Words to Hear & Hold On To; Genesis 21:1-7; 22:1-18

 

Rev. George Miller

Sept 14, 2025

Genesis 21:1-7; 22:1-18

 

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Philippians 4:13

 

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me…” Psalm 23:4

 

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge...” Psalm 18:2

 

“God calls us into the church to accept the cost and joy of discipleship...” The UCC Statement of Faith

 

“I believe in the Holy Spirit, the One Holy Universal Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins....”  The Apostles’ Creed.

 

These are the words that you and us and we have been hearing since August 3.  Scriptures and testimonies that have shaped our faith for nearly 3,000 years.

 

These are not just words to hear on a Sunday and say “Oh, isn’t that nice.”  But words to hear and hold onto when we enter dark valleys, when a single bullet can take one life, when a Body of Christ can become divided over a dialogue.

 

It does not matter if you can do all things through Christ…until you find yourself afraid.

 

The need for comfort is easily taken for granted until you feel in need of a Good Shepherd.

 

No one knows what it means for God to a steady, ever-present rock until everything and every place seems unsteady and unsafe.

 

What good is a Creed or Statement of Faith if the moment enemies raise their head or evil is known, we act as if all hope is gone?

 

These sacred words we read are not just fleeting thoughts or poetry; these words were composed by survivors, folks who knew what it is to like to live, lose, strive, fall down and get back up.

 

Everything we have shared here leads us to a moment like today.  A time in history that is messy.  People with conflicting thoughts, spirits wounded, wanting the Balm of Gilead to make it all go away.

 

But that is not life.  So we find the Sacred where we are, and in what we are going through.

 

If this week’s events brought tears to your eyes, God is in those tears.

 

If the events of this week made you feel scared, God is in that fear.  If they made you feel angry, God is in that anger. 

 

Those tears, anger, fears are sacred, because they are yours.

 

They are yours to give to God, offer to Christ, send forth to the Spirit.

 

This morning we heard 2 readings that deal with things we dealt with all week- life and loss; comfort and violence.

 

At one moment we have the matriarch of our faith, Sarah, finally having the child she had been promised decades before.

 

All that Sarah and her husband had been through- leaving their native land, traveling far, facing war, and waiting...

 

Then finally (endlich), Sarah gives birth to her first and only child.  She names him Isaac, which means “Laughter”; “He laughs.”

 

This brings Sarah joy; she celebrates the laughter.  After all the loss, trials and mistakes, there is laughter in her life.

 

But then…in Genesis 22 God tells Abraham to take Sarah’s one and only child and sacrifice him upon a hill.  As far as we know, Abraham discussed nothing with his wife, he expresses no concern about her.

 

In what can feel like extreme cruelty, he takes her child “Laughter” and is willing to kill him for his beliefs.

 

This is a scripture that has shaped so many lives, influenced so much faith, but it holds great challenges.

 

Do we really think God would make such a request?  Do you believe God would ask a Dad to kill a boy named Laughter?

 

How could God expect Sarah to experience the pain of childbirth and the heartbreak of death?

 

Why didn’t Abraham fight for his son?  Why didn’t he stand up to God and say “Not my son,” in the same way he stood up for Sodom in Genesis 18? 

 

Abraham bargains with God for the sake of 50, 30, 10 people, yet he does not bargain for his own kin.  What if God wanted to see if Abraham would do the same for his son?  What if God wanted to see Abraham challenge God and wrestle with the uncomfortable?

 

These 2 scriptures remind us of the complexity of life and of our faith.

 

We witness the laughter and the horror that co-exist side by side.

 

We are reminded that in life there is happiness and tribulations.

 

The Bible never shies away from this; the Bible never has.  Today’s text shows the sweet and the sour; the joy and pain of life. 

 

Good, solid faith, and good, solid churches do not shy away either.

 

We come here from all of our lived experiences.  We share, we hear, we are reminded of the Rock we stand upon, the shepherd who leads us, and how Christ strengths us so w can do all things.

 

Things have been uneasy for folk since Wednesday.

 

This is why what we as a church does matters.  Why playing a role in transforming lives matter.

 

This is why places like Camp Moval, why programs like Confirmation, why ministries like Feed My People matter.

 

Because they remind us of the goodness of God, they remind us of the heritage we stand upon, they remind us of the importance of giving to, giving back, lifting up.

 

Though this has been a week of many emotions, it is also a time of opportunities.

 

To discuss, to come together, to stand upon the Lord, our Rock.

 

To remember that no matter the darkness of the valley, the light of the Lord can see us through.

 

To remember that just as the Apostles and ancestors who came before faced hard times and held onto their trust in Jesus, we can to.

 

Amen.

