Afraid of the Spirit

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 27th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Acts 2:1-21; Romans 8:14-17
“Afraid of the Spirit”

Fear is a powerful force about which the bible has much to say. Paul reminds us that being led by the spirit means we are free from the slavery of fear. Jesus spent much of his life calling people to lead lives without fear. After the resurrection, when he appeared to the disciples, who were in hiding, Jesus first words are: “do not fear.” I am sure that many, if not all of us, can testify to the power of fear in our world. That is why the message, not to fear, must be told over and over. The story of Pentecost, the birth of the Christian church, is simply another opportunity to share this important news.
The disciples are gathered for the celebration of Pentecost. Pentecost is a Jewish celebration which occurred fifty days after Passover. (Passover is the celebration of the liberation from Egyptian slavery.) By the time of Pentecost, the disciples are beginning to learn how to follow the call; not to fear. They have seen Jesus death, resurrection, and now have lived through his ascension. At each stage they are learning what it means to live without fear in a world driven by fear. And, those lessons would certainly be challenged at the Pentecost celebration.
In the midst of the celebration a sound like that of a violent wind arose. It is the sort of wind that those who live in the shadow of tornado alley know something about. When the wind arises, the windows shake, and the tress bend to breaking, even the bravest among us can be shaken to the core. That is precisely how the Spirit shows up. The birth of the church begins with a commotion unbecoming of a proper service of worship. Yet, in the midst of this unwelcome interruption, God is doing a new thing.
The commotion draws a rather large crowd. Once everyone is gathered around, tongues of fire fall upon the Galileans and they begin to speak in foreign languages. Speaking in tongues, in this passage, is all about speaking different languages. In that moment, each person hears the good news of God in their own language. God has decided to break down the barriers of language and culture welcoming the entire world. In other words, there is no language requirement in the family of God.
In those moments, the expectations and beliefs of everyone gathered are shattered. The small town Galileans find out that the movement is bigger than they ever imagined. They do not have a monopoly on faith. Those from Jerusalem learn that just because they are sophisticated urban dwellers, at the center of the religious landscape, they can learn something from those who live ‘out state.’ And finally, the people who are from many different nations learn that their culture is embraced and welcomed by God.
In response to this ‘new thing,’ many of the witnesses cannot believe that God is present in this chaotic morass. After all, God does things decently and in order! Or, if God is going to do this He most certainly would not use these uneducated men from a small town who know nothing of how things are done in Jerusalem. As a result, these urban elites at the center of religion and culture dismiss the affair as a bout of early morning drinking.
Peter, not willing to be so easily dismissed, gives a powerful testimony. Peter turns to tradition, of which the detractors know well, and uses it to explain how this new thing is part of God’s plan. Peter uses scripture, from the prophet Joel; to explain that this event is part of the long tradition of God’s activity in the world. This noisy, freighting, ‘new thing,’ is the Spirit at work bringing healing and reconciliation to the world. Some people are moved by this testimony while others are not convinced. However, the Spirit did send a powerful message at the birth of the church.
Tradition and fear are at the heart of this passage. In fact, the passage is really about the intersection of fear and tradition. Tradition, in the church of Jesus Christ and in each community of faith, is never a fixed reality. Tradition gives communities identity and a sense of purpose. A community which does not acknowledge and build upon tradition is not well prepared when challenges arise. Because Peter knew the tradition of how God had acted in the past and of what God promised to do in the future, he knew that this ‘new thing’ was from the Spirit of God. Without his knowledge and understanding of tradition, Peter would not have been prepared to deal with the challenges of his detractors. It is a powerful witness to the importance and use of tradition.
