Author: lakewooducc

Sermon Text 6.8.25 “Messaging Today!”

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
2601 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 on the Gulf of Mexico On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga 727-867-7961
lakewooducc.org
lakewooducc@gmail.com

Date: June 8, 2025   Pentecost

Scripture Lesson:  Acts 2:1-21

Sermon:  Messaging Today

Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Please note: dub stands for w which stands for win, and L stands for loss.

“Then Jesus entered his preaching era and started streaming when the chat filled up he began to cook saying

w to those who aren’t thirsty for this mid life  

for they shall live their best life

w for those who take L’s from this life

for they will receive an everlasting w

w to those who don’t do others dirty

for they shall secure the eternal bag

w to those who want help passing god’s vibe check

for he will say bet

w to those who don’t cancel others

for they will not be cancelled by the TOP G

w to those who have holy rizz

for they shall pull the holy spirit

w to those who turn opps into bros

for they shall be called ceos of peace

w to those who catch hands for being valid

for they will not be left on read by god

w to you when the opps be cappin hard

and do you so very dirty bc you’re my fam

trust, you have crushed it and have the eternal w 

for so they treated the real ones of old

and the chat spammed w and said go off king

because his teachings went hard

thus blud began to trend            [From The Gospel by Gen Z, The Beatitudes, p. 38.]

In case you did not recognize what was just read, it was the beatitudes from the book, The Gospel by Gen Z.  

You know:

Blessed are the poor for theirs is the realm of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit its earth, etc. from Matthew 5.

The Gospel by Gen Z was loaned to me by someone in the congregation.  I took a look at it and had no idea what was going on, so I put it aside.  A few weeks ago, my husband, Jeff, was waiting for me as I packed up to go home on a Sunday after church, and he picked up the book in my office and began reading it out loud.  Jeff has a Master of Divinity degree as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree.  He said to me, I have no idea what this is talking about.  I said, I don’t understand it either.  

And there you have it.  If this rendering of the gospel reaches some people, beautiful.  The gospel is supposed to be accessible to everyone as we heard today in the Pentecost story.  But here is the deal:  If I can’t understand the Gen Z version of the gospels, even something as basic as the beatitudes, then very likely there are people who have no idea what a church like ours is about and what is going on here.  Who don’t know anything about the gospel as we share it.  And the sad part is, coming to church might not help them very much because of this understanding gap.  If I can’t understand the Gen Z gospel, even though it is meant to be in fun, then it is very likely that someone from Gen Z coming to church may have no idea what we are talking about here.  

Let’s remember that the nones, not the Catholic sisters but those who have no religious affiliation of any kind, the nones are growing in this country.  They are  28% percent of the population.  No religions affiliation. [https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2024/01/24/religious-nones-in-america-who-they-are-and-what-they-believe/]  They may never have set foot in a church except maybe for a wedding or a funeral, and maybe not even then.  

So, I am thinking about a none coming to church.  And hearing a reference to the crucifixion, say.  Ok.  They may have seen a picture of Jesus hanging on a cross and know that that is the crucifixion.  They may have encountered this image in an art museum.  But what is crucifixion?  Yes, it is Jesus dying on the cross.  But will people know that this was a form of capital punishment?  That Jesus died by capital punishment?  Will they know that crucifixion was the sentence given by the Romans to those accused of being traitors to the Roman Empire?  Will they know that many people were crucified, not just Jesus and the two thieves mentioned in one of the gospels?  

Christianity is based on stories about Jesus, a first century Jewish man.  Being killed on a cross.  As a traitor against the government.  Wrongly accused.  A victim of capital punishment.  Now we suddenly have a kind of revolutionary figure in Jesus.

Then maybe this Gen Z person who is a none hears the word resurrection.  Oh yes.  There is that Christian belief that Jesus came back from the dead.  And then went to heaven.  Wherever that is.  And that he welcomes people who believe in him to spend eternity with him in bliss.  

This is a basic, cultural understanding that many of the nones may have been exposed to.  But it is so bare.  The power of Divine Love in Jesus was so strong that it kept going after his body was killed.  His followers were filled with the power of his spirit and continued to share his teachings of other-centered love.  When someone who is a none hears resurrection, they probably don’t hear all that.  

People in the first century who heard the teachings of the disciples after Jesus’ death, they knew what crucifixion was.  They knew it was capital punishment meted out to those who were guilty of treason.  A person in the first century was familiar with the idea of life after death.  This was common in near eastern religions of the time.  There were other religions with other figures who were thought of as coming back from the dead.  Including figures in the Roman hierarchy.  This was a perception commonly associated with an important figure.  These things were not singular and unique to Christianity as they seem to us today.  These key concepts to our Christian belief system had much more of a context in the first century.  

