In God There is ALWAYS Another Chance; Sermon on 2 Kings 22:1-11

 

Rev. George Miller

November 26, 2023

2 Kings 22:1-11

 

A few days ago our nation came together to remember a meal, a time in our country’s heritage in which our ancestors had survived one of the harshest of seasons.

 

So they celebrated with a supper featuring foods that connected their past, their present, and the local indigenous people.

 

There are stories and memories that is passed down about that meal, and who knows what is true, what is fabricated, and what was hoped for.

 

But like the story of Manna from Heaven, or the Loaves and Fishes, the story we hear and tell about America’s first Thanksgiving is one that is meant to remind us of where we have come from, how far we have gone, and fill us with hope about future possibilities.

 

What really happened, who was there, what was actually said and eaten is left for our collective imagination, passed down generation to generation, meant to unite us, and remind us of what we look like when we are at our best.

 

Same can be said about today’s scripture.  It is presented as a fact, but there has always been the question about the historical accuracy of 2 Kings and if things really happened as reported.

 

Today’s reading is an example of how sometimes the Bible is more interested in telling us an idea than it is in offering investigative journalism that can stand up in a court of law.

 

Today’s story goes like this.  Once upon a time in the South, there was a bad bad king who did bad bad things.  When he dies, a new king took over and he was good.

 

This new king decided that all the people who helped to build the Temple, care for the Temple, and run the Temple should be paid.

 

So this good king has his assistants go and count the money so he could pay all the workers what they deserve.

 

Well- when they went to count the money they found a very special, very old book that belonged to Moses telling the King and all the people what to do.

 

This book featured the 10 Commandments and the Laws and the rules about caring for orphans and widows and foreigners and plants and animals and how resting on the Sabbath was important and it was never good to spread lies about your neighbor or to steal.

 

When this good good King was given this book, his heart broke because he knew that his country had not been doing any of those things for a long time.

 

So this good king reached out to a very smart, very wise woman named Huldah, and she said “Because you have empathy and care deeply about all the wrong that has been done, and because you are sorry and have cried for your people, the Lord has heard your heart and you will live in and die in peace.”

 

It is a beautiful narrative designed to tell the people how their nation and King was able to remember what it is like to follow the ways of Heaven.

 

It is a story full of a large cast of characters, great coincidence, in which the narrator invites us in, and makes it sound as if that is exactly how it happened.

 

I don’t know about you, but I am OK if this story is fabricated just a bit, if the facts have been fudged, if the who what where when and why could never be proven .

 

Because what it so likeable about this story is the idea that no matter what, no matter who, no matter where, no matter why-

 

in God there is always another chance, there is always another opportunity, there is always another moment to say “Let’s make it right.”

 

This is a story about what happens when a person, a community, a nation forgets, and not only that- forgets that they even forgot…

 

…and somehow, someway the Word of God comes along and they are reminded, they are moved, and their heart says “What have we done?” and “What can we do?”

 

Today’s reading is about the glorious gift of grace and new chances.  It is about that lost coin, that lost sheep, that trampled grape vine and the way in which God enters in and a new opportunity is presented.

 

And note, this story of new beginnings and peaceful redemption doesn’t just involve one person.  This is not just about one king who happens to be good.

 

This is a story that involves a multitude of people-

 

mothers, daughters, great-grandparents, sons, priests, workers, carpenters, builders, masons, handymen, purchasers, accountants, administrators, female prophets, wardrobe assistants.

 

On Thursday, we got to share a meal, a sacred national supper in which our memories were focused on a time when we overcame the worst to face our best.

 

Today we share a story, a sacred community story, in which our memories are focused on a time when the nation of God was at their worst and rediscovered who they are, what they were meant to be, and how to best live their lives.

 

Those who took part in that moment in time got to live out a life of peace and die with content hearts.

 

May we, as members of Emmanuel, as followers of Christ, as grapes of the vine and members of the extended faith family of God,

 

May we also find our own ways to remember and reapply all that we have learned, all we know to be true,

 

so that we can live as if God’s Kingdom is on earth and experience the gifts of heavenly peace.

 

Amen.

Grapes of Gratitude; Nov 19 2023 sermon on Isaiah 5:1-7

 

Rev. George Miller

Nov 19, 2023

Isaiah 5:1-7

 

Last week we saw Jesus as a small-town son.  Well - Isaiah is a southern boy, prophesizing to the lower part of the nation.

 

If storytelling is an art form in small towns, natured based sayings are essential to the south.

 

“She hasn’t got the sense God gave a goose.”  “He’s pitching a hissy fit with a tail tied to it.”

 

“Grinnin’ like a possum eatin’ a sweet tater.”

