Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] April 21, 2024 “In the Name of Jesus” Acts 3: 1-10 – The Message One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them. 6-8 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked. 8-10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing The Book of Acts began last week with the criteria Peter presented for choosing a new disciple to replace Judas Iscariot. As I said, Mary Magdalene should have been the one and only one considered as the 12th apostle but wasn’t, in favor of a guy whose name we’ve immediately forgotten. All of that happened sometime between the 40th and 50th day after Jesus’ resurrection. The 50th day was the Feast of Pentecost, a Jewish High Holy Day. The faithful were all gathered in Jerusalem when followers of the risen Christ of every nationality and language were filled with the Holy Spirit – a big story we’ll get to in a few weeks. Right after their Holy Spirit experience, the community of Messiah believers quickly grew to more than 3,000 people, but it’s important to note, they didn’t see any conflict with continuing to also practice all the rituals of the Jewish faith. And so it was that Peter and John went to the Temple at 3:00 in the afternoon. It was just a regular day. It was also just a regular day that they would encounter someone at the entrance gate collecting alms. That’s simply how a disabled person at the time could earn money on which to live. Nothing unusual. As they approached the temple, the man asked Peter and John for mercy, another word for alms. Peter said, “we don’t have any money, but I’ll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus Christ, rise up and walk.” And he did. He jumped up and walked around and entered the temple, leaping and praising God. As he walked in, people stared at him in wonder and amazement. For years they had walked past him and now here he was walking past them. People rushed to Peter and John to ask how this was possible. Peter replied, “why are you so amazed,” as if there was anything unusual about an old man – yes, the text notes, he was over 40 years old – walking for the first time in his life. Peter then explained to the crowd that Jesus was simply the fulfillment of promises and prophecies dating all the way back to the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. You know, the one we’ve been expecting all this time. “Don’t look at us like we’ve done anything unusual. It wasn’t because of our power or some kind of extraordinary faithfulness on our part. This was done in the name of Jesus.” But no matter how humble they might have been about it, their healing actions incensed the religious authorities, the same ones who plotted with the Romans to execute Jesus only months before. Now his followers are out healing in his name – a new form of danger. Irate, the authorities arrested Peter and John and threw them in prison. But when word got out, the number of believers increased from 3,000 to 5,000 – overnight! The next morning, Peter and John were led in front of the high priest, elders, legal experts, and Roman authorities who all demanded an answer: “By what power or in what name did you do this?” In response to the hostile questioning of all those powerful and important men, Peter had a simple answer. “You’re making a big deal about a good deed?! All this because we did something good for a sick man?” He explained, all these things were done in the name of Jesus who, again, is simply the one promised down through the ages. Why do you find that so unusual? Peter’s simple answer caught those powerful and important men by surprise because they assumed Peter and John were just ignorant and uneducated Galileans. How could they be so eloquent? They had no counter argument and the healed man was standing right there, so they couldn’t claim it didn’t happen. The crowds were on Peter and John’s side. What could they do? They ordered Peter and John to wait outside while they discussed their dilemma and then brought them back into the room. The authorities demanded they stop all speaking and teaching in the name of Jesus. Peter and John said, “No.” “All right, we’ll make you stop.” “OK, try it and see how that works out for you. This time.” It wasn’t a threat. It was simply true. Those powerful and important men thought that by executing Jesus, it would send a message to stop anyone else from trying to imitate him. But all they had done was increase the number of his followers, now 5,000 and rising. Peter and John were released and they rejoined the others. Together they rejoiced over the signs and wonders done in the name of Jesus. “In the name of Jesus.” As I thought about my sermon title today, the phrase “in the name of Jesus” kept coming to mind, but I hesitated – picture the over-the-top antics of a television evangelist. “In the name of Jeee-sus!” But I kept the title because I want to tell you about something extraordinary done in the name of Jesus on Tuesday. In 1966, the pastor of Mission Hills and three members went to tour a new apartment building next to Grace Lutheran Church in Hillcrest. The church had recently opened a 15-story tower next door for low income seniors through HUD – the newly formed Department of Housing and Urban Development. They came back to our church and began promoting the idea that we should do the same. In addition to Pastor Kermit White, one of those four people was Lawrence Green, a member of the church for 40 years. Among other things, he owned 40,000 acres of citrus groves south of Escondido. He was wealthy and a Christian at heart. He put up the money to hold onto some available land at the corner of Fort Stockton and Ibis to ensure a location by the church. As he said, without the land, the plan wouldn’t have happened. That’s why it’s called Green Manor – named for Lawrence Green, not that people are being put out to green pastures. HUD financed the 13-story building with a loan of $1.5 million dollars – equivalent to $12 million today. As part of the loan agreement, the church agreed to “finance the expected preliminary operating expense and at least 25% of the estimated annual operating expenses” for the first five years in the event Green Manor was unable to do so on its own. The church took on a significant financial risk in order to see the project to completion. To me, that sounds like a miracle, wonder and amazement, done in the name of Jesus. Construction began in October 1969 and residents started moving in just one year later in November 1970. Pretty hard to believe construction of something that large could happen so quickly. But people were waiting. There were 150 apartments for 2,000 applicants. When you drive around town you’ll see quite a number of these HUD senior towers, often built by churches. First Lutheran built Luther Tower, Wesley Methodist built Wesley Terrace, First Presbyterian built Westminster Manor, and so on. And one more. When First Congregational and Mission Hills merged to form Mission Hills UCC, as part of their legacy they built First Congregational Memorial Tower on Park Boulevard. Each building has its own board of directors, effectively the owners of the property, and often it is still the members of the sponsoring church that serve as the board. More than a few of you here today have served in the last 50 years. By Green Manor’s bylaws, the pastor is a permanent director and the majority of the board must be members of the church. It’s not owned by but it is a mission of the church. Two years ago, we learned about something called low-income housing tax credits. To this day I still can’t really explain it, but I know what it can do. Affordable housing developers can purchase properties like these senior towers to rehabilitate them and extend their life as affordable housing. The building’s board of directors can take the money from the purchase and use it for other non-profit purposes. They can walk away. Or the board can enter a joint ownership agreement with a developer and remain a minority partner, receiving as payment the equity of the building while the developer receives the benefit of the tax credits. The building is completely rehabilitated, including the residents’ apartments, and the property is guaranteed to remain affordable housing for another 55 years. If you don’t quite understand how or it sounds too good to be true, imagine the challenge of the board responsible for the stewardship of the building and the lives of the residents. Was it a scam? Would it put the building or residents at risk? Imagine, however, the risk the church agreed to 50 years ago if Green Manor failed. We were propelled by one thing: what more can we do for today’s growing number of unhoused seniors? But look what can be done when it is in the name of Jesus. That’s why churches did it in the first place. To take seriously the healing ministry of Jesus, to follow the teachings of Jesus to show love by feeding his sheep, to clothe the naked, visit the sick, and shelter people without a home. So, here’s what happened this week: after two years of education, skepticism, diligence, and a lot of meetings, our board evaluated 17 offers, pursued deeper conversations with three different affordable housing developers - two of whom live in Mission Hills and drive by Green Manor every day, and all three have kids in school in either Grant or Francis Parker. We chose one group and agreed to enter into a long-term joint-ownership which will completely rehab the building from top to bottom and ensure the building continues as a home where low-income seniors pay only 30% of their income for rent. Plus, in our arrangement, we will return to majority ownership after 16 years. And for all that, we will receive $53 million. A staggering amount with which we are determined to build more low-income housing – in the name of Jesus. We’ve already put in an offer on a piece of land and if it’s accepted, we can start working toward another apartment complex –for only a portion of the $53 million. This is wonder and amazement done in the name of Jesus to bring healing among our neighbors. They may not be able to jump up and leap their way into the temple, but for many, a safe home would feel ever as much a miracle after working a lifetime at lower wage jobs. Amazing, right? In the spirit of Peter and John, I think this is a miracle worth celebrating today.
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Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] April 14, 2024 “Mary Magdalene and Peter Armwrestle” Acts 1: 15-16, 21-26 – The Message 15-17 During this time, Peter stood up in the company—there were about 120 of them in the room at the time—and said, “Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. Judas was one of us and had his assigned place in this ministry. 21-22 “Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.” 23-26 They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles. After the resurrection, Jesus spent another 40 days with his 11 remaining disciples and many more followers before leaving them to figure out how to keep his message going: Love one another as I have loved you. They returned to Jerusalem and gathered. The Book of Acts says there were about 120 in the family of believers at that time – named as both men and women. Peter stood up and said they should choose a replacement for Judas Iscariot. Peter told them his criteria and to cast lots – think of it like drawing straws. As in, the one with the longest straw “wins.” Did you know that the Amish choose their pastor by casting lots? The way I heard it told, and I could be completely wrong, is that a slip of paper is put into a hymnal. A stack of hymnals is put on a table and then all men over a certain age go forward and choose one. When every man has a hymnal, they open it up and the one with a slip of paper becomes the pastor. It doesn’t matter how qualified that man may be, they believe that because God has done the choosing, God will give that one all he needs. Of course, what about the women? And what about the women among the 120 gathered in that room in Jerusalem? Peter addressed them, “Brothers and sisters,” the person to replace Judas could include anyone who had been with Jesus since his baptism and who stuck with him until the moment Jesus just ascended. Anyone who fit these criteria could become among those who now go forth to share the Good News of Christ’s resurrection. Oddly, that would have included no one in the room. At our bible study on Thursday, Rachel pointed out that no one was with Jesus at his baptism since it happened before he began his public ministry and began gathering disciples. I had never noticed that before. And if we look more closely at Peter’s criteria, the only ones eligible on the second point would have been women. While the men had locked themselves behind closed doors, only women stuck with Jesus through it all. It was only women who discovered the empty tomb. And women were first to preach that Jesus had risen to men who thought they were telling idle tales. More importantly, Jesus appeared to only one woman in particular on the morning of his resurrection. In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene, named as present in every gospel… Jesus appeared to Mary, the one and only one who should have been named the 12th apostle. But as Renita Weems said, they chose what was expedient over what was prophetic. Perhaps a power struggle could have been settled if just one man had stood up and said, “What about Mary?” The history of Christianity would have been radically different. Overnight, the false argument that women can’t be ordained because Jesus only had male disciples would be gone – an already absurd argument given the unwavering faithfulness of his many women disciples. Just one man to say, “How could we not consider Mary?” You may or may not know that there were more than four gospels written. Four were included in the official canon – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – but other gospels were written. For example, the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Judas, which portrays the actions of Judas Iscariot in a very different, and positive, light than the others. And a Gospel of Mary – Mary Magdalene. She didn’t write it – it came after her death, written in the second century, just like the Book of Acts was written in the early second century. But it tells a story lost – perhaps intentionally lost as Mary was minimized in that room of 120. It was just the beginning of Mary’s character assassination and the start of a betrayal of Jesus’ egalitarian intentions. There are only fragments of the Gospel of Mary,[1] but this is what we know: Just like today’s text began, “Jesus departed.” Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Mary continues: 1) But they were grieved. They wept greatly, saying, How shall we go to the Gentiles and preach the gospel of the Kingdom of the Son of Man? If they did not spare Him, how will they spare us? 2) Then Mary stood up, greeted them all, and said to her brethren, “Do not weep and do not grieve, for His grace will be entirely with you and will protect you. 3) But rather, let us praise His greatness, for He has prepared us… (skipping ahead) 5) Peter said to Mary, “Sister we know that the Savior loved you more than the rest of women. 6) Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember which you know, but we do not, nor have we heard them.” (Peter admits she knew more than the men.) 7) Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.” 8) And she began to speak these words: “I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to Him, Lord I saw you today in a vision. He answered and said to me, 9) ‘Blessed are you that you did not waver at the sight of Me. For where the mind is there is the treasure.’” The next fragments are lost, but when it resumes in chapter 9, she concludes telling them what Jesus told her. 2) But Andrew answered and said to the brethren, “Say what you wish about what she has said. I at least do not believe that the Savior said this. For certainly these teachings are strange ideas.” 3) Peter answered and spoke concerning these same things. 4) He questioned them about the Savior: “Did He really speak privately with a woman and not openly to us? Are we to turn about and all listen to her? Did He prefer her to us?” 5) Then Mary wept and said to Peter, “My brother Peter, what do you think? Do you think that I have thought this up myself in my heart, or that I am lying about the Savior?” 6) Levi answered and said to Peter, “Peter you have always been hot tempered. 7) Now I see you contending against the woman like the adversaries. 8) But if the Savior made her worthy, who are you to reject her? Surely the Savior knows her very well. 9) That is why He loved her more than us. Rather let us be ashamed and put on the perfect Man, and go as He commanded us and preach the gospel, not laying down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior said.” (that was repeated several times in the Gospel of Mary – no other rule or law beyond what Jesus himself said) 10) And when they all heard this, they began to go forth to proclaim and to preach. Thank goodness that at least Levi spoke up and defended Mary, accusing Peter of treating Mary like their adversaries. And did you notice Peter’s comment – do you really think Jesus preferred Mary to us? Why wouldn’t he? Her devotion was unfailing and she deserved to be named the 12th apostle. But the power dynamics revealed in the Gospel of Mary are pretty much what we might expect. Jesus’ intention for those who followed him were radically egalitarian, upsetting the status quo in many ways, including the patriarchy. But as time went on, the farther the church got from Jesus, the more anti-woman it became. The final nail in the coffin for Mary Magdalene came from Pope Gregory in the year 591. He claimed that Mary was a prostitute – a complete fabrication. A total lie to discredit women. But with that, her character assassination was complete. The doors to women completely shut. Though Mary wasn’t named the 12th, scholar Therasa Topete makes the following points:[2] When Mary stood up to speak, she had a leadership role among the apostles. She spoke of courage to a group that was distraught and afraid to stand firm. They listened to her and believed that she had knowledge the others did not have. They acknowledged she had received a revelation through a vision. Only someone with strong moral fiber and considered a pure soul was considered worthy to receive revelation. It wasn’t the revelation, though, that Peter attacked. It was that she was a woman. If only they had arm-wrestled to settle it. I put my bet on her. Yes, the Gospel of Mary is not in our Bible, but its existence along with other writings that were not included show the struggle to fulfill Jesus’ vision against the prevailing attitudes toward women at the time. That still plague much of Christianity to this day. Thank God the UCC has ordained women since 1853, through our Congregational tradition, since before Arizona adopted a code of laws or was a state. And do you know why Antoinette Brown, the first woman ordained in the Congregational Church of South Butler, New York, was allowed to be ordained? One male pastor stood up and said, “Wait a minute. Women were the first preachers of the gospel. Why would we not ordain her?” He didn’t say it, but we could add, just look at Mary Magdalene. As the role and rights of women in church and society continue to be the subject of debate, let’s make it simple. What would Jesus do? The Gospel of Mary has great advice: “Let’s not lay down any other rule or other law beyond what the Savior himself said.” Oh, and by the way, that 12th apostle chosen by lot – which one was it again? Don’t worry. His name was never mentioned ever again. Instead, let’s remember and honor Mary Magdalene’s extraordinary witness as we preach the good news of Jesus Christ. Are you a disciple of Christ? Then treat one another – everyone – as you would like to be treated. [1] http://gnosis.org/library/marygosp.htm [2] https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5451v7g8 Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] March 31, 2024 “Puzzled by Life” Luke 24: 1-12 – The Message At the crack of dawn on Sunday, the women came to the tomb carrying the burial spices they had prepared. They found the entrance stone rolled back from the tomb, so they walked in. But once inside, they couldn’t find the body of the Master Jesus. 4-8 They were puzzled, wondering what to make of this. Then, out of nowhere it seemed, two men, light cascading over them, stood there. The women were awestruck and bowed down in worship. The men said, “Why are you looking for the Living One in a cemetery? He is not here, but raised up. Remember how he told you when you were still back in Galilee that he had to be handed over to sinners, be killed on a cross, and in three days rise up?” Then they remembered Jesus’ words. 9-11 They left the tomb and broke the news of all this to the Eleven and the rest. Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them kept telling these things to the apostles, but the apostles didn’t believe a word of it, thought they were making it all up. 12 But Peter jumped to his feet and ran to the tomb. He stooped to look in and saw a few grave clothes, that’s all. He walked away puzzled, shaking his head. (The sermon is based on a compilation of stories, not just this one from Luke) The women were puzzled. Peter was puzzled, too, and left the empty tomb shaking his head. “Well, I guess that’s it.” An odd response for a guy who has always been impulsive, emotional, known for saying whatever he thinks in the moment only to discover he stuck his foot in his mouth big time. How could he just walk away puzzled? Peter’s an interesting character who, give him credit, tried really hard and sometimes had moments of great insight followed by moments of complete failure to understand. In other words, fortunately, he’s a lot like us. It all started one morning after a night of fishing but catching no fish. Peter and his partners were bone tired, washing their nets before heading home to sleep. On shore, there was a commotion. A crowd was pressing in to listen to a traveling preacher. The guy asked Peter to row out a little way so he could talk to the crowd. Peter reluctantly obliged, but he actually owed the guy a favor. Just a few nights before, he came over for dinner and before it even began, healed Peter’s mother-in-law. But then he asked Peter for an even bigger favor. Row out, throw your nets back in and try again. Peter complained that they were exhausted, but OK. And when they did as Jesus said, so many fish jumped into the nets that they started pulling the boats down. But what was Peter’s response to all this abundance? Not gratitude. Not, “hey, can you come back tomorrow and do this again?” No, he told Jesus, “Get away from me. I'm not worthy of this.” Jesus said, “Get over yourself and come follow me.” He immediately dropped everything for the vague promise to now “fish for people.” Peter was all in, not knowing at all what he was in for. He was all in. One time, Jesus sent his disciples out ahead to cross the Sea of Galilee while he stayed behind to have some alone time. In the morning, Jesus set out to rejoin the disciples. Meanwhile, out in the middle of the lake, the disciples were in full panic. Violent winds and waves threatened to swamp the boat. While they are hanging on for dear life, one of them with his head over the side emptying the contents of his stomach noticed something that looked like a ghost coming toward them. They shrieked in fear, but Jesus said, “Hey guys, it’s just me” Then, without really thinking about it, Peter told Jesus, “Command me to come to you on the water.” “Sure, come on in.” Peter boldly stepped out of the boat and began walking but when he realized he was actually walking on water, he freaked out and began to sink. He cried out to Jesus, “Rescue me!” Jesus did and asked, “Why’d you doubt? You were doing it! Why have you so little faith?” A little while later, Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And then he turned to Peter, “Who do you say that I am.” He replied, “You are the Messiah” and Jesus told Peter, “You’re right! You got it, Peter!” And then immediately, like two minutes later, Peter got it completely wrong. Jesus told his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and suffer at the hands of the religious leaders and the Roman Empire, that he would be killed and then be raised up alive on the third day. But Peter wasn’t willing to hear of such a thing and took hold of Jesus and began scolding him. “God forbid, Lord! This can’t happen to you.” But Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan.” Peter expected a messiah who would vindicate them and punish their enemies. Someone who would promise “I am your retribution” – not someone who would be killed. Not a messiah who would suffer. That represents failure. But it turns out, all that love stuff Jesus kept talking about, he actually meant – that’s how we save the world, not through violence for violence, not through hate for hate, not evil for evil. So anyway, as they moved toward Jerusalem, Jesus continued to repeat what would happen to him, but then said something even worse. Jesus told Peter that when all these things were happening, he would deny him three times. Peter blurted out, “Never! I would never ever do such a thing. I’ll die alongside you before I deny you.” Let’s see how long he can hold on to that promise. It was shortly after that Jesus took Peter and two others to pray with him in a garden. All he asked them to do was stay awake while he prayed. Instantly they fell asleep. Jesus came back and asked why they couldn’t stay awake for me, for just one hour? Jesus told them to stay awake while went back to pray. They fell asleep again. Three times this happened, but it gets worse. Just then, their eyes still sleepy, soldiers came to arrest Jesus, tipped off to his whereabouts by one of his own disciples who betrayed him with a kiss. In response, Peter grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of the soldiers. Jesus rebuked the use of violence. Do you still not understand? Do you still not understand what kind of messiah I am? Jesus had compassion and healed the soldier’s ear and was then led off to appear before the authorities. But before Jesus could even reach out his hand, Peter and the others vanished, trying to avoid being arrested too. He tried to hide in the crowd but someone noticed him and said, “You were with him.” “No, I wasn’t.” Someone else said, “I saw