Also very common was the idea of appeasing the gods, keeping them happy.  So the classic view of Jesus dying for our sins to appease God, to make things right with God, this transactional understanding of the crucifixion and the resurrection, this fit into the cultures of the first century.  

Let’s jump to today.  There are all these nones.  Thousands of nones in our country.  There are churches in other countries sending missionaries to the United States to teach people about Christianity and invite them to follow Jesus.  Well, they see the statistics of how many unchurched there are.  

In the Pentecost story, somehow, some way, all the people in the Jewish community from all over the world heard a word about God’s saving love in their own tongue.  In language they could understand.  In a way they could access.  With not only words but concepts and implications they could find meaningful and life giving. 

And in the church today?  I believe part of the reason there are so many nones is because much of the church with its archaic language and concepts no longer communicates the radical, inclusive, universal love and grace at the heart of reality.  Fundamentally, that was the message of Jesus.  All beloved.  All.  Beloved.  All provided for.  

This week, the most prominent Biblical scholar and theologian of the United Church of Christ died at 92 years old.  Now, if anyone was trying to convey the word of God, the heart of the gospel, in words, it was Walter Brueggemann.  He wrote over 100 books during his life, and countless articles and essays, and he gave innumerable speeches.  I heard him speak many times.  He was a good friend of my father.  Cathy Giesey’s husband, Jim, was a devotee of Walter Brueggemann.  

In an article written in 2022, Brueggemann had this to say about the church:  

“The Christian movement has been so domesticated by the force of empire that much of its testimony simply echoes and reiterates dominant socio­economic practice. As the church has settled for such domestication, it has become a champion of the kind of charity that remains safely inside the assumptions of confiscatory economics. Such anemic practice provides neither energy nor courage for engagement in a neighborly economy, which requires both radi­cal critique of our systemic economic arrangements and emancipated imagination about an alternative practice.

“As our society grows more frightened and more repressive, the church is faced with an urgent call for truth telling—concerning both the exposure of our predatory economic system, which produces and sustains poverty through cheap labor, and the articulation of an alternative way that will yield neighborly abundance. But as long as the church is in unthinking collusion with dominant economic assumptions, this hard and transformative truth is unlikely to be spoken aloud.”  [Quoted by Elizabeth Palmer in The Christian Century Newsletter, Books Worth Reading, 6/5/25, https://mailchi.mp/christiancentury/bwr_2025-05-19001388?e=4292cd2b37]

Friends, these are hard words to hear on Pentecost, when we think of the story of the brave, unrelenting disciples preaching the radical love of God, to people in all circumstances from all cultures and risking their lives by doing so.  Using words they could all understand.  Letting everyone know, whatever their tribe, ethnic background, whatever their gender or identity, whatever their relationship status, and whatever their station in society and their economic situation, all are loved.  Beyond measure.  And our job as human beings, created in the image of God is to take care of each other and to take care of the earth.  To love one another.  That is the message the church has been given to share.  And it is a message that has been largely suppressed. 

So, friends, we are in a country populated by people who are lonely.  The church has a response to that.  Community.  We are in a context with people who are scientific rationalists and find no meaning or comfort in the superstitious, magical thinking that they associate with the church.  We have a message for them.  We are in a time when, sadly, horrifically, poverty is growing.  Houselessness is growing.  Having two jobs to get by is a norm.  And do these people find any good news in the church?  Not much.  Poor people come to church and feel judged and less than.  Maybe they get some food from a church food bank.  But do they hear good news about an alternative reality where all contribute and all are taken care of and everyone has enough?  There are others who feel marginalized and sidelined today.  Maybe because of their past.  Or their identity.  Or their relationship status.  Do they hear love and support and welcome from the church?  Probably not.  And there are suburban families, nice folks, and they are wondering why they bother.  What is it all about?  All this business and struggle?  They feel alienated and lost.  And do they find hope and direction in the church?  Probably not.  And there are many who are extremely financially successful, and they are clearly lost when it comes to morals and values.  And we see this paraded in the news day after day after day.  Well, is the church on their radar?  Is the church saying anything relevant to their situation?  Not that they can hear.

I’m telling you, the need is there.  For the past two weeks, the church ran an ad on Craig’s List for someone to work part time in the church office.  Among those I spoke with and interviewed, most of them were really looking for a church not a job.  They said they had read our website.  They didn’t know there was a church like this.  One candidate told me that they were trying to get their light back after a series of bad relationships.  Well, come to church!

