God at the Center: You shall not kill, You shall not commit adultery. Or, one yes leads to a thousand no’s
The Bad News: Saying Yes to God also means saying no to the violent and selfish ways we have maintained control and stayed ‘safe’ in the world and in life.
The Good News: Saying Yes to God opens a new possibility for peace in our lives and in the world.
Intro:
There has recently been a controversy at Goshen College In Goshen Indiana. Goshen College is a small liberal arts school that is affiliated with the Mennonite Church. Now the Mennonite Church is an historical peace church. A church of non-violence, a church of pacifists. So for its long history, Goshen College has not played the national anthem at sporting events. Recently this was made known to the larger public through the local media. The college started to get letters and phone calls of complaint, and so the leadership of the college changed their tradition, that had stood for well over 100 years, and will start playing the national anthem. Many alumni of the school are upset. But to be fair there are some who don’t see the big deal, and some students are happy.
Now, the reason I mention this is because I think it illustrates the challenge of the first of our commandments today, You shall not kill. This commandment lies at the heart of the reason why Goshen College did not play the national anthem and why Mennonites are pacifists, at least as I understand the issue. You see, from the traditional Mennonite perspective, and I really shouldn’t be trying to explain this, because I’m not Mennonite, so this is my best approximation really, but from the Mennonite perspective, the National Anthem is a song whose lyrics celebrate violence.
Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?
Thro’ the perilous fight… rockets’ red glare, bombs bursting in air..
Here is why I mention this however. The Mennonite Church is a tradition that places high priority on imagining, through Jesus example, a Godly life in the world. What would a Godly life in the world look like… the answer being… Jesus…
We recall that Jesus, when arrested, would not allow his disciples to offer armed resistance on his behalf.
That is the Godly life on earth…
imagine it…
live it.
For Mennonites, the national anthem does NOT imagine God’s way in the world…
It rehearses and restates the world’s fallen and sinful way… violence.
I heard Rob Bell say in a sermon recently, A Yes leads to a thousand No’s. In this case, for some of these Mennonites, a Yes to this commandment is a NO to violence under any circumstance.
The Mennonite’s perspective is not the only one.
And the debate about whether Christians should serve in the military is really an open debate, perhaps more open than we would like to admit. There is a strong tradition in the history of the church, within the New Testament, that suggests that violence under any circumstance, should not be an option for those who follow Christ. That isn’t the only side of the debate…
And we don’t have time to work it all out here this morning…
My point is that this commandment, you shall not murder/kill, is another than can be easily passed over. None of us has killed anyone. So we may be tempted to pass this commandment by fairly quickly. I think this story illustrates how inconvenient an interruption this commandment may be to our lives and to issues that we feel we already have made up our minds on…
It may interrupt us regarding other issues too… Abortion, Euthenasia, Capital Punishment.
I’m not saying that this commandment is THE answer to any of these topics…
But it does deserve a voice in how we think about these issues…
And that makes this commandment VERY relevant for our times
Very relevant for our lives, even if we haven’t ever
Been tempted to commit murder…
The commandment against killing/murder is much closer than we want to admit…
But look at close Jesus brings it to our lives…Mt 5:21-22
21 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca ,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.
Now that really cuts close to the bone doesn’t it?
I mean, we can make an argument that military service, even in times of war
Doesn’t violate this commandment… and so keep it at a distance…
We could make medical and human rights arguments about abortion and euthanasia and reserve this commandment for only very specific situations, limits is applicability to just a few circumstances…
But the way Jesus reads this commandment and then applies it…
That hits all of us, except for a slim few…
Even the words we use, can kill…
Not literally, that goes without needing explanation
But our words can do violence to the spirit, the soul of a person
Angry words, Jesus says, are every bit as violent
And dangerous as fists and weapons…
And who among us can say we haven’t ever used angry, bitter, words…
I mention this because what the commandment, You shall not murder, is encouraging us to do is imagine a life where we are not governed, controlled or influenced by our fears.
The commandment not to murder/kill is a commandment to imagine a new way in the world free of fear.
Are we a people of fear?
I remember driving in my car, what is it, nine years ago now? After 9/11 and hearing a young woman on a talk radio station say that she was now so afraid of the violence in the world that she could not dream anymore of having children, because it would be cruel to bring them into such a violent world.
Do we live in fear? Walter Brueggeman once wrote
In these days, fear is deep and broad in the land and in the church. Fear does strange things to people. It makes us withdraw from our brothers and sisters and live in a crouch. It makes us attracted to a fetal position. It makes us say things and do things that do not honor us. It makes us hurt one another – all because we fear the world is falling apart…Thus, I must protect what little order I have, scramble to make more, and keep people from intruding on my order or my mystery of my goodies
'Peace' pg. 161 . . .
Fear, as Brueggeman says, is deep and broad…
It may not be as apparent as the fear we felt after 9/11
Fear can be a subtle thing…
Something that we carry with unknowingly
Fear we were taught by an abusive or uncaring parent
Fear we were taught by a family that would not speak of hurt or pain
Or a family that dealt with difference with angry words or sullen silences
Fear we were taught through the cruel words of others
Because we live or love ‘differently’
Or perhaps the way we look, not big or small enough
Not the right size or shape
Fear because a spouse was unfaithful
Fear because we grew up in poverty
The list of fears that we may carry is a long list
A list that perhaps we don’t even think of consciously
Just a few chapters in Exodus, before the gift of the commandments we hear a story of fear…
Ex 16:11-12
11 The LORD said to Moses, 12 "I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"
NIV
Ex 16:15-20
Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. 16 This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.'"
17 The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18 And when they measured it by the omer, he who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little. Each one gathered as much as he needed.