him too.” “I don’t even know who that man is.” Questioned a third time, Peter said emphatically, “I told you. I don’t know that man.” And just then, Peter heard the rooster crow, just like Jesus had said it would, and he broke down in tears. During the sham trials and false testimony that followed, not a single one of his disciples stood up in his defense. So much for Peter’s bravado about standing alongside him, to even die with him. As Jesus was whipped and mocked, he couldn’t look into the crowd to see even one sympathetic disciple among the Twelve. They were absent as he was forced to drag the instrument of his own execution down the street. As he hung from that cross, only the women held vigil and when they took Jesus down off the cross, they paid attention to where they put his body so they could come back after the Sabbath and prepare him for a proper burial. That’s when they discovered his body was missing and they were puzzled. Who could have taken it? But they were reminded of what Jesus had been saying all along and they believed and they raced to tell the other disciples. He is risen! The men didn’t believe a word of it. An idle tale, they said, which is just cleaned up language for what the disciples really thought: Garbage. BS, actually. However, at least Peter’s curiosity was sparked. He ran to see for himself. He looked into the same tomb and was puzzled. He didn’t run back to tell the disciples. He simply walked away shaking his head. An odd response since Peter’s usual comeback was to overreact, act impulsively, make impossible promises, stick his foot in his mouth. For him to simply be puzzled is completely out of character. I understand it, though. The women and Peter were puzzled because the events of that morning didn’t fit their expectations. Why wouldn’t they be puzzled? Life doesn’t follow death. Death follows death. They looked in and expected to see evidence of death. All they saw was some grave clothes but no dead and decaying body. On the other side of his death, Jesus appeared to the disciples a few times including one morning when he pulled Peter aside and asked him three questions. Three questions representing the things that mattered to Jesus. First of all, he didn’t ask, “Peter, do you believe my mother was a virgin?” He didn’t ask, “Do you believe all the miracles happened exactly as they will be written down when the story is told?” He didn’t ask, “Peter, do you believe in the bodily resurrection?” He asked, “Do you love me?” Peter replied, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” And he asked again, “Peter, do you love me.” “Yes, I just told you,” wondering if Jesus may have been holding a grudge for all those misunderstandings, and continually falling asleep, and using violence against the soldier. Oh yeah, those three denials and ultimate abandonment. Jesus asked a third time, “Peter, do you love me?” “Jesus, why do you keep asking me. Don’t you believe me?” Jesus didn’t make it any more complicated than that, even though the church makes Easter perhaps the most complicated day in the whole year. We ask questions like, was Jesus really resurrected? How? Did Jesus actually walk on water? And we try to explain. But does it matter? All that mattered to Jesus was, do you love me? And if so, then feed my sheep. Do you love me? Then tend to the poor, the captive, those yearning for liberation, those grieving painful loss, all my people – the peacemakers, the pure in heart, those who hunger and thirst for justice. Do you love me? Then take care of each other. The life and teachings, the death and resurrection of Jesus teach us: Love isn’t a feeling. It’s how we treat one another. Love isn’t just for the loveable. It’s for those hardest to love. Love is a sacrifice. But, Jesus said, I’ve just shown you how. I’ve shown you the kind of love that prevails. Do you love him? Then love one another. That’s it. Be the love you want to see in the world. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be the hope the world needs to hear today. The text for the sermon is a compilation of gospel stories, not just what is reported in Luke Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] March 17, 2024 “More Humility” John 13: 1-15 – Common English Bible Before the Festival of Passover, Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them fully. 2 Jesus and his disciples were sharing the evening meal. The devil had already provoked Judas, Simon Iscariot’s son, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew the Father had given everything into his hands and that he had come from God and was returning to God. 4 So he got up from the table and took off his robes. Picking up a linen towel, he tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a washbasin and began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he was wearing. 6 When Jesus came to Simon Peter, Peter said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” 7 Jesus replied, “You don’t understand what I’m doing now, but you will understand later.” 8 “No!” Peter said. “You will never wash my feet!” Jesus replied, “Unless I wash you, you won’t have a place with me.” 9 Simon Peter said, “Lord, not only my feet but also my hands and my head!” 10 Jesus responded, “Those who have bathed need only to have their feet washed, because they are completely clean. You disciples are clean, but not every one of you.” 11 He knew who would betray him. That’s why he said, “Not every one of you is clean.” 12 After he washed the disciples’ feet, he put on his robes and returned to his place at the table. He said to them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you? 13 You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and you speak correctly, because I am. 14 If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. 15 I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do. Two weeks after Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became Pope Francis in March 2013, he shocked and scandalized the world by his choice of whose feet to wash in the annual Maundy Thursday ritual. Prior to Francis, popes in modern times had only washed the feet of priests – meaning, all men – within the ornate spaces of the Vatican. But on his first Maundy Thursday as pope, Francis went to a juvenile detention center in Rome and washed and kissed the feet of 12 young people – including two women and two Muslims. Though unprecedented for a modern pope, in 2001 when he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Francis went to a hospice to wash and kiss the feet of people living with AIDS. In 2005 he went to a maternity hospital and in 2008, he washed and kissed the feet of 12 people in a drug rehab center. It would only be one of the first times people were unhappy with this radical cleric. Peter was also shocked and horrified, scandalized by such an idea, that he refused to allow Jesus to wash his feet. “You will never wash my feet!” Peter declared. He and the disciples watched as Jesus got up from the table, took off his robes, and tied a linen towel around his waist. Jesus poured water into a washbasin and one by one began to wash the feet of his disciples – reversing their roles. Imagine the honored guest at a banquet getting on his or her knees to take on the most humble of tasks. But just six days earlier there had been another scandalous foot washing. Gathered around the supper table, the disciples watched as Mary, the sister of Martha, who probably cooked that meal… They watched as Mary entered the room with a bottle of expensive perfume, so expensive it cost the equivalent of a year’s wages. She opened the bottle, startling their nostrils and filling the room with the powerful scent. She then loosened her hair, bent down in front of Jesus, rubbed perfume on his feet, and then wiped his feet with her hair. Judas questioned the expense, a waste of money, he claimed. But Jesus praised Mary. “Leave her alone,” he said. She bought this for my burial. While the other disciples still refused to believe Jesus would soon be killed, Mary listened and had been busy preparing for it. In the morning, Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey while people waved palm branches and shouted Hosanna. Crowds gathered around him while he taught, “Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains only a single grain. But if it dies, it will bear much fruit. Those who love their lives will lose them, but if you let it go, you will have it forever.” He was teaching about the necessity of his own death. And so, six days earlier, supper at Mary and Martha’s, entrance into Jerusalem that next morning, and now it’s a few days later. Jesus knew the time had come. Because his disciples had repeatedly proven they couldn’t comprehend his teachings, he decided to teach them by example. So, he got up from the table, took off his robes… The disciples stopped their chatting about the events of the day. He tied a linen cloth around his waist… What is he doing? Why is he pouring water into the wash basin? Why is he getting down on the ground? No one dared question what he was doing. No, not you, Lord. This was something for only a servant to do. When Jesus came around to him, ever impulsive Peter demanded that Jesus will never wash his feet. Rebuffed and always with a flair for the dramatic, he then told Jesus to not only wash his feet but his hands and head too. But Peter has missed the point. This isn’t a lesson in hygiene. It’s a lesson in humility. This is how my followers are to act. When he finished, Jesus put on his robes and returned to his place at the table and asked them, “Do you know what I’ve done for you?” Wisely, Peter chose to say nothing. “If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do.” After this shock and scandal, he revealed to the group an even more shocking scandal: one of them would betray him. The disciples looked around at each other with horror. Who would do such a thing? Jesus replied, “The one who takes this bread.” Just then, Judas took the bread and Jesus told him, go quickly and do what you are about to do. When Judas left the room, Jesus reiterated again that he would be with them only a little while longer and so, “I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other.” Peter asked, “But where are you going?” Jesus told him that he couldn’t follow him now, but he could later. “But Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I’ll give up my life for you!” “Not so quickly, Peter. Before the rooster crows, you’re going to deny me three times.” And with that the curtain closes and the chapter comes to an end. But back up a minute. Do you realize, Judas was at the table when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Even though he knew what would happen very soon, Jesus washed the feet of Judas too. This point was made by George Marion McClelland. George was a Black Congregational minister born in 1860. Interesting story. George studied at Fisk University in Nashville, a school started by Congregational missionaries who followed right behind the Union Army and set up schools on what had been battlegrounds – a school still related to the UCC. George graduated in 1885 and started work as a minister in Louisville Kentucky while also studying for what we now call a Master of Divinity at the Congregational seminary in Hartford, Connecticut. George was a published poet and author of short prose while at the same time teaching Latin and English before becoming a high school principal. Busy guy! I wanted to give his background before reading his beautiful poem. Born in a time of slavery, he was raised during the hope of reconstruction, hopes that were crushed when the federal government turned their back and gave free reign to the former enslavers to terrorize those who dared to live free. And yet, McClellan said, Christ washed the feet of Judas! The dark and evil passions of his soul, His secret plot, and sordidness complete, His hate, his purposing, Christ knew the whole. And still in love he stooped and washed his feet. Christ washed the feet of Judas! And thus a girded servant, self-abased, Taught that no wrong this side of the gate of heaven Was ever too great to wholly be effaced, And though unasked, in spirit be forgiven. And so if we have ever felt the wrong Of trampled rights, of caste, it matters not, What e’er the soul has felt or suffered long, Oh, heart! This one thing should not be forgot: Christ washed the feet of Judas. Those words were controversial then just as they are controversial now as they could be seen as excusing those who enslaved in the past or who persecute today. Even so, his poem causes us to really consider: How far did Jesus mean to go? Jesus taught, You have heard it said, ‘Love your neighbor,’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I say, love your enemies. “God gives the sun for warmth and nourishing rain to everyone – the good and bad, the nice and nasty. If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? Any run-of-the-mill sinner does that. In a word, what I’m saying is, Grow up. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you.”