Westminster Sermons: 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Hiding Abundant Talent

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 13, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Stewardship Commitment Sunday
Matthew 25:14-30
“Hiding Abundant Talent”

Is anyone else disturbed by his passage? If we heard what was read, we ought to be taken back by the judgment language. A man is terrified by his master and it turns out he was right. His fear leads to greater judgment and exile. And then there is the language which sounds a lot like the prosperity gospel. “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away.” It is as if Jesus is saying, we should take from the poor and give to the rich. Unfortunately there are many Christians who believe this to be true. Fortunately, it is a gross interpretive mistake.

The most obvious challenge to this interpretation is the very next passage. It is the only place in the gospel where Jesus uses explicit language about who faces punishment. And that punishment is reserved for those who do not care for the sick, the poor, the prisoners, and the vulnerable. The Jesus who tells this parable read for us this morning is the same one who says:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

And, this is the same Jesus who has compassion on crowds of people and feeds them when they have no money. This is also the same Jesus who says that the greatest in the kingdom of God are those that society has rejected. So, any interpretation of our passage must reject any use of this passage that looks like the reverse of the work of Robin Hood. The prosperity gospel is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.

However, it is never enough to simply reject this theology. If this passage is not God’s stamp of approval of exploitive economics, then what is Jesus teaching about? As with all parables, Jesus is taking what people know and using it to help explain the ways of God. On the surface, Jesus is talking about money, which means this passage is not about money at all. Jesus is preparing the disciples for his impending death. Jesus is leaving and going to entrust them with the kingdom work.

The talents being given are not money, wealth, and a life of ease. The talents are responsibility for feeding the hungry, giving a drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison, and telling people about the good news of God’s kingdom. This is the talents in the story. The talents are not about financial resources. Multiplying the talents is about doing this work not because it is our work but because it has been given as a gift. This is the calling for all disciples. The multiplying of talents is not an increase in social standing or economic wellbeing but a growth of kingdom work of compassion. (Calling and Discipleship…politicians using God’s name…)

Understanding that this passage is not about reinforcing economic inequality is good news. However, what are we to make of the judgment language at the end? If anything is most difficult to hear, it is probably those words. There are really two ways to go with this language. One is that it is a passage directed toward the religious leadership. Jesus always reserves his harshest language for religious people who do not live their faith. At this point in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus has entered the temple on Palm Sunday, turned over the tables of the money changers and openly challenged hypocrisy. In other words, this passage becomes a warning to those who give lip service to their faith but do not put actions behind those words.

While I believe that is a more faithful interpretation, it, too, is open to abuse, particularly on this stewardship commitment Sunday. It would be easy to use guilt and fear to increase giving and involvement in the church’s ministry. However, I do not believe that is a faithful interpretation. Let’s take a closer look at this third servant. His actions were rooted in fear. The servant’s fear led him to close in on himself and worry about self preservation. If God is out to get us, the right response is to make sure that we are saved, keep our head down, and simply wait until after death.

The passage is not a warning about punishment for this type of action. Instead it is descriptive of what a life rooted in fear and a belief in an angry vengeful God will look like. When disciples’ actions are rooted in fear they cease to focus on the kingdom work. When communities of faith are struggling with institutional survival the first thing they cut from the budget is often mission. The work of feeding, welcoming, care for the sick, and visiting the prisoners become easy ways to balance a budget. A life rooted in fear leads to alienation or in the language of the passage, weeping and gnashing of teeth. Communities rooted in fear spend their energy on struggling over everything but kingdom work. A life rooted in fear of God is a life diminished, a life lacking in joy, and a life of which no one really wants to be a part. This passage is not about the punishment to come but about the horrors of a life of discipleship based on fear.

So what do we make of this for a stewardship commitment Sunday? It really is fairly simple. The calling from this passage is not a call to foolishness or risk without planning. It is not a call to give all your money and time to the church because God’s out to get you. It is a calling for each one of us, and for us collectively as a community, to give up a life rooted in fear. God is not out to get us and giving to the church does not minimize an angry vengeful God. Our calling is to risk going into the deep waters. Our calling is to live our lives with joy. Our calling is to serve others. Our calling is to live without fear. As we plan – corporately and individually for the coming year, our calling is to plan around those priorities and not from a place of fear.

The really good news in this passage is that the only true failure in discipleship is to act out of fear and the belief that God is out to get us. Notice that there is no disciple who is punished for risking and then losing the talents. No actions done for the kingdom, feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger, caring for the sick, and visiting the prisoners, are ever lost. So let us follow, let us know it all makes a difference. And remember, there is no failure but inaction rooted in fear. Amen!