However, when tradition becomes a fixed reality and moves into traditionalism, it ceases to give life. Instead of providing a foundation it can become a meaningless millstone for future generations. It is like the story of the little girl who asks her mom why they always cut off the end of the ham before cooking it. Her mom responds: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” When the little girl’s mother asks her own mother why she cut off the end of the ham she receives this answer: “I don’t know that’s just the way my mother always did it.” Fortunately, her mother is still alive and so they go to ask her why she always cut the end off the ham before baking. To their amazement, they all find out that the reason she cut the end off the ham was that; “they were too poor to buy a pan big enough to fit a whole ham.” What began as a practical response to life circumstance became a meaningless tradition no one understood. “That’s just the way we have always done it.”
If we do not understand and explain our traditions we run the risk of living our corporate lives without understanding simply doing things because; “That’s just the way we have always done it.” But even beyond this, if we do not understand our traditions, and pass them along there will be no future generation. So, as we seek to pass along the traditions of our faith, we must recognize and allow future generations to claim and even reshape traditions in ways which will be meaningful for them. The end of the story about the ham is really not the end of the story. After all, once the little girl and her mother learn why they have always cutting off the end of the ham for baking, they have a decision to make. They can simply cease cutting off the end of the ham because it is no longer necessary. Or, they can decide that they will continue the practice, not because it had always been done that way, but instead as a reminder of where they had come from. But no matter what they decide, it is their decision to make. This is the witness Peter gave to the church at Pentecost.
The role of fear in all of this cannot be understated. Fear, was the driving motivation for those who dismissed our fore parents of the faith as drunk and crazy. Living under the occupation of Rome, the religious leadership had one goal in mind: Survival. These leaders worried that these new fanatics would waste the arrangement they had worked so hard to create. As a result, the survival mentality had to discredit any new thing or even new interpretation of tradition that might threaten their existence. And, when fear is the driving motivation, the work of the Spirit is often the first victim. But, on that day, and throughout God’s activity in the world, we have been called to say no to fear and life in survival mode. The Spirit calls us to freedom, and freedom allows the followers of Jesus Christ to risk a new thing, to risk a new interpretation of tradition, and even to risk our very own life and existence; all for the good news of Jesus Christ.
As we seek to live into this reality, living faithfully without fear, I believe there are three questions which we must hold up as a guide to our life and ministry. 1) As we seek to share our stories and traditions do we use language and mediums which will allow all people to hear the good news in their own language and culture? 2) Are we willing to test the spirits before accepting or dismissing them, based simply on personal preferences, in order to find out if God is really working through this ‘new thing?’ And finally: 3) Are we willing to risk our interpretation of tradition so that others and even future generations will want to be a part and make our traditions their own? I believe our answers to these questions will determine our faithfulness our vitality and even our future.
There is a story I have heard about Baptist preacher Will Campbell. He tells of being in a church in East Tennessee. When he was there they were not open to his pleas to open the doors of the church to African-Americans. Years later when traveling through the area he happened upon that church which was now a restaurant. Looking around the restaurant he saw people from all walks of life sitting and eating together. Campbell commented that God had turned that place into a place of welcome for all people, even against the wishes of the church. It is clear that the Spirit will bring life with or without the church. So, may God lead us by the Spirit to bear the message and tradition of our faith so that all will hear the good news. Amen.

