God's Armor; Christ's Strength- Sermon on Ephesians 6:12-17

 

Rev. George Miller

June 16, 2024

Ephesians 6:12-17

 

We continue studying Scriptures that folk submitted for previous Stump The Pastor Sundays.

 

Whoever suggested this one- bravo- this is a scripture that I’ve purposely avoided because of a memory from Michigan.

 

Years ago, I was at a Christian store.  Amongst the books and Bibles, was a children’s display based on Ephesians, with plastic shoes and shields to dress up in.

 

There was a parent with a very young son putting each of these items on him, narrating-

 

“This is the breast plate of righteous; this is the helmet of salvation,” as they attached each piece upon him.

 

“This is the sword of the Spirit,” they said, placing a golden weapon within the child’s hand.

 

For me, it felt icky. 

 

Though the parent thought they were inspiring, kids usually think concretely, so it’s likely their son did not get the symbolism.

 

Was this a moment of a pure soul being turned into someone who could be a violent threat in the name of Jesus?

 

Is there a chance this child grew up thinking their Christian duty is to attack anyone they see as evil, unholy, or of the devil?

 

That’s the complexity of Scripture.  Sometimes what the author intends is not what we interpret or want to hear.

 

What can be uncomfortable for one can be inspiring for another; what seems foreign to me could be completely natural to you.

 

And, depending on the situation, being able to adorn oneself with a sword may be the difference between life and death.

 

So let’s discern this together. 

 

This is a letter attributed to Paul at a time when he was incarcerated, unable to meet with folk.

 

The author crafts a letter meant to show how God is bringing us together via Christ.

 

This letter is set at a time when the faith is still new, the memory of the Crucifixion is fresh, and Roman soldiers march along the streets on a daily basis.

 

So for those receiving this letter, they don’t need to go to a store to try on plastic swords and shields, these things are very real.

 

They live at a time in which their faith is misunderstood, maligned, and they truly are the minority.

 

It makes sense that the author wants to empower them to gird up their strength.

 

This is not faith in a vacuum. 

 

It is faith situated in herstory and history, when the devil could be in the form of local authorities, folks claiming they are holier-than-thou, who do wish harm.

 

Like Paul in Acts 27, when folks were sure the ship was about to sink, the author is saying “Don’t stop, don’t quit, don’t give up.”

 

This is the author saying “God’s got you so keep up your courage-

 

God’s armor covers you.  Fasten your belt, slip on your shoes so you can face what needs to be faced and you can walk the walk that Jesus talked.”

 

There are many ways this reading can and has been used.

 

We can think of when local leaders used their swords to judge, cut, threaten, and shame.

 

There was a guest preacher in Sebring a few months ago who is known for preaching death to certain people.

 

We cringe to hear how he’d give today’s message and who he’d define as unholy or of the devil.

 

We can think of Haiti, ravaged by gang members who worship dark spirits and use their faith to harm and hurt.

 

It’s possible that for our Christian Sisters and Brothers in Haiti, the call to take up heavenly armor to withstand evil is not an esoteric exercise, but a very real thing.

 

For some in Haiti, standing firm, fastening belts in preparation for a fight, slipping on shoes to speak on salvation is not an exercise in evangelism, but real.

 

There may be some in which the sword they hold is not plastic, or imitation gold, but a weapon they will use to protect their family.

 

So Ephesians 6 could be the very thing that is giving them strength, comfort and assurance.

 

We can think of us, Emmanuel UCC, doing what others said should not be done.

 

Calling a female pastor.  Having worship in three languages.  Becoming Open and Affirming. 

 

Standing in solidarity with the Students of Parkland, feeding people regardless if they are citizen or immigrant, legal or refugee, in need or just greedy.

 

What we do, what we have done, has not always been easy, otherwise we would not have been among the few doing it.

 

What we do and what we will do, has required courage, planning, and determination.

 

We have indeed been adorned in the breastplate of righteousness.

 

We have been dressed in shoes taking us from the sanctuary to the streets, from the parking lot to the food market.

 

We have had a sword, based in the Word of God, the words of Micah, and affirmed by the teachings of Jesus Christ.

 

Instead of using that sword to harm and hurt, we’ve used it to care and speak up for others,

 

to cut through things that have held people back and hurt them.

