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On the front page of this morning’s paper there were two tragic articles front and center, side by side. One was about the trial of Nicholas Lindsey, an African American teenager who shot and killed a white police officer in St. Petersburg. And one about Trayvon Martin, an African American teen shot and killed by a white community crime watch volunteer. Both cases are heartbreaking. Both mothers are crying. Both stories should have us all crying.

What has our society come to? Innocent people gunned down in the street. A police officer on the way home after work and a young teen talking on the phone with his girlfriend and eating Skittles. People carrying guns like an ol’ time western rerun on TV. In 1969, when I was 9 years old, our family visited our relatives in Germany. Their favorite TV show was Bonanza. You know, Lorne Green and Hoss and the gang. My cousins asked me if we rode horses and rounded up cattle. Now they might ask if we all carry guns like the cowboys in the old west. What a terrible image.

We might be tempted to say this is not “our” problem. We had nothing to do with either case. We were not directly involved. These killings are about personal decisions by the people involved. And, yes, they are. But all the people involved, as well as we ourselves, live in a society that forms and shapes us and that we have a responsibility to form and shape. George Zimmerman and Nicholas Lindsey, the two who did the killing, did not drop down out of the sky with their evil intentions. Both thought carrying a weapon and using it was part of “normal” for them in this society. I sat next to a woman in the waiting area at the doctor’s office today who was talking with her young adult son about buying a gun and looking at websites on her phone about where to get what he wanted locally. They were discussing this as if they were talking about stopping at the store on the way home to get milk. I was horrified. Zimmerman and Lindsey are not aliens, they have been produced by this society. And who has produced this society?

In Psalm 107 we are given an image of God putting down those who are wielding their power at the expense of others and raising up those who are being put down:

When the hungry are diminished and brought low
through oppression, trouble, and sorrow,
God pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes;
but God raises up the needy out of distress,
and makes their families like flocks.
The upright see it and are glad;
and all wickedness stops its mouth.
Let those who are wise give heed to these things,
and consider the steadfast love of God.

In Christianity, as far as I am concerned, there is a lot of room for leeway about many things. You want to believe in the virgin birth of Jesus. Fine. You don’t believe that. Ok. You believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus. Ok. You believe the resurrection is metaphor, that’s ok, too. You believe that baptism should be conducted for people who are of age. Fine. You want to have your baby baptized. All right. You like the New International Version of the Bible. Ok. You prefer the New Revised Standard version. Fine. You believe that people should be embalmed and buried. Ok. You think cremation is a more sensible option. Fine. I think there can be lots of diversity and variety under the Christian umbrella. [See the reflection from yesterday for more on diversity within the Christian family.]

But there are other matters about which there is such clarity in the Bible and in the tradition of Jesus that they cannot be open to compromise or interpretation. One of those matters is the condition of oppression. Any kind of unfairness, bigotry, violation of human rights, abuse of power, or victimization be it economic, social, or religious, etc. is wrong. In the Bible and in the teachings of Jesus that have come to us, there is ZERO TOLERANCE for oppression of anyone. In the scriptures, as we just noted in Psalm 107, God takes the part of those on the bottom, those left out, and those who are exploited for others‘ gain. ZERO TOLERANCE. No compromise. No variety of views. Simply, no oppression. Christianity is about living for a world that is completely liberated from every kind of oppression.

Now, this can be complex for us. In one scenario, we may be on the bottom. In another, we may be perceived as the victimizer. From a global perspective, we may be seen as those who abuse our power at the expense of others. Locally, we may be discriminated against because of gender, race, age, or sexual identity. We may not be in just one camp or the other.

As an example, many years ago we had a couple join the church. They happened to be two men. When they were introduced to the congregation, in person and in print, I made sure to introduce them separately as distinct individuals . Later they mentioned that they felt I had not shown proper respect for their relationship because I had introduced them separately. I was shocked. I had not intended to devalue their union. I explained my perspective. I told them that so often with married heterosexual couples, the woman is subsumed under the man, so I had made it a point to introduce married people separately to show equal respect for the man and the woman and treat them as distinct individuals both worthy of respect. So, to be fair and egalitarian with this same gender couple, I did what I do with heterosexual couples. Only it had a different result. Once we discussed this, we saw that we were really all on the same side. We were all for ending oppression, disrespect and unfair treatment of people.

