Category: Sermon Texts

Scripture Lessons: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13 and Romans 14:7-9
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Summer sermons based on topics requested by the congregation.

Henry Pitney Van Dusen and Elizabeth Van Dusen led exciting, vibrant lives. Van Dusen was a Presbyterian clergy person who rose to become the president of Union Theological Seminary in New York City. He was instrumental in founding of the World Council of Churches. Van Dusen was a premier leader on the religious scene in mid 20th century America. The April 19, 1954 issue of TIME Magazine featured Van Dusen on the cover. In 1970, Van Dusen, suffered a severe stroke. Elizabeth Van Dusen suffered from debilitating arthritis. In 1975, they fulfilled a suicide pact they had made taking overdoses of sleeping pills to kill themselves. They left a letter for their three sons, relatives, and friends. It read:

To all friends and relations,

We hope that you will understand what we have done even though some of you will disapprove of it and some be disillusioned by it.

We have both had very full and satisfying lives. Pitney has worked hard and with great dedication for the church. I have had an adventurous and happy life. We have both had happy lives and our children have crowned this happiness.

But since Pitney had his stroke five years ago, we have not been able to do any of the things we want to do and were able to do, and my arthritis is much worse.

There are too many helpless old people who without modern medical care would have died, and we feel God would have allowed them to die when their time had come.

Nowadays it is difficult to die. We feel that this way we are taking will become more usual and acceptable as the years pass.

Of course the thought of our children and our grandchildren makes us sad, but we still feel that this is the best way and the right way to go. We are both increasingly weak and unwell and who would want to die in a nursing home.

We are not afraid to die.

We send you all our love and gratitude for your wonderful support and friendship.

[http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065057,00.html, “A Joint Suicide—and the Right to Choose a ‘Good Death’”]

The action of the Van Dusens caused a stir in 1975 and was covered in People Magazine. I am sure it would cause a stir today. While there has been some progress, I don’t think we have made the strides related to issues of death and dying that the Van Dusens were hoping for when they wrote, “We feel that this way we are taking will become more usual and acceptable as the years pass.” There has been much progress in Europe but euthanasia is not widely accepted in the US.

Medical science has catapulted forward. Bionic joints and limbs are no longer the stuff of TV. Diagnostic procedures scan the inner workings of our bodies and even our cells. The medications and treatments that are available seem nothing short of miraculous. Operations using scopes and robotics seem right out of a science fiction novel. The progress in medical science is beyond the imagination.

But the conversations about end of life issues, available treatments, and euthanasia have not kept pace with medical science and technology. Because someone can be kept alive does not mean that they want to be kept alive or should be kept alive. Ethics boards at hospitals and the courts are being kept very busy dealing with the situations that arise because there has not been a comprehensive societal conversation about the issues involved.

With the progress in medical science and the availability of treatment in hospitals and health care facilities, dealing with death has become more and more separated from daily life. It used to be your loved ones got old and died at home. Or got a disease and died in the bed at home attended by family, neighbors, and loved ones. Now often people die in the hospital or a health facility attended by staff who are virtual strangers to the patients and their families.

With the radical advances in healthcare, medical staff are oriented toward curing an illness, treating a condition, and prolonging life. There is the sense that when person dies, the medical profession has failed and they do not want to fail.

And the cynical side of me says that what’s driving medical care and health decisions today is not ethics or compassion but money. Follow the money and we can see why we have the system we do. Healthcare is one of the biggest industries in America. And the key players leave no stone unturned and are no more upstanding than the tycoons of the oil industry. Florida’s governor is a case in point. Money is the motivator behind much of what is done in the name of the healing arts.

Death and dying are big business. Death and dying are a scientific frontier. Death and dying are also matters of ethics and faith.

The beautiful verses from Ecclesiastes remind us that death is simply part of the natural order of the universe. It is built into the divine fabric of creation. Everything that is living will die. That means you. And that means me. Death is a natural part of life just as the sun rising and setting, the cycle of the seasons, and the tides. Part of our cycle is death. We are born. We die. Death is natural. It is as natural as being born.

The reading from Romans reminds us that we need to have no fear of living or dying, because either way, we are in God’s hands. God’s love is with us. All shall be well. And the epistle writer says this at a time when Christians were being persecuted for their faith. They may very well be killed for their beliefs. They’re reassured that they are in God’s hands, in life, in death, and in whatever lies beyond. Whatever your views on life after death, the Christian faith teaches that we have nothing to fear in death.

Yet we have become a society that fears death. The topic is distasteful. Like, don’t bring it up at dinner, for heaven’s sake. And we have come up with all kinds of euphemisms for it – passing, going to heaven, gone on. You can’t just say, “He died.” You have to say, “He passed.” “She’s gone on to her reward.” “She is no longer with us.” “He cashed out.” “She expired.” “He departed.” “He flatlined.” “She got her wings.” “He perished.” We can’t just say, “She died.” It’s almost antisocially gauche.

Our discomfort with death is also evident in our idolization of youthful appearance. We do all we can to preserve our youthful looks and physique. Our fixation on youth is prominently manifested in the skyrocketing business in cosmetic surgery. We don’t want to look old. We don’t want to feel old. Because getting old means being closer to death. Well, yes. That’s the way life works. From the moment we are born, we are moving in the direction of death. That’s life.

There it is, the universal outcome. The great leveler. We will all die. That we can be sure of. Not much else. So death is something that should be accepted and talked about. But we really don’t like having those conversations. For the most part, we don’t want to talk about death though we talk about everything else – just turn on a TV or laptop.