19 Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20 However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
No wonder they were afraid…
For generations living as slaves…
Worked for hours we cannot perhaps imagine
Only fed enough for their subsistence
Enough to keep them working and little more…
No wonder they are afraid…
And this story shows that they carry this fear in them…
Fear does not leave because the geography changes…
And perhaps it is just a flight of fancy,
My imagination…
But I see them grasping for manna,
Fighting for manna
Clawing and pushing and shoving and even striking out
For manna,
But this is not too much too imagine is it…
Because we see fights for much less than manna every Christmas
Fights over toys and flatscreen TV’s
Fights, based on fear…
That our child may not know our love if we do not get the toy
Or that we may not know their love…
How would you make this commandment a positive?
As I was thinking about that question I remembered this from
Lk 21:12-19
12 "But before all this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 This will result in your being witnesses to them. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 By standing firm you will gain life .
It is cynicism and fear that freezes life; it is faith that thaws it out, releases it, sets it free. Harry Emerson Fosdick
This commandment reminds us that we have said yes to life,
And the verses from Luke remind us that we have said yes to life
Free of fear…
Which doesn’t mean that we won’t feel fear
But we have said yes to not living in that fear…
Fear does not have to be the guiding factor of our lives
That which compels us…
That is what the commandment reminds us
You are free now, from being driven by fear
Very soon now we will begin to re-tell the story of Jesus arrest and torture at
The hands of the Romans
Fear will fill this story.
Jesus will pray in the garden that the cup (which means his suffering and his crucifixion) will pass from him… that he won’t have to suffer… he is afraid…
Up all night praying…
and who among us doesn’t know about sleepless nights…
The disciples who promised their love and loyalty will run in the shadows of the night… afraid…
The story of jesus arrest and crucifixion is the story of our fears…
But it is also the story of the one who would not be controlled by fear…
The story of the one who was life, according to the gospel of John
Who chose to trust in life instead of yielding to fear…
Who spent his whole life resisting fear
By calling the people that society feared to be his family he resisted fear
And created life
By speaking with Samaritan’s and women, he resisted fear
And created life
Feeding the hungry, healing the sick
He was resisting fear and creating life
And that end of that story is that not even the fear of death could hold him
We need not fear because Jesus entered our fears
Faced them for us
Lived through every one
These fears killed him
But they could not hold him in death
And on the third day he rose to new life…
That is the question you see
That this commandment You shall not Kill really drives us to ask ourselves
How am I creating life? How am I living in resurrection… offering resurrection
Hope for a new tomorrow, for myself and for others.
Because that is the invitation…
It began in Genesis when Adam was given the task of
Working and caring for the garden…
Serve and protect creation..
Join God and participate in the mystery of creating life
That was the invitation to Abraham
And the challenged to Moses
To follow God and find life
Lead the people into new life
And that invitation to serve and protect life
And so continue to participate in creation with God
That invitation still stands today…
You and I have received that invitation
We are the ones who inherited the stories of Jesus
That show us what true life is
This is where real peace-making begins
When we begin to see ourselves as inheritors of Jesus life
Entrusted with his life…
We shall go out with the hope of resurrection,
We shall go out, from strength to strength go on,
We shall go out and tell our stories boldly,
Tales of a love that will not let us go.
We’ll sing our song of wrongs that can be righted.
We’ll dream our dream of hurts that can be healed,
We’ll weave a cloth of all the world united
Within a vision of a Christ who sets us free.
We’ll give a voice to those who have not spoken,,
We’ll find the words for those whose lips are sealed
We’ll make the tunes for those who sing no longer,
Vibrating love alive in every heart.
We’ll share our joy with those who are still weeping,
Chant hymns of strength for hearts that break in grief,
We’ll leap and dance the resurrection story
Including all within the circles of our love.
June Boyce-Tillman, in Reflecting Praise
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Honor Your Father and Mother OR God's Love for the Vulnerable and for Us
Ex 20:12
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
The Question: Could the Fifth Commandment to honor parents be a commandment beyond being good children?
The Bad News: We live in a society in which people are objectified, seen as means to our own ends.
The Good News: Each of us is valuable to God
The Celebration: Christ came to create a new family, in which all who do the will of God are guaranteed a family in which they will be loved and respected.
First off, what makes this commandment unique, one of only two special commandments in the ten? It is stated in the positive and not the negative… This command and the Sabbath command are both positive…
Just a bit of trivia to get us started…
The challenge of this commandment is that we think we’ve already got this one down… no problem … right?
According to The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study
"Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect. For every case of elder abuse and neglect reported to authorities, experts estimate that there may be as many as 5 cases not reported. Research suggests elders who have been abused tend to die earlier than those who are not abused, even in the absence of chronic conditions or life threatening disease."
90% of elder abuse and neglect incidents are by known perpetrators, usually family members, 2/3rds are adult children or spouses
National Center on Elder Abuse, 1994 The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study: Final Report Washington, DC: Administration for Children and Families & Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services
I don’t know about you, but, It seems like this one should be automatic. Why would you NEED to command children to honor their parents? That just seems basic to me, like common sense. Then again, my mother used to say, ‘Common sense isn’t very common…’ And I guess she had a point. Perhaps you too have had the experience while shopping, or out to eat, out in public anyway, of cringing at the way a child talked to their parent. Have you ever had that experience?
I wanted to reflect on this, because I think we can make two mistakes with this commandment… brush over it too quickly as a given, as ‘the easy one’… when statistics and reflection on our experience shows that it isn’t a given at all. The other mistake we can make is to miss the implications of this simple command.
The command to honor father and mother comes directly after the command to remember and keep holy, a Sabbath…
Lets look back at that one for a minute…
Ex 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
Remember your value.
That is the point of Sabbath.