 

Sayings that expect you to have some idea of what a goose, possum and tater are.

 

Last week, we heard Hosea use family terms to express God’s relationship with us.  Today, Isaiah uses agricultural terms.

 

He portrays God as a grape-growing wine maker.  BUT not the bourgeoise kind of landowner who hires others to do the work.

 

The God that Isaiah offers us is like the Lady in Luke 5 who looks for the Lost Coin, who sweeps the floor, gets on her hands and knees to search every nook and cranny.

 

Isaiah’s image of God is similar- hands on and willing to dig in the dirt, clear away stones, who prunes and plants with precision.

 

Isaiah portrays God as intentional, caring, creating safe boundaries with watchtowers and plenty of water.

 

In verse 7, the people of God are presented as a pleasant planting expected to produce justice and righteousness.

 

Verses 1-3 have this image of God as Robert Mondavi, and Old McDonald.

 

It’s like Genesis 2 in which God digs into the mud to form Adam. 

 

Isaiah does not show God as distant or disinterested, but God as hands on, all in and covered in muck, manure and mulch.

 

Which brings us to today’s thought- if this image of God as vintner is to be embraced…what kind of grape do see yourself as?

 

Not all grapes are the same; there are so many varieties- muscadine, merlot, chardonnay.

 

If you like Isaiah’s image of God as a grape grower, what kind of grape do you see yourself to be?

 

Sweet or bitter?  Mild or tart?

Apple juicy?  Large and delicious?

 

Would you say you are a Hardier European?  Ripe and black?

 

Dark and sun warmed?  Cuban wild?

 

What kind of spiritual grape would you call yourself?

 

The praying kind?  Preaching kind?  The host and hospitality kind?

 

What kind of spiritual grape are you?

 

The feeding hungry bodies kind?

The educating minds kind?  The caring for church property kind?

 

 

What kind of spiritual grape are you?

 

Grape of gratitude?

Surf and sun kind?

Monitoring the money kind?

 

So many grapes and so many different varieties-

 

Are you the Living in simplicity kind, studying world religions kind, slowing down to enjoy the day kind, the “hopeful expectation” kind?

 

So many grapes that God grows, each with their own uniqueness.

 

There is the more extended faith family and communal question-What kind of grape is Emmanuel?

 

When the Holy Spirit saw fit for our church to be planted in 1990 there was a purpose in mind.

 

What kind of grape is Emmanuel UCC?  The FL Conference, founding pastor and founding members had an idea in mind.

 

Back when Rev. Loffer was alive, he said that Emmanuel UCC was founded to be a “progressive presence in central, rural Florida.”

 

We have been that grape, which some have found to be sweet, some have found to be sour.

 

What kind of grape is Emmanuel UCC?  For what purpose? 

 

Over the years we’ve proclaimed that we are the variety that believes in justice, kindness and humility; we are the variety that has a passion for God and compassion for all.

 

Over the years we’ve been a particular vineyard of God that feeds 150 families a month in addition to 5 local agencies.

 

We are a vineyard that shows up, speaks out, stands up and stands with.

 

Over the years this vineyard has been one of education, illumination, collaboration, one of spirit, soul, multiculturalism, Pride, and Women’s equity.

 

We are a vineyard that is Open and Affirming and still growing into what else we can be.

 

If Isaiah was alive today, what sassy southern saying would he say about us?

 

“They’re as happy as clams at high tide.”  “Many hands make a light load.”  “Say yer prayers n blessin.”

 

 

 

Maybe he would say “They’re alive and living, sweet and ripe, products of the Sun, filled with the Spirit, and Watered by the Word.”

 

We are one of God’s beloved vineyards.

 

As such, we continue to grow and learn, live and love, in passion and compassion, justice and kindness, followers of Christ, lovers of Jesus.

 

Amen and Amen.

God As Sacred Feminine- Nov 12 2023 sermon on Hosea 11:1-12

 

Rev. George Miller

Nov 12, 2023

Hosea 11: 1-12

 

Jesus was pretty much a small-town boy living in a rural community.  Like those born and raised in small towns, there were certain things Jesus liked.

 

He cared about his Momma.  He didn’t mind talking about God.  He loved a good meal.  He hung out with folks who worked the land.  He could tell a good story.

 

Storytelling is currency in small towns- the ability to spin a yarn, give the right amount of detail, talk about things people knew and did on a daily basis.

 

One day, Jesus told a story that was just 2 sentences long- A woman loses a coin.  So she lights a lamp, sweeps the house and searches carefully until she finds it.  Then, she calls her friends and over and says “Let’s celebrate for what was lost is found.”

 

This parable shows how God will search us out when we are lost.  So simple, so sleek, so relatable.

