Sermon for Sept 29, 2013; 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Rev. George Miller
1 Timothy 6:6-19
“More, So Much More”
Sept 29, 2013

Months ago we were graced with the musical gifts of Angie Weaver who sung a song titled “More, So Much More.”

It was a tribute to a life lived in Christ, in which the heart receives peace, joy is boundless and we can be who we are supposed to be.

“There’s more, so much more every passing day. For the life I now live God is living through me in each word, in each deed and each day.”

Looking back over the scriptures we’ve read and sermons you’ve heard since then, we have witnessed various biblical characters who would proclaim the notion of “more, so much more” to be so.

Joseph who finds a way to bestow grace upon his brothers.

The leper Namaan who is dipped 7 times in the Jordan River and comes to believe in God.

The Israelites who worship their Baals but shall return like trembling doves, responding to the roar of God the lion. (Hosea 11:1-11).

The prodigal son who returns to his father after being away far too long.

Paul who writes from prison to request that the slave Philemon is greeted by his master like a brother and not piece of property.

In all these scriptures there is the element of having “enough”, of flourishing and of there being “more, so much more.”

Last week I watched a documentary about a family that live in Orlando. It’s called “Queen of Versailles.”

It’s about David and Jackie Siegel who embark on building the largest single-family home in America.

Begun in 2004, the house is 90,000 square feet, taking up a 10 acre plot. To put it another way, enough space to put a Disney theme park in it.

Versailles, as they affectionately call their home, has 30 bedrooms, a theater, bowling alley, roller rink, man caves and yoga studios.

As the movie begins, David is a self-made billionaire who started Westgate Resorts. He and Jackie are sitting on a gold throne while talking about their lives.

We meet their 8 kids, their numerous pets and their Philippino nanny who has not visited her own family in 11 years and uses one of the kid’s outside plastic toy castle as her apartment.

The film shows parties, shopping sprees, rooms and rooms filled of stuff, a tour of Versailles…and then we witness the day the stock market crashed and the recession began.

The documentary changes course as servants are let go, thousands of Westgate employees are fired and construction on Versailles is halted and put on the market for $50 million “as is” or $100 million finished.

What follows are scenes of “Say what?” as the Sigel’s enter into their own version of being broke.

Instead of flying on a personal jet, Jackie flies coach and then is shocked to learn her car rental does not come with a driver. She pulls up to the McDonald’s drive thru in her stretch limousine.

Sadly, with the servants gone, no one is feeding the pets and a lizard dies from a broken heat lamp and starvation. Dog feces are everywhere.

The scene that struck me most is when Jackie, now on a tighter budget, goes shopping at Wal-Mart and still leaves with five carts full of…stuff.

She wheels in a bicycle that she purchased and places it in the garage, in which at least 10 other bikes sit, untouched.

While watching the film, I couldn’t help but to realize just how sad and scared, stressed out and lonely they all were.

They were not content at all, no matter how much they had.

It was a case in which more, so much more had brought them less, so much less.

You have to wonder what the writer of 1 Timothy would say about “Queen of Versailles” or what he would say about our society in general.

I wonder if we, who claim to be a largely Christian country, would fit into the author’s notion of what ethical Christian living looks like.

As stated last week, modern scholars believe Paul did not write this letter, but that it was composed somewhere between 90-105 CE.

It was a time of church growth and local congregations trying to figure out what it meant to be a Christian amongst the popular culture.

In this letter we find a call to order, a mapping out of how to run the church and how to live one’s life.

There are things in this letter we can challenge and disagree with, like the author’s command that women stay silent and not have authority over a man.

Then there are things in this letter that give us pause; a chance to hold a mirror up to ourselves and see what is reflected back.

“Of course,” the author states, “there is great gain in godliness combined with contentment; for we brought nothing into the world, so that we can take nothing out of it; but if we have food and clothing, we will be content with these.”

I find great peace in this sentence. It sounds like something to live for.

Very Zen or something you’d read in The Purpose Driven Life or expect to hear from Buddha or Yoda or from Oprah.

But what does contentment look like? What does contentment even mean?

Dang if I know, and I sure hope you don’t expect me to tell you the secret, because I can’t.

In fact, there was a moment when watching “Queen of Versailles” that I wanted to judge the people in it so bad, but then I looked around my own home and realized who am I too judge?

Living in a house too big for one man and two cats. Hundreds of CDS. Two closets filled with clothes, most of which I no longer like or can’t fit into.

Who is truly content, and how do we get there? I wonder if the author of today’s reading truly felt as content as he portrays himself to be.

Would he really have been fine with one article of clothes and a bowl of soup?

Is today’s reading an etched in stone requirement of faith, or is it something to inspire to, something to strive for that we may never achieve but it’s well worth trying?

