Sermon Notes for December 3rd

December 3, 2006
“Do Not Be Afraid”
Acts 18:1-11

1. The other day I was reading a review of a new book about Timothy Leary … and I suddenly had a flashback – No, not a drug flashback! --- but a reminder of how Mr. Leary and many others created the famous psychedelic 60’s – and how, in addition to all the political upheaval around the Viet Nam War and the Civil Rights movement – there was also the drug revolution.

This is how the article started out:

The good Lord—or maybe it was natural selection, but, when you look at the outcome, how plausible is that, really?—gave us, in addition to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, the fantastic variety of fungi with which we share this awesome planet: yeasts, rusts, mildews, mushrooms, and molds. Among them is ergot, a fungus that, when eaten, can cause hallucinations. Ergot is the natural source of lysergic acid, from which lysergic acid diethylamide is readily synthesized—LSD. What purpose, divine or adaptive, this substance might serve was once the subject of a learned debate that engaged scientists, government officials, psychiatrists, intellectuals, and a few gold-plated egomaniacs. Timothy Leary was one of the egomaniacs.

2. Suddenly, it all came back to me that it wasn’t all about politics, for the 60’s were also about drugs.

And I was reminded of one Saturday morning when I was answering calls for a teenage drug hotline service called YES – Youth Emergency Service. This was while I was in the seminary and YES was actually started by two fellow seminary students. And a call came in from no less than Dear Abbey – Abigail Van Buren. And I turned to the others in the room and they all plugged their phones in at the same time and we had a discussion about drugs with the famous newspaper columnist. As it turned out, she was trying to put together an answer to some question someone had written to her about and, because it was all new, she knew very little about drugs.

I don’t remember what we talked about – but everyone was pretty impressed that she had called. And it was all pretty exciting – and also dangerous. The problem being that many young people were experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs on the street and would suddenly find themselves overwhelmed … and frightened and there was no one to talk with that they trusted. Hence, the need for a confidential place to call for information and reassurance. It was truly amazing; back then many young people would take almost anything just to see what would happen.

3. For most of the general public, it all seemed to have started with Leary and others who had been experimenting with LSD or Acid. But, I learned that actually the medical establishment and the US Government (including the CIA) knew about it in the l950’s and actually conducted experiments on prisoners and others (some who didn’t know about it). And in fact, a number of famous people, including the movie star Cary Grant, tried LSD.

But it was Leary who popularized the drug and along with it marijuana and all the rest. And it was Leary who came up with the famous phrase “Turn on, tune and drop out.” Remember that? It was so popular that even Billy Graham used it to say, “Turn on to Christ, tune in to the Bible, and drop out of sin.” Everything, in fact, was advertised as the moral, legal, and sensory equivalent to a drug experience. Back in those days, everything was supposed to “blow your mind.”

And, so drugs became a part of life for millions of people and ultimately the idea of seeing life not so much in terms of responsibility, or a certain set of beliefs – but as something you experience was born.

And, I suggest, that this also has in many ways transformed religion in America. For many people, nowadays, in order for religion to be real --- it has to be an experience. And from this, in part, came the whole Pentecostal charismatic religious revival in this country. And for those who have become part of this movement, the emphasis on personal religious experience as the work of the Holy Spirit – is the answer to a deep personal hunger and emotional need. And, I suppose, for others, it appears, at least from the outside, to be more of a desire to “get high on Jesus.”

4. Well, as I look back on it from some distance now, what comes to me is the reality that I did not do drugs – while so many people did and many were people I knew then and still know today. So, why didn’t I do them? Was it because I knew they were morally wrong -- well, I don’t really think that stopped anyone back then – nor does it today, either. Unfortunately, many people, especially when they are younger, will naturally experiment with anything adults tell them not to … and this is no different today – except that today the drugs are different and, in fact, even more dangerous. The worst of course is Meth … and from everything I have learned – Meth is the most lethal drug invented in recent years.

No, what caused me not to try psychedelic drugs were two things:

One is the fact of my mother’s mental illness – which went under the name schizophrenia – which, although the symptoms are identifiable, no one really understands it even today. By last count, there were at least 10 different pre-cursory situations which are thought to contribute to it … but no one is determinate. It is a mystery. A mystery which I lived with until my mother died when I was 36. She had a brain aneurysm. At the time, she was being treated with some newer drugs and they appeared to be having some positive effect but it was too late.

5. Naturally, growing up with that sort of things you wonder if maybe it is inherited. For I really didn’t know if it would happen to me. Now I know, of course, because it didn’t.

As a result, I had no desire to mess with my own mind for I could see what could happen when someone’s brain doesn’t work properly. For, in fact, we must realize that the brain is one of the most amazing mechanisms ever invented - or shall we say, created.

Now I am not going to get into a discussion of creationism and intelligent design --- but I simply want you to consider what an amazing thing your brain is … for I suspect that most of us … can at this very moment remember something that happened to us 30 – 40 – 50 years ago … not only what happened, but what was said, the weather at that moment … try it … take for instance the day Kennedy was shot … snap … it all comes back to me … just like the time Dear Abbey called me. How long did it take … a split second … Amazing … truely amazing … and it is all up here in your skull and it all runs on organic material … called food … and it even produces electro chemical energy on which it runs … and it is entirely portable … a lap top in your head … and faster than any computer … unless, of course, as you get older, and your retrieval system begins to slow down a bit … which is normal for most people.

6. And yet, what a very delicate instrument. You sure don’t want to drop it … and you sure don’t want to put chemicals into it … and mess it up. Not good! Not good at all! And it simply astounds me that people take risks like that with such a wonderful instrument. And, of course they did, and they still do.

In fact, once when I was on the phone lines at YES … a guy called in and began describing his many drug experiences … and all the strange things … and finally he said, “And then I began to see pure white!” He seemed to be quite excited that this had happened.

Well, I didn’t know what to say, so I turned to someone on another phone and said, “He says he saw pure white, what does that mean?” And the answer was “he’s fried his brain out.” And, it was true, because he was calling from a hospital!

Now, the second reason for not fooling with drugs was because I had already had some unusual visions on my own … which for these purposes must go under the title “religious experiences.” And, unlike those, like Leary who went on to claim that they saw God and things like that on LSD, it turned out that I didn’t seem need to get high to have a personally transforming experience which I can only say, came from outside myself.

Hence, I had no use for drugs to expand my mind.

7. But, back then, the other thing is that I wasn’t exactly about to tell anyone about my experiences because in those days it wasn’t exactly “in.” In fact, it could actually have had a lot of people asking serious questions. For this was also at the high point of the psychological revolution in America in which everything was somehow supposed to be related back to your childhood traumas and back in the l950’s anyone who acted strange or reported having visions and such things risked being brought in for a psychiatric evaluation.

I am not making it up. In fact, the famous Catholic monk, Thomas Merton, when he came out in opposition to the war in Viet Nam and upset his catholic superiors … was actually brought to see a psychiatrist to find out if something was mentally wrong with him. In the Soviet Union it was even worse for dissidents who were frequently locked up in mental institutions.

