Legacy; Sermon on 1 Kings 2:10-25

 

Rev. George Miller

June 19, 2022

1 Kings 2:10-25

 

How exciting- here we are celebrating not 1 but 2 special days.  JUNETEENTH, when all enslaved people were truly, finally all set free!  Liberty!

 

And Father’s Day, honoring the men in our lives, knowing that being a Dad ain’t always easy.

 

To reflect upon these holidays, we spend time with the 1^st Family of Israel, the dynasty selected by God to keep the commandments, unify the land and focus on the ways of Heaven.

 

Ya’ll know this 1st Family- King David, who defeated Goliath, soothed the soul of Saul, snatched the Ark from enemy hands, brought the 10 Commandments into the heart of the nation.

 

Surely King David must’ve done great things.  Surely, he must’ve made sure the widows were cared for, the people rested on the Sabbath, and he never ever told a lie.

 

Surely the 1^st Family of Israel was morally grounded, ethically fair and left a legacy of praise and worship.

 

But, none of this is true. Before King David’s body can even decompose, his sons battle for who gets their dead Dad’s concubine. 

 

We have one of David’s 8 wives either be played as a pawn…or be the ultimate Chess player.

 

His spiritual advisor devises a plan to change the transfer of political power.

 

There’s a dispute over who is the nation’s next leader- the one who publicly proclaims he won, or the one who was granted leadership.

 

We think we’d hear a story about justice, kindness, and humility when it comes to the 1^st Family of God; instead we get sex, deceit, deadly take-over, and everybody jockeying for power.

 

Oh how far we have gone from the Garden of Eden; how far yet to go to embody the Good News.

 

Today we deal with LEGACY.  What is it we hope to leave behind after our time on Earth has come to an end?

 

David and his 1^st Family of Chaos help us discern what Legacy can look like.

 

First the good- King David was able to unite a divided nation and move the Ark of The Covenant to a secure place.

 

He made Jerusalem the center of Israel’s political, spiritual life.  He defeated their enemies making sure the nation could spend the next few decades in a state of safety and calm.

 

David had insight into human nature, understanding how relations between other nations could benefit all.

 

The not so good.  King David cemented these relationships by taking numerous wives and concubines from these territories, creating a fractured family system that often abused each other.

 

King David killed without a conscience- didn’t matter if you were a giant or a trustworthy general.

 

Third, he may have rescued the 10 Commandments, but he rarely followed them, especially the ones about coveting, adultery, and murder.

 

When King David grew old, as he lay dying, his children, his advisor, his wife all displayed what kind of legacy he had left behind- protect yourself at all costs above anyone and anything.

 

Not love God, love neighbor.  Not care for the widow; mind the orphan. 

 

The legacy David left behind was “Get mine so you can’t get yours.”

 

Any wonder the world can seem so messed up?  Any wonder why Jesus Christ, as Messiah would emerge centuries later?

 

Legacy.  That’s the word that’s been on my mind the past week.

 

This month of PRIDE has been the legacy of Stonewall and those who fought back against LGBTQ injustice.

 

Sunday was the legacy of Philippines with its spirit of diversity and liberty.

 

Today, Juneteenth is when the last of the enslaved people in Texas were set free.

 

Today is also Father’s Day.  Just like Moms, the topic of Dads is complex.  A difference may be that many of us already know Father’s Day is complex.

 

Men by our nature can seem mysterious.  Fathers are often accused of being aloof and far away.

 

Dad’s who were there.  Dad’s who never were.  Dad’s who worked all the time.  Dad’s who didn’t show emotion because they weren’t wired or taught that way. 

 

Dad’s who thought a loud voice and a harsh hand were the only way to parent. 

 

Dad’s who simply didn’t know or do better because the truth is, no one ever truly knows how to be a parent.

 

My Dad died in 1995, a month before he was 49.  I’ve now outlived him by 41 months.

 

When younger, it was so easy to see Dad in shades of Black and White.

 

What he did wrong, what he did right.  When he was mean; when he was nice.

 

When he absolutely failed at being a Dad, a man, a role model. 

 

When he excelled at being my Father, a male, and someone to look up to.

 

This week 2 of my Father’s legacies have come to the forefront.

 

The not so good-  while working with my ADESE mentor, I realized that my Dad never taught me how to save and wisely use money, nor did his Father.