But people who are nones, or not already church inclined, don’t see this in the church. They are hungry for meaningful community where everyone matters but everyone does not agree.  And there is new life and hope that is unexpected, unsolicited, and undeserved.  And it leaves us amazed.  Astonished.  And even perplexed.  This is what we have in church.  And we need to find ways to communicate who we are and what we are about so that those who are unchurched and alienated from church can hear.  In their language.  

The word for listen used in this story from Acts, the word listen means, “let me place the word of God into your ears.”  This is our calling as a church.  To place the word of God into the ears of those who need it and there are many, all around us.  

So, there is so much need for the gospel, the good news, the life giving word of unconditional love that leads one to find meaning as part of community devoted to the well being of the whole, the common good.  But can people hear this word from us?  This precious word that has been entrusted to us?  The gospel?

On our first family trip to Mexico, our soon to be 30 year old son, Malcolm, was a young ‘un.  So, in the US, that means that they get in free to museums and things like that.  When we went to visit something of cultural interest and there was a fee, we would ask if there was a fee for the child.  The nino.  Es libre?  We would ask.  As we bought tickets for Jeff and me, and our older kids, Sterling and Angela, we would ask if Malcolm was libre.  Libre is the word for free in Spanish.  We got some strange looks.  Puzzled.  Usually we did not have to pay for him.  But there were always these weird reactions to our question.  Finally a Mexican person who knew English explained the issue to us.  We were asking, is Malcolm libre?  Libre means free, like not a prisoner, not a slave.  Free.  The word for free, as in no charge for something, is gratis.  When there is no fee, then you go in gratis.  For free.  Gratis.  Of course.  Two words for free.  Libre.  And gratis.  We were using the wrong word.  And so there was misunderstanding.  

Friends, we find life-giving community here.  We find our spirits soar in service to the least and the lost.  We have come to know that helping others is life-giving for us.  We have found family and joy in this community.  There are so many around us languishing.  The nones, yes.  But so many others.  Who feel alienated.  Separated from society.  And from their highest good.  And so many who feel afraid and lost.  Friends, we don’t have all the answers, but we do know that love will see us through.  As it saw the disciples through the most harrowing experience of their lives:  the wrongful death of their beloved teacher and friend, by capital punishment as an enemy of the state.  The experience of his presence among them after he had died.  Their desperate fear for their own lives.  And the life-giving, energizing, freeing experience of the Spirit of the God of Love that launched them from hiding in a back room to preaching in the streets.  

As a church, as a pastor, may we remain committed to new expressions of the gospel that are life giving for people today and tomorrow.  The world depends on it.

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.

Sermon Text 6.1.25 “Oh, Freedom!”

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
2601 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 on the Gulf of Mexico On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga 727-867-7961
lakewooducc.org
lakewooducc@gmail.com

Date: June 1, 2025
Scripture Lesson: Acts16:16-40 Sermon: Oh, Freedom!
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

This season from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, with Flag Day tucked in on June 14 and Juneteenth now an officially recognized holiday, is a season to commemorate America. It’s a time to celebrate America, especially the freedom we associate with America. We proclaim, Let Freedom Ring! We declare this the land of the free and home of the brave. We extol our right to life, liberty (freedom), and the pursuit of happiness. Once upon a time, we extolled our freedom of the press and our freedom of religion. In the 21st century, the focus has been more on the freedom to make money, and the freedom from paying taxes. After the 9/11 attacks, President George Bush admonished Americans to exercise their freedom to go shopping.

While in this season of the American celebration of freedom, let’s turn for a moment to what freedom means for those who follow Jesus. While many of our civic freedoms are significant, our freedom in faith transcends those other freedoms. For one thing, our faith tradition teaches that our first loyalty, our first obligation, our most important commitment is to God; God as we have come to know God through Jesus. So, before country, constitution, national anthem, flag, and all the rest is our faith commitment. And our country respects that by protecting our freedom of religion. Faith first. This comes into play in a situation with, say, conscientious objection when we have the military draft. If you feel you cannot carry a weapon and shoot someone because of your commitment to the way of Jesus who said love your enemies, then you can be absolved from serving in a combat role in the military. There is respect for a person’s faith commitment being of utmost importance in their life.