And that is the point about which there can be no wavering for a Christian. We must be against every kind of oppression and be working for a world where there is no oppression. No oppressors and no victims. And no one caught in the cross fire because one way or another, we all suffer because of oppression. The lives of both those teen aged boys, Trayvon and Nicholas, have been ruined by oppression. Racial oppression and abuse of power has also taken its toll on Officer Crawford and George Zimmerman. But we are not simply products of an oppressive system. We are also the producers and consumers of that system. And that is where we as Christians are called to be God’s agents of change. We are called to stop producing and consuming oppression. And we are called to be agents of reconciliation and healing. The world is groaning for hope, new life, and resurrection.

Prayer
Our hearts break over the violence and killing around us. We lift up our prayers for the family of Trayvon Martin. We pray for George Zimmerman and his family. We pray for Nicholas Lindsey and his family. We pray for the family and loved ones of Officer David Crawford. And we pray for ourselves. For the healing of our hearts. For the courage to overcome fear and complacency that we might liberate ourselves and the world entire from oppressive systems – social, economic, and religious – which take life away that cannot be returned or replaced. May hope be resurrected within us and may we be in solidarity against all oppression. Amen.

If our congregation was Ghanaian American, we would do the dance of life accompanied by drums and other rhythm instruments at least twice each and every Sunday. The choir would lead, out of the pews up to the front forming a circle then back down the aisle, followed by one side of the congregation and then the other. This would happen again as people would dance down the aisle to put their tithes in a special box and their offerings in a large wooden bowl, singing and dancing the whole way. Sounds like a great work out!

If we were a Japanese American church, each Sunday we would likely say a special memorial prayer for everyone from the congregation who had died that week in years past. Each Sunday, we would remember the dead.

If LUCC was a Hispanic congregation, every month or so we would hold Vigilias from about 7 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, singing, praying, preaching, and making testimonies as well as eating together all through the night.

If we were a Fijian American congregation, the parents of a child to be baptized would bring special fine mats and brown tapas cloths to be put in a pile for the pastor to stand on when the child is baptized. The mats then become a gift for the pastor.

If we were a Filipino American congregation, you would be calling on me to bless your homes, pets, cars, and other material items to honor that every part of life is considered holy. That could keep me really busy!

If this was a Korean American congregation, I would slip off my shoes and put my feet in special slippers before going up the steps to the chancel to get the offering plates or bless the elements for communion.

If we were a Pakistani American congregation, during Holy Week, we would have services each night of the week in someone’s home, sitting on the floor on large white sheets, shoes left at the door.

In a Native American Indian church, the service starts not according to chronological time, but when all who need to be there have gathered and are ready to begin. That could prove very interesting with our congregation!

And in a Native American Indian congregation, we might begin by praying to the four directions, north, south, east and west.

In Psalm 107 we are told of the four directions:

Let the redeemed of God say so,
those God redeemed from trouble
and gathered in from the lands,
from the east and from the west,
from the north and from the south.

In the Bible, we are told that people from all corners of the earth gather to worship and praise God. In every country and culture, people are led to express their devotion and delight to God.

When people of faith gather, from the east and west, north and south, the ways to praise God are prolific and diverse. There is an infusion of culture and tradition that is rich. The predominantly Euro American Christian church in the US is also steeped in tradition and culture. Our ways have grown out of our experience, our language, our climate, our lifestyle. Our worship is just as culturally determined as churches of other countries.