 

The Legacy, they left me with is that money just comes and goes and you don’t really save, you don’t really plan- it’s just there.

 

So here I am at 52, realizing that if I want to live a secure life in retirement, I need to step up my saving game now, because no one will save me but me.

 

The positive- my Dad and Grandpa had this grand image that I’d follow in their foots steps and go into the Army. 

 

They spent years preparing me.  There was this book hey gave me when I was very young.  It was about a boy scout whose brother went off to World War 2 and how this young kid couldn’t wait to serve in the military too.

 

I hated that book; couldn’t understand why anyone would be so anxious about going to war.

 

When asked what I thought about the book, I told both men the truth.

 

Though I can’t recall the exact words said, the spirit of their answer came down to that being a man meant doing what is right and doing what is needed to protect your nation and others.

 

To this day, I still hate that stupid book, but the legacy those 2 men left behind has shaped much of who I am, what I do, and why I do what I do.

 

It may sound chauvinist and jingoistic, but they are a huge reason I open doors for others, write letters to the editor, speak at community meetings.

 

Legacy.

 

We never know what legacies have been passed down; we may never know what legacies we leave behind.

 

Since we are human, as King David was human, some of our legacy will be great, some will be good, some will be not so good.

 

I realize that here I am talking to a congregation made up of men who have been fathers, are grand and great fathers.  What can be said because you’ve already raised your family?

 

What can be said is that your legacy isn’t just what you have or haven’t done in the past.  Your legacy is also what you are doing now and what you will do.

 

Your legacy is not going to be black and white, you won’t be remembered as only good or bad.

 

You will be seen as a total person who has left a lasting impact even if you don’t know or your family doesn’t say.

 

Each day that you breathe is another day in which you get to shape, reshape, and create your legacy.

 

As a citizen of America, there is the legacy of how you vote.  When elections comes, what are the issues that matter that can decide if your family lives in a better or worse world?

 

As a person, there’s the legacy of how you live your days and how you interact with others. 

 

How do you make people feel?  What do they think after interacting with you?  Have you let your family know you love them no they matter?

 

As a member of Emmanuel, there’s the legacy of how we embody our faith.  Did we love the Lord?  Love our neighbor?  Do we embrace a faith that embraces?  Do we use our faith in God to do justice, love kindness?

 

Legacy.  What is the Legacy you would leave now if today was your last day?

 

What is the Legacy you wish to leave for when your time to join the Eternal arrives?

 

What are the things you can say, do, share, so that when your family looks back upon you, they can say “That’s our legacy; that is our lot”?

 

As citizens, as individuals, as a Child of God, what will your legacy be?

 

It’s never too late, it’s not just black or white and it’s not limited to space or to time.

 

For this, let us say “Amen.”

Rahab Reminds Us That We Are ALL Children Of God; Joshua 2:1-14

 

Rev. George Miller

June 12, 2022

Joshua 2:1-14

 

Today we celebrate the Philippines, a nation with over 7,000 islands, an expansive biodiversity, and people known as resilient, entrepreneurs, gorgeous, and always smiling.

 

Personally, we’ve witnessed via Fe, how the people, especially the women, love to show their love through food…and they do not take “no” easy.

 

And thank God, because hospitality and confidence are 2 of the things we experienced through Jesus Christ.

 

Today, we claim that the history of the Philippines is the history of the modern world; that many of us may have ties to the beaches, fruit, and people of the Philippines even if we don’t know it.

 

Our story starts way back, in the 4^th Century as German tribes invaded Spain, a land that was composed of people from Greece and Rome.

 

In 1565, by way of Mexico, Spain invaded the Philippines, establishing a colony named after their Prince Phillip.

 

Japan came to the island to export silver and import gold.  The Dutch soon arrived; the British invaded.

 

During the Victorian era, this beautiful land of beaches was seen as a trading post for the world, then as a place filled with raw materials and goods.

 

The people of the Philippines prospered with a thriving economy, a true land of opportunity.

 

Europeans came to create wealth.  The Suez Canal made it easier to access.

 

The news of the Latin American wars began to inspire the citizens of this nation.  Folk formed “los hijos del paise” or “sons of the country.”

 

A spirit swept through the land; calls for liberty and freedom from Spain grew. 

 

In 1896 a revolution began.  In 1898 the Spanish-American war prevented Spain from defending the Philippines.