I suspect that part of our fear of death and discomfort with talking about death is rooted in our feelings about life. Are we living true? Do our lives have meaning and purpose? Do we feel valued? What is the quality of our relationships? I think our feelings about these kinds of issues influence our attitudes about death and talking about death. In my experience as a pastor, I have seen in numerous situations that people who are grounded and solid are much more comfortable talking about death. They want to have those conversations about end of life issues. They know it is important. Talking about death is just an extension of talking about life. It is a continuation of being who we are and expressing our values, morals, and faith. And, maybe most importantly, they know that such conversations are a gift to their families and loved ones. Making their wishes known about end of life issues greatly reduces the burden on loved ones making decisions in difficult circumstances. So how we deal with death and dying is often a reflection of how we live and look at life. If we are foundering in life, we may also find ourselves foundering around the decisions that inevitably accompany the process of dying which we all will face, one way or another.

We really do have many choices related to death and dying. There are decisions about what treatments to have or not to have. There are conversations about the cost, expense, and the financial implications of death and dying. There are issues to do with comfort and pain relief. There is what to do with the body. Cremation. Embalming and burial. Organ donation. Giving the body to science. There are decisions about feeding tubes, ventilators, and what to do when the body may function but the brain is essentially dead. There are considerations about quality of life versus quantity of life. And, there is the almost taboo topic – physician assisted suicide – which is now legal in 4 states, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, and Montana, with New Mexico in line to follow. In Oregon, the law is called the Death with Dignity Act.

Euthanasia, or choosing to end life, is not something that is new. Humans have used this approach with animals for eons. Of course we put an injured animal out of its misery. Of course we compassionately end the life of a pet rather than prolong its suffering. This kind of approach can be applicable to humans as well. People may choose to end their lives rather than live with prolonged suffering. The ancients supported this option: Plato was against it at first, but eventually changed his mind. Socrates made no objection to taking the hemlock. Seneca the Stoic said, “As I choose the ship in which I will sail and the house I will inhabit, so I will choose the death by which I leave life.”

There were also those in the ancient world that were against euthanasia. Pythagoras among them. He believed that we are “the chattels of God and without his command we have no right to make our escape.”

And, more recently, the Catholic Church has weighed in. In 1957, Pope Pius declared, “The removal of pain and consciousness by means of drugs is permitted by religion and morality to both doctor and patient, even if the use of drugs will shorten life.” [Euthanasia quotes from http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20065057,00.html, “A Joint Suicide—and the Right to Choose a ‘Good Death’”]

We live in an era of choices. We choose where to live. We choose where to go to school. We choose what to wear. We go into the grocery store and have a startling array of choices of things to eat. We choose what to do with our lives. We choose what to watch on TV. We choose what to post on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other social media sites. We choose our friends. We choose our entertainment. We choose our hobbies. Choices. Choices. Choices.

And part of the reason we have so many choices is that we believe that part of living with dignity is having choices. Dignity involves the ability to determine the course of our lives. Dignity is rooted in the right to self determination. This means making choices about our lives.

How do we bring dignity into conversations about death and dying?

Issues around death and dying are extremely personal. These decisions are grounded in our experience, our personality, our character, our ethnicity, our values, and our faith. Death with dignity implies having choices, legal choices, that are respected by the medical establishment as well as by the courts. If you don’t want to pursue physician assisted suicide, then you should not have to. There should be no pressure to do so. But if you do want to pursue that path, it should be open to you, legally and with the sanction of the medical profession. The same is true of the many, many other facets of the care available as life ebbs. These are things to be talked about. Sorted out. Investigated. Prayed over. And our feelings about death and dying may very well change over the course of our lives and as we get nearer the end. And we should expect that and continue to be in conversation.

There are so many issues and options to be considered and the situation will get even more complex as medical science and biology continue to advance. Yet we can still be reticent to talk about these things.

Interestingly, the city of La Crosse, Wisconsin decided that people needed to be talking about end of life issues. And through an intentional process of community education over a period of years it has worked. Here’s the story. In 1991, 15% of the population of La Crosse, WI had some kind of advanced care planning. A program was put in place with the goal of increasing the percentage to 50%. As we learn, that goal was far exceeded.

In 1998 the first La Crosse Advance Directive Study was published. While it was not designed to be an evaluation of the education program, it seemed to have had a profound impact on the use of advance directives. In a review of 540 medical charts, the number of patients who had died with advance directives in place had increased from 15 to 85 percent. When the LCAD study was replicated ten years later [2008], advance directive use had risen to 90 percent.

Today, GHS [Gundersen Health System] offers individualized advance care planning in three stages: First Steps ACP is for healthy adults 55 and over; Next Steps ACP is for patients with chronic, progressive illness; and Last Steps ACP is for frail elderly patients or those close to the last year of life.

[“Advance care planning in La Crosse, Wisconsin,” The Christian Century, Nov 3, 2014 by Jennifer L. Hollis]

The program is called Respecting Choices. Very fitting!

Medicare might not want to pay for you to discuss end of life issues with your doctor, but in the church, we believe that this is very important. We went through a season in the life of this church recently when on a monthly basis one of the chaplains from the congregation was available to work with people doing the paperwork about end of life options and choices. If you would like to do this, we can arrange for one of the chaplains to help you. It is very important for you. It is also a gift to your family and loved ones.

People die every day in ways that are awful. Unethical. Unjustified. Undignified. People die of hunger. People die of poverty and lack of access to medical care, medications, and proper nutrition. This happens in our communities, not just in Africa or some foreign land. People die at the hands of drunk drivers. Unarmed people are killed by police. Civilians are killed in war and violence. People die of cancer caused by pesticides or toxic chemicals or radiation. Things they had no control over. People are killed when the death penalty is implemented. There are all kinds of ways that we are dying, day in and day out, that do not involve dignity. That do not respect the sacredness of human life. That do not involve a full range of ethical choices.

