localpastor

09/01/2024 ~ Proper 17 ~ Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ Song of Solomon 2:8-13; Psalm 45:1-2, 6-9; Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9; Psalm 15; James 1:17-27; Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1006188672

Be Doers

“Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers. Because if all you do is listen, you are deceiving yourself.” — James 1:22.

One large firm at which I worked when I was involved with Wall Street back office operations had a pretty standard policy. Job openings in other areas of the company got posted.

But the tricky part of applying for a job inside the company at which you work is, if you apply for that job you’ve just insulted your current boss since what you’re saying to your supervisor is— “Hey! You! You’re great. But I don’t want to work with you any more.”

So, the secret of applying for another position within a company is simple. Keep on the good side of your boss. Be their friend, even their confidant.

Why? At some point your boss may well be asked by management if they have someone who might be right for another job. And you want your boss to say: “Well, I really, really hate to lose an employee of such an outstanding caliber. But I can see this move would be the right because it’s good for the company.” (Slight pause.)

I once changed jobs in an internal move. How was I able to do that? My boss approved. After I had moved, I asked him this question: “If you had to design a job for me, what would it be?”

“Oh, that’s easy,” he said. “I’d put a clipboard in your hands and let you walk around and just observe. I guarantee in a couple of weeks you’d come back and suggest all kinds of possible changes. Of course,” he said with a little nervous laugh, “the company doesn’t give me the budget to assign anyone that task. But you’d be the one.”

“So, you see me as a consultant?” I asked.

“Yes,” he said. “That’s what it is— a consultant.” (Slight pause.)

Probably through no fault of my own, that’s what I’ve often found myself doing as an ordained pastor— acting as a consultant. In the denomination of my ordination, the United Church of Christ, I’ve been on and been the Chair of what’s called the Church and Ministry Committee. That committee oversees and mentors people seeking ordination, guides newly ordained pastors and also works with, consults with churches on a myriad of topics.

I’ve also been the Moderator of a local Church Association. Doing that work I’ve been asked to consult with churches a number of times. I was often asked to offer some advice about by-laws and other internal operations.

Of course, I had a reputation as a by-law geek back in New York. By-law geek— that’s a pretty narrow group. Is it a good thing? Maybe, maybe not.

I was on a committee that reworked the New York Conference By-laws… twice. I was on a committee that reworked the By-laws of the local Association… twice.

I used to say all that work helped me figured our a good retirement job— church consultant. Oh, wait— I’m an Interim. That’s what I’m doing. (Slight pause.)

These words are from the work known as James: “Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers. Because if all you do is listen, you are deceiving yourself.” (Slight pause.)

When I was a student at Bangor Seminary, a consultant was hired to help the school through a visioning process. So a committee was formed to do this work. And yep— I got invited to participate on the committee doing that work.

Our sessions started with a weekend retreat on the Maine Coast— now there’s a hard job. At that retreat we had multiple meetings with that consultant. This person was very clear about one basic item, one basic idea. He could not do the work for us.

He could advise. He could cajole, coax, suggest possible paths. But we had to be both willing to be coaxed and then choose the paths ourselves. Then there was one more choice to be made. We could seriously consider the advice we heard from this consultant or blithely ignore it.

He then stated the obvious. After he left, he would no longer be there as we moved through the results of the process.

So we also had to think about how to move forward. We had to do the initial work and then do the continuing work. We had to constantly keep working the process. If we were successful constant change— which is what is really necessary in any organization— constant change would be empowered. (Slight pause.)

It is, I think, helpful to see the writer of James as struggling with the integrity of the Christian life. What gives Christian life wholeness? What identifies Christian life? How can belief and action be held together in unity?

Put differently, how can belief and action possibly be separated? In short, how can people live out what they believe? (Slight pause.)

What was true in ancient times is still true today. Back then and today we seem to place a monetary value on everything. We seem to want assurance that our faith is worth something. The problem with a “what’s it worth” attitude is it turns faith into a commodity.

When we turn faith into a commodity, like what happens with any other commodity or acquisition, we resort to calculating. We ask if the rewards are worth the effort. We also tend to separate beliefs and actions and ask if the rewards are about our belief or about our actions. (Slight pause.)

The writer of James is clear: the reward— the blessing, if you would— is not a goal. And the reward is in not just in listening and in not just in action. If there is a reward that reward is in listening and then acting based on listening.

Still, all this cannot even be thought of in terms of being a reward. That is an inappropriate way of envisioning it. Rather, Christianity is both a way of approaching life and Christianity is a way of life.

As an example of this way of life the author uses the kind of action found in the Hebrew Scriptures. (Quote): “…coming to the aid of orphans and widows….” As was stated when this reading was introduced these are code words for “the poor and the outcast.” (Slight pause.)

In our times we hear a lot about cost/benefit, especially when it comes to helping others. Scripture is clear: calculating cost/benefit has no place in the community of faith. Relationship is central.

When relationships are central it sets up an obvious sequence. When we carefully listen, we need to do, need to take action. When we take action we are empowered to love.

When we love, we are then empowered to seek better understandings. When we understand better, we grow in love. Love becomes stronger, deeper, more intimate, more mature. And when that happens we listen still more deeply. (Slight pause.)

I need to be clear: all this is hard work with many parts. It comes naturally to none of us. But doing is vital if we are to integrate faith and understanding with love and with community. Or, as the writer of James puts it (quote): “Be doers, act on this Word, and not merely hearers.” Amen.

09/01/2024
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Congregational Response and Benediction. This is a précis of what was said: “There’s a modern heresy that says ‘life is compartmentalized’— faith is over here and action is over here— it’s a unit. There is another modern heresy which seems to be going around— how society is formed has absolutely no influence on our lives. We cause our own outcomes, outcomes like poverty. Do you know anyone who wants tio be poor? Professor of Theology at the University of Notre Dame Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino said this on that topic: ‘…the poor person does not exist as an inescapable fact of destiny. Poor persons are a by-product of the system in which we live and for which we are responsible… Hence, the poverty of the poor is not a call to generous relief action but a demand that we go and build a different social order.’— Gustavo Gutiérrez Merino, Notre Dame University.”

BENEDICTION: God’s Word lights our path. The risen Christ dwells among us. The Holy Spirit, guides, protects and sustains us. Let us go forth from this service of worship and offer service to the world in the name of Christ, for the grace of God is deeper than our imagination, the strength of Christ is stronger than our need, the communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than our togetherness. May God guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.

08/25/2024 ~ Proper 16 ~ Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 1 Kings 8:(1,6,10-11), 22-30, 41-43; Psalm 84; Joshua 24:1-2a, 14-18; Psalm 34:15-22; Ephesians 6:10-20; John 6:56-69 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/1003279816

Faithfulness

“…as for me and my household, we will worship Yahweh.” — Joshua 24:15b.

I’ve probably said here this too many times. I’m a Vietnam veteran, who drafted into the Army in 1967. (No, I am not going to nor will I tell any war stories connected with that.)

My younger brother, Jim, who is a lot smarter than I, managed to get deferred then by first staying in college, which I had not. Upon his graduation, having heard and not been enthralled nor impressed by my war stories, the ones with which I did not bore you, applied for ‘conscientious objector’ status.

To do this he got letters from many people including members of the clergy. Jim had graduated with honors from Fordham University, a Jesuit institution, and my Father taught at a Jesuit High School. So he was friendly with a goodly number of prelates.

His timing was impeccable. In 1972 (as opposed to when I got drafted) even Walter Cronkite, the most trusted man in America, had declared the adventure in Southeast Asia was a fiasco. So it was not hard for him to get supporting letters.

Additionally, our Draft Board consisted of just local community members. Jim was the first one to ever apply for conscientious objector status. No one in the entire history of teh Draft Board which dated back to WW II had ever applied.

These local citizens, did not know what to do with the application. Presented with supportive letters from impressive people they granted the status with the proviso that Jim do two years of community service work. He did that. (Slight pause.)

This story leaves a question. I, myself, am a fairly peaceable fellow. After all, I’m so peaceable I eventually became a member of the ordained clergy. I could have done what my brother did. Why did I not? (Slight pause.)