Psalm 23 as a Celebration for Survivors; Aug 31, 2025

 

Rev. George Miller

August 31, 2025

Psalm 23

 

Tuesday was the 1^st day of St. Lucas

Pre-School, which meant lots of crying from our 2 year-olds.

 

Our talented teachers knew how to best deal with it- let the children feel their emotion, be there for them, keep them safe.

 

The ones with tears in their eyes are like little lost sheep, wondering what dark valley they’ve been left in.

 

Eventually it came time for the playground.  There was one little girl with curls who had some speed on her.  Every chance she had she broke away to run for freedom.  Down the path, across the graveyard; a school shepherd never less than 2 steps away.

 

We get to the playground.  Curly Sue cries, contorts her body, tries to make another run for it. 

 

Finally, (filamente!), the gates of the playground open and she says “The slide.”  All tears end as she climbs the stairs.  She had found her green pastures…

 

“The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want.”  There is something so transcendent about this sentence. The moment we hear it, our nervous system quiets and our busy mind lays down.

 

Ever wonder what Jesus knew about Psalm 23, or how often he would say these words to others, and to himself? 

 

How did Psalm 23 inspire the way Jesus taught, saw, cared for others?

 

Today we end our Summer with a Scripture submitted from last year’s Stump The Pastor.  They had just 1 request- that it not be related to death.

 

That 1 request was brilliant, motivating a deep dive, unearthing unknown things about the Psalm.

 

On the surface it is a song about daily living- eating, drinking, rhythm, and routine. Comfort.  But most likely it is about survival and how to live when absolutely nothing is routine.

 

So let’s take that dive and look at the history of this influential Psalm.

 

Though Bibles and preachers in the past have attributed Psalm 23 to King David, evidence suggests it was written about 400 years after King David, composed in Babylon.

 

A brief bit of history.  Though Jerusalem was founded to be a holy city, it rarely was the Camelot it could have been.  So much injustice, deceit, unkind acts to honest folk trying to earn their daily bread.

 

The actions of Isreal’s kings put them in a vulnerable position.  Babylon raids them, destroys their businesses, olive groves, vineyards, and homes.

 

Those who were deemed worthy and important were taken Northward, on a 900-mile trek through the Fertile Crecent Trade Route; 4 months of walking under duress, leaving behind the only home they knew.

 

When the deportees arrive in Babylon, they are faced with radical differences. 

 

In Babylon there is the consumption of pork and shellfish, food boiled with blood, and meat served with milk, all things a faithful follower of God would never consume.

 

The city is smothered in the smells of bacon, Burger King, and Old Bay Seasoning, a constant assault on the Jewish people’s noses.

 

Instead of worshipping one god, the people of Babylon worship many- Marduk, Nabu, Ishtar.  Their king believes he’s been chosen by the gods.

 

Daily life is filled with public parades to these gods with people tossing flowers, singing songs.   If you don’t participate in the festivals, folk give you the side eye, start rumors, call you disloyal which can lead to arrest, execution, or forced labor.

 

For 50 years the people of God were in Exile.  With each generation their children began to adapt some of these different customs, wanting to go to the Temple of Marduk, listen to the songs of Nabu, go to the cookout for Ishtar, even attend a parade and toss flowers to Babylon’s gods.

 

And their parents, grandparents had to wonder, with great heartbreak- will our kids remember who they are?

 

Will our future family remember the old ways, the traditions, the songs we used to sing and the stories we told about The Lord, our God?

 

Under these historic circumstances Psalm 23 was most likely written, not about death, but about survival; life.

 

Life lived in reality.  Life lived in struggle. Life in which dark valleys, unrighteous paths and eating in front of your enemies were real things.

 

When Psalm 23 starts with “The Lord is my shepherd,” it is a very daring, brave thing to say.  It is a pastoral, political, passionate statement of faith, saying-

 

“I don’t care where I live or what those around me do, the Lord, the one and only God, is my shepherd.  Not Marduk, not Ishtar, and certainly not King Nebuchadnezzar!”

 

The Lord is my shepherd.  God will lead me.  Even though I walk through dark valleys.  Because the truth is, the people had been forced to trudge through 900 miles of valleys.

 

Some valleys were lush but foreign, others marshy with overwhelming horizons.  There were arid, stark valleys full of scrub vegetation and summer heat.

 

Yet, somehow they believed that God was with them, comforting them, keeping them brave.

 

Though the author of Psalm 23 may have been stollen away to Baylon, seeing unholy festivities outside their window, smelling roast pork and stewed shellfish, they envision the tranquility of a godly home- a lush banquet, familiar food to enjoy, drink to sip in overflowing cups.

 

In verse 4 the author states “For you are with me.”  Its placement is so vital- exactly in the middle. 

