My Blurred Vision: Life at the Intersection of Theology, Music, Politics, and More

Last Sunday's Sermon: Challenging Scripture on A Tough Day

Not much in the way of posting for the last couple of weeks.  Here is a bit of an explanation and the sermon that was born last week.

Last Sunday we announced that my colleague Liz was going to be taking a leave of absence to be with her daughter Jessie while she is being treated for leukemia up in Seattle.  We also had a laundry list of pastoral care issues that we lifted up in prayer...folks dealing with grief, heart attacks, strokes, ovarian cancer, and mononucleosis.  The past two weeks have been the difficult weeks I have ever experienced in my short time in professional ministry and I say that knowing that I am not among those who are ill or most effected by the grief.  Sunday's worship was hard because we had to announce several of the illnesses for the first time and people were stunned.  Somehow I think my sermon connected with some of the struggle that we were all feeling.  For those who read this post I simply ask for prayers for our congregation, for my colleague Liz, her daughter Jessie, and for the others who are struggling with illness and grief (who I won't name because I haven't asked their permission!).

Here is my sermon, simply titled "If," which touches on the challenge and the call of wrestling with God:

Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7

Matthew 4:1-11

The First Sunday in Lent, Year A

“If” is a powerful word that interrupts the flow of things and casts doubt into a scenario or story.  The readings for today are filled with places where “if” might logically enter into the picture. What if the stories had ended differently?  What if Adam, Eve, the devil, Jesus, or even God had made different choices or asked for allegiance in different ways?  We know these texts well, but as I read them this week it seemed that there were layers in each of these stories that aren’t often confronted and these layers might just impede our ability to fully know God or be fully known by God.  And as we enter into Lent it seems that much of our journey centers on how to more fully know God so that we can be prepared for the joy of Easter.

 

Our texts take us into some interesting places—First, we have the Genesis text, which offers us the first example of sin in the bible.  This text has thus been used to paint all of humanity with the scarlet “S,” (not the Superman type either!) This one marks us all as sinners under the banner of Adam and Eve’s “original sin.” Adam and Eve fell and thus we are all fallen or so the theology goes… This week Adam, Eve, and the serpent are paired with the story of the temptation of Jesus and his hat-trick of scholarly and faithful responses to the devil that tempts him.  These are interesting texts which are appropriate on the first Sunday of the season of Lent when we are called to admit to and wrestle with our sins, but I would argue that these texts also spark some pretty interesting questions that begin as we insert one of the shortest words in our language…the word “if.”

As we explore our texts let’s begin with Genesis and the depiction of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  Let me be perfectly honest here…this thing seems like a set-up .  I imagine God setting Adam and Eve amid a beautiful buffet of vegetation, amid a beautiful buffet of plants and animals, and as they walked around to inspect their new digs God notes that everything is theirs—well, almost everything.   “Don’t touch that tree—the one in the middle, the one that offers the knowledge of good and evil and is filled with beautiful fruit and placed at the center of your garden home.”  Now I’m not a literary critic, but you can see where this is going from a mile away.  My own parallel experience has played out more than I would like to admit when the waitperson says, “Don’t touch that plate, it is hot!” And of course, once they have turned their back there I am touching the plate to see exactly how hot it is.  So part of me wants to ask God for some kind of “fairness rule” here, because we all know, serpent or not, Adam and Eve were going to eat from that tree.  Which leads me to the whole “original sin” idea…if we all would all find ourselves eating from the tree…what is so original? 

Moving away from the tongue-in-cheek response, I know that Adam and Eve’s sin was in not listening to God and in not following the one command they had been given. But honestly, I struggle to understand how this one moment should have us all labeled as “fallen” and thus somehow doomed to sin.  Clearly we are called to follow the commands of God—I know that to be true.  But I wonder whether the rather hopeless position that Adam and Eve found themselves in doesn’t say as much about God as it says about humankind. I know that I will never have the totality of knowledge and experience possessed by God and I suspect that Adam and Eve knew this also.  Why then was it necessary for God to tempt them?  This may seem theologically irresponsible to say, but Adam and Eve’s punishment doesn’t seem to fit the crime.  And that is where I begin to wonder about how this story is told…because the God I know is equitable, is loving, is concerned with reconciliation, and in this story I struggle to find these things, yet I continue to hold to my belief that they are central to who God is. But if God is all that I claim God to be…then how does the set-up “fall” of Adam and Eve offer proof of God’s love, compassion, and grace?  If God really is love, and grace, and compassion, then why aren’t we all living in Eden? If we are really supposed to confront our own sins doesn’t the fractured relationship between Cain and Abel offer a more convincing depiction of sin than Adam and Eve’s choice of food?  Clearly God was with Adam and Eve even after their sin, but as I read this story I cannot help but find myself wondering what their sin really means!

