Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] May 29, 2022 “In the Way of Potential Profits” Acts 16: 16-34 One day, when we were on the way to the place for prayer, we met a slave woman. She had a spirit that enabled her to predict the future. She made a lot of money for her owners through fortune-telling. 17 She began following Paul and us, shouting, “These people are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming a way of salvation to you!” 18 She did this for many days. This annoyed Paul so much that he finally turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I command you to leave her!” It left her at that very moment. 19 Her owners realized that their hope for making money was gone. They grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the officials in the city center. 20 When her owners approached the legal authorities, they said, “These people are causing an uproar in our city. They are Jews 21 who promote customs that we Romans can’t accept or practice.” 22 The crowd joined in the attacks against Paul and Silas, so the authorities ordered that they be stripped of their clothes and beaten with a rod. 23 When Paul and Silas had been severely beaten, the authorities threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to secure them with great care. 24 When he received these instructions, he threw them into the innermost cell and secured their feet in stocks. 25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26 All at once there was such a violent earthquake that it shook the prison’s foundations. The doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose. 27 When the jailer awoke and saw the open doors of the prison, he thought the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword and was about to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted loudly, “Don’t harm yourself! We’re all here!” 29 The jailer called for some lights, rushed in, and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He led them outside and asked, “Honorable masters, what must I do to be rescued?” 31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your entire household.” 32 They spoke the Lord’s word to him and everyone else in his house. 33 Right then, in the middle of the night, the jailer welcomed them and washed their wounds. He and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his home and gave them a meal. He was overjoyed because he and everyone in his household had come to believe in God. Let’s recap: Today’s passage begins, “one day while they were on the way to the place for prayer…” So, Paul and Silas were still staying at Lydia’s house. She’s the dealer in purple cloth they met on the Sabbath at the “place for prayer” along the river. She converted and then convinced Paul and his companions to stay at her house for as long as they wanted. By the way, about that “place along the river to pray…” In towns or cities where the population of Jews was too small, people often gathered along a river for prayer because a full-fledged synagogue required at least 10 men to hold a service. So, one day, on their way to the river, they encountered a girl – some translations say “woman” – who kept shouting “Hey! Pay attention! These guys represent the Most High God, and they’re offering you a new way of life!” “Hey! Pay attention! These guys represent the Most High God, and they’re offering you a new way of life!” “Hey! Pay attention! These guys represent the Most High God, and they’re offering you a new way of life!” Annoying, right? She was a fortune teller and funny enough, she was just marketing for them! She wasn’t insulting them. And yet, she did this for days! And finally, Paul snapped. He’d had enough of her annoying marketing so he turned around and rebuked the spirit that gave her the ability to see into the future. She made lots of money for her owners, but with her spirit of divination now gone, her owners were very upset. Their very lucrative slave was useless. At that point, the girl disappears from the story. But there’s so much more I want to know about her. What was her life like? Why she was a slave? I looked into the practice of slavery in the Roman Empire only to be led down a rabbit hole of “maybe this” or “maybe that.” Maybe she was from a conquered people from outer parts of the Empire. Maybe she was sold to pay her parent’s debt. Even today it’s not so uncommon in many parts of the world for a child to be sold to pay a debt, part of the scourge of human trafficking. Something so horrendous we virtually never speak of it. But, regardless of why this girl was enslaved, the bottom line: the purpose of her life was to make her owners lots of money. And as soon as she lost that ability, she was of no use. We don’t hear any more about her and the story moves on. Enter now the state/the Empire. Paul and Silas are in big trouble. But notice, their offense was that this girl could no longer produce a profit for her owners, not that she was a slave. Paul and Silas interrupted commerce and so the state/the Empire stepped in, on the side of the “property” owners. Shocking, right? No one cared about the girl’s life – her well-being, her flourishing, her humanity. They cared about her profit potential. Paul and Silas were accused, stripped of their clothes, beaten with rods, thrown in jail and locked up. Around midnight an earthquake shook the jail’s foundation and caused the doors to open and the stocks to break. Everyone’s chains came loose but instead of escaping, they waited to be discovered, thereby saving the life of the jailer who would have otherwise committed suicide for his failure. With tremendous gratitude, the jailer asked how he could be “rescued” and was told to believe in Jesus. He and his entire household were baptized and then he invited everyone to his house for a meal. Everyone was overjoyed