A Call To Action!

This sermon was originally preached at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ on Sunday, January 29, 2017 at the 9 am service. The audio can be heard here. 

This morning, we are faced with two familiar texts. If you remember, I preached the Micah text in conjunction to celebrate the life and witness of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the 88^th anniversary of his death two weeks ago, and today’s gospel happens to be The Beatitudes.

These twelve verses are familiar to those of us who have been in the church for a great length of time; in fact, these verses are presented first by Matthew to introduce his readers to the importance of understanding Jesus and the requirements for entering the kingdom, because for Matthew and his retelling of the Gospel, entering the Kingdom of God is the most important aspect of Jesus’ ministry on earth.

Yes, these are quite familiar verses, and please understand that while we proclaim them as Gospel today, Matthew’s readers and those who originally heard Jesus speak these words saw them as revolutionary. And let’s be honest this morning, they WERE revolutionary, for they speak to a people who were anything but blessed.

I love studying people smarter than me, so I defer to Dr. Marcia Y. Riggs, a noted Presbyterian theologian. She says it this way:

Jesus delivers these blessings to a people whose sociopolitical context is the Roman Empire and whose religious context is the elite Jewish establishment. What Jesus teaches in these ten verses critiques both contexts. The people being blessed are the underclass of the Roman Empire and the Jewish establishment, for they were one in the same. These blessings are delivered to the groups God deems worthy, not because of their own achievements or status in society, but because God chooses to be on the side of the weak, the forgotten, the despised, the justice seekers, the peacemakers, and those persecuted because of their beliefs.

Jesus makes a clarion call about what is happening here, and there is a political foundation for what is being said – all of this is organized around the pursuit of righteousness by those who are able – at potential risk of their own lives – for the sake of a world in which the unvalued, including they themselves when they are persecuted, are at last fully valued as human beings. These verses provide a commissioning that undergirds the necessary instructions for Jesus’ chosen disciples and others in the crowd who desire to follow Jesus. As Jesus pronounces God’s blessings, he frames the call to discipleship in terms of both which they are to be, their character, and its consequences for their lives in the present sociopolitical and religious context, as well as in God’s future.

So, Guy, what do Dr. Riggs’ observations, Micah’s message, and Jesus’ sermon mean for us today? I am so glad that you asked!

As I am fond of reminding this congregation, I prepare sermons with the bible in one hand, and the newspaper in the other. This week was no different. I also tell you, at least once a month, that I don’t preach politics, because I honestly believe that the church and the state should be separate for this one reason – once you start allowing one religious body to control civil government, you must be open to letting ALL religions have a chance to control civil government, and once that happens, it is no longer a civil government, it is a theocracy.

This morning, I would be remiss in my duties, both as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND as a decent human being, if I did not speak out against the wanton and rampant discrimination against our Muslim brothers and sisters. In the name of “protecting liberty and freedom”, actions have been taken to actively discriminate against them because of their religion, an position that directly contradicts what this country claims it is based on – religious freedom. In this country, within the last 24 hours, a mosque in Victoria, Texas was set afire – less than 24 hours after the ban on Muslims entering this country was enacted. If I am honest, even though we may disagree about religion in some instances, if Jesus were preaching this message today, he would include our Muslim brothers and sisters in those who are blessed.

This morning, I would be remiss in my duties, both as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND as a decent human being if I did not point out the glaring hypocrisy of banning people seeking to flee war torn countries attempting to come here for safety and sanctuary, while quoting the words of one who, as a baby, was an illegal alien in a country while one the run, because there was a bounty on his head.

This morning, I would be remiss in my duties, both as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND as a decent human being, if I did not speak out against the repeal of an admitted health care law that covered 20 million Americans, most poor and disabled, who now face the nightmare of managing chronic illnesses without health care. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not speak out against the continued purposeful cuts in the social safety net, which is for ALL of us, especially those who are elderly – attacks on Medicare and Social Security.

This morning, I would be remiss in my duties, both as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ AND as a decent human being, if I did not speak out against finding $15 billion dollars to build a wall to keep brown people out, which not being able to find $15 billion to fix the infrastructure in Flint, Michigan so that Americans can have clean drinking water.

Look at the text, if you will. If you look at all of the persons who are considered blessed, they truly ARE those looked down upon in society, and the religious and civil leaders who heard this sermon realized that this was a call to upend society as they knew it. It was a call to flip the establishment on its head! It was a call to liberate the people.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. That’s a promise of what is to come!

