Author: lakewooducc

Scripture Lessons: 1 Kings 18: 20-39 and Luke 7: 1-10
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

They say you can find anything for sale on eBay. Well, if you were wondering just how far that goes, we learned this week that someone tried to sell his place in heaven on eBay. It’s no joke. A man from New Jersey listed his spot in heaven on eBay. And if you think that much is crazy, it doesn’t end there. The bidding reached $100,000 when eBay finally pulled the listing. Yes, people actually bid up to $100,000 for Ari Mandel’s place in heaven. [Tampa Bay Times 5.31.13, p. 4A]

Yes, religion can be a very strange thing but there is no way around the fact that religion is an extremely influential force in our culture and in the world.

Whether or not you are religious, religion is impacting your reality. Religion motivates people. It shapes their view of reality. It molds character, morals, and values. It influences personal behavior. Religion is influencing the Boy Scouts, reproductive choices, economics, environmental issues, foreign policy, war, health care, medical alternatives, marriage, education, and international relations just to get the ball rolling. From the bedroom to the boardroom, from the situation room to the emergency room, religion is having an influence.

This is nothing new. Religion has been an important aspect of human culture since its emergence. The cave dwellers had religious practices, and so do we. Having been part of the human scene for this long, I wouldn’t look for religion to disappear any time soon.

The scripture that we heard this morning from 1 Kings tells the story of competing religions. On one side is King Ahab, the 450 prophets of Ba’al, and the 400 prophets of Asherah; the power structure, the religion of the power elite and the Empire. This religion was polytheistic; there were many gods and one of the most significant was Ba’al. Ba’al was the god of fertility, and of water and rain to make the crops grow. Since the economy was based on agriculture and a few at the top were getting rich off of the land with servants, peasants, and slaves doing the actual work (some things don’t change), the leaders wanted to stay rich and powerful. This depended on successful farming. So, they would gladly sacrifice to whatever god would give them the results they wanted, and they would gladly sacrifice to all the gods who they believed could help them. They were busy sacrificing to Ba’al as well as to Yahweh, the God of the Israelites. But Judaism is about promoting monotheism, one God. So, the prophet Elijah is sent by Yahweh, the one God of the Hebrews, to let the people, including King Ahab, know that there is only one God and that they are to worship that one God and it is Yahweh not Ba’al. Things have gotten so out of hand, that Elijah tells the people that Yahweh has sent the drought to punish them for worshipping other gods. And when they recommit only to Yahweh, the rain will resume. So here they are worshipping all kinds of gods to cover all their bases and insure rain and fertility and it has backfired and led to a drought. So there is this showdown between Ba’al and Yahweh at the summit of Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea.

The 450 prophets of Ba’al will prepare their bull to be sacrificed. And Elijah, the one and only prophet of Yahweh, will prepare his bull to be sacrificed. And whichever god starts the fire to burn the bull for the sacrifice is the winner. And that God will get the people’s devotion and loyalty.

Here is the King and all these prophets and they get the first pick of the bull to be sacrificed. They build their altar and get everything ready. All Ba’al has to do is start the fire. They pray. Nothing happens. They sing. Nothing happens. They dance. Nothing happens. They cut themselves. Nothing happens. Hours pass and not a spark. Is Ba’al not listening? Is he asleep? The God of Israel never slumbers or sleeps. Maybe Ba’al does! Is Ba’al praying? Is his wringer off? Is he on vacation? Nothing. Not a cinder. Not a spark.

Then Elijah sets up his sacrifice. Makes an altar and a fire ring with 12 stones for the 12 tribes of Israel. Then he digs a trench around the whole thing. He adds the wood and the bull. But he is not done yet. Elijah asks for 4 large jugs of water to be brought. Water was scarce during the drought. And remember that water is a symbol of Ba’al. Ba’al was known for conquering and controlling the waters. Three times the sacrifice is drenched with water. Saturated. Dripping. Wood and all. Does Elijah sing? No. Does he dance? No. Does he cut himself and offer his own blood? No. He says one brief prayer calling upon God. And the wet wood erupts in flames, the bull, the altar, the wood, the stones, all is consumed. Even the water is consumed. Elijah gave Ba’al every opportunity, every advantage, even dousing the sacrifice with water which Ba’al controls. But Yahweh prevails and the people commit themselves to Yahweh. It’s a scene worthy of Cecil B. DeMille or Steven Spielberg!