because he and his household had come to believe in God. Hallelujah, happily-ever-after, Amen. But that’s actually not the end. The lectionary ends but the story continues. The next morning, aware of the hubbub that night, the legal authorities sent the police to the jailer with orders to release Paul and Silas. Tell them, Go in peace! But Paul replied, “you know, you called us guilty, you beat us publicly and severely, you put us in jail and locked us up without a trial. You did this to a Roman citizen.” Uh-oh. This was more than an egg-on-your-face, lose-your-job, kind of mistake. I’m not sure what the actual punishment would have been, but you weren’t allowed to do those things to a Roman citizen without a trial. Alarmed at what they had done, the authorities escorted Paul and Silas to the edge of town and begged them to leave, pretty-please. Paul and Silas weren’t trying to cause trouble, but they weren’t going to leave just so the offending authorities could avoid misfortune. Instead, Paul and Silas turned around and went back into town and continued to stay with Lydia until they wanted to leave. There. That’s the end. Kind of anti-climactic. But it’s an interesting story, right? Or kind-of an interesting story. Sort of? The bigger question isn’t whether it’s interesting, but what do we do with it? Why does this story matter? And honestly, sometimes stories like this don’t have any purpose other than as background material, part of the overall narrative. But, if we break this story down to all its pieces and parts, there is something about it. Something about it calls out for us to pay attention. It’s that little fortune-telling girl. She cries out to bring attention to Paul and Silas. “Hey! These guys represent the Most High God, and they’re offering you a new way of life!” But still, what about her life – her well-being, her flourishing, her humanity? This little girl’s life had only mattered to the extent that it didn’t affect the enterprise of her owners. What happens when little boys and girls get in the way of profit-making? We saw more evidence of what happens this week. Nevaeh Bravo was 10 years old – her first name is Heaven spelled backward[1] Jose Flores Jr., 10 years old, had just received his honor roll certificate hours before Uziyah Garcia, 10 years old, was described as the sweetest boy ever Jackie Cazares (casa rays) and Annabell Rodriguez, both 10 years old, were cousins and friends Makenna Lee Elrod, 10 years old, loved to play softball, do gymnastics, and sing and dance Eliahna ‘Ellie’ Garcia, 9 years old, was big into family and loved being with her family Amerie Jo Garza, 10 years old, was an honor roll student Jayce Carmelo Luevanos, (loo ay van os) 10 years old, always had a smile on his face and was full of life Xavier Lopez, 10 years old, had received awards at a ceremony earlier in the day Tess Mata (mah-ta), 10 years old, had the biggest smile ever Miranda Mathis, 11 years old, was a sweet angel Alithia Ramirez, 10 years old, loved to draw and wanted to be an artist, and had recently submitted a drawing to the Doodle for Google contest. Maite (my-TAY) Rodriguez, 10 years old, was a sweet girl Alexandria Aniyah Rubio, 10 years old, was an honor student who had just won a “good citizen” award Layla Salazar, 10 years old, loved to swim and dance to Tik Tok videos. She was fast — she won six races at the school’s field day. Eliahana Cruz Torres, 10 years old, loved to play softball Rojelio Torres, 10 years old, was very intelligent, hardworking, and helpful. He’s pictured in a t-shirt that says he is a, “difference maker” Jaliah (ha-LEE-ah) Nicole Silguero (see l GAY ro), 10 years old, told her mother she didn’t want to go to school that day Eva (AYva) Mireles, was a 4th-grade teacher, mother of a daughter with Down Syndrome, and had taught in Uvalde for 17 years. She and Irma Garcia had taught 4th grade together for 5 years. Irma had four children with her husband of 24 years, Joe who, two days after her death, collapsed and died of a broken heart. These 14 girls, 5 boys and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas are the latest to get in the way of profit-making by gun manufacturers, NRA lobbyists, and politicians. Some actually dare to say these deaths are simply the price of freedom. But add to that, the price paid not just by the dead, but those who survived. The fear of death felt by over 221,000 Kindergarten, elementary, middle school, and high school students who have experienced a shooting at their school since Columbine.[2] The millions of children who have had to endure the trauma of active shooter drills. More money and more guns, always offered as a solution, did not help. The school had done every one of the things suggested to keep their students safe; 40% of Uvalde’s town budget was spent on policing and tactical equipment. But one teen age boy broke through carrying an assault weapon. These military-style weapons have no purpose but to hunt humans. Not deer or elk or geese. Not to protect one’s home and family. They are to kill people. Oh, and to bring in massive profits for their owners. The vast majority of Americans, including responsible gun owners, think this is insanity and we are being held hostage. So, what’s the answer? How to change this comes down to complex policies and advocacy and public will, but theologically, our text points to the little girl’s owners who are angry about the loss of potential profits while she points to Paul and Silas and yells “Hey! Pay attention! These guys represent the Most High God, and they’re offering you a new way of life!” And what is that? A way of life where security comes from investing in her human flourishing, not arming teachers A way of life where children are innocent and free, not practicing drills to avoid active shooters A way of life where the state/the Empire sides with student well-being, not corporate well-being The Prophet Isaiah, the other kind of “prophet,” described that vision: “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation; they will no longer learn how to make war.” Or for our world: They will bend the barrel of the gun into flowerpots and melt the triggers into gardening tools. And the people of the nation will not take up guns against one another. And the children will no longer learn how to kill nor need to know how to avoid being killed. That requires more than our thoughts and prayers. [1] https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2022/05/25/remembering-the-victims-of-the-uvalde-elementary-school-shooting/ [2] https://giffords.org/issues/kids-and-guns/