Kingship Makes No Sense

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 20th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Acts 1:1-11; Ephesians 1:15-23; Luke 24:44-53
“Kingship Makes No Sense”

I still remember the day, if you can call it day, that my mother woke me well before dawn so my brother and I could, in her words, “witness history.” And, because of that early wake up call, I was a witness to the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. While I was not all that impressed with the royal pageantry, I can at least claim to have “witnessed history.” Fascination with the British royal family is strong for many people. The royal family gets to live a life of luxury but it does come at the expense of personal privacy. The tabloid press is always on top of the latest bit of news from who is cheating on whom and whether or not the youngest prince will see combat in Iraq. Over the last few weeks the arrival of the Queen at Jamestown was the talk of the nation.
When we talk about kings and queens and royalty it is safe to say that our modern reference point for many people is the British royal family. They are very wealthy, they do receive many benefits at the hands of the British taxpayers, but they actually have very little political power. In other words, when we talk about kings today, we are talking about people of leisure who are fodder for front page news, who often prove useful for national unity, but at the end of the day have little impact on day-to-day life. Maybe this is why I have little interest in the British Royal family. I share this information because it is critical for followers of Jesus to recognize this reality when we refer to Jesus as King or Lord. This issue becomes particularly important on Ascension Sunday.
The Ascension, which was actually celebrated Thursday this past week, is the day we remember that Jesus went sit at the right hand of God. The ascension is not a new phenomenon in the history of God. It is a day that is meant to parallel the enthronement of Jesus with the enthronement of God in the Old Testament. So celebrating the Ascension is an affirmation of the divinity of Jesus and the affirmation that Jesus is King.
In practice, celebrating the ascension is not the high point of the Christian year. It is not a day where when church attendance will dramatically rise. I do not pretend to have the solution which will change this reality. However, I believe some of the lack of interest in the ascension has to do with language. The church uses language which we have inherited from those who have gone before us. However, we have not always done a good job at explaining that language or expanding it to include more culturally accessible language. As a result, the church risks placing an unintended barrier in the way of people hearing the good news. For many in our culture who have not grown up in the church referring to Jesus as Lord or King might lead some to equate the kingship of Jesus with the British royal family.
In fact, I believe this is a risk for even those of us who grew up church as well. Using royal language, however careful we might be, runs the risk of creating an understanding of Jesus which, in practice, is comparable to the British Royal family. This is what I mean: Many people are curious about the Royal family, so too many curious about Jesus. Much like the Royal family, Jesus makes for good headlines. In fact, Jesus can even be inserted at the proper social occasions, and even function as a good will ambassador. Ok, maybe that last one was pushing the analogy too far, but the result is the same. While it may be too much to try and blame this on language, I believe it is worth considering carefully. For many people, Jesus, like the modern British Royal family, has little or no impact on our day-to-day life. As a result, we can end up with a religion which can serve important social functions but does not have the power to transform lives. And, this type of Jesus is one for which I have little use. Fortunately, that Jesus is nothing like we one revealed to us in the scriptures.
The Ephesians passage asserts that Jesus ascension into heaven means he stands above all rules, all authorities, and all powers. These words are a powerful statement that has wide-reaching implications which is simply not conveyed by limited royal language. So if we want our faith to have more impact on our daily lives, a more comprehensive understanding of Jesus would move us to measure our lives, our work and our decisions through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. This understanding of the ascension would lead us to place loyalty to Jesus Christ over all other claims even, political, economic claims.
As those who live in the shadow of the Ascension, we are called to live faithfully and to give witness to our faith. Expressing our faith means we must say no to the Jesus who looks like the modern day Royal family. Instead, we are called to witness to the transforming power of Jesus in our lives and in our world. And this is most authentic when we are able to share how the one who, “ascended into heaven and sitteth upon the right hand of God,” has impacted our life.
We know that faith in Jesus Christ has the power to transform lives. However, this truth, this message, seems to be trapped by language people no longer understand. It is time that we do what we can to avoid Jesus being seen as having as much impact on our daily lives as a member of the British Royal family. I wish I could give new language to replace that which has become a stumbling block but I cannot provide and easy substitution. However, the goal is not to find easy answers but to seek ways to give witness to our faith in Jesus Christ so that all will know the transforming love of God. May God grant us the wisdom, the courage, the intelligence, and the imagination for this critical work. Amen.

Its Not About Getting Left Behind Part III

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
May 13th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Revelation 21:1-10, 22-22:7
“Revelation; It’s Not about Getting Left Behind” Part III

