WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 9th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Knowledge is Only the Beginning”
Stewardship Season: Reordering Our Lives
“Well mother don't you stop prayin' Father keep right on prayin' Don't you stop prayin' for this old world is almost done. Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, For this old world is almost done”
These words from the spiritual are the words of Jesus parable. In plain and no uncertain terms the followers of Jesus learn to: “Stay Awake.” And Christians can, ‘stay awake,’ or keep your lamps trimmed and burning, because we know that this old world is almost done. We know that the ways of this world do not have the last word. As a result, we can have hope, and work for justice, and we can give witness to the saving Word of God.
But ‘staying awake,’ as the bridesmaids show us, is not easy. After all, it has been two-thousand years and the journey can wear us down. Empires still abound. The powerful still take advantage and scapegoat the widows, the orphans, and the aliens. Worse yet, the religious leaders continue to be bought for a mess of pottage. Know I may be too young to think this way but when I see our children in failing and falling schools in the shadow of world-class institutions of education, or when people die from curable diseases in the shadows of top-notch medical facilities, I can feel despair knocking at my door. It can leave us saying, ‘yes Lord we believe, but we are a tired people.’ It can really put what we think we know to the test. And I know I am just a young man I have not seen enough to think this way… but I do.
But this I also know. Every once in a while there is a moment, a time, when we are reminded that the waiting, the active waiting and working for a new day is not in vain. I also know that when these moments make themselves known that one voice is never enough. We need to listen to the stories of others. In our tradition there is a little practice known as giving a witness. In thinking about the historic nature of the events of this week I came to one conclusion: “My voice would not be the only one to give witness.” So, I invited three folks to come forward and share, give a testimony in light of the election of the first black man to the highest office in the nation. So I want to invite Mary Spencer, Herman Noah, and Janice Tharp to come forward and share a word, a thought, a witness in light of the events of this week.
As I bring a word of conclusion or word of something, let me say this. I give thanks for these words of witness and will not provide any commentary for witness never needs commentary. Instead, let me offer a word of caution and a word of challenge. First the word of caution: Eight years ago our, predominantly white evangelical brothers and sisters believed that God had ordained the newly elected president. In doing so, in tying their cart to that horse, they were unable to provide a prophetic word when it was necessary. A number of these leaders have admitted that they regret and repent they allowed themselves to be silenced. We cannot afford to make the same mistake. We must seek to remain faithful, and awake enough to speak the prophetic word when the time demands.
And now, the promised word of challenge. We have come a long way and it is hard to truly grasp its reality. But messiah has not come and there is still work to be done. However, take this event as a glimpse that a better day is possible. Our work and struggle is never in vain even when we cannot see the fruits of our struggle, because someone will. However, every once in a while, we are given a glimpse that our efforts, our prayers, our trimming of lamps and staying awake is worth the struggle. So let us give thanks for the glimpses of hope along the way.
I am convinced that there are times in our lives when a powerful word needs to be spoken. Today is one of those days. But instead of crafting those words myself I believe today demands the skill of a poet. And the poet’s words best suited for today come from the Irish poet Seamus Haney. Today we give him the last word. In The Cure at Troy he wrote the following words:
Human beings suffer,they torture one another,they get hurt and get hard.No poem or play or songcan fully right a wronginflicted or endured.
The innocent in jailsbeat on their bars together.A hunger-striker's fatherstands in the graveyard dumb.The police widow in veilsfaints at the funeral home.
History says, Don't hopeon this side of the grave.But then, once in a lifetimethe longed for tidal waveof justice can rise up,and hope and history rhyme.
So hope for a great sea-changeon the far side of revenge.Believe that a further shoreis reachable from here.Believe in miraclesand cures and healing wells.
Call the miracle self-healing:The utter self-revealingdouble-take of feeling.If there's fire on the mountainOr lightning and stormAnd a god speaks from the sky
That means someone is hearingthe outcry and the birth-cryof new life at its term.
~ Seamus Heaney ~
Amen.
