To See, Hear, and Make Heaven Here on Earth; 2 Peter 1:1-4

 

Rev. George Miller

June 20, 2025

2 Peter 1:1-4

 

“You want to be seen?  You want to be heard?  What difference will that make?”

 

That is a question posed at General Synod when the STAR Resolution, meant to lift up and celebrate the ministry of small town and rural UCC churches, was approved.

 

Out of 671 voting delegates, 55 chose to abstain, 244 voted no, 372 said yes.

 

Though the Resolution was approved, it’s bittersweet.

 

244 peers think that UCC churches in small town and rural communities are not worthy of being seen or heard, and we’re up to something nefarious.

 

This is partly due to the lingering stereotype some people have about small towns and rural communities.

 

Not everyone  understands the nuances of tight-knit community living.  It’s also a result of the taut emotional, political times we’ve been living in in which deep down everyone is scared, and worried, and not trusting.

 

Though the STAR Steering Committee is composed of 4 people identifying as LGBTQ, 2 members who are Hispanic, some are afraid that STAR has a racist, anti-LGBTQ agenda out to whitewash the National UCC Website.

 

After the vote, a woman came to me and said “You want to be seen?  You want to be heard?  What difference will that make?  What power, what authority is that going to give you?”   When trying to respond, she cut me off and walked away.

 

This is all so sad because of the love, joy, purity put into creating the Resolution.

 

None of that could be  understood by people who were harboring deep pain, worried fears.

 

The good news is now that the STAR Resolution has passed, the people, pastors, and all the ministries that make up the UCC can come together each month and learn how we can all transform the world.

 

Regardless if we serve a big city, a busy suburb or a small town trying to put together a PRIDE or 4^th of July parade.

 

Having a voice.  Having a presence. Being heard.  Being seen.  They all matter.

 

Regardless if you are a child on the chancel with Michelle, or an adult in the choir loft being directed by Linda.

 

Regardless  if you are part of Women with a Mission or one of the men playing Dart Ball.

 

Doesn’t matter if you identify as gay or straight, if you need a cane to come in the door or you can walk just fine, if you are worshipping with us online, or right here right now-

 

We all, everyone one of us, want to be seen, want to be heard, want to know that what we do matters, is appreciated.

 

This is one key to ministry- that every person here and online has their own struggle, their own worries,

 

their own unique situation is dictated by age, ability, finances, where you live, your history, your hopes, your regrets, those who surround you, and those you miss.

 

When someone says “They want to be seen, they want to be heard,” it means they feel as if no one is.

 

Instead of berating them or diminishing their experiences, we can say “Tell me. I am willing to see; able to hear."

 

After all, that is part of today’s reading, a letter to the church.

 

The author makes it clear- the people being addressed are very special, very dear.

 

They have been given a gift so valuable- a relationship with God and one another, filled with grace, calm, knowledge.

 

Not just a little, but an abundance.  More than enough for everybody.

 

The author says to them “Hey- I see you, I know you.  You are a people aligned with God’s deep goodness.”

 

“You are people who live heaven here on earth.  You bravely offer love. Your choices come from compassion.”

 

The author says “Hey- the age we live in is complex.  There are systems in place that can lead us towards being too greedy, too ego-trapped, too willing to exploit another.”

 

Noting this self-destructive behavior, the author states “Remember who you are.”

 

“You are full of the Divine.  You are beyond precious.  YOU are the promise that God made to Abraham on that lonely, starry night.”

 

How awesome is that.

 

We have been given great promises and love, from God.

 

We belong to a family built around Christ in which it is about living with joy, living with purpose, living in light.

 

Not because you currently live in a Big City or lived in the country, or you came from another Country.  Not because you are white collar, blue collar, in the fields, or retired.

 

But because you are YOU and within you dwells all that grace, all that peace, all that knowledge, and all those promises that the God has been making since Creation.

 

And all that Jesus embodied from the manger to the mountain, from the table to the cross, from the Resurrection to the Upper Room? 

 

Thanks to the Holy Spirit that all dwells within you too.

 

What an amazing gift we give when we learn to see and hear ourselves as God already does. 

 

Because when we do, we can also see and hear those around us, making heaven here on earth. 

 

Amen.

Becoming and Not Yet Being; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-13

 

Rev. George Miller

July 6, 2025

2 Thessalonians 2:13

 

Once upon a time, across the shiny sea, people hungered for the gift of freedom.  Such hunger came with consequences- punishment, persecution, prison.

 

They went to a land of Tulips.  Though free to worship as they yearned, being financially stable was almost impossible.

 

With a blessing from their pastor, Rev. John Robinson they went across the ocean, to a place near Cape Cod.

 

They planted the seeds of democracy and social order, forming a church that would one day be united with others.

 

This new way of living was not easy; freedom mixed with economics rarely is.

 

Years later, 40 miles from that spot, a group met at the Old South Meeting House, upset about the imposition of taxes. 

 

Within the walls of this congregational church they decided to destroy the symbol of injustice, tossing tea into the same sea their ancestors had sailed across.

 

A Revolution took place.

 

Ordinary farmers fought against minions of the monarchy.  Congregational ministers shared support, preaching natural rights and calls to resist tyranny.

 

Like the Mother of Moses, Zion Reformed Church hid the Liberty Bell from the British, under the floor where they worshipped each Sunday.

 

In 1776 this new land won its freedom, adopting a Declaration of Independence, casting aside political bands.

