an important
part of our story. We were founded by looking for people who 'grew up
Mennonite' and came to St. Louis for work, or to get away from the
restrictions of the farm, or to do service. When they arrived they
wanted to form a comfortable theological and cultural home where they
could be family together, creating a different kind of community, and
this is both a great blessing, and a challenge to us as a
congregation.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There are stories of family-a community
to belong to when extended family is far away, a respite for people
exhausted by the culture of the city. Our church song, which we are
singing today, and which we wrote when we moved into this building
speaks of our 'Fellowship Family journeying on”. So there are
family stories-the Mennonite Moving company chipping in to help
people relocate from place to place. Dancing at Cheeze and Peppy's
wedding, annual retreat volleyball and soccer games, trips with
fellow church members for service and play. I have so many stories
of you being family to me-probably none more poignant than those who
came to visit and celebrate Jonah's birth just over a year ago now.
These are stories of building community, and sustaining and
strengthening ourselves. Looking back, a large number of families in
the fellowship have adopted children over the years, and this sense
of creating and sustaining families on purpose I think has been an
important part of our history.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And this common family strengthens us
for our mission-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We have lots of stories of service in
the city. We're celebrating our wonderful Voluntary Service Unit
this morning. We give thanks for the joy that Allison, Justice, and
Nick have brought to our community, and to our city! And this is a
pattern that has held for many years. We were founded by VSers, and
many people here this morning participated in those programs.
Edgewood Children's Center, Habitat for Humanity, Plowsharing Crafts,
the Peace Center, and many other agencies around St. Louis have been
strengthened by our work. We have been a people of service, who care
a lot about the work of God in the community.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But there is a shadow side to this
focus on family-it can be hard to break into a family, sometimes.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We've worked hard to integrate 'new
Mennonites' into our midst. From the beginning, there were members
who weren't 'born Mennonite', though they were often married to
people who were. Over the years, we've found many Catholic and
evangelical people who found something new in our midst, but the
hymns we sing, the missions we support, and the theology we preach
reflects that founding DNA, and I've heard from many that the feeling
of being an outsider can remain for a long time.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And our relationship with Bethesda over
the years speaks to this dynamic as well, I think. Bethesda, our
sister congregation, is older than we are, but many of the Mennonites
moving to St. Louis were not attracted to their more conservative
theology and the black church worship style, and the cultural
differences that come with a largely African American congregation.
We were founded with the blessing of Bethesda, but over the years the
relationship has often been off and on, with many from both
congregations considering it to much trouble, and we continue to
struggle with creating and sustaining deep and faithful relationships
that have the strength to combat our society's casual racism with our
brothers and sisters in North City.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And that sense of family has led to a
bit of a sense of us against the world. We've always seen ourselves
as a little bit on the margins, both in the church and in the city.
When I came to SLMF, there was a congregational story that it was
hard to get pastors to come to the edge of the Mennonite world, to
the big city. When conference leaders come, one of the questions for
them is often what is the conference going to do because of our
progressive theological positions? Did you know that SLMF, near the
beginning, wrote it's own Confession of Faith along with the
membership covenant? We wanted to know what we believed as a family.
And we are also marginal in the city-a community that cares about
peace in a world of violence, a small group in a big pond, and for
most of our history we were a renting congregation-a pilgrim people,
with no fixed abode, guests in someone else's building. This is not
the land flowing with milk and honey, exactly, but it was a
significant moment when we set down roots here, six years ago.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I could go on, but I'm sensitive that
you have more of the stories that need telling than I do. I want to
know how our stories intersect. Each of us has stories.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So what I'd like you to do now is break
into small groups, and tell some of your stories. It would be great
if you get with people who have been around for a different length of
time than you-new comers and old timers, young and old sharing
stories. And tell stories that matter-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What are your stories that you don't
want to have forgotten? What do you remember about how you got
connected to the fellowship, or when you knew you really belonged?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Guests and Visitors should talk about?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We'll take 6 minutes again, 3 per
person, and I'll try to keep you moving. I hope you hear some tales
you have not heard before, and learn something new about who we are
together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Alright, pick partners, and begin!</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-67916706008286429312014-08-03T20:32:00.000-07:002014-08-03T20:32:03.775-07:00Who are We, Right Now?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%202">James 2:14-18</a></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.17in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Sermon</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This Sunday, we're on week two of
reflecting on our congregational vision. Last week, you may
remember, I reflected on our task: evaluating the ways we are
spending time and energy, and see if there are things we should be
doing differently, new things we might try, and old things we might
let go. We aren't going to try and reinvent SLMF, but we are going
to try and talk together about who we are, and who we might be in the
next couple of years.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We are focusing on 5 questions in the
next 5 weeks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Who We Are Right Now? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2) How did we Get Here?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
3) How should we be?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
4) What should we do?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
5) And finally, How can
I help?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Today, I want to reflect on who we are
right now.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Church scholars often talk about a
congregation's 'lived theology'-how the things we say and do
communicate our understanding of God's will. I picked this passage
from James, because I think he captures so well that understanding
that our actions demonstrate our beliefs.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The lived theolog<span style="color: black;">y
project, based off of Detrick Bonhoffer's work, phrases it this way: </span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.27in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">“<span style="font-size: small;">properly
interpreted, the lived experiences of faith are communicative not
only of a religious community’s collective self-understanding but
of modes of divine presence as well.” </span></span><span style="color: black;">
(</span><span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.livedtheology.org/overview/"><span style="color: black;">http://www.livedtheology.org/overview/</span></a></u></span></span><span style="color: black;">)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.27in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">In
other words, our actions express what we believe, and they express
the image of God in our midst.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 0.27in; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;">So
that's what I'd like to engage for us this morning-who do we say God
is when we gather? What kind of community are we? What do we believe
in? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But before jumping in-a caveat or two.
These are just my observations, and they are brief. You will have
your own, which you will get to share at the end of my sermon. We
will divide into groups of 2 and have short conversations with one
another as well. Also, I offer these purely as observations, and
basically positive ones! I promise that I'm coming with the
perspective of 'look what these beloved children of God have created
here!' not with any major concerns about who we are as a
congregation. No church can do everything well, and there are
strengths and weaknesses to all our choices. I want to describe what
is, today.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyway, with that start, what is our
lived theology?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lets start with our membership
covenant. This is a document that each member of the congregation
signs every year, as a way of claiming participation in our little
community. The covenant doesn't fully encapsulate who we are, but I
think it's a good way to start.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At a very meta level, having a
membership covenant says 'membership is not a one time
commitment-membership is a regular ritual, a daily choice to be part
of this community.' Our covenant speaks to the Anabaptist value of
choice. SLMF is a community of people who gather on purpose. Our
membership covenant also speaks to a bit of a rebellious streak-a
willingness to experiment in church structure, embracing being a
little different than the most traditional of church structures.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I notice our consensus decision making
process here too. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, our
congregation does not vote. At congregational meetings, we have a
consensus process, where proposals come from Committees through the
LCG, and then at a whole congregation gathering, we test the spirit
of the room, allowing every person to speak into the proposals that
are brought to the floor if they choose, and giving each member the
authority to break consensus, and send things back for more
discernment. This speaks to a high level of trust in one another,
and a commitment to a 'different' way of being church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But I shouldn't get stuck at the meta
level! Within the document, we outline three tasks for the church
member-personal discipleship, faith community discipleship, and
earthly community discipleship.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We might call it a three-fold calling,
and we try to practice each of these goals.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tending our personal relationship with
God is the focus of our primary collective practice: Sunday morning
worship. Like most churches through most of history, the most
significant way that we are visible is by gathering here, on Sunday
morning, lifting our voices in prayer and praise.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our worship does a lot of work-we have
a blend of music styles, both traditional hymns and newer music, but
little contemporary praise music, aiming to serve a number of
traditions. We use volunteer music leaders, worship leaders,
scripture readers, and actors, which means that participating in
worship is part of how we practice spiritual development. But that
also means a low formality service, and the 'flow' is not as clean as
in some church styles. We have more talking, by a lot of different
people, which speaks to a commitment to full participation. We have
some significant rituals-communion, child dedication, baptism, that
focus on our relationship with God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Christian Education is the other way we
work on personal discipleship, seeking to encourage adults and
children in their walk with Jesus.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our children's activities are
significant. Our Sunday School program takes the time and energy of
about 1/3 of our adult members, and worship is very much open to
children-we have Children's time, a children's Christmas program, and
a high congregational tolerance to background noise. At the same
time, it means that for the most part, church is only a limited
respite for parents-it's a a time to keep track of young ones, to
teach Sunday School, to be fully engaged in the parenting world. One
of the things I want us to consider is how we do this important work
well.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I also notice that there are not many
activities outside of Sunday morning focused on personal
discipleship-our small groups generally do not explicitly engage
faith formation, and while I know many of us have personal devotional
practices, like the Rejoice Daily Devotional that MennoMedia puts
out, or other prayer and Bible study practices, we don't really have
collective efforts in that direction.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I am curious how you practice your
personal relationship with God, and whether you feel like we are
doing a good job of faith formation together.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second step is faith community
discipleship-our relationships with one another.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here I think of the work of Hospitality
committee-regular potlucks, Guess who's coming to dinner, play group
for kids, wedding showers, baby quilts, and other social events. I
also think about pastoral care-LCG members who write notes to people
in need, our visitation ministries, and the congregational prayer
every Sunday. It is not unique to our congregation to have a
congregational prayer every Sunday, where we share our joys and
concerns with one another, but it is a significant marker that we
care about personal relationships within the church.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think of our church retreat-we take a
weekend every year to gather together, and our church retreat has a
higher attendance percentage of any church I know of-we are invested
in being together.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think of our organizational system
itself-the finance committee and building committee that have put so
much energy into making sure that the structure of the church
flourishes. We have a style of 'informal professionalism' where the
systems are designed to serve us well, and stand the test of time,
but are pretty flexible, and we sometimes discover things that have
fallen through the cracks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This kind of community is something
that we have put some energy into in the last year, between Midweek
Mennos, a prayer E-mail chain, and small groups, we have been finding
new ways to connect to one another as we have grown as a
congregation, and have felt some stretching in our previous patterns.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I might ask, how do you want to
share with your neighbors in the pews? Are you well enough connected?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Finally, we have relationships with the
world-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
and here I think of the work of Peace
and Service Committee and our other outreach efforts. We have quite a
hodgepodge of missional activities-collecting offerings for Isaiah 58
Ministries, cooking the Peace Meal 6 times a year, The Church rummage
sale and fall festival, our work with Metropolitan Congregations
United, A Project COPE Team, City on a Hill, MCC Meat Canning,
Community Mediation Services with the Peace Center, our relationship
with Plowsharing Crafts, and the educational and prayer work we do
with Peace Candle and Birthday Offering every Sunday. And I would
also include the discipleship we practice as individuals, outside of
the formal structure of the church. Each one of us has ministries we
participate in, from caring for neighbors to rehabing houses, to
recycling and putting up solar panels, to feeding starving children
in Africa. Doing the work of God in the world is clearly very
important to all of us.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the same time, I notice that, as I
described it, our mission is something of a hodgepodge. Most of the
ministries we do have a subset of the congregation participating in
them. In general, 5-10 of us, more or less. There are not many things
that we all do together. Which speaks to another unspoken theology-
we give people the freedom to practice their own calling, and will
celebrate the work of people in the congregation, but we don't all
need to be participants-could not all be participants in every
ministry that we do together. These ministries are also aimed more at
service than invitation-we don't have many explicit ways of inviting
new people to see the great things we are doing-we're a little shy
that way, and efforts like greeters don't really have a formal home
in our congregational structure.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, I could go on-my first list of
what to put in this sermon kept going. But I think I've hit the
highlights of who we are as a congregation-if I've forgotten anything
major I'm going to be a little embarrassed! Instead, I'd like to turn
it over to you, for that one on one conversation that I promised
earlier. I'd like you to turn to a neighbor, hopefully someone not
sitting in the same pew as you (unless it is your child). And I'd
like you to spend 3 minutes each answering 2 questions-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Question:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
1) What aspect of how SLMF does church
is your favorite? What really works for you?
</div>
<ol start="2">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
What aspect of our identity can
you imagine improving or growing as a congregation, or for yourself?</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-66280997313611301412014-08-03T14:49:00.001-07:002014-08-03T14:49:01.111-07:00Why do visioning?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+12%3A29-31&version=NIV">Mark 12:29</a>
<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=romans+12%3A2&version=NIV">Romans 12:2 </a><br />
<br />
SLMF is beginning a summer sermon series on visioning. I wanted to include my sermons here so people who miss out can read them if they are interested.<br />
<br />
You might be curious why we're starting a conversation about vision today, which is a fair question. Let me tell you! Last spring, we had two significant congregational conversations going at the same time.<br />
<br />
The Building Committee reflected on our building-whether the space we meet fits our needs now, and will into the future. They put together a wonderful report that you should read you haven't already, it is a really useful document. The very quick summary is that we think the church building basically serves our needs now, and will likely serve our needs for the next 5-10 years, unless we have significant congregational growth-basically doubling in size. In that case, we might need to consider moving buildings or some sort of expansion at our current location, like reformatting our sanctuary.<br />
<br />
At the same time, we spent time talking about whether to hire Jennifer Harris Dault as our associate pastor. This was a choice to stretch ourselves financially and spiritually, with the hopes of bringing her gifts to the congregation, so that we might expand our ministry and strengthen our momentum. At the last business meeting, we decided to step out in faith, and see if she, and we, could raise the money to allow her to expand ministry in the congregation. She is hopeful that she will hit her target before the August 15th goal.
<br />
<br />
And while these were both very good conversations, another theme came up as we talked about our building and about our staffing needs-
The theme was this- it is hard to answer questions about staffing and space without knowing who we want to be as a congregation-without knowing where we are falling short, what new things we might do, and what old things we might let go of. A number of us mentioned that it felt like we needed to check in with one another about where we felt God calling in our congregational life.
And that made sense to me, and it made sense to LCG, so that's what we're going to do now!<br />
<br />
At our congregational retreat at Cuivre River State park the weekend after Labor Day-actually, speaking of retreat, I hope it's on everyone's calendars-it's free for all, and is always a wonderful time! Anyway, at retreat, we are bringing in<a href="http://www.northsuburban.org/about/congregation.html"> Roland Kuhl</a>, a professor of Missional Church theology and practice, as well as a Mennonite pastor, to lead our conversations, and for the rest of the summer, we are going to talk together as a way of preparing for that gathering.<br />
A brief outline-over the next 5 Sundays, we're going to look at 5 questions:
<br />
<br />
1) Who We Are Right Now-what does SLMF look like today?<br />
2) How we Got Here-what history brought us to this point?<br />
3) How should we be? A reflection on best practices of successful churches.<br />
4) What should we do? A reflection on what tasks we ought to be working on right now.<br />
5) And finally, How can I help? A reflection on the particular gifts we as individuals bring to this work.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
So that's the outline.
But I do want to say a couple more things as we begin.<br />
1) I know that it's summer, which means that lots of us will be in and out, which is fine. Each sermon should be self contained, and hopefully useful and interesting in and of itself, and retreat should be meaningful regardless of how much of this you get.<br />
2) I know that not everyone is interested in vision. I've heard a little grumbling from a number of you, who suggest this isn't exactly their cup of tea, which is fine. It will all be over soon! But I am going to try and keep this interesting to everyone. I want this to be useful to everyone from the people who helped found the congregation to visitors here on their 1st Sunday. So I'll try to keep it light, Bible focused, and useful beyond just the congregational setting.<br />
3) I also want to keep us focused-I don't want to try and reinvent the wheel. We know in broad strokes what we are called to do-you might remember my sermon from earlier this summer. We connect to God, we connect with one another, and we serve the world. Every Church on the planet is working on these three basic tasks. The question for SLMF is whether there are some specific ways we as an institution might spend our energy in the next couple of years that we haven't collectively agreed to yet.<br />
4) I want to make this collaborative. There will be times for smaller groups in each of the sermons other than this one. This is our conversation, not my agenda!<br />
5) On that note, if there are things we should really talk about-ideas that you think should be getting more play, things you're curious about, let me know! I love talking church with everyone, and I'd be happy to have coffee or lunch, or whatever, as would the LCG, who will be providing shape to our conversation, and if there are big ideas we should be considering, we want to get them on the table earlier rather than later.<br />
<br />
That probably was more introduction than you needed or wanted, but sometimes I get caught up, and I like to start things off with directions!
