Love its Simple But Not Easy

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
January 28th 2007
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Love, it’s Simple But Not Easy”
Jeremiah 1:2-10; I Corinthians 13:1-13

Many of you are aware of what had been going on in my family. However, for those of you, who do not know, let me bring you up to speed. My father-in-law Tom Bradshaw has been fighting a rare form of caner for some time. Recently, following surgery on his liver this fall, his condition has gotten progressively worse. We had hoped that he would be able to have a liver transplant. However, because of a number of factors, he did not qualify. On Friday of this week he went into a residential hospice care facility.
Last Tuesday, Karen went to be with her dad and I stayed behind with our girls. Since Karen has a great deal of responsibility e for making many of the decisions, we decided it would be too difficult to have the girls around while all of this was happening. We believe it is best to let them keep with their routine for as long as possible. Karen did tell me that while she misses the girls, and me, that the past week has allowed her to, ‘just be a daughter’ and to be there for her dad during this difficult time. The girls and I will be leaving Tuesday this week to join her and the rest of the extended family. We have explained to Emma what is happening and she seems to understand as well as a three year old can. I give thanks for the many people who have helped, and offered to help, during this time.
Throughout the week I have been asked by many people if I felt the need to be gone from church this morning. In fact, it may even seem a little strange that I am here given all that is going on. Despite what it may look like, being here is not an attempt to “be strong” or to “put on a brave face.” My being here is not an attempt to be heroic or to ignore what is happening. I am here this morning because of what is happening. I knew that as long as we were in Saint Louis that I needed to be with my community of faith. That is just what I needed.
Last week we read the passage immediately preceding our reading from I Corinthians this morning. In that passage we were brought face to face with a powerful metaphor for the community of believers. The body of Christ is a metaphor which reminds us that each one of us matters and is vitally important to the health of the community. In that passage Paul also says something else which I believe is timely. He wrote: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.” So, I am here, to be reminded and to be a reminder that we are all called to share all the parts of our life – the good times and the bad – the strong moments and the weak. We do not have to hide or ‘put on airs’ or worry about what others will think. We are simply called to come, just as we are, and faithfully as we know how and to be the body together. So, I am here.
This week I remembered a story about Miraslav Volf, a Croatian theologian. A number of years ago he was lecturing on the all encompassing nature of Christian forgiveness. At the end of the lecture someone asked him if he could ever forgive those who had participated in the killing of his people in Croatia. Professor Volf’s response is one I will never forget. He said bluntly: “No.” But, then he went on to say that he hoped other Christians would stand with him and remind him of Jesus teaching that forgiveness would include even those who had committed those violent acts. The professor said he hoped this would happen so that one day he might be able to offer forgiveness. While it is a powerful witness about forgiveness, it is also a reminder that Christians are not called to be super-human. We are called to be in community, to lift up and support one another in our journeys of faith. It is a reminder that none of us can get through life, particularly the life of faith, alone. We need each other in order to live faithfully as the body of Christ.