 

In the past this scripture has been an ick factor for me, but today it is a testimony that we are way stronger than we realize and more with God than we imagine.

 

Jesus calls us to be strong and find strength in his power. 

 

Today’s reading says to stand against that which is not heavenly.

 

For our struggles are often against that which seems dark, that which seems scary.

 

So keep up your courage.  Prepare for whatever is ahead.

 

Know that when we are scared, when we are confused, when we feel helpless or hopeless,

 

the word of God can give us strength, give us light, and give us hope.

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”

A Chance to Just...Be; Joshua 8:30-35

            Rev. George Miller

June 9, 2024

Joshua 8:30-35

 

Today we have the chance to talk about the Philippines as they prepare to celebrate their Independence on June 12.

 

The Philippines is a nation of over 7,000 islands with turquoise waters, skyscrapers that kiss the clouds, and a cuisine influenced from all over the earth.

 

When preparing for today, there was much thought about what to say.  A political narrative about the Philippines?  A step-by-step narration of their history with Spain in 1521, America in 1898, and Japan in 1941?

 

Should we recap all of the colonization, or spend this time speaking of the leaders who lost their life?

 

Or could today be more of a celebration?

 

A celebration for how the people of the Philippines are known for being resilient. 

 

How it is a nation known for its diversity and people who are easy to make friends with.

 

Today can be a tribute to how the Philippines had a successful women’s suffragette movement in 1905 and in 1986 voted in a female president.

 

Sometimes, sometimes in the midst of wars and worries and strife, it is to good and it is Ok to focus more on the success than the struggles, the moments of bliss than the months of war.

 

We celebrate Philippines Independence today because one of our beloved members, Fe, is a proud daughter of that island nation; she is someone who has shared her love and shined her light upon us.

 

There are things about the people and places of the Philippines that are so wonderful, and full of life.

 

How formality and respect for others is important.  Streets are known for being safe.  Cost of living is affordable.   

 

The way Christmas is celebrated for 4 months, with clubs playing Mariah Carey at the stroke of midnight on September 1 and malls installing multi-story trees that are fully decorated.

 

The ways in which family will come together for holidays, birthdays and other celebrations, playing games, singing karaoke, feeding you the moment you walk through the door.

 

Today feels more like a day to shine light than to speak of war and strife, because those two things seem to always be there in our lives, in our newspapers, never to fully go away.

 

We share this because today’s reading is one that feels and sounds like a holiday.

 

Here we have Joshua and the people finally in the Promised Land, and they are having a very holy moment.

 

Joshua was stepped in as leader.

 

He’s led the people through trials and tribulations, battles and bad times.  But at this moment, he and the people have come to a place between two sacred mountains.

 

There is an altar.  There are God’s commands.  There are offerings being given, and food, that after being sacrificed, goes to feeding the people.

 

They are in a time of worship; worship grounded in word, ritual, and fellowship.

 

It appears that everyone is there.

 

The author mentions not just Joshua, the priests, or the leaders of the congregation.

 

The author mentions that there are elders, there are citizens, there are foreigners, implying that some are gentile, there are women, and there are children.

 

It is an amazingly inclusive image the author portrays- women and men, infants, and elderly,

 

-those who run the day-to-day operation, those who oversee the spiritual welfare,

 

-those who are citizens and those who are living as aliens alongside them.

 

It is such a beautiful, beautiful reading if we only stop there and say “look- look at how wonderful the Kingdom of God can be,

 

look at how even before Jesus, the words of Galatians 3:28 were being embodied.”

 

But the truth is that there is more to this story.

 

There is way more that goes on right before this story and there is way more takes place after.

 

Though today’s 5 verses seem to be nothing but a celebration, they come right after there has been major battles and mass cruelty,

 

there has been great disobedience and there have been thousands of people killed by the hands of the Israelites and supposedly at the direction of God.

 

So knowing what goes on before today’s reading in chapters 6, 7, and 8, it is hard to present today’s reading in rosy light.

 

Except, except sometimes, sometimes it seems like we just need to take a breather, we need to take a break,

 

we need to intentionally distance ourselves from all that is going on that is wrong with the world,

 

and take a moment, just a moment, to focus on something that seems so right.

 

That’s what today is.

 

A chance to create a breather; a buffer, a pause from the week before and the weeks ahead.