[1] What does it mean to follow Jesus? Well, what did he teach us by his own example in today’s text? Christianity is about service, not doctrine. We’re called to humility and sacrificial love, not power. We’re invited to be vulnerable, not controlling. Having one’s feet washed feels very vulnerable. Few people feel comfortable with the practice, but it is just as sacramental as communion. In fact, for John, this is communion. This is the last supper. In John there are no words of institution involving bread and wine. In the first three gospels we remember Jesus by eating and drinking together. In the Gospel of John, we remember Jesus by following his example to serve one another by washing one another’s feet. Those who have never had this experience could come on Maundy Thursday and choose, if you wish, to participate in a foot washing. I know it’s uncomfortable and makes us feel vulnerable, so it’s only an option during the service, but worth considering as we seek to deepen our faith – vulnerability, humility, sacrificial love. Some are trying to make Christianity in America more powerful and dominant over society. As I’ve said before, that is at odds with the actual teachings of Jesus. Rev. Benjamin Cremer has a brilliant response: Christianity in the United States doesn’t need more political power. It needs less arrogance. It needs less entitlement. It needs less animosity towards those who are different. Christianity in America needs more humility. It needs more generosity. It needs more compassion and understanding. There are few passages in the gospels that more powerfully teach this lesson. “If I, your Lord and teacher, have washed your feet, you too must wash each other’s feet. I have given you an example: Just as I have done, you also must do.” To even Judas. I see it as a call to be a healing presence in the world. What the world needs now is love. Are you ready? [1] Matthew 5: 43-48 – The Message Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] March 10, 2024 “Don’t Just Do Something” Matthew 17: 1-9 – Common English Bible Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them to the top of a very high mountain. 2 He was transformed in front of them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Jesus. 4 Peter reacted to all of this by saying to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good that we’re here. If you want, I’ll make three shrines: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, look, a bright cloud overshadowed them. A voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son whom I dearly love. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him!” 6 Hearing this, the disciples fell on their faces, filled with awe. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anybody about the vision until the Human One[a] is raised from the dead.” One cold winter morning, the matriarch of a small New England church was nervous when she came to worship. Not that the sidewalks might be icy or that the boiler might not have kicked in overnight to warm the sanctuary. Betty was anxious because it was the first Sunday with their new pastor. It wasn’t a Congregational Church, so she had had no say in the pastor assigned to them. She and many others in her coffee klatch traded rumors that this pastor had been a troublemaker in the past and might try to shake things up. But by the end of the service, Betty was reassured. As she grasped the hand of the new pastor, Betty told her that all her fears had been relieved. “I listened carefully to your sermon and I am so happy. You were wonderful! You didn’t say a thing!” [1] In contrast, a white pastor in 1960s Alabama, inspired by the civil rights movement, began preaching about issues of race, every week, preaching from such passages as Ephesians, “in Christ’s flesh he has made both groups into one and has broken down the dividing wall, that is, the hostility between us.” One by one, he preached the church down to just a handful of people. He then remarked, “Good. Now we can become a Christian church.” In seminary we were told that we should “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” Among your group of peers, freshly called to ministry, that sounds fun and exciting – in practice, it’s a little scary. But, in case Peter thought his call to follow Jesus would be an exciting fun-filled adventure, Jesus afflicted him with some uncomfortable clarity. The text today begins by saying “six days later.” Later than what? We talked about this last week. Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say that I am. And then he turned to Peter and asked, who do you say that I am. “You are the Christ, the Messiah, Son of the Living God.” Jesus told Peter, “You are right,” and then told everyone not to tell anyone. And then Jesus began to share that soon they would go to Jerusalem where he would suffer many things, be killed and raised on the third day. Peter took hold of Jesus and began to rebuke him. “This must not happen!” But Jesus then rebuked Peter, “Get behind me, Satan,” and went on to explain what kind of Messiah he was. Not someone who would ride in on a white horse and crush enemies and proclaim retribution. Jesus very patiently described the call of a disciple to this kind of Messiah – “Pick up your cross. What good is it to gain the whole world but lose your lives?” And then, six days later, they climbed to the top of a very high mountain. Six days after Peter’s “you’re the messiah!” and Jesus’ response that “I’m not the kind of messiah you might be expecting…” that’s when something extraordinary happened. In the Common English Bible, it says, Jesus was transformed right in front of them. It’s also known as the transfiguration of Jesus. Transfiguration is one of those odd words only used in the church. Eugene Peterson tries to describe the indescribable as “His appearance changed from the inside out. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light.” Something happened, but what was its purpose? Throughout Matthew’s gospel, he tried to link Jesus as the new Moses. “Up a high mountain” is just one example. And it’s where Jesus too encountered the magnificent light of God’s presence. This time with Elijah was there too. Why? According to Matthew, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, represented by Moses and Elijah. So again, six days earlier, Peter declared Jesus the Messiah, as well as the Son of the Living God. And now God’s voice is heard saying exactly that. “Listen to my Son. My beloved.” It was the same voice heard at his baptism, at the start of his ministry, and now again to start his descent to death – to Jerusalem and his betrayal and crucifixion. OK, so there’s a lot of symbolism going on in this text. Enough that we may we start to ask, “so what?” So, if I’ve lost you with all of this background and context, you can come back now because I want to talk about what we do with this text. What is Peter’s response to all of this? My father’s mother rarely smiled. She rarely, or perhaps never, hugged anyone – including my dad. Here’s my most vivid memory of her: We were visiting her when I was about 6 or 7 years old and I told my mom I was hungry. Grandma Bahr brought me to the kitchen and handed me a black banana. The kind that is so ripe that it squishes in your hands. I looked at it suspiciously and she screamed “Eat it!!!” I cried and looked at my mother and she just shrugged her shoulders. No doubt being her daughter-in-law wouldn’t have been easy. Anyway, one of Grandma Bahr’s warm and fuzzy sayings was: “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Meaning, “Don’t just stand there. Do something!” Well, maybe Peter had someone like that in his life too, so he naturally tried to think of something to do. So, let’s build something! Various translations of the specific word Peter used for his “let’s build something” idea include dwellings, booths, shrines, tabernacles, shelters, and more. Just like translators have a difficult time describing exactly what happened to Jesus on the mountain, they have a difficult time describing what exactly Peter was suggesting they build. But whatever exactly it was, it was to do something. Perhaps it was a shrine to memorialize the moment up there. Another interpretation puts the emphasis on “let’s build something up here,” like a shelter or dwelling, stay here so we don’t have to go to Jerusalem – avoid all that conflict. But before Jesus could reply to such an idea, that voice from heaven intervened and said, “Listen to him.” Or, here is my translation of this verse: “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” How does that phrase make you feel? “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” For all of us who are too busy, overprogrammed, driving our children across town from a soccer game to a piano lesson, continuously checking our emails, responding to texts, burdened with too much homework, busier in retirement than ever before – that sounds good. A relief. “Don’t just do something. Stand there!” It sounds comforting. Comfort for the burned out. Comfort for the broken down. Comfort for the afflicted. But some church folks, like Betty, our matriarch from New England, not to pick on her, they don’t want that comfort interrupted, to be afflicted by hearing about the needs of the world. What happens when the mission of the church is “don’t just do something, sit there?” I’m in a group of preachers that get together every quarter to discuss worship and improve our craft of preaching. Our conversation on Thursday turned to a discussion on preaching for the next six months leading to the presidential election. The whole country is weary of the idea that we have to repeat the last one, which will only harden the divide among the people of our country. What affect will this have on our preaching? Do we just ignore it in order to comfort all of us feeling afflicted? Do we accept the status quo? Turn a blind eye to suffering? Do we not challenge the voices tearing us apart? Yesterday, Franklin Graham came to town on his so-called God Loves You campaign promoting something his father Billy warned again. You may have heard the term christian nationalism. Christian nationalists believe that the United States was founded to be a Christian nation – despite the clear intentions of our founders not to establish a state church. Many were seeking freedom from persecution by state churches in their home countries. But that lie only stands as the foundation on which to proclaim that therefore, only Christians should control the government – from school boards to the presidency, and only according to their own very narrow view of the Bible. By all means necessary, they seek to dominate, coerce, and control the people of our nation because, in their view, that’s what God wants. One race over the others. One gender over the others. One religion over the others. A religion at complete odds with the teaching of Jesus. But actually, it’s not a religion at all but a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Some members of our church and I along with other UCC pastors and many more went to Chula Vista yesterday to learn more and begin to counter the voices like Franklin Graham and the “christian nationalist” movement. It is not the voice of Christianity. And not only do they counter the ideals of democracy, they are further damaging churches, frightening, repelling those who want nothing to do with this vision of America thinking that all Christians share a desire to suppress the rights and freedoms of women and queer people and People of Color, of Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Buddhists, Hindus, wiccans, and everyone outside their narrative. A narrative that people with brown and black skin represent an existential threat to the country, not that all together we represent the promise of our country. Jesus said, “bring all to me who are weary, and I will give them rest.” The transfiguration, or the transformation, of Jesus on that high mountain teaches us to, first of all, stop – stand there or sit down and listen, listen to my son, my beloved, not just do something. But then, we do have to come back down from the mountain. Jesus taught the disciples that we can’t avoid the difficult challenges waiting ahead, like those he would face in Jerusalem. It’s not that Jesus was seeking out conflict, but only by doing something can we redeem hate and bring forth love; we can’t follow him but avoid Jerusalem. Only by doing something can we redeem hate and bring forth love. To bring peace among divided people we must address what divides us. That’s how we bring divided Christians together, the hope found in Ephesians, chapter 2: “Christ tore down the wall we used to keep each other at a distance. He repealed the code that had become so clogged with fine print and footnotes that it hindered more than it helped. Then he started over. Instead of continuing with two groups of people separated by centuries of animosity and suspicion, he created a new kind of human being, a fresh start for everybody.” That sounds beautiful and like a lot of work. It all starts in relationship, and so, during the season between Easter and Pentecost, we are going to get to know each other better by learning and practicing the skills of listening – 1 on 1 with each other. Everyone who wants to participate will gather after worship every Sunday in April and early May, to deepen our relationships and grow in our faith. And those who want to, will continue to listen deeply to our neighbors and family among whom walls divide us as we search for unity. But first, don’t just do something, stand there. Listen. And then, don’t just stand there, don’t just sit around, do something! That might make my grandma proud, though she’d never let on by cracking a smile. [1] Adapted from Will Willimon Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] March 3, 2024 “What Kind of Messiah” Matthew 16: 13-20 – Common English Bible As Now when Jesus came to the area of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Human One (Son of Man) is?” 14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.” 