If we were Christians from another part of the world coming to the US and going to church, we might say, “My, in the US the service was only an hour long. The people did not move around at all, but just stood and sat at their seats. And there was only one offering. Can you imagine? How can you glorify God and support the church with only one offering? And the pastor left her shoes on for the whole service, even in the chancel. It seemed so disrespectful, but I guess that’s how they do it.” We can imagine comments like that coming from those of other cultural expressions of Christianity.

A time traveler from New Testament times would have no idea what we were doing in church. Those Christians met together in homes to eat, drink, sing, pray, read scripture, plan help for the needy, and discuss the teachings of Jesus. No robes, choirs, pastors, pews, pianos, organs, stained glass, bulletins, and certainly no cross displayed. All that was to come much later!

As we gather each week, let’s be open to the Spirit, coming from the east and west, north and south, past and future, inviting our vital worship in new and varied ways. There are endless possibilities when it comes to ways to praise!

Prayer
We are grateful for the opportunity and freedom to gather for worship. We are grateful for the resources that are devoted to that glorious celebration! May what we do in worship shape our faith and our lives in ways that delight God. Amen.

Note: Much of the material from this reflection came from Worship Across Cultures: A Handbook by Kathy Black

Locked in a room with open doors. That’s the theme of a sermon that I remember hearing years ago and I have never forgotten it. The concept was that we confine ourselves while God is inviting us out of our confinement to new life and new vistas.

This idea is referred to in Psalm 107.

Some sat in darkness and in gloom,
prisoners in misery and in irons,
for they had rebelled against the words of God. . .
they cried to God in their trouble,
and God saved them from their distress;
God brought them out of darkness and gloom,
and broke their bonds asunder.

Here we are reminded that in following God’s way, there is freedom. We are not confined. We are free to love and serve and not be tyrannized by self-interest. In God’s way there is joy and satisfaction and fulfillment. But when we deny God’s way, God’s justice and mercy, God’s call to service, we find ourselves in bondage. We are bound by self-will, by the expectations of others, by the dictates of society. We are confined by greed and instant gratification and materialism. These are the things that bind us, that confine us, that narrow the scope and satisfaction of our lives.

Yet the way of God, the way of service and love and compassion for the least of our sisters and brothers opens the doors to community and joy and purpose. It is an invitation to a rich and full life. It is a wondrous adventure to live for God.

It seems counter intuitive that to live for God is freeing while to follow our own way is bondage, yet that is how it is.

Give some thought to what is keeping you bound. Are you always trying to keep up with others and never good enough? Are you struggling to buy things that the media tell us that we need? Are you trying to be thin enough, strong enough, whatever enough, like the airbrushed models on the covers of magazines? Are you trying to be as smart as someone else? Are you trying to work harder than someone else so that the boss will notice you? Are you trying to be everything to everybody and never keeping up? Put God at the center of your life, follow God’s way, and you will be free of all of those bonds. God’s love and grace are truly freeing!

Prayer
We cry out in our distress. So many things bind us and we feel stifled and behind and not good enough. We long to be brought out of our bondage, whatever it may be, from the gloom and darkness into the light of freedom. Love and service set us free. May we delight in the freedom God is giving to us. Amen.

Representatives from the Campaign for Fair Food of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers came to speak at Lakewood UCC several Sundays ago. As usual, their testimony is so compelling. We were told about the conditions in the fields by a worker who knows the situation first hand. We were told about the labor issues involved. We heard of the farmworkers’ request to be paid one penny more per pound of tomatoes. When the store raises the price one penny, we don’t even notice. So what’s the problem with raising this wage? And we were told of the efforts to encourage Publix, the grocery store chain, to become part of the Campaign for Fair Food. Why Publix? Because with a large market share, their participation could stimulate other grocery stores to come on board.

What impressed me again about the presentation was the conviction of those involved. They are committed to God’s justice first and foremost; over their jobs, their image, their immigration status, and even their lives. They are willing to do anything for God’s justice. They are fully committed in their discipleship.

