localpastor

08/27/2023 ~ Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time Proper 16 ~ Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124; Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20 ~ NO VIDEO THIS WEEK.

Mythology and Theology

The Apostle to the Gentiles says this in the work known as Romans: “…be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you may discern, that you may judge what the will of God is— that which is good and acceptable and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) And the writer of Matthew pictures Jesus as asking this question: “What do people say about who the Chosen One is?” (Matthew 16:13)

Those who study popular culture will tell you the finances of the industry commonly called Hollywood totally changed in 1975 with the invention of the Summer blockbuster movie. That first one was Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg.

I was reminded of Jaws because I follow what’s happening on Broadway. You see, a play with the title The Shark Is Broken just opened and it pictures the cast of Jaws, Robert Shaw, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider, talking to one another while waiting for the less than cooperative mechanical shark to be fixed. The part of Robert Shaw is played by his son Ian, who also co-wrote the play and is a dead ringer for his Dad.

Two years after Jaws made monetary history, Star Wars, directed by Spielberg’s friend George Lucas, burst on the scene and became the new money making record holder. People point to reasons for the success of these films as being everything from the direction to special effects to likeable actors. I’m not sure a shark is very likeable.

I think the real reason these films were successful is they went back to a very old fashioned way of telling a story. Both Spielberg and Lucas freely admit they use this old fashioned method commonly called myth.

Now, a myth is not a lie. But the details of any myth are not about engaging reality either. Rather, a myth tells a story in an effort to engage large truths, big ideas. Indeed, a myth is not meant to relate mere facts but is meant to expresses deep truth— the kind of truth which sometimes hides behind facts, often a bigger truth than the mere facts can represent.

The opening words of Star Wars effectively insist the story we are about to see is fabricated. (Quote:) “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away….” That says this is fiction. But it’s the final words in that introduction, words to which we might not even pay attention, which tell us what the myth we will see is actually about.

It says the mission of Princess Leia is to (quote:) “…restore freedom to the galaxy…” That is the big idea Star Wars conveys: restore freedom.

Big ideas can be described only with the kind of story we call myth. That leads to something important about mythological story telling we need to understand and remember. When it comes to the stories we call myths this is a question the stories, themselves, never ask: “Did the story happen?” ‘Did it happen?’ is a moot point.

Please note: in saying “Did the story happen?” is moot I am not denying the story happened nor that the details happened nor that the facts happened. Neither am I affirming that the story, details or facts happened. I am saying the story, itself, insists the details and facts of the story are not the point.

Why? When it comes to myth, the only valid question to ask is this: “What does the story mean?” Star Wars is not about Light Sabers or Wookiees, even though these are fun things, fun details. Star Wars is about restoring freedom. (Slight pause.)

The Apostle to the Gentiles says this in the work known as Romans: “…be transformed by the renewal of your minds, so that you may discern, that you may judge what the will of God is— that which is good and acceptable and pleasing and perfect.” And the writer of Matthew pictures Jesus as asking this question: “What do people say about who the Chosen One is?” (Slight pause.)

I have said this here before. Biblical scholars offer a timetable for when the writings of the New Testament developed. The Resurrection of Jesus happened about what we call the year 30 of the Common Era.

The true letters of Paul— fourteen letters are attributed to Paul but the Apostle only wrote seven— the true letters of Paul are written before any Gospel. The earliest work of Paul, First Thessalonians, is likely to have been written around the year 51 of the Common Era, about 21 years after the Resurrection.

Paul did not write after the year 64 of the Common Era since we are fairly confident that’s when Paul died. As to the Gospels, scholars say Mark was written first and is unlikely to have been recorded much before the year 70 of the Common Era, 40 years after the Resurrection. Matthew is often dated to the year 85 of the Common Era.

Luke and Acts, written at the same time by the same author or authors, is said to be written about the year 90 of the Common Era. John is usually dated as being written around the year 100, 70 years after the Resurrection, 36 years after Paul is done writing. Paul, that first writer, gives us very little in terms of story and is largely theology. But not an organized theology. These are sporadic writings responding to questions with specific guidance about specific things going on in specific communities, mostly places Paul had visited. This makes for some haphazardness in Paul’s theological writings.

We also need to realize and understand something very important about what we call the New Testament. Those who first heard or read the Epistles and the Gospels did not identify them as Scripture.

For them Scripture was what we, today, call the Old Testament, the Hebrew Scriptures. The church designates what we call the New Testament as Scripture only a couple hundred years after New Testament times. So what we call the New Testament is not Scripture for several hundred years into the history of the church. (Slight pause.)

Well, that was a bunch of facts. Why are they all important, vital? I think these facts are vital because the first thing that gets written in the New Testament is not story. It’s theology.

Then, when the followers of Jesus do turn to relating story, they do something very important. They delve into myth. So let me say this again: myth addresses a bigger truth, a deeper truth than mere facts can represent. And what is the truth the Gospels address?

The Gospels all tell us God is with us. The Gospels all tell us God walks among us. The Gospels all tell us God is present to us.

Let me elaborate on that in just one way. In the modern myth called Star Wars it’s clear the name Luke Skywalker is a mythological name— a name that tells us something.

In the Gospels Jesus is given two names. One is Emmanuel, which means God is with us. The other name is Jesus. Jesus is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua— Yehôshúa in the Hebrew. And that name means God saves.

So the two names of the Christ in the Gospels mean ‘God is with us’ and ‘God saves.’ Just these names tell us something. The names tell us is Jesus is the Chosen One, the Christ, the Messiah. And Peter is pictured as naming that deep truth, that big idea.

There is one more important fact to consider here. It concerns those who first heard or read the words of the Gospels. If you asked them if the details in the Gospels were true they would not have understood the question.

Why? They understood the point of the Gospels was not to concentrate on factual detail. They understood the point of the Gospels is to declare large truth, a big idea, deep truth. And those who first heard or read these words were much more concerned with large truth, the big idea, deep truth than factual details.

And the large truth, the big idea, the deep truth being addressed is simple: God is with us; God walks among us; God is present to us since Jesus is the Messiah, the Chosen One, the living Christ. And that is not the kind of myth we would label as a lie. That is the kind of myth which reveals a deep, world changing truth. Jesus is the Christ. Amen.

08/27/2023
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: “At the start of the service you heard a quote from N. T. Wright which said for early Christians the key question was ‘is Jesus the Messiah?’ If Jesus was the Messiah then the Dominion of God had been decisively launched. So perhaps the big idea for us, the idea with which the Gospels invite us to grapple, is this: if we are now living in the time of that Dominion what can we do to further the work of the Dominion of God in our time?”

BENEDICTION: This service of worship is over but our service in the name of God continues outside these doors. May we love God so much, that we love nothing else too much. May we be so in awe God that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.

08/20/2023 ~ Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 15 ~ Genesis 45:1-15; Psalm 133; Isaiah 56:1, 6-8; Psalm 67; Romans 11:1-2a, 29-32; Matthew 15: (10-20), 21-28 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/857620507

Brokenness and Wholeness

“…Jesus… said, ‘Listen, hear and understand: it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.’” — Matthew 15:10-11.

I want to start my comments by offering a little family history, what happened in my family, to my family structure, when I was a child. (Slight pause.) Way back when I was about five years old, in 19xx (the pastor puts hand to mouth and mumbles), my father had what was called in the parlance of those days a nervous break down.

Today we would have recognized this episode as the onset of the mental illness known as Passive Dependency or Passive Aggression. One of the consequences of this is at an early age, perhaps because I was eldest son I, effectively, became a leader in our family unit.

Once I was in my late twenties I spent some time in therapy exploring what had happened to me at that tender age and how it affected me. For me a basic meaning of the fact that this happened when I was at that early age, is I started to think like an adult even though I was very young. But the real lesson I took away from therapy is no matter how my relationship with my father and my mother had an affect on me, I was in control of my own life.

Indeed, it is sometimes said we Americans tend to blame everything that’s wrong on our parents. But, therefore, one consequence of placing blame in that way can be it seems like and it feels like we want to take very little self responsibility, personal responsibility for who we are, for what we become.

I think someone who seeks to find locations for blame— one’s parents or some other relational situation— is often simply looking for an excuse. At some point one’s life and one’s behavior belong to that person, that individual. That individual has to do the work of confronting the problem.

I need to be clear I am not dismissing the idea that each of us needs help. As I just indicated I, myself, sought out help. Neither am I dismissing the reality of trauma beyond our own control and the sometimes irrevocable damage that can cause. What I am addressing is the idea that there can be a very human, very real and sometimes even convoluted effort to avoid responsibility when an opposite course of action is both necessary and needed.

I find this an interesting example out of my musical theater background: in the musical Into the Woods James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim combine and retell several fairly tales. In one of the stories, Jack of Jack and the Beanstalk has climbed to the sky where the big, tall, terrible giants of that fable live. The plot pivots on the fact that in turn a giant climbs down said beanstalk and reeks havoc in the land.

At that point, with destruction all around them, the characters turn on one another. They try to assign blame on each other for inviting and inciting the destruction the giant has wrought.

They sing these words at one another: See, It’s Your Fault; Yes, It’s Your Fault. In short, by accusing someone else, by avoiding their own part in what has happened, each individual attempts to avoid dealing the real problem.

In this case what’s happening is not just an individual problem but is everyone’s mutual problem. And that problem is staring them in the face: a giant is spreading devastation. Moral of the story: stop the blame game; get to work! (Slight pause.)

I think one of the reasons I have had a modicum of success in my adult life is I worked hard to get over the blame game. I realized it was up to me to be who I am and to be what I want to be. Instead of finding blame by wallowing in my past I saw what happened to me as an opportunity to move forward. I used my history in a positive way.

Another family story: my wife Bonnie and I got married relatively late as those things go and did not have children. As sometimes happens when a couple has no children, we tend to treat our nieces with great affection. Our niece Phoebe, a doctor who lives in San Diego, is special.

Phoebe grew up on Deer Isle, Maine. So in one sense winding up as a doctor in San Diego is quite a leap. The only down side of her living in San Diego is we do not get to see her often enough.