 

The phrase “For you are with me” is foundational, like that rock we discussed last week- a rock to stand on when all else is shaky ground.

 

Here the poet makes another pastoral, political, passionate plea- they are resting their whole existence on God, trusting in God’s provision, guidance, protection; trusting in God’s heritage.

 

Psalm 23 is not so much words to say when someone dies, but words to say by everyone as we live.

 

Most likely, this is a song by and for people who should have given up, given in, gone away a long time ago, and yet are still here, standing strong.

 

This is a song for people who have continual, lived trust in the Lord.  Who are confident in their faith.  Who trust that God will lead them through whatever valley they face.

 

These are the words of folk who trust in God the rock, both as refuge and the rock of strength.

 

Psalm 23 is a foundational rock to stand upon and find refuge in, even when circumstances say differently; a testimony to all that we can do through God who strengthens us. 

 

May it continue to be one of the foundations we build upon, a reminder for nights that seem so long and the valleys that feel so dark.

 

May we find comfort in the classic wisdom of this poem and merciful goodness in the ways it speaks us into our future.     Amen.

The Lord as Rock of Refuge & Foundation; Psalm 18:2

 

Rev. George Miller

August 24, 2025

Psalm 18:2

 

Today is a day of joy and joyful singing; a foundation of our faith and one of the ways we tell the story.

 

We give thanks to Linda who was inspired to hold a Hymn Sing.  We thank all of you for supplying a surplus of songs.

 

Foundation- We’ve explored  so many foundations of our faith- The Apostles’ Creed, the UCC Statement of Faith, next week we’ll have a Baptism.

 

Each Sunday we welcome in the Light of Christ, receive the assurance of forgiveness, say the Lord’s Prayer, and participate in the offering.

 

All part of the traditions that have shaped the Church Universal since the days Lydia had worshippers in Corinth gather in her home.

 

Tradition- Roots of who we are as we continue growing into who God calls us to be.

 

God, our Shepherd, our Father, our Rock.

 

Today’s reading, submitted last year, is perfect for now.  A love song to the Lord in who we find refuge and strength.

 

In God we are given a home and become brave.

 

Notice how twice the Lord is referred to as “my rock.”

 

Dig deeper, and discover something cool.  In Hebrew there are 2 words used for rock- sela and sur, and they mean different things.

 

Sela refers to something you can see, climb, enter - think a cliff or cave.

 

Sur refers to something steady, unshakeable, a bedrock.

 

Sela is what you run to; sur is what you stand upon.

 

In other words, St. Lucas UCC is one kind of rock, a beautiful stone structure that we come to when we need to feel loved, rested, safe.

 

What takes place within St. Lucas UCC is another kind of rock in which the worship, the liturgy, the tradition is the bedrock of our faith.

 

In this way, the words we say, prayers we offer, songs we sing are the “sur”, the steady part of our faith that deepens our relationship to God.

 

St. Lucas UCC, as a building, is the rock that rises from the earth and reaches into the sky.

 

Our missions, our traditions, our hymns are the rock that rises from our collective hearts and reaches into the heavens.

 

Today, as we sing our songs, let’s not think of them as just familiar favorites, but rocks-

 

Rocks of melody and harmony that lift our spirits, still our soul, and create the foundation of our faith.

 

When we sing “It Is Well With My Soul” or “In The Garden”, when we sing “There’s Something About That Name” and “Tell Me That Old Old Story” we’re not just singing words from a book-

 

We are sharing and celebrating foundational bedrock of our faith and trust of God.

 

These are indeed Rocks of Ages, meant to hold us together and unite us as one, standing upon the Lord.

 

Amen.

The Uniting Garden of the UCC Statement of Faith; Sermon for August 10, 2025

 

Rev. George Miller

August 10, 2025

UCC Statement of Faith

 

It’s been a year since I’ve been here.  The river flooding from Fall rains, freezing toes of Winter’s snow, fresh scents of Spring’s rebirth, sweat-stains of Summer’s celebrations.

 

The year coincides with one of the most stressful times in any church’s calendar- budget.

 

Oh vey!  A Dios Mio!  Ach du meine Gute!  The anxiety, what to cut, what to keep.

 

Psalm 23 reminds us that we shall not want, Jesus turns fish into plenty, yet budget time is difficult for our data-driven minds to fully believe that God’s bounty can manifest in the goodness of folks’ generosity.

 

So what happens?  Emotions come to the surface.  E-mails get exchanged.  People speak or even argue passionately. 

 

Opinions can feel like battering rams rather than ideas meant to seed the soil.

 

So what do we do that is the most creative, compassionate way to approach budget time?

 

Conversation.  Space to speak, to be heard.  Dialogue to let multiple mindsets germinate, pollinate in a productive way.

