Faith – The Here and the Hereafter

Sermon: A Mighty River

We’re all in this together, which is a good thing. We all have a stake in the outcome, which means we all have a role in the solution; and there is a solution. Amos teaches that God’s plan is for us to work together: caring for the poor, the hungry, the destitute, and the land; looking for the good, and rejecting the evil.

Amos and Dr. Martin Luther King present salvation in a way we don’t normally think about … for them salvation is communal, not individual. We cannot achieve salvation for ourselves if we allow our community, our nation, and its people, and our world, to suffer and die.

Please join me in prayer. Lord God, may your peace and Holy Spirit fill this place. Open your scriptures to us, and may I clearly communicate that which you intend us to receive. May your Word take root and flourish within each and every one of us. And through it may we be strengthened and transformed by your unconditional, living, and limitless love for all of your Creation.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

The other day, my son and I saw a truck driving on Route 2. It was what is known as a stake body truck (I had to look that one up!): it has a flat bed with metal rails on each side, mounted on stakes. It had a tailgate on the back, which is little unusual. It was very old and had seen hard use: battered, bald tires. It was driven by an equally ancient man. (As my son would say, he was even older than I am.) The truck was filled with what looked to me like a huge pile of random tools, equipment, mysterious bags and boxes.

The bed of the truck tilted to one side at an alarming angle. The broken tailgate was held on by a single ancient strap fastened across the back, tied to the rails on each side – which was a good thing because otherwise they would have collapsed into the road.

The driver had trouble keeping his truck in the lane. I shudder to think of what would have happened in a sudden stop. I could not believe he dared to drive it, let alone at highway speeds. What was so important that he felt such a risk with all of his mysterious cargo was worth it?

Sermon: Knowledge, Faith, and Love

Solomon is certain he has built a place worthy of being God’s dwelling place forever. … Forever is a long time: building a permanent dwelling place for God strikes me as an attempt to create boundaries for God that work for us, but perhaps not for God. God’s former home was that tent made out of cloth, and skins, not stone. It was not a permanent dwelling. And so I think of that tent as representing how our Faith is a journey, not an endpoint; a path we must walk. We might stop occasionally to dwell for a time, but we always move on. A tent is not a monument.

Lord God, may your peace and Holy Spirit fill this place. Open your scripture to us, and may I clearly communicate that which you intend us to receive. May your Word take root and flourish within each and every one of us; and through it may we be strengthened and transformed by your unconditional, living, and limitless love for us and all of your Creation.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

Tom texted me yesterday and asked if I would fill in for him this morning. I immediately said yes, certain I had a sermon somewhere in my archive that would provide a good starting point for a meditation on this morning’s scripture. Oops. It took a lot more work than I thought; which is probably a good thing, actually: because if it wasn’t a journey to write this sermon and prepare for this service, then it probably wasn’t worth doing.

This morning’s reading is about Israel redefining its relationship with God in the time of Solomon the Wise. The old tent that long housed the Ark of the Covenant no longer seemed fitting to them, for their prosperous and peaceful Kingdom.

At the end of our reading, Solomon is certain he has built a place worthy of being God’s dwelling place forever. …Forever is a long time: building a permanent dwelling place for God strikes me as an attempt to create boundaries for God that work for us, but perhaps not for God. God’s former home was that tent made out of cloth, and skins, not stone. It was not a permanent dwelling. And so I think of that tent as representing how our Faith is a journey, not an endpoint; a path we must walk. We might stop occasionally to dwell for a time, but we always move on. A tent is not a monument.

Also, for a while now, I’ve been pondering how Faith operates in and through us on our journey through life.

For example, we saw Faith at work last week here, at our Special Congregational Meeting – a major stepping stone in a long period of our congregation evaluating what works, what doesn’t, what’s broken, and what needs to be replaced or rethought. We were asked to commit ourselves to the next step in that journey in the form of a Capital Campaign, to prepare our church’s infrastructure for the future.