While we may not perceive ourselves as part of such a great competition for allegiance and loyalty, the truth is that there are forces competing for our devotion and loyalty and commitment. Within our own religious tradition, there are a variety of expressions of Christianity competing for recognition, for authority, for validity, and, most importantly, for influence in the public square. What kinds of things do we need to be mindful of when seeking to express our religions devotion? How do we decide what’s authentic in religion?

Today, I am going to suggest just one factor in gauging the authenticity of a religious expression. There are others. But I will focus this morning on just one.

In the book of 1 Kings, the Israelites are navigating troubled waters in their primary relationship, their relationship with Yahweh, their God, the one who brought them out of the land of Egypt. Yahweh is a God of justice. Yahweh has compassion for the orphan and the widow. Yahweh cares about the poor. Yahweh is a God of communitarian ideals.

The Israelites, however, have seen the ways of their neighbors. An aristocratic mercantile class has developed on the backs of the peasantry. The land has yielded crops thanks to the efforts of the peasants and a few at the top are reaping the benefits. They are taking advantage of others. In addition, they are neglecting their responsibilities to the orphans, the widows, and the poor. They are abandoning their commitment to the well-being of the whole community. They are ignoring the values and obligations expected of them by their God, Yahweh. So, not only are they two-timing Yahweh by worshipping Ba’al and other Canaanite gods, they are neglecting the teachings of Yahweh intended to promote a just, fair, stable, caring community that ensures the well-being of everyone. They have essentially become oppressors. And they are worshipping whatever god they can find that they think will increase the harvest so that they make more money. Selfishness, greed, and economic injustice are at the root of the Israelites problems.

So, in thinking about the authenticity and validity of religious expression, I would like to suggest that one important consideration is “follow the money.” What are the economic dimensions of the religious expression? What are the economic circumstances of the adherents? What do the believers do with their money? How do they make their money? How is money used by the faith community? Money is a key indicator of values, beliefs, commitments, and world view. So if you follow the money, you get a good idea about what a religious expression is really all about.

And I think this applies across religions. Whether Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, or Christian, I think that following the money is a key indicator of what is really important and valued by that religious expression.

Within Christianity, there are a variety of approaches to money. Following the money in one expression of Christianity may lead to quite a different conclusion than following the money in another expression of Christianity. A church with a pastor that is paid hundreds of thousands of dollars and living a lavish lifestyle is a LONG way from Jesus. That says a lot about that religious expression. If you go to a church and there are clearly people from a variety of economic situations, maybe from homeless people and poor people to CEOs and others in between, that says a lot. What is the church doing with its money? Maintaining an opulent building and not giving to those in need? Maintaining a lavish building and giving generously to those in need? These things say a lot about the religious expression. What kinds of mission is the church involved with? Compassion? Charity? Advocacy? Justice? To gauge the validity of a religious expression, I think that following the money tells us a lot.

One of the main topics in the teachings of Jesus is money, wealth, and greed. That is because the nature of the purse reflects the nature of the soul.

While all Christians today do not accept vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, we can look at the life of Jesus and see that he lived a materially simple life and he advocated a materially simple life. He also advocated lavish generosity. So in a religious expression, we should be looking for material simplicity or at least moderation coupled with overflowing generosity.

There are some expressions of Christianity promoting monetary gain and opulent wealth as a sign of divine blessing. Live the good life and God will make you materially rich. There is no basis for that perspective in the teachings of Jesus. It is very easy for us to distort our religious expression to suit our own ends.

And this is not unique to Christianity. It can be seen in other religions as well. There are a variety of religious expressions; some authentic, valid, and sincere. Others distorted and self-serving. And some a mix in between. Again, money can be a key indicator of the sincerity and authenticity of the religious expression.

We are here today because we are religious. We are meeting our spiritual needs by being part of a faith community. The words of Elijah invite us to consider the authenticity and validity of our religious life. Elijah asks the Israelites, “How long will you go limping with two different opinions?” Like trying to go in two different directions at the same time. This question challenges us as well. It invites our single-hearted devotion to the way of Jesus. And it invites our constant vigilance in assessing the sincerity of our religious expression. And the continuous evaluation of our motives, our values, and our actions. To get a perspective on where we stand, we can follow the money. How are we acquiring it? What are we doing with it? What are the indicators of our generosity? How are we meeting the needs of those made poor? What are we doing to change the systems and institutions that perpetuate injustice and poverty? These are questions to ask ourselves as religious people and as a faith community. Does what we do with our money show that we are on fire for the God of justice, compassion, and mercy? The God of Jesus Christ. Follow the money and we will know the condition of our hearts and our souls.