While this is the case, there is still much that we can do to bring dignity to death. We bring dignity to death when we intentionally consider the options that we do have. We can face death with dignity when we have considered our lives and values and faith and seek to approach death in a manner consistent with how we have lived. We bring dignity to death when we make choices ourselves, on our terms, and respect the choices of others. There is more than one right way to die with dignity. What might be right for you may not be right for someone else. We face death with dignity when we are humble and reverent. And, we face death with dignity when we are living our lives fully, abundantly, in service to others and the good of the world.

The Van Dusens, who were mentioned at the beginning of the sermon, prepared for their death, with dignity, on their own terms, with careful intentionality, and grounded in their values and beliefs. They ended the letter to their loved ones saying:

We are not afraid to die.

We send you all our love and gratitude for your wonderful support and friendship.

‘O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world
Have mercy upon us

O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world
Grant us thy peace.’

Sincerely, Elizabeth B. Van Dusen Henry P. Van Dusen

May we live with dignity and die with dignity. May we see to it that everyone may live with dignity and die with dignity. May God have mercy upon us – for our choices, for avoiding choices, and for dictating the choices of others. And may all know God’s peace. 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.

Scripture Reading: Matthew 28:16-20
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Summer sermons based on topics requested by the congregation

The Holy Spirit has been described as “the most neglected doctrine of the Christian faith.” [A Handbook of Christian Theology, Arthur Cohen and Marvin Halverson, eds. p.170] I had never thought about it that way. But I realized that I would probably find it a lot easier to talk about the doctrine of God, or doctrine around Jesus as Christ, or doctrine around the Trinity as a whole, than just the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. So, I consider myself guilty of just such neglect. Then, I wondered, why? And, I can only speak for myself, but here I will make my disclaimer and declare my prejudice. I think of people who do a lot of talking about the Holy Spirit as people who do not place as much value on reason and logic as I do. I associate heavy reliance on the Holy Spirit with anti intellectualism. Like the case of Alani, a child in Brazil. Her father became convinced that she had healing powers, and when she was just 51 days old, he placed her infant hand on the distended stomach of a woman, and claims that it immediately deflated. That, apparently, was her first healing. [The Christian Century, 7/8/15] That’s the kind of story I associate with people who are obsessed with the Holy Spirit. This is my bias having grown up in a setting that was very religious but also very intellectual. So, now you know my prejudice in this discussion.

I will also admit that having done more investigating into the doctrine of the Holy Spirit, I continue to have reservations about giving this doctrine more attention.

We first meet what later becomes referred to as the Holy Spirit right up front at the beginning of the Bible. The word for Spirit is also used for breath and wind. At the beginning of Genesis, the Spirit of the creator God is portrayed brooding over the waters of creation. Later references to the Spirit as Wisdom, Sophia, are also connected with creation. So the Holy Spirit is associated with the Spirit of Yahweh present at creation, the life force, animating the clay of the earth; breathing life into creation. The Spirit is also the life force that reanimates the dry bones in the vision of the prophet Ezekiel. So the Holy Spirit is associated with the life force.

In the Hebrew Bible, there continue to be references to the Spirit of Yahweh. It is the power and presence of the preeminent God of the Jews. The Spirit leads the people. It teaches them. And it causes people to do things that carry out God’s will in the world. Things that are bold, unpredictable, and perhaps superhuman. Here’s an example involving Samson, of Samson and Delilah, from the book of Judges: “Then Samson went down with this father and mother to Timnah. When he came to the vineyards of Timnah, suddenly a young lion roared at him. The spirit of God rushed on him, and he tore the lion apart barehanded as one might tear apart a young goat. . . .” [Judges 14:5-6] That’s the kind of thing the Spirit of Yahweh is famous for.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the Spirit is also associated with anointing for a particular role or office. Kings and priests are thought to be blessed with the Spirit of God. Prophets are also considered to be Spirit-driven, called by God, and the mouthpiece of God to the wider society, particularly speaking truth to power. These prophets challenged the authority of kings and rulers calling them to account on behalf of God. These prophets were power disrupters and were put in a dangerous situation. Many were killed for being the voice of God. In Micah, the prophet tells us, “But as for me, I am filled with power, with the spirit of God, and with justice and might, to declare to Jacob his transgression and to Israel his sin.” [Micah 3:8]

As we mentioned, the Spirit is personified in the Hebrew scriptures, in the figure of Wisdom, Sophia, featured in the book of Proverbs. Wisdom is associated with the process of the creation of the universe. She stands on the street corner, teaching the people. She functions as a prophet, calling the people to the right path. With a feminine figure associated with the Spirit of God, there are both male and female aspects to God. God is presented in a way that would have fit into a cultural setting of polytheism with many female divinities. An early Christian presentation of the Trinity featured God, the logos (the word expressed in Jesus Christ), and Sophia (the female wisdom figure). So the portrayal of Spirit in the Hebrew tradition is rich and varied with a strong feminine aspect.

In the Hebrew Bible, we see the Spirit as a powerful force in the world, working in people and situations to see that the will of God is done. It is the life force. It teaches people and leads people and empowers people. It is a force for justice. It may put people into a trance or an ecstatic state. It may cause people to dance, sing, and praise. It is associated with bold, unpredictable, happenings. So the Spirit of God was not just something active in the world, in creation, but it is also active and present in the lives of people, influencing their behaviors.

In the New Testament, we see this happen most fully in the life of Jesus. We think of Jesus as the model of a life that expresses the full indwelling of the Spirit of God. This idea begins with the story of the annunciation of Mary, when she is told that she will give birth to a child and this will come to pass as the work of the Holy Spirit. God is making something happen in this child that is to be born. So, even before he is born, we are told that Jesus’ life will be intimately connected with the Spirit of God. This is affirmed by the Zechariah, Simeon, Anna, and John the Baptizer, who, filled with the Holy Spirit, confirm the identity of Jesus as the bringer of God’s salvation to the world.