The gospel reading likewise has me baffled, but in a different way.  Quite frankly I think our gospel reading provides a perfect answer for anyone who is struggling with how to understand the divinity of Jesus.  In my mind the story of the temptation proves that Jesus is divine, because if he was just an ordinary human I guarantee you that those rocks would have been turned into bread and I guarantee you the angels would have been forced to catch an ordinary human being. And I also know that someone would have placed a “sold” sign on all the real estate that could be seen from that hillside—because an ordinary person—this ordinary person included, would have eventually succumbed to the possibilities that the devil was offering.  And that is why I am not exactly sure how the temptation of Jesus is really all that instructive to me and to us.  Sometimes it seems that because the gospel writers seem so concerned with conveying that Jesus is the savior that there are times when the stories are just not that convincing.  This is one of those moments because temptation, especially the temptation to test God, is an all too familiar reality for humankind. But unfortunately this passage doesn’t seem to offer much to us mortals. This is frustrating because we are all accustomed to testing God and then we find ourselves living in fear of being voted off the island by our God…because we cannot match the perfection of Jesus and we know what happened to Adam and Eve.  And thus our sin becomes shame and our relationship with God becomes perilously fractured.

But we all ask the questions:  If God is love, what must I do to get God to listen or answer?  What if God isn’t generous and compassionate like we believe?  If I go too far with my questions and fears, will God still listen? God, if I do “x” will you answer in the way that I want?  These are the ‘cosmic bargains’ as I like to call them that we all attempt to make with God, but our desperation is compounded because in our questions we find ourselves living in fear and shame.  And thus the distance we feel between ourselves and God is multiplied and the stain of that original sin grows.  It becomes a nasty cycle of questioning and fear and drifting away because we are somehow convinced that we have left God.  And that is why our unwillingness to speak the language of sin is so dangerous—because it convinces us that we are not worthy when the truth is we are just as worthy of God’s love as any generation of followers has ever been. Humankind has always wrestled with God…and God has remained steadfast by our side, but too often that story is not told or remembered.

From the time of Adam and Eve we humans have been bargaining with God…sometimes it has been about what food we can eat, and other times our arguments have taken on a more personal tone.  Liz alluded to her own wrestling with God in the newsletter this week…and I recognized myself in some of her questions.   My wrestling and my screaming at God took place while I was in seminary (of all places).  It was there that God and I had a series of ongoing negotiation session that began after Shauna and I had a miscarriage during my first year in Berkeley.  I vividly remember standing on the shore of the San Francisco Bay and shouting to God that "I am seminary, we have moved away from our friends and family, what more can you want of me?" I remember the bitterness I felt when I was sure that, even with our sacrifices, God had abandoned us.  I remember the shame that I felt sitting in my New Testament class while trying to talk myself back into the faith that had been my rock for my entire life.  I remember wondering if God might be as angry at me as I was at God…and I remember hoping that somehow I would find my way to a time when I wasn’t tempted to turn my back on God…when I could find the strength to claim my faith and my God.  I wasn’t sure it was possible, and I would guess that for many of you there have been moments when faith moves from being a known quantity, and instead becomes contingent on an “if.”  If I can find it, if only I could see clearly, if I could be whole again…maybe then I could find my way to God.

But as we throw our questions and our “ifs” at God some ancient and traditional theologians would say that we just don’t have faith enough, that we don’t truly understand the nature of God, that we can’t grasp the true power of God when we insert an “if” into our understanding of God.  But I think this is garbage, theologically garbage maybe, but garbage nonetheless. Because I believe that to eliminate God from being susceptible to our questions and our doubts is to assume that God is less than who we know God to be.  Our questions don’t really impugn God…they are merely an avenue for the fullness of God to be more completely revealed.  Our attempts to bargain with God do not fracture some contract with God, but instead they illuminate the places where our relationship with God can grow.  I am convinced by God’s love that even in our moments of greatest doubt, even in our moments of gutless and faithless hypocrisy, and even in our most heated bargaining sessions with God—that God remains intimately connected to us in a way that cannot and will not be compromised by our humanity, and that is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ that is beyond question.

As we enter into Lent it is vital then that we do not see the stories of sin or the perfection of Christ as a sign that we are somehow unworthy of God’s love and redemption.  The good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to free us—not just of our sins, but of all our fears.  But God can only free us if we are honest with God and we can only be honest with God if we put our questions out there.  So as we move into Lent, let us do so by taking an honest look at our sins and by honestly confronting God with our questions, our fears, and our doubts.  Let us not limit God by hiding who we are…God can take whatever we throw out there.  God’s love is not bound by our “ifs”—and thus we should not be bound by them either.  Open your hearts to God…pour out your questions, your anger, your indignity…and let God have it all.  God will redeem us and nothing will impede God’s grace…  Let our journey be an honest one.  I promise, God can handle it!

Thanks be to God.  Amen.

Will Senator Gordon Smith join Oregon's Religious Communities in Condemning Torture?

Yesterday morning I participated in a conference call with Lori Prater, who is Senator Gordon Smith's Legislative Aide for the Senate Judiciary Committee.  The call was organized by Kevin Finney, the Public Policy Director for Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon and included a cross-section of religious leaders who oppose the use of torture.  Representing Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faith communities we spoke to Ms. Prater seeking leadership by Senator Smith in making the Army Field Manual standards (which do not condone waterboarding and other such torture tactics) the official statement on the use of interrogation techniques by the CIA and all intelligence personnel.  Although a vote on this issue will not happen until nearly the end of this month we all spoke of the power that Senator Smith's voice can have if he would go on record ahead of time on this issue rather than waiting until it comes to the floor of the Senate. As U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey has refused to condemn water-boarding and other such techniques it is imperative that the legislative branch of our government speak as the moral compass on this issue.  We need Senator Gordon Smith's leadership in condemning torture and helping to heal the soul of this nation that has been so damaged by the current administration's willingness to allow such horrors. Ms. Prater was very generous with her time and I am hopeful that we can count on Senator Smith's leadership.