Even at the tender age at which I was drafted, I believed governance is not a one way street. I agreed with the ideal John Fitzgerald Kennedy expressed: “Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country.”

I believed and still believe each of us has to take personal responsibility when it comes to providing for all. Citizenship is not about me, what’s in it for me or what’s good only for me. I believe each of us needs to care about each other, be committed to the ideal that governance which works, is effective, is a greater good for all.

I may disagree with some policies of those in office. But I also believe being committed to the larger community is a duty. Therefore, I did not join the Army. But when drafted I served because I felt a sense of responsibility toward all our citizens. After all, I, myself, had and have the privilege of citizenship. (Slight pause.)

I want to be clear: this does not question my brother’s decision nor anyone else’s decision. Indeed, my brother has done an amazing amount of good work for the citizens of this country, has proven he cares about this ideal I’ve described. In part because of his experience in community work, he became an environmental educator and served as a senior official in the Adirondack Park Agency in New York State.

My position is each of us needs to make a choice to accept responsibility which is or has the potential to be beneficial not just to us as individuals but for others and make that choice in our own way. It’s likely that means we will all make different choices. But the goal is to contribute to the whole.

My brother found ways to be individually responsible which benefitted others in ways I did not and never dreamed of discovering. (Slight pause.) Like I said: he’s not only younger than I am. He’s smarter. (Slight pause.)

These words are in the work known as Joshua: “…as for me and my household, we will worship Yahweh.” (Slight pause.)

It was suggested when this passage was introduced that the words recorded here mark an important watershed in the life of Israel. The people are about to embark on a new life— no longer nomads, but settled.

It is a point of transition from one crucial, formative era into another. So, the people are ceremonially summoned by Joshua listen to their covenant history with God before they embark on the journey.

This will not be a journey on which they travel a great distance. But the journey will be one in which, during which they grapple with their emotions— with their emotional life, with the emotions of their relationship with God.

You see, this passage cannot be taken as simply an invitation to be faithful by performing mindless actions. This is an invitation to make a fundamental decision concerning their allegiance and identity. So, the pivotal question becomes: how does that happen. How do the people of God traverse this emotional abyss called commitment.

Joshua’s words are what we, today, might call personal testimony. This commitment to be faithful is and needs to be a recognition and acceptance of personal responsibility. But another transition happens: personal responsibility becomes the key to communal cohesion and faithfulness.

Communal action starts with each individual making a choice. Without a personal commitment, responsibility, there is no communal cohesion, commitment, faithfulness, responsibility. In short, everything starts with you and me.

Taking on personal responsibility for the good of the whole is the essence of true faithfulness. Because God calls us to be responsible to each other, for each other, that makes us, forms us into community, empowers us to be community as the people of God.

No, this is not easy. It is hard. It’s hard because it requires us to engage our emotional life, our intellectual life, our time, our talents constantly. (Slight pause.)

While it is true that communal actions start with each individual making a choice, making a decision, is not easy. And I will be the first to tell you that sometimes these individual choices can feel pretty lonely. Look at what happens in the Gospel story. (Quote:) “…many of the disciples broke away and no longer remained in the company of Jesus.”

Indeed, there were folks who vilified my brother and others who made valid personal choices. There were folks who vilified me for my choice. But it turned out that many of those choices were valid for the whole community.

My point is not which choice was made or even its validity. My point is the necessity of making a choice by and through which we engage our emotional life as we strive to understand who we are as individuals and we strive to understand who we are as a community. (Slight pause.)

Taking personal responsibility for our relationship with God is a watershed. It’s a watershed we face each and every day. And, if we pay attention to the covenant with God, recalled by Joshua, the covenant which proclaims love of God and neighbor as central, then we will come to realize own personal choices can and do make a difference. (Slight pause.)

Seems like an easy formula, does it not? Make a commitment— choose. But, to the best of my knowledge, nothing involving our emotional life is easy. And surely emotional commitment is not easy.

But emotional commitment is, I think, the place to which God calls us. You see, the last time I looked another term for emotional commitment is ‘love.’ (Slight pause.) So, are we, you and I as individuals, ready to make a commitment, ready to be committed to loving God and loving neighbor? Amen.

08/25/2024
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is a précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: “I think church is the classic example of a situation where the whole can be greater than the sum of all its parts. But, of course, that only happens when each one of us is willing to make an emotional commitment to life with God. That’s called faithfulness.”

BENEDICTION: Let us trust God to provide all we really need. God knows us, loves us and blesses us in Jesus, the Christ. Let us love one another as Christ has loved us. And may the peace of Christ, which surpasses understanding, keep our minds and hearts in the companionship and will of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.

08/18/2024 ~ Proper 15 ~ Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14; Psalm 111; Proverbs 9:1-6; Psalm 34:9-14; Ephesians 5:15-20; John 6:51-58~ VIDEO OF THE FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/1000886884

Living Bread

“I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” — John 6:51.

I was nineteen when my grandfather whose picture you just saw, [1] my grandfather, my father’s father, died in 1967. He finally succumbed to a series of strokes which left him weaker and weaker over the course of several years.

For reasons of which I am now unsure— perhaps they are mired in the murky fog of childhood memories— my grandfather and I had a special bond. While I can’t quite put a finger on how to describe that bond, I can safely state we had the same sense of humor— sometimes silly and physical— sometimes dry, verbal, intellectual.

An early interaction I do remember happened when I was, perhaps, five. One evening when we were visiting his home, I had a quiet tantrum. I curled up in an easy chair and, pretending to be asleep, refused to come to the dinner table when called.

Always a small, short, thin man, Grandpop was a little taller than five feet and probably weighed all of 110 pounds soaking wet. But he was strong.

He had been a sanitation worker when that meant lifting up iron trash cans into garbage trucks. Since I had curled up on a chair in a juvenile snit and everyone had waited way too long for my presence at the dinner table, Grandpop came to me, gently lifted me out of the chair, cradled me tenderly in his arms, carried me into the dinning room and sat me where I belonged. (Slight pause.)

By the time I was in my teens I outweighed him and towered over him by a considerable amount. At that point he was living with my family. That is when the strokes began to happen.

Typically, he would be sitting in his recliner, reading, invariably smoking an ever-present cigar, and start to have convulsions, begin to shake head to foot. Sometimes the episode would stop within moments. Sometimes it would linger.

Either way, we would rush to his side and try to comfort him. Sometimes he recovered right away. Sometimes he needed bed rest for a couple days.

I remember one such episode when I was a senior in High School. After the convulsions subsided, since I was now the strong one, I lifted him up out of his chair, cradled him gently in my arms, carried him to his bedroom and laid him tenderly on his bed and sat by his side. (Slight pause.) You see, we did have a special bond. (Slight pause.)

Amazingly, this condition landed him in the hospital only twice. The second time, when I was nineteen, is when he died.

At that point in my life I had dropped out of college— probably a mistake— was still living with my parents— probably a mistake— and was working a night shift job— probably a mistake. Since I was on the night shift, I was headed home at about eight in the morning when I had an overwhelming sense Grandpop had died.

When I walked into my family’s house my cousin was there. That was not unusual. We were a close knit family, she lived in the neighborhood, was there often and was something of a matriarch in the family structure. With a tear in her eye she said, “Grandpa died.”

In a very matter of fact way, I said, “I know.” I’m sure she had no idea of what my response meant since I was stating knowledge I could not possibly have know in that era before cell phones. She never questioned it. (Slight pause.)

I went to the living room, sat in his chair, breathed in the smell of stale cigar smoke and missed him immediately. Perhaps I wanted to find a way to be somehow present with him.

I was old enough to understand things change, old enough to understand people die. But still, what can I say? My grandfather and I had a special bond; as I sat there his presence was all around me. (Pause.)

These words are from the Gospel known as John: “I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” (Pause.)

Competent pastors will or at least should consult several commentaries. The very first thing I read about today’s passage from John said it is one of the (quote): “most controversial and hotly debated in the Fourth Gospel.” (Unquote.) Why?

