A Blind World

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 13th 2011
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Matthew 5:21-24
“Stepping Up”

I was nurtured on a steady diet of television sitcoms. I learned a few important lessons from that interesting diet. The first thing I learned was that all the greatest things in life can be purchased for the low-low price of only 19.95, if you act now. The second lesson I learned was that all human conflict and relationship struggles could be solved in anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes. One of the early disappointments in my life was to find out that most of what is purchased for 19.95 does not last. Most of the world’s greatest gifts cannot be purchased. And, human drama and relationships are far more complex and messy then portrayed on television, even when they are a gift. It turns out that well nurtured grudges and even our prejudices are seldom, if ever, overcome through logic, let alone right after the next commercial break.
This is an important lesson for those of us called to the ministry of reconciliation. Even if we cannot see where the load might lead or when the road gets rough, we are called to stay the path. In a world hungry for the easy path to a deeper life, Jesus does say the way of faith is not easy. The message of the Sermon on the Mount, and particularly our passage today, does not provide promises for our “Best Life Now” or a get “Rich because God loves you plan.” In an age where we expect our needs and desires will be catered, Jesus say that the way of discipleship is not the way of ease.
This passage lays bare our religious sensibilities. At the heart of the Gospel is not a set of rules we are called to follow that will insure our sense of righteousness or provide a “get out of hell free” card. Instead, we are called to go deeper. It is not enough to abstain from murder. Most of us have that covered. Instead, we are called to search deep in our hearts to figure out if we have issues with another person. Are you mad at someone else? Do you harbor thoughts of anger toward another person? Is there another person in your life with whom you harbor ill will? Jesus says; skip worship until you deal with that issue, your heart, and that person. For Christians, the condition of our thoughts and hearts matters just as much as those who are sitting on death row for what they may or may not have done. That is how seriously Jesus takes the issue of reconciliation.
For most of us this sort of speech will lead us to believe it is an impossible ethic. We can probably come up with at least a handful of valid objections as to why this would not work. There are, in fact, times when reconciliation and forgiveness are not possibilities given our human sinfulness. But, these objections should not and cannot become the cover that allows us to ignore the places in our lives which need attention.
Malachite Orthodox Priest Father Elias Chacour has served a parish in the town of Ibillin in Israel. He is a Palestinian Christian whose family has been in Nazareth since the time of Jesus. His call to ministry has been through the message of reconciliation. He is a peacemaker and knows deeply that it must begin with our hearts and thoughts. The small community he found when beginning his ministry was deeply divided and hurt. This hurt had kept members from coming to church. In his early days Father Chacour worked to bring healing and reconciliation. It was no small task and after a time he began to wonder if any change was going to come. Then, one Palm Sunday he made a bold decision. Using this passage that we read this morning, he walked to the back of the church and took a heavy chain and locked everyone in the church. He explained how he knew the struggles and lack of forgiveness and infighting was destroying the church and was a poor witness to the love of Jesus Christ. He explained that on that day people would either kill one another in the sanctuary, and he was willing to do funerals for free, or they would work to make reconciliation a reality. It did come… one by one people began to admit the harbored anger and the ways they had hurt one another. That which began inside those walls moved out into the surrounding community. Tensions and struggles that had plagued the town begin to be addressed and resolved.
There are amazing stories of reconciliation throughout the world that run right alongside the places of war and devastation. From India where independence was gained from the British Empire through the use of non-violent means of social change to the Civil Right movement in this country and more recently to South Africa. While it is good to focus on these examples of reconciliation “out there,” we cannot miss the deeper message of this passage. Jesus is calling the disciples to inward change. It is only then that true outward reconciliation can occur.
This passage can and should be convicting for our own hearts. When faced with this passage we must ask the hard questions. Where are we harboring anger, resentment, and even condescending attitudes toward other people? Where are we finding ourselves thinking, “You are such an idiot” toward another human being? Maybe that is someone in the public arena, a public official. Maybe it is a neighbor or even family member, or dare I say someone who sits in the same space each week when we gather here? This is what Jesus is talking about.
The good news is that I do not have a thick chain with which to lock the church doors. I am not going to ask folks to stand up and begin confessing the secret thoughts of our hearts. We are not like the community in Ibillin that was a community tearing itself apart. In fact, we have a lot for which we can be proud. The ways in which we came together to offer hospitality to the Presbytery yesterday is something for which I knew we could do and am also in awe of the power and spirit that is at work among us. But despite this, it is critical for each of us to examine our hearts and to consider where we are being called to work for reconciliation with one another right here.
We are going to move into a period of silent prayer. And during this prayer ask God to show you where you are being called to work for reconciliation and to overcome the secret thoughts of your heart to be part of God’s mission in this place. Let us move into a time of prayer. (After a long period of silent prayer, “Amen.”) I trust that God has revealed things to each of us. Let us commit to moving forward on this. Reach out to one another; be open to hearing how we have hurt one another and to how we can move forward. And out of this may we continue to be part of God’s new thing happening in our midst. Amen.