So, I said nothing about these experiences. And, since my mother was mentally unstable … I wondered occasionally … how do I know if these things are really real or if maybe I am little nuts, too. After all, there was no one to talk to about it … not even in the two seminaries I attended. People back then, even religious people, more or less believed, I guess, that you just did not have any kind of spiritual contact with God. Except, of course, for a few evangelists like Oral Roberts -- who made rather outlandish claims and gave the whole idea of religious experience a bad name.

8. So, what is religious experience anyway? Can we really make contact with God or Jesus … and how does the Holy Spirit really work? In the seminary I looked for answers … and in 1970 I could hardly find one book on the subject!

All that has changed, of course, and now people talk more openly about God being at work in their lives. And so, now, can I.

Except, of course, the idea of Christian religious experience, coming through the charismatic movement has tended to focus primarily on the idea of “being born again” which is an important but only form of religious experience.

For instance, in one of my seminars this past summer, the instructor shared this story about the Rev. Martin Luther King:

As reported in the Montgomery Advertiser in Montgomery, Alabama
Dr. King told his congregation that the year before he had had a vision telling him to lead the bus boycott in that city. This occurred on the same day when a dynamite bundle failed to explode on his porch. King reported in his prayer “I told God that I wanted to give up leadership and that I was afraid and that God gave me a vision in the kitchen of my house ….” And he continued … “I went to bed many nights scared to death …. by threats against himself and his family.”

Then he went on, “Early one sleepless morning rationality left me … then almost out of nowhere I heard a voice saying to me …”

“Preach the Gospel, stand up of the truth, stand up for righteousness.
Since that morning” … he continued … “I am not afraid of anybody.”

9. Somewhat later, a letter to the editor in the Montgomery paper actually suggested that the voice Dr. King heard could have been the voice of the devil.

After that, other letters debated what exactly the nature of Dr. King’s revelation was. Which just shows you how controversial visions can be and how they are often misunderstood and misinterpreted.

And eventually, it turns out that Dr. King chose to tone down his story, for by the time it was reported in Time magazine in 1957 … he stopped using the word vision and simply stated that … from “somewhere” came the answer to his prayer.

Now, I would like you to notice …. for a moment the parallels in this event with scripture reading for this morning:

What is happening of course is that Paul is failing in his efforts to win over the Jewish people in Corinth. Finally, he gives up, a major disappointment, no doubt, and he was afraid of going on. Then the Bible says:

9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."

No interpretation necessary, I guess.

10. Except, for the fact that there are several different translations of this passage… Listen for a moment to these words from the Eugene Peterson transplantation:

One night the Master spoke to Paul in a dream: "Keep it up, and don't let anyone intimidate or silence you. No matter what happens, I'm with you and no one is going to be able to hurt you. You have no idea how many people I have on my side in this city." That was all he needed to stick it out.

So, now one place we have a vision and in another a dream. Dreams and Visions.

Well, as you know by now, I have been fascinated by both subjects for a along time … and other things as well. One of which is extrasensory perception. Although, I should add, that I am more skeptical of ESP than of either dreams and visions. Yet, who knows?

11. What this all adds up to, I think, is that at least for me, God is a lot more real than people think and can appear to us in a variety of ways whether they be visions or dreams or whatever. And while not everyone is going to have a major profound religious experience … many do … and I now know that they are not crazy – at least most of them, anyway.

And in the end, what really is at stake here is not the subjective experience itself but rather how to interpret these unusual manifestations of God. After all, how do we know they are from God and not the devil? And for the answer to this question we must turn to the most important book on the subject: William James’s Varieties of Religious Experience.

In this extraordinary account James quotes the famous Jonathan Edwards, the Puritan theologian,and perhaps one of America's greatest preachers, to the effect that:

"The roots of a man’s virtue are inaccessible to us. No appearances whatever are infallible proofs of grace. Our practice is the only sure evidence, even to ourselves, that we are genuinely Christian. There is not one grace of the spirit of God, of the existence of which, in any believer, Christian behavior is not the most decisive evidence. The degree in which our experience is productive of practice shows the degree in which our experience is spiritual and divine."

In other words, “Don’t just talk the talk, but also you must walk the walk.”

This, too, is consistent with the teaching of John Wesley who sought to engage the believer so as to enable them to come to experience God’s Divine grace for the forgiveness of sins … in order that the spirit of Christ might come to dwell within a person and thereby begin the process of transforming that person into a true child of God.

12. So, this morning, we will, in a moment celebrate the presence of Christ in the world … by partaking of the body and blood of our savior.

Now, I am tempted to say …is that what you are about to do is ingest a mind-altering substance. So powerful that your life will be changed and your mind will be transformed. And you will be renewed from within by the love of God in Jesus Christ.

Wow! What if that could really happen? What if it does happen?

Yet, how can such a small ordinary thing – just bread and grape juice make that much difference? Nothing psychedelic about that, I guess. No fungus or mushrooms. And yet, what seems rather ordinary and insignificant can actually be changed through the miraculous nature of God’s love and the presence of Christ’s spirit. Isn’t that what we believe?

Now, for those who have not experienced the love of God in their life before, communion is truly a first step toward a greater reality.

On other hand, for those, as the liturgy says, who have been here many times before, the communion is always a constant reminder that our work is not done and our spiritual hunger is always part of our human nature such that we need always to be in the presence of God everyday so that God may say to us, as he did to Paul, “Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent.”

And if you think that what we do is not important, I can tell you this, not one of the persons I called about recieving home communion today said no. And all were very excited because even though they cannot be with us today, they, too, desire to be connected, not only with God, but with others. And who are the others? We are the others -- for we are the true and only Body of Christ in this world. Can you believe that?
Let us pray.

Sermon Notes for November 26,

November 26, 2006
“What have you done?”
John 18:33-37

1. It may seem strange on this last Sunday in November to be reading scripture about the confrontation between Pilate and Jesus which is usually something we usually expect to hear about during Lent or Easter.

This is because, according to the lectionary, this is Christ the King Sunday.

And it is, according to assigned readings -- the last Sunday after Pentecost which is traditionally the end of the Church year. Which means that next Sunday, we start over with the Season of Advent, followed by Epiphany, Lent, Easter and the Pentecost, again.

At one time, centuries ago, all the major seasonal holidays were based on the Christian church calendar. Although, many of them, as we know, were originally taken over from the pagans, such as Halloween (All Saints Day) and Christmas (literally – Christ mass) which came from pre-Christian winter festivals. These festivals … or feast days … were especially useful in keeping people’s faith alive and reminding them of the reality that God’s kingdom was in their midst and to celebrated regularly.

However, nowadays, it is confusing at times in America to know what exactly is specifically Christian and what is political or cultural in our annual celebrations and what role the church should play in modern times.

2. For instance, some of you may have seen the History Channel’s excellent portrayal of the Pilgrims voyage to America (which is now the basis for our celebration of Thanksgiving). For, in the beginning, it was not, at that time, conceived of as a “religious” holiday – but rather as a harvest festival with certain religious overtones. Thanksgiving is not, really, a universal Christian holiday. For we need to remember that it is only celebrated in the United States – not by Christians in other parts of the world.

