Sue's Views ...: May 2009

Sunday, May 31, 2009

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Letting Go

sermon preached by the Rev. Sue Judson Hamly on May 24, 2009 at Faith United Church, UCC, International Falls, MN

Texts; 1 John 5:9-13 and Acts 1:1-11

Pentecost is only a week away, but the disciples didn’t know that. So many things had happened—and kept happening. I can almost imagine them coasting along in a daze, never having a clue what might happen next.

Jesus died and then he was with them again, teaching them like old times, even eating fish for breakfast on the lake shore. And then the ascension, but first the admonition not to leave town. What next?!

Just imagine how the disciples must have felt after hearing the resurrected Jesus ordering them not to leave town, but to wait there for God’s promise, “You will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

How do you wait for this? What is the Holy Spirit? And baptized—that means “immersed.” What will it be like to be immersed with the Spirit? Not many days from now—how imprecise! How do you wait for a promise like that? Do you wait on the edge of your seat? Probably, you’re anxious, feeling awkward, puzzled, maybe even afraid.

Jesus has been appearing to them for 40 days. Whether it was really 5+ weeks or some other amount, The 40 days are scripturally symbolic. Forty days were required for both Moses and Elijah to be prepared to see God and be witnesses to Israel (Ex 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8). 40 days was the length of the flood Noah, his family and all the inhabitants of the ark had to survive in order to be God’s new beginning. 40 days was the length of time Jesus was in the wilderness after baptism, before beginning his mission of restoration.

So regardless of the actual number of days, the disciples did have plenty of time with Jesus after the resurrection. I suspect they needed that time to absorb this new reality—the reality that there is more to life than death.

But how confusing it must all be!

First there was the terrible grief. Then Mary Magdalene (a woman, of all people!) brought them the good news that he had risen. Then he walked through locked doors and showed his wounds to those who weren’t sure. Then he even ate fish for breakfast! How amazing! But why can’t it go on like this?

Imagine how the disciples must have felt. Once again, Jesus has left them. Sure, he’s promised them something—a great gift—a gift of the Holy Spirit, but how much consolation is that?

And WHAT is that?

I can imagine the hapless, frightened disciples, staring up into the sky. What next? Jesus had filled that space in their lives. His energy fed their energy, his charisma gave them enthusiasm, his manifest power gave them courage, his teaching gave them direction, and his confidence gave them hope. One commentator writes, “Once Jesus left, the little circle seemed vacant, tattered, needing to be repopulated and reenergized. What had seemed so vibrant with Jesus present, now seemed cold and lifeless with Jesus absent. Doubt and fear rushed in to fill their hearts.”[1]

Did you notice that they STILL really don’t get it? After all they’ve been through… after all Jesus has told them… they still ask if this is the time when he will “restore the kingdom to Israel?”

Don’t they realize YET that a political overthrow of the Roman government is not what Jesus was ever about? I suppose it’s going to take being baptized by the fire of the Holy Spirit for them to finally understand. So Jesus tells them they will receive the power of the Holy Spirit and they will be his witnesses “in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

And what does that mean for us? We too are called to be witnesses, you know! Do you feel ready to meet the challenge or does it cause you to slump back in fear, frustration or resignation? Is it exciting, or it too much work?

The reading from 1 John might seem to be another of those texts that are used to claim that Christianity is the only “true” religion. There are those who have no qualms about telling you that if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ you’re doomed forever and they will pray for your soul. But I think what’s important in this passage is that Jesus gives life—regular life and eternal life. But it’s not a question of whether or not you “have Jesus in your heart,” as if being Muslim or Buddhist or Hindu or even Unitarian isn’t good enough, it’s how you live WITH Jesus in your heart that makes you a witness to the world—a witness testifying to God’s love for all people of all faiths.

But the disciples aren’t quite there yet. First they need to let go. Jesus told Mary Magdalene on that first Easter morning not to cling to him because he has not yet ascended. So she has to let him go, and of course she has plenty of work to do, notifying the others and all that.