Let’s turn for a moment to the story from Acts that we heard today and look at it through the lens of freedom. We are told of a slave and her owners. Evidently this woman was owned by men who made money by having people pay to have their fortunes told and things like that. Apparently she made a sizable income for her owners. We are told that she is a slave; someone who is owned by others who control her life circumstances. So, we know that she is not free. While she is not a free person, she does seem to have some freedom of expression and insight. She can see that Paul and Silas are of God, the Most High God, a name also used for the highest God in the pagan pantheon. But already we have a slave who is not free. She is a human being owned by others. And we know the ravages of that economic and social system from our own experience with slavery here in this country. America is still not over slavery. Or the conquest of the land taken from indigenous peoples. We are still not free from the harm that history caused and continues to cause today. So, a slave in the biblical story reminds us of the lack of freedom still experienced by many today.

We are also told in the story of the slave’s owners. They own one slave at least. Are they free? Or are they enmeshed in a societal system beyond their control? The owners seem to be dependent on the slave for their income. So, are they free? When what is explained as a spirit of divination speaking through the woman is cast out by an annoyed Paul, the owners get mad. They are not concerned about the well-being of the woman, but about their income stream. Are they free? Well, they are men, and they do have the right to own things, including people, but are they really free? They seem tied into an economic system based on exploitation and oppression. They seem dependent on someone else for their income and well-being. They seem to be defined by the culture and circumstances around them. They don’t really seem to be all that free.

Then they play the ‘race’ card. They go to the authorities and accuse these Jews, Paul and Silas, of affronting Roman culture. They play upon the anti semitic sympathies of the population and the magistrates. They use prejudice in their favor. This is manipulation of a biased system. It is not true freedom.

And the magistrates. Are they free? They are supposed to be free, but they are at the mercy of the racist system, and must bend to the wishes of the populace to maintain their power. They are beholden to the people. They are not really free, either.

Now let’s turn to Paul and Silas. Are they free? Out of annoyance, Paul is a channel for the power of God which casts the spirit out of the slave girl. The love of God seems to have acted freely against the spirit occupying the slave girl. But this love seems to be at work without concern for consequences. The power of Divine Love appears to be completely free. No restraints.

We also want to note that Paul and Silas are Roman citizens. They deserve due process under the law. They have certain rights. These are completely ignored. They are immediately jailed. Victims of the socio-economic system around them. Victims of the prejudice of the Roman citizens. Victims of the lust for power of the magistrates.

But once in jail, in the deepest, darkest, most secure part of the jail, underground, in the center of the edifice, we are told that they sing hymns and pray. They exert their freedom to glorify God even in these traumatizing conditions. They lean on their faith – that got them into trouble. They receive comfort from expressing their trust in their Most High God. Paul and Silas do not let what is being done to them diminish their faith and their trust in God and the power of the name of Jesus.

Their singing and praying provides comfort to the other prisoners. They share the love of God in Jesus. And others learn of the saving love of God. So, imprisoned unjustly, in the worst of conditions, Paul and Silas exercise their freedom to glorify God and to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. They don’t wallow in self pity or spiral into despair. They sing and pray and praise God. They exercise the freedom of their faith.

Then, an earthquake comes, breaking open the jail. Paul and Silas are physically free. What do they do? Do they run for it? Hide? Get out of Dodge? No. They instead stick around and save the life of the jailer. Literally.

The jailer is not free. He is bound by the honor and shame codes of the culture. He has failed to keep the prisoners bound. The earthquake has freed them. He has failed. So, to avoid the wrath of the magistrates, and the shame of his failure, he prepares to take his own life. But Paul and Silas do not run away. They do not escape. So, the jailer need not fear the retribution of the authorities. He has not failed in his duties. Paul and Silas prevent the jailer from taking his own life. They save his life. Then, he requests the power that he sees in them, the power of God, the power of good, the power of Love. He asks to be saved. And he and his household are baptized. And they all eat together and tend to the wounds of Paul and Silas who were beaten and whipped mercilessly before being locked away in the inner depths of the prison.

Then, the magistrates tell the jailer to let Paul and Silas go – quietly. But Paul insists on a public exoneration. He is standing up for justice. He wants people to see the corruption of the magistrates. He wants people to see that God’s honor is vindicated. He wants people to see the saving power of the love of Jesus.

Paul and Silas, though thrown into jail, exert their freedom to share their faith, to save the jailer, to vindicate the power of God. They act freely from their faith. They do not seem constrained by greed, or social and economic systems. They are not bound by the codes of honor and shame. They are not restricted by self interest and self preservation. Instead, they freely choose to trust God, the God of Jesus.