Phoebe’s personal history has an interesting piece to it. Very early on, when she was about five— does that sound familiar?— , Phoebe exhibited a specific trait. Phoebe was stubborn. Some say she was born stubborn.

I do not know if that’s true. But I do know Phoebe was stubborn because the family legend says at that point she got into a match of wills with her Mom.

There was something on her plate at supper she simply would not eat— some vegetable she did not find palatable. Phoebe’s Mom demanded she sit there until she ate it. The second part of the family legend says this serving of vegetable is still sitting on that plate to this very day.

Now, a minute ago I said Phoebe is a doctor. I want to suggest being stubborn is exactly what empowered Phoebe to become a doctor. About the time she was going from grade school to high school she knew she wanted to be a doctor.

And she was stubborn about that. No one was going to prevent her from becoming a doctor. And now she is a doctor.

To be clear, being stubborn is not often a pleasant trait. On the other hand, when I say Phoebe was stubborn I do not mean she is unpleasant. She is wonderful. I have seen notes of praise about her work from both her colleagues and her patients. What Phoebe understood is she could use her stubborn streak in a very, very positive way. (Slight pause.)

These are words in the work known as Matthew: “…Jesus… said, ‘Listen, hear and understand: it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person; it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person.’” (Slight pause.)

When this reading was introduced it was said we hear two stories back to back in these words. One story concerns what brokenness really is. The second story seeks to help us understand faith makes us whole.

My take is the traits of both brokenness and wholeness together found here are a very complete picture of we humans, humanity, and a very complete picture of the relationship we humans, humanity, have with God. So, when it comes to our humanness, let’s start at the beginning. This is a given: no one is perfect. If you think you are you’re dismissed.

And it seems to me many people pursue the aforementioned blame game, blaming others, because of their own shortcomings. And it seems to me many people, in fact, want to blame not just their parents but any other convenient target for their own short comings. And that is what (quote:) “…comes out of the mouth…,” isn’t it? That stuff that defiles. (Slight pause.)

That brings me to the topic of the journey with God, our journey with God through life. I am convinced our journey with God is what life is about. But this journey with God is not about just our individual journey. We are, all of us, together on a journey with God, together.

And, to reiterate, no one, not one of us, is perfect. Despite imperfection on our individual journey with God our task is to work on our relationship with God. And in our mutual journeys together with one another, our task is to work on our relationship with each other and with God. Now, a different name for that relationship, those relationships with God and one another, is what I call the journey of seeking faith.

Do we have faith in God? Do we trust God? It seems to me those who spew the evil Jesus addresses in the first story, those who speak evil, do not have faith in God, do not trust God. And so what (quote:) “…comes out of the mouth… defiles…”

It also seems to me that the Canaanite woman displays an amazing degree of faith in God. Because of that faith she understands God will not abandon her. And perhaps that is key: understanding no matter what, God will not abandon us. (Slight pause.)

There are some who say these two stories, as they appear in the work known as Matthew one after the other, have no relationship at all. Obviously I disagree.

As suggested earlier, one story concerns what brokenness is really about. The second seeks to help us understand faith makes us whole. And faith does not just make us whole. Faith repairs us, restores us to wholeness— our brokenness, our wholeness— all pieces of our human frailty.

And how does faith make us whole? Faith empowers us to see our life with God, our relationship with God is real, can be empowering. Our faith empowers us to live our life in the fullest way possible. Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
08/20/2023

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: “Earlier I said we humans are not perfect. The Preamble of the Constitution of these United States presents us an interesting oxymoron. And the founders were not stupid. They certainly knew it was an oxymoron. The preamble says the intent of the document was to (quote:) “…form a more perfect Union”— more perfect— a contradiction. If you are perfect how can you be more perfect? I say every day we humans need to strive to be more perfect and perhaps one way to traverse that path is to every day strive to deepen our relationship with God.”

BENEDICTION: We are commissioned by God to carry the peace of God into the world. Our words and our deeds will be used by God, for we become messengers of the Word of God in our actions. Let us recognize that the transforming power of God is forever among us. 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 and nothing else. Amen.

08/13/2023 ~ Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 14 ~ Genesis 37:1-4, 12-28; Psalm 105: 1-6, 16-22, 45b; 1 Kings 19:9-18; Psalm 85:8-13; Romans 10:5-15; Matthew 14:22-33 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/854682885

The Sounds of Silence

“…after the fire there was a sound of sheer silence.” — 1 Kings 19:11b-12.

Actor Sir Richard Attenborough is probably best known for playing the part of the off-kilter Billionaire in the film Jurassic Park. But he also directed Gandhi, a film about one of a great civil rights leaders of the 20th Century, a film which won eight academy awards including Best Picture and Best Director. So he’s an even better director than an actor.

Mohandas Gandhi is sometimes known by the honorific Mahatma. Mahatma means Great Spirit. Gandhi’s methods of non-violent protest were adopted around the world and led to advances for the rights of many people in many nations.

The makers of that film, Gandhi, were clear about the limitations of the project. The introduction to the published screenplay says (quote): “No one’s life can be encompassed in one telling. There is no way to give each year its allotted weight, include each event, each person who helped to shape a lifetime. What can be done is to be faithful in spirit to the record and to try to find one’s way to the heart of the person…”

In an effort to frame the film in such a way as to help audiences understand Gandhi’s life, to give it context, the film both opens and closes with an image of violence: the assassination of Gandhi. The film, indeed, contains a lot of violence.

When asked why a film which is unquestionably about non-violence might contain so much violence Attenborough said a paradox of making this film was you can’t portray non-violence without addressing violence, showing violent acts. The contrast is essential. (Slight pause.)

To a certain extent, I find myself in the same place as Attenborough. I want to talk about silence. So I need to talk about sound, even noise.

Of this I am convinced: as humans we are, both by nature and by the nurturing Spirit of God, called to communicate. Many of us do that in more than one way. But certainly one way many communicate is through sound.

Indeed, since I am a song writer people sometimes ask me what my favorite type of music is. The question always puzzles me. You see, as a song writer, or perhaps because I am a song writer, I say music is simply organized sound.

So for me the more pertinent question needs to be ‘how is this sound we’re talking about organized?’ Is it organized in a way which can communicate something not necessarily just to or only to me but can it communicate something to someone, anyone?’

Asking that leaves me open to being able to appreciate multiple types of music, even if I do not fully understand or even like the types or styles of music to which I’m listening. It also opens the possibility that communication in a broad sense is central, rather than relying on my own relatively narrow vision.

Julian Treasure is a musician, an author and consultant. He works with services like Muzak and advises businesses on how to use sound. He says each of us comes to the table with filters. Our filters block communication.

Among the filters are culture, language, values, beliefs, attitudes, expectations, intentions. And both those who are trying to communicate and those with whom they are trying to communicate come to the table with filters, judgments or perhaps better put: pre-judgements.

That, I think, brings me to the key point about sound: sound is not about noise. Sound, or at least understanding sound, is about listening carefully while trying to cancel out our prejudicial filters.

And when it comes to what we hear, studies tell us we actually listen not 100% of the time but just 60% of the time and we retain about 25% of what we hear. And we retain that 25% only when we concentrate really, really hard on just listening, not making sound— just listening. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as First Kings: “…after the fire there was a sound of sheer… silence.” (Slight pause.)

Throughout Scripture God speaks to people. That poses a question: does God still talk with us, speak with us? (Slight pause.) Is it possible to know when or if God communicates, speaks, especially if we retain only 25% of what we hear even when we concentrate and when it’s just another person speaking to us?

Indeed, Paul Simon might have nailed this issue in a song. Does it not often seem that in our era we have (quote): “People hearing without listening”? (Slight pause.)

So let’s ask these questions: if God does speak, through whom and how does God speak? And are we listening?

And what does listening mean? Mark Twain said (quote): “The right word may be effective, but no word is ever as effective as a well-timed… pause.” (Slight pause.)

Tom Rasely is a composer with whom I work. Tom says he is very aware of pauses, silences. In music you can have a series of notes, sounds, interrupted by what are referred to as ‘rests.’ Rests are silences that give a musician and the listener time to pause and reflect, time to consider, time to prepare for what will happen next.

In short, sometimes what you don’t play as a musician can make what you do play sound better. But still, silence can be unsettling to most of us. When we hear nothing, especially for long periods of time. Indeed, it can be quite unnerving. (Long pause— about 35 seconds.) See? We Protestants like noisy services.

Today we also heard from Peter in a boat on the lake, Peter who really, really listened when Christ said “Come” and did. So what was Peter’s problem?

Why did Peter start to sink? Did Peter stop listening? Or was Peter simply distracted by noise, the noise of the wind? (Quote): “Peter noticed how strong the wind was, became frightened and, beginning to sink,…” (Slight pause.)

I want to suggest Peter was doing just fine until the noise of the wind, a noise other than the voice of Jesus got in the way. It was not that Peter stopped hearing. The voice of Jesus was still there. Peter stopped trusting.

Was Peter distracted? Probably. Here’s what I think: trust helps us concentrate really, really hard on what’s really, really important.

Therefore, I do want to suggest God does speak in the silence. And God also does speak with a cacophony of many voices and in a cacophony of multiple voices. And the voice of God is there, present, even among clattering, chattering, distracting voices and noises.

So, how does God speak? God speaks with the voices of the loving spirits of those around, the members of the community of faith, this community of faith.

So yes, God does speak clearly and God does clearly speak. This happens especially when we trust God. That leaves us with a simple question: where and when does God not speak? (Slight pause.)

God does not speak in or through the noise of injustice. God does not speak in or through the noise of violence. If the noise we hear is not fair and beneficial to all, if the noise we hear is the violence of oppression— economic, physical or cultural oppression— or the violence which sets people apart as being different, strange, unacceptable— that is the sound, that is the noise of injustice. When we see or hear the sound, the noise of injustice, we know God is not speaking.

So it seems to me our job, our goal is to listen for God because God does speak. And in order to hear God speak, I think we need to concentrate really, really hard. (Slight pause.)

In many ways what Gandhi did is filter out the noise of injustice and the noise of violence. And I believe the best way to filter out the noise of injustice and the noise of violence is to trust God.