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. That’s for those who have lost loved ones to the empire.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. That’s for those who have been quieted, were abused and trampled over.  Notice it doesn’t say weak – but meek.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Those people who work towards a better day for those whoa re downtrodden by the religious authorities in the name of religion, they will see their work rewarded.

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. The measure you give shall be the measure you receive – pressed down, shaken together, and running over shall men give to you!

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.  When I see those two verses, I immediately point back to Deuteronomy 6:5 – “You shall love the Lord with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your might.” THAT’S how one can be pure in heart. THAT’S how one can be called a peacemaker.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Let me make a declaration here: Jesus tells us “you are going to have to wait to receive your rewards. I don’t like this one, personally, as it has been used to subjugate people and to tell them to be happy with their suffering. “

But there is a link between the beatitudes and Micah – if you live the words of Micah 6:8, you then can live the beatitudes.

He has told you, O mortal, what is good;

    and what does the Lord require of you

but to do justice, and to love kindness,

    and to walk humbly with your God?

Is it easy to do? Absolutely not. It causes you to actually have to DO something – justice. It causes you to actually DO something – love kindness. It causes you to actually DO something – walk humbly with your God.

Those who are at the bottom of society, those who need to be blessed, those who are the outcast, already know how to live Micah 6:8, which means to me, they live the beatitudes. May the rest of us learn to do the same.

Amen.

Love Wins!

This message was originally preached on January 22, 2017, at the Mount Pleasant Reformed United Church of Christ at the 11:00 a.m service. The audio can be heard here.

The longer I live, the more I realize that when it comes to people, they always want to be right.

If you don’t believe, me, from September until January, there are some homes that are split in half over football games, and that is very apparent in this area. One person in the house is a Washington Redskins fan, and the other is a Dallas Cowboys fan. A personal note here, the Cowboys fan is right. In other households, one spouse is a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and the other is a Baltimore Ravens fan, and these divisions cause much consternation in the home, and a friendly rivalry exists, but there is still some love there.

 The longer I live, the more I realize that people always want to be right. If you don’t believe me, look at the political situation in our country this very day. Two days ago, many people descended on Washington, DC to inaugurate a new president in the United States, and a day later, many people descended on Washington, DC to protest the inauguration of the new president in the United States. In many neighborhoods in this country, these divisions over the new president’s positions, policies, and practices are causing people to look at each other with suspicion and if we are honest, leading some to reconsider their relationships with people they have lived next door to, played golf with, shared recipes with, and in some instances, actually lived with.

 And I would be remiss in my duties as your pastor if I did not mention that, even in our churches this morning, there is a great division over this same event. There are people who are reconsidering their relationships with people they’ve sat next to, played golf with, shared recipes with, and in some instances, actually lived with, over the election. There is a great division in this country, and if we are honest, rightly so, because of some beliefs about rights and positions on social issues.

And if we are going to really honest thins morning, these divisions  will remain for the foreseeable future, as many of them are based on how people see other people, in their humanity. The longer I live, I tell you, the more I realize that people want to be right, and this is made very evident in this morning’s text from Paul’s first letter to the church at Corinth. If we look at the city of Corinth, we will find that it looks suspiciously like our country this morning, according to Fordham University’s Laurence Welborn, professor of Biblical Studies and Pauline Epistles.

He says it this way: “Paul’s Corinth was a Roman city, was diverse, and included Syrians and Egyptians, along with Greeks who had immigrated from the surrounding cities. Philo speaks of a sizeable Jewish community in Corinth, and the city regained it’s ancient prosperity based on its favorable location. Sharp contrasts between rich and poor were apparent in this flourishing commercial center, but opportunities for social advancement also existed; even freedmen held civic office, something uncommon elsewhere.” Corinth sounds like our country today, and, in the midst of all of those social divisions, there were divisions in, all of places, the Corinthian church.

Paul describes the situation in the church in terms like those used by political orators to characterize conflicts within city-states of the day, and if we examine the text closely, Paul appeals for the church to be in agreement and to be united in the same mind and the same purpose echoes the language of speeches on accord. Paul talks to the people in language they understand in an effort to get the people to get rid of their divisions.

Look at the text: Paul tells the people that he has received reports that there are quarrels – divisions – among the people: “Chloe’s people have reported this, and you are dividing yourselves into factions. Each one of you are are trying to show that you are right. “I belong to Paul. I belong to Apollos. I belong to Cephas. I belong to Christ!” These divisions are splitting the church. And a note – “I belong to Christ” was not indictive of a “Christ Party” as it were, but to be used as satire.