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Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] May 15, 2022 “We’re Not Radical. Just Early.” Acts 11: 1-18 The apostles and the brothers and sisters throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had welcomed God’s word. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him. 3 They accused him, “You went into the home of the uncircumcised and ate with them!” 4 Step-by-step, Peter explained what had happened. 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying when I had a visionary experience. In my vision, I saw something like a large linen sheet being lowered from heaven by its four corners. It came all the way down to me. 6 As I stared at it, wondering what it was, I saw four-legged animals—including wild beasts—as well as reptiles and wild birds.[a] 7 I heard a voice say, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’ 8 I responded, ‘Absolutely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 The voice from heaven spoke a second time, ‘Never consider unclean what God has made pure.’ 10 This happened three times, then everything was pulled back into heaven. 11 At that moment three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were staying. 12 The Spirit told me to go with them even though they were Gentiles. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered that man’s house. 13 He reported to us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is known as Peter. 14 He will tell you how you and your entire household can be saved.’ 15 When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them, just as the Spirit fell on us in the beginning. 16 I remembered the Lord’s words: ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, then who am I? Could I stand in God’s way?” 18 Once the apostles and other believers heard this, they calmed down. They praised God and concluded, “So then God has enabled Gentiles to change their hearts and lives so that they might have new life.” Watch the UCC Bouncer Ad - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW6X6l5XGsw “Jesus didn’t turn people away. Neither do we.” It may be a bit presumptuous for the UCC to make this claim because we can’t guarantee this is everyone’s experience. In fact, it isn’t always everyone’s experience. But I do hope it expresses our theology and aspirations. Not everyone agrees, of course,: “Jesus doesn't turn people away?!? Um sorry, but you can't be an open, unrepentant homosexual and be a Christian. The UCC isn't a ‘church’ but instead a synagogue of Satan.” Wow. This TV commercial, called the Bouncer ad and one more called the Ejector Seat, aired on many networks. It was 2004. But CBS refused to air it. Their official response was that it advocated for gay marriage at the same time as the Bush administration was proposing a constitutional amendment against it. It’s a bit of a stretch to claim that showing two seconds of two men holding hands and a group shot of two women whose haircuts may resemble lesbians had anything to do with marriage, but to our good fortune, the controversy provided tons of free air time on network news, including CBS. Leaders of some denominations expressed outrage. We don’t have bouncers at the front door! Yes, maybe not literally, but that isn’t how it always feels. And how did it feel to be a Gentile in the very beginning of the Jesus Messiah movement? It never feels good to be talked about. It feels terrible to be blamed for creating controversy when all you want is to be included. Or how did it feel to be like Peter. Instead of being welcomed in Jerusalem with applause for a good job done, Peter is greeted with consternation and condemnation. How could you eat with one of those people? Peter had a grand and puzzling vision. And then had a series of experiences which led him to conclude that God shows no partiality. What God calls clean we must not call unclean. But first he had to defy his Jewish tradition by eating with the God-worshiper, but uncircumcised Cornelius. Yet, it was clear to Peter that his defiance was God’s will, further confirmed when he and other witnesses marveled at how the Holy Spirit fell upon Gentiles just as it had on Pentecost upon Jews gathered from every nation. To be clear, the “opposition” were not against the Gentiles. They just believed that Gentiles needed to maintain ritual purity, follow the dietary laws, and, if an adult male, be circumcised. This was not a fight between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians. This is a family feud into which Peter introduces a new vision. But remember, this wasn’t Peter’s idea. He was following a vision from God. But you have to have sympathy for the traditionalists. One guy has a vision and thousands of years of religious tradition are just supposed to be swept aside? Of course, changing any tradition, especially religious traditions, is never easy. The UCC likes to claim “we were the first.” There’s even a webpage listing UCC Firsts.