While many in this story are controlled by the culture around them, Paul and Silas choose to be led by the love and power of God made known to them in Jesus. They choose the freedom of faith. Freedom that looks beyond money and self interest and self preservation. They choose to trust the power of love. They choose to promote justice. They choose to save the life of the jailer over saving their own lives by escaping.

When we follow Jesus, in a way, we give up much of our freedom because we turn our will over to the source of Divine Love. We choose the way of Jesus. And that binds us to love one another, to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to forgive those who wrong us 70 time 7 times. It compels us to love ourselves as well as the precious creation. When we choose the saving way of Jesus, we bind ourselves to his teachings and to the embodiment of extreme love. This commitment is bondage in a way. But this bondage frees us from the entanglements of consumer capitalism, from the tyranny of the self, from the honor/shame system. It frees us from participating in systems of oppression and exploitation. It frees us from participating in harming others. It frees us to see the full humanity of all people and the sacredness of the planet. It frees us to love and to give. Without counting the cost. No accounting. No book keeping. This is the nature of freedom in Christ.

Our faith aligns us with a power greater than greed and self interest. It aligns us with the eternal purposes of the common good. And we have no idea how we will be used in service to that Love. No idea. How love will be at work in us. Changing the world.

Faith is about complete freedom without control. Entrusting the outcome to the purposes of Love.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. knew this kind of faith. And he knew this kind of freedom. Though he was forced to live as a second class citizen. Though black people were not treated with full equality in this country and still aren’t. Though violence and danger plagued the lives of those with dark skin in America. Though his family was threatened and his house was bombed. King was completely free because of his faith and trust in the God of Jesus. So, In a sermon, he tells us:

I left Atlanta this morning, and as we got started on the plane, there were six of us, the pilot said over the public address system, “We are sorry for the delay but we have Dr. Martin Luther King on the plane. And to be sure that all of the bags were checked, and to be sure that nothing would be wrong with the plane, we had to check out everything carefully. And we’ve had the plane protected and guarded all night.”

And then I got into Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers?

Well, I don’t know what will happen now. We’ve got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn’t matter with me now. Because I’ve been to the mountaintop. And I don’t mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I’m not concerned about that now. I just want to do God’s will. And God’s allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I’ve looked over. And I’ve seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land. And I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about ` anything. I’m not fearing anyone. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. [Sermon, “I See the Promised Land,” April 3, 1968, Memphis, TN, in A Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings of Martin Luther King, Jr., Edited by James Melvin Washington, p. 286.]

King was free because he had given his life to God. He let the love of God flow through him. He completely surrendered himself to the purposes of love.

He was killed the day after giving that sermon. He was free.

Friends, it doesn’t matter when we live. In the first century. In the 10th century. In the 14th century. In the 20 century. In the 21st century. It doesn’t matter where we live – in Asia, in Africa, in these United States of America. There are always forces that will seek to diminish our humanity. That will seek to sap our dignity. That will seek to quell the forces of justice and generosity. And in every age, we are called to be free. To freely express the love of God for everyone. No exceptions. And in this season of life in America, we are needed to ring the bells of freedom. To shine the light of truth. And to sing songs of justice. Because we are free. 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.

Sermon Text 5.25.25 “The Power of the Past”

LAKEWOOD UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST
2601 54th Avenue South St. Petersburg, FL 33712 on the Gulf of Mexico On land originally inhabited by the Tocabaga 727-867-7961
lakewooducc.org
lakewooducc@gmail.com

Date: May 25, 2025 Memorial Day Scripture Lesson: Acts 16:9-15 Sermon: The Power of the Past. Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

We begin with a quote from The Color Purple by Alice Walker. A banned book. In some schools and libraries, but not in church.

“Man corrupt everything, say Shug. He on your box of grits, in your head, and all over the radio. He try to make you think he everywhere. Soon as you think he everywhere, you think he God. But he ain’t. Whenever you trying to pray, and man plop himself on the other end of it, tell him to git lost, say Shug. Conjure up the flowers, wind, water, a big rock.”

I remain a skeptic. Even when it comes to the Bible. When I see a Bible study curriculum on say, important people of the Bible, I wonder if there are any women included, and if so, how many. Then I wonder about what is said about these women. I maintain that skepticism when it comes to devotions for women, Bible study for women, a study Bible for women. Just what are they saying about the women? Often what they are saying is that the women are models of devotion and obedience. Women are often portrayed as people of faith who submit to God’s will which is often seen and entailing submission to men. In other words, they basically submit to the authority of males. In one way or another.

