Who Are You?

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
August 31st 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Who Are You?”
Exodus 3:1-15
For Moses, the journey from the banks of the Nile to the burning bush, on Mount Horeb, has not been easy. From the reeds along the waters of the Nile, Moses lived as though he was the grandson of Pharaoh. In the courts of the king Moses was destined for power and authority. But everything changed when Moses became aware of the great secret. Moses was not born for greatness but instead he was born to die like the other Hebrew male children.
We have no record of the event but I have always wondered when Moses learned the horrible truth. What was it like to come face to face with this knowledge? His whole world came crashing down. Questions raging in his head: “Who am I? Why me? Who are these people from whom I have come?” It was these questions which must have driven him from the comfortable palace. The journey to see his people was more than he could have ever expected. Certainly Moses knew, in his head, that his people were suffering but this no substitute for experience. And when Moses sees the suffering, the abuse, of his people it was a rude awakening that radicalized this young, privileged Hebrew male.
Watching his one of his own people being beaten was too much. After looking to see if anyone was around, Moses killed this Egyptian with his own two hands. In some small way, Moses must have believed he had struck a blow against the injustice of his people. But the sands of the desert could not conceal what he had done.
Once he had seen things for himself Moses, the palace walls could not contain him. The very next day Moses went back. His intentions were unclear but what he found was even more disturbing than the day before. Two Hebrew men were fighting with each other. Because Moses could not believe his eyes he challenged them: “Why are you doing the work of the Egyptians? Why would you abuse one another? Why do you not join together and fight against Pharaoh?” It was an understandable reaction for this newly enlightened, and privileged, young man. But what happens next blindsides Moses.
‘Who are you to judge us? You, who live up in the fancy palace while we suffer down here, what do you think you know about any of this? You are not going to get the last word on this because we know what you did.’ This is the dialogue that was edited in the final version. And so it turns out that this newly enlightened young man is ‘outed’ by the very people, his people, who he was seeking to help.
The collapse of Moses’ world is nearly complete. Within two days Moses has lost the home where he grew up, his newly discovered people, and is on the run for his life. How could it have ended so badly? Running for his life, unsure what might become of him Moses must have been completely disillusioned. In the midst of this upheaval and disappointment Moses finds himself setting down in Midian and marrying Zipporah, the daughter of a Midianite priest. With his activism neatly relegated to the past, Moses will live out his days in the quiet simplicity of a shepherd.
This is the critical background for understanding Moses’ encounter with the burning bush. God speaks to Moses while he is alone with the sheep going about his daily routine. God, through this curious bush, calls him into service. Like a voice from the past Moses realizes that this is the moment where everything will change. God, the God of his people, the same people whom he had left behind, and the same people who had turned on him when he had sought to save them, is calling Moses to face his fear and to act. When God speaks to Moses the words tap into Moses’ passion which has been long since buried. God reminds Moses of what he has left behind with these words:
I have observed the misery of my people who are in Egypt; I have heard their cry on account of their taskmasters. Indeed, I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them from the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:7-8)
It is all quite inspiring until Moses finds that God wants him to lead this task. ‘Who am I to do this work?’ You can almost hear Moses say; ‘Don’t you remember what happened last time I tried to work with them? And I have been working in the fields so long how do you expect me to stand up against the mighty Pharaoh? You might be my God, the God of my father and such but have you seen Pharaoh’s power?’ Faced with these questions God says nothing. Well, God says nothing about Moses’ fear of inadequacy. It is a powerful message. This story is not about the strength or eloquence or background of Moses, it is about God who calls for liberation and worship.
Clearly not getting the message Moses changes his line of objection. ‘Ok, if this is not about me, then who exactly are you? Just because I show up and say; God sent me, does not mean anything. People are going to need proof. So what is your name?’ God’s response: “I am who I am.”
So Moses is supposed to say that “I AM” has sent me. There is no grand plan, he is simply given the direction to go and say: “The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you’: This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations.” With this calling, and little else, Moses returns to Egypt, the place of his enlightenment, to free his people to worship God on this holy mountain.
There are two dangers in the interpretation of this great story of our faith. The first is that we can be led to believe that only another Moses can deliver us from our misery and suffering. And while Moses is chosen by God to this task, God makes it clear that it is not about Moses. The other problem is that there are those who see themselves as Moses in the solitary savior. The risk, and God’s rejection of such action, is shown in what happens when Moses killed the Egyptian. When Moses acts on his own, without direction from God, the result is rejection and death.
At its heart, this passage is about God who hears and responds to suffering and injustice. While God remains a mystery to us in many ways, ‘I am who I am,’ what matters to God is not a mystery. Instead, what matters to God is the suffering and pain of the world. If God sees misery, if God hears cries, if God knows suffering, and if God acts to bring this to an end, then should God’s followers make this the aim of their worship? As followers of God, that we have come to know in Jesus, we too are called to be those who see, hear, and know suffering, and act to bring it to an end. Being people who hear and see, and know is hard work. It can wear us down and make us cynical and lead us to distance ourselves from it all. But amidst all the ways we distance ourselves let us remain open to the strange burning bushes in our lives. The reminders that God sees, hears, acts, and calls us to do the same… Who is this God we seek each week? The answer is incomplete and left a mystery but our calling to join this work is anything but a mystery. So let us pledge ourselves this day to open our eyes and ears and act on what we learn all for the glory of the one, known only as; “I AM.” Amen.