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

November 13, 2011

Rev. Mark R. Miller

Stewardship Commitment Sunday

Matthew 25:14-30

“Hiding Abundant Talent”

Monday, November 07, 2011

Sent to Serve

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
November 7,2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Third Sunday in Stewardship
Communion Mediation
Luke 22:24-27
“Sent to Serve”

This week I read an article which pointed out the simple fact that Jesus never says, “Worship me!” Compare that with the seventeen times that Jesus says, “Follow me” in the four gospels. This is rather odd since the history of the church is really a struggle over the “right way” to worship. Our modern conversations around contemporary, traditional and everything in between has created quite an industry. Denominations and individual churches are judged and categorized based on their style of worship. Worship is the central act in the church of Jesus Christ, but Jesus had nothing to say about it. I do not mean to suggest that worship is unnecessary or important. Worship is a vital part of our life of faith. However, vibrant worship without a vibrant servant mentality is not worship of the God we know in Jesus Christ. Worship should feed our life of service. The role of the church is to create disciples who create more disciples. Vibrant worship can attract people and bring people into the community, but if they are not told that the life of faith is about service, we are providing entertainment and not the gospel. Our passage for this morning is another one of the hard sayings of Jesus. It is easy for most people to see the trouble with the disciples’ conversation. There is an all out competition to see who the super disciple is. It is easy to beat up on the disciples because those of us who have grown up in the church know how to hide those kinds of impulses. We may not always do it, but we know better than to seek to be first. What is powerful about this passage is not that Jesus challenges their misdirected impulses. How Jesus responses is instructive. Jesus makes it clear that the calling of a disciple is to serve other people. The calling is service. But, the way he says this is pretty radical. The use of the term benefactor is important. It is a call to serve with a twist. The disciples are not really arguing about power and authority. They are arguing about who is the greatest at serving others and preaching the kingdom. Jesus says that the call to serve is not about helping those less fortunate. It is about changing social arrangements. The greater person in the kingdom of God is the person who serves at the table. Those at the bottom of the ladder in a service economy are the ones who God sees as great. When the one who we worship as king comes to serve the calling is not to worship but to follow. And that is the difficulty in the teaching. The trouble with worshiping Jesus is that it can lead us to forget to follow the pattern set for us to follow. When the disciples focus on the power and greatness of Jesus they fall into the trap of believing they should receive recognition as well. Jesus has to help the disciples remember to follow this servant who we worship. On our third Sunday of stewardship this has some important implications. Notice that Jesus uses the word benefactor. It was believed that only those people who had power because of position or wealth could take care of others. The social arrangement was such that the wealthy were give glory because of their generosity. And Jesus says that the glory ought to go to the nameless people who pick produce, wash dishes, and bring meals to those who can afford to go out to eat. So what does this mean? It means that the followers of Jesus are not called to help the less fortunate but to serve. So what is the difference? When the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation works to eradicate malaria we can give thanks. But, if they were to do so as followers of Jesus they would probably do it with less fanfare and distance from the people they are helping. The followers of Jesus are not called to be benefactors but servants and this is why the teaching of Jesus is so offensive. Being called to serve is not a call to help out those less fortunate, but a call to give up privilege, to walk arm in arm. In God’s kingdom, those with privileged position and status are at a disadvantage. In God’s kingdom it is those who clean houses, farm workers, wait staff, and those at the lowest end of the service economy will have the expertise needed to be faithful in the life of discipleship. The most important role of the church, particularly in the season of stewardship, is to help emphasis and grasp this fundamental shift. Stewardship is not about giving a little back or giving so we might have greater riches or even because it will give us pleasure. Stewardship is about learning to become a serving people. The distinctions of class no longer matter. The distinctions of expertise no longer matter. When Paul writes that there is no longer Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female, he is reminding the followers that being a disciple is the breakdown of social divisions. There is no job below your social status because in the household of God there is no social status that keeps you from cleaning toilets. How will you serve this year? How are you already serving? Where is God calling you to give up the baggage of the outside world in this place? This is not a call to make people more busy or guilt them into giving more money. It is a calling to grow deeper in our life of faith, to wade out into the deep waters, even if we do not know for sure what it will bring. It is a calling to give of our whole selves, not because of guilt or expectation, but out of joy. And, it is calling to move from religious consumer to co-servant in a community where we serve one another and are served by one another. This is the calling! Amen.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Challenged to Grow

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
October 30, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Second Sunday in Stewardship
Luke 7:36-8:3
“Challenged to Grow”

If you walk from the village of Nazareth to the Sea of Galilee you have to walk down a valley passageway. This valley is known as the valley of the doves. At the base of the valley of the doves is a town with a synagogue that would have seated about 200 people. Also at the base of the town there has been found a treasure trove of jars for ointment for what is now thought to be an ancient spa. That town is known as Magdala.