But before I close my sermon this morning, I wanted to think about this invitation to consider our vision from a little different perspective.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking about why we chose goals, and set visions.
When you think about your choices, your day to day practices, what comes to mind? What are the values that shape our practice?
A desire for food and shelter, love of family and friends, the excitement of entertainment and the joy of play, a sense of purpose and a commitment to caring for neighbors, faith in God and obedience to Jesus, these are some of the things that shape our days and order our lives. Some of them are pretty hardwired into the human condition-no one has to tell you that eating is important, or that love is a significant motivating force. But the less basic goals, the more philosophical questions of life, those require more tending, and more discernment.
Which is part of what I think Paul is getting at in Romans 12. “Do not be transformed to this world, but be transformed, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.”<br />
<br />
We live in a world that greatly desires to shape our behavior and decide on goals for us.
Advertisers spend billions to persuade us that we should buy one basically identical phone or washer or dryer or car over another, to add extraneous bells and whistles to our lives. And that would be bad enough if we were just called to useless consumption.
But the desires of the world are much more pernicious. It is coming up to election season now, and there are some very interesting things on the August ballot here in St. Louis, and so we are seeing political campaigns setting up dualities between the good candidates and the bad, between the right and wrong way to vote on Amendments on transportation, dog breeding, and farming, and the mudslinging locally is nothing compared to the attempts that will fly this fall asking us to conform to the model image of Democrat or Republican, fitting ourselves into the mold of a party.
Even deeper, wars in Iraq, in Ukraine, in Syria, in Nigeria, and other hot spots around the world remind us of the violence that permeates our society, and they remind us that the world assumes we must solve problems with force and death, rather than with love and hope. Victory is the goal we are always supposed to seek.<br />
<br />
And we in the church can fall into these molds- measuring success based on dollars or bodies, falling into corporate values and conventional social structures, to forget Jesus' revolutionary message about the poor, about widows and orphans, and become a country club for middle class comfortable people, or an arm of politics, taking sides in battles over government, instead seeking first our real priorities of love of neighbor and praise to God.
It is never easy to know what is good and acceptable and perfect-the will of God. We have to listen, and pay attention, and turn back. And it is because of this desire to wrestle, to struggle, to dance with the world, which so deeply wants us to conform, that we set vision for ourselves as a church.
Vision is the practice of remembering again and again what we are supposed to be doing, to take stock again in the body we have created together, and ask 'are we acting according to the will of God?'
So we come together, and ask the question asked of Jesus in Mark 12.<br />
<br />
What is the greatest commandment?
Mark 12:29 Jesus answered, “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
And so we will try, in the weeks to come, to consider how we might live this out together, seeking the vision that calls us forward, a peculiar people living in an upsidedown kingdom.
In the name of Jesus,
Amen!</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-7958621332269358312014-02-17T00:02:00.001-08:002014-02-17T00:02:57.182-08:00Why the church should welcome LGBTQ Christians<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was recently asked why I am a
welcoming pastor.
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I enjoyed writing up my reflections,
and so I thought I would share them here.
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Why am I a welcoming pastor to LGBTQ
Christians, advocating for full inclusion in the church?
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It is a fair question. After all, there
are no specific texts that say “same gender sexual relationships
are fine” and there are texts in Leviticus, Romans, and Timothy,
(with the Romans text being most convicting and most explicit), that
seem to condemn homosexuality, sometimes in very stark terms
(abomination, and suggesting that the proper punishment for two men having sex together is the death penalty). My negative argument here is simple- these
texts refer not to committed partnerships, but to idol worship and
pagan religious festivities, as well as the age inappropriate
relationships practiced in ancient Greece, as well as the simple point that it would be evil
to punish gay sex with death, which suggests we might wonder whether
these particular texts should be guiding our decision making on the
issue. But that is a negative argument.
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So to offer the positive case-</div>
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my Biblical hermeneutic has never been
to examine the Bible for rules and then try to follow them. I don't
think that's how Jesus read the Bible, how Paul read the Bible, how
the gospel writers read the Bible, and I don't think it is how the
church should read the Bible. Rather, I believe Jesus had a pattern
of looking for God's vision, and then describing the ethics, values,
and stories that come from that kingdom center. (this is basically
the model you can find in <i>Kingdom Ethics </i>by
Glen Stassen).
</div>
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And the kingdom center that I see at
the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to love our neighbor as
ourselves, to care for the least of these, and to invite the children
of God to come to Christ. The reason I am a welcoming pastor to gay
and lesbian Christians is because I believe Jesus Christ, my lord and
savior, commands me always, every day, and in every way, to care more
about these central values-the value of people.</div>
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Just as Jesus welcomed the woman at the
well (John 4), Zaccheus in the sycamore tree (Luke 19), the woman
with a flow of blood (Mark 5), the disciples who were tax collectors
(Matthew 9:9-13), the Syro-Phonecian woman (Mark 7:25-30), and many
others, just as he told stories of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32),
the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and the wedding banquet (Luke
14:15-24), just as Peter discovered with Cornelius that God shows no
partiality (Acts 10), and just as Paul encouraged the people to
remember that God has torn down the dividing walls between people
(Ephesians 2:14), I think that we are called to read the Bible and
remember that if the rules we proclaim do not cohere with the Gospel
message, well, we have heard it said, but Jesus says unto us...
(Matthew 5)</div>
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I think the text is clear-Jesus fought
the Pharisees because they were too caught up in their rules to pay
attention to the greatest commandment. On the one hand, there was a
community of strictly law abiding people, who knew what God wanted
from them, and what everyone else was supposed to do, and made sure
everyone knew about it. They prayed with gratitude that they knew the
path to salvation (Luke 18:11), and that they were on the narrow way
of following God's rules. On the other hand, there was a man who ate
with tax collectors and sinners (Luke 7:34), who broke the rules
every day. He let unclean women wash his feet (Luke 7:36-50), he let
his disciples eat grain on the Sabbath, he had the temerity to
suggest that the law was created for humankind, and not the other way
around (Mark 2:23-27)! He called the Pharisees white washed tombs,
warning them that they were building walls between the least of these
and God (Matthew 23), that they were neglecting justice, mercy, and
faithfulness (Matthew 23:23), because they could not look beyond the
tithing of herbs to the gospel call to love our neighbors and our
enemies, to open the walls and let the rif-raf come in.</div>
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So that's what we are called to do. So
what does it mean to follow the Biblical commandment to Love our
neighbors and our enemies more than we love rules and laws?</div>
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I don't think it means ignoring rules
and laws. I believe in sin! Theft is bad, murder is wrong, racism and
sexism are endemic and opposed to the kingdom of God. But the core
aspect that binds these sins together and leaves out LGBT Christians
is that these sins cause harm to children of God. The flow directly
from the greatest commandment, God's vision of loving God, neighbors
and enemies. In a similar way, I believe in obedience. There are lots
of commandments that are worth following just because the Bible says
so. I follow the Bible's teaching on not swearing oaths, footwashing,
and choose to give at least 10% of my income because it is good to
practice obedience.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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But if the rules and laws we interpret
from the Bible contradict one of central messages of Jesus Christ
then we cannot in good conscience follow those rules.</div>
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<br /></div>
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So, does the Church's historic
condemnation of same-sex relationships block people from seeing
Jesus, from loving neighbor and enemy, from welcoming the least of
these?
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Well, I believe it does. It hurts gay
and lesbian people around the world.</div>
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The prohibition against LGBTQ sexuality
has had significant consequences-increased suicide rates for LGBTQ teens. Sham marriages broken later in life. People feeling like part
of who they are is unwelcome in the church. People coerced into lives
of celibacy or hidden sexuality, unable to share their intimate
partners with the world, or ask for support in times of grief or
trouble. Countless children who have had to hide who they were from
their parents, or who have been rejected by their families and their
churches, cast out 'for their own good'. It’s led gay people to be
paralleled with pedophiles and other sexual offenders, caused
Christians to parade outside gay funerals with signs reading ‘God
hates fags', and caused gay people to be imprisoned and even murdered
for the act of love.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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The acts of Christians against gay and
lesbian people through history have completely failed to demonstrate
the love of God in Christ. Christian love means that we should care
much more about the state of people's hearts than how closely they
hew to the rules that we have set for them. And I believe that to
twist the word 'love' into something that allows us to deny people
communion, marriage, and salvation itself, let alone the kind of
harassment and violence that so many gay and lesbian children face
because we think they might be sinning is far from the gospel. I
know too many strong, happy, and healthy same sex couples to ask my
brothers and sisters in Christ to break up their marriages in order
to join the church.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Second, the Church's condemnation of
gay and lesbians blocks our ability to invite people into the church.
Our focus on 'the rules' around human sexuality has left the church
splintered and weakened in it's proclamation. When asked what it
means to be Christian, over 80% of young people between 19-26 both
inside and outside of the church defined it as being
'anti-homosexual'. That is a disgrace. If we are known more for
condemning than for loving, both inside the church and out, then that
is a sign that we have done something very wrong. We should return to
our real task, which is to go and make disciples. The heart of the
gospel is this: “For God so loved the world that he sent his only
son, that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have
eternal life.” If that eternal truth is being obscured, and if our
ministry is being clouded because we believe homosexuality is a sin,
then as Paul says “we have no such custom” (1 Corinthians 11:16).
The people we are called to offer the gospel to are more important
than the rules.</div>
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<br /></div>
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And finally, because I care about my
own relationship with God, I worry about using power incorrectly. I
believe the primary sin Jesus identified in the Pharisees was that
they blocked the way to God unnecessarily for other people. They
abused the power and authority that they had been given.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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In our modern world, I don't want to be
on the side of the Pharisees. There are people beaten and wounded in
the streets, who are asking for love, for welcome, for inclusion, for
justice, for the chance to function as normal members of society and
the church. And it is only the Samaritans-the atheists, the liberal
secularists, the politicians, who have been willing to pull over and
enter into real conversation and undergo real conversion.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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In the Bible I read about Christ
defending the least of these, and critiquing the social system of
first century Judaism that left the sick and the poor ritually
unclean and unable to access God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8252845881939512963" name="firstHeading"></a>And I worry
when I see the 96% of the population that is straight imposing high
hurdles on gay and lesbian people before allowing them access to the
divine. <span style="font-size: small;">There is an
old saying- “</span><span style="color: black;">In
its majestic equality, the law forbids rich and poor alike to sleep
under bridges, beg in the streets and steal loaves of bread.”
(</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span lang="en">Anatole
France</span></span></span><span style="color: black;">)</span><span style="font-size: small;">.
Well, that's not the way God's law works. Jesus healed on the Sabbath
(Mark 3:1-6), and quoted affirmingly the story of David feeding his
men the bread that had been co</span>nsecrated (Mark 2:23-27),
and following in his footsteps, Paul was willing to eat meat
sacrificed to idols (1 Corinthians 8) and abandon circumcision, the
most sacred rite of Judaism (Galatians 5-an aside-I notice I am
circumcised, despite this direct command of Paul. I wonder when we
changed our minds on that). One of the primary tasks that Jesus came
for was to tear down the walls people built up around God that made
it hard for people to get in. It is one thing for gay and lesbian
people to decide that marrying the people they love is sinful. It is
a treacherous step for me to decide on their behalf how to read the
text, when it is not a question that affects me directly. I have met
many Christians in same sex relationships who demonstrate the gifts
of the spirit, who practice powerful ministry, who proclaim God's
resurrection promise. I do not want to risk my soul plucking twigs
out of the eyes of those LGBTQ brothers and sisters when I should be
working on the log in my own.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So I guess, in the end, I acknowledge
there are a few scattered texts that may suggest people should not
have sex with other people of the same gender. But the core of the
law of God is clear. We are the church, called to witness to the poor
and the broken-hearted, to heal the sick and proclaim peace to the
nations. And the poor and broken-hearted have come to our doors,
asking to be let in, testifying that they have been saved, and
demonstrating the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives. When
Jesus of Nazareth asks me on the judgment day, what did you do for
the least of these? I want to be able to say, I welcomed them, and
visited them, and let them in. And that is why I am a welcoming
pastor.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=232&name=DLFE-334.pdf">http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=232&name=DLFE-334.pdf</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/homeless-and-runaway-youth.aspx</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/rainbow/html/facts_molestation.html</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.godhatesfags.com/">http://www.godhatesfags.com/</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/21/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-bill/">http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/21/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-bill/</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140121/anti-gay-violence-mars-run-sochi-olympics">http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/afp/140121/anti-gay-violence-mars-run-sochi-olympics</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/antigay.html">http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/assault/etc/antigay.html</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: navy;"><span lang="zxx"><u><a href="https://www.barna.org/barna-update/teens-nextgen/94-a-new-generation-expresses-its-skepticism-and-frustration-with-christianity#.UuF33BDnaM8">https://www.barna.org/barna-update/teens-nextgen/94-a-new-generation-expresses-its-skepticism-and-frustration-with-christianity#.UuF33BDnaM8</a></u></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/religion/2007-10-10-christians-young_N.htm</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-66718669023659701732014-01-05T08:22:00.003-08:002014-01-05T08:28:39.658-08:00Matthew 1: Epiphany Sermon<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Worship was canceled by 6 inches of snow on January 5th, 2013. So here is the sermon I would have preached!</div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Bencz%C3%BAr_Adoration_of_the_three_Kings_1911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3b/Bencz%C3%BAr_Adoration_of_the_three_Kings_1911.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
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Good morning friends!</div>
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It is good to gather in worship with
all of you! It has been a busy two weeks since I saw you last. I've
had a whirlwind trip with journeys to Kansas, Philadelphia, and
Colorado to see family and to perform Amy and Brendan's wedding. By
the way, Amy and Brendan send their greetings and gratitude for your
love and prayers. Thank you for allowing me to take time to be part
of those significant moments in people's lives-weddings are one of my
favorite pastoral tasks. I imagine you to come here after adventures
of your own- the Holiday season usually brings some of the most
intense experiences and emotions of the year. So take a deep breath,
and whatever you bring this morning, whether you're recovering from
the exhaustion of travel and being with family, coming down off of
the Christmas high, or are feeling refreshed and rejuvenated after a
nice holiday break, and are roused and ready to begin a new year, you
are welcome here.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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In church this week, we are coming to
the end of our celebration of Christmas. I know most of secular
society ended the holiday on December 26<sup>th</sup> with the
national celebration of returning gifts that you didn't want very
much, but in the church Christmas does not end until tomorrow,
January 6<sup>th</sup>. That day marks Epiphany, the 12<sup>th</sup>
day of Christmas when we remember the visit of the Magi from the
East. So, I guess, if we're paying attention to the song, this is the
day for 11 pipers piping-which we don't have this morning.
</div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
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Anyway, this Christmas, we have honored
“the Mystery of God's Dwelling”-we've been looking for the ways
that we experience God's presence in all aspects of our lives-in the
birth of Jesus and in our present day, in our transformation and in
our distress, in our relationships and when we are alone. This month
we have watched the dolls house fill with windows, dinning table, and
other signs of habitation, and seen the stable fill with animals
reflecting on the Christ child's approach.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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It has been good to journey with you,
to reflect on where we see God, and where God is calling us to go.
Today, on our last Sunday of our journey we mark the end of the
season with communion, acknowledging the presence of God in the bread
and the cup, the holy mystery at the heart of our faith.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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And as we celebrate the Magi, the wise
men who came from far away to pay homage to the Christ child, we
remember that God dwells not just in the familiar, in the
comfortable, in the expected surroundings of the home and the church
that we know, but that God dwells in the diversity of creation-that
God is present in all people, and in our very different
understandings of the world, and in our very different ways of being
human.