What makes me valuable or honorable? This is the first question for the day. And I suspect that for many the answer of their value would come down to something that they do… whether it is a career that they perform well at, and if not a vocation, an avocation, some hobby that they do particularly well… something they produce…
So some might say, I’m a hard worker, or a loyal worker…
I’m a good listener, I’ll do anything for a friend
I’m generous, or helpful, I take care of the elderly,
You get the picture here right… we value ourselves based on what we do…
On the service we provide… whether we are paid for it or not…
But what the Sabbath command is telling us is…
That ISN’T where our value lies…
We are not honored by God for what we do…
But simply because of who we are…
And who are we… God’s children…
Those created in God’s image…
So, this may seem like a strange point, but, this is at least one of the major points of the command for Sabbath… our value lies not in what we do, what service we provide, our value lies in relation to God our creator…
But it is important, because then the Sabbath command goes on to say that not only should the men and women of Israel keep Sabbath…
But the slaves and the foreigners and the children and the animals…
Why is the Sabbath command extended to all of them?
Why are they valuable?
Because of the service they provide.
The work they do.
Remember the BIG story here…
Israel has just been released from slavery in Egypt…
What was their value? Labor…
The Sabbath command is a warning to Israel NOT to recreate the slavery of Egypt,
Only this time they get to be the one’s in charge, on the receiving end…
What will make Israel a light to the nations? Not the fact that they are free themselves, BUT, how they use that freedom…
A freedom in which they value and honor all people, not just their own
And the command for today… honor father and mother
Brings a specific group of people into sharp relief…
The vulnerable.
This command isn’t simply about obeying our parents
It is about valuing the vulnerable
This command issues its challenge not when
Parents can care for themselves and contribute to the household
But when they cannot care for themselves and must receive, but cannot give
The command to honor father and mother is the command to value and honor
The vulnerable…
Ex 22:21-24
21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
22 "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan . 23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.
Israel will be a light to the nations…
Israel will continue live in the liberation, the freedom that God has given them
By being a nation known for valuing and honoring the vulnerable…
The aging father and mother
The alien or foreign
The widow
The orphan…
Those who stand on the edges of society are to be valued and not despised…
Here is where and why social ministries are so important…
Ministries like the food closet and the clothes closet
The summer meal program and the oil program are vital…
Not only because they meet basic human needs…
But because they communicate value, honor,
They bestow dignity upon the vulnerable in our community…
These are not just social services
Or physical services
But spiritual services…
And as spiritual services,
They must be rooted in our own spiritual practice…
Because the command to extend Sabbath to the alien
To be generous with the widow and the orphan
To extend honor to the aged is rooted in our prayer life
In our own Sabbath time…
In our own Sabbath time in which we remember that we are not valuable for what
We do, but simply because we are…
We offer hospitality to the stranger
Generosity to the widow and orphan
Honor to the aged
Not based on their own merit
But because we have experienced the abundant love of God
Freely given and not earned…
Henri Nouwen writes:
When we cling to the results of our actions as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive and defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be kept at a distance, than as friends with whom we share the gifts of life… we are worth more than the result of our efforts…
Our social ministries, if not rooted in prayer and aimed at communicating God’s love
Just become a way for us to feel better about ourselves
Prove to others… prove to ourselves… our value
They become our idols… making us feel worth something
Because we can say.. look at what I have done…
When we give food to the hungry
Or clothes to the poor
Or feed families in the summer
We are giving them much more than food or clothes
We are giving them dignity and honor
But we are also giving them more than that
We are offering them a sign of God’s own love
That they do not have to earn
Because we did not have to earn it
Ro 5:9
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us .
We are not just a social service agency,
But agents of God love and grace
While we offer food and clothing and oil
If that is all we offer we have failed
For we have something even more valuable to offer
The love of God
BUT
If we have not experienced this unmerited love ourselves
We can tend to forget, where our value lies..
Thinking that it is because of what we do
Or what others think of us
Or say about us
And this tends to tear at the fabric of the family that God has created
As we not-so-secretly measure our merits against others
Have they worked as hard as I
have they proven themselves as faithful as I
are they as worthy of Gods honor as I
NO
The experience of God amazing and unmerited yet free love
Only comes through prayer
How much time do you spend in prayer not saying anything
Not asking for anything
Just being loved by God?
Isa 43:4
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
That is a verse to start you…
Make time this week at the start and the close of your day…
To not only be intellectually reminded of God love
But to experience it in prayer…
Recite this verse to yourself in silence
No distractions
Don’t say anything else
Just repeat it, over and over
And then listen
Listen to God loving you
Not because of the work you do
Or your volunteer hours
Your successes and virtues and hours of labor
And generosity
But just because you are...
We MUST experience that love if we are to share it
If our ministries as a church do not grow from that experience
They are in vain…
Just a way for us to feel better about ourselves
And so more about us seeking our own honor
Than about honoring others…
If our relationships with one another are not based on
This experience of God’s unmerited love vast, unmeasured,
Boundless and free as the hymn-writer says
Than our relationships here will be no different
Than any other social organization
And it will all be in vain
If we are to follow today’s commandment to honor, value and dignify
The vulnerable…
That will only flow from our own experience of being loved
As we are…
Jesus own ministry began not with a call to action, but with an expression of love…
Think about that…
God didn’t call to Christ and say
Today I am calling you Lk 4:18
to preach good news to the poor.
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
give sight to the blind,
and release the oppressed,
First God said, You are my beloved…
There is still much to do,
Many tasks to be undertaken
Many injustices to meet with energy and passion
But today, we, like Christ,
Are simply, the beloved
12 "Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
The Question: Could the Fifth Commandment to honor parents be a commandment beyond being good children?
The Bad News: We live in a society in which people are objectified, seen as means to our own ends.