Why is geographical and archeological information important? It is important because, in the two thousand years since the time of Jesus, his followers have been perpetuating some half truths and even outright lies. What do I mean? Well, if you look at the heading to our scripture passage, in most bibles it says something about, “the harlot.” And, if you ask most people about Mary Magdala’s profession before following Jesus the answer is, prostitute. It is simply assumed those are correct interpretations. If you believe that to be true, I only ask one thing. Please find that in the scriptures. And the headings do not count because in the original language there are no headings. They are added later.

There is no mention that the woman’s sin in this passage has anything to do with sex. And nowhere in the bible is Mary Magdalene said to be a prostitute. In fact, she was probably a woman of industry who ran a business at the base of the valley of the doves. And, it is by her generosity and financial support that Jesus and the male disciples are able to do ministry without having to find another job. Why do these interpretations continue to thrive? Historian Justo Gonzales says in his commentary on Luke that, “This may well be the result of a history of interpretation dominated by men – and by men who tended to see women almost exclusively as sexual objects, and their sins as mostly sexual in nature.” But the problem with this interpretation goes deeper.

As long as these passages are about sinful women of ill repute or sinners in general, religious people can stand at a distance and feel secretly self-righteous. After all, we are not as bad as someone who would do that! And when the passage focuses on this we miss that these women are the model for discipleship. What this woman and others find out is that God has not divided the world into sinners and saved. In Jesus they found out God is not out to get them and as a result they are willing to commit their whole lives to God.

When we sexualize the women in this passage we miss out that it is the religious community which comes under condemnation. The Pharisee who invited Jesus into his home believes he is doing him a favor. In fact, he feels so self-righteous he does not bother to offer Jesus the standard hospitality. The religious community is the barrier to God’s love. The religious person is the one who knows more than Jesus. But before we beat up on the Pharisee too much I think it is important to remember they are really an important warning to the modern church. We are the Pharisees who want to follow the rules and make sure others do the same.

The hardest thing for the Pharisee to see is not that this woman is welcomed and is responding to the love of God. The hardest thing to see is his worldview being turned upside down. If God will accept these sinners why bother? If God is not going to punish and reward then what is the point? The number of sermons on stewardship and giving affirm this theology. If you tithe, God will reward you in amazing ways! If you give, God will give back to you! It is a very simple business transaction. You give something in order to get something in return. But in this encounter, and many others, Jesus blows up the notion of insider and outsider as well as the notion that God can be bought off.

That is a hard notion with which to wrestle. What if by giving you get nothing in return? What if the time and energy you put into something does not yield the results you expect. Faith in Jesus Christ is not about trying to stay out of hell after death. It is not about living your best life right now and it is not about enlarging the territory of your bank account. The woman in this story knows and understands this and the Pharisee does not.

Because she truly understands the power of Jesus’ message, this woman gives Jesus a spa treatment out of the depth of her joy. She uses what she has, the finest of what she has, to give thanks, not to gain favor with Jesus. She does not do this out of guilt either. Instead it is a witness to a gift given in joy without strings, without guilt, and without expectation. That is a radical message.

That is the message of stewardship. The focus is helping us grow our own sense of gratitude. While the use of guilt, fear and even hope of reward is a successful strategy for raising funds, it is not the way of Jesus Christ. Jesus preached the kingdom of God. And it was a kingdom that did not act like the kingdoms of the world. The values of God’s kingdom were based on generosity without reciprocity, the breakdown of hierarchy and the expectation that women would lead the community just like the men. The values of God’s kingdom mean the poor; the widow and the orphan would not just be helped but have a place in the decision making of the community. Stewardship is about asking ourselves about how we will respond to the gifts of God’s grace, not how we might court God’s favor. When the Pharisee saw the transformative power of Jesus’ message he had two choices. He too could have praised God and given his whole life to the message of a new world. But it was simply too much.

In this season of Stewardship we are invited to think where we stand. Where in our hearts do we desire the kind of acceptance offered by Jesus? Where are we so hungry to give of our finest gifts and abilities so that others might know that sort of love? And, because we are complex people, we must also ask where we are holding back? Or, where are we hiding behind our religious practice or certainties? Where do the places of judgment in our hearts hold us back? We are being invited to, and challenged to grow deeper. This is not an invitation based on guilt or manipulation but on love for us to live more authentic and loving lives. The challenge is really to accept that God’s love actually includes everyone. And when we do, we will follow, like the women, in sharing the message. Amen? Amen!