The (quote) “sacramental theology” (unquote) adhered to by some slams up against the (quote) “anti-sacramental reading” (unquote) of others. Those who do not favor a sacramental interpretation say there are no words of sacramental institution in John’s version of the last supper. Hence John, taken as a whole, is not interested in it.

Those who favor a sacramental interpretation say these are words of institution. Indeed, the assigned lectionary readings we hear for several weeks in a row are from John. And they could all be interpreted as referencing the sacrament of Communion.

And yes, these words offer support to those who say transubstantiation, that bread and wine becomes the body and blood of Christ, is an accurate description of the mystery of Communion. But it also supports those who say it’s a commemorative meal. I think this passage even offer support between the extremes. But… but is it possible this passage transcends those positions about the sacraments and points to yet another place? (Slight pause.)

Let’s consider the idea that the ground covered in the sixth Chapter of John is not about defining a sacrament but about feeding people, the 5,000 Jesus feed near this reading. Where might that lead us, that it’s about feeding people? (Slight pause.) I’ve said this here before. John is the only Gospel in which Jesus makes “I am” statements— nine of them.

Here they are: I am the bread, the living bread, the gate for the sheep, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the truth, the life, the true vine, the light of the world.” That one is said twice.

Our tendency is to emphasize the comparisons— comparisons to bread, a gate, a vine, etc., etc. Each of these, however, are in their own way, different. So, what is similar here? The phrase “I am”— and to where might that point?

You know this. The name of God in Hebrew is Yahweh. Among a multiplicity of meanings Yahweh means “I am.” It also means “state of being.” It also means “presence.” (Slight pause.)

This is my take: Yahweh, God, the great “I am,” calls humanity to do one thing and one thing only: be in the relationship called covenant. God insists the relationship, the covenant we have with God is real, because God is present to us. The covenant promise says God is present and that relationship with God will be… everlasting.

For me the covenant of God contains this promise: there will be and there is a special bond between God and each of us. There will be and there is a special bond among God and all of us, among God and all humanity. (Slight pause.) [2]

With whom have you had a special bond, a special relationship in your life? With whom do you have a special bond, a special relationship? Whose presence do you feel, despite being separated by space, by time— even by death? (Slight pause.)

If there is a basic message the Bible has for us, it’s that we can never be separated from the love of God. If there is a basic message the Bible has for us, it’s that the presence of God is real. If there is a basic message the Bible has for us, it’s that the very being of God surrounds us and a tangible, special bond exists.

If there is a basic message the Bible has for us it’s that God is with us right here, right now— presence. Presence— here’s what that mean: it means God holds us tenderly in God’s own arms. Amen.

08/18/2024
Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine

ENDPIECE: It is the practice of the Pastor to speak after the Closing Hymn, but before the Benediction. This, then, is an précis of what the pastor said before the blessing: (The pastor holds up an 8 x 10 picture of his grandfather and two children.) “I said this earlier— a picture of my grandfather. Was there a special bond between us? I think so. Is there a special bond between us and God? I think so.”

BENEDICTION: God’s Word lights our path. The risen Christ dwells among us. The Holy Spirit, guides, protects and sustains us. Let us go forth from this service of worship and offer service to the world in the name of Christ, for the grace of God is deeper than our imagination, the strength of Christ is stronger than our need, the communion of the Holy Spirit is richer than our togetherness. May God guide and sustain us today and in all our tomorrows. Amen.

[1] During A Time For All Ages the pastor displayed a picture of his large grandfather who sat in between the pastor and his brother. The picture was taken when the pastor was approximately four years old and the pastor’s brother was a year younger.

[2] This analysis is, in part, based on what is found on this passage and on this passage and on the whole 6th Chapter of John in The New Interpreter’s Bible: the Electronic Edition. Needless to say, the Electronic Edition of The New Interpreter’s Bible has the same information as the printed edition.

08/11/2024 ~ Proper 14 ~ Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 18:5-9, 15, 31-33; Psalm 130; 1 Kings 19:4-8; Psalm 34:1-8; Ephesians 4:25-5:2; John 6:35, 41-51 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/997784126

Membership

“Get rid of all bitterness and wrath and rage and anger and wrangling and slander, malice of every kind. In place of these be kind to one another, tenderhearted, compassionate, mutually forgiving— forgiving one another— as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.” — Ephesians 4:31-32.

In my comments today I’d like to take a trip down memory lane— or is it those thrilling days of yesteryear? I need to be clear: some of us will be too young to remember the names I will reference on this journey. If you are too young rest assured you can GOOGLE and even see things on YOUTUBE about these people I’m going to mention. (Slight pause.)

Who here remembers the comedian Jack Benny? He started on the radio on 1932 and moved to TV in 1949. I will say more about Mr. Benny and that program but I need to first talk about my late father. Dad was a graduate of Manhattan College, in New York City.

Now, a fellow by the name of Owen Patrick Eugene McNulty was a Senior at Manhattan College the year my father was a Freshman. I am relatively sure even if you remember Jack Benny you don’t know the name McNulty. But you may know the stage name he used.

Starting in 1939 McNulty performed on both Jack Benny’s radio program and then on the television show. He was better known by the stage name Dennis Day. Yeah— I’m sure many of you remember him.

Now, my parents always watched the Benny program and it seemed to me the presence of McNulty, this Mr. Day, on the program made it special for my father. You see, every time Dennis Day came on the screen, my father invariable said (and I’m quoting here), “Dennis Day— he’s a Manhattan graduate, you know.” (Slight pause.)

Even though or perhaps because I was a child, I often wondered why my Father said that. The questions which came to my mind ran along these lines— Manhattan College graduate— did that make Dennis Day a special kind of human being, place him above any kind of reproach, put this fellow in a special category, some level of sainthood of which I was as of yet blissfully unaware?

Only when I got older did I realize the place to which my father was pointing. He was saying Dennis Day is a member of my club, my tribe. I am a member of Dennis Day’s club, tribe. That’s what was special for my Dad. They were members of the same club, the same tribe. (Slight pause.)

This is what we hear in the work known as Ephesians: “Get rid of all bitterness and wrath and rage and anger and wrangling and slander, malice of every kind. In place of these be kind to one another, tenderhearted, compassionate, mutually forgiving— forgiving one another— as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.” (Slight pause.)

You may or may not know this. Different churches, different denominations have different ways of counting membership. But most put some kind of limit or structure on how one is counted as a member or becomes a member.

Some churches say the Sacrament of Baptism is the only requirement for membership. However, there are churches which say this Sacrament needs to be administered only in and by that church or that denomination to be counted. Baptized in another church or denomination? That just won’t do. It’s inadequate.

Other churches say if you are a communicant, if you receive the Sacrament of the Table, the Eucharist, you are a member. Still other churches say you need to be Confirmed, go through the process of Confirmation to be counted as a member.

But churches cannot even agree on what Confirmation is. In Roman Catholicism Confirmation is a sacrament. In the Protestant tradition it’s not a sacrament. It’s a rite of the church.

Some churches insist you have to take membership classes before you can join. Some churches say you merely have to meet with the pastor and/or the deacons. Many churches do say you also need to experience some kind of ritual, some ceremony at a service of worship in which a person formally joins a church.

Given all of those ways to be counted as a member of a church— and I did not even cover them all; there are more— given all those ways to be counted as a member of a church I always have a little private laugh when I hear that a polling company like Gallup makes a definitive claim that they have counted overall church membership. Given what I know, any company trying to count church membership is a questionable endeavor at best.

How can they possibly know what they are talking about? The churches have so many rules and categories for counting members that the churches, themselves, sometimes don’t know who is a member and who isn’t. (Slight pause.)

So, how should church membership be counted? (Slight pause.) I want to suggest asking how church membership is the wrong question. And I want to suggest that the author of Ephesians got it right.

You see, my Dad was right about membership in the sense that he and Dennis Day were in the same club, both Manhattan College graduates. But church membership is not or at least should not be any kind of club, with a determining accomplishment or requirement. Church membership is not and should not be like a club.

Churches are not and should not be a place for special human beings or a place put someone above reproach or special category, at some level of sainthood. Churches is for real people. Churches is for flawed people. Churches are for all people.