So yes, I believe God speaks. But that leaves a final question: do we trust God to the point where we listen hard enough to filter out the noise of violence and the noise of injustice and really hear both that God does speak and what God is saying. Indeed, can we hear what God says even and especially when God speaks in the silence? Amen.

08/13/2023
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: “The last words of Paul Simon’s The Sounds of Silence are these (quote): ‘The words of the prophets are written on the subway walls— And tenement halls— And whispered in the sounds of silence.’ Paul Simon is Jewish and I don’t know if he is a Hebrew scholar. But what we translate in this passage we heard as ‘sheer silence’ can also be translated as whispered silence. Whispered in the sounds of silence— Paul Simon’s words. Indeed, Elijah hears whispered silence and listens for the voice of God. The bottom line: listening for God is, I think, the key.”

BENEDICTION: We are called to care in a world which can be uncaring, commissioned as lovers among some who may offer back indifference. Know this: God is with us in all our days. So, let us go forth knowing that the grace of God is deeper than our imagination, the strength of Christ is stronger than our need and the communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than all our togetherness. May God guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.

08/06/2023 ~ Tenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 13 ~ Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7, 15; Isaiah 55:1-5; Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21; Romans 9:1-5l; Matthew 14:13-21 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/853079119

Wrestling with God

“…the other answered, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob’ (which means heel grabber) ‘but you shall be called Israel, the one who wrestled with God, for you have striven with God and with mortals and you have prevailed.’” — Genesis 32:28.

This is a poem.

I thought life would be easy—
I wonder why.
Perhaps I got that notion
from my mother
since she made life seem easy,
not from my father,
who was strong,
gentle and tried to teach me
about the wisdom of the sky
from whence life
often sears and tries the soul.

I know now that life is not easy
and as I lay prostrate
on the ground.
I can hear that other one—
I can hear the sound
of heavy breathing,
and my own,
and as I moan in pain
we grapple neath
the moonlit sky.

I thought life would be easy—
I wonder why.

Things change but the sky does not
and it is hard to see
where I needed to go
for no one gave me anything—
a map, a plan, a route to take.
So I had to make
and shake and break
and do whatever I had to do
to see me through.

And You! You!
You are here beside me
and I know not why.
Are You the sky?

What if I surrender, give up, stop?
Will that matter?
Will You offer a blessing?
Will that matter?
And what does it matter
that the sky goes on and on and on—
and that the stars glisten
above our heads until dawn,
and then the stars are… gone?

(Pause.) The reading from Genesis is the famous story of Jacob wrestling. ‘Wrestling with Whom?’ is a key and difficult question. Does Jacob wrestle with angels? Does Jacob wrestle with a person?

Does Jacob wrestle with self inflicted demons? Does Jacob wrestle with the human race? Does Jacob wrestle for the human race— all humanity? Does Jacob… wrestle… with… God? (Slight pause.)

It says in the reading (quote): “…you shall be called Israel, the one who wrestled with God, for you have striven with God and with mortals and you have prevailed.” To be clear: the very word Israel means one who has wrestled with God. And to be clear, the deeper meaning of the word ‘wrestle’ is one who deals with and who struggles with some reality, in some form, and in this instance it seems the reality is, in some form, God.

These words also indicated an even more expansive meaning than someone who has only wrestled with God. It plainly says Jacob wrestles with “God and mortals.”

The piece of the story not read today, the content of the narrative both before and after this scene, concerns the relationship of Jacob and the brother of Jacob, Esau from whom Jacob has been estranged. And, indeed, Jacob has led a life which is both successful and contentious.

So Jacob gets by. And Jacob gets by wrestling with both family and with everyone else. And while I don’t want to place emphasis on the combative aspect of the word ‘wrestling’ it is clear Jacob comes away from the struggle changed by the engagement, hence changed by life, itself. Jacob is injured, traumatized by life.

Who among us has not been traumatized by life in some way? At some point each of us has had to wrestle. Each of us has had a heavy heart because of something. (Slight pause.)

Yes, we all wonder what the future holds. Yes, we all have had failures and times which inflict feelings of being unworthy. Yes, it’s likely many of us has faced the death of a loved one— a parent, a spouse, even a child.

Some of us have experienced the anxiety of being socially marginalized. Some may be perplexed, even angry because we feel obstacles are constantly put in our way. And yes, we sometimes ask: “Does… God… care?” (Slight pause.)

I think if there is anything this story says, it says that God does care. It says that God engages with us in life — all of it— every day.

However and rumor to the contrary, God is not Santa Claus. God is not some ‘Fix-it’ person. Rather, God stands in solidarity with us. God is present to us.

And perhaps that’s the hard part for us about us wrestling with God. Perhaps what we want is Santa Claus rather than God. But Santa Claus is a fantasy, a pipe dream. A God Who is really God does not deal in fantasy.

And life which is really life is not a fantasy. Real life consists of ups and downs, joys and concerns, struggles and silliness. (Slight pause.)

The Rev. Lillian Daniel is currently the Conference Minister at the Michigan Conference of the United Church of Christ. She wrote this reflection. (Slight pause.)

“On Tuesday nights once a month, a group gathers in the parlor of a church I know to knit prayer shawls, baby blankets and booties for the members of that congregation. The knitting ministry meets the same night as the church council.”

“So the council sits around a table in the conference room grappling what might euphemistically be called big picture decisions about the life of the church. Just a few feet away on the couches across the hall other people are knitting for the sick, the new babies or those in need of any kind of healing. I think it’s nice that this combination of ministry happens on these Tuesday nights, like a check and balance system for what leadership in the church is all about.”

“I still have the prayer shawl the last local church I served gave me when I was sick for a couple weeks. I still have the prayer shawl I received from yet another church when my mother passed away.”

“I also inherited the prayer shawl my mother’s church made for her when she fell ill. They all lie around my house as extra blankets in the family room, ordinary objects infused with prayer in the midst of our ordinary lives.”

“The prayer shawl didn’t cure my mother’s fatal illness. But there is no question in my mind it was a conduit of healing. It remains a symbol to me of how all churches are knit together by the Holy Spirit.”

“New babies receive a hand-made gift to keep them warm, blessed by prayer before it is given away. It’s a symbol of a beautiful Biblical metaphor that goes back many thousands of years.”

“It seems people have been knitting for one another forever, perhaps ever since God, the original knitter, knit each one of us together in our mother’s womb. So indeed, we are wonderfully made.” — the Rev. Lillian Daniel on meetings and on life. (Slight pause.)

This is a poem.
I thought life would be easy—
I wonder why.
Perhaps I got that notion
from my mother
since she made life seem easy,
not from my father,
who was strong,
gentle and tried to teach me
about the wisdom of the sky
from whence life
often sears and tries the soul.

I know now that life is not easy
as I lay prostrate
on the ground.
I can hear that other one—
I can hear the sound
of heavy breathing,
and my own,
as I moan in pain
we grapple neath
the moonlit sky.

I thought life would be easy—
I wonder why.

Things change but the sky does not
and it is hard to see
where I needed to go
for no one gave me anything—
a map, a plan, a route to take.
So I had to make
and shake and break
and do whatever I had to do
to see me through.

And You! You!
You are here beside me
and I know not why.
Are You the sky?

What if I surrender, give up, stop?
Will that matter?
Will You offer a blessing?
Will that matter?
And what does it matter
that the sky goes on and on and on—
and that the stars glisten
above our heads until dawn,
and then the stars are… gone? [1]

Amen.

08/06/2023
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: “So I say this up front, the title of the poem at the beginning and end the meditation is Jacob’s Lament and yes, I wrote it. Next, I have this quote which I once as a Thought for Meditation. It’s from Biblical scholar Walter Bruggemann and is about the God of Scripture: ‘The image of God painted in Scripture is a God of intentional artistic illusiveness’— intentional artistic illusiveness— Walter Bruggemann. God is real, but like anyone else we know, even or perhaps especially a close friend, God cannot be explained. God needs to be experienced.”

BENEDICTION: Let us never fear to seek the truth God reveals. Let us live as a resurrection people. Let us understand every day as a new adventure in faith as the Creator draws us into community. So, go now, go in safety— for you cannot go where God is not. Go now— go in love— for love alone endures. Go now— go with purpose and God will honor your dedication. And last, go in peace— for it is a gift from God to those whose hearts and minds are in Christ, Jesus. Amen.

[1] This poem was composed for this sermon by the Pastor. Its title is Jacob’s Lament.

07/30/2023 ~ Ninth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 12 ~ 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 ~ https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/850935259

The Love of Christ

“What will separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble? Hardship? Distress? Calamity? Persecution? Famine? Hunger? Nakedness? Peril? Danger? The sword? Violence?” — Romans 8:35 [ILV]

The late Rev. Dr. Glenn Miller, was my Church History professor in seminary. Glenn was a Southern gentleman and very laid back. Nothing ruffled him.

I was once 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.” Glenn nodded. “What does that cover?”

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

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

Glenn smiled. There was a twinkle in his eye. I could tell mischief was afoot. Glenn reached out the left hand as far as possible. “Jesus, was resurrected over here— about the year 30 of the Common Era.”

Then reaching out the right hand as far as possible Glenn offered this. “Jesus will come back sometime over here… we don’t quite know when.”

Glenn then looked back and forth across the imaginary line created by the distance between the two outstretched hands and made a pronouncement. “A survey course in Church History covers everything in between.” (Slight pause.)

I was reminded of that story because of an article in the magazine The Christian Century. It reported American students don’t know much about the history of our nation.

When tested, most sixth graders can’t explain why Abraham Lincoln is important. Only 2 percent of high school seniors could name what the Supreme Court addressed in Brown versus the Board of Education ruling.

Lendol Calder, of Augustana College in Illinois, the article said, had been exploring this issue. At the start of a survey course in American History this professor asks students to write a short paper on the history of the United States. They are required to do it in the first class of the semester but write it without using any resources— just work from what they remember, what they think they know.

The students think they are being tested on factual knowledge. They are not. Calder’s goal is to find out what the students think the story of the United States says.