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Magi from the East are remarkable
characters-they are mentioned only in these few verses in Matthew,
but they have captured the imagination of Christians through the
centuries. Who are these mysterious strangers? What caught their
attention in the skies, and why did they think it necessary to pay
homage to this new king of the Jews? We've filled the void that is
their story with all sorts of content-giving them a number-3 and
names-Mechior, Balthazar, and Caspar, and a geographic
location-Europe, Africa, and Asia as well as camels and horses and
the title of kings. Unlike most unnamed and unknown characters in
the Bible-the women at the well, the Ethiopian Eunuch, the woman with
a flow of blood, we've spent countless gallons of ink exploring their
identity.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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I suspect our fascination has a couple
of sources-first, it's Christmas, and the source material is scant
considering the amount of time and emotional energy we put into it.
That's how you get l1 children's books on Amazon about mice at the
manger.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
More importantly, I think they
fascinate because they represent such an unexpected
juxtaposition-this vision of wealth, power, and influence, coming
from far away to a humble home, where the mystical astrologers,
keepers of secret and holy knowledge kneel down in the dust and pay
homage to the infant child of a penniless peasant girl. When Jesus
grew up, the kings of the world spit on him, beat him and had him
killed, but as an infant, there were some truly powerful people, who
could gain an audience with Herod and his advisers who knew who the
real king was, and were willing to offer their allegiance to the
throne of God.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=8252845881939512963" name="en-NLT-14981"></a>But I am
always a little afraid that there is <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">a
third reason-because rich exotic people always get more attention. It
is that very status and wealth that causes me a little discomfort
with the story of the Magi. While it's fun for me to imagine these
rich people kneeling in reverence, celebrating the birth of this very
non-traditional Messiah, I like Luke's vision of poor shepherds
better, because Jesus came to the poor, and for the poor, and he did
not need the affirmation of the rich and the powerful to justify his
ministry or his divinity. As the Psalm for today says, “</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Help
him to defend the poor,</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">to
rescue the children of the needy,</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">and
to crush their oppressors.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
Just because the world would find it more noteworthy for Bill Gates
or Michelle Obama or LeBron James to visit a poor child in north St.
Louis and celebrate their birth, that doesn't mean that they really
have more honor to offer a new baby than the child's neighbors. </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But none of these are what I want to
focus on in this story this morning. Rather, I'd like to reflect on
the wise men as symbols of the Gentiles-of the nations of the world,
who are also invited to come in and experience the Christ Child, and
receive God's salvation. These mysterious strangers are a reminder
that people of every skin color and nationality and language are
equally capable of joining in God's plan, and are equally created in
the image of the divine.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The text this week from Psalms and from
Isaiah both make reference to the kings of the nations coming to pay
homage to the nation of Israel, and to her king the Messiah. Isaiah
and the Psalmist, I expect, were imagining their vision for the
future being fulfilled in triumph-when Israel was a victor in battle,
having conquered her enemies, having taken tribute from the
surrounding nations, so that they would come and sue for peace and
never trouble her borders again-a vision of triumph like the United
States marking our military victories every 4<sup>th</sup> of July.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Matthew envisioned these prophecies
being fulfilled in a much different way. The wise men from the East,
bringing Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh, were not coming as client
kings to an Empire that worshiped YWHW. No, they came to a child,
doing him honor before he had done anything worthy of praise. And
throughout his ministry, unexpected people came to Jesus, and put
their faith in him-the Syrian woman who would not take no for an
answer, and the Centurion who had greater faith than any in Israel
and the Samaritan woman at the well, and then after Easter things
really took off-all the gentiles who were there at Pentecost and
heard the gospel preached in their own languages, and Peter and
Cornelius discovering that God shows no partiality, and all the
people that Paul converted in his missionary journeys. In all this,
we discover the message of the Gospel-that in breaking down barriers,
in eating with strangers, in striking out in new directions we find
the heart of God-that unexpectedly for all those who think they know
who God is, and what God looks like, and even where God lives, that
in fact the Mystery of God's dwelling can be found in diversity.
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, Christmas is not a time when we
are primed to practice diversity. The holidays are usually a time for
tradition-for finding God in the memories of our childhood, feeling
the presence of Christmas in stockings, or the children lining up on
the stairs in age order, ready to parade into the living room for
presents, or Christmas carols we've sung hundreds of times, or
Handel's Messiah, or whatever the traditions are in your family. I
have noticed the discomfort in-laws or newly married couples have,
trying to negotiate their different traditions, figuring out how to
find comfort in someone else's rituals. Rachel and I are quite aware
that we're starting traditions right now that may end up
sticking-though we've probably got 2 years yet before we aren't
allowed to change anything for the rest of Jonah's childhood.
Christmas is not a time that we usually think about tearing down the
old broken habits to let in new light, to find space for strange
people from different cultures, languages, and classes, who may not
be able to fit in the structures that we have today.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But I wonder if we should be a little
more aware of the danger of consistency, that hobgoblin. Because
while there is nothing inherently bad about tradition, each culture,
each language, each family has their own traditions, and if we're not
ready to find something new and different worthy, then we probably
won't be able to welcome new people into our communities and our
church. It is an always delicate balance-that which brings comfort
and strength and support to us because it is familiar, and that which
is hospitable and welcoming and allows other people to come inside.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's an important task-to notice where
my own comfort zone makes it hard for other people to get in. Jonah
got Dr. Seuss' book <i>The Sneeches</i>
this year, from his uncle Michael and Aunt Amy. If you don't know it,
it's a simple story. There are Sneeches, and some have stars on their
bellies, and some have none upon thar<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">s,
and the star-bellied Sneeches think they are better than their
starless cousins. But when </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Sylvester
McMonkey McBean</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
brings his star on and star off machines to town, the Sneeches
discover their diversity is a blessing, and not a curse. Actually,
you should probably read Dr. Seuss' version. But it's a good story,
and one that I think is true-that our differences are not a mark that
God is present with some and not with others.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I work with Mennonite Church USA's
Communities of Hope project, which is working to help our
denomination practice diversity well-to recognize not that
'everyone's the same underneath' but rather, that there are lots of
tremendously good ways of being human, and it is the task of each of
us in the church to work at changing ourselves and our structures to
give space to other ways of faithfully following God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's no easy thing-it makes everyone
uncomfortable, and pushes everyone's comfort zones, and I've already
made a number of mistakes trying to learn and grow myself.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">But</span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
the story of the Magi, the promise of the wise men, I think, is that
God is present when we open our hearts, and make things a little
difficult for ourselves, because we can find God in our human
diversity. I'm sure welcoming rich strangers from another cult</span>ure
was no easy task for Mary and Joseph-they would have been at least as
uncomfortable as we would be hosting the Governor or a member of
congress.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But it is in those nudges, this very
discomfort there may be a signal that there is kingdom work to be
done, that God's spirit is moving on the face of the waters.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So as we begin a new year together,
lets think about the ways we may find God in the diversity around
us-in our different ways of talking, and thinking, and understanding
the world. And as we come to the table of the Lord, lets remember all
the different kinds of Christians who break bread together, and honor
God's call in their lives, and as we taste Christ's presence in our
midst, may we listen for the still small voice-the mystery of God's
dwelling in diversity.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Amen.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-18186658818478829922013-09-29T19:16:00.002-07:002013-09-29T19:16:33.767-07:00Luke 16:19-31, 1 Timothy 6:6-19 We are the Rich man and Lazarus<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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So my wife had a baby, and I disappeared for a while. It is good to be back at work!</div>
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Here is my sermon for Sunday, September 29th on <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=Luke+16:19-31&vnum=yes&version=nrsv">Luke 16:19-31</a> and 1 <a href="http://bible.oremus.org/?passage=1+Timothy+6:6-19&vnum=yes&version=nrsv">Timothy 6:6-19</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/thumbnail/248379/1/The-Parable-Of-The-Rich-Man-And-Lazarus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.1st-art-gallery.com/thumbnail/248379/1/The-Parable-Of-The-Rich-Man-And-Lazarus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Good morning friends!</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
it is good to gather in worship
with all of you this morning.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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We are continuing our fall
journey through Luke this week-you may remember last week we talked
about the parable of the unjust steward, and the dynamics of debt and
forgiveness in the ancient world.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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This week we have before us one
of Jesus' parables that gives me the most trouble-the story of the
rich man and Lazarus. I was tempted to skip this passage, because
unlike last week, where we had a parable with unclear meaning, and I
could have fun exploring all the different meanings it might have for
us today, this week, we have a story that seems pretty
straightforward. Jesus says if you don't take care of poor people,
you will burn. It is straightforward, but it's also a message I don't
particularly want to preach, or have preached at me. And I'm
apparently not alone-of the pastor's I gathered with for lectionary
study this week none had ever heard someone preach on Lazarus and the
rich man. I've certainly never preached on it-I cleverly picked other
themes both 3 years and 6 years ago when this story last came up in
the lectionary.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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But I figured that 6 years is
probably long enough to overlook a story, and while it makes me a
little squeamish, there is a lot of interesting stuff going on in
this text that I'd like to think about with all of you.
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
In particular, I think it's worth
reflecting on what this story says the afterlife, about parables, and
of course, about money and the poor.
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
So to start out, lets talk about
Hades. As most of you probably know, this isn't one of those topics
I talk <span style="color: black;">about all that often, nor is it one that
I think about very much either. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
general, my thoughts are I'd rather not go there, and I'm not sure
it's useful to worry about. I really prefer to focus on texts like
Romans
5:18 "Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was
condemnation for all people, so also the result of one act of
righteousness was justification that brings life for all” or
Romans 11:32: “For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that
he may be merciful to all.” or Colossians 1:20. "For in him
[Christ] all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through
him to reconcile to himself ALL things, whether on earth or in
heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross,” not to mention
teachings about God as love, who cares for all people, and wants them
to be blessed.</span></span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="color: black;"> <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">These
passages suggest that God's love is sufficient for all of creation to
be redeemed, and that the threat of hell should not define our lives.
I know that the theology of hell has been important for
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Christianity-it's
served as a motivator, getting people to act in ways that are in line
with the tradition, and I get it, sometimes we need both a carrot and
a stick. But I worry that in our efforts to put the fear of God in
people, we've made it harder to</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
get close to the God of love who welcomes all people, and that the
traditional Christian belief that most of the world's people are
doomed to an eternity of torment is unhealthy for the church. Like
Pope Francis said earlier this year, I believe that “</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ...
Even the atheists. Everyone! We must meet one another doing good.”
(<a href="http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=51077">http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=51077</a>),
and like the early church father, Origen, who wrote in the 2</span></span><span style="color: black;"><sup><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">nd</span></span></sup></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">
century, I think that in the end of time, even the devil himself will
be saved. </span></span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: black;">So
what do we do with our story this morning? Well, as I've been praying
over this text, I've wondered if Jesus might not be communicating
just a bit of this skepticism as well.</span> Or at least, I noticed
that neither the good guys or the bad guys in our story come out
looking like saints. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Obviously,
this unnamed rich man is the stereotypical villain-he feasts on rich
food nightly, he wears only the most expensive clothing, and he
ignores the poor man lying at his gates, who was hoping only to catch
the drippings from the table. Surely he has received his just
desserts, in a lake of fire. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">But
Jesus goes out of his way to build sympathy for this doomed fellow.
There he is, in torment, and he sees his ancestor Abraham, seated in
glory, and he cries out-not to be relieved of his torment, not to
escape from his suffering, but for a single drop of water to cool his
tongue. And Abraham's response- well it's just cold. Father Abraham
says to his descendent: '<span style="color: #010000;">Child,
remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and
Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and
you are in agony'. Is that supposed to be compassionate? Helpful? A
word of encouragement in a time of trouble? When Jesus asked “If
your child asks for bread, do you give him a stone?” In Matthew
7:9, apparently Abraham's answer is yes, yes you do. </span></span></span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
guess it is possible that we are supposed to be delighted at the
comeuppance of the rich man, to celebrate with the downtrodden that
the rich will go away empty, as Mary said in the Magnificat, but for
me, I get the sense that maybe we're supposed to notice a little
discomfort down in the belly when we celebrate the suffering of
another human being. </span></span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus
talked about hell a lot-he was worried that his community was
wandering far from the fold of God, and was in deep need of
repentance and transformation, and he believed that there were and
are consequences for faithlessness. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">But
he doesn't have one static notion of hell-a specific physical
description of where bad people go after they die. Rather, Jesus
talked about hell using different metaphors-darkness, fire,
destruction, a dump, exile, the place where teeth are gnashed. In the
same way, I don't think we should read this as a literal description
of the hereafter. I don't think we should imagine a pristine heaven
and an awful hell, separated by a big gap you can yell across, where
the sinners plead with the saved who are resting in the arms of
Abraham and attended by angels for help for the rest of time. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">All
parables are metaphorical, symbolic, and meaningful more for their
message than for their details, and in the same way, we probably
ought to think of the rich man and Lazarus as archetypes-two sides of
the human experience, and this as a simplified story where the whole
of human existence is boiled down into the categories of the innocent
suffering, who are rewarded, and the evil pow</span>erful, who are
punished. But just like all the other parables where humanity is
simplified into dualistic binaries, Jesus knew that life is more
complicated than this, and I suspect that the afterlife is as well. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">So
to close this section-I believe that since life on earth cannot be
strictly divided between evil rich men and those faithful servants in
Lazarus' shoes, then we should not be too quick to presume that the
complex mix of good and evil that dwells in each of our hearts can be
meaningfully balanced and divided on one side of the up/down divide
or the other. I prefer to look at this parable and learn a less
precise lesson-</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">that
when you are disconsolate, and the world seems against you, trust
that God will pick you up, and you will rest in the arms of your
creator, surrounded by love, filled with mercy, and granted peace. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Like
Lazarus, you will be welcomed into the bosom of Abraham.</span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
when you look away from the poor, when you make excuses for your
failure to care, when you take advantage of those around you, trust
that God is watching, and your ill gotten gains will not be
forgotten. There is a price to pay for your cruelty. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">So
when your choices come, and every day we have the opportunity to
choose good or bad, love or anger, fear or courage, know that there
is a reason to choose love, and to walk in the path of light. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
it is this broader perspective that I think leads us into our text
from Timothy-</span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Timothy
has a much more nuanced view of wealth and power than the one Jesus
offers here. Now, of course, Timothy has a more nuanced view of
wealth and power because he's writing a couple of generations after
Jesus, and there are some rich and powerful Christians running around
out there that he probably didn't want to upset, but that probably
speaks better to us anyway. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">This
week, I've been particularly taken with Timothy's closing list of
instructions for wealthy people-</span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="color: #010000;">“<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As
for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be
haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but
rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our
enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous,
and ready to share,<span style="color: #777777;"> </span>thus storing up for
themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that
they may take hold of the life that really is life.”</span></span></span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Haughty.
What a great word! I think it's precisely correct for our current
moment. Living in the richest country in the world, it is easy for us
to think that America is wealthy because we are better, to forget
that if I had been born in sub Saharan Africa I would be lucky to be
making 5000$ a year. To think that because I have skills in the
United States that render me employable, I should be proud, and
celebrate that I am better than others. Watch out, Timothy warns.