Church is also a place, as the writer of Ephesians suggests, where we can (quote): “Get rid of all bitterness and wrath and rage and anger and wrangling and slander, malice of every kind.” Church is also a place where we need to (quote): “…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, compassionate, mutually forgiving— forgiving one another— as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.” (Slight pause.)

What makes us all members of the club called church is this club is the club of God. God accepts us as members. God accepts us when no one else will.

So when we, ourselves, do not know it or even want to admit it, we are all members of church— not a church but church. We are all members of God’s club.

Indeed, it is this acceptance on the part of God which empowers us to (quote): “…be kind to one another, tenderhearted, compassionate, mutually forgiving— forgiving one another— as God, in Christ, has forgiven you.” Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
08/11/2024

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: “Last week I quoted the lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II who said a song is what happens when the emotion expressed becomes too intense for mere words. I also quoted a lyric for an anthem I wrote based on Psalm 55. That was an intense emotional response on my part. In fact, I wrote a lyric, also an intense emotional response, based on the last verse we heard from Ephesians. (Quote:) ‘Walk in love and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave of self, offered of self, for us, a fragrant offering, a sacrifice to God.’ Perhaps what we too often miss is the love, the intense emotional response, God has for us. And guess what? That intense emotional response God has for us is on every page of Scripture. We may miss it. But it’s there.”

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

08/04/2024 ~ Proper 13 ~ Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Eleventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 11:26 – 12:13a; Psalm 51:1-12; Exodus 16:2-4, 9-15; Psalm 78:23-29; Ephesians 4:1-16; John 6:24-35 ~ Note: Used Psalm 55 which is not in the Lections ~ Communion Sunday ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/997728401

Hymns, Songs, Psalms

These words are from Psalm 55 in the translation found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Episcopal Church: “Hear my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my petition.” — Psalm 55:1.

In my News and Notes entry a week and a half ago— I should note if you are not signed up for the News and Notes email which goes out every Thursday please, please ask Stephanie to put you on that list. In that News and Notes I addressed the fact that Thomas Jefferson was in France when the Constitution was written.

The musical Hamilton opens the Second Act by having Thomas Jefferson, who has just returned from France, sing a song called What’d I Miss? After all, Jefferson was not involved in the writing the Constitution. (Slight pause.)

When I was away— I was away the second two Sundays in July— when I was away on July 14th our amazing Deacons put together a wonderful service featuring hymns and Psalms. So picking up on what the Deacons did, I’d like to address the Psalms today. (Slight Pause.)

I hope you’ve heard me say this before. The collection of 150 Psalms is, essentially, the hymnal of the Second Temple in Jerusalem. But Psalms are not just hymns. Psalms are also songs. As songs, as Psalms, these works are both an avenue of worship and an integral part of worship.

But I want to be clear about the nature of worship. The leaders of a service pastors, readers, musicians, deacons, are not in any way similar to actors in a play.

Indeed, I am painfully aware many think a service of worship is simply a play, entertainment. But the congregation is in no way an audience at a play. Further, if there is an audience for a service of worship that audience is God. The only audience is God.

But let’s say a service of worship is in some way akin to a play. If so, who are the actors in this worship? You, the congregation, are the actors.

The leadership at a service— pastors, readers, musicians, deacons— can be compared to prompters. The job of the prompter is to lead the congregation, the actors. It is you, the congregation, the actors, who perform the act of worship. Indeed, without you, without the congregation, worship does not happen.

The work of the congregation, the actors, is to praise God and to interact with God. The script the congregation uses are prayers, songs, hymns, even silence. (Slight pause.)

Any competent translation of the Psalter divides the Psalms into five sections or books. A careful reading of all the Psalms can and should lead us to the thought that these songs are an exploration of our entire relationship with God and also an exploration of the breadth of our own emotions, the breadth of our own existence.

Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann takes an approach which is both more analytical than simply addressing the five books of the Psalter but is sensitive to our emotional life. He says the Psalms can be split into three categories: Psalms of Orientation, Psalms of Disorientation and Psalms of New Orientation.

Psalms of Orientation speak about the creation and the goodness of God. Psalms of Disorientation address our laments, our struggles and the truth that God walks with us, always. Psalms of New Orientation Praise God as the One in Whom we place our trust, the One Who gives us new life and rebirth, this God of covenant. (Slight pause.)

These are the words we hear in the Psalm commonly referred to as Psalm 55: “Hear my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my petition.” (Slight pause.)

My mother died of cancer in 1983. As these things go that death came at a fairly young age. She was 58. That process— as I am sure you know death is often a process— that process from the time of the diagnosis until her death, lasted nine months.

As the disease was taking her, one Sunday I got to the church where I was a member, All Angels Episcopal Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and plopped down in a pew. I was feeling mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted. I was probably dealing with a broad set of emotions since I knew what the outcome of her illness would be.

Now, all Episcopal Churches have Books of Common Prayer in their pew racks. I grabbed one and in a random way I opened it.

The page which presented itself to me was in the Psalter. I was looking at Psalm 55. I started to read. Quite suddenly, a lyric presented itself to me. I wrote the lyric down and gave it to my dear friend and collaborator Paul Lee Johnson who wrote music for it. This is that lyric. (Slight pause.)

“Hear my prayer, O God / Listen and answer me: / My heart is fearful and trembling, / And so I call out to Thee, / So I call out to Thee. // If I had wings, I would fly away / Seeking shelter and rest; / My heart in anguish is trembling / From the terrors of death.”

“Hear my prayer, O God / Listen and answer me: / My heart is fearful and trembling, / And so I call out to Thee, / So I call out to Thee. // And when I call out you hear my voice, / Whether day or night, / And lo, my God does deliver me, / And takes up my fight.”

“Hear our prayer, O God / Hear and deliver us. / Cast all your burden upon our God / For God alone can we trust. / God alone can we trust.” (Slight pause.)

Psalms can and do include all our fragile times, all our joys and all of our sorrows. Do we despair? Yes. That sentiment is found in the Psalms. Do we joyfully praise God? Yes. That sentiment is found in the Psalms. Do we hope? Yes. That sentiment is found in the Psalms. Do we trust God? Yes. That sentiment is found in the Psalms. (Slight pause.)

Scripture, as a whole, makes this significant point: God loves us and wants to covenant with us. So, life lived in covenant with God, does not ignore reality. Life lived in covenant grapples with reality.

Psalms are hymns, songs which grapple with all the aspects of reality. Sometimes we sing with tears. Sometimes we sing with pain. Sometimes we sing with laughter. Sometimes we sing of freedom and of justice and of peace. Sometimes we sing of love.

But when we sing we always sing with deep, deep emotion. And yes, we can and we do find real fulfillment in the covenant, in a relationship with God and in a relationship with the people of God. And so, we sing. 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: “God is not a concept or a philosophy. The living God engages us and all our emotions. The famous lyricist Oscar Hammerstein II said the only reason for song in a play, the only reason to sing, is to give voice to those times when the emotion being expressed becomes too intense for mere words, mere dialogue. And so yes, we do sing. We need to sing.”

BENEDICTION: May the face of God shine upon us; may the peace of Christ be a reality among us; may the fire of the Spirit burn within us as we scatter into the world, God’s world, beyond the doors of this meeting house. And may we love God so much that we love nothing else too much. May we we so in awe of God that we are in awe of no one else and nothing else. Amen.

[1] Walter Brueggemann. The Message of the Psalms. Augsburg Press: Minneapolis, MN. 1984.

[2] For anyone who listens to/sees the video of this service our pianist plays the music for the lyric which was recited.

Also, a 41 year old .MP3 recording of this piece went out to the email list of the church. The email explained that the lyrics of the old recording were slightly different than what was recited in the sermon. Why? The pastor has changed over time and the lyric was updated. It was noted we all do need to change over time.