Never Without a Choice

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
August 25th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“Never Without a Choice”
Exodus 1:8-2:10

It is a story that begins like most stories. From a young age we hear stories about kings, queens, princesses and princes. We imagine ourselves as valiant prince who save helpless princesses or that we are a princess in need of the knight in shining armor. These are children’s stories but they continue to shape our lives. Most of what we read and watch on television is the minutiae of the rich and famous. The trivia of their lives is continually presented as important news. This foolishness has captured our imaginations and it is a sign that we, like the king of Egypt, have forgotten all about Joseph. Joseph is the former slave who becomes the second most powerful man in all of Egypt. Because we have forgotten this story, we have come to believe that unless we are important like Brad Pitt, Angelia Jolie, or Oprah Winfrey, that we cannot make an impact in the world. But before I say more about this, let take this text and do what we do best, focus on the rich and famous, the king.
It looks like the king is gets a bad rap in this story. After all, why should he worry about some fellow from the past? Joseph is long since dead and there are more important things on which to focus. This king has a vision, a goal and worrying about the past only gets in the way. The goal of this king is to build two great cities and in doing so he can insure his legacy. The king gathers his advisors, sets the vision, and begins to address the challenges. What is necessary to build cities?
The answer is simple but not be easy. The simple answer is labor, a lot of cheap labor. It is an age old problem that until just over a hundred and forty years ago meant slave labor. There are two ways to get slave labor, purchase or go to war. Since both ways are rather costly the king comes up with a solution a little closer to home. But, enslaving the Hebrews presented another problem. People are not enslaved willingly so the king must enlist the help of the Egyptian people. But the majority of people are seldom motivated to enslave others simply over economics. So faced with this hurdle the king rolls out the propaganda machine.
The king uses the oldest trick of government propaganda: Fear! Making the Hebrew people a threat to national security helps to motivate the people. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. As a result of this simplistic but effective message, the people sign up for the work of being taskmasters. It is so effective that the people throw babies in a river because they are a threat to national security. Not once are the people told that the real goal is to build cities because this truth would not have served as such a good motivator. And, even if people did know the truth what could they have done?
The good news is this horrific story is that not all the people act helpless in the face of the kings’ propaganda. In fact, the real good news of this story is that the mighty king does not have the last word. This is a story of our faith which reminds us that no one is too small or too insignificant to change the world. And, we must also know that we are never helpless when faced with the propaganda of the powerful.
It all really begins with two midwives; Shiphrah and Puah. Because of their faithful actions their names are actually remembered. No one else in this story has a name not even the king. But, I suppose when it comes to the king, if you have seen one king you have seem them all. When the king commands them to kill the male Hebrew children they refuse. They will not participate in the murder their own people because they know the God of Joseph. When questioned by the king they simply admit they just couldn’t keep up with the work because the Hebrew women are so much more vigorous than the Egyptian woman. It is one of my favorite lines. These seemingly powerless and insignificant women make a difference and stand up to the mighty king and use the power they have.
The king has been outdone by these simple midwives. As a result he turns to his greatest tool, propaganda. The Hebrew people are more trouble than we thought. The danger is too great so great that, for national security purposes, we must enlist the help of all the citizens in this effort.’ All people are deputized to deal with this great threat posed by Hebrew baby boys. And they people comply for the good of the nation.
In the midst of this genocide, a child is born. Two people, two Levites refuse to give up hope and give birth to a child, a baby boy. The king might have his laws but they will not give over their hearts and minds. So, a Hebrew woman, and her daughter break the law to save this child. The mother carefully creates a basket and his sister places the basket in the water, near the place where Pharaoh’s daughter normally bathes in the hope that they too might help to change the world, or at least their world.
The king is powerful but not powerful enough to make his own daughter comply with the law. When she comes face to face with the crying child she is moved to compassion. She uses her power to save one child. Then, she even pays his mother, out of Pharaoh’s own treasury, to raise this child to weaning. And because she used what power she had, the world is changed forever.
This story may begin with a king but it is all about those who the world sees as insignificant. None of these people make the pages of history books, not even the daughter of Pharaoh. But their actions set into motion a mighty storm. And this mighty storm, in a few short years, brings the entire Egyptian economy and the nation to its knees. Trading the lives of children for economic development is revealed to be an unwise choice.
But, I am left wondering some things. What if these women had decided they couldn’t break the unjust laws, or stand up to the whims of the powerful or simply accepted the kings’ propaganda at face value? Would Moses never have been born or brought into Pharaoh’s home? Are these particular women extraordinary and unlike us? The answer is a resounding no. In this story there are many, unnamed and unknown persons who do not “know Joseph” or “fear God.” These are the people who simply submit not knowing there is any other option. But there were a few women, who were not extraordinary, except for their faithfulness and their willingness to stand up and do what they had the power to do. As a result the world is changed.
We always have a choice in this world, to use what little power we might have, to make the difference in the lives of others. Those whom the powerful ignore or see as tools for economic growth or as threats to national security are the people for whom God speaks. But unless we remember the truth of our faith we will be easy prey for the propaganda. So we are left then with these questions: Will we be known as people who remember Joseph and fear God? Will we be known as those who stand up and claim our power and place in this world? Will we stand up with these sisters of the faith who showed us the way? Amen? Amen!