Over the 15 years Calder has used this exercise, the number of students who see this country’s past as a story about gaining freedom has consistently and constantly dropped. It is now less than 20 percent. And that’s not even the real problem.

The real problem is this story has not been replaced by another story— for instance, a story of specific groups gaining freedom. Over 80 percent see the American past as just one thing after another— a jumble of disconnected events. Calder wonders if the American narrative cannot be seen as any kind of unfolding story, not even one about freedom, but simply a set of facts, then does it wind up as seeming to be meaningless?

Indeed, if there is no narrative framework, is it possible students cannot and are not able to see themselves in that story, unable to see themselves as inheritors of freedom. If people have no narrative sense of the American story and its movement toward freedom, is it possible they will be susceptible to ideologues who weave their own versions of the past in order to manipulate emotions? (Slight pause.)

That Church History professor, Dr. Miller, insisted history is not about dates and facts. History is about narrative, about story, and more specifically about movement over the course of centuries, like the still ongoing American movement toward freedom.

History is, therefore and paradoxically, personal. It is personal because we, now, are a part of the story. But history cannot be personal unless we can see ourselves as a part and as a continuation of a story.

Further, a story can span years and does not happen overnight. Lincoln was president from 1861 to 1865, a fairly short span. But the Era of Lincoln — that specific story about enslavement and freedom, ran at least from 1840 to 1870, the era when slavery was contested and overcome.

Brown versus the Board of Education, separate is not equal, happened in 1954. But the work of equal rights continues even today. It is a human struggle. And we need to see all of us together— here, now— as a continuing part of a story about freedom.

Unless we come to grips with any narrative and how it effects us, personally, see ourselves within its framework, we are left thrashing around wondering who we are, as we try to figure out what’s happening around us. Unless we see history as part of our own story, there are only disconnected events. Indeed, unless we see ourselves in the context of the story we lose a part of ourselves. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as Romans: “What will separate us from the love of Christ? Trouble? Hardship? Distress? Calamity? Persecution? Famine? Hunger? Nakedness? Peril? Danger? The sword? Violence?” (Slight pause.)

Can we, do we see ourselves as a part of the story about the relationship between God and humanity? (Slight pause.) One premise with which I approach the Bible asks this: what does the Bible mean beginning to end, Genesis to Revelation— the whole arc?

Here’s my take: the narrative of the Bible says God loves each of us and wants to be in covenant with all of us. That’s the whole thing, the whole story in one sentence.

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

Indeed, if we look at one of those verses and decide it says God does not love someone or that someone is outcast, we’ve not just misread the narrative. Either we really do not know the narrative or we’ve twisted the narrative beyond recognition.

Further, the narrative needs to be personal. We need to see ourselves in the narrative, this story which says God loves each of us and wants to covenant with all of us. So to say it again, the basic narrative, the basic story of the Bible is really this simple: God loves each of us. God loves all of us. (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 the love of God, all of those aforementioned things— trouble, hardship, distress, calamity, persecution, famine, hunger, nakedness, peril, danger, the sword, violence— will separate us from the love of God. They will separate us— and note: not God from us but us from God— there’s a difference— we are the ones forcing the separation— these will separate us from what God has done for us in Christ.

I need to be clear about something else. What I am not saying is that trouble, hardship, distress, calamity, persecution, famine, hunger, nakedness, peril, danger, the sword or violence will cease to exist because of the love God offers. You see, as Christians, we believe the peace of God is with us.

But the peace of God is not the absence of trouble, hardships, et cetera. The peace of God is, rather, the presence of God.

And, as Christians, we believe Christ lives. We believe the presence of Christ is with us, the presence of God is with us— here, now.

A relationship with God is like any other relationship. It’s personal. And once we realize that nothing can separate us from Christ, once we see ourselves as children of God, as a part of that story, then the relationship becomes very, very personal.

Why? Because we then see ourselves as loved by God in Christ, Jesus, and we see ourselves as a part of the story— part of the story called the love of God. And I think the love of God is the greatest story ever told. Amen.

07/30/2023
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: “Two things: remember Mr. Frog. Second, Another seminary student, not the one from the earlier story, once said to me that the reason the professors wanted us to write so many papers is they wanted us re-write the Bible. ‘No,’ I said. ‘They want to empower us to know the story of the Bible so well that we can tell others what Bible says using our own words.’ I think that illustrates the relationship we need to have with Scripture and with God. It’s about God so it’s about relationship. It’s personal, therefore.”

BENEDICTION
Let us recognize that the transforming power of the love God offers is forever among us. 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.

07/23/2023 ~ Eighth Sunday after Pentecost Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Proper 11 ~ Genesis 28:10-19a; Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24; Wisdom of Solomon 12:13, 16-19 or Isaiah 44:6-8; Psalm 86:11-17; Romans 8:12-25; Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Alpha and Omega

“This is what Yahweh says— the Ruler of Israel, the Redeemer of Israel, the Sovereign of heaven, Yahweh Omnipotent— “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no god.” — Isaiah 44:6

A couple weeks ago at A Time for All Ages I displayed a little globe of the earth. Since there happened to be no youngsters here that Sunday I felt it was O.K. to throw out some adult ideas, adult numbers about the earth.

I said the earth rotates at about 1,000 miles per hour. Also the earth and therefore our solar system along with us and with it, is traversing through interstellar space at about 67,000 miles per hour. I then said the number of humans currently living on this fragile globe as we hurtle along through space is 8 Billion souls.

Now, for the sake of clarity I then pointed out an easy way to tell the difference between one million and one billion. One million seconds spans approximately eleven days. One billion seconds, however, would be around 31 years. Just to pile on with the numbers game what I did not say is a trillion seconds would be about 31,000 years.

I did not say this at that time: we all know there are billionaires but it’s probably hard for us to understand that much money. Equally and for the sake of clarity, the current evaluation of Apple Computers is 3 trillion dollars. (Pause.)

When I start a class for the process of Confirmation in an effort to help those involved grasp the reality of the universe and thereby our minute place in it, I often begin with some related large numbers. The speed of light is 186,000 miles per second.

That means light travels 5.88 trillion miles in one year. The radius of the known universe is 46.508 billion light years. And as I said, each one of those light years is nearly 6 trillion miles. If all those numbers do not make our heads hurt just thinking about it, we’re doing it wrong. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. “This is what Yahweh says— the Ruler of Israel, the Redeemer of Israel, the Sovereign of heaven, Yahweh Omnipotent— “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no god.” (Slight pause.)

We need to realize the titles of God at the start of this passage— the Ruler of Israel, etc.— are what the writer says about God. Then it is God Who says I am the first and the last. Next, please notice how this reading is laid out on the page. I hope it’s evident we are looking at, hearing some form of poetry.

But scholars tell us these words are more than just poetry. This is a lyric, a hymn. The Hebrew Scriptures have a multitude of hymns. In fact, I sometimes refer to the Book of Psalms as the hymnal of the Second Temple. (Slight pause.)

Now, some of you know this about me; others do not. I am a member of A.S.C.A.P., the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers. I am a professional lyricist. The lyricist in me could do at least an hour lecture on how a lyric is different than a poem, but we don’t have that kind of time.

Briefly, a lyric must pay attention to not just what’s happening in the tempo, meter and tune. A lyric also needs to work with the chord structure which supports the tune. Indeed, the meaning, the deep emotional content of music, is found in the chords. Besides matching everything else, the words need to match that meaning, those emotions. [1]

You heard about emotions and music because of the quote from Yip Harburg in our Thoughts for Meditation— “songs make us feel thoughts.” Music, therefore hymns by definition, carry significant emotional content. That needs to be recognized. [2]

As for the hymns found in Scripture, I’ve got good news and bad news. The good news: as I indicated, the Bible is riddled with songs, hymns. The bad news: we do not have a clue as to what any of that music sounds like.

And when it comes to the emotions being expressed, what God is says in this hymn is both a monologue and something of a rant. As a lyricist I need to say there are a lot of songs which are rants. In this rant a difference is drawn between God’s own self and other gods, the graven idols, being worshiped by peoples other than the Israelites.

But it’s possible, given these words were written during the Babylonian exile, that the Israelites have found the Babylonian graven images attractive. God is not pleased.

But this is more than just a rant. God presents Israel and thereby presents us with a challenge by asking tacit questions. Those questions: Who is your God? Who do you think your God is? Who do say your God is? Who do you worship?

There are other even more pointed questions implied. These include— can it be determined by your actions who God is? Can it be determined by your actions who you think or say God is? Can it be determined by your actions who you worship?

Along with those challenges, God clearly makes a statement about who God is. (Quote:) “I am the first and I am the last; apart from Me there is no god.” (Pause.)

Recently there was a scientific breakthrough. This quote about the breakthrough is from The Washington Post. “The very fabric of the cosmos is constantly being roiled and rumpled all around us, according to multiple international teams of scientists that have independently found compelling evidence for long-theorized space-time waves.” [3]

In short, time does not march smoothly forward. Time is flexible. Ouch! Now my head really hurts. (Slight pause.)

That science brings me back to God, God Who we hear about in this passage. This is a God Who defines time, defies time, is beyond time. This is a God for Whom our human sense of what time is does… not… matter.

After all, our claim is God spoke with the Israelites, that God became incarnate with the reality of Jesus, that Jesus lives, that the Spirit is at work in our midst. I am sorry to repeat myself but if that does not make our heads hurt just thinking about it, we’re doing it wrong. (Slight pause.)

I know a church where during the Seasons of Advent and Christmas the Deacons hang two very large Greek letters— Alpha and Omega— covered in evergreen branches and lights at the front of the meeting house. Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, tells us all we need to know about Who we should be celebrating during Advent, Yuletide, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, Pentecost, about Who we should be celebrating throughout the year.

We celebrate God Who is both incarnate in a specific time and all time, for Whom there is no beginning or end. We celebrate God Who defines time, defies time, is beyond time, a God for Whom our human understanding of time does not apply.

The claim being made in the Scroll of the Prophet Isaiah, the claim we Christians make at Advent, Yuletide, Epiphany, Lent, Eastertide, throughout Pentecost, is that God transcends our understanding. This is our claim: God is eternal.