The Pilgrims also did not believe in celebrating Christmas. This is hard to believe – but, as we know, the Bible does not specify what time of year Jesus was born. As a result, the Pilgrims, who took the Bible to be the sole basis for religious faith – were against Christmas and all the partying, drinking, and eating that went with it in England.

In the movie, which I watched, they actually got into trouble for disseminating tracts against Christmas – which did not please King James – the King of England. He wanted them to stop. Eventually, because of persecution for their contradictory beliefs, they left England for Holland and eventually, after a harrowing journey across the Atlantic, they managed to set up a colony in New England. And, as the movie showed so powerfully, it was a situation filled with tragedy, courage, and stubborn religious faith – not unlike the story of Exodus in the Bible. All told, over 50 of the 100 or so Pilgrims (men, women, and children) died during the first year -- largely from lack of proper food. Ironically, as we all know, it was the Wampanoag Indians who eventually befriended them and probably saved their lives.

3. The gradual adoption, by many Protestant churches of lectionary and the consequent re-emphasis on the celebration of the church year – was really designed to try to re-establish the Church as the dominant influence on our Christian life. This is because, in a nation where there is a separation between church and state the church is often caught up, on the one hand, in honoring secular holidays such as Labor Day, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and Thanksgiving … while, on the other hand, the culture takes over specifically Christian celebrations such as Christmas by commercializing them beyond all reason.

Sometimes, the Puritan side of me thinks that maybe the Pilgrims had it right. Maybe, I wonder, what it would be like to have a moratorium on Christmas for a few years and let everyone calm down and get some perspective on what is really supposed to be celebrated. But, it will never work. And besides, if we got rid of Santa Claus, all the children would revolt. Besides, it was already tried by the Puritans in America for about 200 years – and, in the end, it just didn’t work. I guess the Catholic Church (and the Church of England) just knew better because, after all, December is, otherwise, a cold and gloomy season and what better time to celebrate Christ’s birth and bring some hope and good cheer into the world. Right?

And actually, as the movie showed, the Puritans weren’t always serious all the time and on the first Thanksgiving they all ate and drank and partied with the Indians for at least three days. And because the water was so bad, even the little children had beer to drink. Pretty amazing! That must have really been quite a time back in 1621.

4. Well, as I wrote, in my December newsletter article -- “Life is certainly a Mixed Bag! -- at times.”

And so we are probably never going to have a complete separation of church and state ever in the world. Although, some groups, such as Amish and various Mennonite groups do attempt to set themselves apart from modern life … in ways very similar to some of the early American colonists.

And, there is, in fact, right here in this area, a fairly large group of Russian Orthodox “Old Believers” up around Erskine. Did you know that?

Old Believers, I have learned, are a part of the Russian Orthodox Church that still celebrate the liturgical rites as they existed prior to the reforms of Patriarch Nikon (like in the camera) in the seventeenth century. Old Believers now exist in many different countries around the world, but their goal remains the same: to preserve the Old Rite of the Russian Orthodox Church.
According to one account, Old Believers struggle to preserve traditions dating to medieval times. They cling to strict rules: No meat on Wednesdays or Fridays. Peasant-style clothing must be worn with a belt. Followers cannot eat off the same dishes as non-believers, so, when they are away from home, some Old Believers eat out only at fast-food restaurants where meals come in disposable containers.
Old Believers also celebrate Christmas according to the Russian Orthodox religious calendar, which runs two weeks behind the Gregorian calendar used in the West.

5. Though most Americans decorate for Christmas, Old Believers do the opposite: All ornaments, such as religious icons, are taken down and the house is cleaned and made as bare as possible before the holiday. In addition, all members must fast for periods of time and abstain from alcohol leading up to Christmas. They celebrate the holiday with an all-night mass ending with a festive breakfast and a return of the decorations.

I learned about this group from Rev. Lois Ball who serves the United Methodist Churches in Fosston and Erskine. And one Saturday, I drove up there and actually had a bowl of borscht at Elena’s Russian deli in beautiful downtown Erskine! And sure enough, they spoke Russian and several young people who were in the restaurant wore very traditional Russian peasant clothes with tall leather boots. For a moment, it looked like a scene out of Dr. Zhivago.

According to one report, there are over 10,000 Old Believers in Oregon which has the largest concentration of members of their faith in the United States. Many were apparently directed to the state by charities that helped Christians migrate from communist countries during the Cold War.


6. A mixed bag indeed! So many people, so many ways of understanding and worshipping God and Jesus Christ – all within the Christian world.

And it was all started by one man – Jesus. Who, in the minds and hearts of his followers was the Messiah -- the Christ – the incarnation of God? Or, as John’s Gospel puts it - “The word of God – who became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.”

And this man, Jesus, was also to say, in the words of John’s Gospel … “my Kingdom is not of this world.” A powerful statement which would overturn all established ideas … and set Jesus above all earthly rulers to this very day.

That is the message of Christ the King Sunday as is set before us the famous story of Jesus encounter with Pilate.

Now, it is must be understood that this dialogue is for the most part a piece of inspired writing. For, although the Gospel is attributed to John – Jesus’ disciple … it was likely written some 60 years after the event. Further, there is no evidence that the disciples were even present at Pilate’s headquarters. For, as the Gospels tell us, they had dispersed, fearing for their very lives.

7. Rather, it is more likely that this account is derived from stories and verbal history – as it circulated in the Christian community. After all they had no videos or tape recorders of what Jesus really said or did. It is all oral history … later written down by believers who sought to tell the story for future generations.
And, yet by all accounts, it is one of the most profound spiritual writings we have in the world today. For, unlike the other Gospels, which tend to more or less, report the facts, John’s Gospel goes much deeper … and reveals not only the events, but also provides insight into the spiritual depths of Jesus, himself, and those he encountered.

This kind of interior dialogue sometimes seems strange to us today – especially in our rationalistic and materialistic modern world where many people have a hard time believing or understanding that there even is an unseen spiritual world all around us.

As a result, today, we tend to have this split between those who only believe only in the historical reality of Jesus the man. In other words, those who are only interested, like the famous detective Jack Webb in Dragnet, “in the facts.” “Just the facts, mam!”

And then there are those who are mistakenly caught up in same the modern idea of truth as being limited to facts, who want to believe the entire Bible is a “fact” – and therefore literally true in every detail Whereas, the real truth, as in all things spiritual, lies beneath the surface.

8. This understanding, which is beginning to be realized again is that according to early Christian teachers, such as Gregory of Nyssa, is that there are really three dimensions to Bible teaching:
a. One is its historical or literal meaning
b. Two is its moral or ethical meaning
c. And the third is its spiritual meaning

So, since we are mostly familiar with the first two … let us take a look at the spiritual dimension from the viewpoint of Jesus and Pilate’s encounter.

Nothing seems to bring out this misunderstanding or confusion about the spiritual world than this conversation (or interrogation) as John describes it in the Scripture for today.

Notice what is happening … notice how Pilate and Jesus seem to be talking about two different realities. Listen, again to the dialogue:

“Are you the king of the Jews?"
“Is that your own idea, or did others talk to you about me?"

Am I a Jew?" Pilate replied. "It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?"

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place."

"You are a king, then!"

"You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."

"What is truth?" Pilate asked.