Religion, as we said earlier, is part of our reality. It can seem misguided and hare-brained, like the man trying to sell his place in heaven on eBay. Talk about follow the money! There’s an indicator. But religion can also be a transforming power for good in the world and in our lives. Religion is powerful. It is our choice how we use that force. For good? For selfish ends? To justify ill will toward others? To perpetuate the status quo? To work for justice? To perpetuate violence? To heal the world? Religion is full of potential. We are here because we believe in the immense power of religion for good. Let us not be afraid. Let us expect God’s faithfulness. Let us take risks. And, like Elijah, expect the fire, not of hell, but of the power of God to ignite our lives and our world with love. Amen.

Scripture Lessons: John 3:1-17 and 2 Corinthians 13:11-13
Pastor: Kim P. Wells

In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen. This phrase has been stock in trade of the Christian church for centuries; prayers, services, greetings, beginnings and endings with this standard reference to the Trinity. In recent decades the language in English has been adapted from Holy Ghost to Holy Spirit, maybe in response to the increased association of ghosts with Halloween and the macabre. So, now, “In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen,” rolls off the tongues of many a Christian.

Like so much of religion, the concept of the Trinity and the habit of invoking the Trinity, emerged in a particular context. And it accomplished several things for the church. The doctrine of the Trinity, embedded in the early creeds, helped to define the essence of Christianity. It was intended to resolve theological controversies about the nature of God and the nature of Jesus. And with the resolution of these matters, who “won” and who “lost” solidified power for certain leaders of the church. The Trinity was as much a political issue for the church as a theological issue. So the Trinity is much more that just a creedal formula.

The Trinity holds that God is revealed to humanity in three ways. As Creator of all that is, as a fully incarnate human being in Jesus of Nazareth, and through the Holy Spirit. The Creator represents the aspect of God that is responsible for all that is. Jesus fully embodies God to humans so that humans can have a fuller understanding of God. And the Spirit enters people’s lives, giving them divine power and direction. One God, three “persons,” a word that, we’re told, should be translated as “masks.” One entity, three masks, three ways of appearing. The Trinity holds that all three aspects of God are equal. There is no hierarchy to the three presentations of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit is not superior to the Creator. The Creator is not pre-eminent to Christ Jesus. The doctrine of the Trinity also was intended to resolve differing perspectives about the nature of Jesus. Was he fully human? Was he a god? Was he divine? In the early centuries of Christianity, the people were used to the idea of gods appearing as humans. This was not new and was part of other religions common at the time. Was Jesus God appearing as human, or was he really human? The Trinity takes the view, fully human and fully divine. Jesus definitely is God. One God, three aspects. The interplay of the roles. The nature of the three dimensions. A solid doctrine, yes, but a doctrine admittedly incorporating mystery and beyond full human comprehension.

The concept of the Trinity is consistent with the idea of a living God. A God who is still speaking, as we so often say in the UCC. A dynamic God. The Trinity incorporates the expectation of on-going change. That is the role of the Holy Spirit, the sticky wicket of the Trinity because the Holy Spirit is always and ever unpredictable and uncontrollable. As we heard from the gospel of John: “The Holy Spirit blows where is wills.” So there is always that “not to be countered” explanation for unorthodox behavior: The Holy Spirit led me to do it. Now that’s a conversation stopper akin to, “the devil made me do it.” But the concept of the Trinity has always had that element of unpredictability to it.

The Trinity also incorporates the historic pattern of having various names and concepts for God. In our scriptures, we hear of God as Elohim, Yahweh, Jehovah, El, Abba, and other names. So having a variety of ways to refer to God or to access God is not new by any means.

The concept of the Trinity was also a way of making the Christian faith comprehensible and resonant in the Mediterranean world of polytheism. In a culture used to having many gods, the religion of one God was a unique oddity. The Trinity seemed to be a way to put the diverse roles of the one God across to people who were accustomed to different gods having different roles.