[1] For example, we were the first Protestant denomination to ordain a man of African descent, Lemuel Haynes, in 1785. We were the first denomination in America to ordain a woman, Antoinette Brown, in 1853. And yes, but not exactly. The UCC wasn’t formed until 1957, so it was one of the predecessor denominations that united to form the UCC. So, more accurately, Congregationalists in Connecticut ordained Lemuel Haynes in 1785. Antoinette Brown was ordained in 1853. Except, it was only recognized by her church in South Butler, New York. The local association of Congregational churches did not recognize her ordination, nor did the denomination. And, in fact, sadly, she left after 10 months and became a Unitarian, never to serve as a pastor again. In 1883, Emma Newman was the first female to be licensed to preach and pastor by an association of Congregational churches in Kansas. She went to Harvard and completed all the same seminary classes as men but she was only a guest, not allowed to enroll, so she didn’t “graduate.” Clearly gifted and allowed to serve churches, still, denominational officials refused to let her be ordained. But not to denigrate these milestones, today more than half of UCC pastors are female. And a growing, but still small, number of transgender persons who are called to ministry in the church are being ordained. Another first. We were the first denomination in Christian history to ordain an openly gay man, Bill Johnson, in 1972. It’s hard to believe that was 50 years ago! It was the Golden Gate Association of the Northern California Nevada Conference that ordained him – not the denomination as a whole. That’s how it works for us. Our authorization for ministry rests in over 200 regional groups of churches which make decisions for themselves. Fortunately, unlike the United Methodists struggling with this issue since 1972, the rest of the denomination doesn’t have to agree. Still, even on a local level, Bill’s ordination was no easy task. But gratefully, the Apostle Peter was brave enough to challenge thousands of years of religious tradition on behalf of Gentiles everywhere. And gratefully, one brave man called by God to be ordained risked stepping forward. There were 96 delegates eligible to vote that day and 65% agreed to ordain Bill Johnson. An attempt was made to have the UCC Executive Council overturn it, but that’s not an authority they have. Instead, the Executive Council turned the request upside down and passed a resolution recommending that sexual orientation in itself is not a qualification or disqualification for ordination – a resolution then adopted by the whole General Synod, one of the first of many affirming Synod resolutions including being the first denomination to endorse same gender marriage equality – way back in 2005.[2] An action not binding on congregations, but still, a first of which we can certainly be proud. Another first. The Rev. Harold Wilke was born without arms and forced to deal with discrimination from an early age. He was barred from his local elementary school and had to walk several miles each day to another school. In college, administrators thought that a man who ate with a fork between his toes did not belong where others could see him. Wilke ate in the kitchen of the campus dining room until so many of his friends insisted on joining him in the kitchen that administrators finally relented and let him sit in the main room. He earned master’s degrees from Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Union Theological Seminary in New York, Harvard University plus a doctorate at the University of Chicago. He felt called to the ordained ministry but sadly, not in a shining moment of bravery, the hierarchy of one of the predecessors to the United Church of Christ, the Evangelical and Reformed Church, discouraged him from seeking ordination. Nevertheless, he persisted and was ordained in 1939, but only after demonstrating that he could conduct the rites of the church as well as a person without disabilities. He served as a pastor, college and hospital chaplain, and became a tireless advocate with people with disabilities. In 1990, his role was recognized by the White House where he was invited to the ceremony for the signing of the Americans With Disabilities Act. While President George H.W. Bush was signing the bill, he handed out ceremonial pens. Since Harold had no arms, the president didn’t know what to do with Wilke’s pen. But, to his surprise, Harold quickly removed his shoe, stuck out his foot, took the pen between his toes, and slipped it into his shoe. Later, while seated next to First Lady Barbara Bush, he used his toes to put the pen into his coat pocket, to a roar of approval from the assembled guests. God called and Rev. Wilke pushed the boundaries and opened the door for many UCC ministers who followed. As I mentioned last week, among our firsts, Congregationalists opened Oberlin College to raise up men and women who would eliminate slavery; it was the first college in America to admit women. Congregationalists opened the American School for the Deaf in Hartford, Connecticut which became Gallaudet University that began a movement that transformed the possibilities of millions of hearing-impaired persons. These actions didn’t happen because they were all unanimous decisions but because persistent and faithful people listened to the Spirit. And when we can all get out of the way, resist long standing prejudices, and open ourselves to new revelation, we who oppose one thing one day may just find ourselves praising God the next. One of my favorite buttons says: The UCC isn’t radical. We’re just early. It may sound like bragging, but it affirms the bravery of our ancestors. And these are the kinds of things we want to teach and encourage in our children and youth. The church changes lives, if we act as though it, we, can. This week one of my confirmation students graduated from law