15 He asked Peter, “And what about you? Who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter said, “You are the Christ, [the Messiah], the Son of the living God.” 17 Then Jesus replied, “Happy are you, Simon son of Jonah, because no human has shown this to you. Rather my Father who is in heaven has shown you. 18 I tell you that you are Peter.[b] And I’ll build my church on this rock. The gates of the underworld won’t be able to stand against it. 19 I’ll give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Anything you fasten on earth will be fastened in heaven. Anything you loosen on earth will be loosened in heaven.” 20 Then he ordered the disciples not to tell anybody that he was the Christ. Who are you? It’s not as easy a question to answer as you might think, is it? Most of the time we are really asking one another, what do you do for a living. We tell how we make money to pay for a place to live, food to eat, and provide for our families. I usually answer the question “who am I” with “I’m a pastor.” Unless I’m on an airplane and want some downtime, or at a party and I don’t want to spend the rest of the evening debating some religious question. And then, after I answer, I wait. Unless I’m in some sort of church setting, there is almost always a reaction of some sort, an instant judgment – “oh how nice” or a kind of questioning reaction. And if I sense fear rising, I quickly jump in, “but not that kind.” Lawyers and few other professionals might understand. But increasingly, when people hear that I’m a pastor, they ask, what does that mean? Of course, I also hear a lot, what do you actually do for more than one hour a week? “I go to a lot of meetings.” Who are you? Can you finish the sentence: I am a person who… Try it sometime today or this week. I am a person who… I took some time this week to ask the question. I am a person who needs to see the ocean at least once a week or I start to feel like something is off in my soul. I am a person who enjoys sharing what I see on the other side of a camera lens. I am a person who struggles and feels shame about my weight. I am a person who marvels at my husband’s willingness to follow me and pick everything to move to a new city. Twice. I am a person who tries to listen but often fails. Or I try to be understanding while at the same time finding it difficult not to be exasperated by people I just can’t understand! I am a person who… Or, how would you answer, “people say that I am…” That can be frustrating because sometimes people may judge your intentions. Maybe even question your competence. But maybe they just don’t understand how many things you’re trying to juggle in life right now just to stay sane and so they'll say you're impatient, or that you don’t have enough time for them… Or maybe you hear people saying, she’s great to work with, he really goes above and beyond, they are so patient – how can they be so patient? If only you knew..! Jesus asked his disciples, who do people say that I am. Who do people say the Human One, or more familiar, the Son of Man, is? And he hears: some say you are a truth-teller and a life-changer like John, or a visionary like Elijah, or one who both condemns the lack of justice for widows and orphans and strangers and yet gives hope like Jeremiah and prophets do. They’re all good answers. But Peter, who do you say that I am? Was that an easy question for Peter to answer or was it really hard? Was he put on the spot at that moment and expected to answer what must have surely still been a mystery. Who is this guy for whom I gave up my job in order to make money for my family? For some vague promise about fishing for people. Did he impulsively blurt out his answer? My money’s on that. Or did he thoughtfully consider it and reply, it’s making sense now: “You’re the Christ, you’re the Messiah we have long waited for.” Jesus confirmed this is true. And then he ordered all who were standing around listening – glad that Jesus put Peter on the spot and not them – don’t tell anyone. In between this confirmation that Peter is right and telling them to keep quiet are some very confusing declarations about Peter being a rock upon which his church will be built, something about gates and keys, and this weird phrase about fastening and loosening… The likelihood that Jesus actually said such a thing is less than miniscule. Jesus wasn’t out there building a church, he wasn’t starting a new religion. He was gathering a community of followers, yes, but “church” wasn’t a word until later. When Matthew wrote his gospel, he was looking back to explain Peter’s early role in the church. Why him? But Peter was dead when Matthew wrote this, crucified on an upside down cross in the year 64. Matthew was written about 20 to 25 years later. But enough about that. So, Jesus asked the disciples, “Who do people say that I am.” And then he asked Peter, “Who do you say that I am.” Again, he replied that Jesus was the Messiah and Jesus told Peter he was right. And then immediately, like two minutes later, Peter got it completely wrong. I mean, so wrong that Jesus called him Satan. Here’s what happened: Jesus then made it clear to his disciples that it was now necessary for him to go to Jerusalem and submit to an ordeal of suffering at the hands of the religious leaders – the elders, chief priests, and legal experts. That he had to be killed and then be raised up alive on the third day. Peter took hold of Jesus and began scolding him. He tried to correct Jesus: “God forbid, Lord! This can’t happen to you.” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are a stone that could make me stumble, for you are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.” Ouch! Peter had this soaring revelation, he climbed to the pinnacle of understanding the great mystery of who this person named Jesus really was. Jesus was a person who was able to heal people. Jesus was a person who made a violent storm calm down. Jesus was a person who needed to take a break and be alone. Jesus was a person who grew frustrated and at times angry at his disciple’s continued inability to see the whole picture. And did you notice, Jesus had just minutes before called Peter his rock, and now he calls Peter a stone, a stumbling stone. A very quick demotion. But here’s the problem: Peter didn’t understand what kind of messiah Jesus really was. Frankly, not many of us do either. What do you think a messiah is? I’ll be honest, sometimes I’m uncomfortable with this messiah language, because I too get what that means wrong. But upon further examination, I’m in. Here’s why: Think about the ways we use the word in popular culture. She has a messiah complex, meaning a big ego, or we say, he’s going to be our messiah – He will be our vengeance. He will vindicate us and crush our enemies and restore us to power – spoken by an alarming number of American Christians right now. I just don’t understand. And what would Jesus say about that? Wouldn’t it be similar to his reaction to Peter’s complete misunderstanding of Jesus? Yes, I am the Messiah, but not that kind. Specifically, not the kind who would act with any kind of retribution or so-called vindication. That’s what people hoped for and wanted from a messiah who would restore the throne of King David. With violence to take up arms and throw off the yoke of Rome – a very understandable desire. But before Matthew wrote his gospel, it had already been proven not to work. In the year 70, Rome put down, crushed, an attempted revolt – known as the first Jewish-Roman war – and completely and utterly destroyed the Temple. Matthew wrote about Jesus little more than 10 years later, leaving that knowledge out of the narrative, but reflecting what Jesus was trying to teach. He is a different kind of Messiah, not the kind the prosperity gospel preaches. Not the kind that damns “those” people to hell. And definitely not one who advocates violence and retribution. What kind is he? Immediately after his rebuke of Peter’s rebuke, Jesus gathered his disciples around. Listen up: “All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. All who want to save their lives will lose them, but all who lose their lives because of me will find them. Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives?” What did he say? Take up your cross to serve one another, not to hold it over others and certainly not to use it as a weapon. What kind of Messiah would say such a thing? Not someone with a messiah complex. Not someone promising revenge. Because blessed are the people who are hopeless, blessed are the people who grieve, blessed are the people who are humble, pure in heart, peacemakers, and thirst for righteousness. Not those who are self-righteous, but who hunger for a world in which the poor are fed, the captives are set free, and the oppressed are liberated. That’s the kind of messiah who will actually save the world and the kind of messiah I want to follow. By each of us taking up our own cross. A joint effort, a partnership, something we do together, each of us embracing who we really are. Who are you, really? Not what you do for a living. How do you finish the statement, “I am a person who… I am a person who tries to follow Jesus and his teachings in order to realize heaven on earth, the Kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven, where no one race is superior, no one gender is supreme, no one way of loving is all that is permitted, and no one religion has power over all the others. The cross is not power over, it is power with. Or better yet, power on the under-side – lifting people up. Take up your cross. And we will no doubt fail as often as we succeed, but Jesus will never give up on us. Take heart from blessed Peter who will fail miserably. He didn’t just deny Jesus three times. On the night Jesus is betrayed in the garden, when the soldiers came to take him away, Peter took a sword and cut off the ear of a Roman soldier. Which Jesus then restored. That’s not what my followers do. And yet still, in the end, Peter was the rock on which the church of Jesus was built. Who are you? Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] February 25, 2024 “Whole-hearted Faith” Matthew 14: 22-33 – The Message As soon as the meal was finished, he insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead to the other side while he dismissed the people. With the crowd dispersed, he climbed the mountain so he could be by himself and pray. He stayed there alone, late into the night. 24-26 Meanwhile, the boat was far out to sea when the wind came up against them and they were battered by the waves. At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them walking on the water. They were scared to death. “A ghost!” they said, crying out in terror. 27 But Jesus was quick to comfort them. “Courage, it’s me. Don’t be afraid.” 28 Peter, suddenly bold, said, “Master, if it’s really you, call me to come to you on the water.” 29-30 He said, “Come ahead.” Jumping out of the boat, Peter walked on the water to Jesus. But when he looked down at the waves churning beneath his feet, he lost his nerve and started to sink. He cried, “Master, save me!” 31 Jesus didn’t hesitate. He reached down and grabbed his hand. Then he said, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” 32-33 The two of them climbed into the boat, and the wind died down. The disciples in the boat, having watched the whole thing, worshiped Jesus, saying, “This is it! You are God’s Son for sure!” Last week we began a journey with Peter and his call as one of the first of the 12 disciples of Jesus. We learned that he was impulsive and impetuous but even more passionate, committed and bold, even if his boldness wasn’t always well thought out – as today’s story proves. But first: Chapter 14 began with the news that John the Baptist had been beheaded by Herod because it’s what his daughter wanted for her birthday – the head of John the Baptist served on a platter. Jesus was devastated by the news and got into a boat with the intention of going to a deserted place by himself, but before he even got there, crowds heard he was coming and were growing larger by the minute, waiting on the shore for him. By the time he landed, there were thousands of people in search of hope and healing. He really needed a break, but he had compassion upon them. A little later the disciples arrived and saw the chaos. After a few hours, they suggested that Jesus dismiss the crowd so they could go get something to eat, or perhaps, so that Jesus could finally get his delayed break. But instead, Jesus told the disciples, you feed them. A story you probably already know: They brought him everything they could find – five loaves of bread and two fish which he blessed and broke into pieces and sent around to the crowd. At the end, 12 basketfuls of loaves made their way back to Jesus. About 5,000 men plus women and children had eaten that day. That’s the point at which Jesus sent the disciples off to the other side of the Sea of Galilee while he finished up. Finally, he could go up the side of a mountain to be alone and pray. Even Jesus needed a break from the stress and heart-heavy work of compassion. When evening came, Jesus decided to rejoin the disciples. I was curious, how big is the Sea of Galilee? It’s the largest source of fresh water in Israel – about as wide as the Salton Sea, which is much longer and definitely not fresh water. It’s about the distance between here and La Mesa, which doesn’t seem that far in a car on the freeway but think about that distance in a boat fighting against fierce winds and violent waves. And just imagine. It was so difficult sailing into the wind that Jesus caught up with them by walking! The disciples had a similar experience in a boat in chapter 8. Jesus was in the boat with them as they were crossing when a fierce storm came up, waves so big they were filling the boat. Jesus slept right through it, only awakened by terrified disciples begging him, “Rescue us!” He said, “Why are you afraid, faint-hearts?” Why??!! Because a freaking storm is going to drown us, that’s why! But this time he’s not in the boat with them, he’s outside of it walking toward them. Which, of course, freaked them out. But when the whole “it’s a ghost!”