But there are these divisions. Paul asks “Has Christ been divided? Did Paul die for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” And then he drops this nutritional nugget – “Christ did not send me to baptize, but to proclaim the Gospel. And, not only did he send me to proclaim the gospel, but to do it simply, so that the cross of Christ might not lose its power.” And that right there, was divisive within Paul himself. Remember that Paul was an orator – he was a lawyer, he was a Pharisee. He was used to speaking with power and his words had impact. I am sure that as a public speaker, he knew how to move the people with his rhetoric.

Sounds like today. We have public speakers who know how to make wonderful speeches, saying a whole lot of nothing, which excites the people and keeps divisions going, but say nothing. But back to Paul. Paul then ends this portion of the letter with this theological explosion: “For the message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” What? Glad you are as confused as me, and I am sure, the listeners of the day. So, let me help you out a bit. This “foolishness”, as it were, is not the right word to use – these folks look at the gospel as “folly” or “a vulgar joke”.

I still maintain that if one if going to talk about Christ and the message He proclaimed, one must talk about things HE talked about. Jesus talked about the poor, and the sick, and the downtrodden. However, let’s be honest – we don’t want to talk about those things, especially today. We see these things, but don’t want to talk about them. Let’s not talk about the poor, because if they work harder, they would not be poor. Let’s not talk about healthcare, because if people took better care of themselves, they wouldn’t be sick. Let’s not talk about global warming, because we all know it’s a hoax, despite what we actually see and record. We don’t want to talk about that stuff, because it does not impact us. It does not make us feel good, It would actually mean we have to think about someone outside of our own immediate circle of family and friends.

 Yes, to the educated, the learned, the rich and the powerful, Paul’s preaching the cross of Christ is foolishness, for to those being saved, it is the power of God. How can that be? It just is. What do you mean Guy? I am glad you asked. The message of the cross, for me, is that love wins. In spite of the things that divide us, and some of those things are deep and foundational, the cross shows us that love wins. That’s foolishness – a dead messiah? How is that possible? It is. Love wins. I know that we are divided among race, gender, socioecomic, and political lines. Yes. Love wins. That’s foolishness, even to some of us who call ourselves preachers of the Gospel.

I know that “love wins” seems to be simplistic and naïve. But for me, THAT is the message of the Cross. I know that the execution of Jesus was a political act, mean to scare the people into submission, but in the midst of it, Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice shows that true love is to lay down one’s life for a friend. That’s foolishness. But that’s love. Love wins, in spite of everything else going on in the world, in spite of all of the foolishness and competitions and distractions, love wins.

50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King said the following in his annual report to the Southern Christian Leadership Conference: “I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear. And I'm not talking about emotional bosh when I talk about love; I'm talking about a strong, demanding love. For I have seen too much hate. I've seen too much hate on the faces of sheriffs in the South. I've seen hate on the faces of too many Klansmen and too many White Citizens Councilors in the South to want to hate, myself, because every time I see it, I know that it does something to their faces and their personalities, and I say to myself that hate is too great a burden to bear. I have decided to love. If you are seeking the highest good, I think you can find it through love.”

So my friends, love wins. Despite divisions and distractions, love wins. Despite evidence to the contrary, love wins. And in order for love to truly win in the face of hate, WE must be the one to show that love wins. I can’t control other people’s actions, but I can show love.

YOU can’t control other people’s reactions, but you can show love. I know that sounds foolish and simplistic, but it’s true. Love wins.

Amen.

WWMD?

This sermon was originally preached on January 15, 2017 at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ, Keymar, MD. The audio can be heard here.

On this day 88 years ago in Atlanta, GA, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior was born to Reverend Martin Luther King, Senior and Mrs. Alberta Williams King. The middle child, but the oldest son, his father changed both their names from Michael to Martin, in honor of the famed German theologian Martin Luther, following a 1934 trip to the Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin.

A graduate from Morehouse College, the Crozier Theological Seminary and Boston University, he served as the pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and in 1963, gave his most famous speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, “I Have A Dream.”

His life was cut short by an assassin’s bullet on Friday, April 4, 1963 while standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee. Survived by his wife, the former Coretta Scott, and their four children, Yolanda, Martin Luther III, Dexter, and Bernice, as well as his parents and siblings, he was 39 years old at the time of his death.

I have, in the interest of time, reduced one of the most influential men in the history of this nation down two three paragraphs, sort of like people who reduce Dr. King down to the punch line “I Have A Dream” or call him “The Drum Major of Justice”, and that’s all. Many of these people enjoy the day off work that is supposed to honor this hero, but in all honesty, act in ways that are completely opposite to everything that Dr. King believed in.