We see the Spirit again in Jesus’ life in the story of his baptism. We are told that the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove at his baptism. The dove was a symbol for the goddess of love, Aphrodite, and the bird was a common image for female deities in Near Eastern religions. [See She Who Is: The Mystery of God in Feminist Theological Discourse by Elizabeth A. Johnson] Like a ruler or person with authority, Jesus receives the Spirit. Like a prophet, Jesus is given the Spirit to be a mouthpiece for God. And the Spirit immediately drives him out into the wilderness to be confronted with evil and to be tempered and prepared for his ministry.

This prophetic image of Jesus, empowered by the Spirit, is vivid in the story in the gospel of Luke of Jesus going to his hometown synagogue and reading the lesson for the day from the prophet Isaiah: “The spirit of God is upon me, because God has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. God has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of God’s favor.” [Luke 4:18-19] In the ministry of Jesus, it is by the Spirit that demons are cast out, and people are delivered from sin and death. Sometimes in scripture, we see the Spirit take possession of people for a limited time. But in Jesus, we see the full, ongoing indwelling of God’s Spirit.

Then we have the stories in the New Testament that tell of the Spirit being given to the community of followers of Jesus. Jesus is killed and his Spirit is given to his followers to continue his mission for God. In the gospel of John, we hear of Jesus breathing upon the disciples declaring, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” An echo of the creation story, creating the church, a new beginning. In the Pentecost story from Acts, we hear of the Spirit of God present as flame and wind coming upon the followers of Jesus. The prophet Joel is referenced in the Pentecost story – God’s Spirit is poured out upon all flesh. Young and old, women and men. All see visions and dream dreams.

In the book of Acts, we see the followers of Jesus led by the Spirit to spread the life giving message of God’s love beyond just the Jewish community to the world as a whole. We heard this call in the Great Commission that was read from Matthew this morning. The Jesus community goes into the world. It reaches out with an extravagant welcome to all. The Spirit leads the people to ethnic groups, other communities, and religions that have been enemies of the Jews. The work of the Spirit overcoming division and creating diverse community is very exciting in the early church. People are bold and courageous, reaching out well beyond their comfort zones, embracing new understandings and radical departures from former beliefs all in the interests of spreading divine universal love. Life in the Spirit, as the Christian life was called, was a new life for the believer in egalitarian community. The Spirit is challenging, guiding, and liberating. It is very exciting. Love in action. This unpredictability, dynamism, and wildness of the Spirit is captured in the Celtic image of the Spirit as a wild goose. Again, a bird image, a cross religious symbol of the divine.

But as the church becomes more of an institution, as hierarchy and homogeneity are imposed to solidify the identity and control of the church, it seems like the Holy Spirit becomes coopted to fulfill the agenda of the human church rather than the agenda of the universal God. Yes, I know, these agendas should be the same, but we all know that often they are not. As the church emerged, there was power to protect and political interests to appease. So the Holy Spirit was put into service.

Christians were baptized with water and the Spirit. This could only be done by countenanced church leaders with the proper authority. So, now the Holy Spirit could only come to people who were baptized, through the leadership of the church. And thus the Spirit was only available to Christians. Those of other religions did not have the Divine Spirit. They were not valued and respected because they did not have the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit was also defined and confined by its incorporation into the Trinity. This doctrine which emerged in the first few centuries of the church was fraught with controversy and was then concretized forever and ever, amen. There were those who saw the Trinity as God, Logos (word), and Sophia (wisdom). There were those who believed the son and Spirit came from God. Others believed the Spirit issued forth from God only, not from the son. This is one of the root causes of the split between the eastern and the western expressions of Christianity. Was there submission within the Trinity? Or were the three parts completely equal? These were topics of fierce debate as Christianity struggled to solidify its identity and its power. So, in our stream of Christianity, we basically got an all male, all equal Trinity. Three aspects of one God. And a hierarchical, patriarchal church.

The Holy Spirit now did the bidding of the church, basically, in the name of God. In some ways, it seems as if the Holy Spirit went from being a free agent of a mysterious God to the lackey of an institution. Calcified in a doctrine. A bird in a cage. No longer disrupting power, no longer universal and inclusive, but blessing certain human power arrangements and those they favor.

My spouse, Jeff, teaches at a Catholic High School. We see the well-intended domestication of the Holy Spirit in a cheer that was led by the school chaplain at an opening assembly. The chaplain led, “Seniors, who loves you most?” And the students cheered back, “The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!” And it went on from there, class by class, setting the tone, reminding the students of their spiritual roots and the core values of the school. Not a bad thing.

But are they thinking about the Spirit calling the students to challenge the power arrangements of society? Or calling the young people to confront their leaders and those in authority even in the school? Are they thinking about the kids being called to serve in situations, beyond the military, that might prove fatal? Do they think about asking these young people to be led by a force that, as we read in the gospel of John, “blows where it wills”? About submitting themselves to a force that leaves them no control? I don’t think the chaplain thinks he is promoting rebellious radicalism. Yet that’s what the Holy Spirit used to be all about. . .

In his poem, “Spiritus,” Steve Turner beautifully shares the contradictions in the common conceptions of the Holy Spirit:

I used to think of you
as a symphony
neatly structured,
full of no surprises.
Now I see you as
a saxophone solo
blowing wildly
into the night,
a tongue of fire,
flicking in unrepeated patterns.

[Steve Turner, in Resources for Preaching and Worship Year B, compiled by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild, p. 151]

We are left thinking about the possibility of the Holy Spirit being liberated from the imprisonment imposed by the doctrine of the church. Can we think of the Holy Spirit in new ways? Actually, maybe in old ways? Can we think of the Holy Spirit unleashed to heal the pain of the Earth? Can we conceive of the Spirit poured out upon all flesh, not just some flesh? Can we open ourselves to the Holy Spirit empowering bold actions which challenge the divides of our day? Can we receive the Holy Spirit breathing new life into the church, the human family, and creation? Do we have the courage and the freedom?