At this time of our family’s loss I am reminded of the importance of the community of faith. I am also reminded of the times when I have stood at the bedside of people who are dying. I am reminded of the times I have waited with people who wait to hear about test results. And, I am reminded about the pain people have shared with me as they seek answers to the suffering and tragedies of this life. In those moments there is nothing to be said that can take away the hurt or pain or the reality of the loss. However, the important role of the faith community in those times is that we are present, that we acknowledge the pain and even our lack of understanding of why these things happen. I believe that our presence with one another at these difficult times can be the most important witness we ever have to offer.
This January we have sought to understand better the sacrament of baptism and its meaning for our lives. The first Sunday we focused on baptism as the sign of our joining with Jesus in his death. I had no idea then that at the end of this sermon series that I would be faced with Tom’s death. I am not so sure I could have been as bold today as I was on that first Sunday. However, I give thanks for the ‘Great Cloud of Witnesses’ in scripture that so often serves as a reminder that simple rituals like baptism matter. It is a personal comfort to read Paul’s words from Romans:
When we were baptized in Christ Jesus, we were baptized into his death. We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that, as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might live a new life. For, if we have been united with Christ in a death like his, we will certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
It is our belief that death does not have the last word and that as we share in death with Jesus that we too will share in the resurrection, the life everlasting.
Yet, even as I speak these words, I know that their will still be periods of pain and times of tears and questions of why this had to happen. I have shed my share of tears this week. This has been particularly true as I have tried to help Emma understand that Papa is going to live with God. During this time I have found comfort in places that I least expected.
It may seem strange but I have been comforted by some words written back in 1562 by some faithful followers. The first question from the Heidelberg Catechism has been rolling around in my head, and I was never even made to memorize it. In case you are not familiar it goes like this: “What is your only comfort, in life and in death?” and the answer is, “That I belong—body and soul, in life and in death—not to myself but to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ… he also assures me of eternal life, and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.” I have been told that this translation is not quite correct that it should read; “What is our only comfort in living and in dying.” I find this translation to be more meaningful. But, however it is supposed to read, I do not share this to say it is the final word that ought to make everyone feel better. Instead, I share it to say that during this week, I have found it comforting, and that, is enough.
So today we continue our journey to understand what being baptized is all about. God has called us all by name and claimed us as children, brothers and sisters together to be the body of Christ. Throughout our journey we will come face to face with all sorts of circumstances. However, the good news is that we do not have to face those circumstances alone. When the hard times come, and they surely have and will again, there is nothing we can say or do to make the pain go away. But we can proclaim, and use words only when it is really necessary, that we do not face them alone. God is with us and has called us to be together, to bear one another’s burdens, and rejoice in one another’s joys. So, let us be the body of Christ for one another this day and throughout our life together. Amen.

