Month: December 2015

Advent 2015 – Devotion Six – 12/4/15

San Bernardino. Just the mention of the location and we know what we are referring to. A mass shooting. Another mass shooting. There have been at least 355 mass shootings in the US in 2015. That’s more than one a day. It is clearly too late to prevent this from becoming a “thing” because it is already a “thing.” It’s a thing with many causes. A thing with many potential responses. And while there may be differing views on how to address this thing, I think that almost everyone agrees that we want to be rid of this thing. We don’t want to live in a country with a reputation for mass shootings. We don’t want to come to terms with the reality that most of these mass shootings are done by people who seem just like the people we see in the store, or at work, or at a sporting event. We don’t want to feel unsafe.

Doing nothing is not an answer. We must concern ourselves with the causes and conditions that lead to these horrific events. We need to apply our best and brightest capabilities to addressing these problems. And we must do this even though it will take time for implementation to yield results. It won’t be a quick fix in time for the next election cycle. But still, we need to act.

But that is not the end of the story. This is the season of Advent. This is the time we prepare for the celebration of a birth. It is a time to remember that in the worst of times, a baby was born; a person who continues to impact the world in significant ways even over 2000 years after his coming. Who would have expected that baby to have such an effect? We think about it now as God breaking into human history in a surprising way with an unforeseen result. It is something no one could have predicted.

Was that the last of God’s surprises? Do we no longer expect to be astounded by unforeseen events? Will we limit the scope of God’s influence?

While we work for peace in our country and pursue ways to end the mass shootings and all shootings, let’s remember the theme for this Advent season at LUCC: Wonder-Full Peace. Let’s not forget the wonder. The mystery. The awe. The jaw dropping surprise. Breaking in. And changing the game. For good. Peace IS possible.

Take a moment to think about something that has happened that has taken you by surprise. It could be something in society or in your own life. Did you ever expect there would be an African American president in your lifetime? Did you think you would live to see gay marriage?

Prayer: In this season of watching and waiting, may we be open to God’s surprises. May we not limit the scope of the power of Divine Love. May we trust that love to heal the horrible pain suffered by the loved ones of those killed in San Bernardino and of all other victims of violence. Amen.

Advent 2015 – Devotion Five December 3, 2015

On May 25, 1961, in a special joint session of the Congress, President John F. Kennedy announced that the US would send an American safely to the moon before the end of the decade. And, on July 20, 1969, the goal was accomplished. It took 8 years. And the resources and personnel needed were dedicated to the task. This story is a reminder that we can do what we want to do.

International leaders are meeting in Paris to discuss climate change. The world waits with hope and anticipation for a dramatic outcome. An inspiring goal. A binding commitment of resources needed for fulfillment.

Global warming is not just an environmental issue. A “green” concern for tree huggers. It is a peace concern. Drought, lack of access to clean water, decreasing food supplies, lack of clean air, flooding, sea level rise, these consequences of global warming lead to social disruption, economic turmoil, and conflict. To pursue peace, we need to address climate change in bold ways.

Even if the Paris talks fall short, what’s to stop the US from creating its own dramatic, inspiring goals on climate change? We could commit to zero carbon emissions within a decade, like the goal of reaching the moon. Then we could help others to do the same. Oh, but that would take the government and politicians today seem to have more money than brains so not surprisingly, we don’t expect much from them.

But what do we expect from ourselves? In the absence of drastic action from visionary politicians a la Kennedy, our system of government is designed for people to take matters in hand and create the change they want to see happen. So, what are we doing?

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we remember that Jesus was not a top down leader. He had no aspirations to hold office or have a position of high status. He was not the head of a corporation, or a state, or a diocese. In the eyes of society, he was a nobody. And yet he managed to inspire other “nobodies” in a movement that continues to change the world today. Jesus empowered regular people to use their power for good in the world. How are we willing to use our power to create the drastic changes needed to slow global warming so that we as well as our neighbors near and far can thrive on this beautiful planet we have been given? We can’t expect a “President Kennedy” to do this for us.

Take a moment to think about a time when you used your power for good in the world. What did you do? What was the impact?

Prayer: In this season of giving gifts, we remember that we have been given the gift of power. And Jesus has been given to us to inspire us to use our power for good. May we honor Jesus by using our power to protect this precious Earth that we have been given as our home. Amen.

Advent 2015 – Devotion Four December 2, 2015

I recently had the occasion to be inside the sanctuary of another church. There were chairs in rows. There was a dais or platform with microphones, sound equipment, and a plexiglass lectern. I looked for a cross. No cross. I looked for an altar or communion table. Nothing like that either. To me, it just did not feel like a church.

The experience surprised me. I don’t consider myself “high church” by any means. I get just as lost in a Catholic or Episcopal service as someone who has never been to church. I have never been a fan of pomp and circumstance. So I have never thought of myself as attached to the symbols one often finds in a church sanctuary.

As for the cross, yes, I believe that Jesus was crucified on a cross, but I don’t believe that it was God’s plan so that we can go to heaven, or that this was the price God extracted to pay for our sins. These ideas are often associated with the cross, so I don’t think I was unsettled that there was no cross in the sanctuary of the church I visited.