This is false success. It is Lazarus who was storing up treasures in
heaven. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #010000;">And
along with the reminder not to be prideful in our power, there is</span>
Timothy's vision of being complete, of being content-that is
something I can work for. It is hard for me to imagine choosing to
live in intentional poverty, taking the route of Lazarus and
rejecting all the comforts of modern living (though every time I
visit an intentional community, I am intrigued by the setup, and how
happy people seem there), but I can work at not being addicted to
money. I am sure that contentment is a choice, not something we
reach when we collect enough toys. In the pursuit of wealth, we can
get ourselves in trouble, breaking relationships, losing our center
in Christ, and get caught in a rat race that is both destructive and
counter-productive. </span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Just
as the rich man in our text from Luke finds himself ignoring his poor
neighbor at the gate in his quest to enjoy the finer things in life,
so too, Timothy warns, can we get caught in the trap of pursuing
rather than dwelling, of chasing the next thing, rather than caring
for the people around us. And so too then do we fall away from the
path we are called to-to pursue righteousness, godliness, faith,
love, endurance, and gentleness. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">He
sums it up with the famous money quote (sorry). </span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
love of money is the root of a great deal of evil (or, to be king
James about it, the Love of Money is the root of ALL evil). Notice
that the common paraphrase, “Money is the root of all evil” is
not Biblical. (Pull out dollar bill) I know what it is to love
money. I like these things, with their idolatrous images of dead
presidents, and their pagan symbols. Rachel will tell you that I
hate to spend money, and am not all that much more excited about
giving it away. Growing up, I had a bucket of cash where I collected
spare change and the odd job money I had, and over the course of
several years it grew to a pretty substantial amount, because I
refused to spend it on anything-it was money, and that made it worth
hording. And I'm pretty sure that's a dangerous way to think about
these little pieces of paper. Also dangerous, of course, is failing
to save for a rainy day, or to plan your spending, but it is easy to
love money to much. </span>
</div>
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<br />
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">So
to close, I offer to you the challenge of loving money less this
week. </span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe
intentionally not daydreaming about what it would be like to have a
new car, or paying attention to how often we go out to eat, or maybe
just looking at the thing we own and saying 'yes, this is
enough-these things, these people, this life, I can be satisfied. </span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
in doing so, may we care for those around us, and prepare ourselves
for the heavenly banquet. </span>
</div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
the name of Christ,</span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Amen</span></div>
<div style="page-break-inside: avoid;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
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<br />
</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-63234566466721458402013-07-08T16:53:00.000-07:002013-07-08T16:53:01.962-07:00Going out 2 by 2 Luke 10:1-20 and Galatians 6:7-16<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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T<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">his week, we're continuing on our journey with Luke, and we've got
this wonderful story of the disciples going out two by two that we
get to play with.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">you
may remember last week we talked about freedom and allegiance, in the
context of Jesus' call to let the dead bury their own dead, and claim
that the son of man has no place to lay his head. These radical
claims invited people to look to a new value system, beyond the
ordinary, everyday dynamics of life, and to become a new creation in
the kingdom of God.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>As
a consequence</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
week, Luke tells us what happened when people made this kind of
radical commitment, and said yes when Jesus called “Follow Me”.
After collecting his disciples, those who were willing to make a deep
commitment, Jesus sent them out in the highways and byways to
proclaim that the Kingdom of God had come near. We talk most about
the 12 disciples, the inner core that Jesus used to organize things,
in intentional parallel to the 12 tribes of Israel, but the hierarchy
wasn't that strict-James and John and Peter seem to have been an
inner core beyond the 12, and here we see Jesus with a larger
group-35 teams of two, traveling from place to place proclaiming the
good news. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">These
faithful 70 were the advanced guard, the ground team, preparing these
places for Jesus to come through, so that his ministry might have the
most impact in the short time that he had remaining. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>What
caught me: the details</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">As
I thought about this text, and envisioned these disciples going out
two by two into the world, I found myself getting caught up in the
details of the text. It's interesting, in Galatians we have sort of
the most generic big picture instructions-be good to one another,
particularly your brothers and sisters in the church. Which is good
advice, but it's always nice to be able to dive into the particulars,
which is what we have in Luke. Now, I know it's easy to over read
details of Biblical texts, drawing meaning where there was none
intended. But this story of the disciples is just filled with
interesting asides-</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Cosmic
Significance</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">as
a first example, I notice that</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
this ministry is bathed in cosmic significance-this ministry matters
not just to Galilee, or the kingdom of Israel, but to the whole of
creation. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I
saw Satan fall from heaven, like a flash of lightening. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You
may know of the ancient tradition that Satan, or Lucifer, or the
Devil, the evil antagonist in the battle between good and evil was
once an angel, one of the good guys, and lost in a climactic battle
to the Archangel Michael in spectacular fashion, sometime before the
beginning of human history</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="" name="en-NIV-17941"></a><a href="" name="en-NIV-17944"></a><a href="" name="en-NIV-30899"></a><a href="" name="en-NIV-30900"></a><a href="" name="en-NIV-30901"></a>
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">You see this motif in
Isaiah 14, which reads “</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">How
you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You
said in your heart, </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">“</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I
will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">above
the stars of God; I will make myself like the Most High.” But you
are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of
the pit.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
and in Revelation 12:7-9 “</span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Then
war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against
the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But
he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The
great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the
devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">.”
Now, I don't want to get into the theology of the devil this morning,
but what I do want to highlight is that Jesus is playing with the
tradition here-he is suggesting that in the ministry of these
disciples, the climactic battle against Satan was taking place, and
that the war in heaven was parallel with the ministry on Earth. In
the same way that Jesus talked about the Kingdom of God coming near,
Jesus saw the world as infused with the sacred, with the holy, and
promised that the actions of the disciples, for good and for ill had
resonance far beyond Israel, beyond the huge Roman Empire, beyond the
cosmos itself. In a similar way, the closing image, that our names
are written in the book of life is a promise that our actions on
earth have heavenly implications-that the faithful choices that we
make resonate through this world and the next. As Paul says, in our
text from Galatians, in Christ there is a new Creation. The path that
we walk as disciples is not boring, not normal, not prosaic, but
filled with the spirit of the divine every step of the way, and at
our best, we infuse the world around us with the presence of the God.
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Technique</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The
other detail that caught me was the dynamics of this ministry to the
villages, the techniques in which Jesus instructed his disciples. It
is always tricky to impose the technical methods used in the New
Testament on our current reality, but I think there is something to
be learned from this model of sending out people, two by two, for a
specific period of time, in a way that is completely vulnerable,
invites new relationship, and makes room for failure. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>In
Pairs</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">It
starts with the two by two model. The disciples, while they didn't
have supplies like bag or coat, and while they were being sent out
like sheep among wolves, did not have to go alone. They had a
companion on the road. And in a world where the singular superstar
has so often become the core model for church, for business, for
entertainment, I think it's worth remembering that the first model of
ministry required collegiality. And it is a model that has stood the
test of time-Paul usually traveled with a companion, and modern day
groups like the Mormons or the Jehovah's Witnesses continue to use
it. Going out as a pair has a lot of advantages-there is
accountability-you have someone to tell you when you're being an
idiot. And its a chance to practice being Christian-a chance to
forgive 70 times 7 the flaws and foibles of another human being. And
it keeps us humble-a reminder of our interdependence-we cannot claim
credit on our own for any of our accomplishments, if we are working
together. And so I honor in a world that often insists on
individualism, Christ gently suggested teamwork. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Temporary</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But
these are not lifelong partnerships-this is a temporary ministry. Its
always a temptation to think of ministry as lifelong-Jesus was a
homeless carpenter, doesn't that mean that we should be homeless as
well? The disciples went out without bag or sandals, should we as
well? The disciples went out 2 by 2 with nothing to rely on, and
think about how much junk we have to pack up just to take a weekend
camping trip! I notice that these disciples went out, then they came
back, in the same paragraph. It's unclear how long this preparatory
journey lasted, but we're not talking about forever. Weeks, probably,
at the most a couple of months. That's a very different thing-short
term ministry, instead of a long term commitment. A Voluntary Service
Term, or a summer spent with Mennonite Disaster Service, or a short
term assignment with Mennonite Central Committee. Not that our
Christian calling lasts only a short time, but that the radical level
of “go out with nothing” was a temporary calling.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Radical
community</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">That
temporary calling, I think allowed both radical vulnerability and
intense work in a community. I notice that the disciples go out with
none of the necessities, completely free from roots, wandering
strangers in the country side. But then, when they get to their
destination, they were supposed to go to one house in the village,
enter it, and stay there until their time was done. Their very
radical separation from their previous world pushed them into radical
connection with new community. To settle in one house with one family
is a vision of centeredness, of deep relationship, of hospitality
from strangers, who become neighbors, and finally family, hopefully
the first family in the new community forming in that place.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">And
I wonder if the ways in which we try to be fully self reliant, with
personal automobiles, personal insurance, fast food with it's
convenience and impersonal nature make it harder for us to become
family with one another, to really be part of one another's lives,
and more to be reliant on the hospitality of strangers and neighbors,
since so many of our challenges and life tasks can be achieved
without relationship. It sometimes requires breaking free from old
patterns and comfortable places to break free from old addictions and
broken habits. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Failure</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But
this kind of desire for intense community is quite fraught-it
shouldn't be surprising that not every village has a family willing
to take in homeless wanders completely unprepared for their work in
the world. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So
Jesus also expects failure, and does not condemn it. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Think
about this image of shaking the dust off of one's feet when you are
not welcomed into a community. So often we can get caught up in
impossible projects, fixated on something that much be accomplished.
Here, instead, there is this sense that you don't dwell on the
failures, or on rejection, you don't stick around where you aren't
wanted, banging your head against a brick wall, you don't force your
way into people's homes, you don't call down fire from heaven to
punish people for their misdeeds, you just let them know one more
time that the Kingdom of God has come near, and you go on your way. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Jesus
doesn't suggest that salvation is dependent on bringing people to
Christ, or that our success can be measured by the number of people
we convince to get on board, but rather that people who choose not to
join up are agents, making their own decisions, that we are not
responsible for. And I wonder, do we have places where we have been
sticking around a little to long, and it might be best just to shake
the dust off of our feet and find another spot to help out? Not that
you should just head out whenever there is opposition, but we don't
have to win every battle. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Galatians</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In
Galatians, Paul challenges us not to weary of doing good, and I'm all
for keeping up energy, but I appreciate that Jesus seems to accept
that particularly vulnerable and particularly intense ministry needs
to be done as a team, for a short period of time, and sometimes it
isn't going to work. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We
work for the good of all, but we also learn and grow and rest in
proper measure.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Discipleship-the
journey with Christ, the journey for Christ, the path that we claim
in the waters of Baptism, and at the communion table, this is a
challenging journey, and the journey of the 70 into the world, these
first Jesus followers, stirred by the strange words of this wandering
holy man, struck by the sense of the divine within him, should
challenge us and inspire us in our journeys, wherever they make take
us. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So
as we go out in the world, following in the footsteps of those who
were willing to give up the lives they had led before, and follow
this son of man wherever he might lead them, we remember these
truths. We go as a community, never alone on the road. We go seeking
radical new connections, but we know that failure happens, and it is
OK to get knocked down, take a rest, and get back up. We go, </span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">walking
in faith, blessed with the promise, Peace and mercy be upon them that
follow this rule.</span></span></div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-81681296121393874572013-07-04T11:08:00.000-07:002013-07-04T11:08:33.831-07:00Thinking about Government, or how to make American Government Better<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It's the 4<sup>th</sup> of July, a day
to honor the American Experiment- the promise of a representative
democracy with strong protection for individual rights-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
so I celebrate the blessing that it is
to be a part of the United States of America, and how privileged I
am. I know that I am richer, healthier, and safer here than I would
be had I been born almost anywhere else, at any time in history (the only competitive options are Japan and Western Europe), and
that is because of that interdependent experiment in Democracy we
call America. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhHPuN5KJrQ74XFDaqveHhd2GR9uZxsWB7W7BOckmljXVlPH0M-A" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQhHPuN5KJrQ74XFDaqveHhd2GR9uZxsWB7W7BOckmljXVlPH0M-A" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
However, for the 4<sup>th</sup> I
thought maybe a few notes on how our wonderful Democracy might
improve itself. I usually stay out of politics, because I think it's
useful to separate the church and the state. But for the 4<sup>th</sup>
I thought it would be fun to make an exception, because I've always
thought it is fascinating to reflect on government structures-its
important in the church, and in the world. I've spent many hours reflecting on how churches can structure themselves politically for maximum effectiveness and faithfulness, and some of the lessons apply to the United States as well. So here are 7 things we
might do as a country to make things work better in Washington and in
our own states and towns. I think these are all non-partisan, they certainly would have negative impacts on both Republicans and Democrats. Just to note-these are all focused on
government structure-the most important thing that we can do as a
country to improve ourselves is to pass a cap and trade bill with the
proceeds distributed equally to all Americans, striking a significant
blow against poverty and global warming in one simple step.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyway, with no further ado, after the jump</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Voting should be better protected.
Election day should be a national holiday, early voting should be
easy, straightforward, and encouraged, voter registration should be
automatic along with all forms of public identification, and lines
longer than 60 minutes should be eliminated. No one should have to wait hours to vote in a country as wealthy as ours.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://archive.fairvote.org/?page=66">Fair voting</a>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We should get rid of the Senate.
There is no good reason to have a bicameral legislature,
particularly one where one of the two houses has an effective
supermajority requirement and is in no way representative of the
country as a whole. When half a million people in Wyoming have as
much power as 38 million people in California, something is rotten
in Denmark.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2010/01/get-rid-of-the-us-senate-a-dangerous-and-undemocratic-institution/">The Senate is bad</a>
</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It should be easier to get federal
appointments filled. The idea that major executive positions in the
Federal Government go unfilled for years at a time because of partisan bickering is just asking for trouble. This goes
along with getting rid of the Senate, and is a problem for both <a href="http://judicialnominations.org/">Judges</a> and <a href="http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2010/12/14-appointments-galston-dionne">Executive Branch leaders</a>.</div>
</li>
<li><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We should eliminate the electoral
college. Why should Ohio get to pick the President? Every vote
should count the same. This goes without saying, almost, and we're about half way to getting it fixed: <a href="http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/">http://www.nationalpopularvote.com/</a></div>
</li>
<li>In a similar vein, if we wanted to
get really radical, we could adopt Proportional Representation. Winner take all elections tend to
drive people towards moderate extremism-there is no moderate party,
and there are no creative outside the box choices either. You pick
either the Democrats or the Republicans. This has some advantages,
by tapping down the extremes, but I think the disadvantages
outweigh, on the whole. You can <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_873960&feature=iv&list=PL7679C7ACE93A5638&src_vid=QT0I-sdoSXU&v=s7tWHJfhiyo">learn about other voting systems</a>.</li>
<li>We have to many
elections-particularly at the local level. Most people cannot name
their house representative, let alone their mayor, state senator, or
other key positions, yet we vote for judges, city council, school
board, and the like. It would make more sense to vote for fewer
people, and then have a chance to get to know those people better. <a href="http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/04/whos_your_daddy_the_psychology.html">to many decisions</a></li>
<li>I'm not quite sure what the best way to handle redistricting in the house would be-but something should be done about Gerrymandering. </li>
</ol>
I am sure you have some of your own-what have I missed?</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-45753697547099257532013-07-03T22:56:00.000-07:002013-07-03T22:56:53.289-07:00Discipleship challenges Galatians 5:13-25, Luke 9:51-62<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is always fun to deal with hard texts in scripture-here I reflect on Jesus' calling to "let the dead bury their own dead" in relationship to freedom and our allegiance to Christ. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Let me know what you think. </div>
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It is good to gather in worship with
all of you this morning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I hope that you have been blessed this
past week. I am doing well-I continue to live in the already not
yet, prepared for my life to change completely at any moment, but
trying to do the work of the day in the meantime-it was a strange
thing to be writing a sermon I wasn't sure would ever be preached.
Anyway, as I studied our scriptures this week, I was caught by two
words that will serve as our touchstones this morning- allegiance and
freedom.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The fourth of July is coming up next
week- that quintessential celebration of American Freedom and the
declaration of Independence, when 13 original colonies decided that
because of the grievous abuses of the British Empire, they had to
break free from the domination of the system. On the fourth of July,
we celebrate our freedoms-freedom of Religion, freedom of speech,
freedom to carry deadly weapons wherever we want, things of that
nature. It is the time when we are most particularly asked to claim
allegiance to the nation, to celebrate and honor the country in which
we live. The national anthem will be playing, people will recite the
pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America,
there will be b-b-q and fireworks and a big parade, and emphasis on
the red white and blue.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So this week, I'd like to look at the
themes of freedom and allegiance in the context of our Biblical text.