Monday, October 24, 2011

Called to Follow

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
October 23, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
First Sunday in Stewardship
Luke 5:1-11
“Called to Follow”

            This is a sermon on stewardship that is not about money. Stewardship is not about money. It is about commitment. All the money in the world cannot replicate the power of Jesus’ followers when they heed the call to move into deep waters. So, that is the last I will say about money. This is a sermon, this sermon on stewardship, is about commitment.
            Jesus is quite a preacher, though not always popular. In the beginning of Luke’s gospel Jesus begins his ministry with these words:
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.
And these words of good news are met with a desire to throw him off a cliff. The good news is that when Jesus leaves his hometown, this message is well received. Around the Sea of Galilee or as Luke calls it, the lake of Gennesaret, there are so many people hungry for what Jesus is teaching he has to get out on to a boat to get away from the pressing crowds.
            It is clear that people are interested and even hungry for the message of Jesus. As he began his ministry in the Galilee region he has been living with Peter. In fact, Peter seems pretty committed to following Jesus already. However, it also appears that Peter has not realized the depth of commitment Jesus desires. But note that Jesus only invites deep commitment, he never coerces or demands.
            While Jesus is busy preaching and healing, Peter and the others were busy doing real world work all night. As Jesus is teaching, they are cleaning the nets and the boats, after a full night’s shift. And along comes this teacher and starts telling them how to fish. It must have been maddening. After all, he may have healed and preached, but what does this carpenter know about fishing. They did not say this but they had to be thinking it.
Peter speaks for the group. He says, “Master, we have worked all night long but have caught nothing. Yet if you say so, I will let down the nets.” This is not a statement of faith. It is a statement of resignation. Peter is not committed to what he believes is a failed enterprise. Notice that he is not willing to commit to this work. If you say so, I will let down the nets. Peter will not commit his whole fleet, his whole workforce, or even his whole person to the work. Peter is being polite while expecting failure. Peter is an interested follower but not committed.
            But the good news is that Peter does not have to have faith. He is not expected to commit himself. All Peter has to do is make a half hearted attempt and show up. And the unexpected happens. More fish than he can handle and he finally has to commit himself fully. All his fishermen, all his boats and all his nets are needed for this surprise lurking in the deep waters. It is a joyful and terrifying moment.
               When Peter sees what happens he is overtaken by fear. What he says to Jesus is not feigned humility. Peter is not basking in some strange self hatred or pious humility. What Peter actually says is GO AWAY. Get out of my neighborhood, is what it says in the Greek. Peter does not like the implications of what has happened. Peter is faced with a choice now that he has seen this first hand. He can either commit himself fully or he can walk away, but half hearted discipleship is no longer an option.
                 Will Willamon tells a story of a time he heard a lecture by Jim Wallis on “The Renewal of the Inner City Church.” He says,
"Wallis told a group of pastors true stories of declining inner-city churches that had, by the grace of God, rediscovered their mission and begun to thrive. I was inspired, but in the conversation afterwards one pastor after another criticized Wallis’s speech. They accused him of looking at the church through rose-colored glasses. One even implied that he had lied. That evening I told Wallis that I was appalled by the group’s reaction. "I wasn’t," he said. "That’s the reaction I always get from mainline, liberal pastors. They are amazed when God wins and scared to death that Easter just might, after all, be true."
           The power of our scripture in Luke is lost on those of us who are good at deconstruction. We are good at taking things apart. We are good at doubting the factual reality of these stories. We have spent so much time doing this we have squeezed the hope out of them and reduced our Easter faith to only what can be quantified and verified. In doing so, we take the edge of stories which call for the full commitment of our lives.
            Over the last few years some pretty amazing things have happed at Westminster. We have experienced growth and change in our church with very little effort or risk. When once we saw no life, new life began to show up in surprising ways. But the truth is that we have experienced growth by remaining in the shallow water. And now it is time to move out of the shallow water and into the depths. We are being called to follow Jesus into the deep waters where there are a lot of uncertainties. And deep down we each probably harbor the desire to repeat Peter’s words, GET OUT OF HERE JESUS! WE ARE NOT READY FOR THAT.
            When Peter tells Jesus he is not the person for this work Jesus’ response is not to say you are forgiven or that you have special gifts and enough money to make it happen. What Jesus says is, stop being afraid, stop being afraid. Just when we want to say, we have been fishing for forty years, or thirty years, or twenty years, or ten years, or two years, Jesus says it is time to go deeper. It is time to move into that place, that deep water which means we might just end up facing the same decision as Peter: become fully committed or walk away.
            I think those mainline liberal pastors who got defensive and angry about stories of resurrection are a lot like Peter. When faced with stories we cannot deconstruct it reveals our human desire that prefer the death and fear we know than come to terms with what our resurrection faith is teaching us right now. We are being called to follow Jesus by casting our nets into the deep water. And I am convinced we do not fully know what or where the deep water is located. But I am sure that now is the time to start looking. Or maybe we do and simply cannot name it yet. The only way for us to find out is to show up, to be willing to cast the nest one more time into deep water not knowing what will happen. But, when we do there will come a day when we will be compelled to, commit our whole selves, our whole hearts and finally stop hedging our bets. That is the calling for each one of us, and for our church. Anyone wish now that I had just preached about money instead? Amen.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Faith and the Marketplace

