Category: Sermon Texts

Date: Sept. 12, 2010
Scripture Lessons: Jeremiah 4:11-12, 22-28; Luke 15:1-10
Sermon: Flag Waving
Pastor: Rev. Kim Pirazzini Wells

This past week, the news has been dominated by Terry Jones of the Dove World Outreach Center of Gainesville, and his plans for “International Burn a Koran Day.” This whole misguided initiative has been like waving a red cape in front of a bull. I don’t think Jones could have generated more publicity unless he had decided to promote “International Burn a Bible Day.” But then again, maybe not. He certainly managed to mobilize significant anti-American and anti-Christian sentiment across the globe not only from those who are Muslim but also from those who see Christianity and American domination as a scourge. Jones certainly incited hostility and hatred. Are these the hallmarks of the ministry of Jesus?

As far as his association with Christianity and the church, any reasonable person would say that Jones has lost his way. He has wandered off the path of the gospel of Jesus Christ. His behavior does not reflect the core teachings of Jesus: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, Love your neighbor, or Love your enemy.

When it comes to being on the path of Jesus, Jones has lost his way. And we can think of others who have lost their way from the central teachings of Christianity – Glenn Beck, some would say. Pat Robertson, others would cite. Many think that the pope has lost his way in light of the handling of the sex abuse scandals that are being revealed in the Roman Catholic Church. We also think of others who are lost – to addiction, to greed, to pursuit of wealth, or to cynicism or apathy. There are many we could cite as having lost their way from the Christian path, though they may not see it. And sometimes part of being lost is not realizing that you’re lost. Often those who are lost become more entrenched in their deluded reality. No flare or red flag sent up for help. They stay in denial and maintain that they are fine.

When we hear the story of the lost sheep and the lost coin from Luke, we often think about individuals who are lost, and how God never gives up on them. Even one is of such value to God, that God persists. This is an important message in this story.
And we gravitate to an individualistic understanding of this story because there is the tendency in American Christianity to view faith in individualistic terms and to focus on individual personal salvation. The individual getting into heaven. And the behavior of the individual related to that goal. In the American context, the Christian faith is looked at largely as a personal, individual matter.
But the reading from Jeremiah reminds us that faith is also about the community, and being lost isn’t something that happens only to individuals. It also happens to communities. The prophet Jeremiah is addressing the condition of the faith community, the community of the people of God, the chosen people. He points out how they have lost their way: They are foolish, they are stupid, they have no understanding, they are skilled in doing evil but do not know how to do good. [Jeremiah 4:22] Pretty scathing commentary on a faith community. But an important reminder that the faith community can loose its way. Can stray from God’s will for justice and peace and compassion. The faith community can be lost, and can insulate itself with mutually reinforced delusion and deception. In the verses from Jeremiah, God’s condemnation of the offending community is severe.

While our first inclination may be to see being lost as an individual matter, the combination of Luke and Jeremiah as the lectionary recommends, invites us to open ourselves to consider with honesty how the faith community of today may be lost. May have strayed.

Let’s consider the growing Islamaphobia in this country evidenced in increasing hate crimes against Muslims. If our country were populated predominantly by secular people, would we have this growing problem? Would secular humanists become so rabid about a religion? I don’t think so. Secular people tend to see religion as irrelevant or archaic. They tend to be tolerant and accepting.

As I see it, the growing Islamaphobia in this country is being fueled largely by some Christians and Christian churches who see Islam as a threat to Christianity. They see Islam as a threat to Christian domination in this country; suspending the constitutional enshrining of separation of church and state. They see Islam as a competitive religion. The work of the devil undermining the supremacy of Christ in this country. And they see the Sept. 11 attacks as a direct assault on Christianity by Islam. This all might seem far out to some of us who are more moderate Christians, but check out the messages of more conservative Christianity – on TV, on line, on the radio. Even in an area UCC church, the pastor prayed publicly for victory over the infidel Islam. I believe much of the foment and fuel for the anti-Islamic sentiment that is growing in the United States is coming from a vocal minority of the Christian church. Those who claim to be Christian are fanning the flames of intolerance and even vilification.

You know that it is bad when the Baptists are worried. The Baptist Center for Ethics has “warned of a widespread demonization of Islam that has taken root in some evangelical churches.” Robert Sellers, a missions professor at the Logsdon School of Theology in Abilene, Texas, states, “Defaming the Prophet Muhammad, speaking ill of Islam or portraying Muslims collectively as if they were all extremist or terrorist individuals is wrong, unloving and deceitful. I trust that none of us wishes to sin against our neighbors by spreading fear and stereotypes.” [“Baptists warned of Islamaphobia” in The Christian Century, 9/7/10, p. 14]

Vilifying Islam is not only wrong and unloving and deceitful, as Sellers states, it is also unChristian. Jesus talks about loving your enemies. Praying for those who persecute you. He never condemns another religion. He saves his most scathing condemnations for leaders of his own religion.

There are other examples of how the church has strayed. The obsession with sex is one: From heinous sex scandals, to incessant wrangling over gender, sexual identity, sexual orientation and behavior. The church has strayed from its foundation in anti-violence to blatant promotion of violence by supporting war and militarism. The church has lost its way from its beginnings as a gospel of peace and justice and communitarian values. The message of Jesus is not about waving flags at people to incite conflict. It is about waving them home to community, to transcendence, to grace, and peace, like the airport runway staff guiding a plane in. The community of Christ is to be about finding the lost and restoring fullness of joy and wholeness. Not about being incendiary and fanning flames of contention and violence. But in many ways, the church has gotten lost, either stirring up passion about the wrong things or nothing.

One pastor in the United Church of Christ, G. Jeffrey MacDonald, has written a book in which he comments: “. . . churchgoers increasingly want pastors to soothe and entertain them.” He says that the advisory committee in his small Massachusetts congregation told him to keep his sermons to ten minutes, tell funny stories, and help people feel good about themselves. The implicit message being: “give us the comforting, amusing fare we want or we’ll get our spiritual leadership from someone else.” [“Occupational Hazard II,” The Christian Century, 9/7/10, p. 8]

This summer when we were in Scotland, we visited a wonderful museum in Glasgow called the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, a major cultural institution akin to a Smithsonian museum. The art, the natural history specimens, and the building itself were spectacular. But what was even more impressive was the honesty of the exhibits. There was an exhibit about violence against women tracing the history back hundreds of years, as well as chronicling this problem today. One placard read: “Throughout history, women have often been kept silent and powerless. Today, for some women, this is still the case. Real women, real stories.” We were amazed at the forthrightness of this exhibit. Dealing so directly with a social problem, giving historical perspective and making it contemporary. It was so honest. And this exhibit was on the main floor of the museum in a prominent location.