Tell me, what does that mean? How many light years is that? Can it be in any way counted? (Slight pause.)

I suspect we need to adjust out thinking about God even if that does make our heads hurt. We need to understand what we are saying, what Isaiah told us God said, is that God, Who is eternal, does not just transcend all numbers and all time. God is beyond our understanding.

Question: are we willing to live with that, live with a God Who cannot be measured, a God Who we cannot measure? Or do we want to fashion a God who is more understandable. Do we want to put God in a box. Do we want to domesticate God? Your call. Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
07/23/2023

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: “Earlier I said the passage was a lyric, a hymn. The renowned lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II said song is what happens when the emotions being expressed are too intense to be carried by mere dialogue. Even if it makes our heads hurt we need to, as well as we are able, explore the emotional content about God found in Scripture. And Scripture is riddled with emotional content about God.”

BENEDICTION: O God, Who by the leading of a star led the people of the earth to the reality of the Christ, lead us, who know You by faith, to Your presence, to Your reality where we may see Your glory in the lost, the weary, the outcast, in each of our neighbors. Help us to see, to understand, to witness, to live lives filled with Your grace. Amen.

[1] It should be noted that the closing hymn for this service, This Is the World of God had a lyric written by the pastor.

[2] This was one of two Thoughts for Meditation for the day and was read out loud at the start of the service: “Words make us think thoughts. Music makes us feel feelings. Songs make us feel thoughts.” — ‘Yip’ Harburg, Lyricist for The Wizard of Oz

[3]
https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/06/28/gravitational-wave-background-nanograv/?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=wp_news_alert_revere&location=alert

07/16/2023 ~ Seventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ Fifteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time Proper 10 ~ Genesis 25:19-34; Psalm 119:105-112; Isaiah 55:10-13; Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13; Romans 8:1-11; Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23 ~ NOTE: Used Exodus 3:1-16.

VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/846310842

NOTE: below is the reading used for this sermon. The sermon follows. This sermon was a tri-logue (a dialogue for three people). Ken Chutchian and Eric Wohltjen, members of the Kellogg Church, participated in this presentation.

INTRODUCTION TO SCRIPTURE

In part because we read these words I am about to offer in translation, certainly one of the things we miss is that God names God’s own self by using a form of the verb “to be.” But perhaps of equal interest is that God uses three different forms in stating that name. Think about that later— three different forms in stating that name. Hear now this reading as it is found in the work known as Exodus in the Third Chapter.

A READING FROM A READING FROM THE TANAKH IN THE SECTION KNOWN AS THE TORAH — Exodus 3:1-16 [ILV]

[1] Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, who was the father-in-law of Moses and was the priest of Midian. Leading the flock beyond the beaten path, deep into the wilderness, Moses came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

[2] There a messenger of God appeared in a flame of fire from the midst of a thornbush. Moses saw this— a bush ablaze with fire and yet not consumed— [3] and Moses said, “Let me go closer and look at this remarkable sight and see why the bush does not burn up.”

[4] God saw Moses coming closer and called out from the midst of the bush: “Moses, Moses!”

Moses answered, “I am here.”

[5] God said, “Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you stand is holy ground!”

[6] Then God said, “I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Rebecca and Isaac, the God of Leah and Jacob and Rachel.”

Moses looked away, afraid to look at the Holy One.

[7] Then God said, I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt; I have heard their cries as they suffer because of those who oppress them. I have, indeed, felt their sufferings. [8] Now I have come to deliver them, to rescue them from the hand of Egypt out of their place of their suffering and to bring them to a place out of that land, a place that is wild and fertile, a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey— the country of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. [9] The cry of the children of Israel has reached me; I have also seen how the Egyptians oppress them. [10] Now Go! I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

[11] But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

[12] God answered, “I will be with you; and this shall be the sign by which you shall know that it is I who sent you: after you bring my people out of Egypt, you will all worship at this very mountain.”

[13] “But” Moses said, “when I go to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ of they ask, ‘What is the name of God?’ what shall I say to them?”

[14] God replied, “I AM WHO I AM.” God also said, I AM AS I AM. Then God further said, “This is what you shall tell the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

[15] God spoke further to Moses, “Tell the children of Israel, ‘Yahweh, the I AM of your ancestors, the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Rebecca and Isaac, the God of Leah and Jacob and Rachel, has sent me to you’:

This is my name forever;
This is the name
you are to remember
for all generations.

[16] Now go and gather the elders of Israelites and tell them, ‘I AM, the God of your ancestors, ancestors the God of Abraham and Sarah, the God of Rebecca and Isaac, the God of Leah and Jacob and Rachel, has appeared to me and sent me to you. Say to them I have heard you, I have heard your cries and I have seen the way you are being treated in Egypt.

Here ends this reading from Scripture.

Baseball, the Bible and Trinitarianism:
A Tri-logue
(A Dialogue for Three People)

JOE: Greetings to all— I am not here to offer the usual sermon today. I am here to offer a serious academic lecture about the connection between sports and the Bible. I see some doubting looks out there. But I do need everyone to know that there is a definite connection between athletics and the Bible. In fact, did you know that strange as it may seem, the Bible is about Baseball.

ERIC: (At the start of this Eric is sitting near the front of the congregation.) Wait! Wait! Wait just a cotton picking minute. Hold on! Hold your horses! Baseball? How can the Bible be about Baseball? You probably know this. I am a really, really big Baseball fan. And if I know anything, I know Baseball was invented by Abner Doubleday. Legend has it Abner invented Baseball in Cooperstown, New York where the Baseball Hall of Fame is today. Now, on the other hand, Abraham, for instance, is in the Bible and lived in the part of the world we today call the Middle East. But Abraham probably lived about four thousand years ago. Moses is also in the Bible. And Moses probably lived in the part of the world we call the Middle East. But Moses lived about three thousand years ago. And Jesus is in the Bible. (You knew that, right?) And Jesus lived about two thousand years ago. But Jesus lived in the part of the world we today call the Middle East. So, they all lived in what we today call the Middle East. The Middle East— that’s thousands and thousands and thousands of miles away from Cooperstown. Even by jet, that would take better than a half a day to get from the Middle East all the way to Cooperstown, New York. I know that because I’ve been in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. And if there is anything I know, it’s that Doubleday invented Baseball in Cooperstown, New York. Baseball has nothing to do with the Middle East. Also, Baseball was invented in 1839 not thousands of years ago. 1839 is only about (Eric counts on his fingers)… 184 years ago, not 4,000 years ago, not 3,000 years ago, not 2,000 years ago.

KEN: (KEN has been sitting near the front of the congregation also and now jumps up.) Eric— I am sorry to say you’re wrong. Joe is right. Baseball is in the Bible. After all, don’t the first words in Genesis say: “In the Big Inning…”

ERIC: Oh, yeah?

JOE: Yeah. So you see? There is a connection between Baseball and the Bible— it’s real.

ERIC: Yeah? Well… well… well… who’s on First?

KEN: What do you mean, who’s on First?

ERIC: I just want to know the name of the player in the field, the position we call First Base. Who’s on First? I want to know the name of the player who plays First Base. It might even be a strange name.

KEN: That may well be right. Or at least you’ll think it’s a strange name.

ERIC: Well, yes! There are a lot of Baseball players have funny or strange names. I mean, in the past Baseball players have had names like Dizzy Dean who played for the Saint Louis team. Or Mookie Wilson who played for the Mets. Or Moose Skowron— he played for the Yankees. Moose— you’d think a guy named Moose would be from Maine and would play for the Red Sox. But no. He played for the Yankees. And there even was a pitcher named Joba— Joba— that name doesn’t even sound like the name of a Baseball player. That sounds like a character out of Star Wars. And there was this guy named Casey Stengel. Casey— he should have been managing a locomotive, not a Baseball team. But Casey said you can’t have a Baseball team without a catcher— but what would Casey know— he managed the Yankees and the Mets— not the Red Sox. So let’s forget about who the catcher is and start on First Base. I’ll say it again. If the Bible is about Baseball, who’s… on… First?

KEN: I still don’t know what you mean by who’s on First? And what happened to the catcher.

ERIC: Never mind about the catcher. Here’s what I want to know: if the Bible is about Baseball, what’s the name of the player who plays First Base in the Bible?

JOE: What is not the name of the one who plays First Base on the Bible Baseball team.

ERIC: I know that! Who’s on First?

KEN: Who is not the name of the one who plays First Base on the Bible Baseball team.

ERIC: Look. Do either of you know the name of the one playing First Base on the Bible Baseball team?

JOE: I think we both know the name.

ERIC: Great. So can either one of you please tell me the name of the one playing the position of First Base on this Bible Baseball team?

KEN: I AM.

ERIC: You play First Base?

KEN: No.

ERIC: I didn’t think you were playing First Base. So, the name of the one playing First is…?

KEN : I AM.

ERIC: Look, you just said you are not the one playing First on the Bible Baseball team. And then I ask you the name of the one playing First on the Bible Baseball team and what do you say? You say, “I AM.” No you are not. You said you are not. (Turns to Joe.) O.K. You, you— maybe you know Mr. know it all about the Bible and Baseball can tell me. What is the name of the one playing First on the Bible Baseball team.

JOE: What is not the name of the one who plays First.

ERIC: I think we’ve already established that. So, let’s try this again: the name of the one playing First on the Bible Baseball team is…?

JOE: I AM.

ERIC: You play First Base? (Points to KEN.) First he said he’s playing First. Then you say you’re playing First.

JOE: No. I am not a good enough player to play First and who is not playing First, either.

ERIC: O.K. We got that straight now. (Points to Joe.) You’re not the one playing First. (Points to KEN.) And you’re not playing First. So, who is playing First?

KEN AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.

ERIC: No. Wait! You can’t both be playing First!

JOE: No. We’re not.

ERIC: So, who… is… playing… First?

KEN AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.

ERIC: All right. That’s settled. You’ve got two people playing First Base.