Because these stories from Luke and Galatians also proclaim freedom
in Christ, and call us to a new allegiance in God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our text from Luke this morning, where
Jesus tells would be disciples “Foxes have holes, and birds have
nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head”, “Let the
dead bury their own dead, but as for you go and proclaim the kingdom
of God” and “no one who puts hand to the plow and turns away is
worthy to enter the kingdom of God” is one of the hard stories of
the New Testament-a challenge and confrontation to anyone who is
comfortable.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This is obviously a story about
Christian allegiance to God.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It takes place at a turning point in
Luke's gospel. After his baptism, Jesus has worked miracles and
preached in Galilee, and now he had turned his face towards
Jerusalem-towards the cross on Calvary’s hill. He has collected
huge crowds, he has pleased the <span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">masses,
he has done the popular thing. Now, he gives this message to those
who would be his disciples-it is time to get ready-time to suit up
and ship out, to Saddle up and get ready to ride, to gird up your
loins and buckle your armor, because this is about to get real. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">You
want to follow me? Then you better know that the son of man has no
place to lay his head, that he is more homeless than the fox in the
hills and the birds of the air. You want to follow me? Then you
better know that I wait for no funerals, nor for fond farewells, but
go only towards the work that is to come, proclaiming the kingdom of
God, and if you're going to come with me, now is the time, and this
is the place and there are no excuses. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">After
this ultimatum, in the next passage from Luke, Jesus sends out 70
disciples like this- “</span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-size: small;">Go
on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of
wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals, greet no one on the way.
Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!..Remain
in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they </span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-size: small;">provide,”
</span></span><span style="color: #777777;"><span style="font-size: small;">
</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
This is a vision of a wandering band, totally and radically reliant
on the generosity of strangers and the whims of the spirit. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus
has turned his face towards Jerusalem, he's aiming at the capital
city, and the cross he will find there, and he isn't going to suffer
any fools. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That is an invitation to allegiance-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And, I expect, it is a vision that
might cause pause to those of us who are wrapped up in all the bonds
of community, all the ties that bind us to a conventional life,
normal middle class existence in the American empire.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As human beings, mixed loyalties are
sort of the nature of our existence- the constant balance between the
competing demands of family and friends, work and school, country and
religion. We juggle schedules, deciding which sports events, which
cultural delights, which projects are worthy of our time and our
attention. We are faced with the constant balancing act between short
and long term goals, between the needs of today and our plans for the
future. You all know the challenges of keeping a calendar straight,
and the feeling we so often have that there are not enough hours in
the day for everything that calls for our loyalty.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And we generally come up with a pretty
complex lived theology, where we balance the different agenda of our
competing values, making decisions about how much time to spend at
work, volunteering, caring for one another, and relaxing based both
on our sense of what 'the right amount' of time to spend on each is,
and the demands of now, the sense of being tired or exhausted, or
energized or passionate at this instant.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I don't knock that. In fact, I'm
pretty confident I'll be entering more completely into that world of
confusion as I become fully committed to the well-being of a new
child in the next couple of weeks.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But there is something about being
freed from these patterns.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I think that is where freedom comes
into the text. Now, a word about freedom. Freedom is awesome-I'm a
big fan of many we have in the United States-freedom of speech,
freedom of assembly, freedom of religion. It really is special,
historically speaking, that we can gather here in this place and
worship the God who breaks down all political walls and proclaims an
eternal reign replacing all ridiculous and corrupt worldly
governments, and talk about how frustrating it is that the American
Empire is dominating the world, spying on its citizens, torturing
it's enemies, and killing innocent children with bombs from the sky
with no fear of prosecution or persecution from our government. Oh,
and speaking of that-you notice that Jesus does not approve of
slaughtering villages with fire from the sky, even if they don't like
you, right?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Anyway, Christians don't usually talk
about freedom as one of our core virtues-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
duty is quicker to our lips, or
rules-10 commandments, golden rule, greatest commandment, and the
like. Yet Paul speaks of freedom, freedom in the spirit. And I think
there is freedom in Christ's invitation to allegiance-because he was
offering people who thought they had no choice a new path. The ties
of family and society, the norms in ancient Israel were even more
tightly bound than the ties today-to be alive was to be constrained,
to have a role and rules and burdens and expectations. The whole 'you
need to get a good education and a good job instead of spending a
year wasting time' weight that many students contemplating Mennonite
Voluntary Service face is magnified in a society with no safety net,
and the only retirement plan is the work of your children.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Jesus' offer-go now, without waiting,
don't worry about status or proper behavior, ignore your previous
obligations- that is a kind of Freedom.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the most fun interpretations
I've heard of this text is that it is all about getting away from
family. Kenneth Bailey in his book Through Peasant Eyes suggests that
for a Middle Eastern audience, these stories are all about escaping
from the oppressive expectations of family and community who had
already charted out a path for your life (if you were the young adult
that was Jesus' target audience).
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come, Jesus says-for while that Fox
Herod has a hole in Caesarea, and the Roman birds feather their nest
with the profits from our labor, I, the Son of Man, have no place to
lay my head-will you be faithful?
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come, Jesus says, you do not have to
wait until the Pater familias has died to follow me-in fact, you
cannot wait, for I am going to Jerusalem, and the decades it will
take until you are your own man will leave you burdened and bound by
your own set of obligations.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come, Jesus says, do not go home to
'take leave of your family', when you go 'ask permission' to join a
ragtag and rebel group of faithful God followers, what do you think
they are going to say? Now is the time, and there is no one you have
to ask but your own soul.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is a very strict and duty bound
role that you can live in, yes, a normal everydayness in this world,
but that is not what I am inviting you to-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
no, I am inviting you to freedom, and a
new allegiance.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I think it's the freedom Paul is
preaching about this morning.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You were called to freedom, brothers
and sisters. As we've been weaving through the book of Galatians,
Paul has come back to this image again and again-we are free in
Christ, we don't have to earn God's love, we don't have to fear that
the gates of heaven will be barred against us.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
This Christian thing is not about
having to jump through hoops like circumcision or dietary
restrictions. Don't think you have to fight to become the children of
God, constraining yourself with a carefully constructed series of
rules and regulations that define what it means to be faithful. No,
you are free-really free-to break loose of constraints that do not
bring life.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But that freedom does not mean that we
do whatever. Both Paul and Jesus are clear. Rather, the freedom is to
enter into real relationship with the Holy Spirit-to know God, and
claim God's way. The freedom to choose a different, more rigorous,
more dramatic, more dynamic path. To reflect on the gifts of the
spirit, on the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self control that lead to life. to
think about things that are deeper, more significant, more real, to
consider how we use all that we are-our minds and bodies, our time
and treasure, the very earth we so foolishly claim to possess, for
the good of those around us.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That is the freedom we have in Christ,
as we claim a new allegiance to the prince of peace, the king of
kings, and the Lord of Lords.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Every year, about this time, I break
out the Christian Pledge of Allegiance, which Nelson Kraybill and
June Alliman Yoder wrote for AMBS. I think it speaks both to our core
allegiance, and our core freedom in Christ. It goes like this:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I pledge allegianc to Jesus Christ, and
to God's kingdom, for which he died, one Spirit-led people the world
over, indivisible, with love and justice for all.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As we take communion together this
morning, this is the pledge I hope we all take, the allegiance we all
demonstrate, to the God who gives freedom, and faithfulness to all
who come, and taste and see that the Lord is good.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Amen.</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-37323566883358964642013-06-25T11:56:00.000-07:002013-06-25T11:56:30.849-07:00Immigration is Great<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Thinking about immigration in the context of the Phoenix Mennonite Convention next week, I wanted to offer my thoughts from a Christian perspective. In short, I agree with <a href="http://openborders.info/">Open Borders</a>. Morally, all Christians everywhere ought to support basically open borders between countries, such that anyone who wanted to live and work in a different place would be allowed to.<br />
<br />
Why? Because open borders helps people around the world, most of whom are not me. Open immigration, from the American perspective, is a key example of loving one's neighbor as one's self, and the kind of self giving love that is core to the Christian vision.<br />
<a href="http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=3020">
<img src="http://www.smbc-comics.com/comics/20130625.png" /></a>
<br />
If you live in a developing country, open borders mean:<br />
<br />
a roughly<a href="http://www.cgdev.org/publication/place-premium-wage-differences-identical-workers-across-us-border-working-paper-148"> 4x </a>increase in income.<br />
an opportunity to escape places of violence,<a href="http://openborders.info/emigration-escaping-communism/"> corruption</a>, and <a href="http://openborders.info/emigration-as-disaster-relief/">natural disaster.</a><br />
significantly increased life expectancy.<br />
A better life for<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/if-people-could-immigrate-anywhere-would-poverty-be-eliminated/275332/"> your descendents</a> for generations to come,<br />
and the chance to experience freedom of choice and human liberty, by getting to live in the place of your choice.<br />
<br />
If you live in this country as an undocumented immigrant, open borders mean<br />
<br />
the chance to work publicly.<br />
the safety to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/ABC_Univision/Politics/immigration-reform-immigrant-farm-workers/story?id=19185816">protest unjust working</a> conditions.<br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/immigration-economy_n_3437482.html">Increased income.</a><br />
Freedom from fear of <a href="https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/opinion/2013/02/12/in-deportation-process-lack-of-communication-puts-u-s-kids-in-harms-way/">deportation</a>, and years of<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2013/05/the_immigration_bill_should_include_the_right_to_a_lawyer.html"> detainment without trial</a>.<br />
Allow you to become a full member of society, with both the obligations and benefits of legal status.<br />
<br />
If you are already a United States citizen, open borders mean<br />
<a href="http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/press/books/2010/braingain/braingain_chapter.pdf">a bigger economy</a><br />
<a href="http://www.nationaljournal.com/congress/why-immigration-may-not-have-a-big-impact-on-wages-20130502">little impact on wages</a><br />
a changing cultural makeup of the United States<br />
<a href="http://openborders.info/increased-footprint/">increased global carbon emissions.</a><br />
<br />
When we weigh costs and benefits, why would we not open borders to everyone in need?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cgdev.org/publication/place-premium-wage-differences-identical-workers-across-us-border-working-paper-148">http://www.cgdev.org/publication/place-premium-wage-differences-identical-workers-across-us-border-working-paper-148</a><br />
<a href="http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/if-people-could-immigrate-anywhere-would-poverty-be-eliminated/275332/">http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/04/if-people-could-immigrate-anywhere-would-poverty-be-eliminated/275332/</a><br />
<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/immigration-economy_n_3437482.html">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/14/immigration-economy_n_3437482.html</a><br />
<a href="http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2013/04/03/59040/the-facts-on-immigration-today-3/">http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/report/2013/04/03/59040/the-facts-on-immigration-today-3/</a><br />
<a href="http://qz.com/95665/the-us-immigration-bill-is-the-economic-reform-weve-all-been-waiting-for/">http://qz.com/95665/the-us-immigration-bill-is-the-economic-reform-weve-all-been-waiting-for/</a><br />
<br /></div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-63916661669005516482013-06-19T14:34:00.002-07:002013-06-19T14:38:08.044-07:00Reflections on Phoenix Resolutions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mennocon.com/wp-content/themes/MennoCon/images/convention-blurb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mennocon.com/wp-content/themes/MennoCon/images/convention-blurb.jpg" /></a></div>
Every two years, Mennonite Church USA
gets together for a convention, an opportunity to worship, meet
people, play games, and talk about the church. Another task is to
make resolutions guiding the executive structure of the church.<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As part of preparation for the <a href="http://convention.mennoniteusa.org/">PhoenixMennonite Convention</a> this summer, our congregation took time to read
and reflect on the three resolutions before the Delegate Body of
Mennonite Church USA at the Phoenix Mennonite convention over the 4<sup>th</sup>
of July.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I wanted to share my notes from the
conversation here, so if you have other thoughts our ideas, you can
add them to our gathered discernment.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Before I begin, I want to acknowledge
my dual hats. As a member of the <a href="http://www.mennoniteusa.org/about/structure/executive-board-members/">Executive Board of Mennonite ChurchUSA</a>, I have voted to send all of these resolutions to the delegate
floor for discussion. I think this means we as an Executive Board
think they are worthy of discussion and decision by the denomination.