school. As I’ve done many times, at the end of 8th grade we went to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation for a week – hard work, history, cultural immersion, and transformation. Daniel was so affected, he went back with the church two more times and then went to work on his own during summers. When he graduated high school, he went to college only to drop out a few months later. He returned to the reservation for two more years before deciding to ultimately go to law school and focus on the very native issues first introduced to him in church. He wants to change the world and I have no doubt that he will. In the Book of Acts, written 2,000 years ago, Peter acted on God’s vision. It’s wasn’t his idea that the church should widen its welcome for people to belong. But pushing against the boundaries, those who wished to be baptized were now welcome, just as they were, not because of what they changed. In every age we are called to keep doing the same. Mission Hills UCC didn’t become Open and Affirming to LGBTQ people because you thought it was a good idea. You were following God’s vision, for it was God who called the brave people sitting here today and saints who’ve gone before to widen the welcome. And in the name of Christ, with the power of the Spirit, we’re called to keep pushing at the edge of inclusion. In closing, watch the Ejector Seat ad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbrd0rhtsG0 [1] https://www.ucc.org/ucc-firsts/ [2] https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/us/united-church-of-christ-backs-samesex-marriage.html Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] May 8, 2022 “A Single Garment of Destiny” Acts 9: 36-43 36Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity. 37At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. 38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” 39So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. 41He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. 42This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43Meanwhile he stayed in Joppa for some time with a certain Simon, a tanner. The season of graduations and commencement speeches has begun. In 1965, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was invited to give the commencement address for Oberlin College.[1] If you didn’t know, Oberlin was founded by Congregationalists in 1830 upon “the radical notion that slavery was America's most horrendous sin and that it should be instantly repented of and immediately brought to an end.” The founders sought to raise up Christian men and women who would change the world. It was, in fact, the first college in the United States to enroll both men and women and one of the first to enroll African Americans. During 1960s, Oberlin had sent a lot of students to participate in the civil rights movement, so it would not have been unusual to think that Dr. King would be a commencement speaker. In his speech, he reminded graduates of the old story of Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving. If you don’t remember, Rip went up the side of a mountain and laid down for a nap and woke up 20 years later – obviously confused why his musket was rusty and his beard a foot long. When he went to sleep, a sign on the little inn in town had a picture of King George III of England. When he came down the mountain, the sign had a picture of George Washington, the first president of the United States. Rip didn’t know he had slept through the American Revolution. Dr. King told the graduating class, there’s “nothing more tragic than to sleep through a revolution. The great challenge facing you today,” he said, “is to remain awake through this social revolution.” Remain committed, remain engaged to the promise of equality. It was a hopeful time. School desegregation, the 1964 Civil Rights Act. The Voting Rights Act would become law two months later. It was a time of great optimism for some, of increasing rights and freedoms, while for others it represented a terrible horror, the perceived loss of privilege. A counter revolution was begun, and, unless we’ve been asleep, we have been watching the slow but quickening pace reversing those same individual rights, responsibilities, and freedoms. Dr. King made an urgent plea to them and to all of us. Please remember: “All humankind is tied together; all life is interrelated, and we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.” We are tied in a single garment of destiny. I love that image and it came to mind because of Tabitha. She lived it. Her life’s dedication to good works and acts of charity was to literally sew garments for the poor; for widows, orphans and anyone in need. She saw their needs tied to her own. We don’t know if she was a widow herself. We don’t know if she was poor or wealthy. Some have speculated that she was obviously a woman of means to afford all of her work. We don’t know that. All we know is that she is the only woman in the Bible explicitly given the name “disciple,” on remarkably equal footing as men. Dr. Wilda Gaffney points out that of women in the Bible, “Tabitha stands out neither as a wife nor widow nor mother. She stands alone, named a disciple of Jesus Christ without regard to patriarchy and patrimony.”