My sermon from July 20, 2008
Ecclesiastes 10:1 – 11:6
This week's text is filled with practical advice, analogies, consequences, and challenges. Having grown up on a farm, I know the truth of an iron, such as an axe, needing to be whet, or sharpened, so that you don't have to exert as much force. And I know that at some point, if you are splitting logs, you will get hurt by one of them. It isn't about not getting hurt as much as it's about not getting hurt badly.
Verse 11 of chapter 10 talks about not needing a snake charmer if the snake bites you first. The elders in my family had a similar saying, "No point closing the barn door once the horse is out of the barn." That's what they would tell us kids. It is the same as saying, "too little too late." We were being taught to look ahead, make plans and provisions, to think about consequences - stuff like that.
One of my favorite proverbs is Proverbs 14:4, "Where no oxen are, the crib is clean: but much increase is by the strength of the ox." When I first read this at 15 years of age I had been pitching manure for years. I also knew that before there were tractors, farmers used oxen to plow their fields. What I considered to be the true meaning of this scripture was not lost on me. This proverb is a metaphor to talk about what's worth doing and what isn't worth doing. If eating in winter is a priority, then maybe it's worth pitching some manure in the summer. There are trade-offs to everything. You have to decide what is most important to you.
Being a part of a faith community is no different. There are some inevitable consequences to joining yourself to other people spiritually and seeking The Holy together. There is a vulnerability to doing this that at some point will end up with you being hurt by someone or hurting someone. Sometimes it happens because of wrongdoing and sometimes it's just because it hurts to be vulnerable. Being part of a faith community costs you time and money and love and ... what else? You know what it costs you. And you do it because you want to. I hope you want to. You do it because it is more important for you to be a part of this community than it is for you to hang on to whatever you might otherwise hang on to. There are trade-offs to everything.
What we read today in chapter 11 is important to keep in mind when we're thinking about these things - things like consequences and trade-offs. The character of Solomon is encouraging us to go into our endeavors with our eyes open, knowing the costs and the hazards, but with all that, we are told to get involved with the endeavor. "Send your bread upon the waters; divide your means; and plant your seeds." In other words, do stuff. Sending your bread and dividing your means is thought by scholars to be metaphors for doing charity. Do stuff - do good stuff.
We don't know how it will all work out. Do it anyway. Verse 4 says, "Whoever observes the wind will not sow; and whoever regards the clouds will not reap." If we wait for the perfect time or the right environment or the perfect/right anything, we'll end up doing nothing.
In "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," dated April 16, 1963, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have yet to engage in a direct action campaign that was "well timed" in the view of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation. For years now I have heard the word "Wait!" It rings in the ear of every Negro with piercing familiarity. This "Wait" has almost always meant "Never." We must come to see, with one of our distinguished jurists, that "justice too long delayed is justice denied." The work of Dr. King would have been thwarted had he listened to the word, "Wait."
You might be thinking, "Now pastor, that's really intense." And you'd be right. What Dr. King did was very intense. I'm not saying that we are on the pinnacle of some great revolutionary movement, although I do believe that such things as feeding the poor and sheltering the homeless are in fact revolutionary acts. But I don't want to talk about the acts themselves right now. I am lifting up Dr. King to say that here is a man who did amazing things against all odds, and with enemies on all sides. White men who claimed they were on his side told him to back off and that what he was doing was wrong. What Dr. King was doing was scary to these white so-called allies, and way too aggressive. Dr. King knew that he had to press on. That timeliness was a convenience of those in power. He knew what resources he had and he used them as frequently as he could.
I have questions for us today. What are our resources? What is our passion? How do we want to engage in this world? Financially ... well, let's just say that there are churches better off than we are. So what! Money may not be our resource. What is the bread that is our charity? What are the means that we can share? What seeds do we have as a community? Maybe our bread is experience. We have just had our 20th birthday as a church! We have a legacy in the American Baptist denomination. We know how to struggle with being outcasts. We have been a leader in the fight for the inclusion of queer people in Christianity. We are also leaders in knowing how to love. I see it every week. I see it in your eyes as you look at one another. I see it in the way you offer each other prayers and the elements of our communion table. I see it as you welcome visitors. I see it as you reach out beyond your comfort zone. Yes, I see it here.