Go here to read the Oregon Interfaith Letter to Senator Gordon Smith Opposing the Use of Torture.

If you would like to encourage Senator Smith to take a strong stand against torture here are the hone numbers for his offices:

Offices for U.S. Senator Gordon Smith                                                   

Washington DC –    (202) 224-3753
Bend, Oregon -      (541) 318-1298
Eugene, Oregon –   (541) 465-6750
Medford, Oregon – (541) 608-9102
Pendelton, OR –     (541) 278-1129

Portland, Oregon - (503) 326-3386                                                               

A Late Wrap-Up of the Earl Lectures

I've actually been back in Corvallis for a week now, but between 2 school days canceled by snow and catching up with family and work since I got back I haven't had a chance to post about the lectures.  Here are my thoughts:

The lectures themselves were a bit of a disappointment this year. Numbers were down and whether that was due to fewer folks having the money to attend this year, the theme, or the lecturers I am not sure.  Whatever the cause, the smaller attendance was noticeable and there seemed to be a noticeable lack of energy during worship and during some of the lectures.  I was personally disappointed by the lecturers, not because they weren't talented and interesting, but because too often I didn't think they focused directly on issues of sustainability.  Perhaps I was disappointed because sustainability and faith are of particular interest to me, and because my partner/spouse Shauna is working on an MBA in Sustainable Business Management at the Bainbridge Graduate Institute. But I came hoping to hear something that would offer new insights into sustainability and in that vain I was a bit disappointed by the lecture piece of the event.  Dr. Chandra Muzaffar's opening lecture was the highlight lecture in my eyes, but although his analysis of hegemony and empire was powerful and important, I longed for a more direct conversation concerning questions of sustainability, community, and faith.

While I was disappointed by the lectures, the workshops I attended were among the strongest workshops I have ever attended at the Earl Lectures.  First, I attended a terrific workshop on Green Building led by Bay-Area architect Eric Freed.  This workshop was filled with great ideas for green products, and although it was largely a power-point presentation, Freed's conversational approach allowed us to ask a lot of questions and exchange some great ideas. Another workshop that I attended was led by the Rev. Michael Bausch and although it was entitled "Preaching Sustainability with Film, Image and Music," it was largely a "how-to" workshop on using media in worship--but it was well done and full of helpful information.  I actually ended up appreciating that he didn't try to jam in sustainability but was honest about his topic.  Although not focusing on sustainability I learned a lot in the hour.  The final workshop I attended was "Worshiping God with Creation in Mind" which was filled with great resources and included time spent in small groups designing worship with creation in mind.  I was invigorated by the creative energy in the room and really appreciated the time to learn from one another. 

The absolute highlight of the conference was the community.  From time spent catching up with seminary friends and people I knew prior to seminary to meeting current PSR folks, the trip was worthwhile just from the conversations and stories shared as we ate Thai food, shared pizza and beer, enjoyed lunches on Telegraph, and shared good wine and good food late into the evenings. 

Finally, the books.  I actually managed to leave Berkeley with only a few additions to the library, although there are a couple of other things I need to order.  I picked up these: Seven Wonders: Everyday Things for a Healthier Planet by John C. Ryan, Sustainability: Economics, Ecology, and Justice by John B. Cobb Jr., and Hunger for the Word: Lectionary Reflections on Food and Justice-Year A, Edited by Larry Hollar.  I am also planning to order Michael Bausch's book "Silver Screen, Sacred Story: Using Multimedia In Worship."  Overall--a typically great trip to Berkeley!

In Celebration of Martin Luther King Jr.

His words--in memorium

I am convinced that love is the most durable power in the world. It is not an expression of impractical idealism, but of practical realism. Far from being the pious injunction of a Utopian dreamer, love is an absolute necessity for the survival of our civilization. To return hate for hate does nothing but intensify the existence of evil in the universe. Someone must have sense enough and religion enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil, and this can only be done through love.  --Martin Luther King, Jr., 1957

The ultimate test of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and moments of convenience, but where he stands in moments of challenge and moments of controversy. --Martin Luther King, Jr., 27 January 1965

Off to Berkeley for Earl Lectures 2008: O for A World: Faith, Community, and Sustainability

Early tomorrow morning I will be headed to Berkeley, California for the Earl Lectures (check out the brochure!) hosted by Pacific School of Religion at First Congregational Church (United Church of Christ) in Berkeley.  I always look forward for an opportunity to head back to Berkeley to reconnect with seminary friends and colleagues in ministry.  I describe attending the Earl Lectures as part study leave, part family reunion, and part cultural immersion.  First, the study leave: I am excited about this year's theme and am hopeful that the workshops, lectures, and worship experiences will provide passionate and thoughtful information and context for church leaders to take on the work of creation care.  I believe the work of caring for creation is deeply embedded in the Christian call and for too long we have offered a woefully inadequate response to the needs of God's creation. We are knee-deep in discussing this topic at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis, but we are really just beginning to address the depth and breadth of the issue.  I imagine I will leave Berkeley on Thursday with much to think about...and hopefully I will find a way to articulate all that I have heard and learned!