In another part of the museum, the entrance to an exhibit about armor and armaments began with this introduction: “Conflict and Consequence – How we keep inventing new ways of killing people, and then wonder why.” At the exhibit about swords, the sign declares: “Swords are works of art and tools of death. They were often beautifully made and richly decorated. Designed to allow their users to kill quickly and easily, swords are powerful symbols of human violence.” The commentary was breathtakingly honest.

Near a sculpture from the 1800’s of a man, seated, holding his elementary age daughter, both figures clearly sorrowful, the sign tells that the mother/the wife, has died, and the sculptor wanted to capture the grief of the family. We are also told that while men are seldom portrayed nurturing or crying, these are both natural responses for men, not only for women. Again, poignantly honest.
Frankly, the commentary and exhibits in this museum stunned us for many reasons, not the least of which was the unabashed honesty. Shouldn’t we expect the same from the church? “The truth will set you free.” [John 8:32] And yet the church does so much to “put on a happy face.”

In this consumerist age, the church has become consumed with people pleasing and institutional maintenance. “Keep the customer satisfied.” Keep people united against a common enemy so they keep coming to church, feeling they are on the right side, consolidate power and control and to keep the budget funded for salaries, buildings, and programs. Notice in the story from Luke, the power establishment, the Pharisees, are grumbling about Jesus. He is not pleasing the right people. And then he tells these two parables about finding the lost, featuring a shepherd, of low rank in society, considered disreputable, shiftless, and thieving. A trespassing hireling. And the other story featuring a woman, at best a second class citizen. The two figures that reveal God’s character are marginal people. This is not pleasing to the power structure. The same issue continues to confront the church today. The church is expected to placate the powerful, those with money, those with influence, those deemed worthy. The church is to protect its power and exclusivity claims.

In a recent article, Douglas John Hall, professor emeritus of theology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, critiques the church and offers new direction. He writes: “The greatest dangers to human welfare in today’s global village are all of them products of, or backed by, religions driven by immodest claims to ultimacy.” He goes on to say, “Only a nontriumphalistic Christianity. . . can contribute to the healing of the nations. . .” Hall also suggests, “Instead of clinging to absurd and outmoded visions of grandeur, which were never Christ’s intention for his church, serious Christian communities ought now to relinquish triumphalisitic dreams of majority status and influence in high places an ask themselves about the possibilities of witnessing to God’s justice and love from the edges of empire – which is where prophetic religion has always lived.” Hall further recommends that “churches should take the initiative in their own disestablishment.” [“Cross and Context,” Douglas John Hall, The Christian Century, 9/7/10, p. 40]

The church has lost its way from its beginnings in the ministry of Jesus. And it is time for the church to wave a white flag of surrender, or better yet, to send up a flare, so that we can be found. So that we can be restored to our intended mission to help people connect with something beyond themselves, to embody universal love in the world, to work for justice, and to create community that is expansive not exclusive. Is there any reason to hope that the church can be redeemed? In the gloom and doom prophecy of Jeremiah that we heard this morning, there is a fragment of hope. After talking about laying waste to the people, turning the land into a barren desert, and wreaking desolation, through the prophet God says, “. . .yet I will not make a full end.” [Jeremiah 4:27] There is a glimmer of hope for the future.

And in the parables from Luke, the shepherd and the woman are relentless in seeking what is lost. They exhibit patience and persistence. They are proactive, risking whatever it takes to find what is lost. Their dogged dedication shows the value of what needs to be found. They will not give up.

I believe God is looking for the church. With patience and persistence. Proactively risking whatever it takes to reclaim and restore the church to its mission as the body of Christ. I believe God is seeking the church: To eradicate violence in our world. To eliminate poverty. To establish justice. To create true communities of honesty and meaning. To foster healing and wholeness. To transform emptiness and loneliness. To embody compassion. To demonstrate material generosity and grace. These are the things that Jesus was known for. These were hallmarks of the first Christian communities. God is seeking us to restore us to our roots. And God will not give up. Until the sheep is found. The coin reclaimed. The church restored.

Why bother, we may ask? What can a few people do? What difference can a small group make? Well, let’s go back to Terry Jones and the Dove World Outreach Center. Fifty people. That’s it. Fifty people in that congregation. It’s smaller than our church! And look at the fuss they made! They got the attention of multitudes around the world and of top US leaders, including the president. They managed to incite violence and inspire hatred. There is no doubt that the church has power. But how is that power being used? When the church is lost, power is abused and distorted. But when it is found, it is the power of life and hope.

In India, churches were urge to hoist black flags for a day to protest discrimination faced by Christian Dalits. Dalits are people from the low castes in India and they are treated as untouchables. There are protections for Dalits who are Hindu, Sikh, and Buddhist. They receive free education and reserved government jobs. But Dalits who are Christian or Muslim, do not receive these rights. In an effort to call attention to this situation and to protest this injustice, churches flew black flags for a day. [“Flagging Injustice,” The Christian Century, 9/7/10, p. 9]

Here we see the church found, the church restored to its intention, the church home in the fold of the God of Jesus Christ, calling attention to the poor, creating community for the marginalized, and agitating for justice in the wider society. Waving their flags to get attention and give direction.

It is time for the Christian church in the United States to wave flags of surrender to the forces of consumerism and empire that have co-opted the church. It is time for the church to extricate itself from fanning the flames of injustice, intolerance, and violence. It is time to let God find the church once again and restore us to our rightful position, on the margins of society, waving our banners and leading the procession toward wholeness and 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.

Date: September 5, 2010
Scripture Lesson: Luke 24:28-35
Sermon: Taste and See
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

As part of her seminary experience, our daughter, Angela, works part time at a Lutheran Church in New York. One day, on the spur of the moment, she was asked to lead the first communion class. The pastor told her to tell the students about her understanding of communion.