Another thing that impressed me again is how they work from the presumption that eventually justice will prevail. They don’t talk about “if” this happens, they talk about “when” this happens. They assume that right will win out. Publix and other hold outs will eventually be drawn into the Campaign for Fair Food because it is right. They are convinced that it will happen, and they are constantly keeping the door open and beckoning Publix to come to the party!

Another thing that impressed me again about the Campaign for Fair Food Campaign is that the workers talk about the Publix people as colleagues that just haven’t joined the team yet. They do not talk about Publix as an adversary, but as an ally, not yet come into the fold.

The farmworkers have complete trust in the steadfast love of God and in the justice of God. In Psalm 107 we are told:

God turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water.
And there God lets the hungry live,
and they establish a town to live in;
they sow fields, and plant vineyards,
and get a fruitful yield.
But God’s blessing they multiply greatly,
and God does not let their cattle decrease.

Those committed to the Campaign for Fair Food trust those promises, as do thousands of groups working for justice around the world. They know God’s intention for justice and God’s love and care for those who are victims of oppression, and they believe God’s dreams will ultimately come true. This is what inspires movements for justice and equality.

This may be a good time to reflect on how we are living our lives in ways that witness to our commitment to and trust in God’s justice, especially in terms of rights, opportunity, and access to those who are made poor by the current economic systems that are in place. How do our choices, behaviors, and actions show that we expect God to lift up those made poor? And that we know it is our job as Christians to help?

Prayer
The Bible tells us again and again of God’s concern for the poor. We know that God desires not just charity for those made poor, but justice for all people. May we invest ourselves in God’s transforming activity in the world, seeking to eradicate poverty from the face of the earth. May others see in us our commitment to a world in which all people flourish and thrive, and no one lives at the expense of another. Amen.

What goes up must come down. It is not only a scientific principle, but it is also true of life. I spoke with a colleague some months ago who asked how things were going at church. I had numerous positive things to say. When I was finished he told me, “Well you know that will change.” Oh yeah. What goes up must come down. Things may be going well but that can change at any moment. And things may be going really badly and that can change in a moment as well.

In Psalm 107 there are several images of drastic changes. We often think of these images in the Bible as signs of hope and promise. Some in Psalm 107 are, like these:

God turns a desert into pools of water,
a parched land into springs of water. . .

God raises up the needy out of distress,
and makes their families like flocks.

But there are also verses that indicate reversals in a negative direction:

God turns rivers into a desert,
springs of water into thirsty ground,
a fruitful land into a salty waste. . .

God pours contempt on princes
and makes them wander in trackless wastes. . .

In this psalm, we see good things going sour and bad things turned around. It can happen both ways. While my colleague’s comment, “Well, you know that will change,” appears cynical at first, with some reflection it seems realistic. A reality check. But with more thought, I see it as an invitation to ground my reality and my faith in God, not in outward circumstances whatever they may be. Those circumstances will change. Possibly because of my actions or in spite of them. Things may change due to factors I have no influence over. Will I let outside circumstances control me? Determine my attitude about life? Shape my faith?

In the psalm again and again the writer refers to the steadfast love of God. This is referred to repeatedly because this is what is important to remember. This is what should ground us. This is the one thing we need to know. God’s steadfast love endures forever. Other things will change. Fortunes will rise and fall. Elation and affliction will find us. And sometimes at the same time. Through it all, God’s steadfast love endures forever. When we ground ourselves in that love, then we are freed from being defined by outward circumstances. We are liberated from being controlled by good fortune or difficulties. Our well-being, our core, our lives can be healthy and joyful regardless of what we are going through. Trusting God’s steadfast love frees us from bondage to what is happening in our lives. We can have many experiences in life and still remain solid and grounded because God’s steadfast love endures forever.

Prayer
Life’s circumstances continually change. Our fortunes rise. Tragedy strikes. Life can be a roller coaster. But on the whole ride, including every up, every down, every curve, and every loop we can trust the steadfast love of God. Our joys and our sorrows may dim, but the steadfast love of God remains sure and steady. When we trust that love, we are free to live life fully, abundantly, and without fear as Jesus did. Amen.