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
October 9, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Matthew 22:1-14; Exodus 32:1-14
“Faith and the Marketplace”

Before I can talk about anything I have to directly address what I believe are difficult and troubling places in each passage. The first passage from Matthew has the story of a king throwing a banquet where people come and refuse. Those who refuse are slaughtered. Then when this king can find people who will come to the party it turns out he is angry that one of the guests has ignored the dress code so he gets thrown out. The story is disturbing because it is an allegory for the way God works. If we are not disturbed by it, we are not listening. Taken out of context it can be an easy step to judging not only who will be saved but open war on our enemies in the name of God. If we take this as God is the king and Jesus as the son, it is not long before we come face to face with a vindictive and petty God. Traditional interpretations have moved the church to accept this and quickly skip over the difficult parts. However, what is going on here is not a one to one comparison but a contrast. The kingdom of heaven may be contrasted to a king who acts in this way. How do we know? When Jesus finally stands in the halls of power, without the proper robe, he remains silent. He is then taken out where there was weeping and gnashing of teeth at Golgotha. Jesus tells this parable against the religious and political leadership who act in such ways. It is a warning that God does not act in this way. So Jesus is challenging the ways of the world with the way of God. In God’s world, if you do not have the right clothes for the party, you are in good company with Jesus. Unfortunately, not all biblical passages can be so easily redeemed through closer and more accurate scrutiny. Our second scripture is a case in point. While it is a passage about idolatry (and I will get to that soon) it is also a passage where Moses has to reason with God to save the lives of all the people. We cannot simply walk away from the hard reality of this passage. We are forced to ask some serious questions about God. Or, we have to ask how faithful Moses is in telling the story. God is ready to wipe out all of the people whom he saved from slavery because they make a God out of gold and say this is the image of God. It goes well beyond our sensibilities but there is still much to learn from this passage if we do not get stuck on this violence or believe that God has to be talked off the cliff of genocide by Moses. So, with those things, extremely important things, cleared up, let me say a couple of things about idolatry. The sin of idolatry is not simply the making of images for God. The problem with idolatry is when we fashion images of God they become static, fixed, and easily controllable. Idolatry is also the sin of allowing something else to reside in the one place where God belongs. God belongs at the center of our lives. But, it seems, the first impulse to sin following the covenant at Mount Sinai was that of idolatry. It is out of their anxiety over Moses’ absence that leads them to idolatry. Idolatry is placing something or someone ahead of God and that includes our favorite way of perceiving God. It is for this reason that the reformed tradition places such a high value on the freedom of God. God is God and God can do whatever God wants. And, it means we cannot use God for our pet projects. God is not on our side, God is not for us, and God does not join our causes. God is not to be used. However, we have made plenty of mistakes about this one. We have been certain about God’s intentions and desires often acting out on them. This is also why the reformed tradition has been leery of any organization, way of thought, or government that claims totality over all areas of our lives. I can think of no force that exerts more control and more power over all of our lives these days than what we refer to as “the market.” This is not a new phenomenon. The economic forces that have allowed for great advances in our time have also come to control most, if not all of them as well. Most of the language used with the market is inherently religious language. People no longer have faith and trust in the dollar. Markets will not like it if you act in a certain way. If you raise taxes on the rich the markets will not respond favorably. And if you increase domestic spending the markets will respond adversely. I once heard my preacher claim from the pulpit that Adam Smith believed the invisible hand of the market was God’s hand. We once lived in a time when the free market was seen as an extension of our faithfulness and God’s blessing. Much of the language around our current economic troubles is far too close to language which should be reserved for God alone. And the use of a bull to represent the market should serve as a stark reminder of how we have lost our bearings. While there is much that can and should be said about our current economic troubles it is that we need to think carefully about where we place our hope and trust. Whether we are shaping images of God or creating gods of our own making, we will find those Gods not worth the paper they are printed upon. Eventually they will fall. The gold cannot speak. The paper cannot be eaten. Despite promises from the priests of Wall Street the market gods actually need input and direction from the people. It is my hope that this time of crisis, when faith in the almighty market has been shaken, we will remember that it is simply an economic system. The market is not God or the hand of God. Let us never, in our anxiety or pride, confuse the tools of enterprise and other golden calves for the embodiment of God on earth. Amen.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Struggle for Food:Exodus 16:2-15; Phil. 1:21-30