Angela proceeded to tell the young people that the bread and juice were metaphors for the presence of Jesus. Yes, we know that Jesus is always with us, and the bread and juice are a concrete, material way of being reminded of that presence.

Apparently after the class, Angela and the pastor of the church had a follow up conversation about what had gone on. The pastor seemed surprised at Angela’s explanation of communion. When the pastor gave her explanation, Angela, too, was surprised. She called me and asked me if I knew about transubstantiation and consubstantiation? Yes, and you will, too, I told her, after you take Christopher Morses’ theology class. (Angela attends the same seminary I did, and some of the same professors are still teaching there.)

Transubstantiation and consubstantiation. These two fancy theological terms label the classic explanations of communion for the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant Church, of which the United Church of Christ is a part. Transubstantiation teaches ‘that the substance of the elements of bread and wine is transformed by God’s power into the substance of the body and blood” of Christ when the priest consecrates them in the mass. [A Handbook of Theological Terms, Van A. Harvey, p. 243] As one theological dictionary describes what happens to the bread and wine, the “inner substantial reality underlying its appearances, has been transformed.” [Harvey, p. 244] This is the classic Catholic explanation of communion.

When Angela got her lesson about communion from the Lutheran pastor, she was told that Lutherans, and those of the reformed tradition, do not believe in transubstantiation, implying that it is “magical” thinking. Instead, Lutherans and others believe in consubstantiation. This means “that Christ is ‘bodily’ present ‘in, with, and under,’ the elements,” but the elements, the bread and wine, are not “substantially altered.” [Harvey, p. 58] To Angela, and she is not alone, this sounded like hair-splitting. She is staying with metaphor and symbol, thank you very much.

In the story we heard from Luke’s gospel, Jesus breaks bread with his friends and their eyes are opened. A physical act conveys spiritual meaning.
Communion is one of the two sacraments of the Protestant Church. The Catholic Church observes 7 sacraments. Sacraments are outward visible signs of the grace of God at work in our lives and our world. They are rituals laden with symbols that point us to meaning beyond the literal actions taking place. We see this implication in the scripture we heard this morning. Jesus broke the bread and their eyes were opened. A simple human action leads to meaning beyond the actual occurrence. That is the implication of a sacrament. In the Protestant church, we observe the sacraments of baptism and communion because these are the two things that Jesus directs his followers to do in the gospels. “Go and baptize,” and “Do this in remembrance of me.” So these are the two sacraments that we observe.

As a sacrament, the observance of communion has evolved over the centuries. Its roots are in the early Christian traditions of followers of Jesus gathering for food, prayer, and teaching. They generally met and ate in people’s homes. The cooking and serving was done by the women of the household. Everyone was included. From that humble beginning, breaking bread and their eyes were opened, communion as we know it has taken many forms.

Just as there are many different expressions of Christianity, so there are many ways that the sacrament of communion is carried out. Some churches use bread, some unleavened bread, some use wafers. Some use wine; some grape juice. Sometimes grapes are used. In some churches communion is served to the congregation seated. In some the people come forward, as individuals, or in groups. In some churches a common cup is passed and the people drink from one cup. In other churches, intinction, dipping the bread, is the method used. And some churches use the little cups of juice. Sometimes the congregants serve one another. In some churches the people are served by some kind of official authority figures. In some churches communion is presided over by lay people. In others only ordained clergy are involved. In some churches only men officiate at communion. In some churches the clergy are served first. In some they are served last. In some churches you have to confess your sins before you are served communion. In some churches the people go forward, one by one, and the men always go before the women. In some churches gay people are not served. In some churches only children who have gone through first communion, or have been confirmed, are allowed to participate. Some churches will not serve people who have not been baptized. Some churches only serve those of their particular branch of Christianity. In other churches everyone is welcome. These are just a few of the many variations that churches have of doing communion. There are many traditions, rituals, and rules associated with communion.

My eyes were opened about communion when I was in college, and my father accepted a call to be the pastor of a church in Pennsylvania. The first Sunday that they served communion, I was shocked. When it was time for communion, 12 men wearing black robes came forward and they passed the plates of bread and the trays with the little cups of juice. I had been going to church in the UCC my whole life and I had never seen anything like this. So somber. Funereal with the black robes. And all men. What was this? After church, my dad explained that this was their heritage and how they had always done it. You had to be an ordained elder in the church to serve communion and only men could be elders. Well, by the time my dad left that tradition had changed. Women were being ordained as elders and they were serving communion along with the men, and there were no more black robes.

While there are many practices, traditions, rules and rituals associated with communion, what remains the same is that what we do points beyond the literal actions and it is laden with meaning. Meaning that can be positive or negative. Healing or harmful, depending on what is done, how it is done, and who is involved. But the sacrament itself has great power because it is an experience that evokes feelings and images that have meaning beyond the bit of bread and a taste of grape.

If each of us was asked to describe what we do when we take communion, we may all give a similar explanation of the literal actions taking place: The pastor says some prayers and blessings, she and a lay person stand in a central location, one holds a plate with little pieces of bread on it, the other holds a cup with grape juice in it. We go forward and line up, and one by one, we take a piece of bread and dip it in the juice and eat it and return to our seats. While we do this, there is music being played. That’s the literal activity taking place.

But the communion experience may be so much more. It is intended to move us to a deeper experience than the literal activity taking place. While we may see what we actually do in communion in similar ways, if everyone in this room were to be interviewed individually and asked to explain what communion means, I think we would get as many different explanations as there are people here. And that’s how it should be. Bread is broken in a certain context and our eyes may be opened. We may experience our connection to God, however God may be known to us. We may experience our connection to the earth in the food that the earth provides. We may experience our connectedness to one another, to Christ, to the church universal, to the faith community within time and space and beyond time and space.