To be content…ahhh, like the frog on the lily pad in today’s bulletin, just chilling, perpetually laid back on a lily pad…

Then I think back to the song Angie Weaver sang, “More, So Much More” and how beautiful it was.

And the song itself starts with the claim that the singer had given their heart to Jesus. And the act of giving became the start; the start of peace, joy, truly living and truly being.

Then to think of the last few months and what we have discussed. What do we get from believing in God; what is it we get from following Jesus?

Without hesitation three thoughts came to mind. First, is the way in which Jesus showed us that we can enjoy together that which God had created and called good.

A green pasture to lie upon when we are tired, a sip of juice and taste of bread when we are hungry.

That we live in a world in which the waters are filled with fish and the land with grain, and if we realize we have “enough” we can share with those who are lacking.

Second, are the stories Jesus told about lost coins and missing sheep and a thought-for-dead son in which we have been reassured that no matter how lost we feel, no matter how far we stray, we can always return and be welcomed by God.

Third, is Paul’s declaration that in Christ crucified we have been justified by faith.

Meaning we have already won the race; there is nothing we have to do to earn God’s grace.

We just have to be willing to receive it and to act like we believe it.

More so much more? Of course, there are other examples that come to mind, but these are a start.

They are a way for us to think, to embrace, to dance with, journey and give thanks for.

Maybe you have had a hard week; maybe you’ve come here today wondering if things can get any worse.

Maybe everything is fine with you, but you’re worried about someone in your life who is struggling, someone who seems to be barely getting by, and it’s getting you down.

Maybe you just need to be reminded in the midst of the rain and the storms, in the midst of the news and the political plights, that God is indeed real. Jesus is real.

And with that knowledge comes the notion that 90,000 square feet of house won’t bring happiness; 30 bedrooms won’t make anyone content.

And with that knowledge comes the simplicity of knowing God gave us life so that we could live it, that Christ died so we would know that we have already won the prize and are worthy of eternal love.

And that when we have strayed too far the Holy Spirit fills our being with breath so we have the ability to return back to our Creator.

And that is just the beginning. When we give our hearts to Jesus we never lose, we instead gain, more, so much more.

More, so much more then the sun in the morning and the moon at night.

More, so much more then we could ever imagine.

More, so much more than we could ever be prepared for.

More, so much more than the world would ever want us to believe.

For every passing moment we live for Christ, God is living through us in each word, in each deed and each day.

Amen and amen.

Sermon for Sept 22, 2013; 1 Timonthy 2:1-15

Rev. George Miller
1 Timothy 2:1-15
“Say What?!?”
Sept 22, 2013

A Pastor gets a new set of false teeth. That first Sunday he preaches for just 10 minutes; the second Sunday he preaches for 8.

But the following Sunday he preaches for 2 hours and 45 minutes. The congregation almost mobs him to get him down from the pulpit. “What’s going on?” they angrily ask.

The Pastor explains the first Sunday his gums were so sore he could only speak for 10 minutes. The second Sunday his gums hurt much worse so he could only speak for 8. But that day he put his wife’s teeth in and couldn’t shut up!

I want to thank the person who shared this joke with me but I also want to say that I realize how offensive and sexist this joke is.

Lord knows it’s not just women who can go on and on; I was just in New York- I know.

But this slice of humor segues us into a very painful reading. Painful because it has been used to silence one half of the population.

Painful because over the centuries it has robbed us of the possible voices, dreams and leadership that could have brought us along much sooner into the prophetic words of Joel 2:28.

First, let me share with you a painful experience I just came back from.

I was the guest preacher at a church in Connecticut; a church that is historic and the only church in a town of 1,000.

A magnificent, large church that sits atop a hill overlooking the forest and country roads, guarding the street where the fire station, school and library dwell.

Though they are rich of finances, they have become poor of spirit. Though they are part of the UCC, they long for the days of old and disagree with many of the new things the UCC has done and stood for.

2 weeks ago, they held a special meeting in which they voted (by a narrow margin) to deny their relatively new pastor the right to perform a same-sex union on church grounds or anywhere else for that matter.

3 days after the vote, only 2 people showed up for the Spiritual Renewal Service.

But we still worshipped and we still gave thanks to God.

The next day, 5 people arrived. But we still worshipped and we still gave thanks to God.

The last day there were nearly 30 people present, but most of them were members or fans of the Methodist Praise Band that had driven in from New York to sing for us.

But we still worshipped and we still gave thanks to God.

Last Sunday, their attendance was done 20 people from the year before.

Why?

Because while some members embrace the notion that “no matter who you are or where you are on life’s journey you are welcome here”; though some members embrace the notion that “God is Still Speaking”, their vote on what the pastor can or cannot do stated clearly that not everyone is welcome and that God actually stopped speaking about 40 years ago.