That meeting, just like this worship service, and so many other things that we do – either individually or jointly – are all expressions of faith.

Sermon: What’s Missing?

Lord God, may your peace and Holy Spirit fill this place. Open your scriptures to us, and may I clearly communicate that which you intend us to receive. May your Word take root and flourish within each and every one of us. Through it may we be strengthened and transformed by your unconditional, living, and limitless love for all of your Creation.

In Jesus Name, Amen.

One of my earliest memories is of sitting in the front pew at our new church with my mother and brother; my father’s voice booming out as he sang hymns and preached. (Although I was mostly interested in raiding the treat table after the service, before they all disappeared.)

Eventually I realized that something went missing during our first few weeks there. I overlooked it for a long time, a very long time, before realizing it was gone. So, five decades later, I asked him about it. In response, he told me the following story…

The church had a new sound system. The first one Dad ever used; and he wasn’t sure how to work with it. The Church Moderator was Pony Felch, a true old time Vermonter, right down to his accent. One day, Pony came to my Dad and said “You know Reverend, we appreciate your strong voice. But when singin’ the hymns, could you take a step or two back from the Mic?”

Thoughts on Gaza and the Israel/Palestine Conflict

Jesus taught that we must love The Other – no prerequisites, no limitations, no exceptions. That’s a very, very hard thing to do – especially in times like this. Yet, we must.

I have Jewish friends whom I deeply value and respect, just as I have Palestinian friends whom I equally value and respect. Many of these folks are friends and co-workers with each other, deeply committed to affirming the value of all human beings; regardless of nationality, race, creed, or political convictions.

The events of the past several months have been deeply troubling to my friends, as they have been to me.

They are appalled and deeply troubled by Hamas’s slaughter of innocent Jews and Palestinians in the October 7th attacks. Many of the dead, wounded, and missing are their own friends, families, and co-workers. People they knew. People they loved across the divisions and strife their own leaders and governments continue to nurture in the name of maintaining and expanding their own power.

But equally, they are angered by the Jewish Government & IDF’s response to that attack. Few deny that Israel has the right to defend itself, and that a forceful response to the Hamas attack is reasonable. But many question, as do I, the ferocity and breadth of that response. They are angered, as am I, by Israel’s willingness to sacrifice tens of thousands of innocent lives in its campaign to extinguish Hamas. …A fruitless and self-defeating endeavor I might add, as such violence and contempt will create more new militants and new enemies than it kills. People who will dedicate their lives to making Israel pay for what it has done, just as Israel is punishing all Palestinians for what Hamas has done.

The grievances and pain both sides have experienced both before and since October 7th is real and cannot be denied. I know people on both sides of that fence. They are deeply wounded by the decades of conflicts and injustice they’ve suffered, wounds they will never fully be healed-of.

Sermon: Who We Are

Paul had to address problems that we still face today. People still talk at each other rather than with each other. People still seem unable to appreciate their neighbor’s points of view. Many don’t give credence to others’ perspectives including our own – if they hear us at all. So, What does Paul do?

Please join me in prayer…

I’ve been thinking a lot about community recently. Especially communities of faith – such as ours, here at MCC. In our reading, Paul talks about what a community of faith is, and how to make it work.

In Paul’s time, Corinth was a young city of several hundred thousand inhabitants, rebuilt long after Rome destroyed the original city and all of its people.

Everyone was an immigrant, or descended from immigrants. The social hierarchy was still fluid and evolving. So, improving one’s social status was possible, unlike most Roman cities. This may be why many came to Corinth in the first place. But even so, there were great disparities in wealth, power, and privilege. Most of the population were slaves and freedman, and very poor. Some were newly wealthy, but often had a low social status due to their own humble origins.

Back then, Christians were seen as slightly bonkers (we still are). But we worship together regardless of class, which was very odd to folks back then, because it challenged the social norms of the time.