The Good News: Each of us is valuable to God
The Celebration: Christ came to create a new family, in which all who do the will of God are guaranteed a family in which they will be loved and respected.
First off, what makes this commandment unique, one of only two special commandments in the ten? It is stated in the positive and not the negative… This command and the Sabbath command are both positive…
Just a bit of trivia to get us started…
The challenge of this commandment is that we think we’ve already got this one down… no problem … right?
According to The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study
"Every year an estimated 2.1 million older Americans are victims of physical, psychological, or other forms of abuse and neglect. For every case of elder abuse and neglect reported to authorities, experts estimate that there may be as many as 5 cases not reported. Research suggests elders who have been abused tend to die earlier than those who are not abused, even in the absence of chronic conditions or life threatening disease."
90% of elder abuse and neglect incidents are by known perpetrators, usually family members, 2/3rds are adult children or spouses
National Center on Elder Abuse, 1994 The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study: Final Report Washington, DC: Administration for Children and Families & Administration on Aging, US Department of Health and Human Services
I don’t know about you, but, It seems like this one should be automatic. Why would you NEED to command children to honor their parents? That just seems basic to me, like common sense. Then again, my mother used to say, ‘Common sense isn’t very common…’ And I guess she had a point. Perhaps you too have had the experience while shopping, or out to eat, out in public anyway, of cringing at the way a child talked to their parent. Have you ever had that experience?
I wanted to reflect on this, because I think we can make two mistakes with this commandment… brush over it too quickly as a given, as ‘the easy one’… when statistics and reflection on our experience shows that it isn’t a given at all. The other mistake we can make is to miss the implications of this simple command.
The command to honor father and mother comes directly after the command to remember and keep holy, a Sabbath…
Lets look back at that one for a minute…
Ex 20:8-11 "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates.
Remember your value.
That is the point of Sabbath.
What makes me valuable or honorable? This is the first question for the day. And I suspect that for many the answer of their value would come down to something that they do… whether it is a career that they perform well at, and if not a vocation, an avocation, some hobby that they do particularly well… something they produce…
So some might say, I’m a hard worker, or a loyal worker…
I’m a good listener, I’ll do anything for a friend
I’m generous, or helpful, I take care of the elderly,
You get the picture here right… we value ourselves based on what we do…
On the service we provide… whether we are paid for it or not…
But what the Sabbath command is telling us is…
That ISN’T where our value lies…
We are not honored by God for what we do…
But simply because of who we are…
And who are we… God’s children…
Those created in God’s image…
So, this may seem like a strange point, but, this is at least one of the major points of the command for Sabbath… our value lies not in what we do, what service we provide, our value lies in relation to God our creator…
But it is important, because then the Sabbath command goes on to say that not only should the men and women of Israel keep Sabbath…
But the slaves and the foreigners and the children and the animals…
Why is the Sabbath command extended to all of them?
Why are they valuable?
Because of the service they provide.
The work they do.
Remember the BIG story here…
Israel has just been released from slavery in Egypt…
What was their value? Labor…
The Sabbath command is a warning to Israel NOT to recreate the slavery of Egypt,
Only this time they get to be the one’s in charge, on the receiving end…
What will make Israel a light to the nations? Not the fact that they are free themselves, BUT, how they use that freedom…
A freedom in which they value and honor all people, not just their own
And the command for today… honor father and mother
Brings a specific group of people into sharp relief…
The vulnerable.
This command isn’t simply about obeying our parents
It is about valuing the vulnerable
This command issues its challenge not when
Parents can care for themselves and contribute to the household
But when they cannot care for themselves and must receive, but cannot give
The command to honor father and mother is the command to value and honor
The vulnerable…
Ex 22:21-24
21 "Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.
22 "Do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan . 23 If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry.
Israel will be a light to the nations…
Israel will continue live in the liberation, the freedom that God has given them
By being a nation known for valuing and honoring the vulnerable…
The aging father and mother
The alien or foreign
The widow
The orphan…
Those who stand on the edges of society are to be valued and not despised…
Here is where and why social ministries are so important…
Ministries like the food closet and the clothes closet
The summer meal program and the oil program are vital…
Not only because they meet basic human needs…
But because they communicate value, honor,
They bestow dignity upon the vulnerable in our community…
These are not just social services
Or physical services
But spiritual services…
And as spiritual services,
They must be rooted in our own spiritual practice…
Because the command to extend Sabbath to the alien
To be generous with the widow and the orphan
To extend honor to the aged is rooted in our prayer life
In our own Sabbath time…
In our own Sabbath time in which we remember that we are not valuable for what
We do, but simply because we are…
We offer hospitality to the stranger
Generosity to the widow and orphan
Honor to the aged
Not based on their own merit
But because we have experienced the abundant love of God
Freely given and not earned…
Henri Nouwen writes:
When we cling to the results of our actions as our only way of self-identification, then we become possessive and defensive and tend to look at our fellow human beings more as enemies to be kept at a distance, than as friends with whom we share the gifts of life… we are worth more than the result of our efforts…
Our social ministries, if not rooted in prayer and aimed at communicating God’s love
Just become a way for us to feel better about ourselves
Prove to others… prove to ourselves… our value
They become our idols… making us feel worth something
Because we can say.. look at what I have done…
When we give food to the hungry
Or clothes to the poor
Or feed families in the summer
We are giving them much more than food or clothes
We are giving them dignity and honor
But we are also giving them more than that
We are offering them a sign of God’s own love
That they do not have to earn
Because we did not have to earn it
Ro 5:9
8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us .
We are not just a social service agency,
But agents of God love and grace
While we offer food and clothing and oil
If that is all we offer we have failed
For we have something even more valuable to offer
The love of God
BUT
If we have not experienced this unmerited love ourselves
We can tend to forget, where our value lies..