Considering the domestication and containment of the concept of the Holy Spirit, maybe it is better to simply neglect the doctrine of the Holy Spirit so that Spirit may be redeemed. 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.

Readings: Genesis 1:24-31; Luke 17:20-21; Gospel of Thomas 2:1-3
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells
Summer sermons based on topics requested by the congregation

Kate Atkinson’s book, A God in Ruins, is a story that takes place in England before and during World War 2. Near the end of the book, one of the characters goes to a retreat center. While there, she hears this short speech:

There is a Hindu legend that tells us that there was once a time when all men were gods, but they abused their divinity. Brahma, the god of creation, concluded that people had lost their right to their divinity and decided to take it away from them.  Wanting to hide it somewhere where they wouldn’t be able to find it, he called a council of all the gods to advise him. Some suggested that he bury it deep in the earth, others that they sink it in the ocean, others still suggested it be placed on top of the highest mountain, but Brahma said that mankind was ingenious and would dig down far into the earth, trawl the deepest oceans and climb every mountain in an effort to find it again.

The gods were on the point of giving up when Brahma said ‘I know where we will hide man’s divinity, we will hide it inside him. He will search the whole world but never look inside and find what is already within.’

            
When we look to the teachings of various religious traditions we find that there are similar stories in Judaism and Christianity and other folklore. In our Judeo-Christian tradition, right up front at the very beginning of our scriptures in the book of Genesis, where we look for the foundations of our belief system, we are told that humanity is created in the image of the gods. This sounds very much like divinity within the human species. We also have the story of the garden of Eden and the people leaving their God-like status behind. In the teachings of Jesus, we find reference to the realm of God that is within us. We also have the teachings associated with Jesus that not only is he the light of the world but that we are the light of the world as well. Again, this sounds very much like the idea of divinity within each and every one of us.

Many of the individual stories associated with Jesus show his care and compassion for those who are not of much status or value in society. Again, it is as if Jesus is treating everyone as though they were sacred, special, divine. So, we see that the teachings of our tradition lend themselves to an understanding of God in everyone.

We can also think about this idea not only in terms of teachings but in terms of consequences. What are the consequences of this concept of God being in everyone? If we think that God is in all life, and specifically in every person, this has implications for how we think about others and treat others and what we expect from others. If we think God, the most important, valued, center of our reality, is in every other person, then we are likely to highly value others: To treat them with reverence and respect. To care for others and be concerned about their highest good. This brings to mind the story of Jesus telling his listeners that whatever they have done for the least of these they have done for him. If they have helped someone poor, or hungry, or in prison, they have helped Jesus. If we see God in everyone, then whatever we have done for others, we have done for God. This story echoes with the idea of the divine in every person.

To accept that the divine is in every person leads to the kind of living, choices, and values that we see embodied in Jesus. He responded to those who were outcast, forgotten, and ignored. He cared for the sick, the suffering, the sinner. Unlike other religious people of his day, Jesus had time for those who were considered enemies, the detested ones, the corrupt people, and the cheats. In the stories we have about the ministry of Jesus, we see that no one was beneath his love and care. It sure seems like Jesus sees the divine image of God in everyone.

There was a beautiful expression of this kind of commitment recently in the Girl Scouts. Last spring someone donated $100,000 to the Girl Scouts of Western Washington. The executive director was thrilled to receive such a large gift. This money was about one fourth of fundraising goal for the year. The gift could give 500 girls the opportunity to go to camp. It was a wonderful expression of generosity. Then Bruce Jenner, the Olympic athlete, shared the journey of being transgendered and becoming Caitlyn Jenner. After that story was told, the donor to the Girl Scouts asked that the $100,000 gift not be used for transgender girls. The donor wrote: “Please guarantee that our gift will not be used to support transgender girls. If you can’t, please return the money.” The Girl Scouts could do so much good with that money. I am sure that they did not want to return it. But return it they did. Every penny of the $100,000. And there was a very simple explanation: “Girl Scouts is for every girl.” This is the kind of decision that comes from valuing each and every person equally and seeing that every person is sacred. [“Girl Scouts’ moral courage,” Leonard Pitts, Tampa Bay Times, 7/5/15]

While the Girl Scouts might not say it this way, this decision is based on the assumption that every girl is beloved and deserving. We could say, every person a vessel for the divine. No exceptions.

The basis of Christianity is that we are called to give ourselves for the good of the world. We are here to serve. We find our lives, our highest good, when we help others. This understanding is based on the foundation that all people bear the divine image of God, whether they think so or not. Our faith teaches us to look for God in the person who annoys us, in the person we are mad at, in the person we don’t like, in ourselves, in our families, in our friends, in people who are different than we are, and in people that we don’t understand. Our tradition teaches us to love everyone and treat everyone with respect. This is what it looks like when we see God in every person.

In thinking about the concept of seeing God in everyone, let’s think about what it is like if we don’t see God in everyone. What if we do not believe that the divine is in each and every person? How might that affect our choices and behavior? If we do not think that God is in everyone then the lives of others will be valued to different degrees. This person is good. This person isn’t. This person deserves to be treated well. This person doesn’t. With this outlook, people become judges of each other. They decide who is and is not worthy of basic rights, dignity, and respect. Who does and does not get served. Who we do and don’t care about. This kind of thinking definitely leads to the haves and have nots. The privileged and the expendable. Some people are going to be favored at the expense of others. Life is not of equal value. People are not of equal value.

If we do not live from the assumption that God is in everyone, then we can justify being mean to others, killing others, treating others unfairly, and taking advantage of others. With this view, people and other forms of life can be treated like trash with justification.

This kind of thinking is not consistent with Christian teachings and values. This is not the way of Jesus. This is not in keeping with the stories that Jesus shared about loving our neighbors, whoever they may be, and our enemies. If we do not see God in everyone, then we are not compelled to treat everyone with respect and dignity and compassion.