Rev. Mark R. Miller “

…live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ.” These words from Paul can be interpreted in many different ways. Today I want to challenge the ways this and other passages are used when the followers of Jesus find themselves in crisis or when they become too comfortable with the status quo. In these circumstances biblical interpretation becomes much more other worldly. What do I mean by this? While there are many examples of this throughout history the one with which I am most familiar came around the issue of slavery. At the start of the Civil War, Presbyterian theologian Dr. James Henry Thornwell wrote The Spirituality of the Church. It did not present a defense of slavery but did provide the leeway to let it happen with “god’s blessing.” The point of faith, he said, was to focus on spiritual things and not concern itself with day-to-day things. At its best, this theology loses its power to transform human lives. And at its worst, it will stand by as atrocities are committed in the name of God: The genocide of the native peoples of America, American Chattel Slavery, Hitler’s Germany, and Pinochet’s Chile, just to name a few. In each instance, the church chose to focus on spiritual issues while the children of God were enslaved, tortured, and killed. These and other instances are not simply tragic but a sin against God and the very foundations of our faith. When Paul says, “live your life in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ,” he is not talking about the condition of your heart. Paul is concerned with how our lives are lived right now. The issue is whether we seek to imitate the life of Jesus Christ. Any attempt to make our faith into an other worldly-life after death centered faith, creates a religion that has detached faith from its very foundation. Nowhere is this more evident than surrounding the issue of food. Well fed people may be comfortable talking about the importance of spiritual food, but hungry people need to eat. The first symbol of our faith was not the cross but a fish. It was a visible reminder of Jesus’ passion for feeding people, with real food. Before he ever talked about faith, he made sure that people were fed. Throughout the gospels Jesus seemed to travel on his stomach. It happened so much that Jesus was known by some as a “drunkard and a glutton.” Even the central act of our faith centers on the sharing of bread in community. We call it communion. While this act has taken on symbolic meaning, it only became symbolic for Jesus after people were fed. Jesus would use eating as an opportunity to teach. However, the teaching always came as part of a meal. And, these meals were never intended to remain merely symbolic. For people who have the luxury of eating out whenever the mood hits, the lesson that God intends us to share food and share resources may seem strange at best. “On the night that Jesus was arrested he took the bread, blessed it, and broke it, saying; ‘this is my body broken for you.” Ever since that moment the followers of Jesus have tried make what we eat in that ritual seem as far removed from real bread as we can. Spiritualizing the teaching of Jesus, or, disconnecting them from real life – real bread – turns our faith into something that was never intended. Food is central to our faith. When this is fully believed by the followers of Jesus it is then that we will be at the forefront of the struggle to feed all people. When Paul teaches about communion to the Corinthian church, he is furious about their table practices. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be answerable for the body and blood of the Lord. Examine yourselves, and only then eat of the bread and drink of the cup. (1 Cor. 1:27-28) Traditionally we have been taught that this was about the condition of our hearts. But, what Paul is talking about is very earthy. Some in the community have great wealth and others are poor and this has been lived out in their communion practices. When they eat communion the wealthy folks eat and get drunk while the poor have nothing to eat. Paul is angry because Christians who refuse to share their resources have spiritualized their religious practice. From Jesus and to Paul, we are shown that our faith is intended to have real world, right now consequences. The good news is that they are placing us within the larger story of the God who created heaven and earth. The Hebrew people had been slaves for many generations. They knew what a life of struggle was all about. Life in Egypt taught them well that the powerful will always do anything to protect their power. When tough economic times arose the poor are the first to suffer. This is how they had become slaves in the first place. So, life in Egypt gave them a hard lesson on the survival of the fittest. The economic order in Egypt was simple, the big fish will always eat the smaller fish. It was the natural order of things and ordained by god. Fortunately, the God of the Hebrews condemns this system and makes it clear it was NOT what God intended. The problem facing the Hebrews is how to internalize this truth. When you spend your life in a system like this it is easy to forget that God condemns this system. Having been so trapped by this reality, the Hebrews had to be taught a different way. And the way God chose to help them unlearn this reality was through Manna. A white, flaky substance, that resembled bread, first fed a very real hunger and then taught an important lesson. The lesson was this: There is enough food for everyone. Everyone will receive according to their needs. The weakest in society will not go without. And, the strongest will not be allowed to hoard. After living in Egypt, even as slaves, this must have seemed ridiculous. So from the very beginning of their wilderness journey God provides for their very real needs while teaching them how God intends they live in the world. It is out of this tradition that Jesus comes. Real needs in the real world are where Jesus spent his ministry. Spiritualized faith disconnected from the realities of life was the very thing against which Jesus preached. The life of faith has been about living differently IN the world. The life of faith is not about being comfortable with the world around us or simply living in critical opposition. Instead, it has been about meeting real needs first and understanding their deeper meanings. So what does this mean for us? It means we are called to focus on the very real needs in our midst while understanding the deeper meanings. People are hungry all around us and there is even food insecurity in our midst. We can complain about the state of our nation, and complain we must. But our complaining is not much different from our brothers and sisters who spiritualized the gospel in previous generations. Our complaining must be accompanied by concrete acts. Fortunately, eating together is something that we are quite good at. Last week we had a pitch in dinner. It might have seemed like a simple thing but it was a glimpse of the kingdom of God. We shared what we had. And those who had more shared from their abundance and even those who did not bring food ate, and what you brought was not the marker for how much you were allowed to eat. And when the meal was over there was enough food to send people home with food for another meal! In a world that says we are not responsible for anyone but ourselves, we came together so that everyone who gathered on that day would not leave hungry, unless they didn’t stay to eat. Real world need; deeper meaning. Throughout October and November we will be talking more about food and ways for us to turn our words into actions. Right now we are asked to participate in bringing food for the Pilgrim food pantry. Each week people from our neighborhood go to Pilgrim and eat because of those who more give for those who need. In October we will also join with others in the Crop Walk. We will use our bodies to raise awareness on the growing ranks of the hungry in this city. Real world hungry with a deeper understanding is our calling. Every time we eat this bread and drink of this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes again. Living a life worthy of the Gospel does not hinge on how we think or what we think or how we worship. It is about shared resources and real world needs. So let us share as we are able trusting that there will be enough to go around. And let us put actions to our natural inclination to critique the world around us. This is what it means to live a life worthy of the gospel of Jesus. And this is what it means to join the very real struggle for food. Amen? Amen!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