-thing was resolved, Peter, true to his impulsive and impetuous personal style, asked to join Jesus on the water. Actually, he said, “Lord, if it’s you, order me to come to you on the water.” With the fierce violent storm still raging, Peter got out of the boat, and began walking toward Jesus. But then he notices(?) the fierce violent storm is still raging, began to sink, and he called out, “Rescue me!” Jesus immediately reached out to grab him. The Message translates Jesus’ response as a sympathetic, “Faint-heart, what got into you?” I much prefer that – faint-heart – over the Common English Bible which translates the words as an accusation that Peter had “weak faith.” “You man of weak faith, why did you begin to doubt?” Or maybe you’re familiar with the slightly more sympathetic, “O ye of little faith, why did you doubt.” But Peter doesn’t suffer from a weak or little faith. He may be misguided at times, a little over-zealous perhaps, but if we can describe anyone in this way, he is a man of “whole-hearted faith.” He has an all-in, no holding back, emotions on the sleeve kind of faith. Cry one minute, roll on the floor laughing the next. Weakness wasn’t his problem. And I’m not sure it’s ours either. Mainline Christians might not have a weak faith as much as perhaps a timid faith. Our struggle isn’t with doubt. We know that doubt isn’t the opposite of faith. But what is? Doing nothing, trying nothing, standing for nothing, is the opposite of faith. Peter may be impulsive and impetuous, he may break promises and act without thinking – like a bull in a china shop – but at least he doesn’t stand outside the china shop and just peek through the window. His faith was not weak and I thank God that Peter, full of enthusiasm, rushed right in. But I also thank God there are also those who act boldly with great faith in thoughtful and deliberative ways too – who are prepared to do something, try something, and stand for something. Do you know the story of Diane Nash?[1] In the summer of 1961 she was teaching workshops for Freedom Riders with her husband Rev. James Bevell. She was 23 and five of her students were under 21 years old. She was arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of minors by encouraging them to break the law to desegregate interstate buses. She was found guilty of five counts, each carrying a sentence of 6 months – a combined total sentence of 2 ½ years. She appealed and the NAACP sent a $2,500 bond, the equivalent of almost $26,000 today, but the appeals court deliberately didn’t inform her of her court date. So, because she didn’t appear, there was now a warrant out for her arrest. That warrant was quite a dilemma – she could avoid it completely by simply leaving the state, as the state hoped she would, but abandon the work she felt passionately called to do. Or she could go to jail. She and her husband planned to spend their lives in Mississippi working for the liberation of Black people. She said, “I didn’t want Mississippi white men or anyone else deciding for me where we could live and work. I didn’t want anybody to run me anywhere I did not want to go.” But even more complicated, or rather, much more complicated, she was six months pregnant, which would mean her child would be born in jail and she would miss the first two years of his life. It wasn’t a decision to rush into so she retreated to her bedroom for three days. She told Bevel she didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone. “I did nothing but eat, sleep, think, and pray. After three days I made the decision to surrender and serve the term. With intense meditation, I had tapped into a very powerful force that I can’t totally explain. I thought over every eventuality and was prepared to face anything. I knew I could handle it. There was really nothing anybody could do to hurt me. I came to a place of strength and peace. If they killed me, I was ready.” Bevel was very supportive, but faced a lot of criticism. “Oh, Rev. Bevel, you shouldn’t make your wife do that. That’s too much.” They only thought of me as “the Reverend’s wife,” and as a woman, incapable of making a decision like that on my own. So, she presented herself to the sheriff, ready to serve her sentence. He was clearly amused at her bulging midsection and told her to appear in Judge Moore’s court, the same Judge Moore who had found Byron De La Beckwith not guilty of killing Medgar Evers – with a gun Judge Moore kept hidden in his home. Diane entered his court but wasn’t going to sit in the “colored section” so she walked right down to the front. For the “protest” of sitting in the front row, she was charged with defiance of local segregation laws and sentenced to jail for 10 days which she immediately began to serve. The jail provided absolutely no accommodation for her advanced pregnancy No vitamin pills allowed, no change of clothes or even a toothbrush. She was kept isolated from other prisoners so as not to corrupt them with her talk of civil rights. Only one guard was willing to engage her in conversation and, one day, seemed genuinely interested when Diane explained the discrepancy in public school funding. For example, in Holly Bluff they spent $191.77 per white child and $1.26 per Black child. But the worst of her jail experience, she said, was the cockroaches, masses of them crawling up the walls at night, the clicking of their feet, and then falling from the ceiling right over her concrete slab of a bed. At the end of those 10 days, she appeared before Judge Moore. He proclaimed her sentence was complete and she was free to go. She asked, “aren’t you going to hear the case of my contributing to the delinquency of minors?” He said no. She told the judge very clearly that she was going to go right back to teaching young people how to do non-violent civil disobedience. She told him her full home address for the court records so they couldn’t say they couldn’t find her. “I want you to know I’m not hiding from you.” But Mississippi authorities had tapped their home phone. They were aware that every civil rights organization in the nation knew her case and decided that keeping her in jail was public relations liability. Diane said, “I came away from the whole experience very much spiritually strengthened. In jail I learned that I could live with very little. The oppressive authorities imprisoned me and withheld basic necessities to frighten and control me, but it backfired. They are the ones who got scared. And in the end, I was freer, more determined, and stronger than ever.” Diane today is 85 years old and living in Chicago. Both Peter and Diane had what I call a “whole-hearted faith.” They put themselves all in. Where Peter may have been impulsive and Diane was more deliberate, both acted deeply and honestly to fulfill Jesus’ call to come follow me and love our neighbors as completely as we possibly can. Next week we’ll continue to watch Peter succeed and fail to do just that – a reassuring example of our own attempts not to act timidly in the face of need, but with a faith that is whole-hearted. What would that mean for you today? To live with your whole heart. [1] For the following story, see Hands on the Freedom Plow for 55 personal accounts of women in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] February 18, 2024 “Peter: Unfiltered, Abrupt, and Unafraid” Luke 5: 1-11 – Common English Bible One day Jesus was standing beside Lake Gennesaret when the crowd pressed in around him to hear God’s word. 2 Jesus saw two boats sitting by the lake. The fishermen had gone ashore and were washing their nets. 3 Jesus boarded one of the boats, the one that belonged to Simon, then asked him to row out a little distance from the shore. Jesus sat down and taught the crowds from the boat. 4 When he finished speaking to the crowds, he said to Simon, “Row out farther, into the deep water, and drop your nets for a catch.” 5 Simon replied, “Master, we’ve worked hard all night and caught nothing. But because you say so, I’ll drop the nets.” 6 So they dropped the nets and their catch was so huge that their nets were splitting. 7 They signaled for their partners in the other boat to come and help them. They filled both boats so full that they were about to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw the catch, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Leave me, Lord, for I’m a sinner!” 9 Peter and those with him were overcome with amazement because of the number of fish they caught. 10 James and John, Zebedee’s sons, were Simon’s partners and they were amazed too. Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid. From now on, you will be fishing for people.” 11 As soon as they brought the boats to the shore, they left everything and followed Jesus. What do you know about Peter, also known as Simon, aka Simon Peter… three different names in just this one short passage. And also known in the Gospel of John as Cephas (seff-us). But, for the sake of simplicity, I’m just going to call him Peter. So, back to my original question: what do you know about him? He’s named in lots of stories – 195 times. Compare that to all the other disciples who receive only 130 mentions – combined. All we know about some of the 12 is their name! Peter’s names pop up in story after story, but not as a complete narrative of his own. There’s something about Peter. But what is it? Well, this Lent, we’re going to find out. We’re going to take a deeper dive into the faith of this one individual, and yet even so, we’ll only get to skim the surface of this impetuous, impulsive, and unfiltered character. A deeply flawed but even more deeply passionate and committed disciple of Christ. In the end, we may discover he is someone with whom we can find a connection – something about him for which we can say, “Oh, if I’m honest, that’s me too.” When you hear the name Peter, are there any stories that come to mind? For me, number one is Peter’s insistence that he will never, never, ever deny Jesus. “There’s no way I would ever do such a thing.” Immediately followed by three denials. “I don’t know the man. I don’t know the man. I already told you, I don’t know that man.” That’s almost always the first thing I think of Peter because of course, “I would never ever do such a terrible thing!” I would never (2). I would never (3). The second thing about Peter is how he asked Jesus to walk on water. Jesus said, “Sure, come on in.” Peter got out of the boat, started actually walking on water and then became afraid because he was actually walking on water and so he began to sink. He cried out, “Help!” Which of course he wouldn’t have needed to do if he hadn’t been so impetuous in the first place! But you’ve never done that, right!? Not me. 