 

Who hasn’t lost a $20 bill and searched high and low for it? 

 

Who hasn’t lost something at home and you’re moving around furniture, reaching under the couch, lifting up cushions?

 

Who here hasn’t been at a point in their life in which you needed to gather all your coins if you wanted to put gas in your car?

 

So we understand this woman’s plight, we appreciate her search.

 

But there’s more going on here.  Jesus is telling this story at a time in which people do not have a tiled floor or white linoleum.

 

Wood was expensive so floors were made from pounded down dirt or it thatch-style flooring, made of straw, water reed, etc.  

 

So this woman isn’t just looking for a lost coin, she’s putting in the work.  She’s getting dirty.  She’s having to look between the crevices and hiding places the straw and reeds can create.

 

And she does not stop, she does not quit.  She keeps lighting the way, sweeping the path, seeking through the earth, peering in the palms until she finds that most valuable, exquisite, one-of-a-kind, important coin- YOU!

 

And then she celebrates with joy.

 

Do you notice the radicalness of this narrative- Jesus dares to portray God as a woman, and not just any woman, but a salt-of-the-earth kind of woman who does housework and uses a broom!

 

Think of how amazing this is.  At a time in history in which women were not valued, or seen as trustworthy witnesses in a court of law, a time in which daughters could be sold off as things…

 

Jesus dares to compare the God of All Creation as a woman, a She, a Her.

 

For weeks now we’ve been asking “Why Jesus?”  We have another answer- because Jesus’ faith and understanding of God was so great that he could see God as a woman and not be all upset.

 

We share this parable from Luke 15:8-10 because it gives us one of the few times the Bible portrays God as the Sacred Feminine…but it’s not the only time.

 

Proverbs portrays Wisdom as a woman.  Isaiah shows God as a mother offering comfort.

 

Today’s reading from the Book of Hosea is pure Sacred Feminine as we have God the parent who teaches the people how to walk, lifts them up, and bends down to feed them- a reference to breast feeding.

 

Imagine that- within our holy text is an image of God breast-feeding the lost people of Israel, providing them with sacred milk.

 

This whole passage is like an oasis.  The words appear like green grass in the middle of a spiritual dessert in which the prophet Hosea is going on and on about the sins of the people, the many, many tragic mistakes they have made.

 

This passage takes place after God goes on a rant about just how disappointed, how hurt God is by the actions of the people.

 

This is God, the Heavenly Matriarch of the Family saying to all the sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, aunts and uncles, cousins and grandparents-

 

“What’s happened to our family?  This isn’t how it was supposed to be!  When you were a baby, I called you for my own, but you kept running away.”

 

This is God, heartbroken saying “You were raised better than this, but you keep going against all that you were taught so now the whole place is in chaos.”

 

This is God, the fed-up head of the household saying “Day after day I watch you hurting yourself, hurting others, and hurting me.  Maybe I should just give up on you…forever.”

 

This is God, the Heavenly Mother who says “But how can I turn my back on you?  My womb that carried you is filled with love.  I remember your first steps.”

 

“I remember when I held you to my face.  I remember when I held you to my heart and you suckled from my breasts.”

 

This is God saying “No matter what you have done, no matter what hurt you have caused, no matter what horrible experiences you have endured, you are still my child, and I will always, always love you.”

 

This is God, as the Mother who waits up all night for her child to come back from the prom.  This is God, the parent who waits for their child to come back from war.

 

This is God, as parent who keeps the light on and a plate of food in the fridge.

 

This is God, who like the woman in Jesus’ parable, does not stop, does not quit, who is willing to dig in the dirt or look through the thatch if that’s what it takes.

 

The Good News for us, for all of us, is knowing that no matter what mistakes we make, no matter what sins we have committed, we can always turn back to God, we can always return to Home.

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”

Sitting In the Green Grass with Jesus; Nov 5 2023 sermon- 1 Kings 18:20-40

Rev. George Miller

Nov 5, 2023

1 Kings 18:20-40

 

It’s been 60 years since we last gathered.  King Rehoboam messed up everything by choosing to overwork and abuse his extended faith family.  So bad was this decision that he was chased out of town into the south.

 

The northern part of the nation has split away, and things have gotten out of hand. 

 

Our distant 3^rd cousins twice removed are living in Carmel doing all sorts of unholy things.

 

Instead of worshipping God and following the 10 Commandments, the people are worshipping the pagan god baal who requires the sacrifice of children.

 

These long distant cousins of ours believe that baal brings the rain and causes crops to grow, so if baal requires burning their first born alive, that’s what they’ll do.

 

This upsets and angers God.  How could this have happened?  How could 10 of the 12 Tribes of Father Jacob resort to such a thing? 