Some may associate communion with Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Some may think of it as penitential. Some may think of it as an assurance of God’s love and grace. Some may associate the bread and cup with food, sustenance, new life and growth. Some may think of the elements as the actual body and blood of Christ. Others may think more symbolically and metaphorically. Some may explain communion in terms of unity with the faith community and with God and Jesus. Some may associate communion with death and consider it to be somber. Others may think of it as a joyful feast. Some people make it a point to attend church on communion Sundays. Others make it a point to avoid those Sundays. Transubstantiation and consubstantiation do not cover all of the bases. There are all kinds of ways that we may think about and explain and experience communion in the Christian church.

While there are many differences in our experiencing of communion, there should also be some commonality. In some way, the experience of communion is to be an experience of community, of eating with others. Communion is never done by one person alone. It is always done with others. It is not solitary. Communion is intended to enact community. This is central to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His ministry was about creating community, overcoming division, and fostering reconciliation. Jesus was known for eating with everyone, including those who were unclean, dishonest, disreputable, sinners, women, prostitutes, you name it. We’re told in the gospels that Judas was at the last supper. Jesus really did eat even with his enemies. The followers of Jesus experienced belonging without exclusion as an embodiment of the expansive love of God. No one was left behind. So communion as a sacrament is about experiencing that sense of community.

Given this common vision, it is ironic that communion has become a source of division and exclusion in the church. Only certain people being involved in certain ways, etc. Of course, no one intentionally planned to distort the intention of communion, it has just evolved that way, little by little, one decision at a time, over the course of two thousand years. This reminds us that this significant sacrament, this ritual, can continue to evolve and change in ways that seem more reflective of the vision and values of Jesus for us today.

In addition to community, another common aspect of communion that we may agree to is that the meaning, the significance is more than the literal action taking place. Sharing bread and cup, however it is done, may evoke many varied emotions, experiences and responses beyond what is physically taking place. Some may say they experience transcendence. Some may say presence. Some may say grace. Some may say love. The explanations are and should be infinite. Because this is something beyond our control.

How this kind of rich experience may happen from eating a bit of bread and a sip of juice with a group of people remains a mystery. If you were telling someone, “I went to church today, we had communion. I ate a bit of bread and drank a small cup of juice, and I felt at one with the universe and the human family and felt that divine love was flowing through me and everyone there,” – I mean you would sound kind of crazy. The action doesn’t seem commensurate with the feelings. It sounds like a Coke commercial – Drink up and be happy. We have to acknowledge the unknown, the mystery in the sacramental communion experience. I don’t think we can fully explain the meaning of communion, and what may be experienced through this sacramental ritual. It is beyond logic and reason. There is power and mystery involved.

Years ago, it was traditional in the Untied Church of Christ and other Protestant denominations for young people to participate in communion only after they were confirmed as teenagers. The idea was that during the confirmation process they would be duly instructed about the meaning of communion and then they would be allowed to partake. About 20 years ago, the trend to involve children in communion began to emerge. One explanation given was that we don’t ask adults to understand and explain communion before they participate, why should we ask this of children? True enough. Another explanation offered was that if we have to have a full understanding of communion before we are permitted to partake, then would anyone ever participate? This was an acknowledgement of the mystery involved.

In the United Church of Christ, practices related to the sacraments are left up to the individual congregation. We have no outside authority telling us how we must observe communion, how often we must have communion, who must preside, who can and cannot participate and in what ways. These things are left up to the individual congregation. At Lakewood, we have sought to be guided by the ministry of Jesus in our observance of communion. We seek to let his witness open our eyes. Jesus ate with everyone. There was no litmus test for worthiness. He did not ask for credentials, or prerequisites or anything else. Neither do we. We take his “y’all come” approach. Far be it from us to circumscribe God’s invitation, God’s grace, and God’s love. All are welcome. We try to do communion in a way that all who want to can participate. And in a way that those who choose not to participate may also feel comfortable and accepted. We use grape juice so that those who do not drink alcohol may participate. We try to accommodate those with other dietary restrictions. Just as we do not exclude anyone from the table, we also are open about those who lead and serve communion. We have no rules about men only, clergy only, or black robes required! The gospel lesson mentioned that in the breaking of the bread, the disciples eyes were opened. We trust that through this sacrament, our eyes will continually be opened to the expansive, inclusive love of God and the ways that we are called to embody that love as Jesus did.

In the story we heard from Luke, Jesus and the disciples share bread and their eyes are opened. Somehow, I don’t think the discussion was framed around transubstantiation and consubstantiation. If someone were to ask me to explain the meaning of communion, I would say something about experiencing universal love, inclusive community, and mystery. What would you say? 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.

Date: August 29, 2010
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 7:15-20
Sermon: Bearing Fruit
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

On our recent trip to Scotland, we visited the beautiful island of Iona. It is a small island, about a mile and a half wide and three and a half miles long, off the island of Mull, on the western side of Scotland. The water around Iona looks like the blue of the ocean around the Bahamas. Sheep graze on the hillsides. It is an idyllic paradise. But what makes Iona particularly special is not just its beauty but its religious significance. First a significant site to pagans in pre-Christian Scotland, it is the site where Christianity first came to Scotland. So it is hallowed as a sacred place, the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland.

Now, how did Christianity arrive at this tiny, remote spot? That is quite another story. Christianity was brought to Iona in 563 by St. Columba who is revered there and throughout Scotland. There are shrines to him, stained glass windows commemorating him, and he is referred to again and again. He is ever- present. And how did he come to found a Christian community on this remote island? Columba was from Ireland, which had a very well educated, advanced society at that time. Columba was of royal Irish blood. He had dedicated his life to the church and was trained by the wisest leaders of the church. Columba was a missionary in Ireland from the time he was 25 until he was 40. He established churches and monasteries. Then a local chieftain violated the sanctity of one of his churches. The church was giving sanctuary to a noble fugitive. And the chieftain pursued the nobleman into the church. Columba got the support of his powerful family and went to war against the offending chieftain. In the ensuing battle, it is said that Columba lost only one man, while his army killed 3,000 of the enemy. He attributed his victory to his Christian faith. Other leaders in the church were jealous of Columba and his power, and they arranged for him to be excommunicated for the 3,000 deaths that he caused. Columba was eventually reinstated and told to go and save as many souls as had been lost in the battle. He felt great remorse and decided to redeem himself through self-inflicted exile. He would leave his beloved native land and serve God elsewhere. He left Ireland in a small boat with 12 others and headed east. Iona was the first land that he came to from which he could not see Ireland. He felt that if he could see Ireland, he would not be able to resist the temptation to return. So, he settled on Iona, and established a monastery which brought Christianity to Scotland and beyond. [From “Welcome to Iona” by John Brooks, 1982]

It is quite a story of commitment and redemption, but I found myself disturbed by the violence involved. Christianity spread as the result of violence? This just doesn’t sound like the faith and values of the Jesus we know from the New Testament. It left a bad taste in my mouth. Bad fruit.