😊 Third. One day Jesus responded to something Peter said by saying, “Get behind me, Satan.” Ouch! So, do you suppose Peter learned a lesson from this experience? Like, don’t speak before listening? Of course not. He’s Peter! And he’s me, and maybe you. As you probably already know, Peter was one of the first 12 disciples, but did you know that how he became one of the first is different depending on the gospel. In Mark, with which we are probably most familiar, Jesus simply walked by Peter and his brother Andrew and said, “Come follow me” and immediately they did. Then they came upon James and John and they left every-thing behind too. Matthew copied and pasted this into his gospel straight out of Mark, but curiously, Matthew cut the next part. In Mark, these new disciples followed him to the synagogue and listened to Jesus preach when all of a sudden, a demon interrupted him. Jesus told it to leave, which it did by screaming as it writhed its way out of a man. These pairs of brothers just stood there and watched and wondered, what have we gotten ourselves into. But in Mark, everyone’s in a very big hurry and so off they go. Again, Matthew skipped this. But, then there’s Luke, who has a very different pace and a very different take on the calling of the first disciples. In Luke, Jesus has already been preaching for a while. You know, the first time Jesus preached it was to his hometown crowd in Nazareth, but after his very first sermon they ran him out of town and tried to throw him off a cliff. After that, he went down to preach in Capernaum every Sabbath instead. And it was on one of those occasions that the screaming demon writhed its way out of a man. It was after this startling event that Peter invited Jesus to his house or maybe as it sometimes happened, Jesus invited himself to Peter’s house only to discover his mother-in-law in bed with a fever. Jesus healed her and that night people brought folks from all over town to Peter’s doorstep, begging Jesus to help their loved ones. But that was it. After that long night, Jesus went back to preaching at other synagogues around Galilee and Peter went back to work. In Luke, Jesus is a wandering itinerant preacher, a little while here, a little while there. In Mark, everything is immediate, but Luke takes his time to let things unfold. Some of us just jump right in, but for those of us who want to think about a decision a little more, Luke’s our gospel. Peter didn’t just jump up and follow Jesus immediately after seeing his mother-in-law jump up from her fever. Peter went back to work because in real life, what other choice do we have? I grew up on a dairy farm. My father might have been in the hospital to witness the miracle of the birth of his first child at 4 o’clock in the afternoon, but he still had to go home and milk the cows by 5:30 and every 12 hours. Peter too needed to go back to work. He was a fisherman and fishermen fished every day except the Sabbath. Some days were better than others. I wonder if a fisherman’s better days were outnumbered by the days they didn’t even catch a minnow. Well, it was at the end of one of those not-even-a-minnow days that Peter and his partners were cleaning their nets and Jesus walked by the shoreline, followed, always followed, by a crowd hungry to hear him teach. To be clear, in Luke, Jesus wasn’t a stranger to Peter. Jesus had been at his house back whenever that was. Jesus asked Peter to row out a little ways so he could talk to the crowd pressing in on him. Now, that was one thing to ask. Sure, Peter would have to pause for a little while before going home for supper, but then Jesus asked for something much more: to stop the crew from their end of work routine to go back out and do it again. Peter spoke for himself and everyone else: “We’re tired! We’re worn out from a long day’s work.” And wouldn’t you agree? I wouldn’t be so happy to do my job over again before going home. I mean, those nets were heavy. They have weights attached in order for them to sink. They’re awkward and slimy, especially as you stand on a slippery wet boat. Throwing those things overboard when you’re already tired, well, this was a pretty big ask of Jesus. However, Jesus had healed his mother-in-law, so if the guy is now asking for a favor, how could he turn him down? And you know how it turned out. The haul of fish was so big it began to tear those big, heavy, slimy nets. A second crew came out to help but there were so many fish, both boats nearly swamped. Peter saw all this happening and his response was, “Get away from me!” Not “thank you.” Not, “Wow! could you come back every day?” No, he said, “Get away from me. I’m a sinner,” by which he meant “I’m not worthy of this.” We know this because Jesus’ response to Peter wasn’t, “you’re right Peter. You’re a dirty filthy rag… but I’ll forgive you.” Jesus said, “don’t be afraid.” Don’t be afraid of what? Too many fish? But first, this same story is also told in the Gospel of John, with a few details changed. In Luke, the story of this great haul of fish is how Jesus starts gathering disciples – the beginning. In John, it happened after the resurrection of Jesus – the end. Jesus was gone so they got out their boats and nets because that’s what they did for a living. They’re trying to process what had happened and maybe they were distracted which is why they didn’t catch any fish that night. Jesus called out from shore to throw their nets on the other side. I love that slight change from Mark’s do it over again. John says do the same thing but try the other side. And when they did, so many fish – 153 exactly, for some exact reason – all those fish jumped into the net and almost pulled down the whole boat. One little, odd, detail only in John’s version: Out there on the boat fishing with the others, Peter is naked. When someone saw Jesus coming, Peter quickly wrapped his coat around his waist and jumped into the water and raced to Jesus, completely ignoring the other disciples who will need him as they struggle to haul in that enormous catch of fish. Why does John think we should know that about Peter? What does it tell us about him? When they all got to the beach, Jesus had prepared them a nice pescatarian breakfast and afterward asked Peter, do you love me? He asked him three times to which Peter answered with escalating annoyance, “Yes!” “Yes!” “Jesus Christ, literally, you know I do!!” I’m getting ahead of myself – we’ve got 5 weeks. So, as we start to get to know Peter, what do we know?
But I’m grateful Peter didn’t have a filter. He’s real. He’s us. Perhaps it would be nice if we all felt as free to express our emotions as we wanted. Because if he had thought about it a little more before he spoke, he might not have immediately responded to seeing all that abundance with “I’m not worthy of this.” But then we wouldn’t have heard Jesus say to him what sometimes we need Jesus to say to us: Don’t be afraid. Don’t your waste time with such nonsense. It is a waste of time to ask, do I deserve this. Use what God has given you and don’t be afraid of it. This is the story of his call to the first disciples. The same one to us today: Come follow me. There are people waiting who are hungry for your love, people who need your time, and people who deserve your attention. Don’t question whether you deserve it. Just use all God’s abundance for the sake of Jesus’ sheep. Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] February 11, 2024 “Haven't You Heard?” Isaiah 40: 21-31 – New Revised Standard Version Have you not known? Have you not heard? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? 22 It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them like a tent to live in, 23 who brings princes to naught and makes the rulers of the earth as nothing. 24 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows upon them, and they wither, and the tempest carries them off like stubble. 25 To whom, then, will you compare me, or who is my equal? says the Holy One. 26 Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing. 27 Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God”? 28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. 29 He gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. 30 Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, 31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. When I want to tell a story that’s been passed down over the generations among the people of the palmetto dunes in South Carolina. Picture a woman stolen from Africa forced to pick cotton in the oppressive summer heat. Her clothes are drenched from the humid air and her toddler is clutching her leg as she worked, crying out for attention. She is a woman with such dexterity that she could pick cotton with her right hand and caress the forehead of her little boy with the left. But eventually, exhausted, she fell to the ground. He begged her to get up, well aware that if the slave driver saw her “taking a nap,” his mother would be beaten. As he tried to shake her, an old man rushed over – a man the Africans called Preacher and Prophet. The slave drivers called him Old Devil. The boy looked up and said, “Is it time?” The old man nodded his head and smiled. He bent down to the ground and whispered into the woman’s ear: “Cooleebah! Cooleebah!” At that moment, the woman arose with the dignity of a queen and looked down at her son. She grasped his hand, looked to the heavens, and all of a sudden, they began to fly. The slave drivers rushed over, stunned at this human flight. While they were distracted by watching this woman and her son fly away, the old Preacher Prophet ran around to all of the other Africans crying out “Cooleebah! Cooleebah!” Upon hearing the word, they too began to fly. Can you imagine the sight? All the dispossessed flying? All the disempowered flying? All the three-fifths of a person flying? These men, women, and children of Africa taking flight? The slave drivers rushed over to the old man and demanded that he bring them back. “I can’t,” he said. They beat him, commanding him to “bring them back!” But with blood running down his cheek, he just smiled and said, “I can’t.” “Why not?” “Because the word is already in them and since the word is already in them, it cannot be taken from them.” [1] [2] “Have you not heard? Have you not known? The Lord, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, God does not forget you, God does not grow weary or faint. God gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted, but those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” Could the people actually fly? But haven’t you ever flown? Hasn’t a word or simple phrase ever lifted you up from the bottom? A word like “remission.” Phrases like, I forgive you. You got this or it gets better. But, there are also words that can cause us to crash to the ground. Works like, cancer. Phrases like, he was in an accident. You’re a failure or you’ll never amount to anything. God hates fags. The Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III told this story of the people who could fly and said, “the Preacher Prophet gave them the power of a single word.” He reminded them of the power. The word Cooleebah, he said, means God – a word that can be used to lift others to flight. But we also know that sometimes God is a word used like a weapon. You know, don’t you, haven’t you heard, that a single word spoken with great intention can cause someone to have a break through. Or spoken carelessly, a single word can cause someone to have a break down. One word has the power to cause healing or hurt. How about two powerful words, like “remain seated”? Let me tell you about Septima Clark.[3] Born in 1898, her father had been enslaved in South Carolina, but education lifted her beyond her circumstances. She went to college and was certified to be a teacher but Charleston wouldn’t hire Black teachers so she taught on South Carolina’s Johns Island. She came back three years later to teach at the Avery Institute, one of 500 schools started by Congregational churches following the Civil War to lift African Americans to new heights, schools that include top flight Howard University. While there, Ms. Clark joined the NAACP and participated in a successful effort to get Charleston to hire Black teachers, where she then began to teach. And in 1945, she worked with Thurgood Marshall on a successful case seeking equal pay for Black and white teachers, which increased her pay three-fold. But in the 1950s, South Carolina made it illegal for public employees to belong to civil rights groups. When she refused to disaffiliate, she lost her job and went to work for the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee. She was hired to lead workshops for people who wanted to change their communities using non-violence, like she had done. Many who participated in the civil rights movement were prepared at Highlander – how to face violence with a non-violent response. They trained people like the Freedom Riders, students who desegregated lunch counters, those who walked across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma or were slammed to the ground by the power of fire hoses in Birmingham. One woman who attended Ms. Clark’s workshops decided she would remain seated the next time she was ordered to move to the back of the bus. Septima Clark inspired and taught Rosa Parks and countless others that they too could fly – by remaining seated. Ms. Clark, sometimes referred to as the Mother of the Movement, was a devout Christian. She asked a lot her students preparing to endure the indignity and violence of white supremacists determined to chain Black citizens to the ground. I can hear her, “Have you not heard? Have you not known? The Lord, the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth, God does not forget you, God does not faint or grow weary. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” And sometimes, God will be your rock, there with you as you stand your ground or remain seated. Ms. Clark didn’t stop there. She found her calling travelling all over the South training local people to become Citizenship teachers and start Citizenship schools – 800 of them. Citizenship schools taught people such skills as how to write their name instead of using an X, balance a checkbook, how to read road signs and basic literacy. Most significantly, they taught citizens how a democratic system of government is supposed to work and how to vote in elections. It was extremely dangerous work and many of her friends were killed for teaching citizenship. It’s amazing how the power of a single word like “vote” can both empower the disenfranchised and frighten the powerful. And Amanda Gorman described so beautifully what can happen: “We the successors of a country and a time Where a skinny Black girl descended from slaves and raised by a single mother can dream of becoming president only to find herself reciting for one.”