[2] In addition to disciple, Tabitha has two more names. Her Hebrew name, which means gazelle, and her Greek name, Dorcas, since they were Jews living away from Jerusalem. Like Paul and Saul last week. Just think about it. She was of such importance in the church that not only would someone think to go summon Peter to come, but that Peter would drop everything else to come upon hearing of her death. To do what, exactly? She’s not dying. Luke makes it clear she got sick and died unexpectedly. Her body has already been washed and laid in an upstairs room. Mourners filled the room, those directly clothed by her compassion. They were not professional mourners brought in, as was sometimes the case, but actual people whose lives were woven into hers. When Peter arrived, he had the mourners leave the room. He knelt down and prayed and turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. He helped her get out of bed and called everyone back into the room to show that she was alive. It’s very natural to think, “well then, she wasn’t really dead. She was in a coma” or something like that. But what happened isn’t as important as why. Past the details, why was this story told? But first, here’s another question. Who is this story about? Sure, Tabitha is named, but most people point to Peter. Look at what Peter did. Good job Peter! But is Tabitha just a passive object of Peter’s actions? On the one hand, you could say that – just like Jesus – Peter raised Tabitha. But wait, Tabitha was the one raised, just like Jesus. Dr. Febby Dickerson is a womanist biblical scholar and she says, “It is Tabitha, not Peter, who functions like Jesus; she ‘sacrificed for others, died, and was raised.’”[3] Tabitha was raised. Dickerson rescues Tabitha from conventional, stereotypical readings of her as the helpless poor widow whose presence elevates Peter. I love it when someone points out the obvious. Our years of patriarchal training have taught us to think Peter is the hero of the story. Yes, but… And maybe that wasn’t Luke’s intention, but he has already lifted Tabitha above the prevailing patriarchal understanding of discipleship not defined by gender.[4] Tabitha is, of course, just one story in a larger narrative about Peter. But, then again, Peter is just one story in a larger narrative about Jesus. And the narrative of the early Christian Church. And the story of us – all the way to you and me. Because we are all tied together in a single garment of destiny. “All humankind tied together; all life interrelated, all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality.” It seems to me that Dr. King told those Oberlin graduates the meaning of Tabitha’s life: I can never be what I ought to be until you are what you ought to be. And you can never be what you ought to be until I am what I ought to be – this [is the] interrelated structure of reality.” And yet, I’m afraid some of us will take the news of past week as a single, isolated issue that has nothing to do with us. How will this affect me? Just like Dr. King said in his commencement speech, “Let nobody give you the impression that the problem of racial injustice will work itself out. Let nobody give you the impression that only time will solve the problem. That is a myth, and it is a myth because time is neutral. Time can be used either constructively or destructively.” He lamented that the people who were against his equal rights have used their time much more effectively. Remember: “human progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless efforts and the persistent work of dedicated individuals.” But never as isolated individuals. That’s why it is so important to belong to communities like this for nurture and support. Plus, we want to share these values with the coming generations. We can’t do this alone or forever. The same with Tabitha too. I asked earlier, why was Tabitha’s story told? The miracle was not merely the restoration of one individual, no matter how important she was. Her resurrection was for her community. And her restoration was not a reward for her good deeds. It kept the community’s post-Easter hopes alive.[5] As I said on Easter morning, resurrection wasn’t “accomplished” on what we call Easter. Resurrection was begun. Resurrection was unleashed. Which means, regardless how dark the coming days, hope is never left for dead. The pulse may have been checked, the body washed, the mourners called, but never leave the cause of equal rights, responsibilities, and freedoms for dead. Regardless of our positions on various issues, there are some things we hold in common. If we are all part of a single garment of destiny, then we seek a mutuality of all genders, not a world ruled by only one gender. If we are all part of a single garment of destiny, then we seek to define such things as ethics and morality together as Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and people who have no religious affiliation as equal partners, not a nation which gives preference to Christians. If we are all part of a single garment of destiny, then we seek a world where the supremacy is of love – love for every color, language, race, immigration status, national origin and more. Love supremacy, not white. If we are all part of a single garment of destiny, then we seek a world which does not define heterosexuality as normal but which normalizes respect and self-determination and the freedom to define one’s own family. And fairness for people of all abilities. If we are all part of a single garment of destiny, then we seek to ensure that whenever life begins, that life is ultimately fed, clothed, educated, cared for when it’s sick, and loved unconditionally until their last breath. And ensure that women are not wombs but humans with equal rights, responsibilities, and freedoms, with whom we all share a single garment of destiny. And then, we will be able to “transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brother and sisterhood, and speed up the day when, in the words of the prophet Amos, ‘Justice will roll down like waters; and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”[6] [1] Remaining Awake Through a Great Revolution – all Dr. King quotes in this sermon are from this speech [2] Wilda Gafney, A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W, page 64 [3] Febby C. Dickerson, “The Many Faces of Tabitha: A Womanist Reading” [4] Gary Charles, Connections, Year