All because of a few peoples understanding of roughly 8 sentences in the Bible that reflected a different culture and a different era…

…I love the Bible. Lord knows I do. But sometimes something pops up that makes me proclaim “Say what!?!”

Perhaps no more so then this one.

To do our reading justice, we have to do a little history.

First, the question is who wrote this. The author makes claim to be Paul, the infamous missionary who started many churches and wrote many letters between 45-60 CE.

But most UCC theologians disagree. First off, this letter was written during a time when copyrights did not exist. Nor did news clips, reruns, YouTube or Facebook.

It was common practice back in the day that if you had something to say, and you wanted to make sure it was read, you signed another person’s name, a famous person’s name.

If there was a disagreement or a controversy over an issue, you might just “unearth” a letter from a particular person to prove your point.

When it came to matters of the church, who would be better to imitate then Paul, the father of many of the earliest churches?

Why do scholars believe Paul did not write this letter? 1st, there are words here that did not exist in Paul’s day.

2nd, in Paul’s time, there was a looser church polity; back in his day they did not yet have such a complex structure of governance as we read about in this letter.

3rd, in Paul’s other letters he praises women and specifically names and gives thanks for women who have played significant roles in the churches he knew.

Taking all these things into account: words, polity, social structure, scholars believe this letter was most likely written between 95 and 105 CE.

It was a time when churches were taking place in people’s homes.

It was written in a culture where there was an accepted notion of how home life was structured. It went husband-wife-child-slave.

It was written when Jewish law forbid women from learning and being students; when Greek culture wanted their women beautiful but silent.

It was written when Christianity, the new faith on the block, was struggling to fit in and to survive.

Here they were with this radical new faith in which they called each other brother and sister and they reached out to the poor and sick…and perhaps it was just too radical for those around them.

Perhaps they were a little too liberal, a little too loving, a little too free.

And the women who were participating in worship were dressing a little too flashy. They were talking a little too loud. They were enjoying just a little too much the idea that whoever they were, no matter where they were on life’s journey, they were welcome.

So someone thought that it would be best to hush them up. Someone thought that if the church was to survive it would have to do a better job of fitting into the local culture’s ways.

Someone thought that if the Gospel of Jesus Christ was to be heard, it would have to be proclaimed by the mouths of men and not the wonderful words of women.

And with one sweep of the pen, they changed history forever…

…The question is, what do you do with today’s reading? Do we use it to silence the voices of our sisters, our mothers, our daughters?

I can tell you what our denomination didn’t do. We didn’t blindly take this reading at face value. We didn’t accept it as is and say “What do we know?”

We wrestled with it. We studied it. We fought with it. We danced with it. We prayed about it.

Though we are not perfect, though we have had many bumps in the journey, we realized that God is Still Speaking and that women should too.

For the past 3 weeks we’ve featured bits of history about the UCC in our bulletin. On pg. 3 by the sermon title is another.

You’ll see a picture of Antoinette Brown Blackwell, the first women in history to be ordained in a recognized denomination. That was in 1853.

Of course the getting there was not easy. Born in New York she started attending school at age 3. By 9 she joined a Congregational Church and began speaking at meetings and testifying about God’s love.

She dreamed of being a pastor, a dream she kept in silence.

At the age of 15 she became a teacher, but that Still Speaking voice kept calling her, and at 21 she attended Oberlin College.

Though her grades were superb, faculty grew angry that she wanted to study theology, but she found her way in anyway.

Though she completed her degree, she was refused a license to preach. Her family pleaded with her to give up her foolish dream.

She was invited to be a guest speaker at a convention which led to more speaking engagements about women’s rights and the abolition of slavery.

Then in 1853 she was offered a position at a small Congregational Church in South Butler, New York.

She married, had children, wrote books, lectured and preached until she died at the age of 96.

Antoinette Brown Blackwell had broken the glass ceiling of speech.

Because of her refusal to stay silent each and every woman here has the right and the ability to not only be the head of a committee, or the Moderator of the church, but can also be ordained to serve the Lord and preach the Gospel.

That is the spiritual stock that we, the U.C.C. are made of…

…I love the Bible. Lord knows I do. But sometimes something pops up that makes me say “Say what!?!”

This is one of those times.

And I can’t help but to wonder “Why would God create us only to turn around and silence 50% of the population?”

What possible reason could that be?

And then I have to think: that the author of 1 Timothy was just one all-too-human, flawed person, writing for a specific group, in a specific culture, during a specific time, with clearly a specific agenda.