[4] “Have you not heard? Have you not known? God has not forgotten you and gives power to the faint and strengthens the powerless. Those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” In the time of the Prophet Isaiah, destruction and exile had generated such despair and chaos in the people that they doubted God.[5] But Isaiah reminded them to compare the power of the God of creation with the power of their oppressors. He told them, their oppressors are simply grasshoppers who are blown away by a strong wind. Can we really compare the Creator of the universe with those trying to harm us? Isaiah said, “Scarcely are they planted, scarcely has their stem taken root in the earth, when God blows upon them and they wither away and the tempest carries them off like stubble.” Ah, “but those who wait upon the Lord shall mount up with wings like eagles.” By the way, the story of the people who could fly was a true story. True because their oppressors were of no significance. They were tiny, frightened, little men, like grasshoppers. Compare that to the God of creation. It’s a true story just like those who feared the power of women like Septima Clark were scared of things like equality, voting, and democracy. But surely you know that our heritage in the United Church of Christ, our legacy, is like Amanda Gorman’s vision: “Yes we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge a union with purpose; To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man. And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but what stands before us. To conclude her brilliant poem, The Hill We Climb, We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west, we will rise from the windswept northeast where our forefathers first realized revolution, …rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states, we will rise from the sunbaked south. We will rebuild, reconcile and recover. And every known nook of our nation and every corner called our country, our people diverse and beautiful will emerge, battered and beautiful. When day comes we step out of the shade, aflame and unafraid. The new dawn blooms as we free it; For there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it. But why wouldn’t we be? Haven’t you heard? [1] The People Could Fly: American Black Folktales 1985 by Virginia Hamilton [2] Story told by Rev. Dr. Otis Moss III, pastor of Trinity UCC in Chicago [3] Learn more about Septima Clark at www.sistermentors.org and www.biography.com [4] The Hill We Climb [5] Richard A Puckett, Feasting on the Word: Year B, Volume 1, p. 317 Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] February 4, 2024 “The Fifth Stream” Galatians 3: 26-29 – Common English Bible You are all God’s children through faith in Christ Jesus. 27 All of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek; there is neither slave nor free; nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 Now if you belong to Christ, then indeed you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise. When we talk of the history of the United Church of Christ, we often speak of the UCC as having four streams that merged into two that eventually became one river. In the first stream were churches from the Congregational tradition. That’s us. Congregational churches are older than the United States. The Church of the Pilgrimage in Plymouth, Massachusetts, celebrated its 400th anniversary in October. Yes, among our Congregational ancestors were the Pilgrims and the Puritans. Some look upon that fact with pride, some with hesitation and even scorn, but it’s our heritage. The first wave among them were seeking freedom from religious persecution. Sadly, they went on to do some religious persecuting of their own. Our family closet has a lot in it. The primary concern of Congregationalists wasn't about beliefs, which were quite diverse, but for the congregation to have its own authority. There were two streams involving German immigrants – the first wave in the 1700s were from the Reformed tradition, centered around Philadelphia, fleeing war and poverty. The second wave came in the mid-late 1800s and were centered around Saint Louis, also fleeing war and poverty. This second group were known as Evangelicals. Not the small “e” evangelicals of today, nor the moral majority type. In fact, they were quite broad minded for their day. Evangelicals were a middle way between rigid doctrine and secular rationalism. Their motto was “In essentials, unity. In non-essentials, diversity. In all things, charity.” The Reformed immigrants and the Evangelical immigrants found commonality and joined together to form one stream known as the Evangelical and Reformed Church. A very imaginative name, right? Per capita, for their size, this group founded more human service and health care institutions in the United States than any other religious group, including the largest hospital systems in Chicago and Saint Louis. The fourth stream was a group known only as Christians – a group of former Baptists in New England who believed in universal salvation, as in, there is no hell, and among them were some of the earliest women preachers in America, including Nancy Gove in the 1820s. Also, a group of former Methodists in Virginia who wanted to be free of authoritarianism by bishops and a group of former Presbyterians in Kentucky who embraced frontier revivals. This disparate group wanted nothing of denominationalism but united around some common principles which they later realized needed some kind of structure so they became a denomination known as The Christian Churches which found commonality and joined together to form one stream known as the Congregational Christian Churches. Another imaginative name, right? Those were the four streams, that became two, that became known as the one United Church of Christ in 1957. The motto at our founding is “that they may all be one.” But there was one more group that no one knew what to do with. They didn’t fit this narrative, so they were ignored. That’s the charitable view. This group was Black, so you might say they were dismissed. But whatever you might say, at the founding of the UCC they were absent. The Afro Christian Convention or Connection, centered in the Tidewater region of Virginia and North Carolina, was lumped together with The Christian Churches, but they are distinctly different. These churches were not centered in whiteness, not founded by white people or offshoots of white churches. Immediately after the Civil War, people who had been enslaved and still practiced aspects of religious tradition passed down from their descendants in Africa started churches and created their own structure of cooperation and fellowship – and even a college. If you have an image that all UCC churches worship in relatively the same way, for example, singing hymns and listening quietly to prepared sermons, churches from the Afro Christian tradition are more lively and free-spirited with African rhythms and influences. The absence of these members at the founding of the UCC, the absence of their story in the telling of our history as four streams, was confessed at last summer’s General Synod along with an official apology and a commitment to their inclusion in our teaching of history as a rightful fifth stream in the UCC. I’ve taught UCC history at the seminary in Denver for 10 years. I always included their story as a hidden history, but not with the perspective of the Afro Christian Connection as a fully equal part of our history. That now changes. African Americans have always been part of the history of the Congregational tradition, but more often as the subjects of mission rather than the agents of mission. Upon becoming a Congregationalist, Black members and Black churches were expected to adopt a white style of worship – singing European songs – and a theology shaped by Europeans, addressing issues of interest to Europeans, not those living in the reality of a Jim Crow world, subject to lynching and excluded from decision making in society. White churches may have talked about these issues on occasion, but not in a way that reflected the daily lived experience of racism. When the Congregational Christian Church was founded in 1931, Black Congregationalists and Afro Christians struggled to find common ground – with styles of worship vastly different from one another. Black Congregationalists were often well educated and the upper crust of the Black community. Afro Christians were not, which further led to their marginalization. But slowly and deliberately the two groups nurtured a relationship of family and common purpose that was, unfortunately and ironically, interrupted by the formation of the UCC. In the new UCC, churches would be integrated into geographical conferences. Integrated, which seemed only right, but isolated from one another, which further led to their marginalization. It seems impossible to think that a denomination that talks a lot about racial justice failed to talk with and include its own Black members. Impossible but yet so common we didn't even notice it, at least “we” who represent the dominant majority, who either intentionally or unintentionally set and maintain the expectation of what it means to be the UCC. That’s changing. One of the fastest growing groups in the UCC, yes there are areas of growth, are congregations of Black LGBTQ Pentecostalists. It makes sense that they would be welcomed into the UCC, but is the UCC ready to welcomed into them? Not for them to change to fit us but for us to change to fit them? And get rid of the whole “us and them” altogether. We have a model to do so straight out of the Afro Christian tradition known as the Five Principles: 1)Jesus Christ is the only head of the Church. What does that mean? The head of the church is not a pope or a bishop. And not even the people. Christ alone is the head. One of my favorite lines is the lay woman who told her pastor, “Jesus is the head of this church, pastor; not you.” 2)Christian is a sufficient name of the Church. They resisted such names as Presbyterian or Methodist or Congregational. No sectarian divides, they preached. 3)The Holy Bible is a sufficient rule for faith and practice. No creeds, no indoctrination, just the Bible. But they were not literalists. They had women preachers because they saw evidence of it in the Bible. Literalists would say women should be silent in the church. 4)Christian character is a sufficient test for Church membership and fellowship, which is to say, membership isn’t about being able to recite a creed or answer specific questions about doctrine. The only thing asked is to live a Christian life. I suppose they still needed some way to talk about what that meant, but not something that easily excluded people for having the “wrong” beliefs. 5)The right of private judgment and the liberty of conscience are rights and privileges that should be accorded to and exercised by all. This was a big one. People have a right to decide for themselves what to believe. They affirmed our own consciences as valid interpretations of belief, not what some outside authority told you to believe. Can you imagine how absolutely radical this would be in the 1800s, but actually it would be seen as unacceptably radical in some churches even today. But it is what Afro Christians who were shaped and formed by African religious practices found in common with Baptists who didn’t believe in hell, Methodists who resisted authoritarianism, and Presbyterians who believed in the validity of personal conversion. And this is how they found each other to cooperate as Christian Churches who came together with Congregationalists who also held quite diverse beliefs, added to the E&R church with its motto In Essentials, Unity; in Non-Essentials Diversity; in All Things Charity. That’s us as the UCC, a story in which one stream will no longer be absent. Thinking about your own faith story, how do these statements, five principles, sit with you? What do you think: 1)Jesus is the only head of the church. Does that differ from how you were raised? 2)Christian is a sufficient name. What are the names of denominations you have belonged to? Catholic, Episcopal, Methodist… Do we need more labels – even UCC? Does anyone outside our churches care one bit about it? 3)The Bible is a sufficient rule for faith and practice. Were you raised in a tradition of creeds and doctrines? 4)Christian character is enough to join a church. That could be a tricky one. What if a church decided that something about you was not Christian-enough? But their concern was really with creeds and doctrines. 5)Private judgment and the right to follow your conscience. Does that sound like what you grew up with? Does it describe who you are now? If it does, you might be UCC! Here’s to our Fifth Stream. We have many stories to learn and tell. To learn more, see Afro-Christian Convention: The Fifth Stream of the UCC edited by Yvonne Delk published by United Church Press in 2023 |
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March 2024
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