 

On May 19, Filipino revolutionary Emilio Aguinaldo took command, coming to the islands via a US Nacy Ship.  June 12 The Declaration of Independence was signed. 

 

But…by August, America took control of Manila, ending the Spanish American War.  The Paris Peace Treaty was signed, and the Philippines was sold to the US for $20 million dollars.

 

It would not be until July 4, 1946, that America withdrew, and the Philippines experienced a 2^nd Independence.

 

Rome, Germany, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Netherlands, Britain, Europe all had people and businesses connected with the Philippines.  Which means that there is a good chance that every one of us is in some way is related to me, Diane, Ari, Carnide, Fe and My My.

 

Talk about being the Family of God.  Talk about how we are all created in God’s image and united as one.

 

So just like Haiti, the story of the Philippines becomes our story as well, and how beautiful to realize that we are more connected than we are not.

 

Which ties into today’s scripture, a story about how the Israelites enter the Promised Land, and become the people of Israel, helping to answer the question “Who is a Child Of God?”

 

To be honest, our reading does deal with the invasion of a land already occupied by others.  Just like Haiti the Philippines, the Promised Land was not an empty place waiting to be discovered or conquered.

 

The Promised Land already had homes, families, businesses, farms.  We wrestle with how God gave the Israelites land that belonged to others.

 

THAT is a conversation for another time.  Today, we focus on one person.

 

Her name is Rahab.

 

Like Shiphrah, Judith, and Lydia, Rahab is complex.  She has a family, she is a non-Jew, and she is a prostitute.

 

And unlike the woman at the well or the enslaved servant girl, she has a name- Rahab. 

 

The author tells us not just her name, but what she says, does, how she saves her family, and plays a part in undoing the king.

 

Rahab is smart, quick witted, and even if she is afraid, she does not show it.

 

Look at what Rahab does.  Though she’s a gentile, she shows reverence for the Lord, knowing who God is. 

 

She extends hospitality, provides safety, goes against the king’s orders, and lies to military.

 

She strikes a deal, demands an oath, and is the savior to her family.

 

Rahab is not limited to the book of Joshua- she’s mentioned in Hebrews and James as examples of faith.

 

In Matthew’s Gospel, we are told she is King David’s great-great grandma, making Rahab one of Jesus’ ancestors on Joseph’s side of the family.

 

Imagine- King David, Israel’s greatest King, was not ethnically, biologically 100% Jewish. He’s not even 75%!

 

This means that Jesus and David, like so many of us in America, Cuba, Haiti, Philippines was not just one ethnicity, or one faith, but a creation of many.

 

Which means King David and Jesus were much, much darker than we realize or see in films.

 

Today’s scripture is uber-complex with many themes.  But today, we explore the question- Who is a Child of God?  What makes someone part of Heaven’s Family?

 

Is it ethnicity?  This story says “no.”

 

Is it being the right religion with the right set of dogma?  This story says no.

 

Is it living a puritanically pure lifestyle?  No.

 

Being someone with a culturally approved sex life?  No.

 

As uncomfortable as Joshua’s invasion story is, it invites the question of who is a Child of God, who belongs in, who is part of the community, who gets to participate in the life of God’s people?

 

Today’s story is yet another example of how the Bible is filled with stories that have always been there. 

 

Stories that feature foreigners. Non-traditional. Women.  Outcasts. Political intrigue.  Adventure.  Bravery.  Courage.  Trickery.

 

Folks of different skin tones. Smart. Savy. Scrupulous.    

 

Stories that have always been there, but often silenced, not discussed, or easily “forgotten” when someone tries to decide who is in and who is out.

 

Rahab starts today’s story as an ultimate outsider and ends up as one of the grandmothers of our faith.

 

Rahab reminds us that we are more alike than we think.  That just like the history of the Philippines, we are made of more than just one trait, or people.

 

Rahab reminds us that the Chistian community, like the Philippines, is made of so many voices, experiences, so many brave, complex, and perfectly imperfect people, that we are more related than not.  We have more in common than we are led to believe.

 

Thanks to God’s Resurrection of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit we truly are all ONE, equal, united.

 

Beautiful to look at.  With a place to feast at the Lord’s Heavenly Table.

              For that, we can say “Amen.”

Being a Community In Christ; Philippians 4:4-9

 

Rev. George Miller

June 5, 2022

Philippians 4:4-5

 

Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a newly shaven pastor who was part of a newly shaven Council who gave an Easter Message that said the Resurrection was about creating community.