KEN: No, no, no. You don’t understand. When Moses asked God to tell Moses what the name of God is so Moses could tell the people of Israel that name, the word God used to identify God’s own self was the Hebrew word Yahweh.

JOE: And the Hebrew word Yahweh is, in Hebrew, a form of the verb to be. Hence, God’s name is…

KEN AND JOE (TOGETHER): I AM.

ERIC: No. That can’t possibly be right. Baseball players can have strange names but no one can possibly be named ‘I AM.’ It’s just… just too strange even for Baseball players.

JOE: Hey! If someone can be named Dizzy or Moose or Joba, how can you say ‘I AM’ is a strange name?

ERIC: Well, I guess you have a point. But I’ve heard people call God by lots of names. I’ve heard God called Creator. I’ve heard God called the Light. I’ve heard God called Rock— now that name sounds like a Baseball player— Rock. I’ve even heard God called Father.

KEN: Yes. God is called by a lot of names in the Bible. But of all those names you mentioned, Father is the one you will never find in the Bible.

ERIC: What do you mean Father is not in the Bible? Didn’t Jesus teach the disciples to start a basic prayer to God with the words “Our Father…”?

KEN: No.

ERIC: What do you mean no? We say a prayer that starts with the words “Our Father…” at nearly every service on a Sunday. And I know Jesus taught that prayer to the disciples.

KEN: No. The prayer Jesus taught the disciples was more personal and more intimate than that. Jesus told the disciples to pray saying “Our Daddy…”

ERIC: But this is God we’re talking about! That sounds way too…too… too… informal— “Our Daddy…”

KEN: That’s what it really says in Scripture when we read it in the original language— “Our Daddy.”

ERIC: All right, so where did we get Father?

JOE: We got it from the Romans. They called their chief God ‘Father.’ So you see, the term ‘Father’ is not in the Bible. It just started being used because the Romans were using it for their god.

ERIC: But the Romans worshiped a lot of gods; the Romans were… were… pagans.

JOE: I think you’ve made my point. They were pagans. And every time we call God ‘Father’ that’s a reference to a pagan God.

KEN: And since God is not called Father in the Bible, maybe we should just stick with the name Yahweh— “I AM.”

JOE: And you know what we just said: who’s on First? I AM is on First.

ERIC: I AM is on First?

JOE: I AM is on First.

ERIC: O.K. Who’s on second? Bet I got you with that one. Who plays Second Base on this Bible team? It ain’t ‘I AM’ is it?

KEN: No. It ain’t I AM.

JOE: Jesus is on second.

KEN: You see, one of the basic Christian beliefs is the one many people label as Trinity. And in Trinity Jesus is known as the Second Person— Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity— Jesus is on second.

ERIC: Oh, yeah? Think you’re smart with that one, do you? (Mocking.) Jesus is known as the Second Person of the Trinity. So, Jesus is on Second. Well, I know my theology too. And Jesus had two natures. Jesus is fully human and Jesus is fully divine. You can’t pin Jesus down that easily. So, maybe Jesus is not just on second. Nah, nah, na, na, na!

JOE: Shortstop.

ERIC: What?

JOE: Shortstop.

ERIC: Jesus plays shortstop?

JOE: You are right on that one, O grand inquisitor of all things Baseball and Bible. Our Christian claim is that Jesus is fully human and fully divine. So, Jesus gets to play second.

KEN: And Jesus gets to play shortstop too. Fully human and fully divine.

ERIC: Who’s on second?

JOE: Jesus.

ERIC: Who plays short?

KEN: Jesus.

ERIC: But how can someone play two positions?

KEN: Eric… Jesus.

ERIC: (Resigned.) Yeah…. right… fully human; fully divine.

KEN: Right.

ERIC: O.K. Explain that. Explain how someone can play two positions.

JOE: ERIC… it’s simple. We’re talking about Jesus.

ERIC: (Resigned again.) Right. O.K. It’s Jesus. But you still have the hot corner! You haven’t got to the hot corner covered yet!

KEN: The hot corner?

ERIC: Third Base! Where you have to be ready for someone dropping down a bunt. Where you have to be ready when the batters hit wicked shots down the line and you’ve got to dive for the ball and make a backhanded catch! And you don’t have third covered on the Bible Baseball team, do you?! Wham! Crack! And there goes a line drive over the bag…

JOE: ERIC. ERIC. ERIC. ERIC. Slow down. You know who covers the hot corner.

ERIC: I do?

JOE: You do.

ERIC: (Long pause. Quietly:) Third Base… the Spirit of God?

JOE: See? You do know your theology. The Spirit of God is sometimes called the Holy Spirit. And, speaking of many funny names, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete…

ERIC: Hold it! Hold it! Hold it! Nothing you’ve said so far proves the Bible is about Baseball until now! That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about Baseball!

JOE: That the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete really proves the Bible is about Baseball?

ERIC: Of course it does! The Holy Spirit must be wearing a pair of cleats.

JOE: Ahhh, right, right, right, right. Well, the Holy Spirit is sometimes called the Paraclete, sometimes called the Spirit which is present to us, sometimes called the Spirit in our midst… the point is the Holy Spirit is here with us. The Holy Spirit can handle all our situations, anything anyone hits to us… all those bunts which might catch us unaware and all the hot shots down the line. The Holy Spirit helps us with everything.

KEN: Yes, the Spirit of God is always with us. The gifts of the Spirit, sometimes called the fruits of the Spirit, these are gifts that God gives us and they are many: wisdom, knowledge, healing, prophecy, discernment, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control, joy, peace and love. The Spirit of God is at work in our lives. And we can rely on the Spirit to guide us through life.

JOE: And when we consider our experience of God which takes in the faithfulness of the one called I AM, the example of Jesus and the guidance of the Spirit— that is the real reason we say Baseball is mirrored in the Bible.

ERIC: Why do you say that? What do you mean?

JOE: Eric, what’s the object of the game of Baseball?

ERIC: To score runs?

KEN: Close!

ERIC: Oh, I know! The object of the game is to avoid three strikes and you’re out!

JOE: Not quite right, either, although I think part of the point is to stay at bat until you realize that you can walk with God.

KEN: So yes, besides a walk with God, the real object of the game is to be safe at home.

JOE: And if we pay attention to the fact that God, the Great I AM, is on First…

KEN: And Jesus plays both second and short…

JOE: And the Spirit covers third…

KEN: And that God, Jesus and the Spirit is what Christians through the centuries have called Trinity and that God, Jesus and the Spirit are Trinity…

JOE: When we pay attention to all that…

ERIC: I know. I know. We will be safe at home with God.

JOE: Safe at home…

KEN: Safe at home…

ALL 3: Safe… at… home…

JOE: And you know, there are only two places people sing together in public any more. One is in Church. And one is in the ballpark for the seventh inning stretch. It would not be church and it would not be a Baseball game if there was not community singing. So, let’s all sing the song in the bulletin. It’s called Send Us Out; it’s right there in the bulletin. Elizabeth! Hit it!

LYRIC: Send us out, God, in Your Name
God be there in the crowd!
By You we live and we play and run.
We are a part of Your Three in One!
And it’s root, root, root, for the One God—
Maker, Redeemer and Flame!
And it’s one, two, three ways to know:
God’s beyond all Names!

KEN: Baseball and the Bible!

JOE: That’s a real Home Run!

ERIC: Amen, and again, Amen!

ALL 3: Amen, and again, Amen!

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: “And I hope that was at one and the same time that was both silly enough and serious enough for everyone. And I want to give Ken and Eric another ‘Thank You.’ And just for fun here are a couple more Baseball quotes. “A winner is somebody who goes out there every day and exhausts himself trying to get something accomplished.” — Joe Torre; “You may not think you’re going to make it. And you may want to quit. But if you keep your eye on the ball, you can accomplish anything.” — Hank Aaron; “Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday’s success or put its failures behind and start over again. That’s the way life is, with a new game every day, and that’s the way baseball is.” — Bob Feller; “To succeed in baseball, as in life, you must make adjustments.” — Ken Griffey Jr.

BENEDICTION: This is a prayer from the Melanesian Islands: Oh Jesus, be the canoe that holds me up in this sea of life; be the rudder that keeps me moving on a straight line; be the outrigger that supports me in times of trial; let Your Spirit be the sail that carries me through each day; keep me resolute and steadfast so that I can paddle steadfastly on the voyage called life. Amen.

07/02/2023 ~ Proper 8 (13) ~ Fifth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42 ~ The Sunday Before the Secular Holiday Known as Independence Day; Communion Sunday ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/842455016

Rewards?

“But the truth is whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones just for being a disciple will not lack a reward.” — Matthew 10:42.

Well, here we are— gathered in the 1757 Meeting House for worship. As I said earlier, in our Congregational tradition this building and the 1843 building across the road should not be identified by the word ‘church.’ The people are the church. Each of these buildings is a Meeting House, the place where the church, the people— you who are church— gather for worship.

To offer a little history many of us may already know, this Congregation, our ancestors in faith, the people who first gathered as church in Harpswell, pre-date even this building by two decades. In 1776, the Declaration of Independence was read for the first time in public for the people of Harpswell from the steps of this structure.

In 1844 the Rev. Mr. Elijah Kellogg became the pastor. He remained involved with the community of Harpswell, despite leaving that post some 10 years later.

To slightly change location, while Kellogg was serving this congregation, Harriet Beecher Stowe received a vision to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin as she sat in a pew at First Parish Church in Brunswick. Many moons later I was a member at First Parish and they kicked me out and dispatched me off to Bangor Theological Seminary.

After serving churches in Waldo County, I spent 23 years as Pastor at a church in very rural Upstate New York. I was the longest serving pastor that church had ever seen. I mention this because there’s a connection which relates to history. The pastor whose record I bested at that New York church was the son-in-law of Henry Ward Beecher, the brother of Harriet Beecher Stowe.

I always felt the Beecher/Stowe connection with that New York church somehow completed a circle, perhaps a cycle of history. To come back to Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin and that era, it has been reported that because of her famous book when Abraham Lincoln met Stowe, he said, “Well, this is the little lady who started the Civil War.” Indeed, we Congregationalists were deeply involved in the abolitionist movement. (Slight pause.)