With this he went out again to the Jews and said, "I find no basis for a charge against him.

9. Quite clearly, we can see that Pilate is a man of this world -- a military man and a practical man. He only wants the facts.

“Are You the King of the Jews?” he asks.
YES – OR NO?

Just the facts.

And that is reality with which most people see the world most of the time. Materialistically and factually and often, when it comes to the Bible -- literally.
What is missing is the ability to go deeper … and to understand that there is a deeper spiritual reality which transcends the physical world which cannot be reduced to mere facts.

This is why Jesus cannot answer Pilate directly, for Pilate cannot understand, with his everyday mindset, who Jesus really is because Pilate is not in touch with his own spiritual reality.

10. And so, as the conversation continues, the table is gradually turned on Pilate – largely because he doesn’t understand where Jesus is coming from.

This is unnerving to Pilate … for he is in over his head and he begins to feel that he is the one who is being questioned. It is as if, without saying it, Jesus is saying to Pilate, “You don’t get it … do you? That is why I can’t explain who I am. For I am not a political ruler, I have no army, only followers. But we are not planning on taking over the world by physical force as you and Caesar have done. We plan to take over the world by spiritual means and without violence. My Kingdom will come through the power of God’s spirit not with armies and legions. Regardless of what you do to me … it will not matter – for God is at work here and cannot be defeated.”

To put it more directly, according to the Methodist commentary Jesus makes three points:

a. God’s kingdom is not of this world
b. He came into the world to testify to God’s truth
c. Those persons who are capable of understanding God’s truth will become part of the Kingdom of God

To which, Pilate gives his famous reply, “What is truth?”

11. Now then, we must understand that this is a clash of spiritual realities. It is a confrontation between the material world of reality … in which we live and eat and sleep and make our living … and another even more powerful reality which is the world of the Spirit … which through God’s grace can also live and take life within us which we call the Kingdom of God. If and when this spiritual reality becomes a part of our lives we will never be exactly the same. Oh yes, we will still live and have our daily life in this world … and, in fact, on the outside, not much may seem to change. In fact, our friends and neighbors may not even see much of a difference. Life may, indeed, go on much as before.

But, now, we will belong to two realities - one of this world and other of the world of God’s spirit … living within us and working to transform us from the inside out.
Which is why, as a church, we are called to be attuned to this spiritual reality which surrounds us … and dwells within us – even though we are not always aware of it all the time.

12. Now what I was originally going to talk about this morning was about drugs … that’s right drugs. Both good and bad drugs. Because, more than ever we live in a drug society. People take drugs for medical reasons … this is generally good and also many people take drugs to alter their minds and emotions … and this is not good. But more and more chemical substances are replacing or altering in certain ways … intentionally or otherwise … the spiritual realities in which we live.
Now, speaking of drugs, as we all know, Karl Marx critically accused religion of being the “opiate of the masses” and then he went on to replace religion with politics and economics which were ironically, in the form of communism, just another opiate. So, while he was wrong, in part, he was also right. In short, almost anything we create, it seems, can become an opiate, a drug, an addiction. For, we must realize today that for many, politics and religion are still opiates. We need only witness the powerful fanaticism which mixing these two powerful realities can create. Today, in fact, many people are easily swept up into a frenzy of hatred and paranoia and are even willing to die for causes which they believe will bring them salvation.

13. But, that will have to wait until next Sunday, when I will talk about Timothy Leary and LSD and lot of other things. Just a little commercial to get you come back next week … like on the evening news. Okay?
For now, let us realize … we live in a world which is hungry for answers and yet the truth evades us much of the time.

Most of the time, the answers we seek are in the things we can see, touch, smell, eat, vote for, drive around in, wear, or manufacture. Human things which we hope will make us beautiful, happy, popular, materially prosperous, and all the rest.
When all the while the true reality of God’s love is all around us -- in the beauty of nature, in the sound of music, in the caring of other people, in the silence of a heartfelt prayer at the end of a long day.

No, God’s kingdom is not some drug we take, some quick fix, some panacea or self-help positive thinking approach to salvation.

14. Jesus words are carefully chosen. It is not situation which allows for a quick Yes or No answer; for he is speaking of the great mystery of God’s presence -- where words cannot fully describe something so profound, so awesome.
And perhaps this is why there are so many different responses to Jesus and the Christian life from the Puritans to the Catholic to the Protestants to the Orthodox believers and the Amish and Mennonites and much more.

And this is because no one of us … no single group of people can ever fully comprehend or fully express the greatness of God and his revelation in Jesus Christ.
All we can do is find our own way … and live faithfully … always asking in the words of Jesus, “let thy kingdom come, and thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.”
Let us pray …

Sermon Notes for November 19th

November 19, 2006
“Lilies of the Field”
Mathew 6:25-33

1. If anything sets Methodists apart from others, at least in principle, it is the idea that one should not only believe … but also live the life which Jesus called us to live. In the old days, this was called holiness.

Holiness is not such a good word today … for it brings up images of people who are “holier than thou.”

Today, I prefer the word “wholeness” which means to strive to be more integrated in ones religious life so that ones mind, and heart, and actions, become more consistent and in harmony with one another … in other words, to come to “love the Lord with all ones heart, and mind, and strength.”

For many people, however, the whole object of religious life is largely to be “saved.” That is all there is to it … and for them the goal of the Christian is to try to save as many others as possible … and despite the fact that we live in a country where most people consider themselves Christians and believe that they are “saved” ---- there still seem to be all manner of people who take church rather lightly and who don’t really have much interest in the religious life. Let’s face it many in our country today are what we call “nominal Christians.” Or, as someone said recently, they are “submarine Christians” because they surface at Christmas and Easter. These people, some would say, need to be saved. Or, at least, to take the religion more seriously.

2. Now, while it is quite true that John Wesley, once he had found salvation himself, proved to be quite effective at bringing the message of salvation to others in England who, also, we rather nominal Christians. When Wesley preached on the highways and byways of England, as he often did, many came to repentance and eventually left the Church of England to become Methodists.

But, unlike some evangelists, Wesley did not stop at salvation but, instead, called people to go on to greater and spiritual depths. In short, to live a holy life – as he, personally, tried to do.
Wesley describe this process of Christian growth toward wholeness as occurring in three stages – repentance, faith, and holiness.

To put it simply, as often did, Wesley described salvation as like a house, To get into the house, you have to get on the porch (which is repentance) and then you have to go through the door (this, he called faith). But the house itself – which is one’s relationship with God – is what holiness is all about. To overemphasize the nature of salvation as beginning and ending in repentance -- is, literally, to get stuck on the porch.

Reminds me of the story of the evangelist who came to a certain town where he held big revivals and many were saved. The, some years later, he happened to be back in the same town and asked how things were going. To which some said, -- “we are all still saved!” In other words, "we are all still on the porch."

3. Now, it is true that Jesus means many different things to different people. Ask a variety of people what Jesus is all about and you may get a surprisingly different set of answers.

For many, Jesus is the savior of the world who dies for all mankind by being crucified – plain and simple. This was seen in the Mel Gibson movie – which, focuses almost entirely on the passion. And there is no problem for Methodists with accepting the idea of Christ’s death and resurrection with being integral to our accepting God’s love for us.