Now, a discussion of these ideas would not be complete without thinking about some of the people that we consider really evil. Can God be in them? Can we possibly say that there was a spark of God in Adolf Hitler? Or in the mass murderer Jeffrey Dahmer? Or in the unibomber Ted Bundy? Or in Charles Manson? Or in Dylan Storm? Or in the people that behead others in public spectacles? Or those behind the massacres in Armenia or Bosnia which have been commemorated recently? Could God be in those people? Now, I want you to know that I don’t like to be sexist. Maybe you noticed that my list of evil people was all men. I tried to think of despicable women that we could add to the list, and I couldn’t come up with much that was in league with these others. Women mass murderers are not on the tip of our tongues but if you do a Google search for “evil women,” you can find out about some of the evil women of history and their terrible deeds as well. So there are people, women and men, who have done terrible things that we think of as being beyond redemption. What do we make of them in light of the idea of God being in everyone? Is God in those who are evil, too? How can that be?

One way we can think about this is that God is in everyone, but everyone doesn’t know it or see it. Maybe no one encouraged the person to look at life that way. No one helped the evil person find God in him or her self. No one showed them the good they are capable of. No one encouraged them to look for the divinity within. No one taught them to see the good in others. Somehow they did not learn that life is sacred. They did not accept the proposition that God, the divine, is in them and in everyone else. And so they persisted in carrying out terrible evil. For them, the divine remained hidden. They didn’t figure out how to see God in themselves and the world.

We can also wonder, if God is in everyone, why aren’t more people good? In a recent article about being good, David Brooks of the New York Times tells us:

About once a month I run across a person who radiates an inner light. These people can be in any walk of life. They seem deeply good. They listen well. They make you feel funny and valued. You often catch them looking after other people and as they do so their laugh is musical and their manner is infused with gratitude. They are not thinking about what wonderful work they are doing. They are not thinking about themselves at all.

When I meet such a person it brightens my whole day. But I confess I often have a sadder thought: It occurs to me that I’ve achieved a decent level of career success, but I have not achieved that. I have not achieved that generosity of spirit, or that depth of character.

Brooks goes on to analyze how people become good: How they draw it out of themselves, thus implying hope for him, and for others, if they work at it. The assumption is that everyone is capable of that kind of goodness if they pursue it. In the picture that goes with the article, there is an outline of a head with a lighthouse in the facial area and the light from the lighthouse where the eye would be. The graphic shows what Brooks assumes which is that the good is within, if we choose to let it shine. We can think of that as the divine within. It is there if we look for it. We can draw it out of ourselves and others and give it expression if we have the will. [“The beacon of becoming good,” David Brooks, Tampa Bay Times, 4/26/15]

Where are people to learn this kind of moral outlook? While it should be stock and trade in church, it is not. Often the church seems more bent on judging and saving some at the expense of others. Is it to be learned in school? Hard to fill in a bubble on a test to show it has been learned. Since many people won’t make it into a church or a place of worship where such things should be emphasized, we are left to do like Jesus: To take it to the streets. He went out and about in cities and towns and the countryside – showing people how to find the love of God within themselves and others. He took the message to the people, not waiting for them to come and get it at the Temple or at a local synagogue. He went out and showed people that God was within them. He took the love of God out to where it was needed. And I think that we need to take the message of God’s love for all and in all to the people; out into the world. We can show people by the way we act what we believe. We can show them where to look for love, for goodness, for the divine – within themselves and others. We can show the world that all lives matter – girls, boys, smart, slow, rich, poor, brown, white, all are precious and sacred. This is how we can invite others to find and act on the good within themselves and others and not the evil.

The person who requested a sermon on the story from A God In Ruins asks, “Is the Brahma right?” Is God hidden in each and every person? Well, we can’t do a scan or diagnostic procedure to find God in each person, but I think that we can say that this idea is consistent with Christian teachings. But is this “right”? Is it morally good? Is it true? We are an outcome oriented society. So when we think about the outcome, do we get a better world for everyone if we believe there is divinity in everyone? Or do we get a better world if people are left to judge and take action according to their own outlook? I think we can say that a world in which people see God, divinity, the sacred, in one another is a world that is more just and compassionate and good. It is a world where people can live together in peace. So I think we can say Brahma is right. Jesus is right. And we are right when we honor the presence of the divine in ourselves and in each and every life. 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.

Pentecost 2015 “God Is Still Speaking”
Scripture Acts 2: 1-21

Mathematician Paul Erdos communicated in one language. It was math. Numbers. Yes, he spoke other languages, but he was only interested in speaking other languages so that he could communicate with other people about math. He was not interested in communicating about anything else. Math. Math. And only math.

Biographer Paul Hoffman tells us, “Erdos structured his life to maximize the amount of time he had for mathematics. He had no wife or children, no job, no hobbies, not even a home, to tie him down. He lived out of a shabby suitcase and a drab orange plastic bag from Centrum Aruhad. . . a large department store in Budapest. In a never-ending search for good mathematical problems and fresh mathematical talent, Erdos crisscrossed four continents at a frenzied pace, moving from one university or research center to the next. His modus operandi was to show up on the doorstep of a fellow mathematician, declare, ‘My brain is open,’ work with his host for a day or two, until he was bored or his host was run down, and then move on to another home.” [The Man Who Loved Only Numbers: The Story of Paul Erdos and the Search for Mathematical Truth, Paul Hoffman, p. 6]

Most of us are not as restricted in our areas of knowledge and interest as Paul Erdos. In fact, we are under a constant barrage of information about every topic under the sun! Print media, TV, radio, personal interactions, the check out line at the grocery store, and, of course, the internet, bombard us with information constantly whether we want to know it or not. Information is being constantly spat at us – even in line at the post office, and at the gate in the airport.