After some thought, I concluded that what bothered me the most, was the absence of an altar or communion table. To me, the table represents community and sacrifice. We come together at the table, a table set before us in the presence of our enemies as well as our beloved friends. The table symbolizes the human family, all of whom need to eat and all of whom are provided with physical as well as spiritual food as part of the divine plan of creation. The sense of giftedness and oneness that the table represents is a core aspect of a church for me.

In addition, historically the altar is the place where people made sacrifices and brought their offerings. Today in church we put the offering plates on the altar as a sign of our making an offering, a sacrifice, to the God of love. This idea of sacrifice is not something bloody and morbid to me. It is a sign of our willingness to personally give something up for the greater good. It shows our commitment to something bigger than ourselves. To me, this is also a core aspect of church.

In this Advent season, we are thinking about Wonder-Full peace. We all want peace on Earth. We want peace in our homes and neighborhoods. We want peace in our schools and society. We want peace between nations and peoples. But, like everything else that is important and desired, peace has a price. Peace involves sacrifice. We have to be willing to give something up for the greater good. You can’t be selfish and spoiled and have your way about everything and still have peace with everyone. Maybe what we have to give up is an attitude, or a behavior, or certain language, or power, or control, or, yes, even some money or wealth. But to experience wonder-full peace, something has to be given up.

Jesus was always showing people how to give things up: their harmful ways and ideas, their assumptions and habits, their judgments and prejudices, their privilege and control, as well as their possessions and wealth. He shows people how to give things up so that they can have peace. When our sacrifice is truly for the greater good, there is deep joy in our self giving.

The altar and the cross are reminders of these truths of the way of Jesus.

Consider a time when you made a sacrifice for a greater good. Remember the joy of that experience.

Prayer: The divine intention for the cosmos is peace. May we see our generosity and self giving as but a small offering for the riches of wonder-full peace. Like Jesus, may we love peace so much that no sacrifice is too great. Amen.

Sermon November 29, 2015 – The Heavens Are Telling Luke 21:25-36

The First Sunday of Advent
Scripture: Luke 21:25-36
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

In July 1969, the first manned spacecraft landed on the moon. Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong took the first human steps on the moon while millions the world over watched glued to their televisions.

Then, on July 20, the day they walked on the moon, there was the first phone call between earth and the moon. Then President Richard Nixon addressed the astronauts:

Hello, Neil and Buzz. I’m talking to you by telephone from the Oval Room at the White House, and this certainly has to be the most historic telephone call ever made from the White House. I just can’t tell you how proud we all are of what you have done. For every American, this has to be the proudest day of our lives. And for people all over the world, I am sure that they, too, join with Americans in recognizing what an immense feat this is. Because of what you have done, the heavens have become a part of man’s world. And as you talk to us from the Sea of Tranquility, it inspires us to redouble our efforts to bring peace and tranquility to Earth. For one priceless moment in the whole history of man, all the people on this Earth are truly one; one in their pride in what you have done, and one in our prayers that you will return safely to Earth.

It was definitely a historic moment for humanity around the world. An unforgettable experience filled with hope and promise.

As Nixon said it, “the heavens have become a part of man’s world.” Exploration into space has helped humanity to see the place of the Earth in the wider whole of the cosmos, and it has helped us to see the Earth as a whole. The picture of the Earth as a blue marble, taken by the Apollo 17 crew on December 7, 1972, is considered one of the most iconic, and among the most widely distributed images in human history. [Wikipedia, The Blue Marble] This picture gave the human race an image of its home – Earth. Space exploration has given us an understanding of the Earth as barely a speck of dust in vast expanding universe. And it has also given us an understanding of the precious uniqueness of our planetary home.

In the understanding of our Christian tradition, the Earth, the sun, the moon, and the stars, all are seen as part of the creative expression of God. We think of God as infinite mystery, so we are not surprised at the vast expanses of space. And we understand that to God, all of creation is one living, pulsing, dynamic whole. There are many, many references in the Bible to creation, the land, sea, animals, plants, and planets all fulfilling the will of the creator. Air, sun, comets, and nebulae, all play the part they are intended to play in the divine creative design. All of nature and all of the cosmos is seen as God’s self expression. In other traditions and religions, there are myths about the creation of humanity, but the world itself is already assumed. In the Judeo Christian concept of creation, humans are just one small part of a larger story of Divinity revealed in all of reality. It is a cosmic vision from the beginning.

We see this understanding reflected in the scripture we heard this morning. “There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and on the earth distress among nations confused by the roaring of the sea and the waves. . . the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” [Luke 21:25-26] The power of God is not limited to humanity and human history. God’s power extends to the planets and stars, as well as all of Earth and creation. We are given a universal vision of God’s power and intentions. Ours is a cosmic God.

It is also clear in our tradition that the Divine intention for all of the vastness of the cosmos is peace. It has all been created as an evolving whole which supports life in untold forms – past, present, and future yet to be determined. Our faith is founded on a vision of peace that is life-affirming and universal.