 

Sometimes what worship really needs to be is less a history lesson, or a motivational speech, or a missive on mission, and worship just needs to…

 

Be.

 

Sometimes it is just good to knowingly leave all the other stuff behind, and just be present, just be in the here, in the now.

 

That’s what we’re seeing in today’s reading.

 

God, Joshua, the people, taking some time to come together to experience scripture, to give offerings, to share a meal, with everyone and anyone present.

 

Sometimes we talk too much, think too much, explain too much, that it is best just to be beside each other and experience holy sacredness together.

 

To breathe.  Smile.  Let go.

 

So for the next minute, we’re going to do something together that requires no words.

 

Let us simply look at what’s ahead- to look at our window.

And not solve, not fix, not fight, not worry.  But just look….

 

Green for the grass and fertility of the earth.

Blue for the rains and waters.

Yellow for the sunflowers and honey, the bees and butterflies.

Red for the blood that flows through us and the Spirit that dwells within us.

 

Today we are mindful of being present, being with one another, being with God.  We celebrate that just as we continue to celebrate one another.        Amen.           

Courage; Acts 27:13-26

 

Rev. George Miller

June 2, 2024

Acts 27:13-26

 

Today is a miracle; a moment never imagined; a miracle we share; a moment to take with us when it seems like all miracles are gone.

 

15 years ago, I came here to interview for pastor.

 

While taken on a tour of the community, there was an image that was seared in my mind.

 

Graffiti, in a local rest room; writing of a lost soul seeking out contact with someone else just like them, scribbled onto the bathroom stall.

 

It was an ancient way of communication;  something not seen in ages anywhere else.

 

Seeing this kind of closeted communication made it feel like I traveled back to a time no one deserved to be in.

 

Though that writing on the wall seemed like a relic, it was a sign of where the LGBTQ community was in 2009.

 

Living in secret; fear; hiding; lonely and alone.

 

Indeed, there was a community of women, men, and trans individuals, just as there is everywhere else humans exist.

 

When this group of individuals met, it was done via e-mails that were Blind CCd, under the title “Friends of Dorothy,” a term from the 40’s and 50’s. 

 

We met in homes, sometimes a restaurant, once or twice a film, always done with caution and care, wrapped in some fear and elements of shame.

 

We give honor and thanks to those individuals who had those meetings, finding a way to gather, for without them, we would not be here today.

 

But then, slowly, over 15 years, things began to change, evolve.

 

With social media, members of the LGBTQ community began to make themselves known,

 

no longer scribbling on restroom stalls, but writing about their lives on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. 

 

Much of it mundane, most of it ordinary.  But not without naysayers and mean-spirited folk adding unnecessary comments.

 

But that didn’t stop what had started. 

 

People posting photos of their friends, their partners, their trips to Disney for Pride; their grieving for the lives lost at Pulse.

 

Chris Davies courageously held the 1^st public vigil for Pulse.  Emmanuel UCC soon followed.

 

Highlands CORE Wellness hosted the 1st drag show here.  Mark opened a club that welcomed all. 

 

Mon Cirque became important allies, making the first PRIDE event possible.  Emmanuel became Open and Affirming.  Morty & Edna’s put their business and reputation on the line by hosting Drag Bingo. 

 

What was once only expressed secretly, shamefully, solitary in private, is now out in the light, seen, heard, experienced, discussed.  Lived.

 

So it’s with immense joy and celebration that we gather here today, in the protective shelter of God’s Holy Sanctuary,

 

to worship, and to soon share in the Lord’s Supper, knowing that we have worked so hard, so courageously, and we are hungry.

 

Has it been easy?  No.  Have there been naysayers?  Yes. 

 

Have we had to face public obstacles, rough seas, and unfriendly faces?  Heck yes.

 

Are there those cringing that we have the audacity to gather here today, and call ourselves Christian?  Of course.

 

But that says more about their own brokenness than our own wholeness and healing.

 

For we have bravely been on this journey, and we are HERE.

 

That’s what makes today’s scripture so special. 

 

The Apostle Paul is on the journey of a lifetime.

 

He has mastered the art of public witness.  He’s not worried about being seen or heard.  He’s not afraid of going to where the people are.