Stepping Up

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 13th 2011
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Matthew 5:21-24
“Stepping Up”

I was nurtured on a steady diet of television sitcoms. I learned a few important lessons from that interesting diet. The first thing I learned was that all the greatest things in life can be purchased for the low-low price of only 19.95, if you act now. The second lesson I learned was that all human conflict and relationship struggles could be solved in anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes. One of the early disappointments in my life was to find out that most of what is purchased for 19.95 does not last. Most of the world’s greatest gifts cannot be purchased. And, human drama and relationships are far more complex and messy then portrayed on television, even when they are a gift. It turns out that well nurtured grudges and even our prejudices are seldom, if ever, overcome through logic, let alone right after the next commercial break.
This is an important lesson for those of us called to the ministry of reconciliation. Even if we cannot see where the load might lead or when the road gets rough, we are called to stay the path. In a world hungry for the easy path to a deeper life, Jesus does say the way of faith is not easy. The message of the Sermon on the Mount, and particularly our passage today, does not provide promises for our “Best Life Now” or a get “Rich because God loves you plan.” In an age where we expect our needs and desires will be catered, Jesus say that the way of discipleship is not the way of ease.
This passage lays bare our religious sensibilities. At the heart of the Gospel is not a set of rules we are called to follow that will insure our sense of righteousness or provide a “get out of hell free” card. Instead, we are called to go deeper. It is not enough to abstain from murder. Most of us have that covered. Instead, we are called to search deep in our hearts to figure out if we have issues with another person. Are you mad at someone else? Do you harbor thoughts of anger toward another person? Is there another person in your life with whom you harbor ill will? Jesus says; skip worship until you deal with that issue, your heart, and that person. For Christians, the condition of our thoughts and hearts matters just as much as those who are sitting on death row for what they may or may not have done. That is how seriously Jesus takes the issue of reconciliation.
For most of us this sort of speech will lead us to believe it is an impossible ethic. We can probably come up with at least a handful of valid objections as to why this would not work. There are, in fact, times when reconciliation and forgiveness are not possibilities given our human sinfulness. But, these objections should not and cannot become the cover that allows us to ignore the places in our lives which need attention.
Malachite Orthodox Priest Father Elias Chacour has served a parish in the town of Ibillin in Israel. He is a Palestinian Christian whose family has been in Nazareth since the time of Jesus. His call to ministry has been through the message of reconciliation. He is a peacemaker and knows deeply that it must begin with our hearts and thoughts. The small community he found when beginning his ministry was deeply divided and hurt. This hurt had kept members from coming to church. In his early days Father Chacour worked to bring healing and reconciliation. It was no small task and after a time he began to wonder if any change was going to come. Then, one Palm Sunday he made a bold decision. Using this passage that we read this morning, he walked to the back of the church and took a heavy chain and locked everyone in the church. He explained how he knew the struggles and lack of forgiveness and infighting was destroying the church and was a poor witness to the love of Jesus Christ. He explained that on that day people would either kill one another in the sanctuary, and he was willing to do funerals for free, or they would work to make reconciliation a reality. It did come… one by one people began to admit the harbored anger and the ways they had hurt one another. That which began inside those walls moved out into the surrounding community. Tensions and struggles that had plagued the town begin to be addressed and resolved.
There are amazing stories of reconciliation throughout the world that run right alongside the places of war and devastation. From India where independence was gained from the British Empire through the use of non-violent means of social change to the Civil Right movement in this country and more recently to South Africa. While it is good to focus on these examples of reconciliation “out there,” we cannot miss the deeper message of this passage. Jesus is calling the disciples to inward change. It is only then that true outward reconciliation can occur.
This passage can and should be convicting for our own hearts. When faced with this passage we must ask the hard questions. Where are we harboring anger, resentment, and even condescending attitudes toward other people? Where are we finding ourselves thinking, “You are such an idiot” toward another human being? Maybe that is someone in the public arena, a public official. Maybe it is a neighbor or even family member, or dare I say someone who sits in the same space each week when we gather here? This is what Jesus is talking about.
The good news is that I do not have a thick chain with which to lock the church doors. I am not going to ask folks to stand up and begin confessing the secret thoughts of our hearts. We are not like the community in Ibillin that was a community tearing itself apart. In fact, we have a lot for which we can be proud. The ways in which we came together to offer hospitality to the Presbytery yesterday is something for which I knew we could do and am also in awe of the power and spirit that is at work among us. But despite this, it is critical for each of us to examine our hearts and to consider where we are being called to work for reconciliation with one another right here.
We are going to move into a period of silent prayer. And during this prayer ask God to show you where you are being called to work for reconciliation and to overcome the secret thoughts of your heart to be part of God’s mission in this place. Let us move into a time of prayer. (After a long period of silent prayer, “Amen.”) I trust that God has revealed things to each of us. Let us commit to moving forward on this. Reach out to one another; be open to hearing how we have hurt one another and to how we can move forward. And out of this may we continue to be part of God’s new thing happening in our midst. Amen.