The Trinity has also always been an important way of conveying community. The idea of the Trinity, three aspects, one God, shows us that the Christian concept of God is relational. There is relationship within the Godhead. Egalitarian community within God. This then becomes a model for community between people. Also, given that one aspect of God is creator, there is the implication of the relationship between God and creation. And the implied relationship between humanity and creation which is God’s self disclosure. So the concept of the Trinity has much to convey about relationship that is at the heart of our faith.

To truly honor and appreciate our faith heritage and tradition we want to more fully understand the concept of the Trinity and where it comes from. And if we truly intend to have respect for our tradition, then we will let the tradition speak to us, teach us, and instruct us in our faith today.

We have the tradition of Jesus telling the disciples that the Holy Spirit will come to them, to continue to lead and guide the faith community. In other words, he is assuming that they will meet new challenges and will need to address those challenges and God will continue to provide. More will be needed. And it will come. What Jesus has taught is not the end of the story. There is more. So what might be some of the illumination that we are being given for today?

The Trinity invites us to know a God that is dynamic, living, and ever revealing. This God is not an ancient relic, but a living presence that is never fully known or understood. The mystery of God is eternal and the unfolding of God is never complete. Built into our ancient, historic faith is the capacity for newness, for change, for adaptation, and for surprise. But in challenging times such as these, just when we need new vistas for faith that will have a powerful impact on the world, what does the church tend to do? Cling to the past. Revert to what was comfortable and familiar. While we should look back and see the many adaptations and changes that have emerged in our faith tradition, instead we look back and become entrenched in the past because we are afraid. This approach ultimately does not serve the world, does not embody divine love and power to the world in constructive ways, and ultimately it undermines the relevancy of religion and faith. The doctrine of the Trinity invites us to change and adapt our faith and our views of God and our trust in love for today and for the future. And we have used the Trinity as an anchor instead
of a sail.

We noted that the Trinity is a way of talking about the different roles of God and different names for God. Contemporary Christianity has been inviting the church to expand the images we use for God. To incorporate new metaphors and words that convey the living God in ways that are relevant today. One area in which we see this effort relates to using language for God that is not exclusively male. In fact, this is in keeping with the biblical tradition of the Holy Spirit being feminine in form. So the Trinity has a genderless Creator, a male Incarnation, and a female Spirit in its historic representation. It was multi-gender and beyond gender. This is instructive for the church in considering the use of language for God today. So we see the re-introduction and growing use of goddess language within the Christian community. There is also the introduction of the word “Godde” for God. This comes from the Middle English word for God that was spelled G-o-d-d-e. The added “de” implies a feminine ending. So, to the traditional masculine image of God, you add the feminine and you have a word that incorporates both masculine and feminine. This is in contrast to the word “God” which is viewed as masculine and goddess which is viewed as feminine. Godde incorporates both. This is a new wrinkle in Christianity attempting to give us new images and language for God. The idea of exploring and using different language and images for God is in keeping with honoring the various aspects of God incorporated into the ancient concept of the Trinity. It is another way of keeping the faith relevant for today’s context. And it is a way to bridge to other religions that use other names for God. If we were Christians worshipping this morning in Indonesia, we would be addressing God as Allah, because that is the name for God used by Christians in that setting. Imagine Christians in the United States regularly, not exclusively, but regularly using the term Allah for God. Think of what this would do to de-escalate tensions between Christians and Muslims. This kind of expanding vocabulary can be part of diffusing hostility and conflict between religious communions as well as expanding our concepts of the Great Mystery in ways that reflect and promote continued human development.

Part of the motivation for the doctrine of the Trinity was to contextualize the faith given the circumstances. This invites us to think about how the Christian faith needs to be contextualized today. The Trinity invites us to consider portraying God in ways that show respect for the human development that has emerged through the ages. When we think of out context today, we see that we have made vast strides in psychology and sociology, in scientific understanding, and in technology. We’re not in the world of the 4th century let alone the 1st century. This context needs to be taken into consideration when presenting the Christian faith in a relevant manner. Christianity is meant to be adapting and changing and developing along with the progress being made by humanity. To ignore or worse yet to defy the continually unfolding progress of the human species is, ultimately, to dishonor the God that wove the capacity for on-going development into our human nature. For the church, for instance, to discredit the theory of evolution is an affront to God. For the church to ignore advances in knowledge that illuminate the nature of sexuality is an insult to God. For the church to insist on clinging to archaic views based in primitive society is disrespectful to the capacity for progress and development that is hard-wired into the human species.