Now, as Jesus is lifted up into the cloud and the disciples are standing there, probably staring into space with their mouths wide open in shock and confusion, the time has come for them to let go. This is it. He won’t be physically present with them any longer, but they must wait and prepare … something exciting is about to happen!

Here we are, in between the time when we remember Jesus' return to God and the day of Pentecost when we commemorate the gift of the Holy Spirit’s birthing of the church. Perhaps this can remind us of our empty spaces and call us to attend to how they will be filled. In letting go, we make room for possibilities!

Will we welcome this Pentecost, embracing God's Holy Spirit so that it may renew us again as church, letting that presence fill the vacancy in our lives, feed our energy, spur our enthusiasm, encourage and direct us, give us confidence and hope?

Once the disciples let go, the work of ministry was spread out before them and they, thank goodness, accepted the tasks of caring, healing, teaching, dealing with conflicts, suffering, sacrificing, story-telling and recruiting. They couldn’t just follow Jesus as before. They themselves had to embrace the Holy Spirit, as he did, to fill the space he once occupied.

The Spirit did not fashion a nest for the disciples where they could feel safe and comfortable. The Spirit set them on fire. The Spirit drove them into the wilderness and into the streets. The Spirit called them to tend to the needs of others and preach the good news of God’s love. And that call is still our call today.

Years ago there was an Episcopal Bishop who, at the end of the service, would stand at the altar, pronounce the closing Blessing, pause for a moment... and then, in his great, booming voice, literally shout at the congregation—“Get up! Get out! And get lost!”[2]

That’s our call as well, now that we know we must BE Christ to all the world. We’re called to get up from our every-day activities, get out into the world, rub elbows with ALL God’s people and get lost in the joy of sharing and living the love of Jesus Christ. AMEN.

Endnotes:
[1] Lane Denson, “Out of Nowhere” Vacancy OoN 25v06.
[2] Ibid.

Monday, May 18, 2009

The Termite Tent

My mom's house got tented for wood termites on Friday. Here's what it looked like...

Sunday, May 10, 2009

What Would Your Mother Say?

sermon preached by the Rev. Sue Judson Hamly at Faith United Church, UCC, International Falls, MN

Text: 1 John 4:7-21

Just in time for Mother’s Day, I received an e-mail yesterday with a list of questions about mothers. The answers were provided by second grade school children and there are 2 or 3 for each question. I think you’ll enjoy them:

Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend’s.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

As funny as those answers are, the kids also shared some truths about moms and some of the things most mothers probably say at some time in their kids’ lives. I read the text again and thought, a lot of what’s in our reading from the first letter of John is stuff that could also come out of the mouths of most mothers. How many of us ever heard our mother say…

“If you’re going to kill each other, do it outside, I just finished cleaning!” or…
“Because I said so, that’s why.” or…
“Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.” or…
“It looks as if a tornado swept through your room,” or…
“If I’ve told you once, I’ve told you a million times,” or…
“Stop acting like your Father!”[1]

Well, we laugh, but it is a somewhat nervous laughter, because it does reflect some of the ambivalence we might feel about mothers and our relationships with them. If we’re lucky, we have felt the love that is behind comments like these, and we’ve been blessed with wonderful mothers; but I also know people whose relationships with their mothers are less than ideal and sometimes even destructive, and it’s important to acknowledge that.

No one is perfect—not even the best mothers. In fact, one mother wrote a “telegram to God” because she was finding motherhood to be what it really is—one of the most difficult and demanding jobs there can be. She wrote, “I’m tired of being a mother. I’m confused and worn out. I’m doing a terrible job, and I don’t know where to go from here. I’ve had it. This dynamo of untamed life you call a child is too much for me. Take it back, and let me do something simple for you—like paying off the national debt, or running Congress, or achieving world peace!”[2]

When things are going well, though, mothers can be one of the best teachers of LOVE. There’s an expression that mothers love you even when no one else does. It’s sort of like the saying, “home is where, when you go there, they have to take you in.” Along the same lines, I think, mothers tell their kids that they have to love their brothers and sisters. “You may not like them very much right now, but they are your brothers and sisters, so you have to love them” or words to that effect.