I am also hopeful that I will leave Berkeley later in the week with an armload (at least) of books from the Graduate Theological Union's Bookstore.  I have found that one of the great challenges of being away from the SF bay area is being away from the resources available at the bookstore.  Thus, a pilgrimage is required every time I head to Berkeley...

The Family Reunion: Although I depend on the Earl Lectures offering compelling speakers and worship experiences, I also depend on seeing seminary colleagues and friends who return year after year to learn and connect with one another.  More than once I have bailed on a workshop because a rich conversation that began during a break simply could not be ended.  Most often I have left those conversations sure that I have learned more from the discussion than I would have in the workshop.  Meals are also important pieces of the conference because they become less about the sustenance on the table and instead I find myself fed by the conversation with friends.  I suspect that this year will be no different.

The Cultural Immersion: I have been telling folks in Corvallis that I am going to Berkeley for the Earl Lectures and the Thai food, and I am being completely honest.  However, I am also going for the many bookstores, the walk across the Cal-Berkeley campus, and the movie theaters that will be showing films that will never quite make it to Corvallis.  I'm not sure there are enough hours for all that I want to see, eat, hear, and otherwise enjoy...but we'll see how much I can cram in!

I will try to post thoughts from Berkeley beginning on Tuesday evening after the first day of lectures.  I will also post a list of any books that I pick up while in Berkeley.

Canada Knows and so does the rest of the World!

The world knows the truth and it isn't pretty.  Even as the denials continue to emanate from the White House and even as tapes are erased that might have shown the horrible truth, our next-door neighbor Canada is so sure that we do in fact use torture techniques that they included the United States in a list of torturer nations. We have joined the likes of China, Syria, Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia on a list of nations that use torture as a way of getting information.  The fact that our government, under the auspices of national security, has authorized the use of torture techniques, points to the moral depravity of their rule and by default all U.S. citizens are indicted in this depravity.  I am continually sickened by the despicable depths that the Bush administration has gone to in seeking to use "any means necessary" as a tool in the fight in the "war on terror.  One of the tragedies of this "war on terror" is the reality that we now use terroristic techniques.  In our use of torture we have become the terrorists that this war supposedly seeks to eliminate, and this is a sad and brutal reality.  This listing merely confirms what most of us knew...that under this administration we have lost our moral compass as a nation.  Make no mistake, the world knows it also!

Here are two reports to provide more information:

From the Seattle Times:

Canadian Manual Lists United States as Torturer

by Rob Gillies, Associated Press

TORONTO — A training manual for Canadian diplomats lists the United States as a country where prisoners risk torture and abuse, citing interrogation techniques such as stripping prisoners, blindfolding and depriving them of sleep.

The Foreign Affairs Department document, released Friday, singled out the U.S. detention center at Guantánamo Bay.

It also names Israel, Afghanistan, China, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Syria as places where inmates could face torture.

The listing drew a sharp response from the U.S., a key NATO ally and trading partner, which asked to be removed from the manual.

"We find it to be offensive for us to be on the same list with countries like Iran and China. Quite frankly, it's absurd," said U.S. Ambassador David Wilkins. "For us to be on a list like that is just ridiculous."

He said the U.S. does not authorize or condone torture.

"We think it should be removed and we've made that request. We have voiced our opinion very forcefully," Wilkins said.

The government inadvertently released the manual to lawyers for Amnesty International who are working on a lawsuit involving alleged abuse of Afghan detainees by local Afghan authorities, after the detainees were handed over by Canadian troops.

Michael Mendel, a spokesman at the Israeli Embassy, said Israel's Supreme Court "is on record as expressly prohibiting any type of torture."

"If Israel is included in the list in question," Mendel said, "the ambassador of Israel would expect its removal."

A Canadian citizen, Omar Khadr, is in custody at Guantánamo, but Canada has long publicly said it accepts U.S. assurances that Khadr is being treated humanely.

Human-rights groups have long called on Canada to pressure the United States to return Khadr from Guantánamo. Khadr, who has been in custody since he was 15, is accused of tossing a grenade that killed one U.S. soldier and wounded another in Afghanistan in 2002.

He is the son of an alleged al-Qaida financier, and his family has received little sympathy in Canada, where they've been called the "First Family of Terrorism."

Dennis Edney, one of Khadr's lawyers, said the foreign-affairs document shows that Canada says one thing publicly but believes something else privately.

"Canada was well aware that Omar Khadr's allegations of being tortured had a ring of truth to it. Canada has not once raised the protection of Omar Khadr when there are such serious allegations," Edney said.

"What does that say to you about Canada's commitment to the rule of law and human rights? It talks on both sides of its face."

Canada said the manual is for training, and does not amount to official government policy.

"It is not a policy document or any kind of a statement of policy. As such it does not convey the government's views or positions," said Neil Hrab, a spokesman for Canada's Foreign Affairs Department.