In Corinth at this time, there were perhaps 200 Christians over all, meeting in tiny house churches scattered around the city. Their members are known to include Jews, longtime Gentile believers, new converts, slaves, the wealthy, and perhaps a few soldiers and Roman officials as well. It was a tiny and diverse but fragmented, community of faith. They worshiped together, but their divergent perspectives and lives created friction.

A Women’s March Prayer

Jesus shows us by his own example that there are times when we are called to put our faith into action

The Women’s March was exactly one year ago today. And, I’ve been thinking about how it connects with the story of the Cleansing of the Temple from the Gospel of John, where the Temple practices of Jesus’ time are seen as a system that is accepted by all, even though they had drifted far from the intent of God. But, Jesus shows us by his own example that there are times when we are called to put our faith into action. Many are determined to do just that: as we saw in Boston last year, and again (in Cambridge and many other places) yesterday.

Through John, Jesus calls to take a stand against injustices that most accept as “just how the world works.” And so, this prayer is derived from the words of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who spent his life in the pursuit of justice for the people of El Salvador…

Continue reading “A Women’s March Prayer”

The Fallacy of Atheism

One thing I’ve noticed about many who reject Faith without thoroughly exploring the subject to begin with (“It just doesn’t make sense to me.”) – is that they envision faith as being focused on The Creation and The Afterlife – on narratives of The Beginning and of The End. They see these narratives – which most or all faiths have – as factually and fatally flawed, if not downright foolish; and so not worthy of serious consideration. Therefore, in their eyes, the faith as a whole must be flawed.

Now, there are many people who have adopted the label “Atheist” because they see the evil and pain in this world and cannot believe that a loving God would allow such things. (And perhaps even blame faith as responsible for much of the world’s pain – which, sadly, is true). Therefore, they say, there is no God. But, that’s an entirely different topic that I have referred-to in some of my past posts here on this site.)

When talking about the Creation or the End Times, the problem – at least in my view – is that focusing on a factual interpretation of a Faith’s narratives of The Beginning and The End completely misses the point. (Biblical interpretation Literalists, please take note.)

Continue reading “The Fallacy of Atheism”

Traditional Marriage

When I think about the definition many use for the term “Traditional Marriage”, I wonder whether it is right or fair to define all that marriage is based upon what we do with our genitals, and/or who we do it with.

There are many kinds of traditions out there. But when the term “Traditional Marriage” is used, it is referring to what the speaker sees as a faith tradition. Yet, as I spoke about in a recent sermon, “Tradition” is not synonymous with “Faith.” One must be dependent upon the other, but which one is primary: Faith or Tradition?

Continue reading “Traditional Marriage”

The Lord’s Prayer, Counterpoint

A short meditation written yesterday morning as I pondered all that is going on around us: in our homes, in our nation, and in the world…

Can we pray “Our God” if our faith has no room for others and their needs?

Can we pray “in Heaven” if our interests and pursuits are in earthly things?

Can we truly honor your name if we do not strive to be holy ourselves?

Can we pray “Your Kingdom come” if we are unwilling to accept it into our own lives?

Can we pray “on earth as it is in heaven” if we do not diligently work to make God’s Kingdom a reality here and now?

Continue reading “The Lord’s Prayer, Counterpoint”

Sermon: Something Has Changed

Our world is always changing, and yet we hang on to our old traditions and ways of seeing and doing things. We just sort of muddle along: usually (but not always) aware of these changes happening all around us. It often takes a crisis for us to fully appreciate how things have changed: that the old ways no longer work; that we must adapt.

capernaumsynagogue — The restored 4th Century Synagogue at Capernaum, built on the foundations of the Centurion’s Synagogue

As you may know, my father was a Minister, too. And, it’s both humbling and surprising to find myself standing here nearly 60 years after he entered Seminary, a Minister myself. It was not a career I had any wish or plan to pursue – ever!

But, things change…

Some of my earliest memories are of my Father leading a worship service. I particularly remember his voice booming out over the congregation as we sang hymns. But, I have no memory of this from when I was older!