But, what gets left out in this account of salvation is the ongoing spiritual life of the believer. What also gets left out is the role of Jesus as the spiritual teacher – whose wise sayings and parables are meant to provide us with a way to grow toward wholeness in our relationship to God and Jesus Christ.

4. Consider scripture reading for today. It comes right after a long series of statements or commands by Jesus about how to fast, and how to pray (including the Lord’s prayer) and ultimately about the role of money and material things in a person’s life:

"No one can serve two masters, Jesus says. either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.
That’s pretty clear isn’t it? No if buts or ands about it.

Then Jesus issues his command that we are not to worry about our life … or, as Gene Peterson put’s it --- don’t be always fussing about things.

What does it mean to fuss about things? The dictionary says it means to bother or worry unnecessarily, to make nervous.

Have you ever worked yourself up into a nervous state over something that maybe wasn’t all that important? We all have at some time or other until somebody told us to “settle down!”

5. Another word, we don’t use as much any more is “to fret.”
To fret means to “eat away, to gnaw at something – to wear away --- to become corroded, worn, frayed, annoyed …

I think, in a way, this gets at what Jesus meant … because it goes beyond the simpler word “worry” to imply a process which is eating away at a person. It is a spiritual condition … in which the soul … one’s healthy relationship to God … is eaten away … and replaced by something else … by worry … or money and possessions … or other desires …

As a spiritual teacher, Jesus warns us not to let things come between us and God. And then Jesus issues this famous statement:

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life[a]?
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.


6. Now you may ask at this point, “What is going on here? What is Jesus really saying?” This is not realistic. I have to worry about things, about my job, about earning and income -- after all I have a family to support and, and, I have to plan for retirement … I can’t expect others to support me when I can’t work anymore.
This is good question.
In fact, back in my very first congregation I preached about Jesus words that we should not be anxious … not worry…and my choir director came up afterward and said, “If I wasn’t anxious, I would never get anything done!”

So, there!

Well, William Barclay points out that we should not take this passage literally, for, he writes that Jesus is not condemning ordinary, prudent foresight … but rather what Jesus forbids is becoming obsessed by worry over things we have no control over.

7. After all, I could become obsessed about dieing of cancer, for instance. But what good will it do me to lay awake worrying about it. Probably make me more anxious, lower my immune system and cause me to get sick.

What I can do is use prudence. You know, eat the right food, get exercise, avoid cancer causing substances, and get a regular check up. But, beyond that, you or I have no control over what happens to us. My father, for instance, lived prudently, saved his money, never smoked, never drank excessively, was of sound mind and in good health all his life and died of Alzheimer’s at age 70 after being ill for 3 or 4 years.

On the other hand, my uncle, who did none of the above … lived to be 83!

8. Now one of the things that Jesus, as a spiritual teacher, had great concern about was the natural tendency we all have to put too much emphasis on outward appearances. Earlier in this chapter he castigates the hypocrites for fasting in public and wishing to appear sorrowful and pious … instead, Jesus says, when you give alms … don’t let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.
In short, if you are doing good just to look good … your heart is in the wrong place. This is not wholeness.

Wholeness requires that the outside be consistent with the inside.
In Mathew Chapter 23 Jesus confront the religious leaders directly:

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

9. Over and over again – I could go on at great length – Jesus seems to be saying that we need to pay attention to what is going on inside us … in our hearts … in our souls … and not let outer things come between us and God.

Well, what about clothes? We all have to wear them!

I remember back in the 1980’s the fad for a while was a book called “Dress for Success.” My boss was big on that one. I don’t remember much except that it said that men should not wear brown suits – for some reasons. Black, Blue, or grey -- but not brown. At least white men. Because, for some reason, black men seem to do okay with brown. And at the Red Cross the head CEO was, at that time, a very large black man who had had a career in the military. He was a rather physically imposing person and he often wore a brown suit. And the joke around the department was … what color suit should Steve Bullock wear … Answer: Any color he wants!! Incidentally, what recent president often wore brown suits and actually looked good in them? Ronald Reagan.

10. Well, I think Jesus point is this … don’t let concern for outward appearances take precedence over how you look on the inside to God -- for while your friends and acquaintances may only be able to see how you look on the outside … God sees what is inside and you can’t fool God.

And sometimes –– you can’t even fool yourself.

For, as you know, I like to dabble from time to time in dream interpretation … and this past summer I participated in a seminar on dreams and dream interpretation at the Pacific School of Religion in Berkeley.

As a part of the class, we all broke up into groups of six people and each evening someone would share a dream they had had and then each person would offer their own ideas about what the dream meant to them.

10. And so I will share an amazing little dream which was shared by a woman from Korea. She was actually a Methodist and taught in a seminary in her home country and she was visiting her daughter in California and decided to take the class.
Without know a lot about her, she appeared to be a very kind gentle woman … a grandmother … and very reserved and quiet in demeanor. Also very polite. And, although she was causally dressed – her clothes were conservative and mostly in darker subdued colors. In short, she definitely did not stand out in a crowd.
Her dream, which was very short, was very surprising and interesting. She said that in the dream she was teaching her class and that she was wearing a very bright peach colored blouse! In other words, her blouse was totally out of character. But, upon being questioned as to how she felt about this … she said she really liked wearing the blouse. End of dream.

Oh, yes, later on, she revealed that since coming to America to visit … she had purchased some peaches at the supermarket which were very good … and delicious to eat.

11. Okay, pop psychologists, what do you make of this story?

Well, I am not going to take a lot of time trying to analyze this dream … mainly because I can only guess what is going on … and, as we learned in the class, only the dreamer really understands the dream … all others can do is make suggestions. Which we did, of course, but, since she didn’t have to answer … she just smiled and said she would think about.

But, on the surface one could easily conclude that her is an older rather conservative woman who comes to California, sees all the different clothing styles … bright colors … and thinks … hey, I think I would like to wear something like that … and then realizes it would never go over back in Korea … and represses the thought … which promptly pops out of the unconscious in the dream. True – I don’t know. Will this woman go out and buy a pink blouse someday? Who knows? What do you think? What would you do if that was your dream?

12. Or, as I thought about it further … is this dream, on a deeper level … a spiritual realization … is it about her inner life … does it reveal that inside she is a very warm and loving person … despite her outward appearance? … Which I suspect she is.

Is the dream and revelation to her … about her inner self? One which is very positive … just as the peach is both pleasant and colorful on the outside … but also sweet and delicious on the inside.

Well, it’s only a guess which is all one can do in most cases unless you know someone very well.

But, my point is this … we all have an inside and an outside.
There is what we appear to be and who we really are.

13. So we must understand that Wholeness or holiness … in the mind of John Wesley is to bring the outer and inner into balance … to pay due attention to our spiritual inner life … to counterbalance the worry, the fear, the obsessions of the out world which work to wear away, gnawing at our spiritual underpinnings, undermining our need to have a healthy relationship with God and Jesus Christ.
No, we are not supposed to throw caution to the wind … and live a shiftless, thriftless, reckless, thoughtless, improvident life.

But, at the same, Jesus is saying … “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will come to you in addition.”