We decided that we weren't going to try and micro-manage or edit
these documents very much as a board, but rather leave them pretty
much as presented after processing from the Resolutions Committee and
the Constituency Leaders Council. Since I have this dual hat, and
already had plenty of opportunity to reflect on these texts, I write
now as a scribe or minutes taker, as a facilitator not a participant.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, with no further ado,</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
lets go through the three resolutions
that Mennonite Church USA is considering.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The first resolution is on <a href="http://www.mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Creation_Care_Resolution.pdf">CreationCare</a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
"Be it resolved that members of Mennonite Church USA commit to growing in their</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
dedication to care for God’s creation as an essential part of the good news of Jesus Christ.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We resolve to explore the theological concepts and biblical resources that inform our </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
commitment to creation care. We resolve to discern together how the Bible, our theological </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
understandings, and the realities of the 21st century continue to shape and guide our relationship </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
with creation. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We, as individuals and communally, are resolved to study and discern responses to the following </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
questions during the next two years as part of our goal to be more faithful in caring for the gift of </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
creation that God has entrusted to us."</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Our Sunday School class was all agreed
that climate change and global warming are significant moral issues
of our time, and protecting creation is one of the most important
tasks of the church today, so we too are resolved to grow in our dedication to care for God's creation as an essential part of the good news of Jesus Christ. Indeed, God calls Christians everywhere in the
Western world to reconsider our wasteful and carbon intensive
lifestyles.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In our discussion, we wanted to go even further! </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.myseek.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/strategies-for-change.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://www.myseek.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/strategies-for-change.jpg" width="320" /></a>We wanted the resolution to talk about global warming and anthropogenic climate change, instead of hinting around the edges of the problem with modern industrial and agricultural practice. To talk
about caring for creation without talking explicitly about the
changing global climate and it's impacts seems to miss the elephant
in the room.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is something to be said for using
our own language- “creation care” most obviously, but the
document also speaks of “Environmental Crisis” and “dramatic
shift in global weather patterns”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
which seem to hint at the situation we
face, but we would rather be explicit about the current challenge.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Second, we would be happy with even more action steps-the resolution invites important education and dialogue, but what about a commitment or call to divest from oil, gas, or coal
companies, or local or national church
sustainability steps like efficient heating or electric generation,
or even to challenge us to consider creative ways to avoid flying thousands of Mennonites
around the country
(<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/sunday-review/the-biggest-carbon-sin-air-travel.html?_r=0">Air travel is a big deal</a> ) let alone a call for political action, which most scientists
believe is essential for managing the climate change from carbon
emissions.It would be great to be even more prophetic on this issue.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The second resolution reflects on <a href="http://www.mennoniteusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Protecting_and_Nurturing_Our_Children_and_Youth.pdf">child abuse prevention</a>,
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
calling the church to raise awareness
of this issue, take steps to reduce risk, and to raise our children
in safe environments. to quote: </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We, therefore, resolve that the Mennonite Church USA will work proactively with its member congregations, conferences and affiliated organizations to promote the protection of children and youth from all forms of abuse and neglect and to advocate for their safety.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Specific steps toward this end may include, but are not limited to, the following suggested actions: </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We strongly supported working proactively to promote the protection of children and youth! We spent our time brainstorming how
this resolution might be more than just awareness raising (though that is a noble goal, which we are
excited about)-</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Could we (Mennonite Church
USA) put together a list of each Mennonite Congregation with a “Safe
Sanctuary Policy” that could be publicized on our website? Could we
evaluate the response teams of each conference? How do we monitor
whether we live out our values? We hope that we all continue to take seriously the challenge to protect our children.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Last but not least, we talked about the <a href="http://www.mennoniteusa.org/executive-board/immigration/statement-on-immigration/">2003 Immigration resolution</a>, which the Executive Board is hoping to have reaffirmed. This statement was clear:</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;">We reject our country’s mistreatment of immigrants, repent</em><em style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Tahoma, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 24px;"> of our silence, and commit ourselves to act with and on behalf of our immigrant brothers and sisters, regardless of their legal status.</em></div>
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<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.mennoweekly.org/media/uploads/images/2013/06/05/IMH_Celebrandweb.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://media.mennoweekly.org/media/uploads/images/2013/06/05/IMH_Celebrandweb.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thanks MWR!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The statement includes possible actions, as well as a list of affirmations around the work that is already being done to welcome immigrants. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We supported this resolution, and
reaffirm the need to welcome the stranger in our country. We
wondered about affirming “Immigration Reform” more directly,
though the bill wandering through congress right now seems to be a
mixed bag of a long and difficult path to citizenship and wasted
expenditures on border security.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
So, I guess if I wanted to sum up our conversations-we support these resolutions, and hope that we continue to take the next steps, particularly on behalf of the critical and time sensitive work of combating climate change. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
If you are a member of SLMF who wants to know more, or has questions, let me know, and we can continue the conversation until convention starts on the 1st of July!</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-84407900858746507182013-06-17T14:55:00.000-07:002013-06-17T14:55:03.976-07:00June 16th sermon 2 Kings 21:1-21 Naboth's Vineyard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">2
Kings 21:1-21</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Galatians
2:15-21</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Jezabel-and-Ahab-Meeting-Elijah-in-Naboth-s-Vineyard.jpg/772px-Jezabel-and-Ahab-Meeting-Elijah-in-Naboth-s-Vineyard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1c/Jezabel-and-Ahab-Meeting-Elijah-in-Naboth-s-Vineyard.jpg/772px-Jezabel-and-Ahab-Meeting-Elijah-in-Naboth-s-Vineyard.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In the story of Naboth's vineyard, we are reminded of the abuses of power, and how the system that is society renders many complicit in acts of evil. We are reminded that it is our calling to act as Elijah, and proclaim the good news that God stands against broken systems of racism, injustice, and environmental degradation, and calls us to new life. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Good
morning friends! It is good to gather in worship with all of you this
morning.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We've
been talking this spring about the formation of the church, and the
ways that Jesus called into being a new kind of community. Last week
we talked a little bit about how Paul shaped the new Christian
community, and how we are called to bend to allow new people to shape
our community today.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
morning, I'd like to reflect a little bit about how this contrast
community called the church interacts with the violent and oppressive
powers and principalities of the world around us, the society in
which we live and breath with its blessings and curses, which we so
often take for granted. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our
Old Testament scripture text this morning, the story of Naboth's
vineyard is one of many violent stories in the Old Testament, where
powerful people misuse their privilege, and the dictatorial
governments of the ancient world take advantage of their subjects,
generally serving as object lessons for how not to behave. It is one
of the challenging hallmarks of the Old Testament-while there are
some leaders, like King David or King Josiah who are celebrated as
basically good and faithful people, in general the Bible tells us
stories of a series of faithless leaders who abuse their authority,
are corrupted by temptation, and fail to live up to God's vision of a
society shaped by loving and just relationships. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Our
story this morning is a classic example of the trope. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Ahab,
king of Israel around 850 BCE, was the primary nemesis of the prophet
Elijah, and one of the major figures in the book of Kings. He was
generally considered a bully, and his wife Jezebel has become
synonymous with a dangerous woman. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Here,
in his quest for a new vegetable garden, Ahab demonstrates the 2 year
old's fallacy perfectly- for the King, there is no difference between
I WANT and MINE, and to be told NO is a justification to tthrow a
tantrum and go to bed without supper.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KtiJAexxSPo)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Which
would be bad enough, but as so often happens, the selfishness of the
powerful is supported by partners, underlings and sycophants. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Jezebel,
the loyal wife, preserves plausible deniability for her husband by
arranging a casual murder. The leaders of the town of Jezreel were
willing to take the king's instructions, and set up the innocent
Naboth, by colluding with scoundrels, and reporting back that the
mischief has been managed. It is a horrible story, and Elijah's
closing condemnation doesn't really create justice in the end. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Yet
this is no mysterious phenomena-this is still the world we live in.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Just
for example, right now there are some 21 million people around the
world suffering in some form of bondage- modern day slavery-
according to CNN's Freedom Project. Industries like gold and diamond
mining, sugar, coffee, and chocolate growing, and the garment
industry are rife with human trafficking and both child and forced
labor. It is both tragic and ironic that the classic Valentine's day
gifts of Jewelry, Chocolate, and flowers, are some of the worst
offenders. <a href="http://productsofslavery.org/">http://productsofslavery.org/</a>
This system of oppression is why Plowsharing Crafts exists, seeking
to live out more human values. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
system of oppression works about the same as it did in our story from
ancient Israel today-</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">CEO's
of major corporations look to the bottom line, and want maximum
profits. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Yes
men come up with financial plans that squeeze everyone below, but
claim that they are not responsible for independent producers further
down the line. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Governments
turn a blind eye, happy with campaign contributions and other perks. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">And
people whose livelihood or even their very survival is dependent on
getting the job done are willing to do whatever is necessary,
including using slave labor, to produce what we want when we want it.
</span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">In our
story this morning, Elijah goes to the king to offer God's
condemnation, a reminder that it is worth starting at the top, but
all through the rotted system, people fail to live out the values of
YWHW, the creator who loves the widow and the orphan, who invites us
to live simply, that others may simply live, the one who challenges
us to live lives of Tsedek and Chesed, of righteousness and
loving-kindness. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
is a story that reminds us who God is-the one who challenges the
strong, and raises up the weak, the one who cares for the innocent,
and has no bias for the whims of kings. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But it
is also a story about who we are called to be. In Elijah's prophetic
challenge, I think we can be inspired to follow in his footsteps and
challenge these kinds of powers and principalities. Yet it takes a
powerful prophetic witness to stand against all of that inertia, to
say no to the requests of the king and the manipulation of the town
leaders. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">It is
no easy thing to say no to the powerful-</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Elijah
suggests it can be done, but after his warning to the king, he had to
spend years in exile from his home country. Naboth suggests it can be
done, but he paid for his stand with his life. And modern whistle
blowers often pay for their defiance with firings, black-listing, and
loss of status.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So how
do we take this next step? I think that is where the church comes
in-because it is much easier to stand against the tides of evil when
there is a community that stands with you, when there are options
that you can see before you. We come to this place not only because
here we worship, and here we listen to the word, but because looking
around at the people in the pews around us, we are reminded that we
are not alone in hoping for justice and working for peace in a world
that sometimes seems bent on destruction, to learn from those who put
solar panels on their roofs, and adopt foster children, and run fair
trade stores, and spend years of their lives in voluntary service,
and all the other ways, large and small this community serves as a
contrast to the oppressive structures of the world. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Because
while the battle against these powers and principalities may seem
impossible, there continue to be victories against the forces of
evil. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">I've
been listening off and on to Morning Addition's “Summer of '63”
coverage of the 50 year anniversary of one of the most important
years in the civil rights movement.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">1963
was a big year for our country-Martin Luther King Jr. wrote his
letter from the Birmingham Jail, JFK called for a civil rights act,
which would be passed a year later, and this week marked two
anniversaries that speak to this story of Naboth's vineyard. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
Wednesday, June 12</span><sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
marked the 50</span><sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
anniversary of the brutal murder of civil rights activist Medgar
Evars, who was gunned down in his driveway by a white supremist, a
man who was almost immediately identified, but was not prosecuted
until 30 years after his crime. This was a reminder that forces of
violence have always been willing to do evil to preserve broken
systems of power and control.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">At the
same time, this Tuesday, June 11th marked the 50</span><sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">th</span></sup><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">
anniversary of the Desegregation of the University of Alabama, when
Vivian Malone and James Hood became the first black students to
enroll, after the governor of Alabama, George Wallace, who in his
inagural address earlier that year cried “segregation today,
segregation tomorrow, segregation forever” was forced to back down
by President Kennedy and the Alabama National Guard.
(<a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/06/11/190387908/a-daughters-struggle-to-overcome-a-legacy-of-segregation">http://www.npr.org/2013/06/11/190387908/a-daughters-struggle-to-overcome-a-legacy-of-segregation</a>)
That was a small victory for the forces of integration, and a
reminder that we can be persuaded towards justice. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">The
civil rights movement was a moment, in living memory, when millions
of individuals, in a massive act of protest, made choices to break
down a sinful system, to challenge the king and his underlings, to no
longer blithely accept the unjust orders of the rich and powerful.
And things changed.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We've
still got a long way to go-minorities still face significant
discrimination in employment, housing, law-enforcement, and
education-the statics on drug arrests and incarceration are a
particularly egregious example of legalized racism in our
society-there is plenty of civil rights work for us to do as a church
and as a country-but it is a reminder what faithful people, doing the
right thing, can do to a society and to the world. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So,
this is our calling-to be Elijah's in the world, to speak to the rich
and the powerful and to be willing to confront the sin of our world,
to do the work that God has set out for us. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But
I'd like to close with one final thing. Because in the story of
Naboth and his vineyard, we learn the mind of God, and we are called
to proclaim like Elijah a new way forward, but sometimes we end up
playing Ahab, or Jezebel, or the leaders of the town of Jezreel, or
those who threw the stones at Naboth. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">For in
our world today, many of these broken systems come back to us-</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Climate
change is happening because each person in this room is using 5 to
10x as much energy as we deserve. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We
are participants in the militaristic power of the United States
Empire, which even now is making plans to exacerbate the civil war in
Syria. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">We
benefit from a capitalist system that leaves many in this country and
around the world behind, and fosters values of selfishness and
heartlessness. I could go on. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">When
Elijah comes here, “so you have found me then” may be our line,
we may live in the place of the king.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"> </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">This
reality offers us an opportunity for conversion-an opportunity to
give up some of our inflated lifestyle, to be more aware of the ways
that our consumer society destroys culture and the environment, to
think about where we physically live, and who we spend time with. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">But
it is also the reason that I think it is important to include our
text from Galatians. Because the story of Naboth's vineyard is the
story of the world, the broken systems of powers and principalities
that shape reality. But the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that even
deeply buried within that broken system, full participants in the
destruction of the innocent, salvation is at hand. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">Because
our salvation is not dependent on works of the law, on fixing
everything that is wrong with this silly world in which we live, in
extracting ourselves from empire. Salvation is dependent on the love
of God for each of us, on Christ's sacrifice for the entire world,
and the grace that is sufficient for each of us. </span></span>
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;">So
go-go into the world, challenging the powerful, looking chances to
say to no to the Ahabs and the Jezebels and the town councils and the
scoundrels of this world, but know that there is no where that you
can go that God's love cannot find you, and that you have already
done enough when you decide to love your neighbor. Go in peace.<br />Amen.</span></span></div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-53002033499262826942013-06-12T13:41:00.001-07:002013-06-12T13:41:40.776-07:00Pregnancy is a lesson in Faithfulness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A few lessons on Christianity, from being married to a pregnant woman.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvkjgLAEYXwq1BSlNWXpbYmyI2mKQsuoJE35S4jXZCWLxR8cOxZOYTr8ze" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSvkjgLAEYXwq1BSlNWXpbYmyI2mKQsuoJE35S4jXZCWLxR8cOxZOYTr8ze" /></a>1) "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" can be paraphrased "if you do not want to have your belly rubbed without permission, do not rub other people's bellies without asking first"<br />
<br />
2) After picking up extra chores around the house, sometimes I feel like the Good Samaritan, stopping to help someone beside the road. Then I remember that my wife is providing sustenance to a helpless baby all the time, and I get a better sense of what it means to really be self sacrificing.<br />
<br />
3) Paul uses the image of creation groaning like a woman in labor in Romans 8:22. Watching a pregnancy gives a new understanding of the already/not yet-it's possible to be very ready for something to be over with, and also understand that it is an amazing journey, and that the time is not yet nigh.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
4) Pregnancy makes it clear what it means to be part of an intentional community of accountability. It means everyone asks about gender, names, diaper choices, and how you are feeling all the time. You can either be frustrated and grumpy about the invasion of privacy, or you can embrace it as a sign of love, compassion, and faithfulness.<br />
<br />
5) It is much easier to ask "how is it going" with sincerity when someone is pregnant. It makes me notice how hard it is to remember to check in with the people with less visible joys and concerns when they haven't announced it in church that week. Some percentage of our failure to care is just our failure to remember.<br />
<br />
6) Although-it is easier to ask "how is the pregnancy going" than "how are you managing your depression this week?"<br />
<br />
<br />
7) Pregnancy is like conversion-to have a new child is to welcome with open arms the end of your life. When he is born, we too are going to be born again.<br />
<br />
8) Another parallel between pregnancy and conversion-there is a lot of social science research suggesting that pregnancy does not make you happier (see here: <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/30/opinion/etzioni-children">pro</a> or <a href="http://www.npr.org/2013/02/19/172373125/does-having-children-make-you-happier">con</a>). It doesn't necessarily make you unhappier, but you shouldn't have a baby for self interested reasons-rather, I think, it is one of the more selfless things you can do. Same with joining the church-you're signing up to love your enemies, to give without expecting return, to visit the sick, the prisoners, and the widows. There should be more joy, but it won't be easier.<br />
<br />
9) You know Zechariah? John's dad, who was struck dumb at the news that his wife was pregnant with John the Baptist? Yeah, maybe he just knew enough to keep his mouth shut.<br />
<br />
10) To have a little human being inside you is to know breathtaking vulnerability. It is one thing to say "consider the lilies" when you are single, or even married. I am not yet sure what it means to not worry about what he wears when I consider this little one.<br />
<br />
I'm sure you have your own-add them!</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-19689856139848667492013-06-11T18:30:00.004-07:002013-06-11T18:30:59.988-07:00Galatians 1:11-2:5<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/history/images/paulicon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/christianity/history/images/paulicon.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">My sermon this week is a reflection on the Apostle Paul, and how this convert to the faith was willing to upset many traditions because of his understanding of God's will-maybe we should be willing to do the same!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Good
morning friends!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It
is great to gather in worship with all of you this morning.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
hope that this summer day finds you filled with the Holy Spirit. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As we work with the early
church after Easter and in the season of Pentecost, we naturally
spend a lot of time with Paul, the major figure in the New Testament
after the time of Jesus. After all, Paul is the major driver of our
understanding of grace and salvation, he recorded the communion
liturgy we still use, he set out the moral guidelines for behavior in
the church.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
what I find fascinating is that when Paul told his own faith story,
here in Galatians, he clearly saw himself not as the center of
Christianity, but as an apostle on the outside, fighting to support
his vision of how Christ was leading the church in contrast to the
power structure in Jerusalem. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">In
our text this morning, Paul explains that after his Damascus Road
experience, he went off into the wilderness, traveling to Arabia,
rather than returning to Jerusalem to repent or get guidance from the
Christian leaders he had been persecuting. It's unclear what he did
there, but I expect it was a time of preparation and prayer, like
Jesus' 40 days in the wilderness or Elijah's visit to Mount Tishbah. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">From
there, he began what was basically an independent ministry-only
returning to the home country once, for but 15 days in his first 14
years of being a missionary for Christ. It was only at that point
that he returned to the center, and finally checked to make sure that
he was acting correctly. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And
it is this phenomenon that I want to reflect on for a minute this
morning. Because you might be wondering why Paul lifted up his story
of becoming an apostle to the people of Galatia-does this story
really leave Paul looking good? And more importantly, what do we have
to learn from Paul today?-why do we care how many years he was in
Arabia before he started preaching the gospel, or before he met Peter
and James? </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For
me, what I learn from this passage is two-fold. First, Paul's
testimony is a window into the complicated politics of the early
church. We live in a world fraught with conflict-bitter debates
between Republicans and Democrats, the church torn because of fights
over sexuality, abortion, and other hot topics. Paul's adventures
with the leaders in Jerusalem should serve always as a reminder that
our modern conflicts are old news, part of an ancient practice of
debate, discussion, and give and take in the Christian tradition. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Here
we have the original debate in the church, between those who believed
everyone had to follow Jewish law, and those who believed that Christ
had freed us from dietary restrictions and circumcision. And at the
heart of it was the Apostle Paul, missionary to the gentiles, who
always remained part of the church of Christ, but when faced with
those who disagreed with him, “</span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">did
not submit to them even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel
might always remain with you.”</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Which
is the second reason I think it is worth remembering Paul's faith
story.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Paul
was and is famous for embodying a classic archetype- the arch-enemy
converted into a friend. He was an agent of persecution who helped in
the killing of many Christian believers, particularly Saint Stephen.
So Paul's transformation into a defender of the gospel is remarkable.
