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Are We There Yet?

Date: July 26, 2009
Scriptures: Mark 12:18-27
Sermon: Heaven: Are We There Yet?
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

Father Agnellus Andrew was the British Broadcasting Company’s advisor on Roman Catholic affairs. There was a producer working on programming to do with heaven and hell. The producer asked Father Andrew how he could ascertain the official Roman Catholic view of heaven and hell. Father Andrew sent a return memo of just one word: “Die.” [The Little, Brown Book of Anecdotes, Clifton Fadiman, general editor, p. 17]

So, from the beginning, in the interest of full disclosure, let me say that I do not pretend to be an expert on the subject of heaven or hell. And yet, concepts of heaven and hell are very prominent not only in our religious tradition, but in our broader, public culture as well. And so, we venture into this mysterious territory.

For a bit of background, we want to remember that in the early books of the Hebrew Bible, the word heaven is almost always plural, and it refers to a specific place in the scheme of ancient cosmology. Our ancient Hebrew forbears believed the earth was like a platform. There were pillars at the edge of the platform which held up a metal dome, above which was water, and the dwelling place of God, the heavens. The dome was thought to have vents in it, and when God opened the vents, it rained on the earth. It was also thought that below the platform called the earth was the realm of the dead. So there was the realm of the dead below the earth, the earth itself, the sky, the dome, water, and God’s dwelling place, the heavens.

In later tradition, during the time of the exile, the prophets developed the idea of judgment associated with death, and the concept of going to heaven or hell after you died began to gain ground. The Israelites had been conquered; they had been removed from their land, and dispersed into neighboring countries as servants and foreign immigrants. Why had God allowed this to happen? What about the good people who suffered? Why do bad things happen to good people? and Why do good things happen to bad people? So, in an effort to deal with these theological dilemmas, the concept of a final judgment in the afterlife was developed. The idea of going to heaven or hell was a way to conceive of the triumph of justice which had not taken place in this earthly life. If God did not make things turn out as they should in this life, then there must be an afterlife and a final judgment, and that’s when things got straightened out.

Why did this child die in this tragic manner? That’s not right. Well, the child is going to heaven, and will spend eternity in bliss. So this injustice is corrected. Why does that terrible person who has caused all kinds of suffering end up rich, successful, happy in this life? Well, he or she will be going to hell, and will suffer torment for eternity, and so get his or her due. Why were we thrown off of our land and forced to be slaves? It’s not right. It’s unjust. The idea of ending up going to heaven or hell after you die was a way to deal with what feels like injustice in this life. It doesn’t all get straightened out here, but it will in the next life. You might have it good here, but just Or, you’re suffering now, but your reward will come. There’s comfort in this thinking. That eventually, God will set things right. That our physical death from this life is not the end of the story.

This kind of thinking is prominent in the gospel story of the rich man and Lazarus. Lazarus is a beggar who lives outside the rich man’s gates. The rich man ignores him. Lazarus dies and goes to heaven. The rich man dies and is burning in hell. There’s no changing the situation for eternity, and no way for the rich man to warn his brothers. [Luke 16:19ff]

So, the concept of going to heaven or hell after you die is also motivation for good, moral, righteous behavior while you are living here on this earth. Be good so you will go to heaven. So heaven and hell evolve from becoming a way to redress injustice, to a way to motivate good behavior. And the other side of that coin is to use hell as a threat against bad behavior. Don’t be bad or you will go to hell. Sadly, these concepts which were intended to provide comfort and encourage goodness, became a stick in the hands of religious authorities to force compliance, cooperation, and submission. Do what the church wants, or you will go to hell. So the church used/uses the concepts of heaven and hell to control behavior that it determines desirable. Go to church every Sunday or you will go to hell. Give this amount of money to the church if you want to go to heaven. Don’t get divorced or you will go to hell. Be Christian if you want to go to heaven. All other religions are going to hell. Be heterosexual or you will go to hell. There are a million and one ways the church has used the concept of eternal life in heaven or hell to enforce compliance with its agenda. The church has gone beyond using heaven and hell as comfort to redress the injustices of this life to using heaven and hell as a threat keeping people scared, anxious, and cowering. Sadly, this abuse of religion still goes on today, but it is weakening.

In a recent study by Baylor University, it has become evident that Americans have a broader view of heaven than they did 40 years ago. In the poll conducted by Baylor, 54% of the respondents felt that at least half of average Americans will make it into heaven. 29% said they had no opinion about the eternal fate of the average American. Rodney Stark who worked on the survey, reflected, “I know that when we did studies like this back in the ‘60’s, the notion that only Christians could go to heaven, for example, was much more extensive that it is now.” When it comes to other religions, 72% thought that at least half of Christians would go to heaven. The figures were lower for other faiths: 46% felt that at least half of Jews would go to heaven, 37% felt that at least half of Buddhists would go to heaven, and 34% felt that at least half of Muslims would go to heaven. This is a significant increase over past surveys of this kind. Stark concluded, “I think what you’re seeing is a real level of religious tolerance,” and, “it’s probably going to be higher ten years from now.” [The Christian Century, 10/21/08, p. 20]

So the idea that only good Christians go to heaven is softening. And rightly so. When I was in seminary, we had to write a paper that took a religious question that could be answered in two equally valid ways, and use the Bible to make the case both for and against. Then we had to take a personal stand. The question I chose was “Is salvation universal?” In other words, is everyone going to heaven? You can make a case from the Bible for some going to heaven and some going to hell. You can also make a case from the Bible for everyone going to heaven. I sided with everyone going to heaven, in part because I feel this is more consistent with the teachings of Jesus, and because of how the church has used the concepts of heaven and hell to perpetrate violence and exert domination and control over people. I can’t see reconciling the loving God we see in the life and ministry of Jesus with a God who would send people to burn and rot in hell.

As for people of other religions, one of the great stories of the Christian tradition that we associate with heaven and hell is the story of the separating of the sheep and the goats known as the last judgment. When did we see you hungry? When did we see you naked? When did we visit you? Whatever you did for the least of these, you did for me. One group goes to heaven for offering compassionate service to the least of these. The other group goes to hell for neglecting to offer compassionate service to the least of these. [Matthew 25:31ff] We tend to focus on the compassionate service and behavior as the core message of this story, and we should. But it is interesting to note who is being sorted at the beginning of the story. This sorting involves not just the Jews, not just religious people, not just Jesus’ followers. This sorting according to compassionate service encompasses the people of all nations, implying all faiths, all religious traditions, all cultures. So the story lifts up behavior not belief as the standard for judgment.