And that is good advice. But people aren’t always all that great at following good advice.

Love is the best thing in the world, yet it can be one of the most difficult things to do, especially when someone else has a different opinion than we do. Obviously, the author of this letter knew well the problems of early Christian communities such as the Johannine community. One scholar says, “The debilitating effects of doctrinal disputes are well known, and doubtless the Johannine community had been seared by such disputes. If modern examples of such disputes are any indication of the dynamics at work within the community, we can surmise that members had taken sides, positions had become polarized, and heated debates had characteristically degenerated into … verbal assaults.”[3]

I don’t think it sounds much different from life in the typical American family with more than one child. And most mothers teach that family is important and you have to love your sisters and brothers anyway.

When they are at their best, mothers instill love and teach by example. As Christians, we are infused with God’s love if we are open to God—then God lives in us and we live in God.

It sounds complicated, but it really isn’t. If we put God first, we will love all our brothers and sisters, because God is love and we live and love in God.

Jesus once said that anything we do—or don’t do—to one another, we do to him. This first letter of John is similar. It says “Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen.”

How many mothers have said something like, “When you’re mean to your sister, you’re hurting me”?

The First Letter of John goes on to say, “The commandment we have from [God] is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” And of course our brothers and sisters are ALL the people because we are all God’s children.

What would your mother say? AMEN.

Endnotes
[1] From a sermon preached by the Rev. Rich Smith at Westmoreland UCC, Bethesda, MD, on May 8, 2005. http://www.westmorelanducc.org/sermons/2005-1-6/05-08-05.html
[2] ibid.
[3] Preaching Through the Christian Year B, Craddock, Hays, Holladay & Tucker, p. 258.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

twitter goes to church!

A facebook friend (whom I've known online since Ecunet days back in the '90s) tipped me off to this interesting article from TIME called "Twittering in Church with the Pastor's Encouragement." You can read the article here: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1895463,00.html?cnn=yes?iid=perma_share

If you'd like to join twitter, go to http://twitter.com/

If you're scratching your head wondering "what the heck is she talking about?" go here: http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1603637,00.html for an explanation.

I'm still trying to get the hang of twitter... but I tweet a little now and then. You can follow me by clicking on the "follow me on twitter" link over to the right on the sidebar of this blog, or you can click here: http://twitter.com/ReikiRevSue

... tweet... tweet!

The Open Flock

sermon preached by the Rev Sue Judson Hamly on May 3, 2009 at Faith United Church, UCC, International Falls, MN

Texts: Psalm 23 and John 10:11-18

Many people have a tendency to think—or assume—that sheep are stupid. But it’s not true. Sheep tend to stay close with other sheep. If they get separated they become quite agitated and uncomfortable. They know when they are together as a flock they are more protected from predators.

Sheep recognize sheep faces—and human faces to some extent. They recognize sounds and can even recognize the voice of the shepherd who tends to the flock of which they are a part.

Sheep know how to choose the kind of food that will give them the best nourishment based on the season and their dietary needs. (THAT’s pretty amazing!!)

So, all in all, the intelligence level of sheep isn’t just “not baaaaaad,” it’s pretty good![i] (I know, that’s a terrible joke.)

But it does get us thinking, perhaps differently than we might otherwise think. What is Jesus talking about in this story? Traditionally we think he’s talking about his being the Good Shepherd—and of course Psalm 23 talks of God being the Shepherd who takes such good care of us. Sometimes we think of pastors as shepherds and congregations as flocks.

There are lots of ways of looking at this story from John’s gospel and I’ve learned a lot about sheep and shepherds over the years of preaching on this text.

But what I noticed this time around is that this story is about who’s IN the flock … and the answer is EVERYBODY!