07/28/2024 ~ Proper 12 ~ Seventeenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Tenth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 11:1-15 ~ Psalm 14; 2 Kings 4:42-44; Psalm 145:10-18; Ephesians 3:14-21; John 6:1-21 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/992092422

Define Miracles

“…Jesus said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” — John 6:20

His name was Murry. He was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan just before the start of World War I. This next point is well documented. Because of the make up of the population on the Lower East Side of Manhattan at that time he was Jewish.

Just as he was graduating from college with a degree in chemistry, this country entered World War II and Murry found himself in the Army. The Army thought a degree in chemistry was a valuable asset to be effectively used Stateside. So he was never destined to go overseas.

Instead Murry was assigned to a weapons arsenal at Fort McClellan in Alabama. You see, when the right chemicals get put together it makes things go boom!

In one sense Alabama did him in. He fell in love with a Methodist Southern Belle. After WW II that chemistry degree is what landed him in Norwich, New York at least forty years before I landed at the Congregational Church located there.

Why were Murry and his wife at the Congregational Church and not at the Methodist Church? Their children liked the youth group at the Congregational Church.

And why did Murry land in Norwich? He worked for Norwich-Eaton Pharmaceuticals and chemistry made that place run.

You may never have heard of Norwich-Eaton Pharmaceuticals but you’ve heard of what they invented: Pepto-Bismol. Procter & Gamble bought them out and eventually moved that whole operation to other places, that area being way to rural for Procter and Gamble to think of it in good terms. But by the time that happened Murry had retired.

And so, I landed at the Church in Norwich when Murry, in retirement, had concocted a little outreach program. He organized and put together a Thanksgiving basket project. Church members put together and gave out about 100 of them.

Murry kept all the details of how this operation came together in his head. And so, in my second year there I sat down with him and suggested the church needed to strengthen, modernize, be a little more involved and maybe even expand the program some.

Certainly one need was to take all Murry knew about the operation out of Murry’s head and move the logistics into the church office. Once there it could be computerized. Much to my surprise, Murry was all in with this. (Slight pause.)

Two years later Murry was out on the golf course and did not feel well. He told his playing partners to keep going and he would just ride the cart for the remaining holes. He then drove himself to the hospital where he was told he had a heart attack and needed surgery ASAP. A veteran, after the surgery he landed at the local Veterans’ Home for rehab.

That Thanksgiving the basket project went well despite the fact that Murry was not involved as he was still at the Vets’ Home. In fact, the church had $700 left over from the money which had been allocated for the project.

I visited Murry at the Vets’ Home and let him know that. With a gleam in his eye he said, “You know the Methodist Church runs a Christmas Basket project, right?” I nodded in the affirmative.

“We set aside that money to feed people, right?” Again, I nodded in the affirmative. “So, why not give that money to the Methodists to feed people.” Again, I nodded in the affirmative.

“It doesn’t matter which church is doing it, right?” I nodded in the affirmative and smiled. And so we gave $700 to the Methodists. Murry died several months later. (Pause.)

I told that story at Murry’s memorial service. At that service I also explained, as he had told me dozens and dozens of times, the name Murry was Yiddish but had been Anglicized. What did Murry really mean? It meant Moses.

Moses— the one who saw the burning bush and heard God say that the prophet stood on holy ground. Murry understood, I said, we are all called to do the work of God and we all stand on holy ground when we do the work of God. God is present to us. God walks with us. (Slight pause.)

“…Jesus said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” (Slight pause.)

For reasons beyond me we do not seem to understand as a society what miracles are about. But that’s not new. Many of the people who populate Scripture often did not seem to understand what miracles are about. (Slight pause.)

I am convinced that by putting together the two readings we heard today the folks who compiled the Revised Common Lectionary are trying to let us know that “oohing and ahhing” over the specific miracles of Jesus as if they were unique in the Bible is a stretch. There are miracles all over Scripture.

Also, by assigning the long reading from John with both the feeding of the crowd and Jesus walking to the disciples on water, I think those who compiled the lectionary are trying to tell us something very directly. Do not “ooh and ahh” over miracles at all. Pay attention to what miracles mean, not the details of the phenomena. Pay attention to the message, not the magic. (Slight pause.)

That brings me back to Murry. Murry saw a need, a need to feed people. So Murry started a little project. Yes, the project fed people. But it built fellowship in the church as people volunteered to work with Murry and it did the work of God, which meant feeding the people of God. Maybe that was a miracle.

The project grew over the years. At one point that church coordinated a town wide effort which supplied 450 baskets in a town of less than 7,00. But the point was to do the work of God, work which meant feeding the people of God. And yes, maybe that was a miracle.

And when Murry could no longer, himself, work at the project, his eyes were still on the work which needed to be done. And that was to do the work of God which meant feeding the people of God. And maybe that very understanding was a miracle.

But what Murry really understood is that we all stand on holy ground all the time. What Murry really understood is God walks with us all the time. What Murry really understood is doing the work of God is or should be an imperative in our lives. (Slight pause.)

That brings me back to those folks who compiled the lectionary. When they assigned the reading from John why did they string those stories together?

At the end of the passage Jesus says, “…do not be afraid.” This phrase which can be translated as “do not be afraid” appears over 300 times in Scripture. That phrase is always said by God or a messenger from God. And it always means God is in some way present.

When Jesus says, “It is I;…” this is meant to be a reflection of what God says to Moses from the burning bush. I am Who I am.

Indeed, when God speaks from the burning bush and proclaims “I Am” God also tells Moses, “You are walking on holy ground.” And yes, Jesus is saying in that all you have seen and are seeing you walk on holy ground. God is here with you. (Slight pause.)

In one sense, the real message of miracles is that we, you and I, can do them when we pay attention to the work of God. And in paying attention to the work of God we need to understand the presence of God is there, walking with us at our side.

So what is the real miracle? God is here. God walks with us. Are we paying attention? 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: “I need to say this congregation pays attention to outreach. So, do miracles happen? Are they real? The answer is yes, when we are aware of the presence of God. The way I see it that says you, this congregation, is aware of the presence of God since you pay attention to outreach, mission. Some might call that a miracle unfolding in front of us. Yes, but I also call it being faithful.”

BENEDICTION: We are people of the Spirit. We are children of God bearing witness to God’s love, truth, justice, equity and peace each day. And may the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, and the presence of the Spirit of Christ which is real and available, keep our hearts and minds in the knowledge, love and companionship of the Holy Spirit, this day and forever more. Amen.

07/072024 ~ Proper 9 ~ Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Seventh Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 9-10; Psalm 48; Ezekiel 2:1-5; Psalm 123; 2 Corinthians 12:2-10; Mark 6:1-13 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/980839203

In Pairs

“Then Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs,…” — Mark 6:7a.

Well here we are— people assembled for worship in the Meeting House completed in 1759. As many of you know, the first time the American Declaration of Independence was read in public in the town of Harpswell in 1776 it was read from the steps over which you trod to enter this Meeting House, to be in this gathering today.

I also need to note neither this building nor the 1843 building across the road should be called churches. Each of these buildings is a Meeting House, a place people gather to meet, especially for worship.

Church, the word, does not mean a building. Church means the people. Anyone who has gathered for this worship is now a part of this church, the people gathered, even if you are not, as we call it, joined the church, even if you are not member. Have you gathered for worship? You are church. (Slight pause.)

The people of this Congregation, this gathering, first called a minister, the Rev. Mr. Richard Pateshall, a Harvard graduate, in 1751 or 1753. The date depends on which source you consult. The bottom line: the Congregation predates this building.

For anyone who does not know, the current name of the Congregation refers to the Rev. Mr. Elijah Kellogg. He was a Bowdoin and Andover Newton Seminary graduate associated with this church and with this town starting in 1843.

A preacher of considerable renown, some of Kellogg’s notoriety was from the fact that he also wrote what we would today call young adult literature. Those books gained very wide popularity in the 1800s. (Slight pause.)

Occasionally people will ask me about the heritage of the Congregationalism. When that happens the question usually sounds like this: “You folks are a church but there are all kinds of churches. What’s the history? Where do you come from?”

I tell them: “This is the quick and dirty way to think about us. You’ve heard of Thanksgiving? Plymouth Rock? The Pilgrims? Think Pilgrims— you’ve got us.”