So, in answer to the question about who gets into heaven, a strong case can be made for everyone, and certainly for people of other religions, and a case can be made for judgment according to behavior not belief. Even if your beliefs are supposedly consistent with religious expectations, it’s the behavior that is determinant. All of this can be claimed from the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament.

Now there was a radio preacher doing an announcement for his next program. “Do you want to learn what hell is?” he queried. “Well, tune in next week. We’ll be featuring our organist.”

So, what is heaven like? There is much speculation about pearly gates, streets paved with gold, harp music, etc. Much of this imagery is taken from the book of Revelation. What we can say conclusively is that we don’t know.

There was a popular book written recently called 90 Minutes in Heaven, by Rev. Don Piper. Piper dies in a car crash and claims to spend 90 minutes in heaven before being revived. Piper calls heaven “a buffet for the senses.” He tells of seeing people he knows who have died before him. He tells of how wonderful it is. He tells of the beautiful music. So is this what heaven is like? It was for Don Piper and he can’t wait to go back. In the book, you almost get the feeling he resents having been brought back to this life.

I don’t in any way deny Piper’s experience. I don’t think he is making it up. This is what he believes happened to him. If I died, would I have the same experience? I don’t think so. For one thing, I believe that our thinking and beliefs in this life shape our experience. So, with regard to heaven, Piper is a Baptist minister who has spent his life singing, envisioning, preaching about a certain kind of heaven, what it is like, and how glorious it is. I believe that his experience reflects his predisposition due to his belief system. Our belief system programs us to see things a certain way. I don’t share Piper’s belief system about heaven, so I don’t think I would have his same experience.

I believe that if there is something, some kind of life after this life, whatever it is, we will enjoy it. And our conception of that afterlife depends on our belief system, our religion, our experience, here in this earthly life.

There’s a story about a woman who called on a Presbyterian minister and asked him if he would preach a funeral for her dog who had died.

“I’m sorry, but I just can’t do that,” he replied. “It’s not consistent with our doctrine. Why don’t you try the Baptist minister down the street.”

“All right,” she said, “but can you give me some advice. How much should I pay him – three hundred dollars or four hundred dollars for the funeral of a pet?” “Hold on,” said the Presbyterian, “You didn’t tell me that your dog was a Presbyterian.”

I have been asked, “Will my dog be with me in heaven?” To me, if you think you are going to heaven, and you love your dog, and heaven would not be complete joy for you without your dog, then, I think you should incorporate your dog into your thinking about heaven. And, by the way, I would be happy to do a memorial service for your pet, as long as it’s a UCC!

The concept of heaven was intended to be a comfort. As the image of heaven began, it was a dwelling place for God insuring that God was part of the human world view. Everything is in God’s hands. As the concepts of heaven and hell evolved, the injustices of this life would be set right. Again, a source of comfort. And of course, the concept of heaven also evolved as a way to deal with the pain of separation from loved ones at death. There is the hope that in heaven, we are reunited with our loved ones. This is a source of comfort and solace especially when someone we love dies. While I do not know from personal experience what happens after we die, what I do feel confident about is that when we die whatever happens will be fine. If there is some kind of heaven, whatever it is, it won’t be disappointing. If your dog isn’t there, you’ll be o.k. with that. Death and whatever goes on afterward will be infused with the same divine love that seeks to permeate this life.

While we don’t know what heaven is like, what happens after we die, we do know that the concept of heaven is a way to talk about and image a state in which reality is fully consistent with the intentions and purposes of God. In the Savior’s prayer, we pray “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We are implying that in heaven, everything is as God intends, and that we are striving for this on earth as well. This is our way of saying that we want earth to fully reflect the will and way of the God of life and love.

So the original Hebrew idea of heaven being a geographical location that is the dwelling place of God has expanded into the idea of heaven as a way to talk about what it is like when God has full dominion, when God’s will is fully done, when God is sovereign. So the domain of God evolves into the dominion of God. And while this dominion of God is associated with life after death, in the ministry of Jesus we see this idea of the dominion of God associated with this life. In his first preaching in the gospel of Mark, we are told that Jesus announces, “The realm of God is at hand.” Or “The Kingdom of God is here.” Or “The dominion of God has come near.” [Mark 1:15] There are a variety of translations because scholars can’t quite agree on the tense and intent of the phrase. Is the dominion of God actually here or close by?

The New Testament tells us that Jesus told many stories about the kingdom of God, heaven’s domain, heaven’s imperial rule, God’s dominion. These are all ways of envisioning what it is like in this life when God’s will is done on earth as it is in heaven. Jesus shows us what it is like for God’s dominion to be present on earth, in this life. And we learn that it is a significant departure from the way things are currently.

Story after story in the New Testament teachings of Jesus reveal that when life is lived

with unconditional love even for one’s enemy, with compassion, with generosity, with humility, without judgment, with anti-violence, with justice, with forgiveness, we will experience the healing and peace of God. Life lived according to the intent of God gives us the opportunity to experience love and intimacy with God and each other here and now in this life. The teachings of Jesus offer us a path to heaven in this life.

As I said, I don’t know what happens after we die. Like Father Andrew who worked for the BBC, I don’t pretend to be an authority, because I haven’t physically died yet. But I can tell you that I have experienced the presence and power of the God of love in this life, I have experienced communion with God in this life, when I have tried to live out the values and teachings of Jesus. I can tell you that the amazing God of creation and the profusion of life, the God of love and beauty, the God within each and every person, the God of the cosmos, the God of our pulse and our breath as well as the most distant star, the love of that God is endless, eternal, and everlasting. Many scholars believe that the concept of eternal life was not meant to apply to our lives, but the life and love of God. To experience eternal life is to know that the love and presence of God is endless and eternal, not that our lives go on forever. I have complete confidence that whatever happens when we die is in the hands of this God of eternal love and there is nothing to worry about.

A husband and wife died in a car accident. They got to heaven and there was a beautiful golf course, a gorgeous swimming pool, the food was delicious, the mansion they were given to live in was spectacular, there were no taxes, no work to do, and their health was peak. But the husband was grouchy and sour. Finally, the wife asked him, “Honey, what’s wrong? It’s so perfect here.”