Called for a Purpose

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
January 21st 2007

Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Called for a Purpose”
Nehemiah 8:1-3, 5-6, 8-10; I Corinthians 12:12-31a

Over the last few years there have been many people and many churches which have studied the book The Purpose Driven Life. Rick Warren, the pastor of the Saddleback Church in California, has seen his popularity soar as a result. Those who have read the book have done so for many reasons ranging from curiosity to simply a hunger for deeper meaning in life. At the height of its popularity, people in the church were I was serving asked me to lead a study of the book.
Though I did not admit it at the time I was not particularly enthusiastic about the request. At the time I knew little about the book so I prejudged the book unfairly. And, after a bit of prompting, from the senior pastor, I agreed to teach a course on the book. The results of our study were rather surprising. As we worked our way through the book something began to happen. Many of the participants were well versed in the Bible and actually looked to see how the author was quoting the bible. Many of them became frustrated by ways in which many bible passages were used out of context in order to fit whatever point he was trying to make. In other words, the overwhelming response was that it seems the author was more interested in proving his point than helping to illuminate the stories of our faith.
I do not share this story to condemn the book or the author. In our very self-centered culture, the book points out the simple truth that God has created us for a purpose greater than ourselves. Our study of the book was also a catalyst for greater faithfulness and service. However, the greatest value of the study was the way in which it pushed each one of us to read the bible more closely. It was a reminder of our responsibility, as people of the book, to know what the book really says.
In our reading from Nehemiah, the people of Israel have returned from exile. Many problems arise as they seek to create a new community from the ashes of the past. One of the great barriers was that so few people knew anything about the past, the history or even the Law of Moses. It became evident to the leaders of the community, particularly the priests, that in order to understand one’s identity as people of God that the people would have to re-learn the stories of their faith.
The whole community gathers in one place and has a day long bible study. From morning till night the Law of Moses is read and interpreted so people would understand. The people listened intently and in response worshiped and cried. After years of living in the heart of the Empire and living as an oppressed people they begin to hear that they have been called to be the people of God. At the end of the day, after hearing the Law, there is a great celebration and a feast where even those who have nothing are welcomed and fed. A new day is dawning, the ways of Empire no longer have the last word and the people have reason to celebrate.
At the heart of both our passages is theme of identity and calling. When Paul writes to the church in Corinth he is dealing with a different set of problems, but the same theme. The community of faith in Corinth was an extremely diverse place. The community of believers was composed of Jews and Greeks, Slave and Free, Male and Female, Poor and Rich, Wise and Simple. It was also a community which experienced a good deal of conflict. Factions had grown up and loyalties were divided around different leaders, including Paul. The issues of legalism and lax morality too threatened to divide this diverse community. In this letter there is a message for all diverse community of believers.
Talking about unity in diversity has almost become trite in our world but Paul’s words bear repeating. The image that he uses is that of a body. We are the body of Christ. It is not simply rhetoric it is a central theme for this diverse community. When people argue about who is welcome and which traditions must be followed, Paul says: we are all one in Christ but we don’t need everyone to act the same way. God has given each of us different gifts and abilities with which to serve. Paul makes it clear that a homogeneous community is not what was intended. A diversity of people and gifts is a necessary in order for the community of faith to truly be the body of Christ.
Paul even goes on to say that one cannot be a Christian alone. No part of the body can say: “I have no need of you.” We cannot be the church with out all the parts of the body. This includes those who believe they have few gifts to offer. Every year when we fill out our time and talent pledge forms I hear many who believe they have nothing to offer. However, Paul tells us:
On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker or indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.
We are each an important part of the body of Christ and vital to the health of the community.
I am ever more convinced that for us to remain faithful to our calling we have to understand more clearly our identity as children of God. Like those exiles who returned hungry to know who they were, we live in a time where there is much confusion about the Christian faith and our Bible. A few years ago I was floored when I heard the President refer to the United States as, “A light that shines in the darkness.” I thought; doesn’t our brother in Christ realize that this is heresy? The light that shines in the darkness is not the United States but Jesus Christ? Later in that same year when the reverend Jerry Falwell said “God is pro-war,” I was amazed that no one bothered to remind him about Jesus teaching about violence in the Sermon on the Mount.
While these are clearly extreme examples it does point to the need for the followers of Jesus to embrace our identity and to really know the stories of our faith. We are indeed created for a purpose greater than ourselves. However, if we do not know the stories of our faith or we do not allow ourselves to be formed by those stories, we can fall prey to those who would use our faith for less than holy purposes. But far worse than that is this reality; without the stories of our faith that tell us we are all valued as a part of the body of Christ we can fall prey to the messages which tell us that our value comes from the color of our skin or nationality or gender or sexuality or the size of our bank account or even our education. We are all part of the body of Christ and are called to a higher purpose. So, what are your gifts? Where is God calling you to share your gifts, in this place and in the world? Let us continue to seek to live in such a way that builds up, and gives glory to the whole body of Christ. Amen.

Baptism, Its Not Just for Babies Anymore...

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
January 7th 2007
Communion Sunday Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Baptism, it’s Not Just for Babies Anymore…”
Galatians 3:26-28; Isaiah 43:1-7; Luke 3:15-17, 21-22