14. This week we beginning our descent into Christmas … starting with Thanksgiving … and then, that greatest of all days … the day after Christmas … known as the biggest shopping day of the year.

And so, once again, I make my appeal … to keep things in perspective … in balance … don’t let the outer take over the inner spiritual life … don’t let all the obsession with gifts, parties, and all the rest … rob you of the true meaning of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Remember to take time out for God … and to help those who are less fortunate … and those who are ill and troubled and whose Christmas is less than joyful …

And lastly, remember to be thankful … and not to worry too much about our life … for all things are in God’s hands.
Let us pray

Sermon Notes for November 5th

November 5, 2006
Ruth 1:1-18
“Where you go, I will go”

1.So, here is your quick quiz this morning:

What famous TV personality – and talk show host is named after a woman in the Bible?
Orpah -- Oprah Winfrey

Many of you are familiar with this well known and timeless story of the young woman Ruth and her mother-in-law Naomi.

In brief, it is the story of how Naomi and her husband and two sons who travel to the land of Moab to escape from a famine. The two sons marry Moabite women and then all the husbands die leaving Naomi with no one so she decides to return the land of Judah and tells her two daughter-in-laws to stay behind. Orpah does but Ruth, refuses and after much discussion, Naomi finally relents and Ruth goes with her.

1. It is a simple, yet wonderful story of loyalty and faithfulness and compassion. For, despite the dangers and uncertainty of leaving her own people, Ruth cannot allow Naomi to be left alone with a husband and no one to care for her. Her words are forever remembered for all time in the great language of the King James Bible:

16And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:

Seldom, if ever, is the idea of self-giving love – the love of Ruth for Naomi, better described for us than in this story.



Which does not mean that Orpah did something bad, for she did Naomi had asked -- only that Ruth goes beyond just doing the right thing – she does the greater thing! She lets go of her fears, uncertainty, and her past and goes forth bravely into the unknown, knowing only that it is the right thing to do even if she were to die.

2. And so, this morning, I want to hold up that image for you as a way of looking at communion and our spiritual life. Because that is, in a way, what we are symbolically doing when we come forward to receive the bread and juice … we are letting go … letting go of our comfortable seat in the pew … where we can sort of hide out … or hide behind the self image we project for others to see us out in the open.

But it is more than that … we are acknowledging that to live good, whole, and productive lives we have to let go of a lot of things in life. Sometimes we have to let go of the past … or let go of who we once were in the past.

In a book I was reading recently by a Catholic spiritual director, he tells the story about the hockey player who could not let go. It seems that this man, who was living in a small town in norther Canada, had been a successful hockey player in school and had high hopes of going on to play professionally. But, it didn't work out and finally he settled down to work at the local supermarket, get married, have children and all the rest. In fact, it wasn't all that bad. His wife loved him, his kids were fine, and it was a good job. But, he kept dreaming about being a hockey star. He went to hockey games, bought hocky paraphrenalia, and was always talking about hockey to the point where he was neglecting his family. It was a real problem because he could not accept himself for what he was. "I need help," he said. And so began the process of "letting go" of the past and the dream he had once had in order to accept and care about himself and his family.

3. Holding on to the past … can affect us in many ways … and theologically speaking it can be the difference between resuscitation and resurrection.

Do you know the difference between them?

Well, resuscitation is when something or someone is ill or about to die or has died and comes back to life. As in the case of Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead. Lazarus got his life but he was still the same Lazarus who would eventually die again.

This is different from Jesus … who died … and came back, but in a different form, through which he was able to transform the lives of the disciples who were no longer the same people they were before.

So, communion is really about resurrection and new life and to be so transformed … we need to be able to let go of our old life.

And -- Sometimes we have to let go of people in our lives … both people who have been good for us and those who have not …

4. In 2nd Samuel we learn of how King David’s son became seriously ill. David, doing what was expected, donned sack-cloth, sat in ashes, and prayed and fasted, pleading with God to spare his son.

Incidentally, sackcloth was most often made of coarse, black goat's hair. As its name indicates, it was used for sacks, but was also customarily worn by mourners (in some countries, the ancient custom is still faintly seen today when mourners wear black arm bands at funerals), or as a sign of deep repentance and humility.

However, the son died. Upon hearing this, David took off the sackcloth, bathed off the ashes, went to the Temple and prayed, and then went home at and good meal and slept with his wife who conceived another son – whose name was Solomon.

David’s advisors, having observed his behavior, said to David:
“while you son was alive, you fasted and prayed but now you eat and drink.” And David replied: “While the child was still alive, I fasted and prayed, hoping God would spare him. Now that he is dead there is nothing I can do to bring him back – but I am still alive and I must go on living and continue to create new life.”

5. Now, it all sounds pretty simple and quick and easy … but of course the Bible is often just touching on the surface … for we know that dealing with hurt and pain … and loss can be difficult and it can take time … especially the loss of a spouse or loved on.

And sometimes people do not recover … as in the case of the famous baseball player, Kirby Puckett, who really had a hard time making the transition away from stardom … and ultimately suffered from depression and an early death from overeating and hypertension.

No, you are not likely to take communion one day and be all better the next.
Communion is not a quick fix. But it is a place to start. It is a reminder that the real power in our lives begins with God – whose spirit, present in Jesus Christ, has the ability to transform us from within … if we are willing to let go … as we proclaim (in the words of well known hymn):

Lord, we are able. Our spirits are Thine.
Remold them, make us, like Thee, divine.
Thy guiding radiance above us shall be
A beacon to God, to love and loyalty.

6. So, whatever it is, what ever is holding you back … leave it behind today as you come forward … or at least name it … and pray about it … and talk to someone, a friend, a wise person … talk it through … as you begin your own personal path of resurrection … of dieing and being made whole.

A now, there is one other aspect of communion which I wish to touch on today … and that is that we do it together.

Nowadays, there are those who feel that they can meet all their religious needs through private prayer or meditation or any number of self-help programs or gurus … in fact, there is a whole industry of these approaches … books proliferate … it’s a kind of “do it yourself spirituality.”

Now I am not knocking them, necessarily, I am only pointing out that we need to be involved with others in our spiritual journey. The search for God is not a private matter … for, from the earliest days, Christians recognized the truth in Jesus’ words, “wherever two or three are gathered together I will be with you.”

7. And there are those who believe that merely by being involved in politics, or social service, or helping the poor … can represent all that is needed for a healthy spiritual life. Who needs the church, anyway?



And the church is called to help the poor and disadvantaged. And often we do it together … as in the relief efforts to victims of Hurricanes and other local community needs like Churches United and the Food Shelf and the Soup Kitchen.

Yes, as we say, “we are all in this together.” Christ calls us to be part of something greater than ourselves. And in so doing, we are reminded that we are not alone in our faith.

8. Along these lines, we are reminded that we are not alone in faith for there have been many persons … who have been part of our lives and who have nurtured our faith as children and adults.
Both in this congregation and elsewhere and in our families as well as among our friends.

No, our faith in God did not just spring up out of nothing … it did not come right out of thin air … chances are we first learned about God from other people … their words … their actions …

And these are what we call the communion of saints. And this is All Saints Sunday when we take time to remember all the saints both living and dead whose examples of faithfulness, and charity, and love have been a guide for us in our spiritual life and in our church and all other aspects of our faith. We all know of them, do we not? Who are they?