“Christians Aren’t Called to Play Power Politics”

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
September 18, 2011
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32
“Christians Aren’t Called to Play Power Politics”

            There was a time when the leaders of the major protestant denominations were called to counsel presidents, senators, and congressmen. There was a time when major protestant denominations would make statements about public policy that were noticed by the national news. And, there was a time when those statements would actually affect public policy. That time is over and it is not coming back. We can hope and plan and wish but it is the truth. I think a sign of this is the fact that a local congressman refuses to meet with protestant clergy who are actually his constituents. The fact that this isn’t a major scandal is a clear sign of our loss of power.
            The protestant church, once the standard bearer of the republic, is in decline and irrelevant in popular culture. Some in our denomination see this loss of influence, money and membership as a sign we are not being faithful. Insert your favorite issue as “the reason.” However, the anxiety and the infighting in most of the old-order Protestants has more to do with our unwillingness to name and mourn a reality that is not going to change any time soon. Instead of addressing the deeper issues, we fight over who has control over our diminishing power in public life. Some now believe the answer is to leave to form another denomination. Sadly, that will not bring back the glory days or usher in a new future with more money, membership, and access to power.
            While I could spend energy critiquing the new religious standard bearers of the republic, those invited to speak at inaugurations and give views on the evening news, I think our best energy is to focus on our own house. After all, when we had access to the powerful, we were not particularly faithful. Many who complain about our loss of power, point to the confession of 1967 as the moment when we lost our bearings. I have come to believe that was the moment we chose to speak truth to the powerful. It was indeed that action, that statement which cost us our access. But because of our inability to recognize the enormity of its power we have spent many years turning inward fighting amongst ourselves.
            In its own way, this is Westminster’s story. When this church could finally imagine that God called them to worship side-by-side with Black folk and not move to West County it cost the church in a traditional sense. While that is past, many would like to forget because of its painful reality. I believe it is time we revisit it. Not with the idea to simply bring up the pain, and certainly not to make heroes out of those who stayed. Instead the purpose is to acknowledge that the decision to remain here and to stop being an openly racist church had unintended consequences.   That decision was too difficult for some. The idea that God calls the followers of Jesus to be on equal footing, whether white or black, was simply too radical for many people to imagine, so they left.   And, just because many people left, it does not mean those ideas and beliefs left with them. After all, it is hard to give up ideas that are sewn into the very fabric of our republic. But whether people left, stayed or have come in the years since, many of us are still captured by the belief that a church’s faithfulness is measured by the number of members and amount of money. By those standards we do not measure up. But we know a different story and that story will be instructive to others as our denomination struggles with its own loss of power.
         But it leads me to wonder, what would a west county Westminster have looked like? Would we be like those once small county churches that now are full of many members, young families, and plenty of money? Would there be a membership program for all our needs and desires? And wouldn’t it be mostly, if not all, white and well-to-do? That isn’t a condemnation of those churches. It is simply the reality of Saint Louis. It is the history of this city where we have confused church faithfulness as money and membership with religious institutions that have benefited or struggled because of the racial history of this city. Isn’t that the history of Saint Louis where white folks going west and black folks going north… each to their own group and economic level? By now you might be asking, “Why is he talking about race when this sermon is about power politics?” Good question. I am glad you asked.
        What happened to Westminster in the 1960’s was the confluence of the belief that faithful action would lead to success in money and membership. No one really knew what it would be like to stand against the tide. In fact, when folks of privilege stand against the tide, those who have been doing it all their lives are often doubtful of the staying power. Standing up for justice, real justice, can be costly. It may mean loss of power, privilege, money and even our very lives. That is why I have heard it said in the struggle for justice, be wary of those who don’t have skin in the game.