 

It is OK to have a multiplicity of thoughts, convictions, as long as we see ourselves as part of something bigger, unified, like a well-loved and managed garden that blooms and brings forth radiant life.

 

As the Rev. Dr. Mark Wilson told me- “No one looks at a wheat field and says, ‘What a beautiful garden.’”

 

Think of the garden outside our Narthex doors.  The love Joan and Joan have shown creating a welcoming oasis- two well-tended Pancile Hydrangeas with fragrant white flowers, Coneflowers and Black-Eyed Susans in full bloom, a tall Plumbago with blue flowers.

 

Ferns enjoying their favorite habitat.  The added color of Wave Petunias planted randomly, yet intentionally.

 

The result is a treat for the eyes and nose, with bees about, sipping nectar.

 

The abundance this garden of rich diversity demonstrates; each plant existing as it’s own self, yet unified as One.

 

Unification is the roots of The Apostles’ Creed we discussed last week.  Today, inspired again by the inquisitiveness of Sarah, we explore another piece of our UCC history- The Statement of Faith.

 

Overseen by Eden professor Elmer J.F. Arndt and Harvard’s dean Doug Horton, the UCC Statement of Faith was prepared by 6 women and 22 men, ratified at the Second General Synod in 1959.

 

Marty’s Dad played a role in the creation, as President of Eden’s Board of Directors.

 

Remember how The Apostles’ Creed was crafted to unite Christians all over the globe?

 

The UCC Statement of Faith was crafted to unite the Christian, Congregational, Evangelical, Reformed bodies who came together as one United Church in 1957.

 

Not a Creed that must be believed, it is a grace-filled testimony of belief, designed to be heard across denominational lines, embodying the UCC’s heart.

 

With a focus on a powerful God who is also personal, a life that is holy yet meant to exist with others, the Statement is not meant to make us single-minded chatbots, but to be our own unique selves with an ability to reflect and connect.

 

The Statement of Faith was designed like a garden- to dynamically grow, to gather and welcome, providing sweet nectar to enhance the world.

 

Let’s look at 3 flowers we can gather from this garden.

 

1)          God as creating, 2) Jesus as the embodiment of God’s love, 3) our call to bravery.

 

We hear “God bestows upon us God’s Holy Spirit, creating and renewing the church of Jesus Christ.” 

 

This idea of God creating isn’t just about the opening words of Genesis, or creation as something ancient and over.

 

It's about God still speaking, active in our lives, sowing seeds, raining upon and breathing life into us.

 

This is God as eternal Creator who sees St. Lucas not just as a monument, but a movement.

 

Our Statement of Faith sees God as setting paths, seeking us out, sharing guidance.

 

Second, Jesus as the embodiment of God’s love.

 

Here, we witness Jesus as the center of our religion’s heart.  “He has come to us and shared our common lot.” 

 

This means Jesus is not distant; Jesus was never so fragile or completely other that he was untouchable. 

 

He was the complete opposite.  The embodiment of love that God shows through Jesus is one who came to live in the full beauty and mess of our life; to enjoy the scent of the flowers but also get in the dirt.

 

Through Jesus, God’s grace and mercy didn’t arrive via an emperor or castle, but into our own neighborhood, in a way that said “Hey neighbor!” to all, no matter background, finances,  or tragic mistakes.

 

3^rd- the UCC Statement of Faith call us to bravery.

 

Notice we are not called to just believe in something- it inspires us to act in faith.

 

The Statement calls to be brave.  By mentioning God as one who liberates and heals, it tuns to us invitingly and says-

 

“Now that you said these words, go and live all that you know is true and truly felt.”

 

This means being Christ’s disciples who find ways to bravely stand up when it is easier to sit down.

 

It means choosing not to be cruel, tell lies, or spend time ruining another’s reputation, but doing what is right- assist those you can when you can.

 

To make choices that bring forth the ways of life, such as filling up Yellow Bags for Feed My people, to see the very humanity of each person.

 

We witnessed that bravery when our Youth shared their Mission trip.  We get to embody it during the Blood Drive on the 18^th.  It becomes sweat-in-action at September’s Habitat for Humanity.

 

When it comes to Budget, that call to bravery means choosing to act in dignity, being brave enough to speak, and braver to hear without harm.

 

In closing, we once again thank Sarah for asking a question that created a wonderful challenge.

 

We are thankful for the chance to remember a piece of our UCC History and the thought that went into it.

 

We honor this as part of our heritage, knowing it is meant to unify us as one with all UCC believers,

 

a way for us to remember the God who creates, the Christ who reconciles, and the Holy Spirit who binds us together as One, as United.

 

Amen.

 

(Flower descriptions came from Joan Dalgaard, one of the women who tend to St. Lucas’s garden.)