03/16/2025 ~ Second Sunday in Lent ~ Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18; Psalm 27; Philippians 3:17-4:1; Luke 13:31-35 or Luke 9:28-36, (37-43a) ~ YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYQo_rirGEM ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1066992117
Covenant Made
“On that day Yahweh, God, made a covenant with Abram…” — Genesis 15:18.
A couple weeks ago I regaled you with a story about the time I worked at The Actors’ Fund of America. Telling it must have dredged up memories about those thrilling days of yesteryear— the 1970s. Here’s another story from that time.
One of my volunteers at the Fund was a woman named Caterina Jarboro. She was an African-American classically trained opera singer. She died in 1986 at the age of 90.
Some of Caterina’s story refers often forgotten theater history. Some of the story concerns American history, also often forgotten, but history which we should not forget. (Slight pause)
Despite being a classically opera trained singer, early on Caterina worked on Broadway. She was in the original 1921 Broadway production of Shuffle Along, the first Broadway show ever written and produced by African-Americans.
Theater professionals were skeptical this show would appeal to Broadway audiences. They were wrong. It ran for 504 performances and earned $9 million, a long run and a large sum for its time.
It had a score written by Noble Sissle and Eubie Blake— and if you know about song writing, you know them. The best known song in the show was I’m Just Wild about Harry— you know that one? (The pastor entones the first notes). [1] O.K. Especially in his later years Eubie Blake became quite famous and in 1981 received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Ronald Reagan.
Back to Caterina— her United States opera debut was in a 1933 New York City production of Verdi’s Aida, the first time a black woman had the lead role in an American all-white opera company. Both before and after that she had toured for a number of seasons in Europe but returned to the States when WWII started.
Now, the well known African-American classical singer in that era was Marian Anderson who, in 1938 was prevented from giving a concert for an integrated audience at Constitution Hall. So instead she performed on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Millions listened to that concert since was heard nationwide on the radio.
Now when Caterina did return to this country she approached an agent to see if she could get a concert tour started here. The response? She was told there was room for only one black female classical singer in America. That was Marion Anderson. So there would be no room in this country for a Caterina Jarboro tour. One black classical singer in America was enough, thank you. (Slight pause.)
Caterina taught me a lot by her attitude, by how she approached her volunteer work at the Fund. She was precise, dedicated, faithful. Her life spoke volumes to me.
And yes, she was extraordinarily talented but because of the world, the era in which she lived, she was never able receive the recognition she deserved. That must have been hard to deal with, even hard to comprehend.
But she persisted. She was relentless. She never surrendered, never gave up. She always moved forward steady, sure.
Because the world is what it is she knew there would be roadblocks. But she also knew there was work to be done. And she could be trusted, counted on to do whatever she could to help and to move forward with a sure and steady hand. [2] (Long pause.)
These words are in Genesis: “On that day Yahweh, God, made a covenant with Abram…” (Slight pause.)
Please notice several things about this reading. Abram gathers a heifer, a goat, a ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon. Abram even cuts the larger animals in two.
The darkness, the smoking barrier, the fire pot, the flaming torch, are all images fraught with the symbolism of covenant making in the Ancient Near East. So these are not meant as mysterious signs but are indicated symbols of covenant making in that era.
Now, when God says the words which establish and enacts the covenant, Abram is (quote:) “in a deep trance.” Therefore Abram does nothing to establish or enact the covenant. Nor does Abram even respond to the covenant being made.
Hence, there is no question about this. The covenant established by God with Abram and hence with us is not a two way agreement. It is not of our doing. The covenant is, like grace, a free gift. God is the prime mover.
So, what Abram has done is not about covenant making on his part. Abram simply participates, participates by gathering and slaughtering the animals, for instance. So what has Abram really done? Abram trusted God. Indeed, God reckoned this trust as righteousness, as being in right relationship with God.
You might ask, if Abram has done nothing to initiate, enact, establish covenant, what is our place in the covenant? What are we to do? I think the key is simple but sometimes hard for us to deal with it, in part because we firmly believe we are in control of everything.
So let me ask the obvious question again. What is our place in this covenant? (Slight pause.) We are invited to participate by God— participate— in the covenant. And again for us, mere participation can be hard since participating just does not feel like enough. We want to do more. So perhaps it seems like we do want to be in control. (Slight pause.)
I want to suggest there is something we can do but it’s not about control. It is about relinquishing control. We are called to do what Abram did. We are called to trust God. (Slight pause.)
Let’s go back to the story of Caterina Jarboro. She was in Shuffle Along, the first Broadway show ever written and produced by African-Americans. She toured Europe and was the first black woman to have the lead role in an all-white opera company in America.
But she was not able to receive the recognition she deserved since there was room for only one Marian Anderson in America. And yes, that must have been hard to deal with, hard to comprehend.
But what was she doing when I met her? She was volunteering for The Actors Fund. In volunteering she was raising money to help those in her profession in need.
What was she really doing when I met her? She was participating, persisting, being relentless. She had never surrendered, never given up.
She was always moving forward sure, steady. She knew there was more to life than roadblocks. She trusted that. (Slight pause.)
So, why was I reminded of Caterina and my work at the Actors’ Fund? Perhaps I was reminded just so I could share her story. Perhaps I was reminded so I could note that our real part in the covenant is to trust God. And that, I think, is not just our part in covenant. That is the real lesson of covenant: trust God.
Why? The world is what it is. It can be hard. Caterina knew that. The world now is not the way God would have it. We know that.
And we need to trust God so we can be empowered to do the work of God and the will of God here in this very flawed, very broken world. I happen to think doing the work of God and the will of God is the result— the result— of trusting God. And perhaps when we trust God and simply participate slowly and surely the world will be changed. Change… the change that God seeks… what a concept. Amen.
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Choral Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “Theologian Walter Brueggemann said this (quote:) ‘Covenant (and, therefore, true spirituality), consists of learning the skills and sensitivities that include both the courage to assert self and the grace to abandon self to another’ (unquote). In short, covenant is not possible unless you recognize the needs of others. The needs of others— it’s that love neighbor thing which keeps coming up, isn’t it. And I would suggest to really love neighbor we need to trust God.”
BENEDICTION: Let our hearts take courage. Our God meets us where our needs rest. God is our shelter and shield. God’s blessings outnumber the stars. Let us go on our way with Christ as our companion. And may the peace of Christ, which surpasses understanding, keep our minds and hearts in the companionship and will of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuffle_Along
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caterina_Jarboro
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