“If you hadn’t made us eat oat bran and low fat food, and exercise every day, we could have been here ten years ago!”

I don’t know about you, but I don’t prefer to die just now or any time very soon, but I am ready to experience the dominion of God by seeking to live the way of Jesus here and now. And, if there is some kind of final judgment, involving heaven or hell, I’ll know that I have my bases covered with the good works and compassionate service, the forgiveness and generosity that go with the Christian life. And maybe, just maybe, by living the Jesus life here and now, we’ll bring a little bit more of heaven to this 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.

In God We Trust

Date: July 5, 2009
Scriptures: Luke 20:20-26
Sermon: In God We Trust
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

Speaking at a media event in Turkey on April 6, on his first overseas tour as president, Barack Obama declared, “I’ve said before that one of the great strengths of the United States is – although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population – we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.”

The backlash was immediate. Gary Bauer of American Values replied, “The last time I checked, the pilgrims who landed at Plymouth Rock were Christians, not Muslims. Our Founding Fathers were inspired by the Bible, not the Koran.”

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich asserted, “Obama went to Turkey, and I think was fundamentally misleading about the nature of America. We are not a secular country.”

Karl Rove responded, “Yeah, look, America is a nation built on faith.” [Church and State, May 2009, p. 21]

Bauer, Gingrich, and Rove may be surprised to learn that the administration of President George Washington negotiated a treaty with Muslim leaders of north Africa and in the treaty it was stated explicitly that this new country, the United States, was not founded on Christianity. To reduce fears that this new nation would be hostile to Islam, Article II of the treaty states, “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion. . .” The Treaty with Tripoli was passed unanimously by the Senate under the administration of John Adams in 1797. [See Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “Is America A ‘Christian Nation’?: Religion, Government and Religious Freedom”]

I wonder if Gary Bauer, Newt Gingrich, Karl Rove, and others who support their views would light into founding fathers Washington and Adams insisting that the US is a Christian country?

The truth is, those who first settled this land from Europe did promote Christianity. In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, church attendance was mandatory. Those who were truant without illness or permissible excuse were pilloried (put in the stocks) with an ear nailed to the wood. Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were banished from Massachusetts for heretical beliefs. [See Wikipedia, “Massachusetts Bay Colony,” “Roger Williams,” “Anne Hutchinson”]

The first colonies perpetuated the European model of a state-supported church. But by the time the Constitution and Bill of Rights were created, our forbears, after much discussion and debate, endorsed the wholly new concept of the separation of church and state. This new nation would experiment with a new model for the relationship between government and religion.

The first amendment to the Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof. . .” In addition, article VI of the constitution prohibits “religious tests” for public office.

In light of the church/state problems in Europe and the oppression and tyranny generated in the colonial period, our forbears chose a new path – separation of church and state. Past experience indicated that when religion and government are enmeshed, both are compromised.

Let’s take a few moments to look at some contemporary issues related to the important principle of separation of church and state.

Issues around the separation of church and state and the public school system have been prominent in recent decades. The legal ramifications of the separation of church and state allow for students to pray and read religious materials during free time in the school day. The law allows for religion to be discussed in the context of the curriculum particularly in subjects like social studies, geography, literature, history, and the arts. Religious groups and clubs may use school facilities outside of the official school day. Charisma, a Christian magazine, reports that there are 10,000 Bible clubs meeting in America’s schools. [Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “America’s Legacy of Religious Liberty: Pass It On”] The elimination of mandatory prayer in school was not the elimination of religion from school. During the school day, the school is not to sponsor activities which involve religious indoctrination, proselytizing, or mandatory religious activities.

The intent is not to be anti-religion, but to support the family and faith community as the appropriate settings for religious instruction and guidance. The separation of church and state leaves decisions about matters of religion to the family and to the individual. The family and faith community are the appropriate context for religious practice, study, worship, and prayer, not the public school system. [See Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “Prayer and the Public Schools: Religion, Education and Your Rights]

Issues around education and separation of church and state also involve school vouchers. Churches and faith communities are free to establish schools and educational institutions. They are free to include religious instruction and religious practice in the curriculum. They are free to teach the religious doctrines of creationism, and intellectual design in the curriculum. But the voucher system involves taxpayer dollars being given to such schools, and that amounts to state support of religion, a violation of the first amendment of separation of church and state.

Another current area of debate in church/state discussion involves the faith-based initiatives movement instituted by executive order by the previous administration and not yet dismantled by the current administration. This involves taxpayer dollars being given to faith communities to do social service work. If the money is used to upgrade facilities, then the faith community benefits. The faith community can use religious criteria in hiring. It also opens the door for religious activities to be provided along with the social services. For example, you maybe expected to attend a worship service before receiving a free meal. Or children in an after school tutoring program may be expected to do practice reading from a children’s Bible. This mixing of tax dollars and religion is in clear violation of the separation of church and state. If a church wants to run a program like that with no tax money, fine. But tax money is not to be used to promote religion. [See Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “The “Faith-Based’ Initiative: Religion, Social Services and Your Rights”]

The last area we’ll look at today involving church and state is marriage. For decades, clergy have functioned on behalf of the state officiating at weddings. The individual was clergyperson was free to perform or not perform a wedding ceremony according to conscience. Now we have the current movement toward equal civil rights in marriage for same gender couples. So, clergy are free to perform or not perform such ceremonies again, according to conscience and church governance. However, if I feel it is an expression of my religious commitment as a clergy person to perform a same gender wedding and the state does not recognize it, is the state interfering with my religious expression?

In addition, the movement promoting marriage between one man and one woman is based on religious principles. If this is codified into law, is that not the state enforcing one religious viewpoint on the entire population?

Until these issues are resolved according to constitutional principles not religious principles, a growing number of clergy are not performing any wedding ceremonies, same gender or a man and a woman. They are refusing to be complicitors in a system that is denying the civil rights of same gender couples and violating the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state.

Thomas Jefferson observed that with the ratification of the first amendment to the Constitution, the American people had created a “wall of separation between church and state.” [Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “America’s Legacy of Religious Liberty: Pass It On”] While the wall has had cracks and chinks throughout the years, it has served this nation well and has received broad support from varying political perspectives.

In a speech given in 1960, President John F. Kennedy declared, “I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant or Jewish – where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source, where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.”