Last week I was working my way through the channels trying to find a basketball game when one particular television preacher caught my attention. I do not remember the preachers name but his message has stayed with me. The focus of the sermon was on Revelation. What grabbed my attention was his focus on “Babylon.” For that preacher, Babylon, in Revelation, is modern-day Iran. He made it clear that the end times are upon us and we had better take action. What concerned me about his interpretation was his claim that God had chosen the United States to destroy the evil empire of the new Babylon.
While it needs to be said that this interpretation pushes the bounds of responsible scholarship, it is not enough for us to simply say no. In other words, we must seek to provide an alternative to the many interpretations of this book which have given rise to such works as the Left Behind series. Since this is our last week on the book of Revelation I believe that it is most important to suggest different ways of interpreting this often troubling book of scripture. Before we do that, however, I do want to say that despite my disagreements with many of the popular literature regarding this book, I do believe those who are teaching and publishing this material are doing so because they are seeking to be faithful. It is important to keep this in mind when we encounter those with whom we disagree. With that in mind, let me suggest that there is another way of interpreting this book which does not look hopefully to the destruction of all who will be left behind.
The beauty of the book of Revelation is that it allows for many interpretations. In fact, it really invites us to use our God given imaginations, and intelligence to see the world in new ways. However, our interpretations must always be grounded in the text of scripture, informed by the culture in which it was written, and the culture in which we live. Also, we must always be aware that our own beliefs, preconceived notions of the world and even our prejudices affect our interpretations of the word of God. We must keep this in mind so our interpretations are always seasoned with a good dose of humility. (Ultimately, most of the disagreements in the church center on the issue of interpretation and the lack of humility.)
My own approach to the book of Revelation has been greatly influenced by the work of Chilean Theologian Pablo Richard. I take from his work a view of the book of Revelation which does not see the book at a roadmap to the end times. Instead of looking to ‘figure out’ when the visions will take place he invites us to consider that the book is an interpretation of life right now. In other words, he invites his reader to consider that the visions in Revelation were not about the future but about how disciples might live faithfully now. After looking at the circular timeline in the book and taking into consideration the function of all apocalyptical literature, Richard says that the book of Revelation actually makes the claim that we are and will be living in the midst of apocalypse until Christ will come again. In other words, the ways of Babylon – the way of pain, suffering, and death are always at work around us if we only have eyes to see and ears to hear. While this may seem far fetched, consider the reality of our world. It is full of violence and death and claims of eternity. The book of Revelation seems to me to paint a picture of the way the world works right now. Given that is it all that hard to say we are indeed living in the midst of the apocalypse? It is an interpretation I find compelling.
Because the book of Revelation invites us to see the world in this way, it is easy make the mistake of identifying the beasts and Babylon’s with anyone who does not agree with us or is our ‘enemy.’ Fortunately, the book is not an invitation for us to label beasts, and Babylon. Instead, the book simply paints a picture of the world and invites people to live faithfully in the midst of difficult times. Which begs the question, how does one do this?
I believe the book of Revelation claims that faithful living is about waiting in hopeful expectation for the day when death will be no more. Our work as the faithful must begin with the end in mind. In other words, we look to the vision of the New Heaven, the new Earth and the New Jerusalem. On that day we learn that the pain and suffering of the world will come to an end. So, to begin with the end in mind means that our responsibility is to do what we are able to wipe away the tears from all who suffer, to seek to bring and end to the reasons for suffering, to bring healing where we are able, and to seek the end of all practices which exploit neighbor and our environment. It can seem like a tall order, but the important thing to remember is that we are called to act as if not to bring the day about. It is on this point that we must always remain focused. We cannot bring about the New World, we cannot bring the end of all suffering and death, but the good news is that we have the responsibility of doing what we are able.
I want to end by saying a few words about Babylon, since that is where I started. We know that some interpreters believe this must refer to a new nation, located somewhere between modern-day Iraq and Iran, will rise up and ‘fulfill the prophecy.’ However, the use of the term Babylon in Revelation was a way for the early followers to talk about Rome without being directly seditious. It is believed that the original hearers would have understood that Babylon meant Rome. Rome after all, was the City and the Empire that made bold claims about being the savior of the World, bringer of peace, and claimed that it had no end. And the Revelation of John makes it clear that Rome, like Babylon before it, would come to an end, and that God and the Lamb reign supreme, not the Emperor.
For the subsequent followers of the Lamb, Babylon, has taken on a life of its own. I believe this is an important feature of the book because it invites each generation who want to follow to have eyes to see and ears to hear the way Babylon exists in our own time. Our call is not to point out or try to figure out which country is Babylon. Instead, we are called to recognize that all people and all nations have the capacity to act as Babylon. Our call then is to remind ourselves and others that no one person or community or nation should claim to act for God. History has shown us that this way of thinking can lead us to make fatal mistakes with these claims.
As we come to the end of our study, it is my hope that you may find the book of Revelation as an important resource to faithful living. I also hope that you have come to see that this book has more than one interpretation. And, more than anything else, it is my prayer that God will grant us eyes to see and ears to hear, not only how Babylon is at work today, but also how we may be more faithful as followers of the Lamb. Amen.