Thinking that it is because of what we do
Or what others think of us
Or say about us
And this tends to tear at the fabric of the family that God has created
As we not-so-secretly measure our merits against others
Have they worked as hard as I
have they proven themselves as faithful as I
are they as worthy of Gods honor as I
NO
The experience of God amazing and unmerited yet free love
Only comes through prayer
How much time do you spend in prayer not saying anything
Not asking for anything
Just being loved by God?
Isa 43:4
Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
That is a verse to start you…
Make time this week at the start and the close of your day…
To not only be intellectually reminded of God love
But to experience it in prayer…
Recite this verse to yourself in silence
No distractions
Don’t say anything else
Just repeat it, over and over
And then listen
Listen to God loving you
Not because of the work you do
Or your volunteer hours
Your successes and virtues and hours of labor
And generosity
But just because you are...
We MUST experience that love if we are to share it
If our ministries as a church do not grow from that experience
They are in vain…
Just a way for us to feel better about ourselves
And so more about us seeking our own honor
Than about honoring others…
If our relationships with one another are not based on
This experience of God’s unmerited love vast, unmeasured,
Boundless and free as the hymn-writer says
Than our relationships here will be no different
Than any other social organization
And it will all be in vain
If we are to follow today’s commandment to honor, value and dignify
The vulnerable…
That will only flow from our own experience of being loved
As we are…
Jesus own ministry began not with a call to action, but with an expression of love…
Think about that…
God didn’t call to Christ and say
Today I am calling you Lk 4:18
to preach good news to the poor.
to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
give sight to the blind,
and release the oppressed,
First God said, You are my beloved…
There is still much to do,
Many tasks to be undertaken
Many injustices to meet with energy and passion
But today, we, like Christ,
Are simply, the beloved
Monday, March 1, 2010
the Third Commandment: God at the Center of our Speech
I received an amazing complement from after this sermon:
'You've got balls!'
so welcome to my ballsy sermon!
God at the Center: Of our Speech
Exodus 20:7/ Deut 5:11
The Question:
The Bad News: God is not ‘user-friendly’ is not a source simply for our own self-discovery… to be used for our purposes…
The Good News: Those who conform to God’s will, who ‘speak well of God’ are promised strength and even victory…
The Celebration: God has given us Good News, speech that brings Life!
Intro:
Last week we started to look at the 10 Commandments. Specifically we talked about how the common conception of the 10 Commandments is that they are this overwhelmingly oppressive weight that we have to carry… a series of negatives… THOU SHALL NOT!!! And we looked at the story in Exodus chapter 20 specifically, where we learned that the 10 Commandments are not intended to bind us or confine us or oppress us… but instead to free us. I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, the 10 Commandments start in Exodus… the 10 Commandments were meant to make us free!
Specifically we talked about being free from other idols and other gods… and we identified these idols and gods, at least some of them… That which we devoted time to, that which was at the center of our lives… For example we noticed how much time American’s spend watching TV, a total of 65 days out of the year, Compared to a little more than 3 total days in worship in a year. If our gods and idols are those things that get our time and attention, than TV is one example of a modern day idol.
Last week we focused on the first two commandments… This week we turn to the third possibly the ninth…
First this morning, the third commandment.
Ex 20:7 7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
So, you wake up in the middle of the night…
It’s pitch black, nothing but the blue glow of the alarm clock
You are still mostly asleep, and you stumble with one eye half-open
To go to the bathroom…
And you trip over the cat
Or step, with your bare feet, on a toy that the kids left out
Or stub your toe on the stand beside your bed
And it hurts like heck!
What do you say?
Do you say piddly-poo!
Tartar sauce? There is Sponge-bob reference for you
Whether you want to admit it or not I don’t think that is what you say…
And for those of you who do say that I applaud your self-control…
I utter some colorful speech enhancers!
But is that a violation of the third commandment?
I. The real meaning of Misusing God’s name…
Brueggemann quote: …the avoidance of the misuse of God’s name suggests that God is not ‘useful’ has no utilitarian value, is always an ‘end’ and never a ‘means.’ This God will be worshipped only for the sake of God’s own life, purpose and way in the world. The wrong use of God’s name seeks to draw God’s power into more frivolous modes of life where human beings retain control. Thus, instead of honoring God, God is put to use… (Breuggemann, Deut. P. 68)
What Brueggemann is saying is that the real issue that the third commandment is getting at is our relationship to God…What is the purpose of this relationship… is our relationship to God built on the assumption we are going to get something out of it? Is God a means to some other end? If so then we are at the center…our wants, our agenda’s, our selves… not God.
This alone is challenging enough. We live in a culture that tells us that we should be who we are… that our we will find happiness and peace when we discover who we are as individuals and pursue that individuality… But the third commandments, well the first three together really, suggest that we do not find fulfillment in ourselves, but in pursuing God. God holds who we are…we are created in God’s image, so in discovering God we discover who we are. A journey of self discovery without God is in vain in the King James Language. I journey to discover God leads us to discover ourselves…
That is pretty philosophical stuff… so lets look at a cluster of examples
the Atlantic published a story in the December 2009 issue that focuses in
Self-discovery vs. discovering God and self
Faith that puts God to personal use
Which means we are at the center
In an article by Hannah Rosin entitled, ‘Did Christianity Cause the Crash’ the wide-spread popularity of the prosperity gospel is examined. The prosperity gospel is extremely popular is many of the mega-churches around our nation, notably Joel Osteen, whom I love to bash, but will refrain from, today. It is very popular in a number of ethnic churches as Rosin highlights in this article, but it has its roots in white anglo Protestantism. Oral Roberts was the first to promise miraculous financial reward to any and all who would send him $100.00.