It is Lex Luther, joining up with superman, Voldermort finding some
remorse, Darth Vader turning from the dark side. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
we know Paul was a converted persecutor. What is interesting is how
he decided to act upon his conversion. You might think that someone
who had so recently been a persecutor of the church, someone who had
not studied under Jesus, or been taught in Jerusalem might show some
humility and contrition, might be careful not to upset the apple
cart, or cause offense in the Christian community he had so recently
been hunting. He was, after all, the new kid on the block, and was
deeply distrusted by the disciples gathered in Jerusalem. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">This
would certainly be my advice for someone new to leadership in the
church!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
this was not Paul's way-no, after having become convinced that his
previous persecution of the followers of Jesus was wrong, Paul
immediately became a zealot for a different cause, insisting that the
Christ he had met as one untimely born had an urgent mission for him,
to go to the gentiles, and regardless of what anyone else might say,
to proclaim to them the Gospel of Christ's sacrificial love on the
Cross. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Paul
proudly boasts that he returned to Jerusalem after 14 years of
ministry, prepared to defend his gospel, and his understanding of
Christ's calling. Just a few verses later, he tells how when Peter
came and would not eat with the Gentile Christians for fear of being
caught violating the purity laws, he was willing to stand up to the
one who had known Jesus in the flesh the longest, and tell him he had
the gospel wrong. Paul heard the voice of the spirit, and he went
from being an unstoppable force persecuting Christians, to being an
immoveable object, proclaiming the good news of the Resurrection. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Doesn't
this suggest something profound, about new people in the church? </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our
society loves to divide the world into black and white sections-the
good guys and the bad guys, the friends and the enemies. Rare is the
TV show that leaves good and evil uncertain for more than a few
minutes. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our
whole legal system is set up around the idea that those who have done
violence are the ones who will commit crimes again, and so we set up
an inescapable system, where those who have been incarcerated find
themselves unable to get jobs, or housing, or to reenter society and
escape from the trap that we have created for them. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
God's word to us, today and always, is that there are no bad guys. We
are to forgive our brothers and sisters 70x7 times, because we do not
know when those who are persecuting us might become our strongest
champions, our greatest assets, our closest friends. If there is no
space for grace, no room for transformation in our church and in our
society, then we close off access to the Holy Spirit, and loose the
gifts of many Apostles and saints and witnesses to the power of God
in the world. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
even more Paul insists that those who join the redeemed community
are not just pawns on the chess board, to be ordered about, they are
not cogs in some divine machine, to be slotted into the system. No,
every new member of the church is there because they have listened to
the spirit and the voice of God, and because of their fresh ears,
they may have something remarkable to teach those who are inside
already. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It
is easiest to welcome people who are like us, and who do not disrupt
the way that we do things-who fit in with the patterns we have
already established, and support the work that we are already doing.
But the most important blessings are the ones that we receive from
people who push us to do things in a new way, who challenge us to
understand the new thing that God is doing, who catch a different
voice singing in the distance, and recognize it too as the voice of
God, and our lives are richer when we let them reshape our vision of
the kingdom. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Paul
came into the early church, and rather than get on board with the
basic agenda-preach to Judea, so that all the Jewish people would
know that Jesus was the Messiah-he struck out in a new direction,
preaching to the Gentiles about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And
he so stubbornly stuck to his mission that slowly the church began to
change around him, the fulcrum of the lever long enough to move the
world. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It's
not easy for me to stand firm like that-I like to get along with
people, and I rarely am willing to say “here I stand, I can do no
other” like Martin Luther-my basic doubt often gets in the way. And
there are dangers in insisting on one's own way-there is a big
difference between “I am going to the Gentiles, because that is
what God called me to do” and “YOU have to go talk to the
Gentiles, because that is what God is calling YOU to do”. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
when we find that place to stand-to proclaim “I will care for the
widow and the orphan, I will feed the hungry, I will fight global
warming or against war, or for the rights of prisoners or immigrants”
sometimes the world does change around us, and the church is made
new. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our
Psalm text today tells of God's goals for the world-</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">God</span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
is the one who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to
the hungry. The </span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">sets
the prisoners free;</span></span></span><span style="color: #777777;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">the
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">opens
the eyes of the blind. The </span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">lifts
up those who are bowed down; the </span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">loves
the righteous.</span></span></span><span style="color: #777777;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">watches
over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way
of the wicked he brings to ruin.</span></span></span><span style="color: #777777;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">The
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">will
reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the
</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Lord</span></span></span><span style="color: #010000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">!</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It
should never surprise us to discover new people, doing that work, and
the reality that they do it a little differently should never stand
in our way as we seek to come along side what God is already about in
the world, working in new ways to transform one another. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">May
we follow in the path of Christ, learning from the guidance of Paul,
may we proclaim the good news, and shape the world around us always.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Amen.</span></span></div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-48389566970918855922013-06-04T15:51:00.001-07:002013-06-04T15:52:01.483-07:00Sermon June 2nd Christian Formation<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Deut
6 and mk 10</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtmZPt9kQjcOdZtyPqQWDnVu67TiSMgb5ARwi9OcpCLlw6d-sa" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRtmZPt9kQjcOdZtyPqQWDnVu67TiSMgb5ARwi9OcpCLlw6d-sa" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Good
morning friends, it is good to gather in worship with all of you this
morning!</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We've
got a busy morning today-</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We
are having a congregational meeting where we will discern how to add
classroom space to our building-dividing the fellowship hall, or
renovating the front of the sanctuary, or a couple of other options.
We have a potluck where we will honor the Sunday School teachers
among us-those servants of the church who are doing what is probably
the most important work of the church, every Sunday morning. We've
given Bibles to 3<sup>rd</sup> Graders-an act that resonates back to
the beginnings of the Anabaptist movement, and the fundamental belief
that each of us can read the Bible for ourselves, and interpret it in
the church. Finally, after my sermon, we will be dedicating four
children, celebrating their presence in our congregation, and
committing ourselves to watching over them in the journey to
adulthood, to be the priesthood of all believers in their lives. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: black;">I
am excited about all of these projects, and I notice that they all
have something in common-they are all tasks that we take on as a
church because of our commitment to Christian Formation- our
commitment to finding ways to walk with people as they deepen their
discipleship and come to know Christ more. There are lots of things
that the church does that are important-worship and service and
stewardship and pastoral care. But at it's foundation, our task is
Christian formation-growing in the likeness of Christ. When we asked
delegates at the Mennonite convention in Pittsburgh what is the most
important task of the Mennonite Church, the answer, far and away, was
Christian formation. As the Denomination's Purposeful Plan reads,
“t</span><span style="color: black;">his
first and highest priority commits us to fashion and mold our lives
after that of Jesus Christ. As the sent One of God, Jesus sends us
into the world. As missional communities, our congregations,
conferences, and agencies will ensure that people are invited to make
a commitment to Christ, discipled in the way of Christ, taught to
engage with the scriptures, helped to develop Christian identity from
an Anabaptist/Mennonite perspective, and given the capacity to
cultivate their vocational calling.” </span><span style="color: black;">
</span></span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
too, today, do we consider these tasks of invitation, discipleship,
and scriptural study, as we reflect on all the steps of faith
development. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Now,
before we dive into the task of Christian formation I want to
acknowledge that I have something of a fraught relationship with this
whole concept. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Many
of us, I know have stories of formation gone awry, when authority
figures used their power and privilege to push in ways that did not
feel like the spirit of God, and tried to form us against our will.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">we
talked last week about difficult stories in the Bible, and some of my
memories of formation come out of those difficult stories.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
remember a high school game night, where we gathered for worship and
after some praise songs, the speaker said “if you have not accepted
Christ as your savior, you need to leave now!” and the friend next
to me got up and ran out alone. I was formed that evening. I got up
and followed after. We had a long talk about how much it hurt to be
threatened for not believing the right things, and I felt convicted
then, and continue to believe that Christ was more present in caring
for a friend than in casting out the unbelievers. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Forming
someone-I'm pretty sure that's always a dangerous thing to do. To
claim authority over another's future is to ask for trouble, and
there is no certainty of success. I might go so far as to say that to
take responsibility over another's salvation is at it's core a sin-we
cannot get between another person and God. Rather, as Paul commanded,
we are to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Yet
at the same time, encouraging people who are trying to live more
faithfully, who are looking to grow towards maturity and wisdom, to
enter into the give and take of real relationship, well, that is the
core of fellowship, it is what it means to be church together. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
for the church, and for parents, there is always this split
challenge-we want to be helpful, to provide good guidelines, to be a
resource for learning and growing, to push just enough, but not to
far. But we want everyone to embrace faith for themselves, as mature
adults, without force or feelings of obligation. No wonder it is
complicated! It's been a challenge from the beginning-ever since the
first Christians started having babies, and asking the apostles what
to do with them, Christians have faced the problem of second
generation Christians. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">After
all, from a Biblical perspective, the normal way to become Christian
is to convert as an adult. John the Baptist in the wilderness,
inviting people to repentance of sins. Jesus walking by the sea
shore, calling out follow me, Peter baptizing Cornelius and his whole
household, Paul traveling around the Eastern Mediterranean,
proclaiming the gospel and inviting people to reformat their lives to
look like Jesus. These are all examples of adults inviting adults to
be part of the kingdom of God, to make an active and mature choice to
join a new way of being human, if not a new religion. Dealing with
children is not clearly spelled out in the New Testament, and I
suspect that's why the church never did figure it out
entirely-generally, people decided to baptize infants, to make sure
they were saved, and then invited them to an adult faith later in
life, through a process of confirmation. But it remained
controversial -as you might know, 500 years ago, a bunch of
Christians threw a fit, and suggested again that only people who
believed should be baptized, and they baptized one another, and
became the Anabaptists, the ancestors of the Mennonites. Yet even
still, churches often wrestle with difficult questions-how old is old
enough to be baptized? What does it mean to have a mature faith? How
are children part of the community of believers? </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">These
are the theological questions that torment us from our New Testament
frame. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
this morning, I chose a text that speaks to a very different
understanding of what it means to be part of the community of faith,
and a very different vision of what it means to be formed in the
church. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">I
rest not in the New Testament vision of conversion, and instead offer
for the parents who bring their children this morning, and to all of
us, the Old Testament claim of belonging to a story. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Our
text from this morning, Deut. 6, is the most significant in the
Jewish faith. The Shema, “Here oh Israel, the Lord your God, the
Lord is one” is the primary confession of faith-the statement of
essential monotheism that defines Judaism to this day. And this list
of commandments-Love the Lord your God with all your heart and all
your soul and all your mind and all your strength-this is the
greatest commandment that Jesus outlined when he was challenged by a
rich young lawyer. In fact, Jesus came back again and again to this
section of Deuteronomy-this was the heart of the law of love that he
preached. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">And
what I notice is that this primal confession of faith is inextricably
linked to the generational transmission of the faith-this first
commandment is to be written on our hearts, on our doorsteps, but it
is also a story we are to tell to our children, so that they too know
who we are and why we do what we do. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">When
our children ask, we tell them first the story that they already
belong to-that a loving God has welcomed them, that Jesus has taught
us what is right, and we seek to love in return, both God and
neighbor. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">That's
what I see in this story about Jesus and the little children-a
reminder that a warm embrace, a loving presence, and a full welcome
are the core of faith formation, and that the driver of real faith is
not fear or anger, but love and curiosity. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">We
are always working on these tasks of story telling as a
congregation-it is one of my hopes for our small groups, that they
would be places to share more stories and go deeper in relationship
with one another. The Peace and Service Committee is still having
Holy Conversations with people, asking about formative faith stories,
and about our relationships with the broader church. This is the kind
of formation that I think speaks to the Biblical vision-a family that
welcomes with open arms, and does not worry so much about whether you
have met all the qualifications that would let you be in or out. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Because
in the journey of Christian formation, we cannot force people to do
what we want-whatever that is-act right, love us more, become
Christian. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">But
what we can do is sprinkle liberally the opportunities for formation
in our world, and live in such a way that those around us notice, and
want to come to us.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">So
before we begin with the dedication of these children this morning,
I'd like to close with a question-</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">what
are your most powerful memories of Christian formation? Who are the
teachers you remember who guided and taught well? How did your
parents interact with faith, or were you formed by other mentors?