And then, as we traveled around Scotland and visited various churches and cathedrals, the veneration of another religious figure emerged. John Knox, noted Protestant Reformer, responsible for the establishment of the Church of Scotland, and revered as the patriarch of the Presbyterian Church. In many towns and churches there were plaques commemorating that “John Knox preached here.” But as we learned more about his legacy, from museums and churches, a pattern seemed to emerge: John Knox preached here and following the service the people rushed out and attacked the Catholics. Knox was known for preaching such a stirring sermon that the congregation was incited to violence. Again, I found this disturbing. Is this how Jesus spread love of God and neighbor? I don’t think so. Bad fruit.

And before we relegate this perpetration of violence by the church to Europe, we want to remember that Christianity has been a source of much violence on our shores as well: Beginning with the killing of the indigenous peoples and going on to the banishing and executing of heretics in Puritan New England, the Salem witch trials, the endorsement of slavery and more. More bad fruit, on our continent.

This week there are several anniversaries of important events in American history. On August 29, 1758, the first Indian reservation was established in this land, in New Jersey. And did the church of the time decry that injustice? No. On August 26, 1920, voting rights for women were endorsed by the US Congress. Did the church offer wholehearted, vociferous support for this initiative? No. On August 29, 1957, the Civil Rights Act was ratified. And did the Christian church across this nation support that justice effort? No. And on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave the “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. And ask people of the time. The Christian community of the US did not wholeheartedly support King’s movement, it was not even supported by the majority of African American churches in the US. Bad fruit.

And violence and intolerance continues to be supported by the church in many of its expressions in our country today. Either overtly or through silence, the majority of churches in this country support the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. You have to wonder. If these countries were Christian countries would these wars be so well-supported? And we cannot resort to saying, “Well, a Christian country would not have had such an evil dictatorship as that of Saddam Hussein, or the Taliban.” But what about Nazi Germany? A Christian country, led by a heinous dictator who perpetrated genocide using the church as an ally to further his aims, and with very little dissent from the church of the time. Bad fruit.

Much of the violence and hostility being directed toward Muslims in this country today is the by-product of the teaching of churches that Christianity is exclusively right and superior to other religions, and Islam is violent and evil. The Christian church produces its share of bad fruit.

Recently writer Anne Rice has made a public declaration about leaving the church. In a posting on her Facebook page, she said: “I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being ‘Christian’ or to being part of Christianity. It’s simply impossible for me to ‘belong’ to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.”

Sure, the faith community has its problems. That’s what Jesus was talking about in the scripture lesson that we heard this morning. There were problems in his day, too. This is nothing new – this using religion for personal gain, to promote a political agenda, to pursue power and control. It has ever been thus. Bad fruit.

But religion is also responsible for good fruit. Most Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Jews, Bahais, etc. seek to be dedicated to compassion and service. We are trying to be good people. Honest, generous, caring, etc. We desire to bear good fruit.

And while religion has the potential for harm, it also has at least as much potential to foment good. We need the community of support, the focus beyond ourselves, the encouragement to live for others, the values of community over individuality, and the access to our deepest spiritual resources, all of which Christianity provides, to bear good fruit. We need the church in the true spirit of Jesus to tend and nurture us so that we can bear good fruit. Left to our own devices, this is not likely to happen.

Jesus faced the challenge of the corruptibility and abuse of religion leading to bad fruit as we do today. But we want to remember that Jesus’ goodness, his compassion, his dedication to service, all came from his religious context, his religious tradition, and his religious community. His commitment to anti-violence, his sense of justice, his investment in forgiveness and mercy, his trust in redemption, his creating of community – all of it came from his religious roots. Without the Jewish religion, there would be no Jesus. Religion has the potential to produce good fruit.

Jesus shows us the dangers and abuses that plague religion, but he also shows us the good it can do. Despite the problems with the religious leaders of his day, Jesus does not start a new religion. Christianity only emerges as a separate religion several decades after Jesus’ death. Jesus does not abandon religion. He continues to be an observant, devout Jew until his death. He shows us all that religion can be. How it can foster the bearing of good fruit.

Through religion and religious teachings, Jesus shows us how to bear good fruit in all aspects of our living: our personal lives, our families and relationships, our lifestyle, our use of resources, our advocacy, our business practices, our work and our play. He shows us that every aspect of our living can be an opportunity for the bearing of good fruit.

Yes, Scotland has a very violent history. And our guide at the Glasgow Cathedral, told us rather abashedly, that Scots like to fight. Their national motto amounts to, Hit us and we’ll hit you back. (So much for turn the other cheek and love your enemy.) But at least they are honest about it! And we were told by a reputable source that Scotland is rated as one of the most violent countries in the developed world. But they also have the image that the US is very violent. The US-initiated war in Afghanistan is very unpopular in the United Kingdom. And the US is renowned in the UK for personal violence as well. A guide at the National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh mentioned to our group that everyone in the US carries a gun. Obviously that is a ridiculous caricature. But, the US is a very violent society. The solution is not to get rid of religion. Cut down the tree. Then where will the good fruit come from?

In a wonderful letter to the editor responding to Anne Rice leaving Christianity, LUCC member Mark Gibson suggests, “I encourage Anne Rice and others who feel alienated and berated by Christianity to consider joining a progressive congregation. Don’t abandon the church altogether, but join with others to create a new version of church.” [St. Petersburg Times, 8/21/10]

We are needed to tend and nurture the vision and values of Jesus because what the world needs now is more good fruit! 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.

