07/26/2026 ~ Proper 12 ~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Ninth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Genesis 29:15-28; Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128; 1 Kings 3:5-12; Psalm 119:129-136; Romans 8:26-39; Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52 ~ A video of this service is posted on FACEBOOK page of the church: https://www.facebook.com/fccscarbourough

Connecting the Dots

“Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” — Romans 8:35 [NRSV]

The late Rev. Dr. Glenn Miller was my Church History professor at Bangor Theological Seminary. Glenn was very laid back and had a keen sense of humor.

I was standing next to Glenn when a student approached and asked a very silly question. “Dr. Miller, you’re offering a survey course in Church History this semester. What does that cover?”

Dr. Miller remained calm, “Well, it’s a survey course… in Church History.”

“Yes,” the student insisted on pursuing this. “What does that survey cover?”

The twinkle in Glenn’s eye told me mischief was afoot. Glenn reached out a hand as far as possible. “Jesus, is resurrected over here— the year 30 of the Common Era.”

Reaching out the other hand as far as possible Glenn offered this. “Jesus will come back sometime over here… we don’t quite know when. A survey course in Church History covers everything in between… up to today.” (Slight pause.)

Dr. Miller often insisted history is not about dates and facts. It’s about narrative, story, about connecting the dots, the movement of story over the course of years, centuries. Here’s a comparison: current and sometimes disruptive headlines tell us the overall American story about the movement toward freedom and equality that is still ongoing.

But history is, therefore and paradoxically, not just about the past or the current headlines. History is also personal because we, right now, are a part of a story. But history cannot be personal unless we can see ourselves as a part of that ongoing, continuing story.

But story does not happen in headlines or overnight. Any human story can take years, decades, even centuries. Here’s an example from American history.

Some would say the work of American equal rights— as in “all men are created equal”— starts with the Declaration of Independence. I agree. That’s correct. But let’s skip forward to Lincoln, the president from 1861 to 1865, a very short span. However, the era of Lincoln— the decades when slavery was contested and overcome— ran from at least 1840 to 1870, longer than just the time Lincoln was in office.

The work of Lincoln’s era, the work of 1776, the later work of the civil rights movement, stories about both struggle and freedom, continues today. And we need to see each of us and all of us as a part of that larger, longer American story about freedom and equality. (Slight pause.)

Unless we come to grips with any narrative and how it effects us individually, personally, see ourselves within a framework, we are left thrashing around wondering who we are as we try to make sense of today’s headlines. Unless we see history as part of our own story, there are only disconnected events, dates and facts, and in that clutter of dates and facts we can lose a part of ourselves. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as Romans: “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword?” (Slight pause.)

As you know, this church recently became a part of the Cumberland Association of the Maine Conference of the United Church of Christ. Congregational Churches have gathered into groups for centuries so this is a part of both the larger Congregational story and your story.

Now, occasionally I am asked to explain what Congregationalism is and who Congregationalist are. I respond that the quick and dirty way to explain Congregationalism and Congregationalists is: think Pilgrims, you’ve got us.

That’s quick and dirty because the church of Paul looked a little like Congregationalism as we know it today. And by the Second Century the church really looked like Congregationalism today as they had started to gather into groups, in local and even larger areas, something Congregational Churches have been doing on these shores for about 400 years. It’s only after the Fourth Century that the church becomes entrenched, a church of the state. (Slight pause.)

Now Paul wrote those letters to a list of places which were all local churches. Each one had their own issues and their own ways of doing things and it’s clear Paul addresses each church on an individual basis. That sounds very congregational. But it’s also clear the Apostle connects the dots, addresses how each church fits into the larger story, the story of a relationship between God and humanity. (Slight pause.)

So can we connect the dots, see ourselves as a part of the story about the relationship between God and humanity? (Slight pause.) One of the premises with which I approach the Bible asks ‘what does the narrative of the Bible say, what does it mean beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation— the whole arc, the whole story?’

Here’s my take: the narrative of the Bible says God loves each of us and all of us. God wants to be in covenant with each of us and all of us. That’s the essence, the whole arc, the whole story of Scripture stated in a simple way.

Hence, to ask what a verse in Leviticus says or a verse in Romans is about is always inadequate. We need to ask how a verse in Leviticus or a verse in Romans fits into the whole story— that story which says God loves each of us, all of us and wants to be in covenant with each of us, all of us.

Indeed, if we look at one verse and decide it says God does not love someone or that someone is outcast, we’ve not just misread the narrative, the story. Either we really do not know the narrative or twisted the narrative beyond recognition to fit our own liking.

Further, the narrative needs to be personal. We need to see ourselves in this story, see ourselves as inheritors of the story, as a part of the continuing story which says God loves each of us and wants to be in covenant with all of us.

When we do this, we connect the dots of the story. That way while maintaining individual identity, we come to understand we are part of a larger story. (Slight pause.)

So, what will separate us from the love of Christ? If we do not see ourselves and everyone else as a part of the narrative of love, all of those things Paul listed— affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword— all of those will separate us from the love of God.

But they will not separate God from us. They will separate us from God. Notice the difference— the passage asks who will separate us. God will not separate from us. God is there for us. God walks with us. Effectively we would be the ones forcing separation from God. (Slight pause.)

There is one more thing to note: what was going on in Paul’s time? What were the headlines of that era? Those headlines were disruptive.

You see, as a Roman citizen Paul was among the privileged few and knew it. But 90% of the population lived in what you and I would call slavery. The economic system in that time has been described as an economy of domination.

So those maladies Paul lists— affliction, distress, persecution, etc.— are real, tangible headlines for people. Even so, Paul insists these headlines, those realities will not separate them and will not separate us from the love of Christ.

Why? As Christians, we believe Christ lives. We believe the presence of Christ is with us, the presence of God is with us always— here, now— and that’s the larger story and our story.

Last, a relationship with God and Christ is like any other relationship. It is personal and it needs to be personal. So once we realize nothing can separate us from Christ, once we see ourselves as children of God, once we see ourselves as a part of the story, then the relationship becomes very, very personal.

Further, the reality of that love enables us to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Christ in unity. And I think the love of God in Christ, this unifying concept, this way of connecting the dots, is the greatest story ever told. Amen.

07/26/2026
First Congregational Church of Scarborough, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn but before the Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “You will often hear pastor use a blessing that references the Peace of Christ, something Paul describes this as surpassing understanding. Indeed, Jesus is quoted as saying ‘peace be with you.’ Why? The peace of Christ, the peace of God, is not the absence of conflict. The peace to which this word refers in Greek and to which Jesus refers is a reality that the presence of God is real and with us no matter the situation. When somone wishes you peace it means they are wishing the presence of God is with you.”

BENEDICTION: And so may the peace of Christ which surpasses our understanding be present with you this day. And 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.