We belong to Jesus and we are known by Jesus in the same way sheep and shepherd know each other. And this trust and knowing defines communities of faith. This isn’t a personal, just-me-and-Jesus relationship but that of a community, a flock, watched over by the Good Shepherd. Theologian, Karl Barth, once observed that “there is no such thing as an individual Christian.” There is also no “separate singular form of the word sheep.” We are not separate from one another: “In our essential belongingness, our being is bound up with the entire flock: with believers who break bread and recite prayers with us, and with those sheep whom Jesus knows and God sees, but whom we can scarcely bring ourselves to acknowledge and welcome, let alone live alongside or die to protect”[ii]

So, here’s where things become more difficult, making room for one another in the fold of God’s love. It seems like we ought to find it easy and even natural to relax into the warmth of God’s care, to move over and make room for everyone else. And yet this image, of religious leaders themselves not recognizing the immeasurable worth of each individual in the eyes of God, is just as powerful today as it is in any age. Leaders and their flocks in the church have a hard time not thinking about who’s in the flock, and who isn’t, and that can equate with who’s loved by God, and who isn’t…or at least, who isn’t loved by God quite as much, or in the same way, as we are.

But, as I think we all know, it’s not up to us to decide who’s in or who’s out; this text tells us that Jesus has “other sheep” elsewhere and that he intends to draw them in, too. So it’s important to realize that “the flock is not yet finally fixed. It is open-ended. There are always others who recognize the shepherd’s voice and enter the fold.”[iii]

I’m sure you’re all aware of the Hate Crimes Bill that has been in the news this week and that it has passed the House of Representatives. A few days ago I began receiving e-mails from a group that I thought I had reported to yahoo as spam and wouldn’t hear from again. This organization comes out of North Hollywood and calls itself jail4judges. Its self-proclaimed aim is to “end the rampant and pervasive judicial corruption in the legal system of the United States.”[iv] “JAIL” stands for “Judicial Accountability Initiative Law.” (I learned all this on Google.)

The e-mails I have recently received from this group claim that adding gender and sexual orientation to the Hate Crimes Bill will cause clergy to be prosecuted and jailed for, I quote, “preaching the gospel.” They are trying to frighten people into believing that the Hate Crimes bill would be used to prevent pastors who believe homosexuality is a sin from preaching that belief.

The Hate Crimes Bill is, of course, what it says it is—a bill focusing on violent crimes, not on what clergy preach in their pulpits and I am angry that I am still receiving such revolting e-mail. However, it’s always good to know what others are saying. And it makes me wonder why it’s so difficult for people to understand what Jesus said in today’s gospel reading.

Here it is again, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again…”

So, the image of the good shepherd isn’t as warm and fuzzy as we’d like or as we may have always thought. No, it’s really quite unsettling, which is how Jesus was most of the time—unsettling his listeners, and us too. It’s important to remember that “the life of a shepherd was anything but picturesque. It was dangerous, risky, and menial. Shepherds were rough around the edges, spending time in the fields rather than in polite society. For Jesus to say, 'I am the good shepherd,’ would have been an affront to the religious elite and educated. The claim had an edge to it. A modern-day equivalent might be for Jesus to say, ‘I am the good migrant worker,’”[v] or “I am your transgender neighbor,” or “I am…” and we can fill in the blank with whatever person or group of people makes us most uneasy.

But we must remember that “Jesus did not exclude people based on the standards of the day….He embraced the outcast, the oppressed, and the overlooked….John[’s gospel] makes it clear that the work of gathering the flock belongs to Jesus and God and we are to provide a space where all are welcome. The community that John envisions is open and celebrates its diversity as a gift from God.”[vi]

Jesus provides a space where all are welcome and we are called to do the same. The flock is open-ended, not closed. Jesus owns up to having “others” that he cares about, too, and remembering that should nurture in us a whole new perspective on hospitality. It’s more than a warm welcome to worship and a cup of coffee downstairs afterward (although those are very good things). Hospitality is difficult; it tests us. It calls and even pushes us out to our growing edges.[vii]

What is our growing edge here in this community? Whom do we need to welcome to our congregation? The flock IS open, so we must be open too—who might be just waiting for an invitation to come here and learn about the open-ended love of God, Jesus and Faith United Church?

We know the Shepherd and we know we are called to make room for others in the open flock. All of us want safe pasture and God offers that to us. When we truly do become the open flock, surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our lives and we shall dwell in the house of God our whole lives long. AMEN.

Endnotes