What are the moments where you decided to go deeper into Christ, or
change your perspective on the world? </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">For
me, one critical formational experience I've been thinking about
recently are the annual musicals the children's choir put on every
summer at my home Church with our director Marylyn Mierou. Every
year they came like clockwork- God with a Capital G, Zerrubable's in
Trouble, Oh Jonah, and the one where I put on a giant paper machie
mask with the heads of four different animals on it and growled
through the sanctuary-I think that one was about Daniel. I remember
them as times of learning-learning how to be community with the other
kids at church, learning Bible stories, such that those are the
memories that still come up when I come across them in my reading
today, learning about responsibility-memorizing lines and practicing
singing together. </span></span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">It
was a chance to enter into the Bible story as a community of
believers, to join with the community through the generations and
write the story on my heart. May those same stories continue to guide and shape you in your walk with Christ. </span></span>
</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-17207978843560005612013-05-26T17:25:00.002-07:002013-05-26T17:25:38.149-07:00Thinking hard<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I read a fascinating passage from Daniel Dennett's new book. Dennett is famous for being a 'new Atheist' one of the more vocal critics of my profession, but he has some very good things to say, and his criticisms are usually well thought out. Here he outlines 7 rules of thinking, which I found really useful.<br />
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/may/19/daniel-dennett-intuition-pumps-thinking-extract">Thinking hard</a><br />
<br />
In particular,<br />
I'd highlight his advice to be able to state your opponent's argument so persuasively that they say "yes, that's what I believe" and his advice to pay attention to "surely" and rhetorical questions, which often function as glosses over weak spots in our arguments.<br />
<br />
I try not to preach in arguments, but I do try and think using these kinds of tools. </div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-10044923737892814872013-05-20T21:41:00.001-07:002013-05-20T21:41:32.306-07:00Heirs of God Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, Romans 8:14-17)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Good morning friends! It is good to
gather in worship with all of you. We gather this morning on
Pentecost, to remember the moment when the Holy Spirit descended on
the disciples, and the third member of the trinity made herself known
to them, empowering them to preach and teach and spread the gospel.</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/downton-abbey-s2120302084448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://pmctvline2.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/downton-abbey-s2120302084448.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tvline.com/2012/03/02/downton-abbey-season-4-and-5-cast-contract/">http://tvline.com/2012/03/02/downton-abbey-season-4-and-5-cast-contract/</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Holy Spirit is usually the least
understood and least talked about part of the Trinity. When we talk
about God as father, son, and Holy Ghost, we generally have a better
sense about God and Jesus than the Spirit. After all, we have a
sense of who God is- the creator, the one who made the universe, the
one who we pray to, Abba, father, the main character of the Old
Testament. And we know Jesus, the son, the one who came to earth, the
man who taught and preached and lived and died and lived again, the
main character of the New Testament. We may not always know quite
what it means to call Jesus God, but we know who he is.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Holy Spirit, though, she is more of
a mystery, without an easy hat to wear or easy description to keep in
our pocket. God present with us is not as satisfying as the other two
more obvious aspects of the divine. Even our prayers leave her
out-God almighty...in the name of your son Jesus we pray, amen.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Now, this is not an issue for all
Christians-in Pentecostal traditions, the Holy Spirit is ever
present, shaking the service each Sunday, as people are filled by the
Spirit and respond in visible literal ways. But in our more staid
worship, it is harder to say that we are swept up by tongues of fire.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">So
what do we do with this Pentecost image? If my sermon is not going to
be translated miraculously into the various languages of our
neighborhood, who is the Holy Spirit, and what does she mean for us? </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Well,
instead of this image of the Holy Spirit as primarily a physical or
emotional experience, what I'd like to play with this morning is the
Holy Spirit is God in the church. It is in the claim that the Holy
Spirit is with us that we claim our authority to work in the name of
God in the world. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Consider some of the classic
texts of the Holy Spirit in the New Testament. It is the presence of
the Holy Spirit that marks a relationship with God-at Jesus' baptism,
at the beginning of each of the Gospels, the Holy Spirit descends
upon Jesus, like a dove, and says something like “This is my son,
the beloved. In him I am well pleased. And at the end of his
ministry, Jesus passes this Holy Spirit on to the disicples. In John
20, Jesus tells his disciples: <span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Receive
the Holy Spirit. “If you forgive anyone’s sins, their sins are
forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” It is
the Spirit with us that gives us authority. Later in Romans 8, verse
23: the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought
to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through
wordless groans.” It is the Spirit that connects us with God. In
Galatians 5:22, we learn the fruit of the spirit, the love, joy,
peace, and patience, </span></span>the virtues that
reveal to the world that we are connected to the divine power in the
world, and are willing to follow faithfully wherever God's creative
vision calls. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">These
are images of the Spirit of God, guiding and leading and inspiring
the church to become something new and something more than just a
collection of individuals. And what I notice is how this invitation
to tell God's good news and work on God's mission is somewhat in
contrast to some other significant Biblical motifs.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
One of the reoccurring themes in the
first half of the book of Genesis, at the very beginning of the
Bible, is as a morality tale about the huge differences between God
and humanity. The story of the garden of Eden is about humans not
being able to handle the authority to know good from evil, to be like
God. The story of the tower of Babel is about humanity being
prevented from doing great things, to protect the prerogative of the
divine. The story of Noah is about God being able and willing and
justified in wiping out all humanity to start over fresh. The story
of Abraham and Isaac at it's core is one insisting that God's rules
are both capricious and arbitrary and also must be followed
unerringly and without question. There is room for human initiative
and agenda, but the overwhelming issue is obedience.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In
contrast, in many ways, looking at the story of the church after
Easter, what we have is a story of God's Holy Spirit, or Christ's
Holy Spirit, or the Holy Spirit, inhabiting the church, and
encouraging the Apostles and leaders of the new Christian movement to
take on the mantle of leadership, and pick up where Jesus left
things.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Here God enters into partnership with
the church, to allow us to be the body of Christ, the presence of God
in the world, the ones who may bind and loose, who have the authority
to speak the good news and discern God's will for the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You can probably see this most
obviously in the Pentecost story -all at once, Peter goes from being
a bumbling fisherman to telling the story of how God led the people
of Israel though history, from the Exodus to prophetic invitation to
care for the poor, and how Jesus opened up wide the gates to
salvation and eternal life, a transformation dramatic enough that
people thought he was drunk at 9:00 in the morning. He goes from a
recipient of Christ's teaching, a sometimes foolish foil for the Son
of God, to a power in his own right, one who can tell the gospel
story so convincingly that thousands would hear and believe.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But this theme runs through the rest of
the New Testament, that it is human beings who are filled with the
presence of God and tasked with doing God's work.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
At the Jerusalem council, the early
church gathered together to discuss circumcision and keeping kosher,
deciding for God and the church decided what the will of the Holy
Spirit truly was. Paul had seen Gentiles converting, and Peter had
seen a sheet filled with unclean foods descend from the clouds, and
they knew what God was calling them to do. Really, you can just look
to Paul's constant fight with those who wanted to put the Spirit in a
box, who were not willing to shake the world on behalf of the living
God and listen to the voice of the Spirit, who wanted a relationship
with God where human authority was low, and obedience was the primary
task.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And you can see this theme here in our
Romans 8 passage this morning. Paul wants the Roman Christians to
know that the Holy Spirit is not a spirit of fear-it is not extra
guilt or the sense that we aren't doing everything we're supposed to
in order to make the world a better place, it is not a new set of
threats and carrots, designed to get us to jump through the right set
of hoops. No, the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of adoption. To be a
Christian means to be family, to be in God's family. We have been
grafted in to the divine relationship, and we have all the rights and
privledges that come with being a child of the most high. We can
celebrate our right to call God abba-father-to claim a relationship
with the divine much more intimate than what we might imagine from
the creator of the universe. That is already a remarkable promise,
but Paul doesn't leave it there.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The
Apostle Paul loved to take images and metaphors and stretch them as
far as they would go, and here is no different. We're pretty
comfortable with the language of God as father-the incredible
intimacy of that relationship is so expected it's hard to appreciate
how radical it is. And one way that I notice this is that I am
perfectly capable of saying God is my father, Jesus is God's son, but
it feels really weird to say that means Jesus is my brother. But that
is where Paul goes here-we are children of God, which means we are
brothers of Jesus, which means that we must be heirs of God, indeed
co-heirs with Christ. That is pretty lofty company.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />Consider it-heir is sort of a
strange word in our society-it's not something we think about very
much. Rachel and I are expecting our first 'heir' but I don't really
think of his arrival in the sense of 'passing on a legacy' or a
'family name', and there is certainly no family fortune he's going to
get to inherit.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
But in the ancient world, heir didn't
just mean a child, someone to love and care for. No an heir spoke to
an institution, authority passed through the generations. It speaks
to Downtown Abbey, where Matthew Crawley, some random lawyer from the
city became the heir of a great estate, a small village of servants
and the title of Lord Grantham.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
To be an heir is to have a claim of
authority that at the appropriate time, you will be in charge, you
will shape the destiny of the family, the business, the great things
of this world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">That
is a pretty wild promise that Paul is laying out here, based on the
presence of the Holy Spirit with us, but it continues the theme of
the disciples taking over the New Testament Church. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">If
you play with this notion of heir, pushing the boundaries of the
concept to its logical conclusion, you can get to some strange
places- if we are co-heirs with Christ we inherit with him all the
privileges of Messianic authority, to proclaim the good news, to
offer forgiveness and salvation, to sit on the throne along side the
lamb who was slain and rose again to life. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I
don't want to take this to far-it is tempting to use the Holy Spirit,
living with us, breathing on us, as an excuse to ignore the text, to
dismiss the past, to weed out all the stuff we don't like in
Christianity. I don't think that's a fair reading of the story
either-after all, discipleship is about listening, being the heir of
Downton is not all about parties and power-it's about learning the
tasks and obligations of the position, adapting one's self to the
mantel of authority, and for us as well, it's no good to be an heir
who doesn't know the responsibilities of the position.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">And
I don't want to ignore the differences between humans and God-God is
with us, but God is different from us.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">But
I do think on Pentecost, we can claim the action of God in the world
in the Christian people around us we see doing God's work in the
world-we see the Holy Spirit alive and well in the partnerships
between God and humanity. </span>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The Vision Statement of Mennonite
Church USA is “God calls us to be followers of Jesus Christ, and by
the power of the Holy Spirit to grow as communities of grace, joy and
peace, so that God's healing and hope flow through us to the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
When God's healing and hope are at
work, where the hungry are fed, where the sick are cared for, where
the grieving are comforted, where the powers and principalities, the
forces of racism and injustice are fought, there God is present,
there the Holy Spirit is at work, there are Christians, heirs of God,
and brothers and sisters of Christ, doing God's work in the world.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
May we be those people always.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Amen.</div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8252845881939512963.post-645706987685756402013-05-13T10:11:00.000-07:002013-05-13T10:17:01.061-07:00John 17:20-26 Are We One?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sermon
5/12/13</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=john%2017:20-26&version=NIV">John17:20-26</a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRS4OPAQkcQRIuE9JGMR7W3b0Y7UUnMBV0oJw-p11foBFSlKkIw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRS4OPAQkcQRIuE9JGMR7W3b0Y7UUnMBV0oJw-p11foBFSlKkIw" /></span></a></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That
they may all be one</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good
morning friends! It is good to gather in worship with all of you this
morning.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
hope that today finds you well. Our theme this morning is one that is
near and dear to my heart-the question of oneness in the church.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In
our text this morning, we are offered the last words that Jesus
offered to his disciples before the crucifixion- after his long
discourse that we talked about last week, with it's promise “my
peace I leave with you” and claim “no one can come to the father
except through me”, Jesus closes his message not with a final set
of commandments, but with a prayer-a prayer for his disciples, a
blessing for their flourishing, and their future as the church.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At
the heart of this final prayer, Jesus prayed that the church mig<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">ht
be one, just as Christ and God are one, that the disciples might
demonstrate unity so that the whole world might know that they are
followers of the one God, brothers and sisters who love one another. </span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
is a powerful vision of a community tied together in relationship, a
church that is one, just like Jesus and God are one, so committed in
mission as to be one spirit. It speaks to a church spanning the
globe, proclaiming one gospel, working for the good of all people,
sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, united in ministry, in prayer,
and in practice. This is, I believe, who we are supposed to be.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">But
as we all know, it's not what the church actually looks like. Rather
than being of one heart and one mind, </span></span>I might go so far
as to say that we Christians are experts at division. We have
countless denominations, different congregations teaching different
things, Christians on opposite sides of every core issue in our
society, from abortion and torture to Israel Palestine and climate
change. How can we be one when we disagree so vehemently with one
another?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
I worry that I might be part of the problem- after all, <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">I'm
a member of a tiny denomination, some one tenth of one percent of
global Christians, a denomination known for schisms and division, to
the point that there are far more Anabaptist denominations than I can
keep track of, and none of them are very large. You might even say
that from the very beginning, Mennonites were the ones who took what
was one, and made it many. Watching Anabaptists at work Desidarius
Erasmus wept that “</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Christ's
seamless Coat is rent asunder on all Sides.” </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">
What is more, and I'm a minority within that denomination, off on the
progressive fringe of the church, and I don't always do a good job of
falling in line with the established order, more likely to remain as
the loyal opposition rather than submitting to the will of the whole.
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sometimes
it feels like a long way away from Christ's vision of a church that
is one.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
what are we called to do and to be in this broken church?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Are
we all supposed to agree on what is our calling, to work out a common
set of Christian beliefs, and embody them in the world? Are we supposed to set up institutions that can police the boundaries, kicking out those Christians who do not agree? Are we supposed to find the lowest common denominator, and believe only what we can all agree on?</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I hope not, on each case. Because I
don't think it's possible to care about Jesus and avoid disagreements
with fellow Christians. The Bible is not a precise enough instruction
book, society has changed to much, and our own ethical and moral
perspectives are to important a part of the Christian calculus for
everyone to always agree.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather,
I think our challenge is to decide what it means to be one in the
face of our disagreements.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It
is a question that I wrestle with regularly-how do we walk the
balance between maintaining the core of our identity, while still
being open to difference and transformation?
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You
all may know that <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">Chuck
Neufeld, our Conference Minister has been actively working on this
question over the last four years. Illinois Mennonite Conference is
a diverse group of Christians, part of a diverse denomination, with
churches that freely welcome gay and lesbian members, and others that
would not invite a woman to be their pastor. We all may claim the
title Mennonite, but what that looks like in practice can vary
widely.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many
of you, I'm sure, remember the conversation we had with the Southern
Illinois Mission Partnership last year about homosexuality. We
invited them to come worship with us, they formally decided they
could not be in fellowship with us, we said we would pray for them.
Well, while that was the end of the conversation so far at a
congregational level, over the past year I've continued to talk with
pastors at the conference level about what it means to be united.
Pastors around Illinois have gathered to reflect on what it means to
have a common confession of faith, what it means to accept scripture
as authoritative, and what it means to follow “God's word” and we
will continue in our conversations about what unity means for a
conference.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
this is where I go first when I think about what it means to be one-</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chuck
suggests that at it's core, oneness in the church is about gathering
around a set of convictions, and holding fast to the center, rather
than policing the edges.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
center that Chuck defends is a set of four affirmations:</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Christ
is Lord</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scripture
is authoritative</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The
Confession of Faith in a Mennonite Perspective is ours</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
actively seek the Holy Spirit's guidance.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If
a congregation or an individual can confess these tenants of faith,
then they are welcome to be part of the Illinois Mennonite
Conference. It is because we agree with these statements that Chuck
defends our right to be part of the conference, despite our
differences on issues of LGBT inclusion.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And
this is something I really appreciate- the value of both a central
core that ties us together, and a willingness to allow diversity in
expression and perspective. We are connected not because we share
similar boundaries, because 'this' is a Mennonite , which is divided
from a Lutheran or a Baptist, but because we have a common conviction
that Jesus is Lord, and Christ's Lordship calls us to lives of
reconciliation and justice, working for peace and caring for the
poor. Squabbling around the edges about who belongs in and who should
be out does not lead to life.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But in some ways, I think these four convictions, well thought out and useful though they may be, are not the core part of the oneness work that Chuck has been leading us in. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rather, the core work of unity is not the theological work, in deciding what is or is
not sufficient basis for continued fellowship, but rather in
practice, in the way that we orient ourselves to our brothers and
sisters in Christ.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most
of you know that we are a consensus congregation-every formal
congregational decision requires everyone's approval-or at least
acceptance in a congregational meeting. This kind of system is an
attempt to embody God's calling to oneness in a very concrete way-we
are one, in that we give each part of the local church veto power
over what we proclaim as a community. But this kind of consensus
process can be tremendously divisive-it can push groups of people to
split off from one another out of frustration, and it allows anyone
who chooses to throw a wrench in the works and shut down all sorts of
progress, it can turn the one into many very quickly. It functions
only when people act as their best selves, when they turn their
concerns to the interests of the whole, when they are generous
towards their neighbors.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the core of what it means to be one.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
can always find something to fight about-in the church, denominations
have been created over whether to wear buttons on clothes or the
color of bumpers on cars, and even sillier things that we cannot know
the answer to, like whether or not God knows everything that is going
to happen in the future, or if we help write reality with our free
will. And at the same time, we can always decide not to let
differences divide us.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Each
week I gather with people from a host of different traditions,
acknowledging our common commitment to Christ and our willingness to
be one together. We preach different things, and I have heard
defenses of political action and warfare, theology around choice and
free will, and interpretations of the Bible that I disagree with
deeply. But I welcome them as my friends.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One
fascinating dynamic of 20<sup>th</sup> century denominational
relationships is the breakdown of the old reformation divisions. The
Eccumenical moment has led many denominations to formally end the
theological divisions between them. Prebyterian, Lutheran, Methodist,
Episcopal, UCC, and the Reformed Church in America are all <a href="http://www.elca.org/Who-We-Are/Our-Three-Expressions/Churchwide-Organization/Office-of-the-Presiding-Bishop/Ecumenical-and-Inter-Religious-Relations/Full-Communion-Partners.aspx">fullcommunion partners</a> with one another, recognizing one another's
baptism, share the Lord's supper together, may exchange clergy, and
share a common commitment to evangelism, witness and service.
Mennonites have been invited to participate in some of these
dialogues, but because of our radically congregational style, we've
never tried to make these kinds of claims.
</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But
I think they speak to a powerful trend-a movement to close historic
divisions, to be one, as Christ calls us to be one. Not because old
divisions have been erased, but because we have decided to be in
relationship despite our differences. Bob Hagel, a pastor in our neighborhood reflecting on this eccumenical force, spoke of the model of Catholic Orders-you have your Domincans and your Jesuits and your Franciscans and whatever, each with their own emphasis and mission, but all part of the church universal. What would it look like if we claimed a similar role? We are part of the Order of Mennonites on the Christian Church, and while we treasure our uniqueness, we are one with all who confess Christ as Lord. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://illinoismennonite.com/page0/index.html">Chuck Neufeld</a> has themes on this point-he does not only list the four questions, but he says that we must trust each other-if someone says they believe them, then they believe them. It is not our place to evaluate whether they believe them in the right way. And second, he loves to say 'were you part of the same church yesterday? (Yes) are you part of the same church today? (yes) can you be part of the same church tomorrow (I guess) then you can keep being one until Christ comes again!"</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which brings me to my conclusion, which I think sums up nicely what I'm trying to day. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">according to Allyn
Harris-Dault, to be the church means saying </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"We
are committed to unity-we display this by a lot of conflict, done
well."</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We
do this all,</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So
that we might embody Paul's calling in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians+4&version=NIV">Ephesians 4:1-6</a></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling to which you have been called,with all humility
and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of
peace.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the
one hope that belongs to your call—</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">one
Lord, one faith, one baptism,</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">one
God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in
all.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">
</span></span>
</span></div>
<div style="background: #ffffff; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Amen</span></span></div>
</div>
Samuel VShttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17180408457935825350noreply@blogger.com0