 

Disagreements don’t stop him.  Threatening words from self-appointed guardians of the old guard don’t get him down.

 

Paul is filled with excitement for what he has experienced through his new life in Christ.

 

He’s using whatever tools he has to share the Good News-

 

public appearances, letters, standing before religious leaders, government officials, interactions with keepers of the peace, and officers who may not always be the most honest.

 

Does Paul have it easy?  Nope.

 

Does everyone like what Paul has to say?  Nope.

 

Does he upset folk wherever he goes?  Yup.

 

Does he even upset those in the group he identifies with?  Heck yes.

 

But Paul keeps Pauling, even when he is threatened with violence, even when the dog whistles go out, even when he’s before City Council.

 

He is a testimony to not giving up, not giving in, of keeping up his courage.

 

Even when he is arrested, even when placed, as prisoner, upon a boat that faces rough seas.

 

Here we see what it means to endure the toughest of storms; here we see what courage is.

 

Paul is on a ship traveling across chaotic waters.  The waves are intense, the boat feels shaky.  Everyone around him is scared, unsure.

 

Paul and the crew head into the winds of the world that try to slow them down and steer them away.

 

They are struck again and again by the waves of the world that their first instinct is to drop everything they have.

 

Here we see Paul and the crew face a moment in which it feels like all hope is lost and they are just wandering listless and with no point.

 

Then, when it seems as if all hope is lost, Paul stands, speaks, and says-

 

“I urge you now- keep up your courage.  Be brave.  Don’t stop.  Don’t quit.”

 

Paul says “Keep up your courage, for I have faith in God.  But we will have to run aground on some island.”

 

There is much to love about this statement.

 

First, is the brutal honesty that Paul shares with the crew- that we will run into rough times; we will run aground.

 

Paul’s words speak to us today, a reminder that even with God, even with bravery,

 

there are islands that block our path, there are obstacles to overcome, there are still shipwrecks we will face.

 

Does that mean we give up?  Does it mean we quit?

 

No. 

 

It means we adjust.  It means we prepare.

 

Second, is how Paul addresses courage.  Instead of imploring the crew to give into cowardice, what does Paul say?

 

“Keep up your courage.”

 

Keep.  An action word. 

 

Keep up.  An action phrase filled with intention.

 

Keep up your courage.

 

In other words, Paul is inviting those on this ship sailing on rough seas to act.

 

Keep.  Hold onto.  Grasp.  Fight for. 

 

Do whatever you need to do to maintain that courage.

 

Notice this- Paul says “keep up.”  He does not say “Go out and get.”

 

He does not tell them to “Find.”

 

He does not instruct them to go to the Great and Powerful Wizard of Oz to ask for their courage.

 

Paul says “Keep up your courage.”

 

Which means… the courage is already there.  The courage has been there. 

 

The courage has always present, within them.

 

Paul is not telling this crew facing rough seas, about to run onto the shore, to find courage-

 

he is telling them to hold onto, to embrace the courage that is already within them.

 

And that is beautiful.

 

So often the world tries its best to strip us of our courage. 

 

So often those guardians of the old guard like to make us forget we have courage.

 

Sometimes the leaders, officers, like us to think we have no courage.

 

But we do.  The courage dwells within us.  The courage is ours.  The courage is there for us.

 

To keep.  To hold onto.  To embrace.

 

That courage is amongst each and every one of us today, that is why we are here, that is why we are gathered.

 

That courage is a gift from God; that courage is a sign of Christ’s love.

 

That courage is a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

 

Does that courage mean we won’t face rough storms?

 

Does that courage mean we will never be afraid?

 

Does that courage mean danger no longer exists?

 

What it does mean is that the courage we possess is not something we have to go out and get,

 

it’s not something we have to earn, it’s not something only a few of us have it.

 

What it means is that the gift of courage is always there, has always been there, within us.

 

And with God, through God, for God, we have opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to hold that courage, to keep that courage.

 

And to act.

 

Because we are brave.  Because we are beautiful.  Because we have Pride.

 

The seas may be rough, the shores may be jagged, but our courage is ours to keep; our courage is a gift from God.

 

And the more we hold onto our courage, the more we share our courage, the more we show our courage,

 

the more miracles we are sure to face, and the more moments like this that we will have together.

 

For that, let us say “Amen.”