Then I think of all the other things the Bible has told:

That it was Sarah who gave birth to Isaac and said “God has brought laughter to me!” (Genesis 21:6)

It was Miriam who took her tambourine and proclaimed “Sing to the Lord, for God has triumphed gloriously.” (Exodus 15:21)

It was a Samaritan woman at the well who told her entire village “Come and see the most amazing man” and brought them all to meet Jesus. (John 4)

And when the world seemed at its darkest it was women who witnessed that the stone had been rolled away, who saw that the tomb was empty and it was women who were the first to exclaim to the world the mystery of the resurrection!!!

…Last week the Pope offered an olive branch of sorts when he said “The feminine genius is needed whenever we make important decisions.”

Thank you celibate, single man in a dress.

I much prefer the words of a bumper sticker that I saw last week in Connecticut.

It said “Well behaved women rarely make history.”

Sarah, Miriam, the Samaritan Women and Mary Magdalene would certainly agree. As would Antoinette Brown Blackwell.

Silenced, submissive voices deprive dreams from being realized and history from being made.

Spirit-filled, spoken, active voices are what bring us into our future and allow for flourishing to take place.

If God is indeed Still Speaking, as we boldly proclaim, then so should we, all of us.

Everybody.

Amen and amen.

Sermon for Sept 8, 2013; Philemon

Rev. George Miller
Philemon
“Partnering with Paul”
Sept 8, 2013

I may be wrong, but I think that the phrase “In the beginning” is the most well known 3-word-string in the English speaking world.

“In the beginning” is the 1st 3 words of the Bible; it starts Genesis, ch. 1 and leads us into the telling of the 1st creation story.

“In the beginning” leads us eloquently, poetically into the story of God’s relationship, God’s romance with creation.

Genesis ch. 1 is ripe with theologies that have had far reaching affect on how people view faith, science, orientation and our relationship to the environment.

There’s a lot of debate over Genesis 1:28 in which God tells man and woman to be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth, subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and every living thing that moves upon the earth. (NRSV)

How one interprets this verse can be a reflection of who they are; it can also shape how one acts in relation to creation.

What does it mean to subdue? What does it mean to have dominion?

These are words that have their roots in leadership; in kings and queens.

But what kind of monarch will we be?

Subdue can mean to conquer, overpower and crush. To have dominion can mean to dominate, dictate and control.

Or…subdue could mean to tame and mellow out. To have dominion can mean to have authority, to care for, and watch over.

How you understand subdue and dominion can make all the difference.

Will you be a king or queen who believes you have the right to abuse, use up, punish, subjugate and only think of yourself and your cronies?

Or will you be a king or queen who believes you were called to watch over your domain, to care for and protect all you are responsible for; to ensure safety and peace and flourishing for all?

Here in Florida we see examples of both forms of subduing and dominion.

The most obvious is Disney World. As much as I love going there, let’s be honest- Disney came in, bought up all this land that was filled with swamps and marshes; useless to humans, but useful to gators and egrets, snakes and cranes; and turned it into something he deemed useful.

But to do so land was bulldozed, trees pulled up, homes of animals, birds, fish and reptiles razed and destroyed.

Holes were dug in the earth and filled with water; land was piled where land was not.

And a castle, Cinderella’s Castle, was built on top of it, so we humans could have a destination known as “The Happiest Place on Earth.”

On the other hand, right down the road we have Hammock Sate Park; the oldest one in Florida.

Great work has been done to keep things as they were, to allow plants and panthers, deer and dogwood to exist as they always have.

There are places in which humans came in, not to decimate, but to enjoyment and better connect with creature and Creation.

There is a catwalk through the cypress swamp, trails that are basically sandy paths and prescribed burning which prevents forest-fires and stimulates seed germination.

At Hammock Park, there is the sense of subduing and dominion in which nature and humanity is able to co-exist in harmony.

There are those who read Genesis 1:28 and see it as our call to care for and work for the benefit of creation. They follow a belief called ecotheology.

Ecotheologians use their beliefs as a springboard for how they live, from what they eat, where they live and what they buy.

They have even coined an expression that has taken hold in contemporary theology: co-creation.

Co-creation is the belief that God created the world, and we are called to assist God in the care for and advancement of creation.

We are God’s helpmates; co-dreamers for what the word can and should be.

The idea of being a co-creator with God creates a sense of partnership, an accountability and a further defining of who we are, what we do and why.

A perfect example is right here at Emmanuel UCC. Every Wednesday morning you can come here and see our men and women co-creating: mowing the lawn, getting rid of invasive weeds, trimming back branches, putting down fresh grass, planting bushes.

Nancy may not realize it, but from an ecotheologian’s point of view, she is co-creating with God every time she is out there in the garden, putting in another perennial, planting another caladium bulb, filling the bird bath with fresh water.

Everything done, every item planted, every plant cared for not only makes everything more beautiful it also creates care for a butterfly, a bee, a bird.