But let’s turn to Lydia. First, she is a Gentile. She is not Jewish. She is not an insider to the Jesus community. In the early days of the Jesus communities, the status of Gentiles was murky. Did a Gentile have to become Jewish first to follow Jesus? In the end, it was decided, no, that was not necessary. So, Lydia, a Gentile, a woman, is outside of town, part of a prayer circle. This group of spiritual seekers was on the fringes, led by a Gentile and a woman, seemingly drawn to what they had already heard about Jesus. Was this group all women? We are not told. It very likely included men. We also get enough clues to see that Lydia was not just in the group she was a leader of the group. This likely meant that she had authority over men. And when she directs her entire household to be baptized, that certainly included men. So she is asserting her authority over men. That doesn’t seem like much to us today, in a church that has been ordaining women for over 100 years. In a church that believes that every person is created in God’s image, male and female. And that women are full human beings. But in the first century, and in much of the church since, women have been clearly not equal to men in the faith community. Ordination is just one measure. We also know that Lydia was rich, and wealth brings with it power. She was a powerful woman. Involved in trade in purple cloth likely put her in circles with those who would wear purple cloth – leaders, rulers, and the rich. She was among their number. I think I remember reading many years ago that purple cloth was expensive because it was dyed using a rare seashell. In any case, Lydia was a leader, she was rich, and she asserted her authority over men with their best interests in mind. Look how she construes the invitation to Paul, and company to come to her house: “If you are convinced that I am believer in Christ, please come and stay with us.” She had it all over them. But a Bible study about Lydia may very well portray her as a humble, obedient, docile second class citizen.

So, when it comes to women and the Bible, and many other things, especially related to religion and faith, I remain a skeptic.

Now let’s turn to Memorial Day. We are told this is a day to remember those who have died in service to our country. Those who have served and died in the armed forces, protecting our country and our freedom. It’s a day for patriotism and flags and military parades. Yes, those who gave their lives for our country should be remembered with reverence. And that is how Memorial Day began.

I don’t know about you, but I never knew that there is a strong historical case to be made that Memorial Day began in Charleston, South Carolina in the aftermath of the Civil War. This story has been uncovered by Yale historian David Blight based on records in the archives at Harvard University. In Charleston, there was a Confederate prison camp set up for Union soldiers at Washington Race Course and Jockey Club. The Union soldiers were treated terribly. They were beaten and starved. Many died of disease. After the war, a group of former slaves found a mass grave containing the remains of some 257 Union soldiers who had died at this prison camp. When the Black people found the bodies in the grave near the race track, they set about digging them up and creating a cemetery where each one was buried honorably. The cemetery was enclosed with a white fence and an archway declaring, “Martyrs of the Race Course.” After honoring the dead with the creation of the cemetery and the saying of prayers and reading of scripture, on May 1, 1865, there was a huge parade of some 10,000 people circling the cemetery on the race track. The parade was led by some 3,000 children bearing roses, followed by women with baskets of flowers, and then men, military, marching in cadence. A reporter for the New York Tribune witnessed the event and described it as a “procession of friends and mourners as South Carolina and the United States never saw before.” And after all of the parading, those in attendance, black and white set about celebrating with picnics on the race course grounds. They did this all out of gratitude for the soldiers who had given their lives fighting to end slavery. And this celebration is looked to the precursor to Memorial Day as we celebrate it today – putting flowers on graves, and holding parades. This story has been intentionally suppressed. The park that includes the race course area was named Hampton Park in honor of Confederate General Wade Hampton.

[ See: https://time.com/archive/6914586/memorial-day/ and https://medium.com/the- establishment/the-untold-story-of-memorial-day-former-slaves-honoring-and-mourning- the-dead-da9754924f3f.]

How many of you know this story? Know of this parade and the reburial of the over 250 soldiers? I certainly did not. And in one of the few articles about this history, the writer observes: “The fact that the role of African-Americans is missing from the official record is precisely the problem. At the very least, the contribution of Black people in Charleston has been erased from the public narrative of Memorial Day and deserves to be recognized.”

Yes! What also needs to be recognized about Memorial Day is that it is a day when we are to remember all those killed in war. This somber remembrance should compel us to seek new methods of conflict resolution that do not involve weapons and killing. A veteran of World War 2, historian Howard Zinn declares, “Memorial Day should be a day for putting flowers on graves and planting trees. Also, for destroying the weapons of death that endanger us more than they protect us, that waste our resources and threaten our children and grandchildren.”

Friends, despite the intentional veneer of barbecues and boats and bargains, Memorial day is a story of death and tragedy and human failing.

We must remain skeptical. We must emulate Jesus by seeking the truth and telling the truth. Memorial Day should be a day of re-dedicating ourselves to peace so that no more lives are lost to war or violence.