Flavored Life

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
February 6th 2011
Communion Meditation
Rev. Mark R. Bradshaw-Miller
Matthew 5:13-20
“Flavored Life”

This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Hallelujah
This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine (This was sung)

The words of this spiritual were inspired by our passage this morning. This song is well known as a civil right anthem. It inspired the life and work of Fannie Lou Hammer and many others, as well as those connected with the Highlander Folk School. The power of that anthem and the power of this passage is its ability to inspire people. It helps to remind people of the need for people of faith to live with authenticity particularly in the public eye. But, it has also lead to other interpretations as well.

In 1630 John Winthrop preached a sermon called, “Model of Christian Charity.” In that sermon he called for the new settlers in North America to be an example of God’s justice and righteousness. This sermon and its’ ideas inspired political speeches. The imagery found its way into presidential rhetoric ranging from John F. Kennedy in 1961 to Ronald Regan. The call to be exemplary and to live as an example to others is a powerful and honorable calling. However, too often the calling becomes distorted and even delusional when it becomes certain that God is only on our side alone. In order to avoid these mistakes and others, we must look closer at the whole sermon of Jesus. During this month, that is exactly what we are going to do.

So let us go back to the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon begins with these words:
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. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
As Jesus speaks these words of it is hard to imagine he intended a triumphant theology or one that would lead to exclusion or exceptionalism. It is important to keep this in mind as we move into our scripture for the day.
Looking at the history of how this passage has been interpreted, much energy has been spent on light but little on salt. I wonder if that has something to do with the ways in which we understand being salt and light. After all, when one is called to be light, it gives us the idea that we get to be center stage. But with salt, we might be essential to the final product but people only really notice when you are not around. As a result, fewer people want the salty parts of our faith.
Despite being overlooked, salt is powerful. In small amounts it helps sustain life, but in large amounts it is deadly. It has the power to preserve food and to melting of ice and snow which covers our streets right now. I think the way to best understand the role of salt is an anecdotal story I heard while travelling in Israel. Our guide asked us: “Why is the Dead Sea Dead?” The answer is this: “Because it only takes in and it never gives out.” The Dead Sea is fed by rivers but it no longer feeds any other body of water. The salt content is now so high that nothing can live in it at all.
I have begun to see this as a challenge to the followers of Jesus. As those who are called to be salt, we cannot remain behind closed doors with those of like mind. We must move beyond the comfort of likeminded friends and believers. The followers of Jesus should not gather together too frequently without being out in the world. If we do not ever give out or move out of our places of comfort then we become like the Dead Sea. Otherwise, the future of the church will look much like that of the Dead Sea. We will become a thing people will study as we slowly die.
If we are called to be salt and light, what does that look like? I think on an individual level we should begin with our natural impulse. Some of us are happy to stand by the side and let others take credit. Others of us like to be in charge and stand in the limelight. If your natural impulse is to stand back… listen to the words of Jesus to let your light shine. Peter was always willing to take center stage and he had to learn what it meant to be salt. On the other hand, his brother Andrew was more like the salt. He brought Peter to Jesus. Andrew needed to learn to let his light shine. So if we are going to let our light shine, we can do so through standing in the limelight or buy working behind the scenes.
Even though Jesus talks about being salt and light, I believe we should focus on salt these days. Too many people seeking the limelight cause trouble. So too does too many people waiting for the next living light to come along and save us. We cannot wait for the next Dr. King, or President Obama to fix what ails us. The struggles in our world will not be someone else’s light who will solve our troubles. To be light and salt means we move beyond complaining to using all our gifts to make sure the hungry are fed and our work in doing so gives glory to God.
Jesus calling to be salt and light is not really a choice. He does not say, if you like, or if you feel good, or if you want to be my disciples. He says… You are. It is a done deal. It means we are either salt or light or we have ceased to be Jesus followers. It means our work and worth is not wrapped up on our own glory but in making sure it points to the God we know in Jesus Christ. It means that even this little light, isn’t mine at all, but God’s light meant for the whole world. That is our faith that is our calling.
As we stand with Jesus on the Mountaintop and see God’s vision for our world and for our church, we are invited to say thank you for what is taking place even in our lives right now. Let us live as people of the Sermon on the Mount who know the rest of the story.