The same can be said for anyone here who has a pet, a birdfeeder, a garden, a patch of earth you care for and watch over.

According to this particular theology we are partnering with God when we care for Creation.

Today’s reading features another kind of partnering. It is a letter written by Paul sometime between 55-64 CE.

Here Paul is writing from prison, where he has been arrested for proclaiming Christ. We don’t know if it was high-security, low security like a white-collar prison, or if it’s really some kind of house arrest.

But either way, Paul is not free to move around or enjoy life as you or I would.

But it does not stop him from living out his faith and finding ways to share Christ.

He writes to a man named Philemon, a rather wealthy man who has come to believe in Jesus through Paul.

Philemon has allowed his home to be a meeting place for other people who also believe in Jesus. In other words his home is one of the first Christian churches.

Philemon also has a slave, a slave named Onesimus. For some reason, which no one knows, Onesimus has run away from Philemon; he has run to Paul in prison.

There, Paul develops a relationship with Onesimus and teaches him about Christ.

When the time comes, Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon. In this letter he makes this exhortation “Welcome Onesimus back into your life, but not as a slave, but as a brother, a brother in Christ.”

During a time when a runaway slave can be legally whipped, imprisoned or crucified, Paul sends Onesimus back to his master.

Using strong words and the skills of a great lawyer, Paul pleads his case to Philemon on behalf of the slave, stating “If you consider me your partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.”

Philemon has full dominion over Onesimus. As a follower of Christ what will he do?

Will he welcome Onesimus as property or as a brother?

Will Philemon respond as a Master who conquers and crushes all or will he act as a Master who cares for and watches over?

…We never get to know the answer; we can only hope it worked out in Onesimus’ favor.

But here in this letter we have an astounding change in the understanding of social structure.

Here we hear what is a turning point of what it means to follow Jesus:

If we are believers in Jesus how are we to act, especially to one another?

If we believe in Jesus, how do we relate to one another? How do we treat each other?

What’s the right thing to do?

In Christ can we conquer, overpower and crush; dominate, dictate and control?

In Christ do we tame and mellow out; have authority but the kind that cares for and watches over?

If we follow Christ, should we abuse and use up, punishing others and only think of ourselves and support only others who agree?

Or if we follow Christ are we called to protect, speak up for and ensure safety, peace and flourishing for all?

In a metaphorical question, in Christ do we enslave or do we set free, do we incarcerate or do we liberate?

I asked this metaphorically, but there are those who ask these same questions politically and socially.

…Paul is asking Philemon what kind of partner he will be.

Paul is asking Philemon to play a part in co-creating this brand new kind of faith that we, 2,000 years later, call Christianity.

And the same kind of questions rings out each and every day, in our homes, in the streets, on Wall Street and in the news.

And I am thankful that today we get to play our part.

I am thankful that today after service we get to co-create, to co-partner, to co-dream with God, with one another, as we fellowship and as we fun-raise during our Global Mission Fair.

An ecotheologian will tell you that God is not done creating the world, and that we get to play a role in the process.

I would say that God is not done perfecting the church (both universal and local) and that every time we gather, every time we work and worship side by side, we get another chance to be co-partners and to discover just what it means to follow Christ.

Together, not apart. Side-by-side, not separate.

We get to co-create with God, with Christ, with the Holy Spirit, and with one another.

As we do so, we also get to play a role in bringing freedom and flourishing, light and more, so much more into God’s good creation.

Amen and amen.

Sermon for September 1, 2013; Hebrews 13:1-16

Rev. George Miller
Hebrews 13:1-16
“Pleasing to God”
Sept 1, 2013

Throughout the Bible there are images of God; ways for us to imagine and understand our Creator.

Last month we read Hosea 11:1-11 which referred to God as a heartbroken parent who has taught their children how to walk, healed them and held them.

That same reading from Hosea also referred to God as a mighty lion; a lion who roars and calls the faithful back home.

Throughout the Bible there are also images that refer to the people of God; ways for us to imagine and understand who we are in relation to our creator.

Hosea 11 refers to us as trembling birds; doves who return to God the roaring lion.

It also refers to us as children; children who are taught by God how to walk, who are held and healed by God; children who grow up to break God’s heart.

In the Joseph sermon series which we recently completed, we witnessed what happens when siblings fight and how transformation occurred when one of those children realized it’s time to become a man.

Time and time again throughout scripture God’s chosen people are referred to as children: during the Exodus, throughout the Exile, in the ministry and teachings of Jesus.

In talking about children and the process of growing up, there are also the games which children play: board games, card games, and the athletic activities that not only pass away the time, but teach children valuable lessons.

Lessons like the importance of strategy and thinking ahead, how to play fair, how to be a gracious winner, a courteous loser, and the reality of just how much luck plays into things.