9. Well, I suppose, we mostly think of those great exemplary people like St. Paul, and Francis of Assisi and John Wesley … and others who, in terms of the church and their commitment to Christ – stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

And yet, like every one of us, they, too, were very human.

To be a saint, in other words, doesn’t mean that you necessarily some superhuman person. Ordinary people can be saints, too.


So, who we are honoring here today are all the wonderful, caring, faithful people who gave their lives that others, like us, could become who we are.

These are people who didn’t ask “What’s in it for me?”

But who accepted their lives, reached down deep inside themselves, and went out and did what needed to be done: raising a family, helping out in church, caring for loved ones, volunteering for community organizations and demonstrating the faith in God which underlies all of life … and which we nourish in prayer and worship and service.

10. with this in mind, we are doing two special things this morning in connection with communion.

First, we are starting the bringing of communion to members of our church who are unable to attend church. The new Methodist term is “extending the table.” Or, you could call it, “take out communion.” This is a trial run today which will involve only 4 to six persons, but in the future, we hope to be bringing communion to everyone who desires it – on a regular basis.

Elaine Hazard, John and Lo Sorenson, Tom and Mary Ann Gray and De Pickett will be our lay communion visitation team today. The special baskets on the communion table have names on them and after our visitation team members take communion they will go up and get a basket and bring it back with them to their pew.

10. Secondly, we have arranged candles along the communion rail and to the sides. Anyone who wishes, today, to remember and honor a special saint in their life … please feel free after you take communion to go up and light a candle and name that person in your heart or say a special prayer. The candle lighter are easy to use, you just pull the trigger. And, we will have two persons up front to help you if you are having trouble lighting the candle. We would like to start by lighting the larger candles on the communion rail first.

In doing so, we are honoring not only those who we remember today who have died in the past year … but all those saints who are part of God’s kingdom here on earth and throughout all eternity.

And with that, I leave you with this thought from the well known novelist and Christian writer Frederich Buechner, Who advises us that on All Saints Day: "it is not just the great saints of the church that we should remember in our prayers, but all the foolish ones and wise ones, the shy ones and overbearing ones, the broken ones and whole ones, and all the despots and crackpots of our lives who, in one way or another have been our own particular fathers and mothers and saints, and whom we loved without knowing we loved them and by whom we were helped .... to have of some kind of very humble and precious sainthood of our own.”

Amen.

Sermon Notes for October 29th

October 29, 2006
“Who Hopes for What He Sees?’
Romans 8:18-25

1. In ancient times, people resorted to great imaginative stories … to explain things that they didn’t understand. One of the greatest stories is the one about Pandora’s Box in Greek mythology. You may remember it …

What happened was that According to Edith Hamilton in her book on Mythology -- the source of all misfortune was Pandora's curiosity. "The gods presented her with a box or jar into which each had put something harmful, and forbade her ever to open it. However, Pandora, like all people, was possessed of a lively curiosity. She had to know what was in the box. One day she lifted the lid and out flew plagues innumerable, sorrow and mischief for mankind. In terror Pandora clapped the lid down, but too late. One good thing, however, was there¬ Hope. It was the only good the casket had held among the many evils, and it remains to this day mankind's sole comfort in misfortune."

You may notice some similarities in this story to the most famous account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Where, again, it was human curiosity for the knowledge of Good and Evil which gets them into trouble.

2. But, for today, I would like to focus not on the cause of evil and sin … but on how we are to live with hope in the future both for the world but more importantly – in our own lives.

Now, I kind of gave away this sermon already, in my children’s message. Correct?
Well, regarding the whole question of the glass being half empty or half full …I think it is a pretty much accepted fact that in terms of people generally … there is a continuum between those who are predominantly pessimistic and those who tend to be generally optimistic.

I think, for the most part, I am about a 75% optimist and about 25% pessimist or something like that. It’s just the way I am. Even in difficult situations, I usually try to see something hopeful or at least amusing in them. Sometimes this even gets me in trouble.

In fact, I once had a close friend who was pretty much a pessimist. Often, if I had seen him for a while, I would say cheerfully, “How are you?” And he would say, “You know better than to ask me that!”

3. Well, I am no expert, but I think that how we are disposed toward life may even be sometimes genetic or hereditary. In fact, as we know, the more severe forms of depression are quite often biochemical in nature and need to be treated with drugs. Telling someone who is seriously depressed to “cheer up” won’t quite do it. Or, as in a case one time where I heard about a doctor (who was treating someone for anxiety disorder) and in response to a complaint that the drugs weren’t working, told the patient “don’t be anxious!”

And there are also people who are diagnosed as bipolar, also known as manic-depressive illness, which is a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in a person's mood, energy, and ability to function. Fortunately, according to the national Institute for Mental Health there is good news: bipolar disorder can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives.

4. But, the key word here is “normal ups and downs.” For, I am speaking primarily to those of us who are somewhere in the middle. Those of us who are just trying to get through life on an everyday basis … while trying to have meaning in our lives, some hope for the future, and to be able to love and care for those we most value among our friends, families, and neighbors. How can we live hopeful lives in the midst of a world like this where things tend to be up one minute and down the next? A world where we don’t know whether things are getting better or worse. A world which sometimes seems to be kind of “manic depressive.”

Well, last week I mentioned the great Protestant theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Niebuhr wrote and preached during the first half of the twentieth century. As we know, this was a century which began a 100 years ago with high hopes for a much improved world in which science and technology would transform our lives through better health, greater wealth, advanced education, and the elimination of much of the poverty and suffering throughout the world. In fact, many actually thought that some kind of utopia was just around the corner.

And, it is true in many ways, that much of this has come to be … for we do live longer, healthier lives, and we, at least in America are more financially better off than ever before – at least many of us.

5. And yet, the twentieth century was also one of the most terrible centuries in terms of war and devastation, where whole armies (especially in World War 1) threw themselves at each other and millions were killed and cities destroyed and all the rest.

In fact, for many in the world, following the great wars there was nothing but widespread despair and hopelessness. This was around the time I was growing up in the 1950s and I remember how the fear of nuclear war with Russia was on everyone’s minds.

In fact, I was recently reading a news account in the Bemidji Pioneer (from our archives) how Dr. Crawford Grays on his last official sermon in our church, in l952, said, with a sad smile, that as he started his career in the ministry he believed that some day advances in science would alleviate the burden of toil to mankind and free the minds of men to pursuance of thoughts of nobility and morality. Instead, he said, science has turned to new methods of destruction which are capable of wiping out every material advance made possible for the human race.”

In fact, ironically, the term Pandora’s Box has often been applied to the modern day discovery of atomic energy which has led, unfortunately, to the unintended creation of nuclear weapons. And, of course, this had just a happened a few years before Dr. Grays retired. It was the beginning of the nuclear age.
No wonder Dr. Grays was upset.

As a result, the wise Dr. Niebuhr, too, saw that what was going on in the modern world was a case of people “hoping too naively and despairing too greatly.” That is what he said. One minute we are wildly optimistic and the next we are plunged into hopeless despair.

