“We have not earned these/They just come with the table.” Sermon on Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

 

Rev. George Miller

July 5, 2026

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

 

The World Cup is here and it’s like a secular Pentecost- other nations and languages coming together around one common thing.  Instead of Christ, it is soccer.

 

Thanks to social media, Americans are enjoying an unexpected experience- seeing the vastness and beauty of the United States through other people’s eyes.

 

Foreigners are in awe with our state parks, how huge a country we are, how melt-in-your-mouth delicious barbeque is and the yumminess of ranch dressing; trying soul food, biscuits and gravy, and southern fried chicken.

 

On Instagram a man from Japan shared that he was at a restaurant and immediately received chips and salsa.  He said to the waiter “We have not earned these.”

 

The waiter replied “They just come with the table...”

 

The man said that in his land, hospitality is a debt; every gift creates an obligation, weighed carefully, returned in proper season. 

 

He writes that in America the gift of chips and salsa is a sign of trust, arriving before you can even prove that you’ll pay for dinner.

 

When the chips are refilled, he refers to it as “Generosity that arrives before the request cannot be repaid. The trust of a nation is in that salsa.” nobunaga@japan_nobunaga

 

“We have not earned these/They just come with the table.”  This man from Japan may have just summed up what Communion is.

 

Today we celebrate the 250^th birthday of America, the place we call home, a moment for us to remember the dreams that our country means to many, especially those who immigrated here. 

 

This is a time to give thanks for democracy, something our congregational ancestors brought to the shores of Massachusetts.

 

To feel inspired by our gorgeous landscapes, to recall how we were conceived by the concept of Liberty, to honor those who came across the Atlantic, how we have established an economy and created standards, being a place that’s intended to welcome questioning and debate.

 

Of course some of those questions and debates come down to how we interpret, what we value, and how we understand. 

 

The ways in which immigration is currently being discussed.  What exactly were our founding Father’s connection to scripture?  How do we improve relationships with those living within our borders? 

 

President John Adams called today the “Great American Festival,” a Day of Deliverance. 

 

He was aware of the toil and treasure it would take to maintain the Declaration of Independence, what it would mean to support and defend the gifts of Liberty.

 

Toil and Treasure.  These words sum up Ecclesiastes.

 

Today’s reading is written by someone who is tired.  They are sooo tired that they are tired of being tired.

 

The author of Ecclesiastes is a teacher who thought the solution to life is to learn as much as he can learn, but realizes the more he learns the less he knows.  This makes him sad.

 

He tries to find joy and purpose in life by buying things, building things, surrounding himself with rock stars and voluptuous women, but nothing equates to joy.

 

He begins to realize how unfair and foolish things are, how predictable and mundane life is.

 

He sees life as a daily set of tasks and toil that never ever end.  If the author lived in St. Louis, he’d say “Oh my God! I have to rake in the Fall, shovel in the Winter, deal with Spring storms, and sweat like a dog in the Summer!”

 

The author is despondent.  He sees that those who follow the rules and play fair are getting punished while those who do what they want seem to be living it up. 

 

He sees how greedy and lonesome his peers have become.  No matter how much success they have had, it’s never enough.  He watches as death comes for everyone he knows.

 

Then, in chapter 4, verse 9, something clicks for the teacher- yes, life is hard, yes, life is redundant, but when we are united, it is so much better.

 

The author, who thinks he knows nothing at all, actually knows a lot- that it is relationships, it is partnerships, it is collaboration, which makes all the difference.

 

When one falls, the other can pick them up.  When one deals with the coldness of life, the other can warm up their spirits.  When difficulty arises, two can face it together, and it is harder to be broken when there are three.

 

This is not a scripture about rugged individualism and celebrating those who can do it themselves- it is a scripture about the joy that comes when 2 or more are gathered, the beauty of being relational, the strength that comes from being united, the possibilities of being more than just ourselves.

 

Life is full of toil; but when united it can become tolerable and we can become undefeated.

 

United.

 

That’s what happened on the Day of Pentecost when people from all over came together and the Holy Spirit fell upon them, uniting them around the Good News of Jesus Christ.

 

United is what John Adams imagined and hoped for when he helped give birth to our nation, longing to see the civic virtue and character of democracy flourish and take root.

 

United, which is the motto of the UCC, taken from the words of Jesus in John 17:21- “That they may all be one.”

 

This does not mean identical, or to always agree, but to toil side by side, to strive together, to pick one up when the other falls.