“It’s Like, It’s Like, It’s Like…”

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
July 27th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“It’s Like, It’s Like, It’s Like…”
Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52
As you might imagine, I watch my fair share of children’s television. I do it, mostly because I want to know what the girls are watching. From time to time I find myself turning to Karen to point out the logical inconsistencies of a given program. In other words, that wouldn’t happen in real-life. My condescending tone does not last long with a reminder that it is, after all, children’s television. At its best, the whole enterprise is meant to foster imagination. When I, who am so caught in the ‘realities’ of our world, watch these programs, I find it difficult to even entertain that there might actually be a different way to view the world.
Let me put it another way: There is a war going on. Well, there are actually lots of wars happening but this morning I want to talk about the war for our imaginations. In fact, I believe the war actually might actually be over and we have lost. What I mean by this is that our imaginations have been captured by the messages and the ‘givens’ of our world. That may sound a little high-minded, so let me give you some real-world examples.
Last week I listened to the debate between the two republican candidates running for Missouri Governor. It was a lesson in captured imaginations. But do not get me wrong, what I am about to say includes both major political parties, if not all. They are in the business of setting the bounds of acceptable dialogue, which is really a form of capturing people’s imagination. One of the givens in our culture, and one that was well represented in that debate is this: ‘There is not enough money to provide insurance for everyone. It might be a nice thing to do but it is just not possible.’ Now, if anyone questions this given, that person is often labeled foolish, ignorant, or worse liberal.
I find this given quite curious as I consider the events of the last week. As homeowners are becoming homeless by the hundreds of thousands we are told there is simply no money available and that this is just a market correction. And, after all, there is just not enough money to bail out all the homeowners. They are at the whim of the market and their own mistakes. That is the message of this given. However, in the same breath we can, without impunity, extend unlimited and unknown amounts of money for failing banks. When it comes to the investors and the multi-million dollar salaries, there is an endless supply of money. The given in this situation tells us that there is nothing wrong with any of this it is just the way things work.
As this has happened I am left to wonder: Isn’t this the exact sort of thing the church should speak about? I believe the deafening silence is related to the fact that our imaginations are captured by the givens. It may seem out of place, or wrong to say such things. I can almost hear the objections: ‘Preacher, the bible is about spiritual things and now you are meddling.’ Well, this is true, guilty as charged. However, my objection to this given has to do with the bible being pretty clear about systems which place profits over people.
If it sounds like I have become partisan or overtly political let me suggest that any discomfort at this teaching is rooted in our loss of collective memory. And when people lose touch with their history there is bound to be trouble. Let me center this in the scriptures. In the beginning of the Book of Exodus a King came to power who did not know Joseph. This is bad news for the people. The king does not remember Joseph. Joseph made the King very wealthy, while at the same time saving people from the great famine. Joseph had imagination, he listened to dreams, and found a way to bring about economic success and provide for the care of the least of these. But this new King did not know Joseph. As a result he put people over profit. He enslaved the people and saw them as only tools for the accumulation of wealth. God is not pleased by this and as a result the great empire of Egypt finds itself in ruins and its great military bogged down at the bottom of the Red Sea.