Senator Barry Goldwater, a noted conservative Republican, also strongly backed church-state separation. In a 1994 essay, Goldwater wrote, “I am a conservative Republican, but I believe in democracy and the separation of church and state. The conservative movement is founded on the simple tenet that people have the right to live life as they please as long as they don’t hurt anyone else in the process.”

In a famous 1981 speech, Goldwater noted, “By maintaining the separation of church and state, the United States has avoided the intolerance which has so divided the rest of the world with religious wars Can any of us refute the wisdom of Madison and the other framers? Can anyone look at the carnage in Iran, the bloodshed in Northern Ireland or the bombs bursting in Lebanon and yet question the dangers of injecting religious issues into the affairs of state?” [Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “America’s Legacy of Religious Liberty: Pass It On”]

While religion is the source of conflict and contention in many places around the world, here in the US it is estimated that 2,000 faith groups and denominations are active and coexisting fairly harmoniously. [Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “America’s Legacy of Religious Liberty: Pass It On”]

In Europe, where until recently in most countries, church and state were still in partnership, there is declining interest in religion. In England, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands, fewer than one in ten people attend religious services. In the US, nearly 50%f of the population attends religious services regularly. 83% say they have prayed in the past week, and 95% say they believe in God. In addition, Americans donate an estimated $81 billion annually to religious institutions. Separation of church and state has led to a vibrant, rich religious landscape in this country. [Americans United for the Separation of Church and State pamphlet “America’s Legacy of Religious Liberty: Pass It On”]

Jesus did not come to establish a governmental system, he came to create beloved community where all people are treated with reverence, dignity, and respect. He came to bring people closer to God/the Divine/the Sacred/the Source. He came to bring people closer to each other as neighbors. For us as Christians, separation of church and state means that there are no restrictions or limitations upon our freedom to follow Jesus and to live out our Christian convictions. We are truly free to love our neighbor, love our enemy, work for peace and justice, worship one day a week or every day of the week, engage in activities of charity and compassion, comfort the grieving, visit the sick and those in prison, heal the earth, help the poor and homeless, and donate countless dollars to the church. We are fully free to live the Jesus life – to serve others, to live justly, to worship, to advocate. There are absolutely no limits from society or government on our freedom to follow Christ. So what are we waiting for? Let’s let our religious freedom RING! Amen.

Much of the material for this sermon came from the website and print materials provided by the organization, “Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.” The executive director of Americans United, Barry Linn, is an ordained United Church of Christ pastor, as well as a lawyer.

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

We Are the Vine

Sermon May 10, 2009

The solution percolated in the imaginations of farmers in Zentsuji, Japan for about 20 years. Then it finally came to fruition.

Here was the problem. Japanese refrigerators are small and space is at a premium. A watermelon takes up a lot of room in the fridge. And there is a significant amount of wasted space surrounding this large spherical fruit.

The creative farmers of Zentsuji finally developed a technique for growing square watermelons. Not only do they fit better in the fridge, they are easier to stack, and they don’t roll when being cut.

While still on the vine, the growers place the developing melon into a tempered glass cube which happens to be the exact dimensions to fit into the standard Japanese refrigerator. The melons naturally assume the shape of the box.

The only problem with the melons appears to be the cost. They cost the equivalent of $82 each, compared with about $15-$25 for a regular round watermelon.

There is a picture of the square melons on the bulletin board, and for you skeptics, be assured, it has been verified by snopes.com.

In the scripture lesson we heard this morning, the story takes place at the end of Jesus’ life just before the crucifixion. He is telling them those most important things that they need to know before he dies.

In the story, Jesus uses the image of the vine as a metaphor for the relationship between God, Jesus, and those who follow Jesus. God is responsible for the vine. And Jesus is vine. The disciples are the branches, attached to the vine, nourished by the vine, dead without the vine. And the job of the branches is to bear fruit.

Sometimes to bear fruit pruning is necessary. Removal of whatever stands in the way of fruitfulness consistent with the life and teachings of Jesus. This can involve the removal of attitudes, behaviors, assumptions, habits, fears that prevent us from living fully in the spirit of Christ. Whatever prevents us from living the gospel, needs to be pruned. And all of us are in need of pruning in one way or another from time to time.

This beautiful vine imagery assures us that when we live connected to God, the source, through Jesus, we will thrive and flourish and be fruitful. We will be nurtured and tended so that we grow in ways that reveal the best of the human spirit. We will bear the fruits of the Jesus life: love, compassion, justice, forgiveness, generosity, empathy, and humility.

In the gospel of John, Jesus is the vessel of the spirit of God while he is alive. According to John, when Jesus dies, that spirit is given to his followers. They become bearers of God’s spirit. They, as the faith community, provide the connection to God and the nourishment needed to bear fruit. As Jesus says it, they are friends, in other words, they are equals, this is not a dominant and subservient relationship. They will carry on his ministry in full measure.

As the gospel of John tells it, after his death, Jesus comes back to the disciples and breathes the spirit upon them. They are given what he was given. They are to carry on his ministry and mission to the fullest.

So today, it is the church, the body of Christ as Paul refers to it, that manifests the presence of Jesus Christ in the world, that is a vessel of the spirit. The church, then, has been given the function of the vine, in the beautiful imagery of the vines and the branches. The church is to be a connection to God. The church is to nourish and sustain the members of the faith community so that they can be fruitful. The church is to cultivate our connection with God so that we bear fruit in the spirit of our best humanity. The church is to help us see the pruning needed for this to happen. The church is to help us flourish and thrive in the spirit of Christ.

It is important to remember that the branches are to bear fruit for the world. So part of our focus needs to be those who are not part of the vine. It is appropriate for the church to be looking outward, to society and the needs of the world. This is important, lest we become simply self serving, betraying the spirit of Christ and in need of pruning.

But this outward focus is to be balanced with concern for the faith community itself. It is important that we think about the role of the vine, sustaining the branches, the people of the faith community, so that we can bear fruit for the world. It is important for the vine, the church, to keep the branches thriving and healthy and bearing fruit.

In this spirit, on this Mother’s Day, we will hear from several mothers in our congregation about what they feel they need from the church, the vine, in order to flourish, thrive, and bear fruit.