Finally, from Countdown with Keith Olbermann watch this clip which includes comments from Lt. Commander Charles Swift (Ret.), who speaks of the difficulty that our use of torture brings to bear on our own ability to collect information and deal with other nations. Among the quotes:  "Torture doesn't work because you don't know whether the information is correct.  Also, when you use techniques like this, you lose your friends and in this age we need our friends."

See also my previous posts: A Faithful Way to Speak out Against Torture and The United States doesn't torture...just watch the tapes...oops!

Lectionary for Epiphany 2, Year A

Hebrew Bible:   Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalm:               Psalm 40:1-11

Epistle:             1 Corinthians 1:1-9

Gospel:             John 1:29-42

The reading from Isaiah is the second Servant Song from Isaiah and in this song I cannot help but think of some of the thoughts that were revealed in the diaries of Mother Theresa that were published last year.  In this servant song the prophet wrestles with whether or not he is worthy for the task and whether he is actually any good at the task.  In Mother Theresa's diaries, the great saint of Calcutta struggled to understand her faith and her calling in light of feeling that she was left cold and isolated by her faith.  The servant in Isaiah, and Mother Theresa like him, exemplify what I think is one of the common struggles for contemporary people of faith--an abiding concern that their standard of work might not be sufficient to their call, that their call is overwhelming, or worse perhaps that their call has taken them places and they cannot comprehend what they can do or what they can take from their experience.  A recent post by Real Live Preacher touches on and exemplifies the struggle that the prophet and the nation of Israel are experiencing in this text.  Who hasn't asked, "Are we worthy of God's call?" Or "What difference do I make?"  However, this servant song tells us that we are ready and worthy for God's continuing call, just as Israel was 500 years before the birth of Jesus.  This passage speaks to the "ongoing maintenance" that God authors upon humanity and the ongoing chance that we have to respond to God's love.

This week's Psalm is the first eleven verses of the Psalm 40.  As a U2 fan I have to say that I believe this passage should be a benediction because this psalm has been turned into the song '40' by U2 and has been used as the closing anthem at their concerts for many years.  However, in the context of the lectionary this passage is a prayer of thanksgiving and a plea for mercy. This psalm opens with the writer thanking God for hearing his (and Israel's) cry, for God's protection, and for enormity of God's actions on behalf of Israel.  The psalm's tone then changes a bit as it arrives at verse 7.  At this point the psalmist begins speaking about how he has followed the commands of God and the "law that is written upon my heart."  At this point the psalmist is pleading the case of Israel, a mode that culminates in our lectionary with the eleventh verse "Do not withhold your mercy from me; let your steadfast love and your faithfulness keep me safe forever."  The grand sweep of this psalm is what is most impressive to me--from praising God to lifting up ones own call to asking God to remain close.  Isn't this how we pray?  Haven't we all uttered this prayer, "Loving God, thank you. Insert laundry list of needs, wants, petitions, and hopes.  Stay near God."  This psalm is powerful because it testifies to who God is while it also testifies and affirms our humanity.  In U2's benedictory use of this song the crowd sings, "How long...to sing this song" over and over until it filters through the rafters and through the bodies of those present.  I imagine that God too sometimes wonders how long we will sing the same song to God.  I am thankful that through the generations God has remained steadfast in the desire to hear our songs and our prayers. 

The gospel reading offers John's depiction of the events that take place after the baptism of Jesus and includes what seems to be the call of the first disciples.  My colleague, Liz Oettinger, and I were speaking about this passage earlier this week and she was particularly interested in the exchange between Jesus and the two disciples because the response of the disciples to Jesus' question makes no sense at all:

When Jesus turned and saw them following, he said to them, “What are you looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He said to them, “Come and see.”

Rather than answer that they were looking for the Lamb of God as John had just pronounced him, rather than say they were looking for Jesus, rather even than saying they were looking for a lost puppy the disciples asked Jesus where he was staying.  This response seems to show how befuddled they were in the presence of Jesus, but it wasn't about being in awe of him, it was about being confused about what he was and how he would lead them and the world.  I can almost picture them barely finding a way to stammer out, "Where are you staying?"

And how does Jesus answer their oddly timed question?  By inviting them to journey with him. "Come and see" is an invitation to a couple of people who had no idea where they were headed.  In fact, I am not even sure they knew what they wanted, they were only sure they hadn't found IT yet. (Think: U2's I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For) And now Jesus stands before them inviting them into the unknown.  Just as the disciples didn't know what they were getting themselves into the fact that this passage comes on the weekend we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. makes me think about all those who marched with Dr. King, all those who heard him preach, and all those who were compelled to work for civil rights because of the work and witness provided by Dr. King.  Dr. King's preaching was filled with moments that implored folks to join him, to "come and see" where the road to justice and equality might take us.  It is unfortunate to say that 40 years after his death we aren't where we should be, as exemplified by this magazine cover, but we are still working toward fulfilling the vision that Dr. King longed for, lived for, and ultimately died for.  Just like the disciples in our lectionary text we still haven't found what we are looking for...but because of the courageous life and ministry of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. we are closer to finding it (and the justice, mercy, and love that comes with his vision).