Many of you are aware that in the Presbyterian Church we consider the ancient rituals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be considered sacraments. We believe that these two rituals reveal something to us about the nature of God’s grace. We also believe that they tell us something about how we should respond to the grace of God. It is not too often that we celebrate both sacraments on the same day. Today is no exception. However, we will at least talk about Baptism on the same day we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.
In the early Christian community baptism was the initiation ritual. Only after being baptized could you be part of the entire life of the community. Baptism symbolizes our sharing of the death of Jesus and our death to the ways of the world. While this is still a belief in our confessions, it is not one which is often claimed. I believe this understanding, of sharing in Jesus’ death, is one which has the promise of real contemporary relevance.
It may seem strange to equate baptism with death. After all, baptizing babies hardly seems the appropriate time to bring up the issue of sharing in the death of Jesus. A day filled with a beautiful gowns, pretty pictures, and extended families gatherings would really get sidetracked if we brought death into the equation. However, like it or not, baptism is about the death of Jesus and our death to the ways of this world.
I believe the loss of this understanding of baptism has much to do with the ways the church in North America has accommodated itself to the culture. For a few generations churches were places to get married, baptized our babies, and burry our family members. However, we now live in an age where less than fifty percent of our culture will turn to the church for these functions. As such we can no longer expect that the world understands who we are and what we do. Our mission depends on our ability to reclaim and explain the rituals of our faith. A deeper understanding of our rituals, practices, and beliefs will enable us to understand and explain just how relevant the faith community of Jesus Christ is for our world.
In the early church, membership in the community only came after a long period of study and preparation. Since the new converts had not grown up in the community it was necessary that they understand the faith. On Easter, the new members were baptized and became members of the community. As the new believers would come up out of the water it is believed by some scholars that this passage from Galatians was read:
As many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus.
This is a powerful passage which actually undermined the social fabric of the ancient world. Historical context tells us that the choice of these pairs were not arbitrary. These pairs helped to define who had power and who had value in the ancient world. And what this passage says is that being baptized in Christ means you are dead to all of this. The passage makes it clear that being baptized into the community means that these divisions no longer reign supreme.
As we seek to understand what it means to become one in Jesus Christ we need to take stock of our own cultural baggage. For many generations our country has been seen as the great melting pot where all peoples of the world could come and be part of this new reality. In practice, this myth has meant that everyone must bow-down to the White-Anglo-Saxon-Protestant ethos. As a result when the church makes claims about everyone being made one in Jesus Christ it is often looked upon with suspicion, and rightly so. Too often this call has meant that white culture would rein supreme and all cultural heritage and traditions must be discarded. Fortunately, this sort of thinking is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ.
To be a family of faith made one in Jesus Christ means that we must acknowledge the real differences and be deliberate in out life and witness. This is even more important for we who live in such a deeply racist culture. To give witness to our oneness in Jesus Christ in this culture, in this city, means we have to be willing to die to our white privilege or die to the belief that nothing will ever change which leads to retreat from engagement. The history of Westminster shows that the spirit of God has been at work for a long time breaking down the dividing walls of hostility; calling us to claim our baptismal identity; and showing us how to die to any identity or belief which is not child of God.
But the work of this journey does not end here. Our community has a witness and story to tell that the world needs to hear. This means that we must seek ways to let those who are just driving by the church know that we are a multiracial community committed to dismantling racism. Or, if someone was to walk into this building, and none of us were around, we must find ways to tell them about who we are as a community. It also means that the ways we make decisions, worship fellowship, sing, and all of our ministry must reflect the diversity with which God has blessed our community. We are certainly on the way but we are not their yet. The good news is that God has called us to this ministry, and God is not finished with us yet.
Our baptism into the community is a symbol of our identity as a child of God. Yet, our culture inundates us with messages about who we are as a people. These messages tell us about who we are and our value because of the color of our skin color, nation of origin, gender, sexuality, age, ability, education, and even our economic status. But in our baptism we are set free from all these messages. As we reaffirm our baptism today, as we reaffirm our calling as children of God, may we die to all that holds us back and holds this community back from being the witnesses that God has called us and is calling us to be each day of our lives. Amen.