The Prosperity gospel can be summed up in ‘God wants you to be wealthy!’ and is one example of what the third commandment is really pushing us to carefully consider.
Now notice how subtle this is.
We do believe that God provides for us
And wants us to have all that we need for abundant lives
But what abundant life means is completely redefined
In the gospels…
Seek first the kingdom and its righteous and all these THINGS shall be added
The prosperity gospel puts things first… not the kingdom
And as we discussed last week, in talking about the first two commandments, we can easily put things in the place of God
Prosperity Gospel misuses God’s name, uses God’s name in vain,
By teaching us to put things in the place of God and calling that faith…
And, we can tell what the agenda is here right?
The agenda for those preachers of the prosperity gospel is their own wealth success… and for the disciple of this gospel, the agenda is not the taking up of the cross, but the achievement of prosperity…. It is not God’s will, but their own for their lives.
Attempting to using God to get what they desire
Putting human desire in the clothing of faith in Christ
Bathing our wants in religious God-talk…
God becomes a cosmic coke machine and you put your prayers
Or your tithe, or your faith or whatever in…
And you will get back a return on your investment…
Now, this is subtle… so let me give you a couple more examples…
In at least two of his recorded speeches, President Bush replaced references to Christ with references to the United States in quotation, first from a hymn and then from the Bible. Instead of claiming, as the old hymn does, that ‘there is wonder-working power in the blood of the lamb,’ President Bush claimed that ‘there is power, wonder working power, in the goodness and idealism and faith of the American people.’ On another occasion, he quoted from John 1:1, only instead of referring to Christ as the light that shines in the darkness and that cannot be overcome, he identified ‘the ideal of America’ as that light. This ideal of America is the hope of all mankind. That hope still lights our way. And the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness will not overcome it."
(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/president/public.html cited in an essay by Nancy J. Duff, Locating God in All the Wrong Places: the Second Commandment and American Politics. Interpretation, April 2006, pg. 187)
See what I mean by subtle?
Religious language, from hymn and from scripture is referenced,
In this case, both come right after 9/11
When then President Bush is trying to muster support
Both foreign and domestic for war in Afghanstan and eventually Iraq
If not God’s name, then God-talk, God language is used to make a human agenda and activity, sound like and appear as a divine calling…
Now, so that I will not be accused of partisanship I did a little research and found an example of a Democrat.
In a speech appealing to Congress for $400 million in aid to Greece, Truman called on the United States to aid all democracies in their fight against communist insurgents. He reminded Congress, ‘The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world and we shall surely endanger the welfare of this Nation.’ The United States could no longer be the ‘city upon a hill,’ but must act as a leader ‘against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.’ Truman placed this obligation … to ‘do our share toward carrying out the will of God.’
(Truman, Public Paper, 3:178,196, 272 quoted in Bombs, Bombasts and the Bible, Cold War Presidents and Religious Rhetoric; Danielle Meryn Holtz Serior Thesis in American History, Barnard College.)
Lets bring this idea a little close to home… first lets look at a couple of rants by Isaiah…
Isa 1:14-15
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
NIV
Isa 29:13
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips ,
but their hearts are far from me.
The Bad News is that even people of faith, of good will and of good intention, call subtly shift in their perspective, even in prayer… from being God-to self centered… the purpose of prayer can shift from a relational moment in which God shapes us, to a moment where we attempt to shape God…
We do this all the time. Perhaps it is because it can be challenging to teach children how to pray. It is simple teach them to be thankful and to ask for things, help with bullies, homework or test… these are the basics, be thankful and ask for help from God. But we don’t, I fear, grow beyond that. Because its hard to explain how prayer is an emptying of our own agenda’s, our own wants and dreams, to create space for God to reshape and transform our wants into what God wants. Prayer is meant to be emptying and transformational, but that is a difficult concept even for adults, much less children.
It might be shocking, but I think we need to carefully consider the fact that the way we pray is a misuse of God’s name. If the sum total of our time in prayer is a laundry list of things we want, even if they are kind, compassionate , selfless things; like health for a loved one, or financial stability for a friend in economic straights. If this is the only way of praying, we are still at the center, our way of seeing what the world should be like is the priority. We are using God instead of being used. (this little idea was planted in an essay by Will Willimon in the Christian Century, but I can’t find the exact issue to cite. )
Think of it this way. Do you have a friend or relative whom you only hear from when they want something from you? They never call unless they need a ride or a loan or a favor? How do you feel? That is what our prayers tend to be like, constantly asking favors, without ever having prayer be time spent with God, just to spend the time, without some agenda, some request to be fulfilled, without the hope of receiving anything but the presence of God in our hearts and minds?
But there is good news too…
How can we make this commandment a positive?
In the negative… do not use God’s name in vain
Do not speak empty word’s about God
Do not use God-words for your own good…
How might that be put in the positive?
The third commandment, about using God’s name, speaking about God
Draws US into a much larger story…
The story of God speaking
It reminds me of Genesis, where the universe is created by a word from God
The planets hang on their courses
And the stars are flung in their constellations
By a word
God spoke to Moses through the burning bush
A message of freedom and hope for his people Israel!