A Call to Creation Care: Of Water, Doves, and Other Sacramental Things

At First Congregational United Church of Christ in Corvallis we are in the midst of a month-long adult education series on Sustainability and Faith.  Our series began on January 6 as we explored the biblical mandate for care that comes from such places as Genesis 1, Leviticus 25, Psalm 8, John 3:16, and Revelation 21.  Last week Larry Thornton used a video called "The Blue Nuns Go Green" that focuses on sustainable ministry decisions made by the IHM sisters from Monroe, Michigan as an avenue to discuss how we make decisions.  This week my spouse/partner Shauna will present a session on planning for home energy savings, and our final session will have us look at options for living as a more sustainable congregation. I am excited about the engagement that is coming from the congregation on this issue and hopeful that this series and the work that will come out of it will lead our congregation to dedicate itself to undertaking long-term strategies that focus on sustainability as a faithful choice and even as a obligation of our faith. 

With all of this in mind my sermon last Sunday was focused on moving from the Gospel of Matthew's rendering of the baptism of Jesus to seeing the water, grains, and grapes used in our sacraments as a call to observe all that is sacramental about and around us.

"Of Water, Doves, and other Sacramental Things"

Psalm 8

Matthew 3:13-17

On the Sunday after Epiphany the lectionary speeds us away from the Magi’s adoration of the infant Jesus straight to John’s baptism of Jesus on the shore of the River Jordan. In Matthew’s rendering of the life of Jesus we are moved at whirlwind pace through the early years of his life—the magi’s visit in fact is the only childhood story we hear before we encounter Jesus by the river.  In this passage Matthew seems to highlight the sense that baptism is the critical beginning in the life and ministry of Jesus—and it is true, because in his baptism Jesus claims his ministry and God claims Jesus—and both the event and those involved are marked as sacred.
 
There is an interesting turn of events here as John both cedes his place and anoints his successor when he baptizes Jesus, but John seems strangely well-prepared for the moment.  Earlier verses in Matthew tell us that he has been busy telling the Sadducees and the Pharisees that “the kingdom of heaven is near” and “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”—so there is no drama or jealousy here.  CNN would be so disappointed!  Instead as Jesus emerges from the water he takes hold of the responsibilities of his ministry and we know it is right when the Spirit of God descends like a dove and the voice of God announces “This is my son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” Now the scene is set:  God’s booming voice has called out from the heavens and Jesus is anointed.  Here stands the king—sure he is a little wet, but he is ready!

Now, for as much as this story is about Jesus, and it is—today I would like to say that it is also about creation, about God’s plan for creation, the baptism of Jesus is about being immersed, literally and figuratively, in the blessedness of all that God commands, and finally, and perhaps most importantly, the baptism of Jesus—that long ago event—is about us as contemporary people living amid all the sacramental things that God has created.

The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word sacrament as “a Christian rite that is believed to have been ordained by Christ and held to be a means of divine grace or a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality.”  In this church we hold baptism and communion to be our sacraments.  Interestingly, both of these are deeply connected to God’s creative impulse, the same one beautifully described in the first creation story in Genesis and praised in the words we heard from Psalm 8.
 
The sacrament of baptism depends upon water and the sacrament of communion is a feast built upon the grains and fruits of the earth.  And thus, in our sacraments we are taken back to God separating the land and sea, to God creating the plants of the earth, and most importantly to God giving humankind the responsibility to care for it all.   So often we speak of our sacraments as “simple observances made up of simple things,” and while it may on the surface be true, the reality is that our sacraments and the sacramental elements employed in them aren’t simple at all.  Grains for our breads, grapes for juice, water for our baptismal font…these elements require care and on the Sunday when we celebrate the baptism of Jesus and when we have baptized MaryAnn Som using the sacramental waters that flow from the tap right here in our building, I believe we need to be reminded of all that this means.  Sacramental things are all about…they surround us…and they also ache for our care.

Let me give you an example…This past August there was a triathlon planned for Portland, Oregon.  The swimming portion of race was to take place in the Willamette River that bi-sects the city.  The race organizers had spent years planning for this race because it was to be in celebration of the work that was done by citizens and cities to clean up the Willamette over the last 40 years.  At one time the massive amounts of pollution in the Willamette River led to it being classified a “dead” waterway.  40 years of work has brought it back to life and the race organizers wanted to celebrate with hundreds of people swimming in the waters of the Willamette to start a race.  But then 3 days before the race came news that due to a computer error the city of Portland had accidentally released raw sewage into the river just upstream from where swimmers would enter the water.  The swimming portion of the race had to be cancelled, which drew renewed attention to the fragility of our waterways and the ease with which we can damage them. The Willamette River is no longer dead—but it still aches for our care, and it is every bit as sacramental as the Jordan was on the day when Jesus was baptized.  We want and need our sacraments, but our sacramental elements need someone to speak for them, to protect them, to nurture them. Imagine Jesus and John standing beside the shore of the Jordan…and discovering that it wasn’t safe for triathlons or baptisms either.
 
