LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
2601 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33712
On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga
727-867-7961
lakewooducc.org
lakewooducc@gmail.com
Date: March 16, 2025
Scripture Lesson: Luke 6:39-42
Sermon: Connections: Following Our Leader
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Jeff and I like to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain. And people wonder how we know where we are going. Walking through unfamiliar territory for hundreds of miles. Well, we follow the signs. Scallop shells posted everywhere. But when the way seems ambiguous for some reason, which does happen, I wait to see where someone else is going. Then I follow. One time my brother, Mark, and husband, Jeff, left ahead of me in the morning. When I left, I went down the correct road. Then I knew I needed to make a right turn. I came to the place I thought I should turn. But I wasn’t sure. Some people were coming toward me on the main road. I waited to see if they would turn. Then I looked closer. It was Jeff and Mark. Why were they coming from the opposite direction? And they were closely followed by two Canadian women we had met the day before. Well, apparently Jeff and Mark missed the turn, where I was waiting to see if others turned. They walked on. When they met up with the Canadians, they got things straightened out. When the Canadian women saw me, they said, “We fetched them for you.” And I said, “Many thanks!”
We really need to be aware of where we are going and who we are following and where that will lead. And this extends in our world of connection from people in the flesh to social media. Who are you following on your social media accounts? Are the people or organizations you are following leading you to somewhere you want to go? Is the information being disseminated accurate? Helpful? What kind of influence are you letting those you follow have over you? Yes, this can be media, but it can also be mentors, friends, historical figures. Our son had an obsession with Stalin for several years. Stalin? Is that someone you want to follow? A tyrant responsible for the deaths of thousands or was it millions?
This may seem benign but people can be highly influenced and get into the clutches of those who do not have the best intentions. This could be some kind of financial scam. Investing in something that promises great dividends but turns out to be only taking your money and not giving anything in return. This could be involvement with an organization that seems to be doing good but is really involved in something like human trafficking. This could involve a relationship online that turns into an in person relationship that is abusive or worse.
Maybe now more than ever, we need to be careful about who we are following and what influence we are giving them in our lives.
Many years ago someone from the church got involved in a group on line that was about male identity and family responsibility. It seemed like it was about building strong families. But there was a subversive agenda. It turned out to be about male superiority and domination of women. The man involved started getting dictatorial toward his wife and trying to limit her freedom. The marriage ended in divorce. Because of who the husband started following online.
It is very important to be aware of who we are following. Who we are giving power to in our lives. Are we letting ourselves be led by someone who is blind? OR worse, someone devious and deceptive? Someone with ill intentions who is devoted to doing harm but making it look like good?
Who are we following? What are we connected to? This is a question that Jesus addressed. Make sure you choose a teacher worthy of your devotion. A teacher in sync with the purposes of God. A teacher devoted to love. Other-centered love. Not someone who is self aggrandizing or sycophantic. A self promoter. A user.
And let’s be honest, people in the religion business are infamous for abusing power and trust. It was no different in Jesus’ day. Religion is a prime domain for people getting other people to do what they want. There are so many aspects of religion that lend themselves to manipulation – the threat of hell, the promise of heaven, retribution, connection to otherworldly power, the promise of miracles or the threat of cataclysms. Oh, yes, religion is rife with tools that can be used for manipulation.
Here’s one of my litmus tests when it comes to those who profess to being leaders in the Christian church. Do they seem rich? Are they driving a fancy car? Wearing expensive clothes? Eating at pricey restaurants? Living in a big house? That kind of thing. If they are, I am suspect. Because Jesus was poor. If you are following Jesus, if he is your teacher, you are not headed to an opulent lifestyle. And where is all that money coming from? Parishioners? If so, it should be used to help people in need.
Jesus warns us to pay attention to who we are following, especially when it comes to religion. He had plenty to say about the religious leaders of his day. In fact, the only scathing remarks that are associated with Jesus are about religious authorities because they are supposed to be working to implement the realm of God not using their position for personal gain.