Date: July 25, 2010
Scripture Lesson: James 2:14-17
Sermon: Love Pray Eat
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

Some months ago we watched the movie “Food, Inc.” Well, by the time the movie was over, it seemed to me that I would just never eat again. To be deeply be ethical and environmental, etc. there’s nowhere near by to get food that fits the bill. The only option seemed to be back to the farm which is not practical for most of us, either!
There are so many moral, ethical, political, health and environmental issues related to food!
There are food issues around genetic engineering. I don’t think you can get a tomato that is not genetically modified, unless you grow it yourself with seeds that you have saved for decades or have gotten from another country.
And while we’re talking about tomatoes, there are the labor issues around the farmworkers who are working in the fields to see that we have produce in the grocery store.
Then there are the issues around pesticides. This relates to the safety of the workers and also to the consumption of the food. Eating organic is an option, but there are limited choices, limited places to buy, and it is often more expensive.
And there are transportation issues. Buying food grown around the world is linked to usage of energy and fossil fuels, as is driving a distance to get food that is more ethically grown and produced. So there are issues around transportation and energy. There are issues around the environmental effects of farming, relating to pesticides, fertilizer, waste, and land use. That is another dimension to be taken into consideration when deciding what to eat.
There are ethical issues around corporate farming and the take over of the family farm. Families who have farmed for generations basically being driven off the land due to economic pressures from multinational food corporations.
There are issues around the ethical treatment of animals in food production – the pigs, cows, chickens, and other animals that are used for food.
There are environmental issues around meat production – the deforestation to create grazing land, top soil erosion, and the waste and methane produced in the meat industry. It is said that you can do more for the environment by giving up meat than by giving up your car.
There are issues around the packaging of food and the plastic and styrofoam and the trash being created by the packaging. So there are land fill issues, and energy issues around packaging.
With seafood, which I have never liked, there are issues around fish populations as well as chemicals such as mercury in the seafood. There are issues around seabed damage from certain types of fishing and drag net fishing and the way it is effecting populations of other sea life like turtles.
There are issues around the chemical, preservatives, hormones, and pesticides used in food production and their safety for human consumption. Remember Red dye number 4? So for health reasons, we need to be concerned not only about fat and salt and calories, but also what other substances we are ingesting and the health issues that are involved.
And there are food issues around world hunger. The grain used to feed the animals that are used for meat could feed many more people than the meat will feed. So world hunger could be significantly diminished by using grain for people, not animals, if we had the will to produce and distribute the grain accordingly.
Are you loosing your appetite? Do you think about these things when you stand in front of the produce display? I do when I am buying, preparing and eating food. It has gotten quite complicated.
Our nephew has a masters degree in food science. He is working for a company developing new food products. A company wants to add so many grams of protein to each serving of cereal without increasing calories or effecting taste. He comes up with the new formula. I asked him about all of the ethical issues and political issues that are related to what he does – he said he has nothing to do with that. He doesn’t think about it and doesn’t involve himself with that side of food production. He ignores it. Yes, I think that is a cop out, but I can also see that it could be simply overwhelming to take all of these things into consideration. We add this ingredient to get the desired result. What if that ingredient happens to be- genetically modified, picked by under paid workers in dangerous working conditions, involve significant transportation costs, etc. You could be paralyzed by the implications of each project.
When it comes to food, food politics, food guidelines, the Bible has a lot to say. What you can and can’t eat. When you can and can’t eat it. What you need to leave for the poor. What you have to offer as sacrifices. Who can eat those sacrifices and when. How they need to be prepared. The ethical obligation to leave food in the fields for the poor. The need to see that the hungry are fed. There are many, many food instructions in the Bible.
There are countless instructions about what is clean and unclean, what combinations of foods can be eaten, and not eaten. These laws involved ethics – seeing that everyone was fed. They involved respect for the land. They involved ritual purity to keep people of one religion separate from people of other religions. They also were a way of keeping life focused on God as the giver of all food. And there were health issues related to the food laws. Here’s one example from Leviticus chapter 11:
Our God spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said to tell the Israelites these things: These are the living creatures you may eat: Among all the domesticated animals on the earth, you may eat any that has cloven hooves and chews its cud. However, these animals which only have cloven hooves or only chew the cud you must not eat: camels, which chew the cud but don’t have cloven hooves; rock badgers, which chew the cud but don’t have cloven hooves; hares, which chew the cud but don’t have cloven hooves; and pigs, which don’t chew the cud but do have cloven hooves. You are not to eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies. They are ritually unclean for you.
Of all the creatures that live in water, you may eat anything with fins and scales, whether it lives in seas or streams. But anything in the seas or streams, fresh water or salt, that does not have fins or scales, small creatures or large, you are to treat as detestable. And because they are detestable to you, you are not to eat their flesh or touch their dead bodies. Every creature in the water that has neither fins nor scales is detestable to
you.
You get the idea and the chapter goes on from there about flying animals and crawling animals and insects, and so forth.
It’s interesting, even biblical literalists don’t seem to be taking the eating instructions in the Bible literally. The first instruction about eating in the Bible tells us that we were given plants as the source of our food. Not animals. Only plants. Genesis 1:29-30 tells us: “God said, ‘See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant or food.’ And it was so.”
So, biblical literalists should all be vegetarians. Vegans, even. And some Christians, are vegetarian in response to biblical teaching.
Taking food and issues around eating seriously from a religious standpoint and an ethical standpoint and a devotional standpoint is not new. In fact, it is ancient. We have gotten away from this, we modern, industrial people who no longer grow our own food, but now in this information age, we are being driven back to considering food issues in relationship to our faith commitment.
So what does our faith say to us about how to think about food issues and respond in a way that is in keeping with our mission, vision, and values as Christians? We have an overarching framework for this discussion. James is a book advising Christians about how to put their faith into practice in concrete ways. The writer tells us, “be doers of the word and not hearers only.” [James 1:22] The writer gives a concrete example in the verses we heard this morning: “If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,’ and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has not works, is dead.” [James 2:15-17]
Given the myriad issues that surround what we eat, we are compelled to put our faith into practice around food concerns. If we say we care for the earth as God’s creation and ignore the environmental effects of food production, what good is that? If we say God loves everyone and ignore the human cost of food production than what good is that? If we say that we are to feed the hungry, but continue with a diet that diverts resources away from food for people, what good is that? If we say we are stewards of creation and all forms of life, but continue habitat destruction for meat production, what good is that? If we say that our bodies are a temple of the Holy Spirit but ignore the implications of what we put into our bodies, than what good is that? That is faith without works. And it applies to our choices around food.
Frankly, as responsible human beings and as Christians, we cannot just take the easy way out like my nephew and put our heads in the sand and ignore the ethical and moral implications of food production and consumption. And it is also not practical to follow my first impulse after watching “Food, Inc.” and just not eat. A path, as you can see, that I have not followed. So how can we put our faith into practice around food issues in a realistic, meaningful way? How can we make our eating devotional? An expression of faith?
For one thing, we want to note that Jesus put his faith into practice around food and eating. The issues were different, but his faith extended to food. He ate with those who were unclean, defying the laws of his religion. We are told that he defied the dictates of his religion by picking grain on the sabbath, a day that no work is to be done. But a day, like every day, when people need to eat. He also was known for making sure that the hungry were fed. So he did not just offer spiritual consolation, but met the physical needs of people as well. The stories about Jesus eating and drinking emphasize his corporeal humanity. It is a witness to love embodied in human flesh; his and ours. Jesus lived his values through food.
So recognizing the importance of eating and food as an area of life in which to practice our faith as Jesus did, let’s look at some ideas about how to do this.
Here, we borrow from the title of Elizabeth Gilbert’s book, Eat Pray Love When it comes to a Christian approach to food, I would like to suggest, Love. Pray. Eat.
Let’s start with love. Christianity is about love: Our capacity as human beings to manifest divine love. We talk about love for God. Love for the earth. Cherishing creation. Love for life. Love for all of God’s children. Love your neighbor. Love yourself. Love your enemy. Love is the heart of our faith tradition. Our spiritual path. Indeed, scripture reminds us, God is love. So we are all about love.
How do we express love? With care. Compassion. Respect and consideration. With generosity. So a Christian approach to food and eating can start with love. Love for the land. Love for the workers. Love for all life forms. Love for the poor and hungry. Love of beauty. Love for generations to come and preserving the earth for them. Love for our bodies as manifestations of divine love. So, a Christian approach to food and eating can start with the pre-eminent characteristic of the way of Jesus – Love.
Now, how do we manifest love? How do we convey love as it relates to food and eating? Here I suggest prayer, reflection, contemplation. Mindfulness. Assess information. Consider consequences. Examine your heart. Give thanks. That old grace for meals invites us to consider the food production process. Maybe you know it: “Back of the bread, the flour. Back of the flour, the mill. Back of the mill, the sun and rain, the earth and the Father’s will.” Prayer invites us to consider deeply where our food comes from, who is involved in seeing that we have it, what processes and resources are used, and who does and doesn’t have access to it. Through prayer we examine what effect our food choices have on ourselves, on others, and on the environment, which is necessary to produce food to sustain us.
So when we think about putting our faith into practice around food and eating, let’s love. Then pray.
Then, let’s eat! The need for food unites us with all living things. Food is a source of beauty and creativity. Food is a delight. Eating with others is a joy and an opportunity for connection and community. Food invites us to relish the gifts of the earth. Rejoice in the circle of life.
Jesus tells many stories about the reign of God being like a banquet. Our faith invites us to feast! We have stories of Jesus feeding the multitudes and turning water into wine. It’s a party! Our faith invites us to eat, and drink, and enjoy the company of others around food. A celebration of God’s abundance and love. A central sacrament of our faith involves eating and drinking for just this reason. Food and eating are a celebration of our oneness with creation, with God and with one another.
The joy is all the greater when we are intentional and thoughtful about what we are eating so that eating and food become an expression of our faith, and not an abandonment of our moral and ethical commitments.
Some years ago, I followed our daughter’s lead and became a vegetarian. People say that it must be so hard. First of all, if I found it hard, I probably wouldn’t be doing it. No self-righteousness here. Being vegetarian is actually very easy for me. And every day as I eat and make the choice not to eat meat, I feel that I am celebrating life and cherishing the environment. It makes me feel good. It is a wonderful sacramental reminder each and every day of the gift of this amazing earth, and of life, and of the opportunity to love it.
So when it comes to food and faith, follow Jesus: Love, pray, and then eat! Put your faith to work. Make the choices that seem right for you. Make it a feast. Celebrate the goodness and abundance of God and the earth! 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.