Parenting is one of the most challenging callings of the day, and parents in the faith community are striving to raise children who will live the values of Jesus, cultivating peace, justice, compassion, generosity and mercy in the world. This is definitely an exercise in swimming up stream even more than in ages past, because today children are unavoidably saturated with media messages promoting other values and agendas. Parents are hungry for the support of the church to help them maintain a strong sense of spirituality and connection to God and maintaining a commitment to live the values of Jesus. As one of our mothers put it: “. . .I hope the church and the church family helps me guide my children through the word of God, and [that] I hope the Church will help strengthen my children’s faith, be it in God, Jesus, or just humankind.” The church, as the vine, has an extremely important role to play in nurturing and supporting mothers, fathers, and families.

Let’s hear from some of our mothers about what they feel they need from the church:
Zuly
Jennifer
Colleen

These mothers have helped to remind us that the church, like the vine, has an incredible role to play in sustaining and supporting the members so that they can bear fruit. This is a high and holy calling. It is beautiful to be reminded that we have been entrusted with this sacred charge. Though church may seem sidelined in society, we know that the church, embued with the divine spirit, has enormous power and potential.

In testimony to the significance of the church, I share with you an email I received from Robin Nijbroek, a member of the church whose family is spending the year in Suriname. I had invited her to share her thoughts about what she needs from the church, and this is her response:

kim:
believe it or not, but i have not checked my email since last tuesday. [dana and becky have been visiting and they just left (it is 4 am on sunday morning– i am too sad to go back to bed while ravic is taking them to the airport so i am checking email. )] anyway, i wish that i had gotten this email on time so that i could have written an appropriate reply. the church means so much to me and i dont think i realized how much until i got here. when people ask what i miss about home, church is the first thing i mention. i am especially missing church on days like today when i know you are doing something that would be so meaningful to me. [please tell judy that i love getting the sermons.

and] happy mother’s day to you! [we have a dog here that wandered onto our property and quickly got herself pregnant. she just had her puppies yesterday. she is a mutt in the truest sense of the word but it is still one of the most beautiful things you will ever see- to see those tiny things with their eyes still closed searching to find her milk. wow. ]
give my love to everyone there.
robin

Church, faith community, body of Christ – we are the vine! As those creative, imaginative Japanese farmers developed the square watermelon, let us in the spirit of Christ, address our energies, our intellects, our creativity, our imaginations, our hearts, to the flourishing of this precious vine, so that the world may taste the sweet fruit we bear of the sacred self-giving love of Christ Jesus. Amen.

Are You a Christian?

Date: May 3, 2009
Scriptures: Acts 4:5-12 and 1 John 3:16-24
Sermon: Are You a Christian?
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

There is a scene in the novel, Life of Pi, in which the main character, Pi, a teenager, is walking down a beach promenade with his parents in their home city of Pondicherry in India. As they walk along, they happen to run into the local Muslim imam, the local Catholic priest, and the local head of the Hindu temple, the pandit. Quite unexpectedly, they all coalesce as they walk along. All three religious leaders, much to the surprise of Pi’s parents who are non- religious, know their son well. And to everyone’s surprise, it is discovered that Pi is a devoted practitioner of all three religions. He has linked himself with all three faith communities. He is observing the rituals and traditions of Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism.

The three religious authorities proceed to have a conversation about the attributes and criticisms of their varying religions. The comments include:

Hindus and Christians are idolaters. They have many gods.

And Muslims have many wives.

There is salvation only in Jesus.

Where’s God in your religion? You don’t have a single miracle to show for it.

It isn’t a circus with dead people jumping out of tombs all the time. We Muslims stick to the essential miracle of existence. Birds flying, rain falling, crops growing – these are miracles enough for us.

A whole lot of good it did for God to be with you – you tried to kill him! You banged him to a cross with great big nails. Is that a civilized way to treat a prophet?

The word of God? To that illiterate merchant of yours in the middle of the desert? Those were drooling epileptic fits brought on by the swaying of his camel, not divine revelation. That, or the sun frying his brains!

Things finally deteriorate to the point that the three religious authorities conclude:

With their one god Muslims are always causing troubles and provoking riots.

Hindus enslave people and worship dressed-up dolls.

While Christians kneel before a white man! They are the nightmare of all non-white people.

A few pages later in the novel, the highly embarrassed Pi takes severe lampooning from his older brother who challenges him:

‘So, Swami Jesus, will you go on the hajj this year?’ . . . bringing the palms of his hands together in front of his face in a reverent namaskar. ‘Does Mecca beckon?’ He crossed himself. ‘Or will it be to Rome for your coronation as the next Pope Pius?’ He drew in the air a Greek letter, making clear the spelling of his mockery. ‘Have you found time yet to get the end of your pecker cut off and become a Jew? At the rate you’re going, if you go to temple on Thursday, mosque on Friday, synagogue on Saturday and church on Sunday, you only need to convert to three more religions to be on holiday for the rest of your life.’

So, is Pi a Christian? Is he a Hindu? Is he a Muslim? He is observing the dictates of all three, so which is he?

When questioned, the adolescent Pi replies, “Bapu Gandhi said, ‘All religions are true.’ I just want to love God.” [Life of Pi, Yann Martel, pp. 64-70]

In the conversation between the priest, the imam, and the pandit, the Catholic priest is the one who reminded all that, “There is salvation only in Jesus.” Here we have the quintessential Christian claim of exclusivity. There is only one way to truly love God. And it is the Christian way. Through Jesus.

We heard this claim articulated in the scripture we heard from Acts: “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” And there are numerous other verses in the New Testament with similar sentiments:

I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. [John 14:6]

Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already. . .[John 3:17-18]

The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. [Mark 16:16]

And there are many other examples of similar sentiments.

As we consider these New Testament scriptures, we want to remember that they were written down more than thirty years after the death of Jesus. So decades had gone by, and the Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah were facing certain challenges. And they needed their faith to speak to those challenges.

In 70 CE, the Romans invaded Jerusalem. The Temple was demolished and later the entire city itself. Scholars tell us that the city was completely destroyed in 139 and a pagan city built in its place. The surrounding area was called Palestine, a reminder of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. Within one hundred years, the governor of the region had never even heard of Jerusalem, so complete was the destruction. [Saving Paradise: How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire, Rita Nakashima Brock and Rebecca Ann Parker, p. 26-27.]