November 9th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Knowledge is Only the Beginning”
Stewardship Season: Reordering Our Lives
“Well mother don't you stop prayin' Father keep right on prayin' Don't you stop prayin' for this old world is almost done. Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, Keep your lamps trimmed and burning, For this old world is almost done”
These words from the spiritual are the words of Jesus parable. In plain and no uncertain terms the followers of Jesus learn to: “Stay Awake.” And Christians can, ‘stay awake,’ or keep your lamps trimmed and burning, because we know that this old world is almost done. We know that the ways of this world do not have the last word. As a result, we can have hope, and work for justice, and we can give witness to the saving Word of God.
But ‘staying awake,’ as the bridesmaids show us, is not easy. After all, it has been two-thousand years and the journey can wear us down. Empires still abound. The powerful still take advantage and scapegoat the widows, the orphans, and the aliens. Worse yet, the religious leaders continue to be bought for a mess of pottage. Know I may be too young to think this way but when I see our children in failing and falling schools in the shadow of world-class institutions of education, or when people die from curable diseases in the shadows of top-notch medical facilities, I can feel despair knocking at my door. It can leave us saying, ‘yes Lord we believe, but we are a tired people.’ It can really put what we think we know to the test. And I know I am just a young man I have not seen enough to think this way… but I do.
But this I also know. Every once in a while there is a moment, a time, when we are reminded that the waiting, the active waiting and working for a new day is not in vain. I also know that when these moments make themselves known that one voice is never enough. We need to listen to the stories of others. In our tradition there is a little practice known as giving a witness. In thinking about the historic nature of the events of this week I came to one conclusion: “My voice would not be the only one to give witness.” So, I invited three folks to come forward and share, give a testimony in light of the election of the first black man to the highest office in the nation. So I want to invite Mary Spencer, Herman Noah, and Janice Tharp to come forward and share a word, a thought, a witness in light of the events of this week.
As I bring a word of conclusion or word of something, let me say this. I give thanks for these words of witness and will not provide any commentary for witness never needs commentary. Instead, let me offer a word of caution and a word of challenge. First the word of caution: Eight years ago our, predominantly white evangelical brothers and sisters believed that God had ordained the newly elected president. In doing so, in tying their cart to that horse, they were unable to provide a prophetic word when it was necessary. A number of these leaders have admitted that they regret and repent they allowed themselves to be silenced. We cannot afford to make the same mistake. We must seek to remain faithful, and awake enough to speak the prophetic word when the time demands.
And now, the promised word of challenge. We have come a long way and it is hard to truly grasp its reality. But messiah has not come and there is still work to be done. However, take this event as a glimpse that a better day is possible. Our work and struggle is never in vain even when we cannot see the fruits of our struggle, because someone will. However, every once in a while, we are given a glimpse that our efforts, our prayers, our trimming of lamps and staying awake is worth the struggle. So let us give thanks for the glimpses of hope along the way.
I am convinced that there are times in our lives when a powerful word needs to be spoken. Today is one of those days. But instead of crafting those words myself I believe today demands the skill of a poet. And the poet’s words best suited for today come from the Irish poet Seamus Haney. Today we give him the last word. In The Cure at Troy he wrote the following words:
Human beings suffer,they torture one another,they get hurt and get hard.No poem or play or songcan fully right a wronginflicted or endured.
The innocent in jailsbeat on their bars together.A hunger-striker's fatherstands in the graveyard dumb.The police widow in veilsfaints at the funeral home.
History says, Don't hopeon this side of the grave.But then, once in a lifetimethe longed for tidal waveof justice can rise up,and hope and history rhyme.
So hope for a great sea-changeon the far side of revenge.Believe that a further shoreis reachable from here.Believe in miraclesand cures and healing wells.
Call the miracle self-healing:The utter self-revealingdouble-take of feeling.If there's fire on the mountainOr lightning and stormAnd a god speaks from the sky
That means someone is hearingthe outcry and the birth-cryof new life at its term.
~ Seamus Heaney ~
Amen.
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