 

Holding truths to be self-evident- that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights- life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.

 

Decades later, others across the shiny sea were identifying with a more confessional expression of faith.  Since they would not bend to the will of Prussia’s King, they too endured persecution.

 

Desiring to be free, they set sail across the ocean, up the mighty Mississippi, escaping hardship, embracing economic opportunities in a place called Missouri.

 

They established churches, educational systems, hospitals, and places of elder care.

 

It is inspiring what the thirst for freedom can do; what the hunger for autonomy looks like; how folks, families would rather brave rough waters and unknown land to be free, rather than be forced to live a lie or bow to a king.

 

What a privilege it is to not only be an American, but to also be a member of the UCC which has played a role in the formation of our country.

 

Be it setting sail from Holland, holding the original Tea Pary, hiding the Liberty Bell, to the community care in Missouri,

the seeds, roots, and flowers of the UCC have been right there.

 

As we celebrate the 4^th of July, it is good to celebrate all we have achieved and what being an American means.  It is good for us to look at what we have done wrong, what we can do better, and when we failed our Founding Father’s vision.

 

When has our quest for freedom led us to the top of the mountain and when have we been deep in the valley?

 

Our country is still very young.  Compared to other nations, America is just starting kindergarten.

 

Meanwhile Greece is like a 75-year-old uncle enjoying the Villages in Florida; Egypt is a 90-year-old grandma with a condo in Phoenix, enjoying hummingbirds and no humidity.

 

America is still new; so much to learn and accomplish.  In 1776, we held these truths to be self-evident- that all men are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights- life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.

 

Did we achieve these goals immediately?

 

Well, it wasn’t until 1865 that the selling and owning of people officially ended.

 

In 1967, if a white man in St. Louis wanted to marry a woman of Asian descent, they had to go across the Mississippi to Illinois.

 

Women couldn’t get a credit card without their father’s or husband’s signature until 1974.

 

I couldn’t marry the one I loved until 10 years ago.

 

Wednesday, at Whole Foods, I met a man of Peruvian descent whose parents were naturalized ages ago.  He’s scared to leave home, staying inside with his Mom who came here to be free.

 

Today we are a nation divided.  Some think this is the best time ever; others are worried.

 

Some are loving all the songs we are singing today; some may wonder how we can raise our voices up when other voices are being silenced.

 

For me, it’s because I believe in the dream, I hold onto the claim, the reason my Great-Grandpa Nicoli came here from Romania.

 

America has yet to fully become who we said we are.  We’ve had huge successes, taken strides, had setbacks.

 

This is normal for any nation, any group of people that dare to do something new.

 

The challenge, the bravery, is that we keep keeping on. 

 

Gifts like our freedom of speech; our right to worship, our ability to rise from nothing to something are gifts we give thanks for and do not forget.

 

Otherwise, how could I be here today giving this message?  How could we gather here together?

 

America is a nation, is one that is constantly becoming, evolving, figuring it out.

 

In some ways, this is what today’s reading is about.

 

It is a scripture so short, so rich, said to be written during a time of persecution, much like what our ancestors faced.

 

The author wants everyone to be strong although injustice and lawlessness abounds.

 

He demonstrates strength two ways.  The first is a spirit of gratitude, giving thanks for one another; for what God has done.

 

The second way is discussing sanctification by the Spirit.

 

Sanctification is such a long word, and a confusing topic.  What does it mean? 

 

For some, being sanctified means you no longer do what you used to do- you are now saved, holy, separate.  You know the word, live the word, are an example for all to admire and follow.

 

Some make sanctification into a measuring stick; like ex-smokers who use to light up 3 packs a day but judge you the moment you take out a lighter.

 

There is another way to see sanctification- that it’s about the “already” and the “not yet.”

 

It’s about the desire to be braver, live more in the moment, to exist on earth as if heaven is already here.

 

Sanctification isn’t about arriving and saying “I’m here,” but being on the journey and saying “I’m on my way.”

 

This way of seeing sanctification provides a place for grace, allows space for trial and error, honest mistakes, and unexpected experiences.

 

Sanctification is like a holy “letting go,” of not having to know it all, do it all, be all, but to be open to the possibilities and ways the Spirit leads.

 

In some ways, a person saying they want to be sanctified is a sign that they already are.

 

Sanctification is not always about what we do, but what God does through us, and the fruits that grow out of it.

 

It can be said that being sanctified is like being an American- we are, but we have so much more to do, learn, own up to, and let go.

 

Today’s letter wants the first Christians to know that things were not perfect, but they are worthy of thanks and bearers of fruit.

 

So are we.  As Christians, as Americans, we also follow the Spirit, rooted in Christ.

 

Like the faith of our Fathers and the faith of our Mothers, we discern when to act; and when to wait.

 

When to speak; when to listen.

 

When to gather thoughts; when to unapologetically share them.

 

When to be still; when to move.  When to protect what’s yours; when to be willing to risk it all.

 

When to say “Enough!”; when to whisper “What can I do?”  

 

Once upon a time, across the shiny sea, a group of people hungered for the gift of freedom.

 

We are the descendants of those people.  As such we hold onto what they hungered for.

 

We celebrate what we have achieved; we sanctify that which is yet to come.

 

May our eyes recognize the glory of God.  May our hearts hear the call of Jesus.

 

May our minds follow the wisdom of the Holy Spirit.

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”