The destruction of the Temple had a profound impact on the Jews since their religious practice was centered on the Temple. The leaders wanted to hold their religion together in the face of this horror. So they had to reconstruct their religion without its focal point, the Temple. They needed to make sense of what had happened. Were they being punished for neglecting the Law? The leaders decided they needed to get back to strict adherence to the Law to regain God’s favor and to bring cohesion to their community, since they no longer had the Temple to fulfill that role. Now the Jews who followed Jesus took the perspective we are free to love God and neighbor; we don’t need the Law anymore. This was at odds with the agenda of the religious leaders who were trying to save their religious tradition by focusing on implementation of the Law. So the Jesus Jews were targeted. Shut them up. Cast them out. Turn them off. For they were seen as undermining the very survival of the Jewish faith.

The Jesus Jews responded by notching up in their expression of their convictions, too. We’re right. Jesus is the one. He is the Messiah. He’s the true way. Listen to us. They want vindication of their beliefs and their sacrifices and their deaths. So, they promote the idea that believing in Jesus as Messiah is the only true way to love God within the Jewish tradition. If you don’t love Jesus, you don’t love God.

This is basically a family fight within Judaism. They are not confronting paganism and other religions. This is a conflict within one religion, and those are often the nastiest, most hostile conflicts as we see, for example, between Sunni and Shiite Muslims and in Northern Ireland between the Protestants and Catholics.

These verses then, from the New Testament, which refer to the extreme exclusivity of the Jesus movement, emerged in a very specific, intense, emotionally charged situation. They were then universalized by the later church to cultivate the supremacy and exclusivity of the Christian religion. And that has led to severe consequences which don’t particularly reflect love for God or neighbor.

This idea, that Christianity is the only way to love God, that it is the right way, that it is the only path to heaven, has caused much strife in human history, including much behavior that is very “unchristian.” This belief in the supremacy of Christianity has fueled violence by Christians against Jews for over 1000 years, including the holocaust in Nazi Germany. In 1543, the revered leader of the Reformation, Martin Luther, “wrote On the Jews and Their Lies, a treatise in which he advocated harsh persecution of the Jewish people, up to what are now called pogroms. He argued that their synagogues and schools be set on fire, their prayer books destroyed, rabbis forbidden to preach, homes razed, and property and money confiscated.” [Wikipedia, “pogrom,” accessed 4.29.09] The belief in the supremacy of Christianity fueled the crusades and the killing of Muslims. Do you think the US would have engaged in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with the same intensity if the populations of those countries were predominantly Christian? I doubt it. In addition, it was the belief in the supremacy of Christianity that fueled the fire of Empire and led to the decimation of indigenous populations in the Americas. When you look at this heritage, it is hard to see Christianity as a religion centered on love of God and neighbor.

The concept of the exclusivity and supremacy of Christianity has led to unintended consequences that are drastically at odds with what we know about the life and teachings of Jesus that we have in the New Testament.

Nowhere do we see teachings that if people don’t accept the way of Christianity, they are to be punished, tortured, or killed by Christians. In fact, in the life of Jesus, we see the exact opposite. We have the story of Jesus telling his followers, if you are not welcomed in a town, shake the dust off of your feet and move on. [Matthew 10:5-14, Mark 6:6b-13, Luke 9:1-6] No defense, and certainly no violence is encouraged.

In an article reflecting on, “Who’s Taking Blame for Christian Violence?,” journalist Calvin White, writing for the Toronto Star, reminds us:

Contrary to what some might like to insist, Christianity is not the religion of ‘an eye for an eye’ but it is the religion of Jesus, who refined those earlier directions and distilled the ten commandments into two. One was to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself.’ Pretty definitive isn’t it? As is the edict of turning the other cheek.

Jesus expected to be betrayed. He expected to be arrested by the authorities. There was no exhortations [sic] to prepare for battle. There was no bloody attempt to stop the proceedings.

Even as Jesus was brutalized while carrying his own crucifixion cross and being nailed onto the timbers, there was no violent counterforce from his disciples. Not even an outcry.

No matter where one reads in the accounts of Jesus, the only conclusion one can come to is that Jesus was about love. [“Who’s Taking Blame for Christian Violence?,” Calvin White, published on Tuesday July 26, 2005 by the Toronto Star.]

In the stories we have of Jesus, we do not see him insisting on right belief, correct doctrine, or specific religious observance, before receiving God’s blessing and grace. While the Jewish religious institution sent the message you have to do these sacrifices, say these prayers, give this money, follow this rule to be right with God and neighbor so that God will bless you, Jesus just gave out grace. You need food, here it is. You need forgiveness, here it is. You need healing, here it is. Embodied in the life of Jesus is expansive love for everyone, of his faith, other faiths, and no faith. No questions asked. No testimony of faith required. No rules to follow, no tax or tithe necessary. There is no quid pro quo, and there is no demand that people endorse a certain religious persuasion. And there is certainly no endorsement of violence in the name of Jesus.

In considering this claim of the superiority of Christianity, we want to remember that when Jesus was alive there was no Christianity. He was born, lived, and died a JEW. Not a Christian. Christianity did not develop as a completely separate and distinct religion until after 70 CE and the destruction of the Temple. So Jesus could not have promoted the exclusivity of Christianity because it did not exist during his lifetime.

And yet, this concept has become a core belief of the Christian religion. In the memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, the writer, Elizabeth Gilbert, talks about her spiritual journey. She tells us, “Culturally, though not theologically, I’m a Christian. I was born a Protestant of the white Anglo Saxon persuasion. And while I do love that great teacher of peace who was called Jesus, and while I do reserve the right to ask myself in certain trying situations what indeed He would do, I can’t swallow that one fixed rule of Christianity insisting that Christ is the only path to God. Strictly speaking, then, I cannot call myself a Christian.” [Eat Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, p. 14.]

The early faith community developed and perpetuated the notion of the exclusivity of Christianity as the only way to love God in response to their specific situation. There were reasons at the time and in that context. We now know that promoting the Christian-only view of salvation actually undermines love of God and love of neighbor and is fomenting violence, injustice, inequality, disrespect, and death. These are the very things Jesus wanted to eradicate, not to promote. We are in differing circumstances today. The time has now come for the faith community, the church of Jesus Christ, to present an alternative to the view that Christianity is the only true way to God. This is needed to reduce the harm and violence done in the name of Jesus and to extend the love and support of the faith community to those like Gilbert who are attracted to Jesus’ teachings of love, justice, and community, but repelled by the exclusivity and consequent violence that has been done by the church.