That’s quick and dirty because there at least two hours worth of nuances into which any competent academic could delve. Don’t worry; two hours of Congregational Church history is not on the agenda today. (Slight pause.)

Having mentioned both the Declaration of Independence and the origins of Congregationalism, let me address who Congregationalists are in another way. We are a democracy. Like any good democracy, we govern ourselves. Our structure is bottom up. Our structure is like a classic New England Town meeting. We are all entitled to participate.

To compare how Congregationalism works with a modern organizational chart, a pastor is not in charge, not a CEO, the kind of top-down autocracy found in some church structures. In the Congregational tradition a pastor is the chief theological officer.

Who’s in charge? We, the people of the congregation, we the people of the church, are in charge. We, the people of the church, decide who we want to be as a church gathered in this community.

To follow up on that chart idea, to whom and in what ways should people be responsible? We are all responsible to love, respect, cherish, hope for, uphold, embrace each other on our life journey and on our faith journey. (Slight pause.)

These words are found in the work known as Mark. “Then Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs,…” (Slight pause.)

That discussion about organization and Congregationalists sends us to the story from today’s Gospel. Perhaps the most important aspect is the humanness of it.

The story tells us there’s a human need for mutual support. It tells us we need to believe in one another, trust one another, hope for one another, support one another.

Don’t misunderstand me; some organization beyond mutual support is necessary. Being organized, following structures, rules, procedures, can be important.

But when we make structures, rules and procedures our only and exclusive criteria, we are not just missing the point. When that happens, we, the church here gathered, are abdicating our responsibility to ourselves to be engaged with one another.

Let me point out what I did not just say. I did not say by failing to engage in interpersonal relationship we fail each other.

I said by failing to engage in interpersonal relationship we are abdicating a responsibility to our own self. We are abdicating a responsibility to ourselves to be engaged with one another.

Further, in this responsibility to one another, there is a chronic way people fail at interpersonal relationships. It’s called tribalism. We see a distinct example of tribalism in today’s reading. Some people in one tribe can’t see Jesus as the Messiah, the Christ.
They fail to engage Jesus so they fail to engage in the reality of the Christ.

Further, the stories we heard in those two sections of the reading are inexorably intertwined. Why? Jesus sends the disciples out in pairs. Two by two they go, so they get to and need to rely on each other.

When they rely on each other what happens? They cast out demons, anoint the sick and heal. This is what really happened: having sound interpersonal relationships demands something from each disciple so they can give to each other. (Slight pause.)

The same is true for us. Having sound interpersonal relationship demands something of each of us. When that happens we can then give to each other. (Slight pause.)

All that bring us back to structure, rules. Structure and rules are what people most often use to defeat interpersonal relationships.

When structure and rules become primary we say things like, “We have to do things only this way because that’s what the rules say.” Rules never ask how can we accomplish goals of responsibility to each other, goals of respect, cherishing, hoping, embracing each other on our life journey, on our faith journey. (Pause.)

As you heard, the Declaration of Independence was read in public for the people of Harpswell for the first time in 1776 from the steps of this structure. Unlike the Constitution, the Declaration is not about structure.

The Declaration of Independence is about responsibility, the responsibility of people to people. And so, I want to repeat something I said in my comments in this Meeting House from this pulpit last year.

Despite the way our modern reading has it, the opening words of the Declaration about equality, life, liberty, the pursuit are not the most important words. I believe those who signed the document thought the 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… our Lives… our Fortunes… sacred Honor” The signers of the Declaration accepted, indeed, embraced communal responsibility, responsibility to each other. (Slight pause.) Amen.

07/07/2024
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: “Having mentioned the Declaration of Independence, I need to note the other founding document of this nation is the Constitution. While it’s largely about structure, the first words of the document are not. (Quote:) ‘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. First, it starts with us, we the people. Second, we always and constantly need to strive toward the never ending process of being more perfect. And perhaps what being a community really demands is that we do need to work with one another and to work at it continually.”

BENEDICTION: Redeeming Sustainer, visit Your people; pour out Your courage upon us, that we may hurry to make welcome all people not only in our concern for others, but by serving them generously and faithfully in Your name. 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.

06/30/2024 ~ Proper 8 ~ Thirteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Sixth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 2 Samuel 1:1, 17-27; Psalm 130; Wisdom of Solomon 1:13-15, 2:23-24 or
Lamentations 3:22-33; Psalm 30; 2 Corinthians 8:7-15; Mark 5:21-43 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/974163243

The Faithfulness of God

“Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed.” — Lamentations 3:22.

I have said this here probably way too often: I grew up Roman Catholic, shifted to the Episcopal tradition and perhaps due the influence of a certain Congregationalist who for reasons I still do not comprehend was willing to marry me, I shifted yet again.

I have also said this way too often: my Mother went into but left the convent, met and married my Father who taught at a Jesuit School. The consequence? I’m a church geek. I have always involved with the church and the people of the church community.

This is a story from my late teens which delves into that, but you need some background. Generally Catholic youngsters in the Second Grade experience a “First Communion,” the first time they receive the Sacrament. The church says this is when a child has reached the age of reason, can have some understanding about the Sacrament.

Given the complexities of Roman dogma— transubstantiation and all that— these children need to get some instruction. Parochial school children get instruction, lots of it.

But Catholic students in public schools need to go to classes just for them. And so in my late teens I was recruited to teach public school Second Graders about religion. To be clear, these classes don’t help second graders understand complex dogma. A somewhat more basic instruction is accomplished by having the youngsters memorize questions and answers found in The Baltimore Catechism.

We Protestants should not laugh or hold our nose at children memorizing questions and answers in a Catechism. Martin Luther, himself, wrote Luther’s Small Catechism meant for the training of young children.

All that comes back to my involvement. In my late teens I was teaching Second Grade students, involved in the church, involved in the community (Slight pause.)

This is something else I’ve mentioned too often. I’m a street kid from Brooklyn, New York, which is not like Brooklin, Maine. That city environment was less than bucolic. In my neighborhood, for instance, sometimes someone would pour gasoline in a mail box and flip in a lit cigarette— boom, fire.

Another example: a local newspaper stand was open from 10 to 4 only. A police car was often parked in front. A newsstand open from 10 to 4 with a police car there? In street parlance, it was a wire room. It took bets on horse races. The police were on the take.

I could go on but you get the picture— my neighborhood. And yet… despite those things which rubbed my nose in the reality of the world, I taught children about church. I was… a church geek, interested in God and interested in community. (Slight pause.)

We find these words in the work known as Lamentations: “Your favor, O Yahweh, is not exhausted, / nor has the compassion of God failed.”

If you’re paying any attention to the news, one can readily argue we live in difficult times. As I suggested last week, we humans often live in difficult times.

In our times a myriad of social issues tell us about the broken-ness of the world, the broken-ness of society. If that broken-ness is not self-evident, you’ve not been looking. Hence, we live within the conflict of that broken-ness.

The writer of this passage lives in conflicted times. The words I quoted praise the compassion of God. Later verses talk about burdens, yokes, insults. Why? These words are likely to have been recorded during the Babylonian Exile, the captivity of the Jews.

Given the sense of conflicted-ness in my early life and what Lamentations says, it leads me to the thought that life, itself, is more complex and even more conflicted than we want to admit. Perhaps our life with God is more complex and conflicted than we want to admit.

Equally, there’s a simple, straightforward premise we claim about God. It’s not just that God is with us— Emmanuel. It’s that God is with us through conflict and through struggle, no matter what the circumstance.

God with us does not mean we will avoid the myriad of issues surrounding us. And I don’t need to name them for you since each of you could easily compile a list of both personal issues and issues in society as a whole. I think what this reading tells us is, because life is conflicted, we must engage, learn about, strive to deal with these issues.

And yes, engaging the personal issues and the issues of our world probably means things may not always go the way we had planned, wanted, hoped. But Scripture still insists God will be with us and is with us even as we experience the conflicted-ness of life.

And so what gives the writer of this passage hope is the fidelity and mercy of Yahweh, God. The writer clearly says the steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases; the mercy of God never comes to an end; these are new every morning.