So, who are we following? Who are we connected to? Who do we give authority in our lives? Celebrities? Sports figures? Politicians? While I am likely to look at the money side of things to assess integrity and purpose, there are other gauges to pay attention to. We heard of another integrity factor in the lesson read today: judgement. Those who follow Jesus are to be nonjudgmental. Worry about the log in your own eye not the speck in someone else’s.
Now, ask a random person on the street and the general impression is that Christians are known for being judgmental. And this is not just fallout from the Salem witch trials. This comes from current behavior. Christians are known for holding up a high moral standard and condemning those who do not live up to that. Even when they themselves do not live up to that standard. Oh, but they are forgiven because they have been washed in the blood of Jesus.
But what do we hear from Jesus about judgment? The teaching is clear. Do not judge. Do not judge people. Do not condemn people. Judge the evil or morality of behavior, but do not judge the person. Do not look for fault in another. Instead, look for the fault in yourself and resolve that. Worry about yourself and your behavior. Look at how you are following your teacher and living up to the call of the gospel. Don’t impose judgment on others.
Again and again in the gospels, we see Jesus extending the unconditional, universal love of God. He doesn’t condemn people. Rail at them. Decry and abuse them verbally for their transgressions. Even those responsible for his crucifixion. Even those who betray and desert him. He forgives. He heals. He comforts. He restores. He has compassion. He invites people to follow him. Not to be punished. But to follow him on the path of life – full, abundant, free. Not controlled and manipulated by others. But a path of Love not condemnation.
Yes, we must assess our own actions. And judge their conformity with the gospel of Love. We must judge ourselves by a high standard of morality. We are to judge our own behavior. But we are to renounce judging, condemnation, resentment, and especially violence and hostility toward others, whoever they are, whatever they have done. This is what our teacher, Jesus, shows us. Compassion and understanding toward others. As God has for us. This is what Jesus models to those who are following him.
So often in the world around us we see judgment. Criticism. And condemnation. Scathing, in the political realm, at least. It is horrible. Who are they following? Certainly not Jesus. It doesn’t have to be this way. We actually can treat each other with dignity and respect. We can conduct ourselves in ways that honor our deeply held commitments without condemning those who may not agree with us.
I recently heard a story on the radio last week about a woman in the Boston area who was concerned about global warming. She decided that she wanted to heat her house with geothermal energy instead of the commonly available natural gas to help reduce her energy footprint. When she looked into the particulars she found out that geothermal heating for her house would cost upwards of $40,000 which was prohibitive for her. She ended up working with a a group of women, Mothers Out Front, who are concerned about climate change. They studied the geothermal issue and decided that they wanted to get the local natural gas company to offer geothermal energy to homes in the Framingham, Massachusetts area.
The Mothers Out Front group arranged a meeting with the gas company. The gas company had no idea what to expect. They not only had lawyers at the meeting but bodyguards as well. They were ready to be attacked – verbally and literally.
The Christian Science Monitor tells us of the beginning of the meeting:
But as the meeting started, Zeyneb Magavi and each of the other mothers calmly explained their passion to Mr. Akley, the president of gas operations at Eversource Energy: “I have three kids,” Ms. Magavi said. “I’m worried about climate change. And I’m worried about their future.” When the women finished, there was a pause. Mr. Akley broke the silence. “I have three kids, too. I’m worried about climate change. And I am also worried about their future.”
“That was our little sliver of common ground that we started to grow,” recalls Ms. Magavi.
[https://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/2024/0828/geothermal-energy-renewable-power-utilities]
The gas company has since installed an experimental geothermal service in Framingham and it is being explored for use in other areas as well.
Notice, the mothers did not attack the gas company. They did not condemn the executives. They did not judge and vilify them for continuing to use natural gas despite the high methane content involved and the severe contribution that makes to global warming. Instead, they shared their concerns for their children and the future. And they found common ground.
Jesus is our teacher. And instead of condemning other people, he teaches us to LOVE others. To treat people with dignity and respect. To find our connection and our common ground instead of creating division and rancor through judgment that is often hypocritical.
May we open our eyes, our own eyes, and may we see who we are really following. And the path of abundant life that Jesus offers. 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.
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