This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Oh, this little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Hallelujah
This little light of mine
I'm going to let it shine
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine (This was sung)

Amen? Amen!

This Cannot Be Right

WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
January 9, 2011
Baptism of the Lord Sunday
Rev. Mark R. Miller
Matthew 3:13-17; Acts 10:34-43
“This Cannot Be Right”


Peter is rather bold. In the Gospels he makes all sorts of claims and promises regarding the depth of his faith and the width of his knowledge. Unfortunately, he ends up falling short in just about all of his claims. So when he now claims to “truly understand” that God shows no partiality, how are we to believe him? The only way to check the authenticity of this claim is to check the foundation on which it is built.
Unlike the gospels, this claim from Peter is built on the strong foundation of the experience and revelation of God. While Peter is praying on the roof, God speaks in a vision. Peter sees all sorts of animals known as ritually unclean and impure. A voice speaks to Peter and says, “take and eat.” Peter objects because he knows what the law teaches. They are unclean and forbidden.
God’s message for Peter, and the church, is persistent and strong. Do not call anything I have created unclean. In other words, God will not allow the law to stand in the way of God’s plan for the Gospel. It is clear that Peter finally hears this inclusive message when a Gentile seeks his audience immediately following the dream.
Peter has been changed. Arriving at the home of Cornelius the Gentile, he makes a bold claim. Peter says to those gathered at the house, who tell him he cannot go in, “You yourselves know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit a Gentile; but God has shown me that I should not call anyone profane or unclean.” Peter finally understands that, no one is unclean or profane. The Good News is clear. No one is outside the promise of the Gospel.
When we are baptized into Christ every other identity that has claim upon us is secondary to the identity as beloved children of God. Our nationality, immigration status, our politics, our gender, race, sexual orientation, age, ability, all of these no longer take central stage. It is no longer necessary or acceptable to divide or exclude people because of these “other” identities. This also means some changes on how we relate in the household of God. It means the privileges that some received because of these divisions are to end. They are not part of God’s vision for humanity.
This message runs into some trouble when Peter, who does truly understand, comes face to face with the reality of the first multicultural church. Guess what happens when the customs of the Jewish Christians come into conflict with the Gentile Christians? These new converts change what is believed to be essential. As a result, the community perceives itself to be under threat. Even Peter falls prey to these concerns. When Peter is with the Gentiles he is willing to be generous with the customs and culture. However, when his Jewish friends are around he embraces the very exclusion he has testified as antithetical to the Gospel.
While it is a favorite pastime of the church to use Peter as a punching bag, we cannot buy into that practice. Peter is more like us than we care to admit. He does understand the message he received, but when faced with the practical struggles, he falls short. Each one of us, and we as a community, run up against these very struggles all the time. Our actions, despite the best of intentions, often cause trouble and hurt others. This is why as a community of different cultures we must focus on the results of our actions, acknowledging the places where we are hurt and taking responsibility for those who are hurt as a result of our actions. We have to act in this way. If we do not, we will follow the pattern of Peter when he falls short of the vision he saw on the roof.
In our congregational family, it means we have to find out what the customs and expectations are for all those in our community. When the food isn’t what you’re used to, when the ways of doing church seem strange or begin to change, when the music and worship doesn’t seem familiar, ask questions. Take it as an opportunity to learn and to come closer to the gospel truth revealed in others. Like Peter, we are going to see things we never before thought possible. We will even find ourselves doubting the voice we hear as the voice of God. No matter how successful we think we are, even our best intentions can result in foolish mistakes. But the good news is that God calls for our passion and not perfection, and better yet, God is not finished with us yet. In other words, just like Peter, we are going to act in duplicitous ways but God will not abandon us.