Imagine what we could accomplish if we spent the billions of dollars now allocated to the pursuit of armed conflict instead to the pursuit of peace and techniques and strategies for making peace and creating peace when there is conflict? One strategy for increasing peace is ending poverty. Another is working to reverse climate change which is considered by the military to be one of the biggest threats to US and world security.

Lydia was moved by the preaching of Paul and she chose to follow the way of Jesus. She and her household were baptized. She gave her heart, her soul, her resources, which were considerable, her reputation, her household, and her time to the gospel. And immediately she invites Paul and his entourage to stay at her home making her house the locus of the Jesus movement in Macedonia. This is considered the first church non European soil. Do they tell you that the first church is Europe was headed by a woman?

Imagine what the church would be like if everyone knew the story of Lydia as a church leader. And about Jesus and his treatment of women as equals not less than men.

Imagine what Memorial Day and this country might be like if every student was taught about the origins of Memorial Day in Charleston?

May we, too, rededicate ourselves to the gospel, the gospel of peace this Memorial Day. May we devote our energies and resources which are considerable, to telling the truth and to pursing peace.

We close with a sentiment from Alice Walker’s The Color Purple:

“I think us here to wonder, myself. To wonder. To ask. And that in wondering bout the big things and asking bout the big things, you learn about the little ones, almost by accident. But you never know nothing more about the big things than you start out with. The more I wonder, the more I love.” 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.

Sermon Text- 5.4.25- “Do You Love Me?”

Scripture Lessons: John 21:1-19 and Acts 5:27-32 Sermon: Do You Love Me?

Date: May 4, 2025
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

I don’t know about you, but I do not like being asked the same question three times in a row. Peter, do you love me? Yes, I know the three fold questioning has to do with the three fold denial of Jesus by Peter before the crucifixion. And this is the scene that sets that straight. But even so, it would be hard to be asked the same thing three times in a row. And you can see Peter struggling. He doesn’t want to confront the risen Jesus the way he did the earthly Jesus. So, he turns the corner. “You know everything.” Done. No more defending himself, or trying to correct Jesus, or attempting to disabuse Jesus of his extremes intentions. Peter relents. He surrenders. Gives it to the shepherd. Who has laid down his life for the sheep.

And Peter and the disciples take up feeding the sheep. Caring for the flock. They preach and teach and heal in the temple precincts in Jerusalem, trying to spread the good news of Jesus Christ far and wide. Trying to spread the healing love. The compassion. And who is turning up? Yes, the sick. The outcast. And, of course, the poor. And the crowds are growing. And the religious leaders who supposedly run the show at the temple are not happy.

Let’s make sure we understand something here. This conflict that is played out in the story of the disciples appearing in front of the religious authorities, this is not a showdown between two different religions. Like the Muslims and the Jews today. Or the Buddhists and the Muslims. Or the Christians and the Jews. No. This is an issue between people in the same religious family. All Jews. We have the Jewish leaders who preside over the worship and observance at the temple in Jerusalem. They are in charge. And we have the disciples, with no official authority in the religious community, who feel instructed by God to tell people about Jesus as the long awaited Jewish messiah who has come to redeem the Jewish people and set things to rights. These are two expressions of the same religion. And as we know, sometimes it is the conflicts among family that are the most destructive.

We are living in a time in which our religion, Christianity, is fractured in this country. Divided. Now there has always been diversity of Christian expression in America. Different churches and sects and denominations. We know about that. And through most of it, there was an underlying sense, a foundation, of respect, even if there was not agreement. Maybe some of our common ground came from the fact that we had all pretty much abandoned the radical, subversive teachings of Jesus. And settled for compromises of one kind or another. But today, some of the things I am seeing from so- called Christians are things that I just cannot see justified given the witness we have to Jesus’ life and teachings. We have people who claim to be Christians who use imagery of Jesus dressed in a US army uniform and toting a machine gun. I’m sorry, but that Jesus is not in the Bible. We have people who claim Jesus was white and who use that to justify and promote whiteness as a class, a condition, that implies superiority. That is not the Jesus of the Bible. We have people who claim Christ and who are addressing themselves to serving the interests of not just the millionaire class but the billionaire class in this country. What about the Jesus who did not own a home? And had one tunic? We have people who use Jesus to perpetuate the subjugation of women and the restriction of their rights. And, friends, that is not Christlike. Jesus was an out and out feminist. He challenged the mores and values of his time that carefully circumscribed the role of women and their power. Jesus time and again defied the misogyny of his culture. It was even shocking to the disciples, we’re told. What’s he doing talking to her? He let her touch him!!! Why is he helping her??? Why is he letting her help him with his ministry? And in the US today we have people using Jesus to target those who are identified as sexual minorities and denying them their full humanity. That is simply not consistent with the Jesus of the New Testament who said nothing, I repeat, nothing, about same sex relationships, or abortion for that matter. Now, when Jesus is used as the figure head, as the leader, of such interests, we are faced with a conflict within our own religion.