This Advent season, we prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, one in whom we see God breaking into human history with peace. And we remember that the peace that is expressed through Jesus is a universal peace. It is not just peace for one group, or one nation, or one culture, or one geographic area. Divine peace, the peace revealed in Jesus, is universal peace: For all people. For all cultures. For all times. For all lands and seas, planets and stars. In Jesus we see peace for the cosmos.

This is an insight that we want to remember as we think about extending peace in our world. There are so many areas wracked by violence and the absence of peace – from our individual souls and our psyches, to our city blocks, to our borders, to conflict and violence between groups and nations. Bombs, drones, guns, and missiles destroy daily. Where is peace? Where is there hope for peace? As we look at so many conflicts we see that this person, this group, this country, this government, this ruler, this religious expression, is trying to protect itself and extend its power. We want security for ourselves. The goal is not really peace, but self interest, self promotion, or self protection, because peace is for everyone or no one.

When we embrace the Christian view of cosmic peace, we look at paths to peace that extend peace to everyone, to all lands, all seas, all creation, the universe known and still unknown. When we adopt that cosmic perspective which we see again and again in our scriptures, then we are pursuing peace that means security for all and not just, temporarily, for some. Our faith teaches us to work for peace in ourselves and in specific situations from a universal perspective so that just and lasting resolution can emerge.

We can think, for example, about problems in a relationship. In this holiday season, these kinds of issues can become more pronounced. Maybe there is stress in one of your primary relationships. Maybe instead of thinking about what you want and what you think the other person wants, you can try to see things from a broader perspective. What is best for both of you? For the others in your family? What will make a constructive impression on children or young people in the family? What will be in the best interests of everyone in the long term? Maybe you can overcome a smaller issue when together you see there is a greater goal that is good for others that you both care about.

If we only look at certain specific interests in a particular situation without a broader framework, we may very well just be creating another problem. But when we work together to resolve conflicts whether it be in an interpersonal situation, in a work setting, in an ideological conflict, in international disputes, or in dealing with extremists, we want to keep in mind the universal perspective of our faith with the intention of peace for all of creation, the universe, and throughout the cosmos. That kind of all encompassing vision can help us to find specific ways to pursue peace that are truly secure and lasting.

Now, I must admit that for much of my life I was not very interested in space exploration, NASA, or even entertainment involving space. I felt that the energy put into space exploration was taking needed resources away from solving problems here on earth. I mean, was it really necessary to spend all that money so that we could drink Tang, eat dry ice cream, and close our shoes with Velcro? These are just some of the technological ripples of the space program. I saw space exploration as a sign of giving up on Earth and looking to other venues for pursing life. To me it represented having failed here on this planet and I could not accept that. But I married someone who minored in astronomy in college, who used to go out and observe the stars and the constellations every night when we lived in the country and it was actually dark enough to see the stars. Someone who knows all about the planets, space, and the space program, and who even, penny pincher that he is, gave money on a regular basis to the Space Studies Institute at Princeton to work on colonizing space. Now my spouse is a physics teacher. So, through the years, my heart has softened toward space. I have even come to take an interest in new discoveries and developments. But mostly I have been moved by the influence that space exploration and knowledge of the universe can have on our spirits, on our self understanding, on our grasp of our place in the scheme of things, and on our perspectives of life on Earth, our little blue marble home.

Images from space have helped to increase the understanding of global warming. They have given us other scientific insights and understandings. They have helped us to overcome a sense of individual and cultural alienation between humans because we know that we are all together on this tiny planet and there’s no where else just like this.

Space exploration also has the power to enhance our vision and pursuit of peace. While different countries may not be able to work together to solve problems on Earth, we seem to be more amenable to cooperating internationally when it comes to space and space exploration. The International Space Station is one promising example of this. Maybe through these experiences we can learn to work better together here on Earth as well.

In the 2014 hard science fiction movie, Interstellar, a ship is sent out into space to go through a worm hole and follow up on earlier initiatives to find a planet with an environment that can sustain human life. In the course of the journey, the main pilot, Cooper, is having a conversation with the primary scientist, Dr. Brandt, about space.

Dr. Brandt comments, “That’s what I love. Out there we face great odds, death, but, not evil.”

Cooper replies, “You don’t think nature can be evil?”

Brandt says, “No. Formidable. Frightening, but no, not evil. . .”

Cooper goes on to ask, “There’s just what we take with us, then?”

“Yeah,” Brandt responds.

Maybe the only evil in the universe is the evil that emerges from the human heart. No evil in space. No evil in creation. No evil in the universe or the cosmos. So maybe all this exploration of interstellar space can teach us to overcome the evil only we are capable of and to live in peace. In this season we prepare for the coming of Jesus, a figure portrayed in cosmic proportions: Jesus, a Palestinian Jew who has become associated with the cosmic Christ figure, an embodiment of the divine love that is at the heart of the universe. With no evil. A truly stellar figure with a universal message proclaiming peace – on Earth, all the Earth, not just some of the Earth, as well as the entire cosmos.

This season we’ll remember the story of the magi, the wise ones, following a star in search of Jesus. Maybe the stars will help to lead us to peace, in all of our hearts and homes; the peace that is intended for the world, the peace that has been given to creation in Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.