Most games that kids play come with rules. There are rules that are universally accepted; there are the rules that are specific to families, location or age group.

Think of Scrabble. Before sitting down to play a game you have to decide what counts as a word and what doesn’t. Is there an approved dictionary? Is slang valid? Are racial slurs appropriate and curse words ok?

There’s Monopoly. Everyone has their set of rules that you need to agree upon before you play, or watch out! Do you get extra money for landing on Go? Is money put in the middle? Just how does buying property, houses and hotels really work?

There’s another game called Mancala. We played it during Vacation Bible School. It’s considered the oldest game in the world, created by those who built the pyramids.

Mancala involve s nothing more than marbles, a working hand, a quick mind and a sharp set of eyes.

Because of its nature, Mancala has over 100 ways to play it, with different ways to count and move around the board.

I have the game in my office, and every time we have Vacation Bible School I take it out and play it with the children. I always have them play the way I know how.

But this summer one girl wanted to show me the way she played it. At first I said no, because it was unfamiliar, but then I gave in. And we played, and it was just as fun.

I lost and another kid stepped in to challenge the winner. At first I hovered over them to make sure they were following the rules, whatever they now were, and then realized they were fine; they were OK. They could handle things on their own.

I also realized something else: in an age of internet, computers, cell phones with digital games, this simple, ancient game was holding their attention.

It wasn’t about bells and whistles or technology; it was about the time spent together and the relationship being established.

It didn’t really matter which way we played Mancala because what mattered was two individuals were taking time out of the day to sit and engage with one another.

If we talked about the day or how summer was going, we talked; if we didn’t talk, well it was just as ok; silence can be a good thing when you are not alone.

And the outcome of the game didn’t really matter; it was more about the process and the time together.

I think that can apply to scripture as well. I’m sure you’ve heard people refer to the Bible as an acronym: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.

I’m not too keen on that acronym because it sounds a little too rule-based and we’ve all experienced those who take the teachings of the Bible as very literal, a stern list of dos and don’ts that is used as a tally to reward and condemn people.

“Oh, very good. You are one step closer to heaven. Go straight to Reading Railroad and if you pass Go collect $200.”

“Ooh, not good. You are one step closer to hell. Go to Jail, do not pass Go, do not collect $200.”

I hear this at the theater when people raised with more conservative beliefs then I apologize for not going to church or act surprised when they see me enjoy a cocktail or tell an off-color joke.

It does not fit into their understanding of the “rules of faith”, of how a Christian is or is not to act.

When faith is approached this way, it doesn’t seem to me to be much fun; it doesn’t seem to bring about flourishing. Such an approach to faith almost seems like one is more prone for failure and fatigue.

That’s one thing that came to mind as we approach today’s scripture. Depending on where you are in your faith journey, it can sound like a celebration of what it means to try your best and live a life of faith.

But it can also come across as a list of do’s and don’ts to be checked off.

DO: Let mutual love continue.

DO NOT: Fail to show hospitality to strangers.

DO: Remember those in prison.

DO NOT: Commit adultery or have sex outside of marriage.

DO: Be content with what you have.

DO NOT: Have a love affair with money.

The “rules” kinda seem straight forward, right? But now they get a little deeper-

DO: Follow your religious leaders because they know what’s best for you.

DO NOT: Be fooled by false teachers.

DO: Be like Jesus and suffer the same abuse he did.

DO NOT: Focus on where you live now, but on what’s to come.

Gets a little more complicated. For example, you are commanded to listen to what I say but beware that what I’m teaching you could be wrong.

And here’s a rule, a theology that has kept slaves in their place, women silent, and a way to justify the suffering of others: stop your complaining because suffering makes you more like Christ and besides, this isn’t where you are going to end up.

If we approach Hebrews 13 as a set of rules to be followed at all costs, we will either find comfort in what the winners get- a city yet to come.

Or we will be distressed by the notion of punishment. Will those who lose or those who violate the rules be cast down into a waterless pit? Sold into slavery? Locked in a dungeon?

There are denominations that approach the Bible this way. There are faiths that hold this viewpoint.

Either you play be the rules and you win; or you break the rules and you lose.

Here, at Emmanuel United Church of Christ, I believe we see things differently. The United Church of Christ, as a denomination, tends to view the Bible a bit differently.

As a UCC pastor I cannot tell you what to believe, I can only share with you what I think and what I am wrestling with. You are to take what I share and to process it on your own, with God, with your own Bible, with what you believe the Still Speaking God is saying to you.

I believe that readings like today are more like holy guidelines, spiritual marks on how to live our lives the best way we are able.

I believe that scriptures like today help us understand ways in which we can play nice with one another. How we can sit beside one another, talk with one another, relate with one another, and live with one another.

How we are able to flourish together.