C, Volume 2, page 233 [5] Concept by Marianne Blickenstaff in Connections, Year C Volume 2, page 236 [6] Dr. King Sermons from Mission Hills UCC San Diego, California Rev. Dr. David Bahr [email protected] May 1, 2022 “Life After Hate” Acts 9: 1-6 – New Revised Standard Version Meanwhile Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 Now as he was going along and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” 5 He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6 But get up and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” Shane Johnson is one of the “formers,” what people formerly involved in white nationalism call themselves. He was raised in a family that had been members of the KKK for generations, in a town in Indiana where at one time half of the population belonged to the Klan. One night in jail after a drunken brawl, he had his own “Damascus Road” conversion. When he told his family that he was leaving the KKK behind, they broke nearly every bone in his body and left him along the road as close to dead as you can get. He recovered, but worse than the broken bones, he lost the people and place where he belonged. Even though Shane’s father instilled hate in him from the moment of his birth, Shane believes most people don’t join hate groups because they are hate-filled but because someone invited them to belong, to have a purpose. So, with his background, a couple of years ago he was invited to consult on an app that would identify “hate tweets.” The program would automatically reply, “If you’re tired of living in the darkness of a hate-filled life, there’s a way out. No judgment. Just help.” Shane thought the idea was ridiculous and that such a message would actually lead people to double down, not leave. He said, “You are shaming them as living dark, hate-filled lives. You need to engage them.” Shane has dedicated his life to exactly that. Today’s passage from the Book of Acts is commonly referred to as Paul’s Damascus Road Experience – the original, ultimate dramatic story of conversion. By the way, Saul and Paul are the same person. Luke, the author of Acts, uses the names interchangeably, depending on the context. We first heard the name Saul in Acts chapter 7 when one of the disciples named Stephen was being killed by stoning. Saul held the coats of those busy picking up rocks. Then in chapter 8, Saul “enthusiastically ravaged the church by entering house after house, dragging off both men and women” who belonged to The Way, the earliest descriptors of those who followed the Way of Jesus. Incidentally, they wouldn’t have dragged off women if they hadn’t also been leaders in the church. So here we are now in chapter 9 and Saul was “still spewing murderous threats against the disciples.” He’s gone to the high priest in Jerusalem requesting letters to take with him to the synagogues in Damascus, giving permission to arrest followers of Jesus and drag them off to prison in Jerusalem. Why? Maybe Saul is just protecting the integrity of his religion. He feels a duty to safeguard something he loves and maybe he’s just a little too zealous about it. But John Dominic Crossan describes his zeal as “religious vigilantism.” You know, the kind of thing that causes someone to hear enough sermons proclaiming “God Hates Fags” to leave church and go assault LGBTQ people on the street. Or kill a doctor who works in a women’s health clinic. Or attend Bible study at a Black Church and kill 9 people. Religious vigilantes may not be explicitly told to do this, but a preponderance of hateful speech from any podium or pulpit and we shouldn’t be surprised. Saul was on his way to Damascus when he heard someone ask why. He heard a voice: Why are you persecuting me? He was dazed by a blinding light and knocked to the ground. Those traveling with Saul heard the voice too, but they saw no one. When Saul opened his eyes, he couldn’t see, so they led him by the hand all the way to Damascus. Three days later, a disciple in Damascus named Ananias had a vision in which he heard Jesus tell him to go find a man named Saul and lay hands on him so he could regain his sight. Ananias had certainly heard of Saul. They all had. He protested, exclaiming “this man has done horrible things to us. He’s here in Damascus to drag your disciples to prison. Why in the world would I restore his sight?” Yes! Exactly. I would say the same thing. I had a bully in school named Tracy. Of the 32 students in my graduating class, I had gone all the way from kindergarten to 12th grade with about 25 of them. In the same building. I could say hi to Mrs. Grund, my first-grade teacher, while walking into Mr. Schaunder’s Future Farmers of America class in high school. The girls went to Future Homemakers of America classes. No kidding. For the most part, we all got along, but things changed when Tracey moved to town when I was in 6th grade. He was in 8th grade. He looked at me and saw something I didn’t know about myself and used every opportunity, for 5 years, to embarrass and humiliate me. I could call it “persecution” but that’s a little too extreme. So, imagine he was failing in school and I had been asked to tutor him. Surely, I would have protested, “Why in the world would I help him?!” A few years ago, I thought I had an opportunity to ask him “why did you persecute me.” It was our town’s 125th anniversary and he still lived there. But actually, just sort of. His brother, who had always been nice to me, told me Tracy had been in prison for the past 10 years. I struggled through some very complicated emotional responses, tempted by thoughts of justice and joy. And then regret for thoughts of justice and joy. Ananias protested that he shouldn’t help Saul but he did as he was asked. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord sent me so you could see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And instantly something like scales or flakes fell from Saul’s eyes. He got up and was baptized and stayed in Damascus for several more days. He went to the same synagogues where he intended to arrest men and women who belonged to the Way and instead began to preach that Jesus was the Son of God. Everyone who heard him was baffled. Isn’t he the one who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem? What is he doing? The Christians didn’t believe him and the others were so incensed they hatched a plot to kill him. But the disciples who believed his conversion was real helped him escape. They took him at night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the city wall. When he arrived in Jerusalem, no one there believed him. Rightfully, they were still afraid of him, but Barnabas spoke up and told them about Saul’s Damascus Road Experience. The disciples were reluctantly convinced to accept him. But there were others very unhappy with his conversion who now also wanted to murder him, so a family of believers helped him escape to Caesarea and sent him back home to Tarsus. We don’t hear any more about him for a little while. Quite a story, right? An unexpected reversal, a turning away toward something completely opposite. I understand the reluctance of everyone who doubted that Paul had really changed. Do you ever think it’s hard to believe that someone has truly turned over a new leaf? Many of the “formers” like Shane Johnson feel like they constantly have to prove themselves, their motives always in question. Like Najibullah Zazi. Due to war with Russia, his family was forced to leave Afghanistan when he was just a baby in 1985. They lived on food rations in tents in a refugee camp in Pakistan for 9 years and were finally resettled in New York when he was 14. Things weren’t easy and he dropped out of school in 12th grade, around the time of 9/11. When he was 21, he became an entrepreneur with his own coffee cart in downtown Manhattan, but he still felt out of place, like he wasn’t really welcome in America. And then a friend gave him an audiotape of a cleric which began to convince him he should return to Afghanistan to fight with Al Qaeda to uphold the honor of Islam and liberate his country. He was trained to build bombs and sent back to the US to plan a suicide attack under Grand Central Station during rush hour. The FBI learned of the plot and arrested him and two friends. After his arrest, Najibullah began to provide years of what the government called “extraordinary cooperation.” Ten years in prison and a commitment to life-long cooperation led a judge to say he earned an “unthinkable second chance.” Judge Dearie lamented that impressionable people had been “hijacked and corrupted by the rhetoric of hate.” Najibullah replied, “Your honor, the uneducated are perfect targets for the unscrupulous.” Not everyone was happy. And many people didn’t believe Najibullah had really changed. Like Shane. And maybe Saul. Truthfully, I may have an easier time believing Shane and Najibullah than Saul, or as we better know him, Paul. That’s because Paul’s subsequent words have caused tormenters like Tracy to think they were justified in acting like bullies. Or worse, inspiring future vigilantes. Paul is a complicated guy. One of the one hand he proclaims in Romans chapter 8 38 “I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Those are some of the most beautiful inspiring words in the New Testament. And then on the other hand, there are the things he says in Romans chapter 1 that get LGBTQ people killed by religious extremists. Anti-Semites quote the words of Paul straight out of their mouth. On the one hand, Paul encouraged women who were leaders in the early church and on the other diminished them. Exhorted to be silent – or at least by someone writing in his name. And slavery. On one hand he said that in Christ there is no longer Jew or Greek, male or female, slave or free. And on the other, slaves be obedient. Howard Thurman’s grandmother had been a slave. Howard used to read from the Bible for her, but she refused to listen to anything Paul wrote, except 1st Corinthians 13. She had heard enough preaching from Paul about how to be a good slave. Why, Paul, if not you, why do your words continue to persecute? So, we go back to that vision Ananias had. There’s one more thing. Remember, Jesus asked him to visit Saul in order to lay hands on him to restore his sight. Ananias protested. You can’t be serious. All the terrible things he’s done, his reign of terror… But in the vision, Jesus persisted and explained: “This is the man I have chosen.” Regretfully, there have been times I have said “I hate Paul.” How can he be a chosen instrument of God? Well, perhaps the story inspires us to ask: how can you and I be? Or Shane and Tracy and Najibullah. Maybe… to believe that there is life after hate. Not anyone else’s hate, but mine. My reluctance, even refusal, to understand. My reluctance, or refusal, to stop judging. My reluctance, and sadly refusal, to forgive. Eugene Peterson asks us to imagine one individual in whom we see no hope. They will never change. What might it mean to think that God has “chosen” her or him or them? Have you ever had a Damascus Road Experience? “I was one person before and I’m a different person now”? Or maybe not a blinding light of recognition, but a slow, gradual evolution of thought and action, becoming less judgmental. But are there residual judgments we still make about others, or even ourselves? There are a lot of people in our lives, and in our country, we may be reluctant, or even refuse, to understand. To stop judging. Or even imagine we can forgive. Thankfully there is life after hate. |
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March 2024
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