C
Easter 6 BFC 2016
John
14:23-29; 15:1-5 (OL)
May
1, 2016
In Christian artist JJ Heller’s beautiful,
romantic melody, “Boat Song”[1]
she speaks of the hand and glove nature of romantic, devotional love. If you were a boat, I’d be the wind to fill
your sails. If you were a bird, I’d be
the tree in which you nest. The stars,
then I’d be the moon. A song, I’d be the
band.
The Gospel of John is written from a
very similar perspective. Many of its
verses have been translated so literally that the beautiful, poetic devotional
language is lost. “I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the
loving Creator but through me.” That
language is not to be understood literally but out of deep devotion to a way
and path with a singular and exclusive will.
For example, if you would ask me
whether Rev. Tracy Heilman is beautiful, the correct answer to that question is
that she is, of course, the most beautiful woman in the world. If, somehow, I missed the point, I could say,
“Yes, she is attractive. But there are
many attractive women in the world. And
we’re both in our mid-50s now.” The
latter is an answer meant as a compliment but one that really does not
understand romantic, devotional language.
If my answer were the latter, you would know that not only our marriage
but our relationship is in trouble. And
I, personally, am in deep, deep trouble.
For the author of the gospel of John,
the language of discipleship is the language of deep devotion. The
Gospel of John is written to people who are forming their faith in the face of
tremendous persecution. And that language
of devotion is necessary, the Jesus in John believes, to make sure disciples of
Jesus hang in there as they see their Jewish sisters and brothers experiencing
the tragedy and trauma of torture and death.
Hopefully, romantic, poetic, and devotional language keeps you hanging
in there, remembering that the leader of your movement went through shameful
torture and death at the hands of the Romans.
What we see too often in the
evangelical churches, however, is this romantic language taken literally with
no understanding of its context. That
language propels people within the evangelical tradition forward with great
power, gives them energy for their faith and tradition. Evangelical leaders and churches speak with
romantic, devotional, and poetic love about their relationship with God and
their church. Many times absent of critical thought that
might bring balance and grit to faith.
Many of these leaders and churches
are in love with being in love. Living
with our heads swimming in the clouds can be a powerful thing. But lyrical, romantic words and even deeds
cannot alone be the substance of faith.
Our feet must also be rooted in the realities of the world.
Progressive Christianity brings a
needed critical analysis to faith that reminds us that day to day life can be
hard and difficult and even gut-wrenching.
Our faith tradition seeks to be
rooted in the realities of the world. But
our tradition also needs balance.
Sometimes we fail to interpret our tradition poetically, devotionally,
romantically, in a way that gives us energy and a touchstone for power. We fail to be romantic about the church, but
for its past, and therefore make it impossible to go forward without any
passion and courage. Shared faith
becomes so highly critiqued that it just becomes a downer. As with any real loving relationship, both
romantic discourse and honest appraisal are needed to help it go forward. Our faith should be mediated between head
swimming, heart passionate, and feet rooted.
The Scripture passage before us today is part
of a longer narrative called the farewell discourse. It is Jesus, knowing the end is near, trying
to express the relationship he has with God, he has with the disciples, and, by
extension, the relationship the disciples have with God. The author of John uses romantic, devotional
language to figure out the relationship between God, Jesus, and the disciples.
On into the next chapter of John’s
gospel, Jesus tells the disciples that he is one with God and God is one with
him. He implores the disciples to be one
with him by referencing God as the gardener.
Jesus references himself as the vine and the disciples as the
branches. They are to stay joined to Jesus
so that they might bear fruit. Jesus recognizes the organic unity—the
interconnected relatedness between God and himself. He belongs to God and God belongs to
him. As the disciples follow, love, and
abide in Jesus, they belong to Jesus and Jesus belongs to them.[2]
Last week I heard there was a great
work day at this church organized by Bonnie Daniels. Hear tell there were 32 people here to do the
incredible work of this church. Thank
you so much. While work was being done
here, several members of our church were also attending the Montana-Northern
Wyoming Conference Meeting in Sheridan and Buffalo, Wyoming. I was honored to witness two of our members,
Dan Cohn and Emma Kerr-Carpenter, do so well presenting a workshop that clergy
from around the conference actually asked if they could expand the workshop
into an all-day event and take it on tour around the conference. I heard much good about our Conference
Meeting and kudos should also go out to another member of our church, our
Conference Minister, Rev. Marc Stewart.