         So what does that mean? I think it means that Westminster and churches like her were the canary in the coal mine for our denomination. And instead of trying to hang on to a past real or imagined, we continue seeking to be faithful. In fact, I am convinced that as the denomination comes to grips with a new reality we have some things to offer. Not because we are specially gifted or smarter, though that is entirely possible. What we have to offer is how to live faithfully and abundantly when the power and access to power is gone. And it is a lesson we are called to remember and embrace ourselves. So let us never forget from where we have come.
       Cornell West and Tavis Smiley do a weekly radio show on NPR which airs on Sunday evening. While I have enjoyed their work for years I have been inspired by their new found lack of access to the halls of power. Before he was elected President, these two men had access to Barack Obama. However, when they spoke critically about the President’s action or inaction on poverty, torture, and the wars, both found themselves completely shut out. Their access was cut off. It was not as if they were guest speakers on Fox news or the conservative talk show circuit. The very opposite was true.
       I mention this because I believe their response to the cold shoulder is the most instructive. They have not gone on a crusade against the President, though some have claimed that any criticism is unwarranted. They still hold the President in high regard. And, they call the president to act on issues of justice. How did they do that? They took their show and the power of the airwaves and went on an 18 city poverty tour. Instead of trying to get back into the good graces of the powerful they doubled down and used their own power to highlight the suffering and struggling of others. And they did this by talking to real people and had them tell their own stories. They even turned the microphone over to those who did not agree with them. And the most impressive thing about the tour was that they didn’t even garner front page news on the nation’s major newspapers. I would not be surprised if many of you didn’t even know it was happening.
       Those who did know of the tour had visceral reactions. Smiley and West were labeled sell outs for criticizing the first Black President. Others said they lacked credibility for this sort of tour. While there might be valid points with the criticisms, I am more interested in where they have decided to cast their lot. No matter their motivations or hopes, I believe that there is something to be learned when someone takes a stand and is criticized by both enemies and friends. And, the fact that their once favored status is tarnished in the process means they are probably speaking a prophetic word.
      Whenever one had power and loses it there are a couple of choices. You can look for the next program to fix or figure out who is to blame for it. Or you can look for the opportunity and calling in the midst of it. In our own denomination many have still not decided to look for the opportunity and want to blame. It seems many are still trapped by the belief that success and faithfulness of a church is measured by the size of its membership and bank account.
      One of the earliest statements of faith regarding Jesus is this passage from Philippians. When we look at that statement of faith how can we come to the conclusion that money, membership, and access to power are the markers of faithfulness? This Jesus did not use his power for access or control. Jesus did not see equality with God as something to be exploited, even for the greater good. This same Jesus was executed on a cross. Frankly this statement of faith and the belief that faithful churches are measured by money and members simply does not add up. It is a sign of how trapped some are by this idolatry.
      When Jesus entered the temple he walked right to the middle of the power structure and called out the religious and political leadership for their abuse of the poor, hungry, and excluded. While he speaks in cagy and wise ways, he does not do it for access to the powerful. He uses his gifts and power to reveal the incompatibility of power politics and faith particularly when it ignores the powerless. It cost Jesus his life. Follow me, Jesus says. And that may very well mean giving up access to power and comfort.
       Whenever people of faith have followed this path it has cost them. The cost has been membership, money and access to power and even their lives. The struggle for justice, the call to stand with the poor, the widow and the orphan, the excluded, means we too will face exclusion. When West and Smiley speak of their inspiration they use a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I think it appropriate to end with it here remembering that it was because of his poor people’s campaign for which he was killed and not for the dream. He said:
        "I choose to identify with the underprivileged, I choose to identify with the poor, I choose to give my life for the hungry, I choose to give my life for those who have been left out of the sunlight of opportunity . . . This is the way I’m going. If it means suffering a little bit, I’m going that way. If it means sacrificing, I’m going that way. If it means dying for them, I’m going that way, because I heard a voice saying “Do something for others.”
Amen? Amen!

Westminster Sermons