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 4th.
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.
1st, 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.”
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