Like Scrabble with a dear friend, like Monopoly on a rainy day, like Mancala during Vacation Bible School, it’s not so much the rules of how to win and who is to lose, but it’s more “Hey, this is what you are to do so you can have the best time possible together.”

Like Scrabble, like Monopoly, like Mancala, it’s not so much the end result, it’s the time spent getting there.

It’s about relationships.

It’s about how to be gracious to one another. How to be gracious to those who are not doing so well.

It’s about being gracious to ourselves.

As Christians, we do so by following the example God gave us in Jesus Christ. As Christians, we do so by recalling the ways in which Jesus was able to show forgiveness to people who had done terrible things or lived a life filled with mistakes.

As Christians we do so by recalling the ways in which Jesus reached out to and listened to, talked with and empowered those who were sick, those who were festering, those who were on the outside of the city or thirsty at the well.

As Christians we do so by recalling the ways in which Jesus cared for himself. How he spent time alone, how he took time to be with and talk to God, and how Jesus did things he enjoyed, like attending community events and partaking in a glass of wine.

I see today’s reading as a way to remind us, God’s children, that we are called to play beside one another and to play nice.

That we are not to cheat, or get vengeful at one another. That when we don’t get what we want we do not wipe all the pieces off the board or permanently walk away from the game at hand.

It doesn’t mean that we won’t have conflicts, it doesn’t mean we won’t have disagreements or argue over the rules or what they mean or what is applicable or what is not.

But it means that we, as Christians, as children of God, know how to sit side by side one another. We know how to engage with another. We get to know one another and how to be in relationship with one another.

And when others come along who want to see what we’re doing, or engage with us in the game, we can show them how it’s played and the guidelines which make the playing worthy and fun.

God, the loving parent, the mighty lion, roars, to bring the children back together. Jesus teaches us how to play nicely.

The Holy Spirit fills us with the creativity, imagination and energy to play and to move around the board.

And not so one person wins, or one person looses, but so we all get to pass GO, we all get to collect $200 and we all get the double letter and triple word score.

That, I believe, is what becomes pleasing to God.

Amen and amen.

***invite congregation to sing “Jesus Loves Me”

Sermon for August 25, 2013; Genesis 45:1-15, 25-28

Rev. George Miller
Genesis 45:1-15, 25-28
“Israel and the Son Who’s Alive”
August 25, 2013

As Christians, we are children of the Resurrection. Believers that God raised Christ from the grave; ecstatic over of the Easter message that life prevails.

From manger to cross to the empty tomb we proclaim that God, not death is the author of our journey.

While this message is certainly colorful and triumphant, it is not new to the biblical narrative. After all, Jesus told a story about a father with two sons and how one returns after a lifetime away.

For another glimpse of resurrection glory we can go back, way back, to the beginning. To the book of Genesis.

Genesis starts by telling us how God creates out of emptiness; God takes the chaos of nothingness and brings forth life- colors and sounds, wonderful and new.

Then we witness how creation responds: disobedient bites of forbidden fruit, brother killing brother, floods, rainbows, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th chances.

How God calls a childless couple to bless all the families of the world. How that family fights, struggles, falls short, flounders.

Yet God never forgets them, desserts them or goes back on God’s promise of blessing.

The Joseph narrative brings the book of Genesis to a close. It’s a story about how God’s promise, God’s plan for the world is almost, almost blacked out because
-a father plays favorites
-a dreamer bragged and boasted
-and brothers revolted.

Let’s review: Joseph is 17 and living in the land of Canaan when the story begins. He is given a glorious coat by his father and tells his brothers that one day they’ll bow down to him.

His brothers conspire to kill him, cast him down into a waterless pit, and sell him into slavery. They tell their father that Joseph was killed by a wild animal, casting Dad into a pit of unending grief.

For 13 years Joseph survives as a slave and a prisoner, a dreamer locked away in an Egyptian dungeon.

Then at age 30 he is elevated to second most powerful person in Egypt when we predicts that 7 years of plenty will be followed by 7 years of famine.

Joseph’s prophecy comes true. During this time he adapts the Egyptian style and dress. He acquires an Egyptian wife, has Egyptian children.

But back in Canaan his family is struggling to survive. Famine has struck, the earth is dry, and resources have been used up.

Not to mention the terrible secret the brothers are hiding from their father. For 22 years they have kept up the charade that Joseph is dead. For 22 years they have held back the truth.

Imagine the turmoil and stress that would have created amongst them. Imagine the conflicts that such a secret would create. The hushed conversations they would have had; the shame at watching their bereaved father cry but not being able to honestly console him.

2 years into the famine, Israel sends his sons to Egypt for aid. There they come face to face with Joseph, although they do not recognize him. But he recognizes them.

How will Joseph respond?