Some of you might be wondering if I prepared the wrong sermon for this morning since I haven’t said anything about Jesus. Do not worry, this is vital background information. After all, when Jesus comes on the scene; he does not come out of thin air but as part, as an extension of, this history. And Jesus knows that the world he is living in is a time which needs its’ imaginations set free.
The world Jesus enters is also a fixed world. Rome was in charge. It appeared that God must be on their side and that might makes right. In the face of the overwhelming evidence, the religious leadership decided to become compliant and content with their little piece of the pie. Into this fixed world, Jesus comes and teaching and heals, and works to set peoples’ imaginations free. Over the last few weeks and particularly in this passage this morning Jesus tells stories about the Kingdom of God to ignite the imagination of his followers. Jesus is trying to unbind their imaginations because there is great confusing between the kingdom of God and the kingdoms, empires, and even republics of this world.
Unfortunately, this week, what we learn about the kingdom of God is that it is not easily defined and identified. It is small, and appears insignificant. It takes time for the kingdom of God to accomplish its work. Sometimes the kingdom of God is something that we can find by searching for it, like the merchant, and other times we can stumble upon it when we least expect it. This is not very satisfying. And worse yet, this insignificant kingdom can, and does upend the world unsettling the givens, and inviting us to give them up for some of more value. But we will miss it, and so often do because our imaginations have been captured and we are blinded to the glimpses of the kingdom in front of us. Jesus’ teaching in these stories is meant to set our imaginations on fire so we might just see, and participate in the kingdom.
The key to understanding our response to these stories is found in the work of scribes. Jesus uses the tern scribes for the kingdom. This is the calling of the disciple. Jesus, using this term as a positive one, means that we must be rooted and grounded in the stories of our faith. We must know the stories of Jesus, and Joseph, and Moses. We must know the stories of our God who created us, who brought slaves out of Egypt, who brings people together for life giving community, and who says we are responsible for our neighbor, never forgetting that all people are our neighbors. We must become scribes of the kingdom so that we will not forget and so that our imaginations will not remain captured.
In his book Torture and Eucharist, William Cavanaugh, tells a story near the end of the book of a fictional character named Carlos. And while Carlos is a fictional character the book is a story of the very real experience of life in Chile under the Pinochet terror regime. Carlos realizes that he must not submit to the torture’s goal of capturing the imagination of the people. Carlos knows and understands the power of imagination when he says: “We have to believe in the power of imagination because it is all we have, ours is stronger than theirs.” Never underestimate the power of imagination and story. This is what Jesus is teaching in these stories. He is calling us to be scribes for the kingdom. Let us nurture the power of imagination so we do not forget, so that we do not becomes scribes to a story which is not given by God. Amen? Amen.

A Lesson in Gardening Part II

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
July 20th 2008
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
“A Lesson in Gardening Part II”
Matthew 12:24-30, 36-43