When Jesus was baptized Matthew notes that the voice of God said “This is my son, the beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  Traditional theology tells us that this is an announcement of the divinity Jesus, of God’s pleasure that he has “answered the bell” if you will.  However, I want to say that I believe that every time someone is baptized, every time someone reconciles their life with God, every time someone decides “whoever I am I am now God’s” that God announces “This is my child, my beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”  I believe this because I believe that each and every one of us is of God, that each and every one of us is divine in the way that God is surely pleased when we say “yes” to God—and God likewise says “yes” to us.  We are sacramental—that is, we are “a means of divine grace” and as we take up our place within this faith we are intimately connected to our creator God.  And thus taking care of one another, taking care of this local community that we call home, and taking care of this island Earth is exactly what we are called to do.  We cannot gather today and celebrate with the holy and sacramental waters of baptism—and then go out and poison gallons of water with our insecticides if we take seriously the idea that we are all at our essence sacramental.  We cannot use more than our fair share, we cannot make policies that ignore the needs of animals and those downstream if we are to say we truly value God’s gift that comes in the form of water.  The sacramental waters that sustain us…for baptism and for drinking must be clean, flowing with fish and other species, and available for all.  In the same way the lands where the grains and grapes grow to feed us for both our holy and our less-than-holy feasts, must be protected, they must be free of toxins, they must be used in careful, faithful, and just ways, and they must be loved as a sign of our love for the one who calls us “beloved.”

There is a great deal of energy and money currently be poured into research on climate change.  There is a great deal of passionate debate about how the United States might best address climate change and sustainability issues while balancing economic and political stability.  Many people are operating out of fear concerning the idea that humankind may be too late in addressing critical issues of fuel consumption, green-houses gases, CO2 emissions, and sustainable living.  I have absorbed a great deal of information from many different perspectives on these issues, and the way forward that I see, is one that combines diligent science with faithful living.  We need diligent science to give us the facts about the products we should use and those we should not.  We need science to give us the empirical data about weather patterns, global temperatures, and options for new cleaner energy.  We need diligent science to test our ideas, to reject our failures, to encourage our dreams of new ideas and new and better ways of living.  However, we also need faith and faithful living. We need faith and faithful living because there are no easy answers concerning how best to use our planet.  When God set Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden at least they were told “don’t eat from that tree.”  We, on the other hand, spend our time flailing about on this earth, creating new and better products, hoping to make life better…and often, there are unintended consequences that harm us and harm God’s creation.   But still…and this is the good news…I believe God repeatedly announces that we are God’s beloved children and we are taken in and loved even as we so often destroy what we have been given.  As faithful people we bring something important to the table where the conversation about caring for the earth is happening.  We bring proclamations of grace, hope, and love…and while these may seem trite or trivial I believe there is an immense need for our faithful voices in this conversation.  The baptism of Jesus marked a pivotal moment in the life of our faith…it was the moment when Jesus chose to immerse himself in the sacramental.  As people of faith…sustained by the grace, hope, and love of our faith tradition…we are called to come with our truths into this conversation and speak courageously for all that is sacramental—for all that is a sign or symbol of divine grace, for all that God has created!  And why, you ask, does naming the sacramental things matter in this conversation?  Because I dare you—to take a walk, to have a conversation with a neighbor or friend, to fill your grocery cart with produce, to take a deep breath, to look up at the stars…and not see that which is sacramental.  I simply believe it cannot be done…because everywhere you look is God’s creation demanding to be cared for. Perhaps we have waited too long, but today I ask you to say that we will not wait any longer.  Rise up, and come out of the sacramental waters of your baptism.  Let us join hearts, hands, and voices to care for this sacramental place given by our beloved creator God.  There is no better way to remember and celebrate our baptisms!

 

Thanks be to God for all the sacramental things that surround us!  Amen.   

On Gender, Presidential Politics, and the Media

As a preface let me note that although I will support any of the top three candidates in the Democratic Party should they become the nominee, I am throwing my support (not that it comes with a great deal of prestige) behind Barack Obama's campaign for president. I have a great deal of respect for both John Edwards and Hillary Clinton and have wrestled most with whether to support Barack Obama or John Edwards.  Obama is my candidate of choice because of the vision that he lays out for a new day in American politics, and although I have a little bit of skepticism about his ability to remain above the partisan fray if he were to be elected, I gravitate toward his messages of hope, change, and openness in Washington.  Obama's fresh face and lack of entrenchment in Washington is appealing to me.  His dreams are my dreams for this nation and I am eager to see his campaign succeed and his vision change our nation. 

My own allegiances aside, I have been profoundly disappointed by some of the recent coverage of the primaries.  First, while I was excited by Barack Obama's win in Iowa, I was frustrated by the attempt to anoint him "the candidate" based on one victory and I am actually glad that he took a close second in New Hampshire and thus set up more conversation concerning the relative strengths and weaknesses of the candidates.  Our country would not have been well served by a "two and done" anointing of any candidate.  Our candidates need to be tested and vetted by the American public and to anoint ANY candidate after only a couple of primary contests would be to deny the American public a right to truly know the options and would actually be a dis-service to their long-term viability as a candidate and leader.  While I am not fond of the amount of money spent during campaigns I do appreciate a process that allows many people the opportunity to provide input. 