 

Unity is what Jesus brought to the table.  Unity is what Jesus embodied when he drank wine at the wedding, shared fish on the hillside and broke bread in the upper room. 

 

Not just unity, but grace and welcome.  Jesus unified everyone at the table by feeding them without anyone having to prove their worth or paying ahead, but for simply being present.

 

Today’s reading ties into our nation’s 250^th anniversary; a reminder that who we are and what we can achieve is tied to our sense of unity and shared purpose.

 

Today’s reading reminds us that how we engage with others can make us stronger and better.

 

It is a way to bring calm to a world that wants to say there are not enough chips for all, but Jesus says “Yes there are, and they taste so much better when shared and united.”                 Amen and amen.

A Message for Our Mission Trippers; Psalm 30:4-6

 

Rev. George Miller

June 28, 2026

Psalm 30: 4-6

 

Note: This message is the result of St. Lucas UCC members who shared their experiences, insight, and knowledge.  I cannot claim all of this as my own creation. 

 

You may have heard about Christmas in July.  Today we have Hannukah in Humidity.

 

Last week Nehemiah got the sons and fathers together to rebuild the Jerusalem walls.  Most certainly there were also daughters and mothers who participated. 

 

About 150 years later the Greeks attack the city, taking over the Temple, telling the people they cannot attend worship, circumcise their children, observe Sabbath, or read their Holy Texts.

 

The enemy violates the Temple, putting up a statue of Zeus, sacrificing pigs on the altar, desecrating the holiest of spaces.

 

Because the people of Judah are brave and remember their heart belongs to God, they rise up and fight back, reclaiming the Temple, restoring it to its proper purpose.

 

With a limited supply of ritually pure oil, they burn lamps for days and days to cleanse God’s House, reclaiming it as a sacred sanctuary, a place of refuge where they can resume holy Sabbath worship and study of  their sacred texts.

 

This victory over the enemy and cleansing of the Temple is what Hannukah is all about.  Psalm 30 is said to be the song they sung on that day when worship resumed.

 

“I will extol to you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up and did not let my foes rejoice over me.”

 

“O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.”

 

Imagine what it was like to return to this place of worship after being gone for sooo long, able to freely say “Sing praises to the Lord…and give thanks to his holy name… weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

 

How this could’ve been sung  post-COVID when we reentered our sacred structures.

 

Imagine the people of Psalm 30 after recovering the Temple; candles burning for 8 nights.  The whole congregation lifting their voices, singing with unparalleled joy “I shall never be moved.”

 

I shall never be moved- no matter what the enemy tries, no matter the chaos that comes our way.

 

Chaos runs throughout the Bible; thankfully so does the restorative acts of  God.

 

In Genesis, God takes chaos and creates life.  In Exodus, chaos is transformed into freedom. 

 

In Joshua, God takes the chaos of wibbly-wobbly into the Promised land.  In Nehemiah, God turns chaos into a community-wide construction event.

 

In Psalm 30, chaos is conquered by a congregation that comes together singing thanks to our generous God.

 

Read scripture this way and you see this cycle taking place again and again- chaos comes along and God acts; chaos tries to silence and God speaks, chaos attempts to end and God creates a new beginning.

 

It is like a full circle, again and again, a circle one can appreciate and look bravely towards when life gets hard and things seem unsure.

 

Full circle.  A few days ago, someone who is incredibly wise used that expression; it sounded inspirational.

 

The idea of things going full circle.  Not all circles have to be bad or chaotic.  There are circles that feel good, filled with legacy and meaning, memory and promise.

 

Today’s blessing of the Mission Trip is a Full Circle moment.  Mission is so deeply rooted in our UCC roots.  For example, in 1812 we were the first Americans to send missionaries oversees.

 

At St. Lucas, we’ve had mission trips for decades, to places all over the nation.  We’ve watched those start off as youth who have continued as adult supervisors, some now closer to middle-aged than teenager.

 

Oh, the places our mission trips have gone- Back Bay, North and South Carolina, Colorado,  Louisiana.

 

With them a Spirit of Christ; a spirit of love and being united.

 

As our youth and adults prepare to go to Spirit Lake in North Dakota, we pray for them 3 gifts.

 

The gift of reverence- be present to the Native American community, meet them where they are while respecting their ways.

 

The gift of disconnecting with cell phones and social media so as to connect with nature, one another, the satisfaction of honest work, and restorative quiet.