As I have stated in the past, I believe that one cannot effectively speak to the church or the world with just the Bible or the newspaper – we are required to prepare sermons with the bible in one hand and the newspaper in the other, and these days, that axiom certainly applies. In less than seven days, we will inaugurate a new president in this country, and while many people do not agree with the manner in which he was elected, the process, as established, was followed.

In the midst of that, however, there has been a turn to inflame our basest, and if we are honest, nasty traits. There has been a rise in hate crimes against minorities, whether we want to call them hate crimes or not. There has been a rise in substance abuse cases, whether we want to admit it or not. And just this week, what I consider to be a crime occurred on Capital Hill – the United States Congress has begun moving to repeal the Affordable Care Act, potentially cancelling health care for millions of citizens. There has been a decline in civility, especially when the powerful mock the powerless from their bully pulpits, and using coded language that most decent people would consider shameful.

So, on this anniversary of the birth of Dr. King, I pose the following question: What would Martin do? We know that “What Would Jesus Do” is a popular question and marketing strategy, and let me be clear, I am not elevating Martin to be equal with Jesus, but as a hero to many people, I think that is a fair question to ask. What WOULD Martin do if he were faced with the political, economic, and social landscape we face today? WWMD? I believe Martin would say, “Look to the prophet Micah”.

Now we don’t know much about this prophet, but in his introduction to the book that carries his name, Dr. Gregory Mobley of Andover Newton Theological School, tells us that he was from a small town southwest of Jerusalem called More-sheth-gath, and he had a populist message. Micah expressed disdain for the corruptions and pretensions of Jerusalem and its leaders. He recalled the traditions of early Israel and condemned religious practices unaccompanied by ethical performance.

I asked the question “What Would Martin Do?” and I believe that, if Martin King were alive today, he would say, “There is precedent. Look at Micah!”

Micah makes is very clear:

He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to live kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

The Lord has told us what is good: the Lord requires us to do justice, not just talk about it. I’m sure if we asked Martin “What does doing justice look like?” I would like to think that Martin would show us by:

• speaking out against income inequality, and how the top 1% of people in this country control 90% of the wealth;
• talking about how, in some inner city communities, food deserts exist, and you can get access to grease laden and unhealthy fast foods, but not be able to purchase a fresh tomato or fresh chicken. I would hope he would declare that people deserve to shop in stores that should not be condemned;
• informing the people the fact that people in major cities in the United States don’t have access to clean water, which is a sin and a shame before God almighty herself; and
• declaring that the lack of healthcare to the least of these truly is an example of not loving your neighbor as yourself;
• standing up with ALL disenfranchised people: the poor, the underclass, the underemployed, racial minorities, women, the LGBT community, immigrants, and yes, even Muslims. He would model loving your neighbor as yourself.

Let me put a pin here for a minute – so many people have attempted to neuter Dr. King, like they have Jesus, by making him this soft, ethereal, passive doormat. While Martin believed in non-violence as a tactic, that does NOT mean he was weak by any means. It takes strength to turn the other cheek. It takes strength to be called everything but a child of God. It takes strength to remain strong when the people who have claimed to be in your corner desert you in jail. It takes strength to forgive people who try and kill you, for racists who bomb your house, and who kill four little black girls on a Sunday morning.

I am sure that if we asked Martin “How does one live kindness?” he would show us by:

• calling out our behaviors of treating the disabled as less than people,
• calling us out for not following the biblical mandate to take care of the widows and orphans;
• taking us to task for sending soldiers off to war, and not providing them with adequate physical AND mental health care when they return home; and
• not cutting holes in the social safety net that many of us might have to depend on should we fall on hard times. 

I am sure that if we ask Martin, “How does one walk humbly with your God?”, he would show us by:

• crying out against religious institutions that are more concerned with piety than providing assistance, more concerned with buildings and business than building disciples and loving communities, and more concerned with fame than faith;
• explaining that you can’t claim to love God and hate ANY of God’s people, that are made in God’s image; and
• reminding us that we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves.

So, before I take my seat, if you want to know “What would Martin do?” the answer is simple: he would live the words of Micah 6.8.  Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. He would, and we should as well. That, my friends, is something worth celebrating.

Amen.

A Study In Contradictions

This sermon was preached at the Mount Pleasant Reformed United Church on December 24, 2016. The audio can be heard here.