Fear and Hope

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
December 24th 2006
Fourth Sunday in Advent
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Fear and Hope”
Micah 5:2-5a; Luke 1:39-55

About a week ago, I saw a television special about the birth of Jesus. Since I did not see the entire program I cannot make a sweeping judgment about it. However, the segment that I did watch was disappointing. I was disappointed because what I saw was basically just re-packaging of the same old arguments regarding the birth of Jesus. Different scholars, some less scholarly than others, presented their various arguments regarding the historicity of Jesus birth. The impression given was that the most important thing about the birth stories in the gospels is what can be proved as historical fact.
It is my belief that anyone who seeks to faithfully interpret the bible must look to the work of historians. After all, for too long many in the church have been left ignorant about the historical information regarding our faith. However, I do believe that too often we seem willing to believe that historians have the final word about the enduring legacy of the Gospels. As a result the most heated debates focus on whether Mary remained a virgin, or if all male children under two were actually killed by King Herod, or even if Caesar Augustus actually decreed a census. While those, and other issues, become litmus tests for orthodoxy they ultimately miss the larger truths surrounding the events of the nativity of Jesus.
In the beginning of the Gospel of Luke the words: “Do not be afraid,” are a recurring refrain. But if we focus solely on history we will miss this fact. Before learning that he will be the father of John the Baptist, Zachariah hears from the angel Gabriel: “Do not be afraid.” When Mary learns, from Gabriel, that she will be the mother of God, it is also with the words: “Do not be afraid.” And, when a group of shepherds are visited by the angel of the Lord to announce the good news of great joy, they too hear: “Do not be afraid.” While this serves to calm the nerves of the recipients of the news, it is also meant to say something about the ways of God.
When we come face to face with real power it is natural to react with awe and even fear. This human reaction has been used as a means of control by the powerful, throughout history. Fear is a powerful motivator and an excellent tool of manipulation. When people are fearful, they are more easily controlled. While this is no grand revelation, it bears repeating because the announcement, to Zechariah, Mary, and the Shepherds, could have been God’s opportunity to control and manipulate these people for holy purposes. Instead, these greetings become God’s resounding no to the ways of manipulation and control. In order to bring about the transformation of the world God chooses love. That is something for which we can rejoice.
One of the most powerful effects of Luke using the names of religious and political leaders is not to write history. Instead, it functions as a way of contrasting the ways of God with the ways of the powerbrokers of the world. God does not function or act in the same ways in which the powerful of this world. God enters the world in human form in a tiny corner of occupied Palestine at the edge of the Roman Empire. God uses the places and people who are powerless and does so under a cloud of shame and controversy. Since God does not function by accident, all of this gives us a glimpse of the ways in which God is at work in the world.
One of the best glimpses to the ways of God comes in the words from our scripture; what we often call the Magnificat. These words of poetry stand as a legacy to the faithfulness of Mary as the first disciple as well as a clear contrast to the ways of the world. These are words which simply could not, or would not, have been written by those who were at the center of the empire. This song of joy is a direct contrast to the ideology of Rome and of empire.
If there is one thing of which we can be sure, it is that the magnificat of the empire would be drastically different. The empire’s magnificat would be full of fear, threats, intimidation, and dripping with self importance. And, more than anything else, it would be a litany of the ways in which the little gods of our world operate. In fact, it might go something like this:
God has chosen me, because I am more important than all the poor ignorant slobs of this world. My legacy will last because of what I have done. I am special and particularly holy which is why God chose me in the first place. After all, that is they way he works. He makes sure that the proud are well rewarded. He supports the world leaders in their decisions and teaches the people their proper place. The hungry are left to fend for themselves because there is something inherently wrong with them anyway. But the rich, they will be rewarded with more tax loopholes as a sign of their special blessedness. This is the way God works so it is best to remain fearful because God has spoken.
The song of Mary is a testimony which says no to Magnificat of the empire. It is a testimony of hope in a world blanketed by fear and so often manipulated by the powerbrokers of this world.
The truth is that God could have very easily chosen to use fear to spread the message of salvation. With deeds of power, might, and manipulation God could have all but guaranteed obedience. However, we know, and give thanks, that this is not the way in which God works. Because of our susceptibility to the power of fear we must be reminded again and again of this message. As we stand prepared to welcome Jesus into the world this day, we are called to say no to the magnificat of empire and join the chorus of faith which sings:
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name. His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with his arm; he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts. He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly; he has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, in remembrance of his mercy, according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever.
Amen!