 

The gift of awe and wonder; may they stand beneath the skies of God’s handwork and marvel at all of creation, finding healing and satisfaction in what their eyes behold and ears can hear.

 

With these gifts, may our youth and adults find their own ways to best be ambassadors for St. Lucas and the United Church of Christ.

 

May they embody the spirit of Jesus who sat in celebration with people getting married.  May they embody the compassion of Jesus who met with curious elders and folk living with sickness and hurt. 

 

While at Spirit Lake, may our youth and adults be engaged, like Jesus at the well, having rich conversation and dialogue.

 

May they embody the legacy and traditions of the UCC, with hearts that welcome, hands that empower, feet that walk besides, and spirits that uplift.

 

Into a world that can be filled with too much chaos, may you bring calm and be the calm. 

 

Like those in Psalm 30 gathered to sing praises to the Lord, may you minister in such a way that gives thanks to God’s holy name.

 

May our Mission members embody the faith that believes weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

 

May you go as the hands and feet of Christ, and return with an expanded reverence, sense of connection, and memories filled with wonder and awe.

 

Be the light that you already are.

 

Amen.

Sermon for Father's Day- Nehemiah 6:15

 

Rev. George Miller

June 21, 2026

Nehemiah 6:15

 

Today we continue our pet-themed season of worship, titled “God’s Pawsome Love.”  Last week Michele discussed her bulldogs, one named Guinevere.  This gave me a smile- I was raised with dogs named Melody and Guinevere.

 

A favorite childhood memory was the Fall of 1975, raking the lawn with Dad, listening to the cast album of “Camelot” while Melody and Guinevere, with her golden coat, were running free.

 

Robert Goulet came on, singing the song “Guinevere” and to my young ears, it was magnificent. 

 

It’s interesting how images and songs stay embedded in our hearts, especially when attached to someone who loves us.

 

Riding in the car with Dad hearing “Bring In The Clowns” by Judy Collins, “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart, and all things Bob Dylan. 

 

Not all memories are fuzzy and warm.  The time we chopped wood and I made it as miserable as possible.  Being absolutely bored as he tried to teach me how to change the oil. 

 

How my Dad did all he could to let me know he accepted me, but recently learning how much he struggled with my identity.

 

My father died in 1995 of brain cancer, and though I carry him with me everywhere, my brother and I will never know what it would be like if he was still here, what it would be like for the three of us to go out and share a meal.

 

I think of how Dad would be proud; how he would smile during the Memorial Day Service.

 

One of the things men learn as we age is that no one really teaches us how to be men.  Our Dads often tried their best with what they knew and what they witnessed, but no one really says things like-

 

“You can speak soft and still be heard.”  “You can refuse to act violently and still be strong.”  “Your height can be used to bring comfort to some and scare others.”

 

No one really teaches boys how to be men, and men how to be fathers.  So it is with gratefulness that I say “Thank you” to whoever submitted today’s reading.

 

Nehemiah is a rarely discussed book of the Bible, and that’s too bad, because  Nehemiah is a role model for how to be a man and be a Dad.

 

Last week we stood with Joshua and the people, in the year 1250 BCE, ready to enter the Promised Land with wibbly-wobbly feet.

 

In 587, the nation falls, the city walls destroyed; the citizens taken into captivity.  In 538 folk return to a nation that is utterly destroyed. 

 

In 516 they rebuild the Temple but the city’s walls remain down, making them vulnerable and feeling like a non-nation.

 

It is now 445 BCE, nearly a century since Jerusalem had her walls torn asunder.

 

Nehemiah, Persian by birth but a Jew by identity, is working for the king.  He hears about his kin in Judah.  He is told they’re living in shame, chaos, and brokenness.

 

This disparaging news hits him hard.  He sits and weeps, for days.  He prays to God.  He comes to work looking sooo sad that the King of Persia asks what’s wrong. 

 

Nehemiah says “Oh King, how can I be happy when the place my grandparents are buried is in ruins and its walls burned down.  Please, let me go back to my ancestral land and assist in rebuilding it.”

 

The King agrees, using his connections to ensure Nehemiah has safe travel, access to natural resources, and military assistance.

 

Nehemiah gets to Judah, and with wisdom, charisma, and clear focus, he gets everyone involved.  Within 52 days the walls are rebuilt.

 

That which lingered in a depressed state of nothingness for a century, the people are now ready to do.

 

In this story are 3 lessons that can apply to anyone, including our men and our fathers. 

 

One, it is OK to cry. 