Contradictions really confuse, and if I am honest, rather upset me. Telling me to do one thing, and then expecting the complete opposite, aggravates me. Ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you – if you want to see Guy Johnson get riled up, give him contradictory instructions or tell him contradictory facts. This is, friends and family, why I am a little aggravated with myself this evening.

You see, I know that when we come to church on Christmas Eve, we want the service to be happy and celebratory. We want to ooh and ah over the birth of the Savior, Jesus. You know the story – wrapped in swaddling clothing, lying in a manger. Born in Bethlehem.

           However, let’s be honest for just a minute. The birth of Jesus was, for the people involved, I’m sure, less than a happy event. While it’s not in Luke’s birth narrative, we must remember that according to Matthew, had Joseph not gotten a visit from an angel telling him that it was ok for him to marry Mary, a very young, pregnant woman, a virgin she claims Had the angel not intervened, Mary would not have been his fiancé, nor would she have been in Bethlehem that night.

Let’s stop there for a minute: how can one be a virgin and pregnant at the same time? How can that be? Yes, we believe that the Holy Spirit came over her and caused her to be pregnant, but we know that’s a contradiction in scientific and biological facts. I ask this question often: would you believe your very young daughter or sister if she came to you with the contradictory statement “I’m a pregnant virgin?” I wouldn’t!

And think about this: this possibly was not a happy birth, because, let’s be honest – who wants to travel during their 9^th month of pregnancy? Who wants to travel with someone during the 9^th month of pregnancy? I can speak from experience – my good friend, Charlotte Davis, was 9 months pregnant while we worked side by side, and I told her that if she went into labor while at work, I jokingly declared I would crawl under the desk, pee on myself, and cry. She told me she would kill me.

Who wants to have their first, or any, child in a barn? Remember that they were in a barn, because there was no room in the inn. Not only was there no room in the inn, but there were no clothes for this baby – Mary wrapped him in bands of cloth – not swaddling clothes, but rags. That’s not something to celebrate. That’s a contradiction!

Christmas itself is a contradiction. We claim that the holiday is about the birth of the Christ-child while pretty much relegating the baby to our manger scenes and carols. At the same time, while claiming that we are striving for "peace on earth, and good will to all men", we participate in rampant consumerism, and talk of wars and rumors of wars.

In this country, the one that we claim is a Christian nation, you know the one – America, the city shining on a hill, America, the one that God has shed his grace on, that crown’s its good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea – has leaders who act in ways contradictory to this whole “Christian nation” talk.

What are you talking about, Guy? I am so glad you asked.

You can’t talk about bombing the crap out of other nations for oil if you claim to be a follower of Christ and want to lead a Christian nation. You can’t talk about “outmatching” rivals in a nuclear arms race if you claim to be a follower of Christ and want to lead a Christian nation. You can’t cut health insurance to the sick, food benefits to the hungry, and propose policies that will push people, minorities in particular, into the “Primary School to Prison” pipeline and claim that this is a Christian nation. You can’t hate your neighbor, whether they are black or white, Baptist or Methodist, Muslim or Athiest, gay or straight, cis-gender or transgender, and claim to be a follower of Christ. Those are contradictions!

We go into debt for things we lose interest in three days after we get them, we eat too much and throw away an amazing amount of food, yet demean people who don't do the same. We claim to love this little baby, yet act in ways that are completely opposite of who and what he represents. Even worse, we perpetuate the very behaviors we tell people not to participate in!

The child’s identity is a contradictory in nature too. You have the prophet Isaiah's words that claim, "a child has been born for us, a son has been given to us". While those words are true – a son has been born, Isaiah's words tell us that he will be named "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace", but his birthplace was nothing wonderful, the people who showed up were not mighty in any way. Had Herod had his way, the baby's life would have never approached everlasting, and this same Herod had declared war on all the babies under the age of two, in an effort to cancel the "threat" this new prince represented.

Isaiah says that this baby, the one born in a barn, will have his authority grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and his kingdom. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the phrase “endless peace”, I anticipate there being some kind of peace, and honestly, there is no peace in the world, and there is definitely none in the region where David’s throne is based. They are an occupied people. Did you miss that? The reason Mary and Joseph are traveling while she is 9 months pregnant is because King Herod, a Roman king, has declared that all people must go back to their hometowns to be counted. That’s not peaceful, because if you don’t obey the royal order, there would be rather unpleasant consequences.

The Isaiah text tells us that He will establish this throne  and uphold it with justice and with righteousness form this time forevermore. We know that there is injustice in the world and righteousness no longer exists in places of power.