 

How could they forget God who freed their ancestors from slavery and led them to the land of Milk and Honey?

 

The unholy, ungrateful actions of the people causes a drought to spread across the land, limiting access to water, making it hard to live.

 

The prophet Elijah sees the suffering of the people, he knows their hunger, he is aware of their thirst, but he also sees their sin.

 

In a show of grandiosity, Elijah comes up with a plan to pit God against baal to prove that God is real.  Elijah so wants the people to turn back to the way things were, turn back to the Commandments, turn back to God.

 

But did ya’ll notice something in today’s reading?  Did you notice that the story seems to be more about Elijah than it is about God?

 

Pay attention to the text.  No where do we ever hear that any of this was God’s plan.  At no point do we hear God speak or confirm anything Elijah does.

 

What we get instead is Elijah being super zealous, openly challenging the priests of baal.

 

It is Elijah who says “Hey, lets cut up a bull and see which god sets it aflame!”

 

It is Elijah who taunts and teases the priests.  It is Elijah who turns to bathroom comedy as he suggests their god is asleep.

 

It is Elijah who puts on a grandiose show, rebuilding the altar, digging a trench, slicing the bull like he’s a chef at Benihana, commanding 12 jugs of water being poured out.

 

Then Elijah’s prayer!  A Dios Mio!  It is sooo self-centered- “O Lord- let it be known that you are God, and I am your servant.  Let it be known that I have done these things.  Answer me God, answer me.”

 

Yes, we are told a fire of the Lord fell and burnt the bull to a crisp…but really?  Really?

 

Really Elijah?

 

During a drought that lasted 42 months, Elijah thinks the best use of God’s resources and time is to waste water and to send fire down to bone-dry ground?

 

Really Elijah, really?  He couldn’t think of a better way to show the people the glory of God? 

 

He couldn’t think of another way to turn people’s hearts back to God than burning a bull until nothing is left?

 

Really, Elijah, really?

 

…for the past 4 Sundays we have been asking the question “Why?”  Why do we follow Jesus? 

 

And today’s answer is a really big “why” to balance Elijah’s “really.”

 

Our answer to “Why” is found in the Gospel of Mark, and it is a beautiful “Why.”

 

In Mark 6:30-44 we have the story where Jesus and the disciples decide to go out into the dessert to be alone so that they can rest.

 

Jesus and the disciples have been so busy preaching, teaching, healing, that they just need some time in an Arizona-style spa.

 

But the townspeople hear about this and follow Jesus into the dessert.

 

Jesus looks upon them with compassion, seeing them as sheep without a shepherd.

 

So Jesus teaches this crowd, who are hungry for the Word.  But when nighttime comes, they are hungry for something else.

 

Seeing how hungry they are, Jesus tells the disciples to feed them.  And although there are just 5 loaves and 2 fish, Jesus does something amazing.

 

In Mark 6:39, Jesus has the people sit down…on the green grass. 

 

Though they are in the desert, somehow, someway there is a green pasture for them to sit upon.

 

As the hungry people sit on the green grass in the middle of the dessert, Jesus takes the bread, takes the fish.

 

He looks up to heaven.

He blesses the bread.

He breaks it.

 

He gives the loaves to the disciples to set before the folk.

 

Then he divides the fish.

 

All ate.

All were satisfied.

 

12 backets of leftovers are collected.

 

As far as we know Jesus did not give a grandiose prayer; Jesus did not say “me, me, me, I, I, I.”

 

In the middle of a dessert, as the people sat in green pastures, Jesus blessed, Jesus broke, Jesus gave.

 

How utterly and completely different than Elijah who in the middle of a drought ridiculed, wasted water, and sought fire to burn a bull to ashes.

 

“Why Jesus?” we ask.  Today we have another answer.

 

Because when Jesus looked upon the people, he had compassion.  When Jesus had the chance to turn folk away, he welcomed them to sit down.

 

When Jesus had a chance to show God’s glory and might, it was not done by wasting resources, it was not done by dazzling fire.

 

Instead, to show God’s glory, Jesus opted to take what little they had…and turn it into much. 

 

When Jesus had the chance to show God’s might, it was through compassion, it was through food, it was through meeting the needs of people right where they were.

 

Why Jesus?  Because Jesus didn’t just live the 10 Commandments, he embodied them.

 

Jesus showed Heaven on Earth not by sending down fire, but by blessing, breaking and sharing bread.

 

Why Jesus?

 

Because in him we see how the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want.

 

The Lord makes us lie down in green pastures, our souls are restored, and goodness and mercy follows us.

 

In Jesus our cup overflows, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.        

 

Amen.