 

Nehemiah learns his people are suffering.  Instead of becoming numb, he sits with the pain.  He weeps, and finds a way to mourn.  In doing so he turns to God with an honest conversation.

 

With tears, he says “God, I know you’re great.  You keep covenants.  Hear my voice, see my sadness. My people haven’t always walked right or honored your boundaries.”

 

“But we are still yours and you are ours.  Please hear, please find a way to shower us with your mercy and grant us success.”

 

Nehemiah learns distressing news, and within his own masculinity he finds a way to grieve, confess, and seek out assistance, from both God and King, unapologetic and true.

 

Second lesson we see in Nehemiah is delegation.  After he has his heart to heart with God, Nehemiah doesn’t do anything alone.  He reaches out to the king and keepers of the forest; he communicates with commanders and cavalry. 

 

Instead of saying “No One can do it the way I can,” or feeling like this is his domain, and his only, Nehemiah invites everyone to be a part of the rebuilding process. 

 

A perfect example to boys wanting to be men, and men wanting to be better fathers.  Nehemiah delegates tasks so everyone plays a part and can feel a sense of pride.

 

Priests rebuild the Sheep Gate.  Sons of Hassenaah rebuild the Fish Gate.  Men of Gibeon repair the Old Gate while goldsmiths and perfumers assist.  Azbuk’s son fixes the wall across from King David’s grave. Temple servants rebuild the Water Gate and tower.

 

Though not mentioned, we know there were daughters and wives present, assisting in all the ways they could.

 

Nehemiah shows us that it is OK for a man to cry; to delegate.  The third lesson is to hear and to act.

 

In chapter 5 we discover unsettling news.  While the citizens worry that there’s no gate to keep the enemies out, it seems that the worst enemies are those within.

 

There are members of Judah who are taking advantage of them.  Landlords are raising their rent.  Families are having to take out large loans just to survive. 

 

The people, including the wives and women cry out.  There is not enough food for their kids to eat. 

 

Folk are hungry.  Parents are having to choose between losing their farm or feeding their family.  Their sons are being enslaved; their daughters abused.

 

They come to Nehemiah, the same way he came to God, lifting up their voice, telling their truth.

 

And Nehemiah…listens.  He listens and he believes.  He does not play “blame the victim” or tell them to work harder.

 

Nehemiah hears them, feeling righteous anger.  He takes time to think about it, then he goes into action, calling together the big wigs and who’s who and those who are the advantage takers.

 

He stands before them and says “What you’re doing is wrong; in no way are you walking with God.  You know our nation is suffering.  Stop with all the impossibly high interest rates.  Give back to the people what you know you stole.”

 

Nehemiah does not shame them for being rich or being savvy businesspeople, he simply addresses their unfair practices. 

 

With this issue addressed, everyone goes back to working together, rebuilding the wall, step by step, week by week.

 

52 days later, all the cracks and crevices are filled in.  They have a wall, tall and strong, standing as a testimony to what can be done when fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, business and civic leaders work together.

 

Nehemiah, in his faithfulness and focus is such a great model for all people who seek insight into how one person can make a difference.

 

For our men, he teaches that it is Ok to cry.  It is OK to delegate; sharing our work with many.  It is Ok to hear the cries of others and address the cause of their hurt.

 

Today we continue to celebrate the Pawsome Love of God who creates, frees, instructs, wants the best for everyone.

 

Let us meditate on the example of Nehemiah as we continue to thrive in this sanctuary that God has trusted us with.

 

May these walls always be a holy space and a holy time of safe harbor, where people can exhale, embody their faith, and find ways to be the generous hands and feet of Christ to the world around us.

 

Amen and amen.

UCC- We Remember

 

Rev. George Miller

June 14, 2026

Joshua 1:9

 

“Remember.”  This word, and all its variations appear about 225 times in Scripture.

 

Deuteronomy 24:18- “Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you.”

 

Psalm 105:5- “Remember the wonderful works (God) has done.”

 

Luke 24:8-9- “Then the women remembered his words, and returning from the tomb they told this to the eleven...”

 

To remember, so we never forget, lose track of who we are, when we prevailed, and don’t want to redo.

 

That is why we remember Pearl Harbor and D-Day; why we recall Stonewall and July 4^th.

 

Why we acknowledge Juneteenth, a day in 1865 the enslaved people in Texas discovered they were free, 30 months after the Emancipation Proclamation, when General Granger arrived and announced the good news of their freedom.