In its poetics the poem encircles and frames the reality of conflict with the merciful fidelity of God while proclaiming a God of hope. My take? Hope describes a reality of God, God who walks with us, encircles us with divine mercy. (Pause.)

Biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann said the images of Pharaoh and Pilate are a metaphor for empire and every empire, without exception, wants to reduce what is possible to what is merely available. Pharaoh and Pilate are stand-ins for the reality of empire. They embody, represent brute force, raw, absolute, worldly power. (Slight pause.)

Here is something I don’t think I’ve said often enough from the pulpit. We live in an age of empire. Jesus lived in an age of empire but was not a part of that empire. So Jesus lived with this conflict: living in empire while not a part of empire. And the empire killed Jesus.

Saint Augustine, Bishop of Hippo in the Fourth and Fifth Century, lived in an age of empire. By then the church was a part of empire.

However, Augustine was not enamored of empire and lived with that conflict. So perhaps the question for us is what does it mean to live, as did Jesus, as did Augustine, both under different circumstances but both in an age of empire— what does it mean for us to live with and in the reality of this conflict? (Short pause.)

Empire is represented in many different personae throughout Scripture. These agents of empire work against the possibilities which God insists are present for us. And so this is what I take from today’s passage: life, especially life in an age of empire, is lived within conflict. That’s a given. We need to grapple with it.

Why? God wants to enfold humanity in steadfast love. Empire, a large part of the reality of the conflicts of life, has a difficult time with steadfast love.

Why does empire not want to allow for love? Because hope is an aspect of love and hope does not need to silence the rumblings of crisis, of conflict, of empire, to still be hope.

So our hope is not, or at least should not be, in and with empire since a hope placed in empire, a hope which declares empire is a cure-all, is a foolish hope. Our hope is in God, with God, God who is faithful. Amen.

06/30/2024
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: “Let me offer something else Walter Brueggemann said. (Quote:) ‘Sabbath is not about worship…. It is about withdrawal from the anxiety system of Pharaoh and Pilate. Sabbath is a refusal to let one’s life be defined by production and consumption and the endless pursuit of private well-being’ (unquote). Sabbath is, therefore, not self centered. It is community centered. Looking out for only self, not for neighbor, is an activity of empire. Involvement in and with the community, involvement with neighbor, is an expression of hope.”

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, the beloved of God, 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. Amen.

06/23/2024 ~ Proper 7 ~ Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fifth Sunday after Pentecost; 1 Samuel 17:(1a, 4-11, 19-23), 32-49; Psalm 9:9-20 or 1 Samuel 17:57-18:5, 18:10-16; Psalm 133; Job 38:1-11; Psalm 107:1-3, 23-32; 2 Corinthians 6:1-13; Mark 4:35-41 ~ VIDEO OF FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/967859292?share=copy

The Present Tense

“For God says, [and here Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah] / ‘At an acceptable time I heard you, / and on a day of salvation I helped you’ (unquote). / See, now is the acceptable time! See, now is the day of salvation!” — 2 Corinthians 6:2.

Someone recently said they thought I knew a lot about history, especially church history. But I am in no way an expert. On the other hand, I need to admit I am a bit of history geek and probably know more about history, in particular church history, than the average bear. So let me offer some history about the National Council of Churches.

In the first decade of the Twentieth Century many American churches in the Christian tradition realized the irony of proclaiming the gospel of Christ and its message of love in a culture where there was blatant injustice. For instance, churches knew Americans of color lived in hostile environments, were ostracized from employment lines, feared for their lives, and were often forced into segregation and incarceration.

Additionally, many lower-class Caucasian Americans— immigrants and working poor— worked on hardscrabble farms or dangerous factories for inadequate wages. Child labor was common.

Some church leaders had, themselves, been active in the abolishment of slavery and realized the churches would have to work together to address the challenging social conditions in the United States that was happening in 1900. And so the Federal Council of Churches, predecessor of the National Council of Churches, was formed in 1908. Today this organization represents a range of denominations from Greek and Russian Orthodox to Presbyterians to American Baptists to United Methodists to Episcopalians.

At its founding in 1908 the Council adopted a Social Creed. (Note: for those watching the video at this point due to a power outage the lights went out. The Sound system and the video system kept running on battery backup. The video continues but it is a little dark.) Some of this 1908 language will sound archaic but the proclamation did contain these statements.

Churches must stand for equal rights and justice for men in all stations of life; the right of workers to protect against hardships often resulting from swift industrial change.

Churches must stand for the principle of conciliation and arbitration in industry; protection from dangerous machinery, occupational disease or injuries; abolition of child labor; regulation of the conditions of toil for women; gradual, reasonable reduction of the hours of labor to the lowest practical point; a degree of leisure for all, a condition of the highest human life; release from work one day in seven.

Churches must stand for a living wage in every industry and the highest average wage each industry can afford; the most equitable division of the products of industry that can be devised; a suitable provision for the old age of workers and for those incapacitated by injury; an abatement of poverty.

The statement ends this way. To the toilers of America and those who by organized effort seek to lift the crushing burdens of the poor, to reduce the hardships and uphold the dignity of labor, this council sends the greeting of human brotherhood, the pledge of sympathy and of help in a cause which belongs to all who follow Christ.

Again, that was written in 1908, contains some archaic language and yes, some strides forward have been made. But clearly, many of the issues addressed in this 116 year old document still seems relevant to a frighteningly large extent— American Church history— fascinating. [1] (Slight pause.)

This is what we hear in 2 Corinthians: “For God says, [and here Paul quotes the prophet Isaiah] / ‘At an acceptable time I heard you, / and on a day of salvation I helped you’ (unquote). / See, now is the acceptable time! See, now is the day of salvation!”

In this reading Paul says some amazing things. The especially Apostle says God listens and hears. What? God listens… to us? Remarkable.

O.K. Put that aside. What is the time, the situation to which God refers? I need to say two things here. First, Paul quotes Second Isaiah, a passage probably written in the 6th Century Before the Common Era when the Israelites were in captivity in Babylon.

And, of course, the Apostle writes this message in the middle of the First Century of the Common Era, hundreds of years later, during the reign of the Roman Empire. When Isaiah proclaims this message from God to the Israelites it is meant to be an immediate call, a message to the Israelites for their time and in their time.

And despite the centuries which have passed since Isaiah, Paul quotes the Prophet who is addressing the time, the situation in the 6th Century B.C.E. And this Apostle’s message in the First Century of the Common Era is also in the present tense. What does that say to us?

Given both these perspectives, I think we are meant to hear these words written centuries apart and centuries ago in the present tense today. “Now is the acceptable time.”

What are we to make of that? (Slight pause.) My take: I think we are called to and need to participate in the Dominion of God, right here, right now. (Slight pause.)

Why? I think these words say something very basic about us, those here gathered in this place, at this time as the people of God. We need to be aware of where we are now. We need to be aware of where we need to grow as we move forward in our relationship with God in our time.

Given what this passage says, I think the imperative of now is a message we are meant to hear. I suspect that’s the point the Prophet and the Apostle are making, especially in times which might be perceived as difficult. And if I do know something about history I know this: both the Prophet and the Apostle lived in difficult times.

When the Prophet wrote the Israelites were trapped in Babylon, trapped in captivity. The Sixth Century Before the Common Era was era was a difficult time.

The Apostle to the Gentiles writes at the height of the Roman Empire, an era during which nine people out of ten people were trapped in what we today would call slavery. The First Century of the Common era was a difficult time.

And yes, I don’t doubt this for a minute: many think today is also a difficult time. Perhaps that’s part of the point— this time, now, our time which is seen by many as difficult— this time is the acceptable time. Now is the time for us to take a stand for God’s justice, God’s equity, God’s peace, God’s hope, God’s freedom, God’s love.

Now is the acceptable time for us to strive to live by standards beyond reproach. So, I think a basic question which needs to be asked is one of self examination. Where have we been less than ethical by breaking God’s covenant? After all, when we break covenant with anyone— anyone— that fails to be ethical.