 

This newly shaven pastor who was part of a newly shaven Council was blessed to belong to a quaint, quiet southern community located in the middle of everywhere.

 

For this Easter message, the pastor pointed to Peter who went from fear to fishing.  Thomas who valued logic over mob mentality. 

 

Business savvy Lydia.  Paul, the one who went from persecuting the church to proclaiming Christ’s name.

 

Back then, in mid-April and early May things seemed a bit…saner. 

 

Sure there was a pandemic, but back then we still had Baby Formula, a sense of reproductive rights, and those in Buffalo and Texas were still alive.

 

It seemed a bit easier to preach about Camaraderie.  Community.  Coming together.  Finding courage to move on.

 

Back on that Easter morning, we were gleefully in John chapter 21, watching how a rag tag group of disciples had begun the healing process.

 

Leaving behind their fear filled room, going fishing, out in public, unafraid.

 

But now people are afraid.  Will women lose their liberty?  Will inflation continue to soar?  Is World War 3 right around the corner?

 

When will the next Buffalo or Texas take place?

 

We’ve already been through SunTrust, PULSE and Parkland- can we really endure another?

 

… Once upon a time, not too long ago, there was a newly shaven pastor who was part of a newly shaven Council who gave an Easter Message that said the Resurrection was about creating community…

 

…and that message is just as important as back then.

 

Today we come to the end of our time with Paul in an unknown jail, writing his letter to the people of Phillippi.

 

It’s a letter filled with hope, filled with light, and filled with Christ.  Paul has come to the conclusion that he will use his situation to preach the Gospel.

 

And preach he does, to whoever he can- guards, inmates.  When he’s not speaking, he’s writing this letter to folk he know and folk he loves.

 

Not only does his letter play a role in creating and maintaining community, it gives an idea of what the community can look like.

 

Rejoice, Paul writes.

Let your gentleness be known.

 

Pray, being thankful when communicating with God.

 

Think about truth; Think about honor;

Think about what is just.

 

In doing so the peace of God

will surpass everything.

In doing so, the peace of God

will look over your heart and mind.

 

Paul writes to the community “keep doin’ what you’re doin’ and the God of peace will be with you.”

 

It feels like we need that message today.  Maybe it’s a bit naïve, maybe it’s a bit unreachable.  But right about now it sounds better than what we got and where so many in America are.

 

This part of Paul’s letter is as if the 10 Commandments, the essence of Micah, and the teachings of Jesus have been mixed up as one.

 

Paul is saying to a community that could easily be torn apart “Speak to God, be gentle, be true, be just, and you will find peace.”

 

2,000 years, across the continents, from an unknown jail, there’s a lesson to glean as Paul is ministering to us.

 

We know that right now there is so much to worry about.  We know our nation continues to be pulled into at least 2 very different directions.

 

We know that some of us want to do it all, and don’t know what can be done.

 

We know some of us just want to rest- you’ve done enough, you’ve worked, you’re retired.

 

But when storms sweep over the country, what can we do?  Perhaps Paul would say “cling to your community.” 

 

We may not be able to march on Washington, be in Buffalo, prevented what took place in Texas.

 

But here, in the walls of our church, we can each make the individual choice to speak to God, be gentle, be true, be just, and find peace.

 

Here, on the corner of Hope and Hammock, we can make the choice congregationally to speak to God, be gentle, be true, be just, and find peace.

 

Here, in the sun soaked, center of the state, we can communally make the choice to speak to God, be gentle, be true, be just, and find peace.

 

And perhaps for now that is enough.  Perhaps that is the best we can do.

 

Paul’s letter isn’t very worldly.  He’s not talking about 10 different topics with 30 different solutions.  Paul does not go from cause to cause to cause.

 

Instead Paul is focused on a few things-

how to share Christ, how to behave in a way that is Christ like, and how to rejoice.

 

Paul does so through community.  The one he’s with in jail.  The one he is writing to.

 

This simple, laser focused letter not only did that, but 2,000 years later it speaks to us, shaping us, creating community.

 

The problems of today’s world seem so HUGE, and the steps we take may seem so small.

 

But our steps matter.  Our steps create community. 

 

Our steps celebrate that Christ is real, no matter what the current situation may say. 

 

Amen.