Yet for all of this information, what are we really hearing or finding out? What to buy? Where to shop? Who is having sex with whom? What the government is not doing? What an old friend from elementary school had for lunch? So, we have all of this information, but so what? People are feeling more alienated than ever. People are isolated. They feel disconnected and are more self centered. We wonder what all of this information is doing for us.

This morning we listened, as we do each year 50 days after Easter, to the story of Pentecost. People from all over the ancient middle east had come to Jerusalem for the annual harvest festival. Jesus’ friends were there, still reeling after his crucifixion; trying to make sense of what happened and trying to figure out how to go on. The Pentecost story tells us that Jesus’ friends, who were from the area of Galilee, and who spoke Aramaic, suddenly began speaking in other languages, languages they did not know, no Rosetta Stone provided, thank you very much. They simply started expounding in languages new to them. The crowds gathered for the festival heard these Galileans speaking their languages.

We aren’t told exactly what was said or heard. We are basically told that Jesus’ followers were there. They were foundering and afraid; lacking a sense of direction and still wracked by the grief and disorientation of Jesus’ death. There were people from all over the known world there to give thanks to God for the bounty of the land. And at the end of the day, the Jesus people had been preaching boldly to everyone, from all nations and tribes, and 3000 people were baptized becoming part of the Jesus community. This is a story of transformation. Fear is driven out. There is a sense of hope and purpose. The message is universal – old, young, different cultures, different classes – all have this experience together. We are given this amazing, astonishing, surprising, mysterious story of divine love breaking in and transforming the people.

We are not going to analyze the story and its many facets because that would defeat the purpose. What happens is inexplicable and it is supposed to be because when we engage the holy, it is beyond our full understanding and comprehension. I think what we are meant to hear is a story of God touching people in ways that lead to full and abundant life. Somehow, we become aware of something beyond us, or more than us. There is some kind of enlightenment. And people are moved toward reconciliation, peace, and wholeness. It is mysterious and amazing. And – it is happening all the time. We are being given experiences and information that have the power to transform our experience of living life as a human being.

Yes, we are surrounded, bombarded, infused with information, but this morning we explore how we commune with God, the holy, the sacred, the mystery in ways that are life giving and connect us to the source of universal, inalienable love.

To have an experience, to hear, to take something in, we need to listen, to be aware, to pay attention. That’s not always easy in our full and busy lives. And then there is the sorting out of the trash and the treasure. This morning, I would like to suggest a variety of ways that we may experience the divine. Interspersed with these ideas, we will be given time to reflect. During the times for reflection, a recording of the sounds of wind will be played. So, we will aim for a balance of speaking and listening.

One of the ways that we experience the sacred, meet the Divine, hear God, is through nature. This has been the witness throughout human history. In every age, in every culture, in every religion, nature plays an important role. Even for people in today’s world, perhaps living in a towering apartment complex surrounded by concrete, nature still speaks. In images. In sounds. In insects. And in our own bodies with their innate urges, processes, growth, and deterioration. In the Christian tradition, nature is seen as the self disclosure of God.

Day in and day out, we experience nature. The rhythm of day and night. Weather, temperature, seasons. The beauty of nature confronts us – colors, textures, interconnectedness, diversity, vistas of grandeur, a sunset, the multihued blues of the water around us in our coastal state. We should not be surprised when we stand on the rim of the Grand Canyon and our eyes well with tears. We are experiencing the holy, the divine. God is speaking.

In these few quiet moments, perhaps you would like to think about how you have experienced God in nature.

ONE MINUTE OF WIND

In the book of Genesis, we are told that humanity is created in God’s image. Indeed, we do experience the divine in people; in other human beings and in ourselves. Anyone who has seen a baby being born has had some kind of experience of transcendence. There is also the sense of the holy at a time of death. In our relationships, as we navigate the shoals of family, friendship, social bonds, and our place in the human family, there can be the sense of the divine. When there is reconciliation in a personal relationship, there can be a sense of grace, something beyond and more at work. When a rift is healed. When a sense of acceptance comes after great turmoil. When someone helps us, in ways unexpected and unsolicited. In all these things and more that are part of our relationships and interactions as human beings, we may sense the divine, a love, a power at work. When there is change and transformation in social contexts, we may feel a sacred power at work. People in the Civil Rights movement in this country had the sense that they were part of a bigger picture, a greater plan, a sacred movement. They could hear God speaking. And how about that vote in Ireland this week? I know that brought tears to my eyes.

In these next few quiet moments, perhaps you would like to reflect on how you have experienced God in your relationships and in the social context of the human family.

ONE MINUTE OF WIND

Another way that we may experience the Divine, sense the holy, may be through science. It seems like the more we learn about the world and life and the universe, the more amazing and miraculous it all seems. And the more we learn, the more we find out how tied together and interconnected everything is which is even more amazing. We are inextricably linked to each other and creation with thousands upon thousands of bonds holding it all together.

Science has helped us to understand the microscopic forces at work, in energy and light, for instance. It has helped us know about DNA, genes, and heredity as well as the workings of the cells of our bodies. Advances in medicine based on all of this information are amazing.

Science is showing us the universe. We are discovering that we are part of a far larger reality than we ever imagined. This influences our understanding of our identity as a species. Yes, we are amazing, wondrous creatures with tremendous power, of sacred worth, each and every one. But we are also specks traveling on a tiny blue marble through the vast expanse of immeasurable time and space. Not more than dust, really.

My husband calls his mother in Cleveland every night. She waits for his call. It is often the highlight of her day. Betty has macular degeneration and her vision is severely impaired. One night recently, Jeff called his mother and she answered, but then told him she wanted to get off the phone right away because she was watching something on TV showing pictures taken from the Hubble telescope and she wanted to get back to seeing them. She was captivated – this 90 something year old woman who can barely see.