I am also convinced knowing the history of these words is helpful. Why? This message, handed down to us from Isaiah and then through the Apostle is clear. And if we know its history, this history of these words, I think it becomes more clear.

Now is the time to be reconciled with God. Now is the acceptable time for us to examine our own standards. That is what Isaiah and Paul said in their time. That is what the Federal Council of Churches said in 1908. That’s just history.

So now is the acceptable time for us to participate in the Dominion of God, the Realm of God. Now is the acceptable time to embrace God’s love in this, our time, our world, which so often feels broken. This is the acceptable time to embrace God’s love for this, our world, this world so in need of God’s love. Amen.

06/23/2024
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: “Earlier I mentioned ethics. What most folks don’t realize is what is an ethic is. It’s merely a piece of history frozen in time which changes over time. The ethics of today are of our time. After all, it was once considered ethical to own, to enslave another human. But to recognize that ethics change is also to recognize what does not change is the love of God. What we must strive to do is to match our ethics, the ethics of our time, match them to the place where God and the love God offers feels tangible. I think most of us label that place of love with these words. Love God and love neighbor.”

BENEDICTION: May the peace of God, the presence of God be with us this day and forever more. 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] The information given here is from the website of the National Council of Churches and has been slightly edited for this sermon.

History

06/16/2024 ~ Proper 6 ~ Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time ~ Fourth Sunday after Pentecost ~ 1 Samuel 15:34 – 16:13; Psalm 20; Ezekiel 17:22-24; Psalm 92:1-4, 12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, (11-13), 14-17; Mark 4:26-34 ~ Father’s Day on the Secular Calendar ~ VIDEO OF THE FULL SERVICE: https://vimeo.com/showcase/7960701/video/964820469

No Comparisons

“With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it, as much as they could understand; indeed, Jesus did not speak to them except in parables,….” — Mark 4:33.

I suspect everyone here has heard of Stephen Spielberg, one of the great story tellers of our time. And that’s a paradox: he tells stories but he’s not a writer. He directs movies. Among Stephen Spielberg’s movies are Jaws, Close Encounters of a Third Kind, ET, Lincoln, multiple versions of Raiders of the Lost Ark and Jurassic Park and, of course, Schindler’s List.

I find this interesting: those last two, Jurassic Park and Schindler’s List, were released in the same year. How could two stories be more different?

Why would I say a movie director, not a movie writer tells stories? Because that informs us about the medium we call cinema and how it works. Movies are a director’s medium, not a writer’s medium.

To explain, these are examples of mediums for writers— novels, plays, short stories to name just three. And the most important thing any writer who tells stories does in spinning out a tale is figure out how to tell a specific story no matter the form.

Put differently, in a writer’s medium the writer needs to ask ‘what scenes will be revealed in what sequence to convey the story?’ What scene must absolutely be revealed next, right after the one currently in focus, to make the whole story— not just this one scene but the whole story— work? That is the pivotal aspect of story telling.

Let me put that concept this way. It’s not what you say; it’s how you see it, how you sequence it. So the way you say it, the dialogue, the words, are less important than how you see it. Words, as important as they are, alone and on their own, do not carry a story. Words paint scenes. Scenes carry a story.

That’s why movies are a director’s medium, not a writer’s medium. The director has the final say in what we see next, in which sequence the scenes will be presented.

In fact, Spielberg has said all stories, any story, actually never starts and never ends. The story was moving and active before the point at which the story teller starts, before the first scene. And the story will continue after THE END flashes up on the screen. Stories never start and never end. We just see the segment being presented. (Slight pause.)

These words are found in the work known as Mark: “With many such parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it, as much as they could understand; indeed, Jesus did not speak to them except in parables,….” (Slight pause.)

Now that I’ve said all that about story telling I hope this is obvious. The medium in which a story is told is an important aspect of how a story is conveyed. A movie is different than a play, different than a short story, different than a novel. All mediums tell stories but in different ways.

In the New Testament we get four Gospels. The Gospels are their own exclusive medium, like nothing else, like no other kind of literature. What do we get in the medium called Gospel? What is presented?

It’s often said the Gospels contain the “good news.” But what is the good news in the story the Gospels tell? Many would argue the Gospels tell the story of the life and crucifixion, the life and death of the Christ. I respectfully disagree. I would even suggest that interpretation misses the point of the story.

Precisely because of how the scenes of the Gospels unfold, the scene we are shown last is the scene which has the good news, contains the point of the story. It therefore is simple and easy to identify. It sits right in front of us. At the end of the story Christ is risen. God is with us.

We also need to realize the four Gospels each tell that story in different ways. Each one presents the story by selecting different scenes. Each Gospel has similarities but each Gospel has a different way of unfolding the scenes to express the good news.

We also need to realize the Gospels are, both individually and collectively, complex, unquestionably complex. They say many things in a multitude of ways. There are many scenes, many stories found therein. But I again insist the Gospels transmit a singular message when it comes to the point of the story. Christ is risen. God is with us.

All that is to say the Gospels are complex stories with a simple message. So now let’s turn to the parables, stories which are also complex.

As you heard when this Gospel reading was introduced, if you read a parable and glean only one meaning from it, you mis-read it. Parables are meant to spark the imagination, provoke more than one meaning. Therefore, you have within the complex story form called Gospels, a smaller complex story form called parables.

Now, it’s sometimes said parables are meant to be metaphors. So, what is a metaphor? A metaphor is a way of saying what something is by saying what it is like. Therefore, you use something which, by definition, it is not exactly alike to describe it.

So a parable is not an exact description. Further, the words from this reading say (quote:) “Jesus did not speak to them except in parables,….” Put differently, even Jesus lacked the language to exactly describe the Dominion of God.

Of course, that begs the question, what is the Dominion of God like? Tell me, what does your imagination tell you about what the Dominion of God is like? (Slight pause.)

Earlier I said the good news, the basic Gospel message, says and means Christ is risen. God is with us. It’s that simple.

If my premise is right, that the metaphors known as parables are meant to draw us in, to spark our imagination, then perhaps understanding the parables might be simpler than we realize. This is what I think: the parables say the Dominion of God— note: not heaven but the Dominion of God, the reality of God— the parables say the Dominion of God is available right here, right now. You see, if Christ is risen, then it is a given that God is with us; God walks with us, right here, right now.

Further, I want to suggest the specific parables we heard today say the Dominion of God is a place where things grow. Therefore, in the Dominion of God which is right here, right now, we need to help the world grow around us.

We need to help the world around us grow in justice— God’s justice. We need to help the world around us grow in equity— God’s equity. We need to help the world around us grow in peace— God’s peace. We need to help the world around us grow in hope— God’s hope.

We need to help the world around us grow in freedom— God’s freedom. We need to help the world around us grow in love— God’s love. (Slight pause.)

What is the Dominion of God like? The Dominion of God is like nothing we fully know. But the Dominion of God can be more real for us when we acknowledge the presence of Christ is with us always. The Dominion of God can be more real for us when we strive to seek God’s will. (Slight pause.)

So yes, story telling is a complicated, complex business. The Gospels and the parables within them tell a complicated, complex story. But the complicated, complex stories found in Scripture are not the Dominion of God.

Rather, the stories point toward the Dominion of God. And so where is this dominion of God? The story the Gospels convey say God is present with us. When we acknowledge God is with us we can then be empowered to strive to work on helping the world grow in God’s love, on letting the love of God be active, right here, right now.

In short, the Dominion of God is right here, right now… if we are simply aware of the presence of God and act in ways which say that. And perhaps that is the real message of all the parables. God walks with us. Amen.

Elijah Kellogg Church, Harpswell, Maine
06/16/2024

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: “Here’s a paradox. The scenes which make a good story never tell us what its message is. Good story telling simply invites you to explore the message. For instance, is The Wizard of Oz about killing witches and tornados in Kansas? Or is it about home being in your heart? The Gospels and the parables within the Gospels invite us to explore the idea that possibilities abound when we become aware God is present with us. Hence, one message is it becomes incumbent on us to work with God and do the work of God which might enhance a fulness of the Reign of God.”

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 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.