08/17/2025 ~ Tenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Proper 15 ~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:1-2, 8-19; Jeremiah 23:23-29; Psalm 82; Hebrews 11:29-12:2; Luke 12:49-56

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The Cloud of Witnesses

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside everything that impedes us and the sin, all that destroys, which so easily entangles us. Let us run with perseverance the race that is laid out before us.” — Hebrews 12:1.

I have on occasion I have told you about my background as a writer in theater. Today I’d like to say something about how I got there, some steps on that journey.

The journey started fairly early, probably when I was somewhere between the ages of eight and ten. I came down with the measles— not uncommon back then.

Needing to be in bed for a time, I asked for a pencil and notebook. I was determined to outline a novel. I did not get far since I found writing in bed quite uncomfortable.

My desire to write was already there, perhaps some talent, if not the skill. And yes, writing is a talent but, if you have that talent, it’s also a skill which can be and needs to be honed.

Now, I’ve always said the difference between someone who just writes and a professional writer is how the first draft gets done. A professional writes several drafts in their head. Thereby a professional is working on a third draft before they begin to record things in a place someone else can read the words— a piece of paper, a computer.

So, how did I learn about writing in my head first? In my Junior year in High School once a week when I arrived at Mr. Marsh’s English class, five topics would be on the board. The assignment: in no more than 20 minutes write an essay about one of those topics.

But do it in this way: fill up only one side of a loose leaf sheet. Go over to the other side of that sheet— points off. Fall short of the last line on that sheet— points off. That think before you write method necessary to avoid falling short or going long on that last line of the loose leaf sheet, taught me about organizing— writing first drafts in my head.

To jump to some professional steps on the journey, a milestone for me was when I was invited— and you have to be invited, you have to be have known therefore in the community of theater— I was invited to become a member of the ASCAP Musical Comedy Workshop. ASCAP is the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. This was a master class in writing musicals supervised by the late Charles Strouse, the composer of Annie among many others.

But before the ASCAP workshop I had also attended the BMI— Broadcast Music Incorporated— workshop because one composer with whom I worked was a member there. This master class was run by Lehman Engel, a well known conductor of Broadway shows. And when I say ‘well known conductor’ he was the original conductor of Funny Girl. He taught Barbra Streisand the score.

At that venue I learned necessary, intertwined, skills. First, know as much as possible about where you’re trying go before you start. Second in order to effectively do that, you have a familiarity with the literature of musical theater.

Therefore, you need to know about the great composers and lyricists— Kern, Sondheim, Gershwin— both Ira and George, Rodgers and Hart and Hammerstein, Kander and Ebb etc., etc., etc.— and what they had done. So you also needed to know about the shows the greats wrote which broke new ground— Show Boat, Porgy and Bess, Pal Joey, Oklahoma, Cabaret, Sunday in the Park with George.

Last, you need to know what’s current. Speaking of ground breaking and current, can you say Hamilton? So you need to know what has gone before you, where things are now and once you’re immersed in all that perhaps you can figure out where you might go.

At the BMI workshop Mr. Engel often said this (quote:) “If you don’t know what was here before you arrived, it’s hard to know what really works and what is doomed to close on opening night.” (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Hebrews: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside everything that impedes us and the sin, all that destroys, which so easily entangles us. Let us run with perseverance the race that is laid out before us.” (Slight pause.)

There is a specific claim made in Judaism and Christianity. These faiths, these traditions are based in history. Yes, there are many individual stories in Scripture. But the overriding story is the history of the interaction of God with humanity and humanity with God.

Please note: the writer of Hebrews is not reciting the story of Sarah and Abraham because there will be a quiz. This writer is not concerned with who did it but how they did it. This passage addresses where we, humanity, have been, where we might be now, and is thereby, laying out a path forward.

The process of relationship is what that long and complex history is about. Indeed, you probably noticed, based on how the notation of this reading is presented in the bulletin, some verses were skipped over.

But in the verses we did hear, the words “by faith” are repeated over and over. So, guess what was in the verses we skipped over? There was more information about the history of the relationship of God with humanity and humanity with God.

That history ranged from Moses to Gideon to Sampson to David to Samuel. And guess what words were used to describe that history? Yep— “By faith.”

So, this writer is not actually concerned with the particulars of the stories, who did what when. This is about the process depicted by the story, the process called faith.

That leaves us with a question: at the end of this history where does faith lead us? The writer of Hebrews supplies the answer. It leads us to Jesus— Jesus, who, by faith, trusts God. (Slight pause.)

So what is the lesson we are to learn about faith? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest the lesson is simple and straightforward: God never gives up on us. God never gives up on calling us to follow. But in order to know that, it might be helpful to grapple with what has come before us, helpful to know the literature and its lessons.

Indeed, this “cloud of witnesses” about whom we hear is not simply a group of spectators who turn out to see who might win this metaphoric race to which the author refers. This particular group of observers are not merely bystanders.

Rather, they have received and understood the history of God with humanity and humanity with God. Therefore, the witnesses are not lined up on the roadway to encourage those who follow. They are present and real to offer their example. And we are the one’s who are called to learn from their example and to follow. (Slight pause.)

Let me come back to what I learned in those master classes. Yes, it’s important to know where you’ve been and where you’re at before you can figure out where you’re going.

But this is about the process, not the details, not the facts. In Hebrews the process is called faith. And we heard about the faith which preceded us over and over and over again in the reading: (quote:) “by faith,” “by faith,” “by faith.” (Slight pause.)

Well, I think there really is a cloud of witnesses who have gone before us and set out a path to follow. So let me say something very personal about that. I’ve spent better than thirty years in the pulpit. And even though I’ve been a the Kellogg Church a relatively short time, as I look at the faces in this congregation what I see is your faith and your faithfulness.

But my mind’s eye, my mind’s eye also sees the faces of those with whom I’ve walked as a pastor over the years. I see the faces of those whose faith throughout this race called life have supported, just as you do here, various communities of faith. The people I see in my mind’s eye are a real cloud of witnesses for me and I shall never forget their faithfulness. (Slight pause.)

You know, we Americans tend to make a mistake about church. We tend to think of church as a building, a place to which you go. It’s not. Church is a family to which we belong. And that family includes this great cloud of witnesses throughout the ages.

Hence, it is up to us to keep the work of those who have gone before us active and vital. It is up to us to be examples, to be a cloud of witnesses, for those who will follow us.

Put another way, we should not simply be a group of spectators who turn out to see who might win the metaphoric race. After all, we need to remember faith is not a spectator sport. And faith is not even a feeling. Faith is an action.

Faith supports, encourages, loves and nurtures. So let us be about the process called faith on this day and every day as we, this community of faith, this cloud of witnesses, runs the race. Amen.

08/17/2025
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 an précis of what was said: “At the start of my comments today I addressed some of my steps on my journey toward being a writer. I think it is well to remember life is not a goal. Life is a journey. Faith is not a goal. Faith is a journey.”

BENEDICTION: The loving kindness of God, the steadfast love of God, is always present to us. Therefore, may we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe of God, that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.