Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Sermon Notes for October 22nd

October 22, 2006
"The Cup You Drink"
Mark 10, 35-45

1. This is a sermon about religion and politics. Emily Post said that the two things you should not discuss in polite conversation were religion and politics. And yet what else is on everyone's mind these days.

But this is not an endorsement of any particular person or political party. In fact, I cannot even do that - even if I wanted to because it is against the law in America for religious leaders and churches to endorse candidates as was also true at the American Red Cross where I used to work.

Just this past week a minister got in trouble in Minneapolis for holding what amounted to a political rally for a candidate for Congress.

This is forbidden under the constitutional principal of separation of church and state which also allows for churches and religious institutions to not be taxed by the government. Which also means that churches which engage in political behavior can have their non tax status removed.

I am actually a little surprised that a quite a few people did not know that this rule existed.

So I am not endorsing anyone today -- or next week or at all. It's not just a good idea, as they say, it's the law!

2. As we all know, America was founded by many religious dissenting groups who came from Europe seeking freedom from religious persecution, But that didn't stop them from persecuting others when they got here. Most famous were the Puritans themselves. Among those they opposed were Baptists and Quakers.

Here is what one Baptist historian wrote about the Puritains:

They wanted to know, these Puritans of Massachusetts in 1679, what on earth had provoked the Lord of Heaven to bring such hellish judgments on the Holy Commonwealth. Not far into the inquiry they named the enemies. Quakers and Baptists! Provocateurs of Heaven! Stubborn, cussed dissenters! The Puritan Establishment accused Quakers and Baptists of subverting the civil and spiritual harmony of New England! Deliberately, premeditatively, with full awareness of intent, Quakers and Baptists set out to destroy both state and church, whined the Congregationalist Puritans. Quakers were "false worshippers." And Baptists, in establishing their churches alongside Puritan churches, had "set up an altar against the Lord¹s altar

The Baptists responded, of course and in 1680 John Russell, second pastor of the First Baptist Church of Boston, released an apologetic. It was courteous in spirit, catholic in tone, but clear in content. Russell defended Baptists against "scandalous things"--being schismatic’s, embracing immoral persons, disturbing the peace, undermining true churches, neglecting public worship, engaging in idolatry, and acting subversive of civil government.

3. I could go on, but you get the picture.


Regardless of denomination, however, most of the colonists tended to believe that they had come to America to fulfill God's purposed and that we were, in fact, God's chosen people just like the Israelites in the Bible. And this belief still exists in various ways to this day.

Even as late as the Revolutionary War the close connection between religion and government is reflected in a document which was issued in 1775 by the Continental Congress which called upon all citizens in the 13 colonies to “observe a day of public humiliation, fasting, and prayer because the Great Governor not only conducts by His Providence the course of nations but frequently influences the midst of men to serve the wise and gracious purposes of his providential government, and it also is our duty to acknowledge his superintendency especially in times of impending danger and public calamity.”

In other words, the citizens were to offer up to God a confession of sin and iniquity, a compromise of repentance, so that God be so moved to influence Great Britain to alleviate the grievances.

4. The Virginia House of Burgesses was less diplomatic. They prayed to God to give the colonists “one mind to firmly oppose by all just means every injury to American rights.” In other words, we have nothing to confess because weave done nothing wrong so let’s go get the British!

So, much for the separation of church and state! That, as we shall see, was to come later. Now it is commonly thought that the Revolutionary War was fought in defense of the high sounding principles in the Declaration of Independence. And, in part it was. But, according to the famous Harvard Historian, Perry Miller, it was more likely that the driving force behind the war was powerful influence of Protestant preachers. Miller suggests that the official statements in the Declaration were posed in political and largely secular terms to influence the opinion of Europe but for the common man in American the will to fight was because God willed it. In short, it was for many, what we would call today a kind of holy war.

But, once the war against British tyranny was won, a new and different problem arose. By 1800 and later, the country was now too big and diverse theologically for any one group, whether Baptists, Methodist, or Presbyterians (let alone the Catholics) to speak on national holidays for all church people. This, then was the beginning of what is called today "diversity.

6. And from this realization comes the idea of separation of church and state as stated in the Bill of Rights.

Now it is thought by some nowadays that the government in America is against religion. But the intention of the bill of Rights is actually to allow for freedom of religious practice from government influence. And this is why we have in American society such a wide diversity of churches and religious beliefs.

Recently I was in Germany where my grandfather was born. Even today, over there, there was only one church in every little village. It was supported by taxes. If you don’t like the particular church or the minister – you just don’t go. Most people, in fact, are nominal members. They get married, buried and baptized – as the saying goes.

On the other had in America -- if you don't like a particular church like here in Bemidji -- there are 25 others to choose from!

Nor has the lack of government involvement prevented religious values from being expressed politically or otherwise in America.

And historically the various churches have acted to bring about change for good or not so good from time to time.