Paul writes, there is no longer Jew or Greek, Slave or Free, Male and Female because you are all one in Christ. These words from Paul to the church in Galatia were not a call to create a homogenous church. It was not a call to ignore the reality of our differences. Instead, it is a call to first acknowledge that the world is deeply divided and Jesus calls us to break down those divisions. When Peter goes to Cornelius he is breaking down the social fabric that many thought was ordained by God. But the divisions embraced in this world are not the divisions embraced by God, despite God’s followers claiming otherwise.
At this point, we might ask if nothing is sacred. However, instead of answering that question I would ask another: What is essential? What does it take to be faithful to the Gospel? What is the primary role of the church, the followers of Jesus? The answer to that question is: “To make disciples.” Making disciples in a multicultural world means that those who we share the faith with may not think like us, look like us, act like us, speak like us, have the same customs as us. In order to be prepared for this high calling we have to become students of cultures not our own. We must seek to understand youth culture, white culture, black culture, immigrant culture, and realize that even in each of those cultures is a wide variety of difference. So, what we need to do is to look to see where God is at work in the lives and practices of others. We can begin by asking: “How do you worship God? How do you see God at work? How are you growing in the life of faith?” Focusing on these questions will lead us to the essential. And all the rest is provisional.
This past week I have done two memorial services. Each service opens with these words:
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. In his or her baptism they were clothed with Christ; in the day of Christ’s coming, he or she will be clothed with glory.
It is a stark reminder of the essentials in life. What matters at the last is not often what we expect. When we are clothed with Christ we have a great promise and a challenge. To focus on the essential might mean unlearning much that we believe is sacred, culturally. And, it will mean all sorts of things we cannot even envision at this moment. It is my hope that each of us will hear these words and come to truly understand that God shows no partiality. This is a message that is desperately needed in our deeply polarized world.
By now, most of you all have heard about the violence in Arizona. A Congresswoman lies in a hospital, a federal judge is dead, and many others are as well. The violence in Arizona is the work of an unstable young white man. Unfortunately, we have been here before. In 1995, fear and anger against the government, the godless, liberals, the other… led to the loss of human life in Oklahoma City. Once again the angry and violent words of political pundits have taken root in the hearts of those who would act on their call. Rallying the troops, claiming it is time to water the tree of liberty with the blood of patriots, and all the other violent rhetoric of our age have taken root in the hearts of those who have access to guns and the desire to use them. In many divided cultures there are those who will preach division, demonize, and stand back in horror when violence is done with their words. While there is much to be said for the harbingers of hatred, I will simply say this: Those voices, words, and actions do not come from the same Spirit preached to Peter on the roof. They do not come from the same Spirit that transformed violent Saul into Apostle Paul on the Damascus road. And they do not come from the same Spirit that led Jesus to say NO MORE to the violence in this world. In other words, the words of division and hatred being hurled in the political, religious, and other areas of our culture are unchristian, indefensible, and will be judged by God accordingly.
In the face of this violence, our job is to pray. We must first pray for the violence that resides in our own hearts and for the heart of others. We must then stand up as witnesses to a world that has become openly hostile to what we are doing in this place. We must continue to preach the peace of Jesus Christ and the welcome that is at the heart of the Gospel. We must say: “No more!” to the violent spirit of this age. Now is the time. Now is the time! Amen.