After spending days preparing the soil, planting the seeds, and watering the ground, all in the hope that something will grow, I am always anxious to see if all that work will come to nothing. In fact, after about a week I will even get down on my hands and knees placing my face close to the ground in the hopes of catching a glimpse of some new life. At the first sign of green growth breaking above the surface, I always want to get up and do a little dance. After the long winter even the slightest hint of green can bring real joy. But that joy does not always last long. After all, I am never sure if that green plant is a sign that my labor has produced growth or if it is simply a weed. It is in that moment I realize the hard work of gardening has only begun.
Jesus takes us back again into the work of gardening. However this teaching this week is primarily about the theme of judgment. It is a teaching which places face to face with this troubling issue. Its’ difficulty lies mostly in what the followers of Jesus have done with themes of judgment. In fact, I bet it is safe to say that this judgment text has been used by others to condemn some of us, if not all of us. As a result we may feel the need to avoid such passages. Since we have heard the welcome and love of God in Jesus Christ it can seem like there is a tension between that teaching and this passages about judgment. But I believe that we should not, and cannot give up on these passages simply because others have gotten it wrong.
The greatest reason that this passage has been misused is poor interpretation. It begins when we place ourselves inside the story in the wrong location. This is even more complicated because when we hear stories about gardening or farming they are images that are just familiar enough to us that we believe they are proscriptive. But they are not. Instead, Jesus uses parables in the attempt to bring the radically unfamiliar and use what we know to make it accessible. So when we hear the story we place ourselves where we are most familiar. In other words, we place ourselves in the role of judge. So in order to avoid that mistake let us review the passage carefully.
The owner of the field has sent someone, the son of man, to send out the message into the world. After soil preparation, planting of seeds, and watering all in the hopes of growth, the hope is mixed with despair over the presence of weeds. The workers, the members of the household of God, are alarmed at what has happened. They are concerned and even begin to have some doubts about whether the owner of the field has actually sowed good seed. It is out of their anxiety that they want to get to work. They approach God and offer to form a task force on weed removal in order to bring peace, unity and purity to the fields. All their actions reflect anxiety and lack of trust. And into this anxiety God says: ‘Relax, that is not your job, I have it handled.’ It is clearly a message that needs a more prominent place in the live of Jesus’ followers.
Within this parable there are a number of important theological assertions that we need to grasp. The most prevalent are these three: 1) Evil is real in the world but that evil will come to an end. 2) God’s kingdom works alongside and even in the midst of evil. 3) And finally, it is not the responsibility of Jesus’ followers to pull weeds or even to decide what constitutes a weed. I believe understanding the three major theological assertions in this text will serve as an important corrective to any interpretation of this parable.
1) It is clear in biblical literature that evil is a reality as old as time. While it is troubling truth, it does help to remind us that just because Jesus has come, the world is still a place of corruption, sin, and death. These sorts of passages point to that truth and to the truth that evil will not have the last word, despite appearances to the contrary. The good news is that evil will come to an end. In much of literature called the Apocrypha, this sort of imagery was well known. And it was this aporacphal literature which would have been familiar in Jesus day. In fact, the images of angels, and reapers bringing judgment was not simply judgment in general but specifically directed against any oppressive power; governors, kings, and even the religious leadership. It was an expression of the pain of oppression and the belief, the sure hope, that God does hear these cries, and that oppression will be brought under God’s judgment.
2) It is assumed in this parable that the work of God’s kingdom will work alongside the presence of evil. In other words, no matter how much we try to ‘purify’ the church we can never exist apart from evil. The roots of wheat are intermingled with roots of weeds. It is an image that ought to keep us humble since it means we all have the propensity for evil. When the servants come to the owner they are highly anxious. ‘We must do something about this!’ they cry. And all the while God says: ‘Do not worry about it simply go about your work.’ It is a scene which is meant to keep us going on the days when the weeds seem to overwhelm everything we do.
3) Finally, the work of the disciples then is to; trust that evil will come to an end, remember our roots are never pure, and continue to work for the day when sin, death and evil will be no more. However, this is the hardest part of this passage. We have no role, absolutely no role in the judgment. It is not our problem. Unfortunately we keep ignoring this critical part. In every age the followers of Jesus have believed that if we could just purify the church and its congregations we will bring about the judgment. And of course it was always easy to determine who the weeds are, and they never look like the ones proclaiming judgment.
Our responsibility is to tell the story that there is an end to evil and that judgment is not the work of Christians. And, when faced with this reality, our time now is not to become fixated with the end times. Instead, we are to live joyfully and boldly, as we work for justice. Let us put the fear of failure behind us and cling to the promise that the one who comes in judgment is the one who comes to set us free. Now more than ever we live in a time when the world needs to hear that sin and death do not have the last word. We have bearers of a story that invites all to come and follow the way of life.
So let us go from here continuing to prepare the soil for growth. Let us, plant seeds of good news and watch for growth in our own lives and in this community. As we go, may we always keep in mind that unlike our own backyard gardens, we are not responsible for weed-control. Let us be bearers of this story and never forget that Christians, despite news to the contrary, have not been called to be judgmental. Amen? Amen.