You would think that the “Prince of Peace” would have royal visitors. I mean, he is the son of the KING, the ultimate King, yet the only people who come to the barn to visit are shepherds who have the worst job in the pasture – living out in the fields and watching their flocks overnight, and in some other accounts, some wise men who are wise enough not to tell Herod where the baby is. This is not how a king is supposed to be born. This is not how this is supposed to happen.

Or is it?

What if, what if…the birth of this baby happened exactly the way it was supposed to? What if the birth was supposed to upend everything we believe or expect? I mean, Isaiah tells us that this baby will be called Wonderful! Counselor! The Mighty God! The Everlasting Father! The Prince of Peace! What if these circumstances are to show us that God can use less than perfect circumstances to show us that God can make something amazing happen, in spite of, and maybe even because of, contradictions. What we are supposed to realize and learn that, in spite of the contradictions, we have one duty: worship the newborn king.

Yes, there are contradictions in the story. This baby is born in less than perfect circumstances, born to a teenaged mother and an unknown father, and a stepfather who steps in. This baby is born in poverty in a barn, with animals as attendants. This baby only had strangers to come welcome him to the world. This baby had a bounty on his head from the day he was born. This baby was not supposed to make it.

And that’s what makes the birth so amazing – that one born with all of these factors against him – one born in the midst of all of these contradictions - becomes a king.

So my friends: come, let us worship Christ the newborn king.

Amen.

Happy Thanksgiving 2016

I love the Psalms. I do. I remember how surprised I was that David did not write all 150 of them (Bible Interpretation 101 with Dr. Valerie J. Bridgeman and Hebrew Bible with Julia O’Brien blessed my life, so I am thankful for that). I consider them Ancient Israel’s Hymnal, and I love the way they’re classified – lament, royal enthronement, wisdom and torah, entrance, prophetic exhortation, mixed form. Today, however, I want to talk about psalms of thanksgiving.

Today is Thanksgiving Day in America (I can’t call our country the United States, because we are not  “united”). I like this day, because it causes me to take a step back and reflect on my blessings and, like the name indicates, to truly give thanks to God for all that God has blessed me with.

This year, I am grateful for:

·      The four churches where I am licensed to pastor.  Because of them, I am able to actually do the work God called me to do, and they make it easy to be their pastor/associate pastor/clayperson:

o   Keysville Grace UCC

o   Mt. Pleasant Reformed UCC

o   Veritas UCC

o   Grace Reformed UCC

·      Dr. Minh Ta, my primary care physician. Because of his dogged determination to get my blood pressure under control, he discovered another problem that needed to be addressed immediately. He’s also a funny and nice dude. And I am REALLY thankful for the Affordable Care Act, because I am able to go to the doctor and manage my health effectively.

·      Landmark Global. I work for them, for as long as I want to. And while it is not my dream job, it DOES provide income to pay some bills, and like I said earlier last week, take Bob out to dinner every now and then. This job also helps me move more, which helps me manage my health more effectively.

·      Rev. Dr. Rob Apgar-Taylor. When I was looking for a church post-seminary, I remembered meeting him right before I graduated. I still say he was in the corner looking sad, and nobody puts baby in a corner! I’m thankful that my first choice was not the BEST choice. *(Note: I am especially thankful THIS year for him, as he had a horrible car accident the Monday before Thanksgiving, and walked away virtually unscathed. My Bapticostal side went into a Baptist Fit when he said he was ok.)

·      Friends. I have the best, and most loyal, friends on earth.

·      Family. Some of my friends have become family, and let me also tell you, I have the best blood/chosen/blended family ever. This has been a mixed year for me, and through the peaks and valleys, they have been there, no questions asked. My siblings, both by blood and by The Blood (Bapticostals, that’s your shout cue) listened to my joys and concerns, all while encouraging or admonishing me to be the best me I could be. Y’all rock.

·      Poppins Johnson Davis. On August 13, 2016, God blessed our family with the most perfect dog ever. Watching him adapt to us and our home, and us to him, is a sitcom in the making. Unconditional love, this fur ball gives. I tell people all of the time – we were a family, but now we’re complete. And yes, he’s spoiled rotten.

·      Robert Davis. 11 years later, and you still make me so very happy. I’m so glad you came into my life. You support me, even in my madness, and I can say that you’re the one for me. Thank you for all that you do to make our house a home, and for being an AMAZING parent to the 20 pounds of hair that sheds all over our house.