 

To Remember.  So we don’t forget.  So we never repeat.  So we can give thanks, celebrate, speak up.

 

Today, Joshua combines memory into courage.  In today’s reading, Joshua is taking the assembly of believers into a new era.

 

After 40 years of dilly-dallying in the desert, the people are a bit wibbly-wobbly on their feet, and before they go into the land of milk and honey, God says-

 

“Step forward.  From the forests to the rivers I am with you.  Be brave, for I will keep the promises made to your ancestors.”

 

God says “Listen and believe- don’t be timid or shocked.  I am in each and every step you take.  Be strong; be courageous.” 

 

There is a beauty in the people moving forward because of promises made in the past to the grandparents who came before.

 

There is a beauty in remembering, because sometimes people want you to forget; they want you to forget so they can do what they want and hope that you are not brave, you are not courageous.

 

Last week, we learned that changes are being made to the list of recognized religions that US soldiers can select when entering military service.

 

As a Pastor, I feel sad that our Department of Defense has made this change. Especially since I went seminary feeling a call to Military Chaplaincy.

 

I feel sad because my family has deep roots in the service going back to the Revolutionary War. 

 

This shift of 200-plus religious categories to 31 broader one means that Unitarian Universalists have been removed.  Mormons are not in the Christian category.  The AME has been collapsed into “Christian: Other.” So has the UCC.

 

For some, this move from a specific code to a more general one may not seem like a concern, but through the lens of history, it may raise questions about what could come next.

 

1^st, transgender teens in sports become the target of a bill in Florida.  Then there are reports of immigrants showing up for legal appointments being detained.  We hear about historic individuals being removed from government websites. 

 

To learn that religious categories are being redesignated can raise questions, especially for those who recall when and where similar things have taken place before.

 

Here is where the courageous call of Joshua and the scriptural guide to “remember” comes into play.

 

No matter what anyone says, no matter what category the UCC is put into, WE remember and we know who we are.

 

We are St. Lucas UCC, transforming lives as the hands and feet of Christ since 1880.

 

No agency, no human actor, no list of 31 categories can change that.  We remember.  We know who we are.

 

We remember that one branch of the UCC came over in 1620 landing on the shores of Massachusetts.  We remember that another branch of the UCC came to America in the 1830’s making their way up the Mississippi.

 

We remember those whose came to Pennsylvania in the 1700s and those who road horseback into western town to lead revivals.

 

As members of the UCC we cannot be erased because we played a part in starting institutions like Harvard and Yale, shaping institutions like Mount Holyoke.

 

For one of our military members to check “Christian: Other” does not erase the fact that our predecessors started the Pilgrim Press, gathered in churches that helped inspire the Boston Tea Party, protected the Liberty Bell, and raised funds to defend those aboard the Amistad.

 

I am sad to know that starting in July the names of those in the back of our bulletin can no longer mark “UCC.”  However, we can be proud to know that they are part of a congregation and denomination that has had an active role in:

 

Eden Seminary, educating pastors since 1850.  The Deaconess Foundation, providing health care and compassion.

 

Every Child’s Hope, caring for the vulnerable; Isaiah 58 addressing  issues around housing. 

 

Emmaus Homes, serving people living with developmental disabilities.

 

The nation may want to place us with the category of “other” but it is because of the UCC, under the encouragement of Rev. King and other civil rights leaders, that we challenged censorship and the silencing of voices in the South.

 

How inspiring that the UCC, standing in strength and courage, spoke up so that ordinary citizens could also have access to the airwaves, allowing diverse voices to have a place on tv and radio.

 

And let us not forget Reinhold Niebhur, born in Missouri, a graduate of Eden, who wrote the Serenity Prayer.

 

“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”

 

Talk about strong and courageous, one step at a time.

 

As a Pastor, I feel sad that our Department of Defense has made this policy change, reducing  over 200 religious categories to 31.

 

I worry about what could happen next.  Once people no longer call you by your name, there is no telling what can happen next.

 

I want us to be prepared for the worst-case scenario just in case, but we also need to hold onto our memory-

 

who we are, who we have been, what we have done and what we are doing.

 

There is a reason the phrase “remember” appears nearly 250 times throughout the Bible.

 

The act of remembering is an act of faith; it is an act of identity.

 

Remembering reminds us of who we are.

 

Remembering makes way for the wonderfulness of the Resurrection.

 

And remembering is an act of knowing that no matter what, God is with us, each and every step, each and every day.

 

For that, we can say “Amen.”