The Christian claim of superiority and exclusivity is keeping people out of the church. Thoughtful people have a hard time endorsing an institution that has caused such harm in the name of the exclusive claims of Christianity; harm which is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. In addition, someone who has a sister who is married to someone Jewish, a daughter who has become Hindu, a neighbor who is Muslim, a co-worker that’s Buddhist, and they are all good people, can have a hard time with a religion that relegates loved ones and friends of a different religion to second class status.

We have a friend who went to a church where the pastor warned the congregation against the practice of yoga because, they were told, this was not just about exercise, but it was Satan luring them away from Christianity.

The exclusivity claim is keeping people away from the church- people who need the church, and people the church needs.

Remember, there was also a time when the church endorsed slavery.

The time has come for us to proclaim that Christianity is about embodying love and you can definitely do that without promoting the exclusivity of Christianity. You can love God and neighbor, without condemning other religions or insisting on the superiority of Christianity. In fact, in today’s world especially, one could argue that it must be done that way.

There is a story in the gospel of Matthew in which the people are separated into two groups. Those who responded to the needs of the “least of these” – helping those who were hungry, naked, or in prison, and those who did not respond to those needs. [Matthew 25:31-46] The parable of the last judgment teaches us that it is our behavior that determines our path. The belief in the superiority of Christianity can lead to behavior that is not loving or compassionate or Jesus-like. It is time to bring Christianity back to love of God and neighbor, all neighbors, regardless of race or creed.

It is not essential to believe that Christianity is the only true religion to be a Christian. In the scripture we heard from the first letter of John, the writer challenges us: “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?” This is getting at the core of Christianity. This is getting at the essential heart of the teachings of Jesus. Love God by loving your neighbor through concrete acts of compassion, generosity, and justice. That’s the core message of Christianity. That’s what defines a Christian.

So, are you a Christian? Am I a Christian? Was Pi a Christian? Look at the love and you will know. 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.

True Confessions

Date: April 29, 2009
Scriptures: Luke 24:36b-48 and Acts 3:12-19
Sermon: True Confessions
Pastor: Rev. Kim Wells

In Kurt Andersen’s novel, Heyday, set in the 1840’s, there is a troubled soul, Duff Lucking, who sets fires to buildings out of vengeance and retribution. The fires have resulted in numerous deaths. He doesn’t get caught because he is a firefighter, and knows what he is doing. At one point he has a sort of religious awakening of sorts and, since he is a Catholic, he decides to go to confession.

Duff goes to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City, on the first Friday of the first month of Lent, when the Bishop himself hears confessions for just one day. Duff stands in line with 400 others. It has been 8 years since his last confession and he wants to make “a clean breast of it.” [p. 173] Of what? Of the fire set in the sugarhouse, in which three men died fighting the blaze. The fire to a distillery. Three other fires. And there were the Catholics he killed in the war in Mexico, before deserting and joining the ranks of the other side, against the Americans. Oh and there was just one more thing. Duff tells the bishop, “A mortal sin, when I was thirteen. I told you about the abuser, the vile old banker who ravished my sister when she was a girl? I avenged the crime, Excellency. I killed the man. And I am sorry to God for that sin, as I am for all the lives I have taken – in the war, I mean, in Mexico. And deaths I may have been responsible for. And for all of my other sins. I pray and promise I will never take another life again. I am a repentant sinner, and I wish with all my heart for God’s forgiveness.” [p. 175]

After the confession, we are told: “Bishop Hughes instructed Duff that for the rest of his life he must say an entire rosary twice each day, the Act of Contrition twice each day as well, and a novena once a month.” And he is to perform “works of mercy in the name of Jesus Christ to please your Lord God and Savior. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Excellency.’”

“And no more fire-setting, eh? You’re finished.”

“Yes, Excellency.”

Duff waited for some additional penance. But he heard only an energetic clearing of Hughes’s throat.

“O my God,” Duff, said, “I am heartily sorry for having offended thee. I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. But most of all because they have offended thee, my God who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve with the help of thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen.”

“Ego te absolve,” replied the Bishop, “I absolve you from your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” [p. 176]

That was it. Duff confesses, the Bishop absolves him, tells him to say some prayers, help others, and don’t do it again. To me, this seems like a fairly small consequence for the crimes committed. You can read the novel to find out whether he sets any more fires or is responsible for any more deaths.

So just what is reconciliation and forgiveness? In this case, it doesn’t involve any kind of public admission, any kind of restitution to those harmed, no process of setting things right with the individuals, the property owners, or society. I think it makes the church’s forgiveness seem cheap and easy.

There was a Baptist who moved to an all Catholic town. Every Friday night, he would grill steak on the barbeque. This drove his Catholic neighbors crazy during Lent when they weren’t supposed to eat meat on Fridays. The neighbors discussed what to do, and decided to convince the man to become a Catholic, and he agreed. On the big day, the Baptist stood before the priest who sprinkled Holy Water on him saying, “You were born a Baptist; you were raised a Baptist; you are now a Catholic.” The town breathed a sigh of relief until the first Friday in Lent when the familiar smell of grilling steak wafted through the town. “He’s forgotten,” the Catholics said. “We’ll go remind him.” So they walked to the new Catholic’s house and into the backyard, where he was grilling a huge, juicy steak. He stood before the grill with a cup of water and said, “You were born a cow; you were raised a cow; you are now a fish.”

Part of the trouble I have with confession in church is that it can seem so superficial, so platitudinous. Words are said, but does it really mean anything? Is there justice or conversion involved? Someone from the church family recently asked me about having a confession in the service and you can see my ambivalence about that. I’ll say a bit more later.

In the story that we heard from the gospel of Luke, the disciples are together and they are undoubtedly revisiting their betrayal, abandonment, and desertion of their beloved master and teacher at the crucifixion. They all fled. Not one was there for Jesus in his hour of need. And Peter outright denied even knowing Jesus. Can you imagine the psychic pain they were experiencing?

Think about when a couple has a knock down, drag out fight in the morning then both go off to work for the day, and one is killed in a car accident. The other is left with the regret of that last encounter with a loved one. For the rest of that life, there will be that sharp-edged, cutting memory never to be erased. It’s hard to find peace in that kind of circumstance. It can be done, but it is very difficult.