In this quiet time, you may want to reflect on how you have experienced God speaking through science, how divine love is being revealed through scientific discovery.


ONE MINUTE OF WIND

Yes, we hear God speaking in science which may seem like an oxymoron to some, but it is easy to think about how divine love, the holy, God, is expressed in the arts. Music, visual arts, painting, dance, literature, poetry, these things reveal the depth of the human spirit taking us beyond our ourselves to something more fundamental. In images and words and movement and sound, in the arts, we endeavor to convey our deepest human sensibilities. These experiences captivate us, move us, speak to us, transform us. The arts also draw out our appreciation of beauty, creativity, and imagination. These are traits that define our human species in contrast to other species. Through the arts, we discover and share who we are as individuals as well as social creatures. Our son-in-law has no background or training in music. He has not studied the arts. And yet, Friday night, he was moved to tears at an orchestra concert. The arts have great power, a vast language, that can speak of divine love and universal human experience in ways that cross culture and and age.

In these quiet moments, you may reflect on how you have experienced the holy, the sacred, a glimpse of the eternal, through the arts.

ONE MINUTE OF WIND

While to some of us technology feels cold, remote, inscrutable, and unpredictable, it is still possible to see how even technology is a language for the expression of universal love that deepens our human experience and has the potential to bring people together and to strengthen our bonds as a human community in relationship to our environment. For good and for ill, it is technology that gives us access to boundless information. It is technology that has given us the tools and abilities to live in varying environments. It is technology that keeps us alive through advances in healthcare. Technology enhances our ability to communicate. When we think of Pentecost and how astounding the story is, today you can walk into a meeting of the United Nations and put on a head set and hear in your native tongue regardless of the language the person is speaking. Because of technology we can come to know one another, understand one another, and work together.

We must also note that in addition to being a tool for building community and supporting the health of the world, technology also has the power to destroy humanity. And we see this side of technology on a daily basis as well as the good that it can do.

Last week we had a memorial service at church for Ruth Ann Dudley. Her sister could not make the trip from Ohio to attend the service. But thanks to a computer and Skype, Marian Ball could watch the memorial service in real time. Yes, divine love can speak through technology.

In these quiet moments, you are invited to consider how you experience the divine love of God through technology.

ONE MINUTE OF WIND

We have considered many ways that God may speak to us. We have considered different modalities that enable us to experience the holy, the divine. We are thinking about the variety of ways that we feel something more, something deeper, in our daily lives that connects us to a more profound reality.

Another way that this happens, that we experience universal love and reconciliation, is through religion. Throughout human history, people have had some kind of spiritual expression; some kinds of beliefs and rites that integrate their understanding of life in a way that supports and promotes universal love and peace. In stories, in scripture, in sanctuaries, humans have sought to convey these deeper experiences of God, of the soul, of reality.

As humanity has progressed there have been differing understandings of religion. Given the diversity of humanity, it only makes sense that there are varieties of religions. Even within our one religion, Christianity, there are a multiplicity of expressions, beliefs, and practices, because religion, whatever the form, is always incomplete. There is always a dimension of mystery. That is part of the nature of religion: To remind us that we don’t know everything, that we are not completely in control, that we don’t have all the answers. Religion helps us to comprehend our finitude and limitations as well as our glorious potential. The reality conveyed by religion is more than the sum of its parts. And divine love, God, the sacred, speaks through religion.

Some of us were here in this very sanctuary on Mother’s Day. Each year, we have a ritual in which those who would like to may name those who have been a mother to them. It is always moving. This year, this ritual seemed to take on a new dimension. The sharing was more poignant somehow. I can’t really explain it. But that is the point. Religion reminds us that we can’t always explain and control things. There is more going on than we can know. And sometimes we are simply captivated by something that is sacred. And it can happen even in church.

In these moments for reflection, you may want to think about how God’s universal love has touched you through religion.

ONE MINUTE OF WIND

This service has given us a brief time to consider how God is speaking to us today. We are not an international group gathered and hearing foreigners speak in our language. But that ancient story invites us to consider the many ways that we access and experience the divine in our lives. It invites us to think about how we are able to listen and hear the message of divine universal love. It compels us to reflect on the messages of transformation and reconciliation that are blowing around us. It reminds us that we are being brought together for the good of the humanity and all of creation. God is still speaking. The divine, the holy, the sacred, infuses our lives and the world around us if we will but see, hear, taste, feel, and smell what is around us and within us.

The mathematician, Paul Erdos heard God speaking in numbers, calculations, proofs, and theorems. God will send the message in whatever form we will receive it! But Erdos was paying attention. Always. Intentionally. Focussed. Expectant.

Tom Trotter, a mathematician at Georgia Institute of Technology, and a friend and colleague of Erdos, remembers him this way:
“Paul Erdos was one of those very special geniuses, the kind who comes along only once in a very long while yet he chose, quite consciously I am sure, to share mathematics with mere mortals – like me. And for this, I will always be grateful to him. I will miss the times he prowled my hallways at 4:00 a.m. and came to my bed to ask whether my ‘brain is open.’ I will miss the problems and conjectures and the stimulating conversations about anything and everything. But most of all, I will just miss Paul, the human. I loved him dearly.” [Hoffman, p. 3]

I love that expression used by Erdos, “the brain is open.” He was always open to apprehending anything mathematical. He was always doggedly listening. When we think about Pentecost and the wind and flames and the people having that transforming experience, I think about how God is always around and within us: The power of love. The cohesion of unity. The liberation and freedom from all that prevents full life. Coming to us in ways we can apprehend and understand, whoever we are. Driving out our fear. Filling us with love. Fostering reconciliation. Fomenting unity.

Like those of the Pentecost story, like Erdos, may our brains always be open: To God – the sacred, the divine, Spirit, universal love – at all times and in all circumstances. For God is still speaking. 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.