Make sure to show some love to the folks you love. Call someone you haven’t spoken to in a while. Fix some broken relationships.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Faithful

            12) I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13) I can do all things through him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:12-13)

            22) The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; 23) they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24)

            I was walking Poppins last week, and reflecting on my current level of under-employment. A seminary colleague of mine was announcing her new job, the third one since her graduation, and if I am honest, I got mad with God and started expressing my frustration. I started talking out loud to the wind.

“God,” I said, “I did what you called me to do. I followed your call into the wilderness and I am worse off than I was before I went to seminary. I have creditors calling me, and I can’t pay them. I can’t pay these student loans that I took out to do the work you called me to do. I can’t even take Bob out to dinner and worry about whether I can pay the bill. I need yet another car repair, and I cannot afford to have it done. God, I make too much to get government assistance, so what am I supposed to do? This is not right. I just cannot take much more. I need a job. Any job you arrange for me to get, I will do it with joy. But for real God, I need a job.”

And then I stopped, because I ‘d started crying out of frustration. And then the wind started talking back. It simply said, “I am everything you need.”

And I said, “But you don’t get it!”

And the voice said, as clear as day, “You have the man of dreams, with the dog of your dreams, in the house of your dreams. You get to go and do things you never thought you would be able to do. You have friends you never thought you would have. You are walking in your calling, and you have two, TWO congregations to serve. No, you don’t have the money you think you need, But I am everything you need.”

And I let it go, because I had to write a eulogy for one of my members.

A little later, I remembered a story about Darlene Love: “Unable to secure gigs of her own, since promoters wouldn't often believe her ("They said, 'Well, you're not a Crystal, you're not a Ronette and nobody knows you did these songs'"), Love crashed. She stored her belongings in her Mercedes, moved from one relative's home to another and took a job cleaning houses for $100 a day in ritzy L.A. neighborhoods. Darlene Love, one of the greatest background singers of all time, cleaned houses to make ends meet.

And the voice spoke again – “Are you willing to clean houses if you have to?”

And I said the following: “God, any job you send to me, I’ll do it.” And I let it go.

I start working this morning, in a job that dropped into my lap. It’s a long-term temporary assignment, which gives me the flexibility to do my calling while still working full time. And I am grateful.

So, let me encourage you this morning – God is faithful, and will provide all of your needs. All.

Be blessed, but more importantly, be a blessing.

A Shepherd's Story

Originally preached on Christ the King Sunday, November 20, 2016, at the Keysville Grace United Church of Christ, Keymar, MD. Audio can be heard here.

Agricultural work is difficult. There is special calling for those who work the land, but more importantly, those who work with livestock. There is a special calling for those who work with livestock, and in particular, there is a really special calling for those who work with sheep. Let me go on and confess to you this morning, I would not want to be a shepherd. Mentioned more than 500 times, sheep, along with goats, were the most important domestic animals in the biblical world, so taking care of them was more than a notion.

I would not want to be a sheepherder, because, let me tell you, it is exhausting, thankless work. If you don’t believe me, listen to this job description as written by Dr. Gerald Mattingly from Johnson University of Knoxville, Tennessee.

Shepherds are responsible for the safety of the sheep. Yes, this is a simple concept, but there is more to it than just keeping the sheep safe. Keeping sheep safe involves vigilance, for it is monotonous work. They require constant care, since they are practically defenseless. Shepherds had to locate food and water for their flocks, and they often ranged far from home and went through numerous hardships. It was not easy being a shepherd.

Shepherds had to constantly guard against thieves, but more importantly, the greatest threat to sheep safety came from animals such as wolves, lions, and bears. It was not easy being a shepherd.

Sheep are naturally gregarious animals, and the shepherds had to watch for strays and count the animals as they returned to the fold at night. You see, sheep had a habit of just wandering off, and the shepherd was responsible for finding any lost sheep. It was not easy being a shepherd.

         A prime example of how defenseless sheep, for me, comes from, of all places, a Looney Toons. There were a series of cartoons based on two characters: Ralph E. Wolf and Sam Sheepdog. I’m going somewhere with this. The series is built around the idea that both Ralph and Sam are just doing their jobs. Most of the cartoons begin at the beginning of the workday, in which they both arrive at a sheep-grazing meadow, exchange pleasant chitchat, and punch into the same time clock. Work having officially begun, Ralph repeatedly tries very hard to abduct the helpless sheep and invariably fails, either through his own ineptitude or the minimal efforts of Sam (he is frequently seen sleeping), who always brutally punishes Ralph for the attempt. In many instances there are also multiple copies of Ralph and particularly Sam.