So here are the disciples, living with this kind of pain and despair. And there is this story, of Jesus, appearing among them, saying “Peace be with you.” Not saying, “What happened to you, you worthless bunch of slugs? Where were you when I needed you most? What happened to you, when the chips were down? You can’t be counted on for anything. You’re useless, disloyal, and untrustworthy. You have as much value as grass that’s trampled underfoot!” No. Jesus says, “Peace be with you.” And in the days ahead, the disciples are transformed. They are released from their fear and shame and become courageous witnesses to the power of the gospel.

This story conveys the importance of reconciliation and forgiveness, and the way it needs to be embodied. Jesus comes back to let his friends know that they are forgiven. He brings them the peace they so desperately need. He spares nothing. Even coming back from the dead. Then he tells them to forgive as he has forgiven them. Go to any lengths necessary to set things right. Be as lavish and generous in their forgiveness as he has been with his.

And in the story from Acts, we see that the disciples have taken this message to heart and are offering forgiveness to those who were involved in the death sentence of Jesus. They are embodying the forgiveness they have received from Jesus. They are going to any lengths to be forgiving.

Traditionally in church we follow the gospel directive that before you come to the altar you should set things right if you have any unresolved problems with others. So there is the time for confession in the service and the passing of the peace. But realistically, this is not an actual process for setting things right in our relationships. It could be the opportunity to solidify our conviction about our desire and intent to seek reconciliation, but true forgiveness and reconciliation usually involve more work, more time, and more mess. And does it mean anything to seek forgiveness from God if that forgiveness does not result in a process of reconciliation with those we have wronged?

And in our case, that can be quite sticky. There are the workers in sweat shops that make our clothes, and those in the fields who pick our food, there are the soldiers and civilians being killed in the military action that we fund, there is the damage to the earth itself that we cause with our consumptive life style, there are the children who will go to bed hungry in this country and around the world as a result of our failure to overcome the distribution issues, and on and on.

Does engaging in confession in church do anything about the 29.4% of the national budget being spent on the military [St. Pete Times 4/28/09] while children comprise 36% of Americans in poverty but only 25% of the population? [Sojourners Magazine, 1/09] Does saying something in church do something about that?

And what about reconciliation in our personal lives? Making peace and restoring relationships with those we have wronged in some way, and who have wronged us. This is complicated and difficult.

In Montana, families of crime victims and families of perpetrators came together to abolish the death penalty in Montana. Crime victims’ families, death row inmates’ families, former death row inmates who were proven innocent shared experiences of forgiveness, redemption, justice. They told their stories, demanding an end to the death penalty in their state. This is the kind of difficult, significant sharing that can lead to transformation and reconciliation. It is not simple or easy. [Sojourners Magazine 2/09]

I am not saying that it shouldn’t be done. Of course, I believe we should always be working toward reconciliation each and every day. But it can be a life journey.

For me, I don’t want saying a prayer in church to trivialize the complexity of living a life of forgiveness and reconciliation and the transformation that is involved.

While I may have some doubts about the role of a ritual of confession in church, I do see that the church is needed for the pursuit of forgiveness and reconciliation. The disciples reinforced each other in their common witness. And they invited those who had a hand in the death of Jesus, not just to receive a verbal reprieve, but to become part of the faith community, to be brothers and sisters with Jesus’ friends, and to live a life of transformation and reconciliation in community. They are not assuming that this will be quick or easy.

The church is needed to make sure that we don’t just utter a prayer and go our merry way, but that we pursue a transformed life.

Indeed, the church is desperately needed to foster forgiveness and reconciliation. The church is needed to help us to see the power and hope and new life that are possible through forgiveness. The church is needed to inspire us and affirm our ability to engage in the process of forgiveness of ourselves and others. The church is needed to help us see where forgiveness and reconciliation are needed in our lives and in society. The church is needed to train our vision to see those who are victims and wronged by us directly and indirectly. The church is needed to train us to treat others with dignity and respect so that there is less hurt and abuse in our midst. The church is needed to help us learn to engage in conflict in productive, constructive ways that do not involve violence. The church is needed to help us know that we are frail human beings, capable of incredible wrong. And the church is needed to help us see that we are vessels of the divine, forgiving love that is desperately needed in the world. The church is needed to remind us that regardless of what we have done to ourselves, others, or the earth, reconciliation and peace are possible. The church is needed to be a community of support encouraging reconciliation, right action, moral behavior, and enacting grace.

During World War 1, Harry Emerson Fosdick published a prayer for the Germans: “O God, bless Germany! At war with her people we hate them not at all. . . We acknowledge before Thee our part in the world’s iniquity. . . We dare not stand in thy sight and accuse Germany as though she alone were guilty of our international disgrace. We all are guilty.” Charles Biddle, an American pilot, responded to Fosdick’s prayer by pledging to kill as many ‘Huns’ as he could, saying that ‘if Christianity requires us to forgive them, I am afraid I am no Christian.’ [Christian Century 5/5/09, p. 8]

Fosdick is articulating the challenge of the Gospel dictate to love your enemy. And the man who responds is honest. He shows an awareness of the challenge of forgiveness and reconciliation, and he consciously decides that he does not want to go there. There is integrity to that. The damage the church does is when we ignore the call of the gospel and undermine the powerful significance of forgiveness and reconciliation.

There was an old man who died and there was a wonderful funeral with the preacher extolling all of the good traits of the deceased — what an honest man he was, and what a loving husband and kind father he was. Finally, the widow leaned over and whispered to one of her children, “Go up there and take a look in the coffin and see if that’s your father.”

The fact is, we will all sin. In personal ways and as part of society. The gospel calls us to transformation and reconciliation. And in that process, we find peace.

Jewish rabbi and theologian Martin Buber tells this story of his grandfather:

My grandfather was lame. Once they asked him to tell a story about his teacher, and he related how the holy Baal Shem used to hop and dance while he prayed. My grandfather rose as he spoke, and he was so swept away by his story that he himself began to hop and dance to show how the master had done. From that hour on he was cured of his lameness. [Quoted in Resources for Preaching and Worship- Year B: Quotations, Meditations, Poetry, and Prayers by Hannah Ward and Jennifer Wild]

When we talk about forgiveness and the grace of God, people should see it in us, as they witnessed it in Jesus and in the disciples. We have powerful testimony to share of how we have given and received forgiveness. We have incredible tales to tell of reconciliation in the face of tremendous loss. We have amazing stories to tell of new life and hope and transformation. May we not simply pay lame lip service to the power of God’s grace, but may we live that grace with infectious joy 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.