Most people don’t realize how terrible the Civil War was. Historians tell us there were at least 650,000 battlefield deaths during the conflict. That is equal to the total fatalities in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Spanish American War, World War I, World War II, and the Korean War combined.

Today, July 2nd, is the 160th anniversary of Little Round Top, one of many battles in which Maine’s own Joshua Chamberlain was involved. Indeed, we are in the midst of the three days— July First, Second and Third— which marks the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. During just those three days over 50,000 were killed.

Some say the civil war was simply a war of state against state and they make a states’ rights argument. But that ignores the deep reality of the Civil War.

The war was a fight which said there is no right to buy and sell people, human beings. It was a fight for freedom, a fight to free those who were enslaved in this nation, enslaved largely based on the color of their skin. (Pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Matthew: “But the truth is whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these lowly ones just for being a disciple will not lack a reward.” (Slight pause.)

The cup of water we hear about in this passage is a symbol. The message of that symbol says the establishment of a new family is possible. The old, family which already exists and is full formed, can be bound together with a new, emerging family by a common commitment to do the will of God. Further, the new family is not there to replace the old family.

The new family is to be born and refreshed by the renewal found in the mission of the water offered by the old family. And this newly formed family which consists of the old and the new together is born in the context of mission.

Indeed, these words say community can extend beyond the current community because that new community is embraced and needs to be welcomed in the context of mission. Put another way, the old community, our community, needs to be aware we have a cup of water to offer, and extend it to the new community which is already there and ready to be welcomed.

The old community and the new community alike can be bonded together in the presence of the divine. How? Bonding is what happens in the context of mission. (Slight pause.)

We live in a world, in a society, that thinks everything has a price, everything can be bought and/or sold. Therefore, I think when we read these words from Matthew many believe the important part of the verse we heard is “…a disciple will not lack a reward.” We hear these words and react because we hear and see transaction.

But and therefore, we tend to ignore these words (quote:) “…whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these…” That dichotomy begs these questions: what is a disciple? What is discipleship? What does it mean to be a disciple? (Slight pause.)

Church historian Diana Butler Bass has said (quote:) “This is the real issue for churches today: Is the congregation one that provides a way of life, meaningful life, for people which can help them navigate through chaotic times. Is the congregation one that provides a way to be able to connect with God, to experience a new sense of the Holy Spirit, to be able to empower love and to be compassionate? That is what makes religious communities vibrant,…” (unquote). [1] (Slight pause.)

The Dominion of God is not about transactions, not about rewards. Neither is the Dominion of God is not about who has the most.

The church is not about transactions or rewards. The church is about striving to provide a way of meaningful life for people to help them navigate through chaotic times. The church is about helping people connect with the reality of God.

The church is about an experience of a new sense of the Holy Spirit, about empowering love, about being be able to be compassionate. The church is about community. The church is about… giving a cup of water.

The question before us, this group of people here gathered, this congregation, this community, is not a question about power or reward or even survival. The question before this congregation, this community is did we, were we, are we providing a way of meaningful life for people to help them navigate chaotic times?

Did we, were we, are we helping people connect with God, experience a sense of the Holy Spirit? Are we, can we empower love and compassion? Did we give a cup of water… simply a cup of cold water? (Pause.)

Earlier I said the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the people of Harpswell for the first time from the steps of this structure. And so, I said something in my comments from this pulpit last year which I think bears repeating.

Many feel the opening words of the Declaration of Independence about equality, life, liberty, the pursuit are the most important words in the document. And these days we tend to take those words personally, as if they were about each individual, as if they were about each one of us individually, indeed, as if they were about transaction.

However, I believe for the signers of the document who lived through those tumultuous times words toward the end of the Declaration were of at least equal importance. (Quote): “…for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.” (Slight pause.)

“…we mutually pledge…” The signers of the Declaration accepted, indeed, embraced communal responsibility. (Slight pause.) Giving a cup of cold water— it’s about our mutual responsibility as neighbors, as community. Amen. [2]

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: “One of the founding documents of this nation is the aforementioned Declaration of Independence. These are the first words of the other founding document, the Constitution: ‘We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union…’ Please notice the challenge this presents to all of us. We always and constantly need to strive toward the never ending process of being more perfect. And why is it a never ending process. In the words of Thomas Aquinas, perfection is found only in heaven. That does not mean we should fail to continually work at it? No. Perhaps what community really demands is that we do need to work at it continually.”

BENEDICTION: Let us place our trust in God. Let us go from this place to share this Good News: by God we are blessed; in Jesus, the Christ, we are made whole. Let us depart in confidence and joy that the Spirit of God is with us and let us carry Christ in our hearts for God is faithful. 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.

[1] . A summary of this is found at this URL.

Diana Butler Bass: SBC decline dispels idea that only liberal denominations die

[2] The closing hymn was My Eyes Have Seen the Glory. When the hymn was introduced the Pastor used the following words to explain the origin of the hymn.

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The Closing hymn today is My Eyes Have Seen the Glory. To see this work as a patriotic piece of music is to completely and utterly misunderstand what it says and what it means. Julia Ward Howe, suffragette and abolitionist, wrote the text of this hymn to a camp meeting tune when she witnessed a parade of Union troops near Washington, D.C. This was after the election of Lincoln but before the inauguration, so just before the onset of the Civil War. It is a hymn which expresses not patriotism but a clear sense of a religious call to action. It was a summons to proclaim freedom not just for the privileged in society but for all people, the outcast, the downtrodden, the enslaved. The hymn, if we are true to the sense of what the words actually say and mean, remains a call for all Christians to the kind of action that might ensure the freedom offered by the reality of the Dominion of God. It is a call to humanity for peace, freedom, justice and, hence, not about a specific nation or country. Therefore, to treat this hymn as a call to nationalism or patriotism misses the point of the sentiments it expresses. And so, singing this hymn should also be seen as a sobering experience. Indeed, as Christians, we need to pay particular attention to the last lines which read, “As Christ died to make us holy, / let us die to make all free / While God is marching on”— sobering, indeed. If this work stirs up anything resembling emotions in us, these emotions should inform us that injustice exists in our world, that injustice in the world is real, that acts of injustice are often violent and injustice is pervasive. We are thereby called on by God to respond. Again, the hymn is My Eyes Have Seen the Glory. When Elizabeth reaches the fourth verse of this hymn she will slow the tempo so we can offer that fourth verse with the reverence it deserves. And after the Benediction we will sing the refrain once again— My Eyes Have Seen the Glory.

06/25/2023 ~ Proper 7 (12) ~ Fourth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Genesis 21:8-21; Psalm 86:1-10, 16-17; Jeremiah 20:7-13; Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18; Romans 6:1b-11; Matthew 10:24-39 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/839788752

The Unexamined Life

“You who have found your own life will lose it; you who lose your own life for my sake will find it.” — Matthew 10:39.

Many of you know I came to maturity in the Roman Catholic tradition. Or as I have said here before, with a name like Joseph Francis Connolly, Jr. that is hard to hide.

When I was in parochial school the nuns taught us to prepare for the Sacrament of Confession. It should be noted in the Roman tradition Confession is a Sacrament and one is expected to go to confession, to confess sins, regularly, even weekly.

In order to prepare, a person should do what is called an examination of conscience concerning what sins one might have committed. Or so the nuns said. But what does that mean— an examination of conscience? (Slight pause.)

Perhaps the informative and first question to ask here is the obvious one: ‘what is sin?’ In our Western culture we have somehow decided sin can be defined only as specific acts committed by individuals.

Therefore, if little Tommy in Sister Mary Patrick’s 4th Grade class happens to accidentally lift a chocolate bar from the supermarket shelf and, unobserved, slip it in a pocket while shopping with Mom— well, as Tommy totals up what happened in the course of the week, that should count as a sin. Tommy needs to confess it.

In fact, Tommy needs to calculate what sins have been committed since the last confession and be ready to confess each of these acts, sins. This tends to be a practice to which many adhere from the 4th Grade forward until death. Assessing sin becomes a game of numbers. What was done which qualifies as an offense and how often has it been done?

“Are you sorry?” might not even be a part of the picture. Indeed, if one sees some act as sin but keeps doing it over and over and over, it becomes hard to envision a state of actual confession, some movement which might consist of real change.

Believe me, my 4th grade teacher, Sister Mary Patrick, used that little Tommy example of the lifted chocolate bar to explain an examination of conscience. But for many, the process of accounting becomes the only reality. How many times, how often?

Of course, lifting a chocolate bar from the supermarket shelf does seem to fall under the heading of ‘Thou shalt not steal.’ Therefore, one might assume the act is a sin, something that you as an individual might do and something of which you as an individual might be guilty.

But is that sin? (Slight pause.) From the Biblical perspective, lifting a chocolate bar from the local supermarket shelf is, at best, a minor offense and probably not even worthy of the name sin. How is that true?

There are two things that need to be said about sin from the Biblical perspective. First, sin is a corporate offense, something done by the community or in the community. A sin, therefore, may be but is not necessarily done by an individual. Second and also therefore, what kind of act should be defined as sin?

The definition of sin from that Biblical perspective is quite simple. Sin is missing the mark. What mark?

This is the mark: in some way the covenant relationship with God has been broken and/or the covenant relationship with one another has been broken. However and again, from the Biblical perspective, sin is always considered to be so corporate, so communal, that the Biblical concept of sin says if any one of us— any one of us breaks covenant with God or one another, that is if any one individual breaks covenant, then we have all of us together— have offended God and one another.

So the Biblical definition says if one breaks covenant, we have all broken covenant. Individual blame, deciding who is at fault becomes something of a moot point.

I know— from the Biblical perspective if sin is not individual that sounds un-American, does it not? But it’ is theologically quite sound. To make the claim that sin is only individual is a secular way to look at it. Sin is corporate. And, I might add, sin is not a game of numbers: ‘how many times did I do what?’

All that brings us back to covenant. As I said, when we break covenant with God and one another, we miss the mark. It’s that simple. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Matthew. “You who have found your own life will lose it; you who lose your own life for my sake will find it.” (Slight pause.)