How would you respond?

22 years ago his life was in their hands and they cast him into a waterless pit and sold him for a few pieces of silver. Now they come groveling for help.

Chapters 42-44 show us just what Joseph does. He’s no innocent; he’s no saint. He toys with them. He engages them the way a cat does with a rat.

He speaks harshly with them, he accuses them of being spies and locks them away for 3 days. He sets them free only to place money and a chalice in their luggage so it looks like they stole from him.

Then, but the end of chapter 44 Joseph is prepared to turn Benjamin, his youngest brother, into a slave…when Judah steps up and passionately explains that enslaving Benjamin would destroy their father, the grief would literally kill him.

Judah states “Take me instead. I would rather be a slave then to see my father suffer anymore…”

Chapter 45 tells us how Joseph responds. He who had been attacked, stripped, cast down, sold away, locked up.

He who now had all the power, he who could have destroyed every single one of them, he who could have stopped God’s promise to bless the entire world through this dysfunctional family…

…Joseph breaks down and he weeps. He weeps so loudly everyone can hear. He weeps for each and every year he struggled to survive, he weeps for all the lies that have been told, he weeps for all that had been lost…

I also believe he weeps for what will be gained.

He has the power to decimate and destroy and instead he chooses…to flourish, he chooses new life.

What Joseph does in this story is absolutely amazing.

Understandably, Joseph first responds out of a place of hurt, but then he finds a way to move into healing.

He reveals to them just who he really is and then takes everything that has happened and puts it into theological framework.

Although his brothers do not say “I am sorry” and although he does not say “I forgive you” Joseph finds a way to bestow grace upon them.

“Do not be distressed, do not be angry at yourself,” he tells them, being incredibly pastoral. “What is done is done.”

He kisses them, he hugs them, and he weeps some more.

He essentially tells them “What you did brought grey into my life, but God was able to take that grey and bring about goodness and color, rainbows and light.”

He then sends them back to Canaan so they can get their father and live out the rest of their life in security and blessedness.

When Israel is told the news, he proclaims “Enough! My son who was dead is still alive!”

A resurrection proclamation if there ever was one.

Thus, the family is restored; through God what was once a colorless nightmare has become a Technicolor dream…

What can this mean for us? What is one lesson we can learn?

What really strikes me here is not how Joseph’s decision affected him and his brothers, but how it creates a ripple effect that also reaches out to his father.

It gave Israel back his son. It reopens a chapter he thought long closed. It allowed for a relationship to be restarted.

This is resurrection, this is the cross moving into an empty grave, this is life prevailing over death

This story is about one person’s ability to let go and to let God. It’s about one person’s chance to make a decision out of hate or out of love, and love prevails…

For 22 years the entire family has been in some kind of colorless dungeon. Israel was in a dungeon of grief. The brothers in a dungeon of denial and deceit. Joseph in a dungeon of distance and disconnect.

And instead of keeping them all there, Joseph acts in a way that grants freedom and life. He works through the present moment, he looks beyond the wrongs of the past and he steps into the future and brings his family with him.

Joseph does so by not just focusing on self, but on God. By understanding and trusting that God can work through the people, events and places of his life to bring about transformation.

But as we see with Joseph, transformation does not happen immediately, nor it is a one-time event, but it requires time.

Time to weep, time to be angry, time to ponder and think and decide the right course of action. Time to grieve for what can never be and time to grieve for what cannot ever be undone.

Joseph could have allowed hate and vengeance to prevail and kill them all, but then he really would have been alone with no chance of reconciliation.

But instead, he chooses to act with grace and enlightenment. He puts the situation in the hands of God and chooses life.

The result: a son that was once dead is now alive, a family which was once broken is restored and given a new future full of possibilities, and an entire nation becomes blessed.

This is a story about the healing act of forgiveness, and the saving acts of compassion. Together they create new possibilities for God’s creative acts to shape and redefine what we think we know to be true.

This is a perfect example of how God can mysteriously move through moments of famine, survival and assured death to bring about enough, flourishing and life.

And in doing so relationships are restored, our cups run over and our turbulent oceans give way to islands of refuge…

We never know what paths our lives will take; we never know what journeys we’ll go on. Nor what kind of dungeons we find ourselves in.

But each of us will come to places again and again in which we get to decide what we want to leave behind and what we wish to carry with us.

And to remember that the promise God made a long, long time ago to our ancestors was to bring a blessing to all the families of the earth.

And though we may think we are small or insignificant, we all have a role to play in that blessing, just like Joseph, and we all have moments in which we can help make that blessing real.

For that to happen, what do we need to leave behind in the dungeon and what are the choices we can make that bring forth life, abundant, colorful and enough?

How do we let go of the nightmare to embrace the dream?

Amen and amen.