For instance: Churches and religious groups were very instrumental in many historic causes in America such as: Ending slavery, Prohibition, and the drive to end Segregation

7. Nor has it prevented clergymen from running for office and speaking out on mummeries issues such as:

Norman Thomas, who ran for president on the socialist ticket for six times in the 1920s and 30s. He was a Presbyterian minister. He didn’t get elected but he did see many of his ideas enacted -- such as social security and the end to racial segregation. And then there was Rev. Martin Luther King – as well.

And today we have televangelists Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell as well as Jim Wallis and Rabbi Michael Lerner, among others who seek to influence voters and politicians. And, also, the Catholic Church has its own agenda regarding public policy.

Unfortunately, no one agrees on every issue nor are United Methodists all of one mind, or are Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, and others.

For as I often point out: George Bush and Hillary Clinton are both Methodists, as are Dick Cheney and John Edwards ... and Walter Mondale's father was a Methodist Pastor. Mondale's brother was a Unitarian minister...so, go figure!

8. I would like to go on further, but this history lesson will have to wait until next week. For what I would like to focus on now is the Gospel lesson for today and and its implications for our understanding for our faith in Jesus Christ as it relates to politics.

This is because as it clearly states in the Scriptures Jesus did not clearly lay out some specific plan for government. And, in fact, he did not himself seek political power at all.

Jesus, in fact, avoids it. For, at the very beginning, Jesus was tempted by this very thing. As we remember, it is Satan himself who takes Jesus up on the high place and offers the Son of God all the Kingdoms of the world. Jesus refuses.

Later, when the scribes try to trick him with coin with Caesars face on it, Jesus says “render until to God what is due to God and to Caesar what is due to Caesar.”

Lastly, when questioned by Pilate ... Jesus states that "my kingdom is not of this world." And yet we are to understand that Jesus kingdom is IN the world -- here among us.

9. At issue here, it seems to me, is the question of power and the danger that it poses. As the old saying goes...power corrupts.

Now the idea which was widely believed in Israel in Jesus day was that the God's Kingdom would be a political kingdom. That when the Messiah came He would restore Israel to power as it had been in times past and the hated Romans would be destroyed.

But this did not happen. And by the time Mark wrote his Gospel, the Jewish freedom fighters had revolted and the Romans had crushed them brutally and even destroyed the Temple forever. This was not lost on the early Christian disciples.

But what did the two disciples expect? A political kingdom, of course. So, now we see Jesus admonishing them to think differently.

For, Jesus recognizes their temptation to power - however good intentioned it might have been,

Why is power so tempting? That is a mystery, I guess.

How many people are elected and go to Washington with good intentions and end up being corrupted! Regardless of political party? It is a messy business is if not!

10. Who, I ask you, is wise enough and spiritually strong enough to resist all the lobbyists, bribery, campaign promises which never happen, and criticisms that go along with political life?

In fact, I spoke with one political candidate a few years ago who said he could hardly watch TV and had trouble sleeping because of all the negative attacks on him in the election.

And yet we proclaim ourselves a “Christian nation.”

Sometimes I think it is a wonder that democracy works at all.

Along these lines, perhaps the best way to put it was expressed by the famous Protestant theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr, who said:

Men and women are just good enough to make democracy work.
And just bad enough to make it necessary.

And so we have no choice to not be involved in politics, to be informed, and to vote. No, it is not an option to just “sit it out.”

Nor is it an option to be cynical. That is not what Jesus meant. For Jesus was involved in politics even though he did not seek political power.

Jesus used the power of the spirit, the power of God’s word to call into question the rulers of his day – religious and political – and to hold them up to a higher standard.

11. And that is my last point, which is that we are called to be on guard against the tendency to confuse the kingdom of God with the kingdom’s of this world.

For, it is natural, for everyone to want to believe that their political party is the “way, the truth, and the life.” Or to believe that a particular political leader is a messiah who can do no wrong.

And sometimes politicians can also believe this as well.

And most seriously, we see this in the terrorists who equate their religious and political beliefs with the Bible or the Koran and who are willing to die for God or Allah even though millions of Christians and Muslims do not believe this is the right way to act.

And so, according to Jesus, this is what the disciples are not supposed to do as we read in Mark 41-45.

12. So, in the end, what does Jesus say? Well, it says that Jesus got all the disciples together to settle things down and observed that “ you see how the politicians throw their weight around and when people get a little power how quickly it goes to their heads.” Well, “it’s not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done. He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”

In other words, don’t let politics go to your head.

Don’t let politics become confused with the Kingdom of God.

Be careful. Be informed. Don’t be misled. Politicians are, after all, human. They are not gods. And at the same time, we must pray for them, pray for our country, pray for our community and its leaders.

Does this sound too pessimistic? I hope not. At least not for those who have hope in God.

Next week, I will talk about the difference between cynicism and idealism and realism and hope … from a Christian perspective.

Now let us offer prayers … please turn to page 879.

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