We had two members from the national
staff of the United Church of Christ join us for that day. One of them was Rev. Dr. Ivy Beckwith, Faith
Formation Team Leader at the national offices of the United Church of Christ in
Cleveland. Rev. Beckwith defined forming
faith as teaching our people to “love God and follow and live in the way of
Jesus.”[3] I really loved one of the particular ways she
suggested we might help our children form their faith. She told us to do something radical in front
of our children and then tell them we did it because this is what people who
love Jesus do.
Beckwith went on to describe five
different characteristics of a faith community that is helping its members to
form faith. The first characteristic is that we are aware of how we tell our
own story. We tell our story with
intentionality and that story shapes our future vision and action. That story informs our plan for the
future. The second characteristic of a
faith community that is helping its members form its faith is that it is
missional. We do not do things just to
serve the people inside our building but our community is present out in the
wider community and the wider world.
Third, such a community is intergenerational in its mutual gifting. Seniors expect to receive as well as give to
our children. Children develop an
expectation of giving as well as receiving to seniors. As noted theologian John Westerhoff has said,
we do things “with” children and youth and not “for” children and youth. We are mutual in sharing our gifts. Fourth, the community is trustworthy. Decisions are made in open and transparent ways
and ministry is dependable. Is
leadership predictable and ethical in their decision-making? Are they actively seeking ways to make sure
that bullies do not carry the day in the midst of conflict? Also, do people arrive on the scene thinking
that ministry or events are to happen only to see them delayed or
cancelled? Expected meetings happen with regularity.
The last thing Rev. Dr. Beckwith
considered to be important as a characteristic for a positive faith-forming
community, the one that undergirded all of the rest was “belongingness.” Not only was an atmosphere of belongingness
important for the more senior members of the church but also for people who
were new arrivals and the people who have not even darkened the door of our
church. Our church sends vibes out into
the community that we want, we invite a sense of belongingness. New arrivals to the congregation knew and
sensed that people in the church wanted them to share in decision-making, share
power, and be safe as they explored what it means to belong. One of the more important questions Beckwith
asked was, “How are we helping our children, youth, adults, and seniors have
relationships with one another? How are
we building relationships across the generations?”
As our congregation makes important
decisions for our future, these five characteristics will be important for
being a center for spiritual formation in our community. Jesus told the disciples, in his relationship
with God and with them, Peace, I leave with you.” That peace is not as the world gives full of
hierarchy, but a peace which says, “We belong to one another.” We belong to one another.
That is the devotional, romantic,
critical, rugged language I want us to remember as we move forward as a
congregation. As God belongs to Christ
and Christ belongs to God, so we, as Christ’s disciples, belong to Christ and
to God. We belong to one another. This is how God has made us. And unless we quickly return to this deep,
poetic understanding in the universe, we are doomed.
I belong to you. You belong to me. We belong to this community. And it belongs to us. We belong to God and Christ. God and Christ belong to us. I belong to you. You belong to me.
If
you were a boat, my darling
A boat, my darling
I'd be the wind at your back
If you were afraid, my darling
Afraid, my darling
I'd be the courage you lack
If you were a bird, then I'd be a tree
And you would come home, my darling, to me
If you were asleep, then I'd be a dream
Wherever you are, that's where my heart will be
Oh, do you know we belong together?
Oh, do you know my heart is yours?
A boat, my darling
I'd be the wind at your back
If you were afraid, my darling
Afraid, my darling
I'd be the courage you lack
If you were a bird, then I'd be a tree
And you would come home, my darling, to me
If you were asleep, then I'd be a dream
Wherever you are, that's where my heart will be
Oh, do you know we belong together?
Oh, do you know my heart is yours?
I
belong to you. You belong to me. We belong to one another. Truly, as a part of God’s hope and plan for
the world. Amen.
[2]
David Ewart, “John 14:23-29,” Holy
Textures, http://www.holytextures.com/2010/03/john-14-23-29-year-c-easter-6-sermon.html.
[3]
Here are the elements as Beckwith shares them:
1) Move away from “Aesop Fable-ization” of the Bible; 2) Stop
segregating the generations; 3) Develop worship found meaningful across
generations. 4) Help parents be the
spiritual nurturers of their children and develop a Christian family identity;
5) Teach our youth to speak “Christian”; 6) Allow the theological voices of
children and youth to be heard; 7) Do church “with” not “for”;
No comments:
Post a Comment