I was have also been bothered by the lack of coverage of John Edwards both as the Iowa caucuses were reported upon and in the run-up to the New Hampshire primary.  These three candidates deserve to be heard by the American public and the news media has been too busy vacillating between Obama and Hillary, when this is legitimately a three person race. 

However, my greatest frustration has been with what I believe to be gender-biased coverage by the news media.  First, I am tired of seeing only male commentators report on the primary battle.  I have a great deal of respect for Charlie Rose, and don't often miss his PBS show.  However, I am still frustrated that on the night when the the Barack Obama-Hillary Clinton battle in Iowa was on center stage Charlie Rose chose to have 5 male commentators on his panel of speakers...including the rather buffoonish Shelby Steele, who provided little to nothing in the way of meaningful commentary.  Rose's choice of pundits was insulting and I have come to expect more from him and his show.  From the moment his pundit panel was announced I was in dumb-founded by the lack of female representation among Rose's guests.  This is especially problematic when gender issues are AT LEAST an undercurrent in the primary battle. 

Finally, the depth of the media's gender-biased reporting has been most evident around the "story" about Hillary Clinton's show of emotion during a campaign appearance in New Hampshire.  This has nothing to do with the campaign, but this story is instead about gender stereotyping and ignorance.  This is a non-issue and the media's decision to try to make this an issue does nothing but demean the potency of Hillary Clinton's intellect, political instincts, and her potential to be the next President of the United States.  I am the father of two young girls who I want to believe will have unlimited options for work, career, and fulfillment in their adulthood.  However, the media storm that has been created amid this non-story makes me wonder if we have come that far at all concerning the places that women can go.  The days of separate spheres of influence for men and women are long ago over, but someone forgot to tell the media.  Whether the road to the presidency includes a few tears, voices breaking from exhaustion, or glossy-eyed appearances is a testament to the grind of the campaign trail...not a testament to how worthy a person is for office.  Get back to the real issues!    

Michael Kieschnick, the President and Co-Founder of Working Assets (Now Credo Mobile) wrote this impressive piece on the way Hillary is being treated:

"Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?"

That was the headline of a Maureen Dowd column in today's New York Times.

Hillary Clinton's win in New Hampshire last night was shocking. The performance of the national press corps in the last couple of days, unfortunately, was not.

Tell the media: Stop pimping prejudice.

Journalists have been replaced by a punditocracy that makes its living (and gets its kicks) by perverting our democratic process. The misogyny that was unleashed by the media's feeding frenzy on the video of an exhausted Clinton tearing up at a small New Hampshire roundtable of voters was just the tip of the iceberg.

Whether we agree with Clinton on the issues, the assault on her candidacy based on gender is unacceptable. So too is biased and uninformed commentary on the minority status of other candidates (Obama's ethnicity, Romney's religion to name just two).

To be clear, we are not endorsing any candidate. This is not about who we choose for president, but rather how we choose our next leader. Voting based on sexist logic propagated by media monopolies is no way to select a candidate.

Our nation is at a critical juncture. A sober citizenry must make informed decisions about who will lead our country in addressing more crises than any previous generation has faced: global warming, unending war in Iraq, and multiple constitutional crises.

Tell the major media outlets: Stop pimping prejudice. (This petition will be delivered to top executives at CNN, Fox, NBC, ABC, CBS, NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, the LA Times, the Chicago Tribune, and the Drudge Report.)

Thank you for working to build a better world.

Michael Kieschnick
President and Co-founder
CREDO Mobile and Working Assets

To join Credo/Working Assets in decrying the prejudicial coverage of Hillary Clinton's campaign click here.

On Walking in the Rain for my Friends and their Families

Tonight Grace and I joined around 250 other Corvallis-area folks in a candlelight vigil to mark the delayed appropriation of civil union rights for gay and lesbian couples. I have been angry and sulking since Friday's news that U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman blocked the implementation of the Oregon legislature's bill that would have enacted civil unions beginning January 1.  Frankly, I am pissed off that once again my gay and lesbian friends and their families are facing a court battle based around who they love.  When Shauna and I got married in 1994 (at the age of 20 and 23 respectively) our heterosexuality precluded us from being questioned about the morality of our love or our legal right to make emergency decisions for one another (and a whole host of other legal benefits).  But let's be honest--we were young and naive just like every other young adult couple.  But no one questioned us because we were a man and a woman--so we were accorded dignity by default.  We didn't earn it...it was handed to us on an engraved silver wedding platter that in Oregon remains reserved for heterosexual couples only.

Well...I want to pass that platter around and let other people have one too!  We didn't earn it and there are many couples--gay, lesbian, and straight alike, that should be able to get their engraved silver wedding platters (and the civil rights that go along with them) without having to bow down to my understanding of God or anyone's understanding of God for that matter.  We are talking about civil rights.  We are talking about dignity.  We are talking about people that I know and love...and they should be protected by the same rights that Shauna and I were given on August 6, 1994.

So I walked in the rain with my daughter tonight...so that our friends, their partners, and their families know that we love them and support their relationships.  Grace and I got wet and a little cold tonight as we stood with Brenda, Pat, Dorothy, Brenda, Ben, Jeff, Susan, and many, many more.  My thoughts and prayers are with all who mourn...and with all who fight this fight for justice and dignity.