Date: July 18, 2010
Scripture Lesson: Matthew 14:13-21
Sermon: Consuming Trust
Pastor: Rev. Kim P. Wells

This week, a woman stopped by the church for assistance. First, she asked for $200 for her electric bill. I told her that our funds were depleted at the moment. Then she asked for help with food. I told her that we collect food for Operation Attack. I suggested that she visit OA. She told me that she had already been there. She said that she had 3 children to feed. So, we walked out to the shopping cart in the hallway and I offered her the food in the cart. Four boxes of macaroni and cheese. Four cans of tuna. Two cans of spam. I invited her to take whatever she could use. She took the whole bag. Then she asked for washing powder to do laundry. “Don’t you have any laundry powder?” I told her that I was sorry but we didn’t have any laundry detergent. What about toilet paper. Did we have any toilet paper? I gave her a new roll from the bathroom. Then she went back to the laundry powder, as if I was holding out on her. “Don’t you have any laundry powder. I’ve got three kids. We’ve got to do laundry.” Apologetically, I told her that we didn’t have any. She wouldn’t let it go. “Who’s the pastor? Are you the pastor?” I told her I was. And she shook her head in disgust. “And you can’t give me any laundry powder.” And she went off in a huff with the bag of food. I guess her visit to the church was a wash out for her.

Boy did I feel like a failure. I thought of the story in the gospels when Jesus comes down from the transfiguration on the mountain and is immediately confronted by the incompetence of his disciples. The gospel of Matthew tells us: “When they came to the crowd, a man came to Jesus, knelt before him, and said, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and he suffers terribly. . . I brought him to your disciples, but they could not cure him.” Jesus answered, ‘You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’ Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was cured instantly.” [Matthew 17:14 ff]

I could just hear the woman who wanted the soap telling her friend who brought her to the church: “The pastor couldn’t give me any laundry powder. She couldn’t come up with any laundry detergent. What I have to put up with. Really.”

