03/23/2025 ~ Third Sunday in Lent ~ Isaiah 55:1-9; Psalm 63:1-8; 1 Corinthians 10:1-13; Luke 13:1-9 ~ YOUTUBE VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0g1SFNiHeU
VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1069301613
The Ways of God
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth, / so are my ways higher than your ways / and my thoughts than your thoughts.” — Isaiah 55:9.
You may get tied of hearing me say I was a theater professional. But I was. As a consequence, like a lot of theater folk, I had some odd jobs. Here’s a very odd one: I did presidential telephone surveys for the Harris organization in 1980. That was Regan vs. Carter.
Harris abided by some strict standards. I’m not sure that’s true of polling now. The standards: there should only be a few questions and it should last five to seven minutes.
The questions must be short— multiple choice, four options or yes and no. A valid poll also gets demographic data: age, ethnicity, faith background.
It was important the person who was called be allowed to give their own answer. But that’s a paradox because the poll taker offers all the answers— yes or no, A, B, C or D. But the person contacted must, themselves, repeat the exact words offered.
Last, all the questions needed to be answered. If one question is not answered, all the answers did not count— the industry standards in 1980.
This happened on one call. I dialed a random number, random since a poll taker was assigned an area code, the first three digits of a number and then made up the last four. In the 1980s this located the call in a specific region. That’s no longer true, is it?
The area I dialed that night— it was always in the evening— was in Alabama. On one particular call the presidential preference questions were successfully navigated. I turned to the demographic questions and asked the standard question about faith tradition: “Are you Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or other.”
The response? “I’m a Baptist.”
As I said, the person being polled needed to say one of the words I offered as an answer. I tried rephrasing the question. “Many people say the Baptist tradition is part of the group known as Protestants. Are you a Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or other.”
“I’m a Baptist.”
I said, “Some people think a Baptist should not be classified as a Protestant but falls under the category called other. Are you a Catholic, Protestant, Jewish or other.”
“I’m a Baptist.”
I then heard the phone slam down. Hence, all the valid answers this person gave were thrown out. (Slight pause.)
These words are from the Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, the second Prophet in the Scroll: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, / so are my ways higher than your ways / and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Slight pause.)
Vince Amlin is a United Church of Christ pastor. In a blog post he said a parishioner asked this question: “What do you expect of me as a fellow church member?”
The question reminded Amlin he is a church member— a pastor— but a member. Therefore, this person was asking a fellow theologian— as church members we really are all theologians even if we don’t want to admit it— this person was asking a fellow theologian, a parishioner, what they expected from another theologian, a parishioner.
Now a question about expectations can be uncomfortable. You see, if I’m a member of any group— not just churches but any group— it means others in that group may make claims on me.
In any organization others make a claim on my time, resources. But in a church a claim is made on my heart. An individual might expect the other theologians in a church to pray for their father diagnosed with dementia, visit a parishioner who is ill, or even make soup or bake for a potluck.
Expectations might even come from a giver. There might be an expectation to need their care, invite concern, partake of casseroles. For some, expectations might be a terrifying aspect of the church— all that was from Pastor Vince Amlin. [1] (Slight pause.)
That poses a provocative question: to what is God really calling us? Is it membership of some form or another? After all, doesn’t church membership simply just break out into tribes, as in “I’m a Baptist?” (Slight pause.)
Mike Flanagan, an Episcopal priest, offers this reflection. “When I was ordained,” he said, “I was all about the worship, the liturgy being just right, good preaching.”
Today Flanagan sees his role as helping people discern their callings, talents, connecting those to the needs of the local church and the community. Flanagan adds, “I can be a member and do nothing. Membership is a much too passive idea.”
So this Episcopal priest no longer refers to parishioners as members but as disciples. “Disciple,” he says, “is not a passive word. [2] (Slight pause.)
Poet and Pastor Maren Tirabassi wrote a poem called Lenten reflection— I’d like a church— make mine double. These are her words.
I know a church / that only embraces prodigals— / tech industry nones / or folks who live in their cars, / those who identify as gender non-conforming, / formerly incarcerated, / in recovery, post-evangelical, / lapsed, doubters or inked.
I know a church / that celebrates long-timers, / the ones who CROP walk, / or teach Sunday School, / the ones who are life-deacons, / chaperone mission trips, / shovel snow, / visit nursing homes, / get wax out of / Christmas morning carpet.
What I want is— / a church like / the completely dysfunctional family / Jesus told stories about— / with the designated lover / always out on the road / to welcome in or argue back— / someone staggering from / a hit-and-run, / someone stuck in their ruts. [3] A Lenten reflection — I’d like a church – make mine a double by Maren Tirabassi.
That brings us back to Isaiah’s proclamation that the ways of God are not our ways. I think Maren’s poem gets at a truth that may be uncomfortable: God’s ways are not our ways, especially in a church.
To illustrate that, I think we need to realize the verse from Isaiah about the ways of God not being our ways actually refers to the first words in this passage (quote:) “I call out to all who thirst: / come to the waters; / and you that have no money, / come, buy and eat! / Come, buy wine and milk / without money and without price.”
God’s ways are not about a transaction, what we can purchase, trade, about how much we have. God’s ways are not about tribalism since tribalism by definition is transactional. So it’s not about what we know, who we are or with whom we align.
I think that reality should help us focus on the term disciple. This is a dictionary definition of disciple: a disciple is someone who accepts and helps spread teachings. (Slight pause.)
There are some basic teachings found in this passage. God abundantly and freely pardons. We are forgiven in the eyes of God.
God’s economy is all inclusive. This really is a free market— free — there are no transactions so it’s not transactional. We do not pay. (Slight pause.)
God’s club is all inclusive. Everyone is welcome. So, how can we, as disciples, spread the word about the ways of God?
Perhaps disciples need to incorporate God’s ways into their own lives, the method by which disciples really teach. Our lives do teach by our actions. (Slight pause.)
You have heard me say this. The message of Scripture can be reduced to four words: love God; love neighbor. These are God’s ways, God’s thoughts— love God, love neighbor. Amen.
03/23/2025
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “I want offer a quote from Archbishop Desmond Tutu: ‘In the end it matters not how good we are but how good God is. It matters not how much we love God but how much God loves us. And God loves us whoever we are, whatever we’ve done or failed to do, whatever we believe or can’t believe.’”
BENEDICTION: God’s steadfast love endures forever. Let us live our days offering thanks to God who feeds our souls. 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] Adapted for this context.
http://www.ucc.org/daily_devotional_raised_expectations
[3] Posted on Maren Tirabassi’s Facebook page.
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