Christ spoke and storms were stilled
Demons cast out
Diseases healed
Jesus spoke Lazarus and a man was raised form the dead
And Jesus said to his disciples
Says to us this morning…
Mk 13:11
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
In times of trial, we will be given something to say…
Our words too, can have the power to bring life…
Maybe not literally…
Mt 18:18-19
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
There is power in the speech, the words, of those who follow Christ…
I know it may not seem like it…
It may seem like no one listens
Like few care to hear just what we have to say…
But I think that the positive side, of the third commandment
Reminds us that when we speak well of God
We release God’s power to make people free
And I am reminded of the visit from Lauren Bethel Lauren Bethel is an American Baptist Missionary to, well, many places, Asia and Europe. Her Mission to minister to prostitutes and those caught in human trafficking and the sex trade. While she advocates for social reforms that offer safe housing, financial support, job training, and legal policies, she also advocates for disciples of Christ to go to the streets to share God’s love. She tells of how many times she has heard from the girls that she finds on the streets how important to them her words of love and comfort are. The words; God’ Loves You, inspire hope, bring strength, help these women envision a new day for themselves… the name of God and the words God gives, are powerful things for a disciple to share.
The third commandment, positively uttered, reminds us of these promises to the prophet Jeremiah, these words entrusted to us today, let us not use them in vain…
Jer 1:9-10
"Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down , to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
'You've got balls!'
so welcome to my ballsy sermon!
God at the Center: Of our Speech
Exodus 20:7/ Deut 5:11
The Question:
The Bad News: God is not ‘user-friendly’ is not a source simply for our own self-discovery… to be used for our purposes…
The Good News: Those who conform to God’s will, who ‘speak well of God’ are promised strength and even victory…
The Celebration: God has given us Good News, speech that brings Life!
Intro:
Last week we started to look at the 10 Commandments. Specifically we talked about how the common conception of the 10 Commandments is that they are this overwhelmingly oppressive weight that we have to carry… a series of negatives… THOU SHALL NOT!!! And we looked at the story in Exodus chapter 20 specifically, where we learned that the 10 Commandments are not intended to bind us or confine us or oppress us… but instead to free us. I am the Lord who brought you out of Egypt, the 10 Commandments start in Exodus… the 10 Commandments were meant to make us free!
Specifically we talked about being free from other idols and other gods… and we identified these idols and gods, at least some of them… That which we devoted time to, that which was at the center of our lives… For example we noticed how much time American’s spend watching TV, a total of 65 days out of the year, Compared to a little more than 3 total days in worship in a year. If our gods and idols are those things that get our time and attention, than TV is one example of a modern day idol.
Last week we focused on the first two commandments… This week we turn to the third possibly the ninth…
First this morning, the third commandment.
Ex 20:7 7 "You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.
So, you wake up in the middle of the night…
It’s pitch black, nothing but the blue glow of the alarm clock
You are still mostly asleep, and you stumble with one eye half-open
To go to the bathroom…
And you trip over the cat
Or step, with your bare feet, on a toy that the kids left out
Or stub your toe on the stand beside your bed
And it hurts like heck!
What do you say?
Do you say piddly-poo!
Tartar sauce? There is Sponge-bob reference for you
Whether you want to admit it or not I don’t think that is what you say…
And for those of you who do say that I applaud your self-control…
I utter some colorful speech enhancers!
But is that a violation of the third commandment?
I. The real meaning of Misusing God’s name…
Brueggemann quote: …the avoidance of the misuse of God’s name suggests that God is not ‘useful’ has no utilitarian value, is always an ‘end’ and never a ‘means.’ This God will be worshipped only for the sake of God’s own life, purpose and way in the world. The wrong use of God’s name seeks to draw God’s power into more frivolous modes of life where human beings retain control. Thus, instead of honoring God, God is put to use… (Breuggemann, Deut. P. 68)
What Brueggemann is saying is that the real issue that the third commandment is getting at is our relationship to God…What is the purpose of this relationship… is our relationship to God built on the assumption we are going to get something out of it? Is God a means to some other end? If so then we are at the center…our wants, our agenda’s, our selves… not God.
This alone is challenging enough. We live in a culture that tells us that we should be who we are… that our we will find happiness and peace when we discover who we are as individuals and pursue that individuality… But the third commandments, well the first three together really, suggest that we do not find fulfillment in ourselves, but in pursuing God. God holds who we are…we are created in God’s image, so in discovering God we discover who we are. A journey of self discovery without God is in vain in the King James Language. I journey to discover God leads us to discover ourselves…
That is pretty philosophical stuff… so lets look at a cluster of examples
the Atlantic published a story in the December 2009 issue that focuses in
Self-discovery vs. discovering God and self
Faith that puts God to personal use
Which means we are at the center
In an article by Hannah Rosin entitled, ‘Did Christianity Cause the Crash’ the wide-spread popularity of the prosperity gospel is examined. The prosperity gospel is extremely popular is many of the mega-churches around our nation, notably Joel Osteen, whom I love to bash, but will refrain from, today. It is very popular in a number of ethnic churches as Rosin highlights in this article, but it has its roots in white anglo Protestantism. Oral Roberts was the first to promise miraculous financial reward to any and all who would send him $100.00.
The Prosperity gospel can be summed up in ‘God wants you to be wealthy!’ and is one example of what the third commandment is really pushing us to carefully consider.
Now notice how subtle this is.
We do believe that God provides for us
And wants us to have all that we need for abundant lives
But what abundant life means is completely redefined
In the gospels…
Seek first the kingdom and its righteous and all these THINGS shall be added
The prosperity gospel puts things first… not the kingdom
And as we discussed last week, in talking about the first two commandments, we can easily put things in the place of God
Prosperity Gospel misuses God’s name, uses God’s name in vain,
By teaching us to put things in the place of God and calling that faith…
And, we can tell what the agenda is here right?
The agenda for those preachers of the prosperity gospel is their own wealth success… and for the disciple of this gospel, the agenda is not the taking up of the cross, but the achievement of prosperity…. It is not God’s will, but their own for their lives.