6. Well, some moments stand out in my life. I can remember very clearly back when I was 22 years old and I was in my senior year in college. It was toward the end of the fall term … and the class was about 20th century American history. The teacher was the very distinguished Professor Clark Chambers who was at that time close to retirement. In other words he was pretty “old” … or so he seemed to be to me at age 22 …and in his lectures he held nothing back. We studied not only the great depression and world war two and the cold war but also the fateful decision by America to drop the atomic bomb on Japan.

I am not sure if it was him or the subject matter or what was going on in the world at the time or in my own life … but Dr. Chambers seemed to me to be very pessimistic. I was, short, getting pretty depressed just taking this course!
Well, the truth is it shook me up! And this was, in truth, right in the midst of the increasing violence of the Viet Nam War … and the civil rights riots across America. It was a time of great turmoil as many of you remember.

7. Well, being only 22, my personal religious beliefs were pretty naïve back then. Up to that point I had not really had them tested by all of life’s adversities. And so I was not prepared, really, to deal with all of this. But soon, I would be.

What, I wondered, can I believe, that will make sense out of the world … and my life. Should I be pessimistic and despair of life … or should I try to be optimistic even though things seem to be getting worse? And what does faith in God have to do with all this, I wondered.

Well, it was right at this point … that I discovered an assigned essay written by Dr. Niebuhr in one the text books Dr. Chambers assigned. It was called the “Children of Light and the Children of Darkness” and it talked about the recurrent tendency of people today to “continuously react to events and leap from one extreme to another.” What was the answer?

Well, Niebuhr blamed it on our basic lack of Biblical understanding and fundamental trust in God.

Well, I said amen! And after that I started reading everything he wrote and the next thing I knew I was in the seminary!

8. Now, in political terms, Niebuhr was what we would call a “realist.” Which means, in terms of the water glass, -- the glass is BOTH half empty and half full.
Or, as an old college friend used to say to me, “Eric, life is mixed bag.” That was a favorite phrase when I was younger which implies, I guess, that we starting to come to terms with the reality that not everything works out in life the way we want it to.

But, and this is my main point, Niebuhr’s realism was more than a merely rational assessment of the situation.

Instead, it was a religiously based realism which is based on the knowledge that God is also involved in the world and in our lives. For, according to Scripture and in our own experience, God’s spirit interacts continuously with our lives in this life here and now.

And that is what the church proclaims, namely that: God’s wisdom is available to us through the scriptures, and through sermons, and worship, and through prayer, and through the witness of fellow Christians. God is an ever present reality.

9. And, because God, through Jesus Christ can be a powerful spiritual reality in our lives, we can affirm that our hope, as the old hymn goes, “is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness” -- # 368

And we can sing together the words of Hymn # 178 – “Hope of the World, thou Christ of great compassion, speak to our fearful hearts by conflict rent, Save us, thy people, from consuming passion, who by our own false hopes and aims are spent.”
Or even the very popular “Hymn # 117 – Which goes “O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast, and our eternal home.”

And, in our scripture reading for today the Apostle Paul says, that “the sufferings of this time, the travail of our lives, is nothing compared to what God is going to do … for in the final days … everything will be changed. Therefore, do not despair, he writes, be of good courage, have hope for we have already received the spirit of God … in part …” and because of this we know that we are saved … now … today as well as in the future time.

And therefore, according to Paul, we should not be deceived by the events, troubles, difficulties, impairments, sufferings, disappointments, illnesses, misunderstandings world calamities … and all the rest … for the true hope that saves us, Paul says, is not something which we can see … for, as he says, “who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for that which we do not see … we wait in patience.”

10. What does this mean? What is this hope we cannot see? And how can we obtain this hope? Well, in a variety of ways.

For instance, this past week, I again spent some time in prayer and meditation with my other fellow Methodist clergy. This is actually a relatively new thing for me and for many of us. For, as Protestants, this was not taught in seminary back thirty years ago.

But, I am learning, and in fact, I can now sit for up to 20 or thirty minutes without thinking about anything …pretty amazing.

Now it is not the same exactly as prayer … but it does clear your mind … calm you down … and when I am finished I find I am much more receptive to experiencing the presence of God in silence. And then, things start to come to me that I would not have thought of in midst of the business of my life. And I think this is what we often refer to as the mysterious work of the Holy Spirit.

11. Well, one of the things I realized was that while, as you know, I serve another congregation over in Cass Lake … it also suddenly occurred to me that I have even another congregation here in Bemidji. And it is at the Havenwood Nursing Home! For, I have been going there once a month for over seven years now – every Sunday afternoon. And while I am not the chaplain, I have come to recognize and appreciate many of the residents who come faithfully to worship for a half hour – and I now look forward to seeing them … and vice versa.

When I first started doing the services, I wasn’t quite sure what to do … because it appeared that some residents are often ill or slightly confused or even fall asleep during the service. Imagine that! So, in the beginning, I didn’t do any preaching and mainly we just sang hymns and had a few prayers. But, I soon realized that many of these folks did understand what was going on … and so I now a share a short summary of my sermon which they seem to appreciate.

Then, as I have became more and more comfortable, I now talk about myself and ask them questions, and even tell a joke or two … and we have a really good time, together. And, because they usually have trouble walking, instead of shaking hands at the door, I walk around and shake their hands and wish them well -- every one of them -- at the beginning of the service and the end. It is, I believe, extremely important, that we touch people in hospitals and nursing homes – as long as it is appropriate – and I try to do this.

12. Well, after I started doing this meditation thing, I starting thinking about how it might be helpful for folks in the nursing home to have a little time for prayer and mediation. So, once in a while we sing a little hymn which you all know # 420 … “Breath on Me Breath of God” and I first ask them to close their eyes and to take a deep breath and then we sing it slowly and quietly. And, it’s pretty amazing, because you can actually see people start to relax and just feel the tension come out of them.

And this is something anyone can do … it’s simple and easy …

And it is all about hope … for, as we learn from Paul, “Where is our hope?” It is, of course, in God … and in Christ Jesus …and the Holy Spirit. And this spiritual hope comes to us … once we are willing to let go …for a time…of all the worries, the anxieties, the struggles, the false hopes, the crippling despair, and the wanting to be in control … which keep us from being who God wants us to be …
Even there at the Havenwood Nursing Home … where one would think that things are pretty depressing … where the glass would seem to be always half empty … even there … because God is there, too … because God is everywhere. And Hope is everywhere around us … brought to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.

13. So, then, part of hope is acceptance, and letting go…and letting God into our busy lives …

And with acceptance we gain not only hope but also serenity … which is another word for patience. As Paul says, “If we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

You may not have heard of Reinhold Niebuhr but you will recognize his most famous words of all: The so called serenity prayer:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

14. How many of you know that … can you say it after me?
God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, courage to change the things which should be changed and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Now, in place of the pastoral prayer we are all going to take out our hymnbook to page # 420 and we will sing the first verse through twice … but first, let us close our eyes, and take a deep breath … now open them …and we will sing ..

FOLLOWED BY A TIME OF SILENCE AND WE WILL CLOSE WITH THE LORD’S PRAYER.