At the end-of-the-day whistle, Ralph and Sam punch out their time cards, again chat amiably, and leave, presumably only to come back the next day and do it all again. I would not want to be a shepherd, because it is monotonous, thankless work. You are responsible for the safety of the sheep, who cannot say thank you, and many times, are just off blissfully being sheep.

And don’t sheep sound like people? We are gregarious creatures, gathering among ourselves. We are often defenseless, and are off blissfully and peacefully being people. And that leads me to our Old Testament reading this morning. As we close the end of the liturgical year, I must tell you that I both love and fear this morning’s text from Jeremiah. Yes, I both love and fear them at the same time, because they hold leaders, especially political leaders in ancient Judah, accountable for their actions. It’s nice to see biblical passages that hold leaders accountable.

On the other hand, this text terrifies me because, by extension, it holds religious leaders, both in ancient Judah and today, accountable for their actions regarding God’s people. It’s not so nice to see biblical passages that hold religious leaders, including me, accountable.

Yes, there is a call for accountability on this Christ The King Sunday. God, through Jeremiah, issues a warning to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. Sheep were important to the nomads and agricultural life of the Hebrews and similar peoples. Secondly, sheep are used throughout the Bible to symbolically refer to God's people. Now, while sheep are important, more important are the shepherds, for the shepherds are held accountable for taking care of the sheep.

So, Jeremiah, in the previous chapter, has done a chronological survey of Judah’s kings, and concludes with this warning against “shepherds”, a common metaphor for kings during that time, and a veiled reference to king Zedekiah, the last king of Judah. According to biblical writers, Zedekiah reigned over Judah during the most tumultuous and tragic time in that country’s history. He was 21 years old when he ascended to the throne, and he ruled for 11 years, and was listed as “one of a long line of kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord.” Zedekiah, according to the writer of Chronicles, “did not humble himself before the prophet Jeremiah who spoke from the mouth of the Lord.”

Outside of biblical literature, there is little knowledge of Zedekiah. The Book of Jeremiah portrays him as a weak and tragic figure who cannot master the faith and courage to prevent the collapse of Judah.

So, we have this king, this shepherd, who is a weak and tragic figure, unable to prevent the collapse of his kingdom, and the scattering of his sheep.

I would not want to be a shepherd. I would not want to be responsible for the safety of the sheep, and I definitely would not want to be responsible for the safety of the sheep in the Lord’s pasture.

But, remember I said that these verse hold both actual shepherds and the sheep of God’s pasture, the people, accountable? Then that makes all of us a shepherd. And we are in trouble. We are scattering sheep. We are driving people away with our stances on issues that really are no business of the church. We are driving people away with our attitudes and behaviors. Look at us. We are focusing on money as the message as opposed to the Messiah. Look at us. We are more concerned with maintaining our monuments to our ancestors than we are with maintaining a relationship with each other. There are some of us who have driven people away because we did not like them, or like their families, or because of some long-ago forgotten feud over a fried chicken dinner.

We are in trouble. God says that because of our scattering of the sheep, of God’s people, there’s going to be a scrutinizing punishment.

I really don’t want to be a shepherd, because shepherds are in trouble. I would be remiss in my duties if I did not mention the Gospel selection this morning, a retelling of Jesus’ crucifixion and the conversation between Jesus and the two thieves. It looks very dark for God’s people, the sheep of God’s pasture, because hope is hanging on a cross. The Shepherd is hanging on a cross.

But there is hope on the horizon. God, through Jeremiah, says that God will father the remnant of the flock out of the lands where they have been driven, and bring them back to the fold, and the sheep will be fruitful and multiply.

There is hope on the horizon. God says that there will be shepherds raised to take care of the sheep, and the sheep will no longer fear, and there will be no dismay, and no sheep will be missing.

There is hope on the horizon. The Lord will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely. This shepherd will be an amazing shepherd – he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. He will be called “The Lord is our righteousness.”

And on this Christ the King Sunday, we realize that Christ, our King, is on the way. God is raising up that Branch, that King.

So we look forward to Advent as the evidence of God’s loving intervention into human life, that gracious invasion which alone has the power to save us. Out anticipation, fueled by our own sense of inadequacy and failure begins to rise, and we sense that soon, very soon, God’s promises will be renewed. In this way we reiterate the experience of those so long ago who yearn for the birth of the Messiah. We also yearn for the consummation of God’s grace, that Second Advent.

The shepherd is coming to re-gather the lost sheep. Let’s be ready to be found.

Amen.