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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A reasonable effort has been made to appropriately cite materials referenced in this sermon. For additional information, please contact Lakewood United Church of Christ.