The Trinity, with its built in capacity for God’s continuing presence and guidance through the Holy Spirit, speaks of a faith meant to adapt and address the issues and concerns of every age in new ways. Our faith is intended to bring the unconditional, expansive LOVE that is at the heart of the universe to bear in today’s world. Sadly, much of Christianity seems stuck in the past and thus is having a detrimental effect on the world. That is not what Jesus was about. He lambasted entrenched, out-moded, irrelevant religion. We are given the image of being born anew. Today the church is being called to be born anew out of patriarchy. Born anew out of homophobia. Born anew out of the addiction to violence. Born anew out of entrenched patterns that perpetuate ecocide. Born anew out of outmoded theology. The Trinity invites us to be born anew and to embrace new avenues of faithfulness that incarnate divine love, grace, and generosity in creative ways for the world of today and tomorrow.

We also noted that the concept of the Trinity makes a bold statement about relationship and community: Relationship with the world around us as well as within the human community and within the faith community. Different roles, yet co-equal. What if we were to think about different world religions as having differing roles yet all addressing our human yearning for wholeness, for meaning, for a way of navigating the human experience? Different ways of addressing the same needs, equally valued and respected? That would be transforming for the world. It would be a great leap forward for peace. What about appreciating cultures and races and ethnicities as differing expressions of one human identity. Co-equal all serving the good of the whole? Again, this would lead to vast strides in efforts for peace, justice, and fairness in the world. And, closer to home, and thus perhaps more difficult, what about an egalitarian foundation for relationships within the life of the church itself? The church, of every expression, embodying mutual respect and equality? Rather than leading the way, a vast segment of the church has chosen to reflect the sexism, homophobia, and the cultural wars of the society around us. Instead, we should be offering society new visions of communitarian living, mutual respect, and justice based on equality. I am imagining a worldwide church united in addressing poverty, violence, and creation care. Wow! The Trinity invites us to embrace these possibilities.

The Trinity has always had a dimension of mystery. How can three be one? How can they all be equal? Why three? While we do not need to answer these questions they remind us that there is always a dimension of the faith that is mystery. That is inexplicable. That we cannot fully understand. That we cannot definitively account for. When we presume that our doctrines are definitive and cover all aspects of belief and are right and true, then where is the room for the mystery? So this idea of the Trinity reminds us that we never fully understand. We don’t get the whole picture. There is always the unknown in life and in faith. And any credible concept of God will incorporate a heavy dose of mystery.

Jesus challenged the orthodoxy of his faith tradition. He challenged core doctrines and assumptions and what some felt were foundational beliefs of his religion. Jesus is our model, then, for continued reformation. For the ongoing transformation and evolution of our religious tradition. And the doctrine of the Trinity invites us to a relationship with a living God, a dynamic faith, a transforming power. The early church positioned Christianity to be adaptable and flexible and meaningful whatever the future would hold.

So we ask ourselves today, What does the Trinity say to someone who has cancer but does not have health insurance? What does it say to the residents of Moore, OK? What does it say to a married couple of the same gender one of whom is a US citizen and the other being deported? What does it say to 90% of the Palestinian refugees pushed out of their homes in 1948, who then settled in Syria, and now have been forced to flee to Lebanon where the kids can’t go to school, there is no access to health care, and no way to earn a living? What does the Trinity say about violence and war? About oppression? About ecocide? About reverence for life? What does the Trinity say to us that gives us strength to face the living of our days?

People need faith. They need it as a framework to interpret experience. The need faith as a language to make meaning out of experience. People need faith to see them through. They need faith that mitigates awe and inspires.

The Trinity shows us a God big enough to be known in many ways but never fully known. A God always relevant and ahead of what is emerging. A God gathering a faith community that’s never afraid to embody the power of love.

Over 17 years ago there were just 4 members of our immediate family. It was near Mother’s Day. We were at a glass art gallery. In the shop, there was a beautiful necklace made from dichroic glass with 4 figures on it. I thought it was a great Mother’s Day gift. Then, I read the description from the artist. The piece was called “Trinity.” And, yes, there were 4 figures. When I read that I knew that I had to buy it. Community, inexplicable mystery, a glass technique developed by NASA. It was everything the Trinity should be. Amen.