Attempting to using God to get what they desire
Putting human desire in the clothing of faith in Christ
Bathing our wants in religious God-talk…
God becomes a cosmic coke machine and you put your prayers
Or your tithe, or your faith or whatever in…
And you will get back a return on your investment…
Now, this is subtle… so let me give you a couple more examples…
In at least two of his recorded speeches, President Bush replaced references to Christ with references to the United States in quotation, first from a hymn and then from the Bible. Instead of claiming, as the old hymn does, that ‘there is wonder-working power in the blood of the lamb,’ President Bush claimed that ‘there is power, wonder working power, in the goodness and idealism and faith of the American people.’ On another occasion, he quoted from John 1:1, only instead of referring to Christ as the light that shines in the darkness and that cannot be overcome, he identified ‘the ideal of America’ as that light. This ideal of America is the hope of all mankind. That hope still lights our way. And the light shines in the darkness. And the darkness will not overcome it."
(http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/jesus/president/public.html cited in an essay by Nancy J. Duff, Locating God in All the Wrong Places: the Second Commandment and American Politics. Interpretation, April 2006, pg. 187)
See what I mean by subtle?
Religious language, from hymn and from scripture is referenced,
In this case, both come right after 9/11
When then President Bush is trying to muster support
Both foreign and domestic for war in Afghanstan and eventually Iraq
If not God’s name, then God-talk, God language is used to make a human agenda and activity, sound like and appear as a divine calling…
Now, so that I will not be accused of partisanship I did a little research and found an example of a Democrat.
In a speech appealing to Congress for $400 million in aid to Greece, Truman called on the United States to aid all democracies in their fight against communist insurgents. He reminded Congress, ‘The free peoples of the world look to us for support in maintaining their freedoms. If we falter in our leadership, we may endanger the peace of the world and we shall surely endanger the welfare of this Nation.’ The United States could no longer be the ‘city upon a hill,’ but must act as a leader ‘against every form of tyranny over the mind of man.’ Truman placed this obligation … to ‘do our share toward carrying out the will of God.’
(Truman, Public Paper, 3:178,196, 272 quoted in Bombs, Bombasts and the Bible, Cold War Presidents and Religious Rhetoric; Danielle Meryn Holtz Serior Thesis in American History, Barnard College.)
Lets bring this idea a little close to home… first lets look at a couple of rants by Isaiah…
Isa 1:14-15
14 Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts
my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers,
I will not listen.
NIV
Isa 29:13
"These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips ,
but their hearts are far from me.
The Bad News is that even people of faith, of good will and of good intention, call subtly shift in their perspective, even in prayer… from being God-to self centered… the purpose of prayer can shift from a relational moment in which God shapes us, to a moment where we attempt to shape God…
We do this all the time. Perhaps it is because it can be challenging to teach children how to pray. It is simple teach them to be thankful and to ask for things, help with bullies, homework or test… these are the basics, be thankful and ask for help from God. But we don’t, I fear, grow beyond that. Because its hard to explain how prayer is an emptying of our own agenda’s, our own wants and dreams, to create space for God to reshape and transform our wants into what God wants. Prayer is meant to be emptying and transformational, but that is a difficult concept even for adults, much less children.
It might be shocking, but I think we need to carefully consider the fact that the way we pray is a misuse of God’s name. If the sum total of our time in prayer is a laundry list of things we want, even if they are kind, compassionate , selfless things; like health for a loved one, or financial stability for a friend in economic straights. If this is the only way of praying, we are still at the center, our way of seeing what the world should be like is the priority. We are using God instead of being used. (this little idea was planted in an essay by Will Willimon in the Christian Century, but I can’t find the exact issue to cite. )
Think of it this way. Do you have a friend or relative whom you only hear from when they want something from you? They never call unless they need a ride or a loan or a favor? How do you feel? That is what our prayers tend to be like, constantly asking favors, without ever having prayer be time spent with God, just to spend the time, without some agenda, some request to be fulfilled, without the hope of receiving anything but the presence of God in our hearts and minds?
But there is good news too…
How can we make this commandment a positive?
In the negative… do not use God’s name in vain
Do not speak empty word’s about God
Do not use God-words for your own good…
How might that be put in the positive?
The third commandment, about using God’s name, speaking about God
Draws US into a much larger story…
The story of God speaking
It reminds me of Genesis, where the universe is created by a word from God
The planets hang on their courses
And the stars are flung in their constellations
By a word
God spoke to Moses through the burning bush
A message of freedom and hope for his people Israel!
Christ spoke and storms were stilled
Demons cast out
Diseases healed
Jesus spoke Lazarus and a man was raised form the dead
And Jesus said to his disciples
Says to us this morning…
Mk 13:11
Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
In times of trial, we will be given something to say…
Our words too, can have the power to bring life…
Maybe not literally…
Mt 18:18-19
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
19 "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
There is power in the speech, the words, of those who follow Christ…
I know it may not seem like it…
It may seem like no one listens
Like few care to hear just what we have to say…
But I think that the positive side, of the third commandment
Reminds us that when we speak well of God
We release God’s power to make people free
And I am reminded of the visit from Lauren Bethel Lauren Bethel is an American Baptist Missionary to, well, many places, Asia and Europe. Her Mission to minister to prostitutes and those caught in human trafficking and the sex trade. While she advocates for social reforms that offer safe housing, financial support, job training, and legal policies, she also advocates for disciples of Christ to go to the streets to share God’s love. She tells of how many times she has heard from the girls that she finds on the streets how important to them her words of love and comfort are. The words; God’ Loves You, inspire hope, bring strength, help these women envision a new day for themselves… the name of God and the words God gives, are powerful things for a disciple to share.
The third commandment, positively uttered, reminds us of these promises to the prophet Jeremiah, these words entrusted to us today, let us not use them in vain…
Jer 1:9-10
"Now, I have put my words in your mouth. 10 See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down , to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant."
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