When I asked him about this a few years ago, he told me the following story. You see, he was called to the church (that I first remember him in) when I was about 3. On Sundays, he’d sing from the pulpit as he’d always done in his other churches. But, in this new church something was different, something that he did not realize mattered.

His previous churches had no audio system. So, singing from the pulpit had never been an issue, he’d never thought about it. And, he didn’t think about it in the new Church either, because the speakers pointed towards the congregation, not towards him. He didn’t hear what everyone else heard.

As a three year old, I had no idea that hearing the preacher sing so LOUDLY was not normal. To me, that was just the way things were, and should be. My perspective was never challenged until that moment in my late 40’s when my Father told me how “Pony” Felch, the church moderator, took him aside one day. Then, in his wonderful old Vermont twang he said, “You know Reverend, we really appreciate your singing. But, the next time you sing a hymn from the pulpit, take a step or two back!”

Continue reading “Sermon: Something Has Changed”

What is Faith?

Hebrews is unique, no other book in the Bible is quite like it. It reads like an old time evangelist’s sermon: full of color, movement, stirring imagery and ringing phrases that were meant to be memorable when spoken. We are familiar with many of those phrases, such as: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen” – and – “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” – or – “Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” So then, what is Hebrews 11 teaching us about what “Faith” is?

JoanOfArc-JohnEverettMillais-1865

What is Faith?

It’s not a simple question. For us, the answer to that question begins with Genesis … and never really ends.

As I’ve said before, Faith defines how we see ourselves, who and what we choose to have relationships with, and what we envision our end (and the eventual end of all Creation) to be. Faith helps us make sense of the events and circumstances that shape us and our world. It lays out a path for us to follow into the future. Faith enables us to gaze into the infinite and the unknowable and find a place there for ourselves. It helps us make sense of the mystery of God and the vastness and beauty of Creation. And, it enables us to exist in a world of uncertainty and change.

HarryPotterAndSnape

A lot has been written on the topic of Faith; not just the in Bible, but in everything from Hamlet or Pilgrim’s Progress, to Harry Potter and Star Trek. We admire those who have faith, and we honor those who die for their faith. We seek to encourage faith in others, and our faith impels us to minister to those in need. Faith is a powerful thing, and central to our existence, even though we may have a hard time defining exactly what it is.

The 11th chapter of the Book of Hebrews is a profound response to the question of “What is Faith?” Hebrews is unique, no other book in the Bible is quite like it. It reads like an old time evangelist’s sermon: full of color, movement, stirring imagery and ringing phrases that were meant to be memorable when spoken. We are familiar with many of those phrases, such as: “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things unseen” – and – “we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” – or – “Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”.

Much of its Theology is subtle, but the delivery isn’t, nor was it intended to be. The author was addressing a community in crisis. The people had lost their faith, and had no hope in their future. The author intended to stir them up; re-awaken their faith; and help them reclaim God’s hope and plan for themselves, their community, and their future.

Chapter 11 is where the evangelist reaches the crescendo of their message. I imagine them preaching it: arms waving in the air, voice thundering, starting each new thought with the ringing phrase “By Faith” …

By Faith Abraham obeyed when he was called … (and)

By Faith he and his descendants dwelt in the land God promised them, even though they did not yet possess it… (and)

By Faith Abraham believed God’s promise of descendants, despite he and Sarah being far too old to procreate…

By Faith!

Continue reading “What is Faith?”

A Message for All Ages: Faith with a Capital “F”

This example using a Dollar Bill shows how and why Christianity is a communal faith and not an individual one: that we are called to work together to make a difference in the world.

Show a one dollar bill to your audience…

Question: What is it?

Possible Answers: A Dollar, Paper Money, etc.

Question: What is it worth?

Possible Answers: One Dollar!

Question: But it is just a piece of paper with some printing on it! Why is it worth a Dollar?

…Your audience will (hopefully) get stumped on this one, because there is really no reason why a dollar is worth a dollar other than because everyone agrees that it is worth a dollar.

Continue reading “A Message for All Ages: Faith with a Capital “F””

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!

Share this Posting!