I also thought of the story we heard this morning of the feeding of the multitudes. The crowds are hungry and need to be fed. Jesus tells the disciples to give the people something to eat. “We have nothing here but five loaves and two fish.” We have nothing here but macaroni and cheese, tuna, spam, toilet paper. What’s that when the laundry needs to be done. She needs laundry powder. And I balked, like the disciples.

Faced with the hungry crowd, maybe 5,000 men, not including women and children, according to one version, Jesus instructs the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” Is this a joke? Is he pointing out their ineptitude? Is he being sarcastic? Is he testing them? In one version of the story the disciples point out that it would take the equivalent of 200 days wages at least to feed this crowd. Maybe $25,000 or more in today’s money. Feed these people? You give them something to eat?

I think that when Jesus says this in the story, yes, it is absurd, but it shows his complete faith and trust in the disciples, in the people, and in God. It is not a test. It is an affirmation. A validation. A confirmation. Of what Jesus knows can happen. The disciples bring up practicalities and concerns because they don’t have enough faith and trust in themselves in the people or in God. Which is why, of course, we have this story. It is told 6 times in the 4 gospels. We must really need to hear this. In the story, we can see Jesus showing the disciples what can happen in an effort to boost their faith and trust in themselves, in others, and in God. He is teaching them to have faith and trust. You give them something to eat. Take the ball. Run with it. I know you can do it! Have consuming trust, like me. And you will not be disappointed.

This morning we are having a congregational meeting after the service about a bequest that was given to the church. You will hear the story of the generosity of one of the members of this church. It is a beautiful story and I hope that you will stay to hear it.

But I want to make sure that you hear a related story. A prequel to the bequest story. Also a story that needs to be heard.

On Tuesday June 15 the church Advisers had their regular monthly meeting. The Advisers are the leaders of the church whose primary responsibility is to oversee the administration of the church – finances, budget, property, personnel, and the practical dimensions of the functioning of the church that make it possible for the ministry and mission to happen. They tend to the infrastructure. Not the most glamourous role in the church. Not necessarily a fun, creative outlet like planning events or programs. But the most necessary job in the church for without the ministry of the Advisers, the church could not function.

So, given that this is a small church with no financial reserves, a key topic at each Advisers’ meeting is finances. In other words, time is often spent devising new ways to not spend money! So, at the June 15 meeting, the group looked over the latest financial reports. So far this year, giving had just met expenses. Whew! Barely in the black. But by July 1, quarterly insurance and pension payments needed to be paid. The bills totaling over $8,000. And with projected giving through June, the church was going to be several thousands of dollars short of the funds needed to meet these obligations, with no additional accounts or resources to draw from. This is the first time in decades that the church really did not have identified resources to meet its bills. So, this was discussed by the Advisers. For less than 10 minutes in the middle of an agenda which included the sound system, hosting the Florida UCC Women in February, where to bank, the summer sermon series, etc. And the meeting had a positive spirit. Good vibes. In the meeting notes, regarding the finances, right amidst all of the other topics is the notation, “Cash flow – Don’t have money for insurance quarterly payments. Hmmm.”

It didn’t really hit me until the next day. Here was the church, “on the brink” financially, and these people discussed the situation and moved on to other topics. No alarmist response. No gloom and doom forecasting. No talk of calling a congregational meeting to talk about what to do. No mention of closing the church, selling the property, or other worst case scenarios. Was it denial? Was it irresponsibility? Was it abdication? As I reflected on it, I decided it was a sign of the amazing faith and trust of these people.

I thought of the story of the loaves and fish. Over 5,000 people. Jesus saying, “You give them something to eat.” These Advisers did not say, there’s no way we can do this. It’s impossible. We can’t resolve this situation. We don’t have the resources. By being fully aware of the situation and not balking, they were showing their faith and trust – in one another, in this congregation, in the people here in this sanctuary, in the need for the unique ministry of this church, and in God. It was as if they were saying, “OK, we’ll do our part.” We’ll encourage people to catch up on their pledges, give ahead if they can. Amass the loaves and fish.

I have to tell you, I don’t know of any other church that would behave like these Advisers did, with this kind of faith and trust. Any “normal” church leaders confronting a similar situation, might have taken steps to reduce the pastor’s position to part time, or arranged to meet with a real estate agent, or called a congregational meeting to develop a plan to bring the ministry of the church to a close. There would typically be rancor and argumentation among the leaders about what to do. Understandable in light of the grief they would feel loving the church as they do. Or the meeting might be purely sad. Depressing. The leaders feeling immobilized. And then turning to the pastor, even in the UCC, to ask the pastor to tell them what to do. You can envision this, can’t you? We can’t pay our bills. This is it. We’re through.
But not these Lakewood UCC Advisers. They went on to a discussion of where we should bank. This assumes we have money to put into an account. And then on to other topics on the agenda including the summer sermon series. It was clear: We’re moving right ahead without missing a beat.

Jesus showed his faith and trust when he said to the disciples, “You give them something to eat.” The Advisers showed affirmation, confirmation, and validation of that faith and trust in the way they proceeded to continue discussing the ongoing ministry of the church. They trust that whatever is needed to do the ministry to which we have been called will be provided. We are holding up our end. Doing our part, in the body of Christ.

The Advisers’ meeting that I have referred to was on a Tuesday. Two days later, on Thursday, I came to church to finish a few things before heading to our nephew’s wedding in the Milwaukee area that afternoon. As I was leaving the church, late as usual, I walked by the church mailbox. I’m late. I don’t have time to get the mail. I really should bring in the mail. Rayanne won’t be in tomorrow to get it. But I need to get to the airport. I opened the mailbox, grabbed the mail, and glanced at it as I went back into the office to drop it on Ray’s desk. A flyer. A bill. More junk mail. A thick envelope from a lawyer in Tampa addressed to me. My curiosity got the best of me. I opened it. A letter. About a bequest. A check. Was that really 4 zeros to the left of the decimal point? I had to read the words stating the amount of money on the second line of the check to be sure. Honestly, my heart was pounding and I broke out in a sweat. Validation of faith and trust. “You give them something to eat.” OK. Here are the loaves and fish. And there is all that is needed with leftovers!

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.