So, first we listen to the words of Peter. We obey God rather than human authority. And how do we know it is of God? Well, it will be consistent with the teachings of Jesus. And we have from Jesus, Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. That reflects Jesus’ ministry and the ministry of the disciples. Helping those who are sidelined and maligned.

Reaching out to those who need food and healthcare. Welcoming those who are outcast and forgotten. That is the agenda of the God of the Bible and of the Jesus of the gospels.

We have a strong expression of Christianity in this country today whose values are antithetical to that New Testament witness. And they proudly support politicians who are taking away money, resources, safety, and lifelines from the most vulnerable among us. Friends, that is not Christlike. That is not “Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.” And that is how we assess the spirit of Christ within us and among us.

Now, normally I don’t say much directly political in my sermons. I feel it is my role to give you a Biblical and theological framework from which to form your own convictions about current circumstances, but this week, while reading about the lambs and the sheep, I found myself aghast at what I was reading in the news. One email stated: “As head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President Trump, Musk is exposing just how bad things are: Runaway government spending has pushed national debt to unsustainable levels.” Yes, the US is in debt $36 trillion dollars. Yes, this is a concern. Then I read about a statement made by Elon Musk to the investors of his car company, Tesla. The article said, “Musk told investors the blowback against Tesla – stemmed from his work with DOGE. Musk said, ‘The real reason for the protests [against Tesla], the actual reason, is that those receiving the waste and fraud wish to continue receiving it. That is the real thing that is going on here, obviously.” His conviction is that the debt is due to people milking the system and taking advantage of the government creating waste and a fraud. Well, he is right and he is wrong. Yes, people are taking advantage of the government and that is significantly contributing to the national debt. But he thinks those people are disadvantaged people who are cheating the government. The poor taking advantage of the government and significantly contributing to the national debt. That is where he is mistaken. It is the millionaires and billionaires who inflate and pad government contracts that are handed out for political gain, and the 1% who find every which way to avoid paying taxes and who are aided again by politicians who benefit from the largess of the 1%, who are ticking up the national debt to such exorbitant levels. Yes, people are taking advantage and it is contributing to the national debt, but the greatest effect is from those at the top of the economic scale, not those at the bottom. Musk needs to be pointing the finger at himself.

And if he is concerned about the national debt, he should write out a big fat check to the IRS.

So, there are many Christians today who agree with Musk’s assessment of things in our country. And we go back to: Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep.

Here it must be said that expressions of Christianity like ours may not support the current attack on the poor and vulnerable, but we have not been outspoken in our preaching and teaching about the gospel. We have backpedalled and down played the parts that we think are hard or unpopular. Like love your enemy. Turn the other cheek. Forgive 70 times 7. We have not taken the risks that Peter and the early disciples took that attracted those most in need and jeopardized the very lives of the disciples. They took risks. Their agenda was not political power but good news for the poor and those who were discredited and downgraded by society. We have been very deft at softening the gospel. Making it easy to swallow. More palatable. Less risky or uncomfortable. We have blended it into our upper middle class, consumer capitalist, racist reality.

In this season of Easter, when we celebrate Jesus coming back from the dead, it’s a time to see things a little more clearly and realize the power for good that we are dealing with. And often ignoring.

This is a time to take Jesus seriously. Jesus loving us, we accept that. We sing, “Jesus Loves Me.” And we should. But do we love him? Do we listen to him? The one who gives us life. Sustains us. Offers not only food but healing and hope. Who wants us to know abundance and joy. Are we taking him at his word?

Peter was crucified. Upside down. He gave his life. A shepherd. Laying down his life for the sheep. Like Jesus. He didn’t regret it. He lived a life of joy and community, intimacy and mutuality. All gifts of the gospel. None of these things are tools of empire. Or authoritarianism.

Do you love me? Feed my lambs. Tend my sheep. Feed my sheep. If we follow and are called to lay down our lives, then we know we had something to live for. Followers of Jesus don’t look at life and ask, What am I getting? They look at life and ask, What can I give. To those who need it most. 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.