Socrates was a Greek philosopher who lived from approximately 470 to 399 Before the Common Era and is one of the founders of Western philosophy. This is among many things Socrates is famous for saying: “The unexamined life is not worth living”— “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

The examined life is what philosophy is about. Indeed, what does the word philosophy mean? Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words— philo and sophia.

Philo means love as in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. Sophia, a common name for women, is also the Greek word for wisdom or virtue. Hence, philosophy is the love of or the pursuit of wisdom or the love of or the pursuit of virtue.

So, when we examine our lives what are we really doing? We are not addressing the lifting a candy bar off a shelf or an enumeration of wrong doings.

When we examine our lives— or as the Nuns would have it, when we examine our conscience— we should be trying to see is if we have fully pursued wisdom, virtue. If we have not fully pursued wisdom, virtue, or put the Christian way if we have not fully pursued adherence to a covenant with God and one another, we have missed the mark. (Slight pause.)

And that turns me toward another modern Western concept, the thought that we are constantly and always good, without fault. (Slight pause.)

The responsive Prayer of Confession I used during the Holy Thursday service here at the Kellogg Church this year started with me saying this: “I confess to God and in the company of the people of God that my life and the life of the the whole world is not whole.” Then the congregation responded, “May God forgive you, Christ renew you and the Spirit enable you to grow in love.”

Once that happened, the congregation said: “We confess to God and in the company of the people of God that each of our lives and the life of all the world is not whole.” Then I said, “May God forgive you, Christ renew you and the Spirit enable you to grow….”

This litany, at least in part, illustrates an examined life. Why? It says we might be willing to admit we are imperfect and are willing to forgive imperfection in and to each other. And that brings us directly back to the words attributed to Jesus (quote:) “You who have found your own life will lose it; you who lose your own life for my sake will find it.”

You see the love of or the pursuit of covenant is not about us, individuals. Nor is it about numbers or accounting. The love of or the pursuit of wisdom, virtue, covenant is about a purity of heart and doing for others.

An examination of life is about the continuing covenant with one another. And we need to come to that place— being in covenant with one another— because God is in covenant with us. (Slight pause.)

Matthew says (quote:) “…not a single sparrow will fall to the ground without the knowledge of Abba, God.” These words are not about sparrows. They are about what happens when we are in covenant.

Why would I say this phrase about sparrows is about what happens when we are in covenant? Because, as the lyric in the hymn we used earlier says, “His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

So yes, God’s eye is on the sparrow. And yes, God is in covenant with us. And God, Who is in covenant with us, invites us to be in covenant with one another. Why? We are all children of God. Or if you like, we are all sparrows.

And, as children of God, as God’s sparrows, we need to see to each other’s well being, to each other’s welfare, to each other’s well-ness, to each other’s wholeness. We need to see to each other’s holiness.

We need to see each other as holy, set aside by God. Striving to see each other as holy— that is what I would call being in pursuit of virtue, of wisdom, of… covenant. Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
06/25/2023

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: “Populist opinion says to repent means to be sorry or regretful. That is not true. To repent means to stop what I’m doing, any behavior, which is outside of our covenant with God and to change direction from what I am doing and turn toward God. In short, repent means to change. And this is a given: the examined life requires change. If that sounds challenging please remember there are sparrows, we are sparrows, and God watches after sparrows and God watches after us.”

BENEDICTION: God heals and restores. God grants to us the grace and the talent to witness to the love God has for us. Let us be ready as we go into the world, for we are baptized in the power of the Spirit. 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.

06/18/2023 ~ Proper 6 (11) ~ Third Sunday after Pentecost ~ Genesis 18:1-15, (21:1-7); Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19; Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23) ~ Father’s Day ~ Juneteenth Weekend ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/838347447

The Journey Called Salvation

“Then Moses went up to God; and Yahweh— God— called out from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob, what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You saw for yourselves that which I did to Egypt, and how I bore you, carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.’” — Exodus 19:3-4.

My experience of late Twentieth and early Twenty-first Century Americans is that there are only two kinds of people. There are Star Trek people or there are Star Wars people. Rarely does the twain meet.

I know those listening on the will not be able to see what I am about to do, but given what I just said I need to do this. (The pastor gives the Star Trek hand symbol and says:) May the force be with you!

For those listening on the radio I said the Star Wars tag line while I used the Star Trek hand symbol made famous by Leonard Nimoy. For some of you that probably made your skin crawl.

Having touched base on that bit of populism, let’s do something different. Let’s talk about the business of these movies, these franchises.

In 1977 Star Wars earned more money than any other movie that year. Over the years the Star Wars movies have earned over $10 billion— and you heard about billion earlier, didn’t you? [1]

Now, movie studios are corporations and seek a profit. Because of the earnings potential in the Star Wars model of movie making— the so called blockbuster model— studios recognized a very lucrative cash stream was available.

Star Trek started on television but corporation executives saw what happened with Star Wars. So just two years later, in 1979, those executives jumped on the cash cow band wagon and we get Star Trek: The Motion Picture. The estimated income of the Star Trek franchise is— guess what?— over $10 billion.

Now, many, many, many years hence, or perhaps even “a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…,” historians are not likely to look at how much money these endeavors earned or how they changed the movie industry. I think the more likely topic will be “how did these films enter into, feed into, even meld with— to use the Star Trek term— with the psyche of America.”

Here’s an obvious question on that count. ‘What is it about the psyche of this nation which enabled, empowered these films to enthrall us?’ (Slight pause.)

Perhaps we need to ask what is Star Wars about… really? Is the film simply about Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, the Wookiee Chewbacca and Obi-Wan Kenobi? Or is it about something else, something more engaging, more central?

Is Star Trek about Captains James T. Kirk, Jean-Luc Picard or Benjamin Sisko or Kathryn Janeway or Jonathan Archer?” Or is it about something else, something more engaging, more central? (Slight pause.)

To be clear about one more thing, Star Wars and Star Trek don’t just tap into the American psyche. They tap into the human psyche. These films tap into our psyche because they are about a very basic human experience.

What’s that experience? These stories are about a journey— a journey called life. Additionally, in the stories there is a sense of some kind of spirit reality, a reality beyond human understanding, which seems to be a constant presence. (Pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Exodus: “Then Moses went up to God; and Yahweh— God— called out from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob, what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You saw for yourselves that which I did to Egypt, and how I bore you, carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.’” (Slight pause.)

We Christians— especially Western Christians— often seem to be comfortable with what the early church would label as a heresy. That heresy says the salvation offered by God started with Jesus. The idea that salvation started with Jesus is a misunderstanding or at least an inaccurate reading of Scripture.

Even a cursory reading of the Exodus story should clearly tell anyone God offers salvation. (Quote:) “You saw for yourselves that which I did to Egypt, and how I bore you, carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.” These words describe the action of God and action— especially that action by God— constitutes salvation.

Now my guess is especially Western Christians don’t count actions of God in our lives now as having anything to do with salvation now. Why? Besides the idea that salvation started with Jesus, Western Christians seemed to have grasped onto the notion that salvation is somehow postponed to an afterlife.

And that, indeed, points out a second way we misunderstand, don’t understand, fail to understand the message of Scripture. We equate only an afterlife with salvation.

Given that, I find it interesting that often oppressed communities clearly and obviously understand the salvation God offers can be seen as the present action of God. Oppressed communities understand salvation as something tangible, real, something which can happen and is happening now.

One proof I can offer about how oppressed communities see salvation as a possibility are hymns based in the experience of the African-American community. We used one of them today— In Egypt Under Pharaoh. This hymn references the experience, the salvation of God as something which happened in Biblical times and can happen now.

So, why do oppressed communities equate the experience of God right now, in our time, in our midst, with salvation? (Slight pause.) Let’s, for a moment, go back to Star Wars and Star Trek and explore how these films tap into the human psyche.

As I said, Star Wars is not simply about Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and Obi-Wan. Star Trek is not simply about Captains Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Janeway and Archer. These are merely characters in the stories. The stories are about journeys. It is the journeys, themselves, which get at a deeper, psyche probing, a sense of meaning.

So too it is with the Exodus story. Indeed, when this passage was introduced it was said the Sinai episode is at the center of Exodus, central to Exodus. And what should draw our attention about the entirety of that story?

The Exodus story taken as a whole has some basic ideas which tap into the human psyche. The story— 40 years in the wilderness— tells us life is a journey. The story tells us the journey moves us, moves humanity, towards freedom. The story tells us there is a spirit, a presence beyond human understanding.

I would suggest Star Trek people see boldly going forth as a spiritual journey, a spiritual reality. Star Wars people actually name the spiritual reality as the force. The Hebrew Scriptures call that spiritual reality God. (Slight pause.)

This should lead us to ask yet another obvious question. If that is a valid reading of the Hebrew Scriptures and accurately assesses how the Hebrew Scriptures address salvation, how should we be reading New Testament on the topic of salvation? (Slight pause.)

Street corner evangelists sometimes ask: “Are you saved?” The implication is somewhere, somehow there is a goal to be achieved. But what is the message Jesus has which can help us discern what salvation is about? (Slight pause.)

Jesus, the reality of the living Christ, affirms the presence of God in our midst. The presence of the living Christ affirms God walks with us now and forever on the life journey called salvation. Amen.

06/18/2023
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: “A friend of mine one said there is no such thing as coincidence. There is such a thing as God-incidence. So those of you who were here last week know I strung a series of stories together about my beard in my sermon and that produced some significant laughter. If you were not here you can see it online at Harpswell TV. That very afternoon, I was crawling around the web and came across a video clip of theologian who said if there is no laughter in a church, Jesus is not there. Coincidence? I think not. Please note: we are serious but do have some laughs here. I suspect Jesus is among us.”

BENEDICTION: Let God’s love be our first awareness each day. Let God’s love flow through our every activity. Let us rejoice that God frees us to be witnesses for God. Let us understand every day as a new adventure in faith, a new journey, because the Creator draws us into community. 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.

[1] Earlier in the service the pastor explained that 1 million seconds is about 11 days but 1 billion seconds is about 31 years.