We need to bring it out there. We need to figure out our resources so that we can reach out in love to those who don't feel love. I don't care about making converts. I care about offering community to people who feel isolated. I care about getting the word out that we are still here and that we are strong. I care about taking steps forward and not waiting for the right time, because there may not be a right time. Verse 6 says, "In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good." We do not know.
In the 14th chapter of Matthew there's a familiar story about Jesus walking on water.
And early in the morning Jesus came walking toward them on the sea. But when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were terrified, saying, "It is a ghost!" And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them and said, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid." Peter answered him, "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said, "Come." So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus. But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me!" Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
It's so easy for us to be like Peter. We might be in the middle of doing the most amazing and wonderful thing and the next thing we know, we feel like we're drowning. We think we're following the very voice of Jesus and then we look at the wind and it's a strong wind and it scares us. Why do we doubt? Is it because we think everything we do should be successful or else we are failures? Do we think if there's resistance, circumstantially or through people, that maybe we should take that as a sign? The story of Peter does not teach us this. Peter didn't even pray that his walking on water be "God's will." Neither did he ask permission. This was a test Peter was giving to Jesus. "Hey man, if it's really you then command me to join you." That's some gutsy talk. But Jesus did it. And Peter followed through. This story also teaches us that when we falter that we can be lifted up. "Save me," Peter shouted.
Following the way of Jesus is a risk-taking venture. Joining a community of faith is a risk-taking venture. Engaging in society is a risk-taking venture. But we can choose the depth of the risks we take. Who do we want to be? Do we want to be leaders? Do we want to love those that others have rejected? Do we want to think outside of our own pattern of doing things to become a force of love to be reckoned with?
I want to walk on water. I want to plant in the morning and at night. I want to learn how to give the resources that I have and not wish for the resources that I think I need. I don't want to wait for the right time because I think that "wait" means "never." I want to follow the way of my teacher, Jesus and my brother, Dr. King.
What ideas can we come up with to make a difference and to let people know that we are a vibrant loving community of faith? What do you think about starting a community garden in one of the city lots and working with queer homeless youth - teaching them how to grow things and giving them the food to eat that they grow. What do you think about starting a support group for battered women? What if we figured out how to restart the coffee house that we used to have? Maybe we could start a choir with the queer homeless youth? I'm just throwing out ideas. What are your ideas? What are your talents? How much time do you have? When can we start?
I'm not sure when our next community meeting is, but will you be there? Will you come and share in the food and brainstorm with us? This is what I think church is. Sure, we gather together on Sunday to encourage one another and to get energy and to remind ourselves that we have something to offer, but it's our whole life that is involved. We can make a difference. I know we can.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
But I Thought ...
This is my sermon from July 6, 2008
Wickedness and Righteousness are not always so clear cut. We think we know what they are and then we meet someone who confuses us or changes our minds. Sometimes we meet our own self and we find out what we were categorizing as righteousness is actually better defined as wickedness - or - that what we defined as wickedness is really more righteous than our righteousness.
Jesus was, and still is, difficult to categorize. The religious leaders of his time disagreed with the common folk, accusing Jesus of such things as being a leader of demons, being a drunkard, and carousing with prostitutes and other sinners. Jesus' followers, however, believed he was sent by God - that he was doing righteous and holy things. Today, when we actually read the words that are attributed to him, it's not always clear what he wants us to understand or learn.
Today I want to talk about expectations and how they become easily foiled - the expectations that Paul had for himself; the expectation of Jesus; the expectations of the writer of Ecclesiastes, and finally, our own expectations.
Let me speak to you for a moment as a Cubs fan. I know that not everyone in this room is a Cubs fan, and I'm not out to convert anyone. It's just that this year we have some high expectations. It's true that every year a Cubs fan has expectations, but this year they have become especially high. Not since 2003 have we been so hopeful. This year, when we swept the Sox at Wrigley Field, I was expecting us to at least win one game against them at Sox Park. Naive? Probably. But I'm a Cubs fan. I have these hopes and dreams and, yes, these expectations. I know that winning the World Series will not bring about the Kingdom of God, although I have heard one interpretation of the Lion laying down with the Lamb as the White Sox playing catch with the Cubs.
What about more serious subjects. What about racism? Now that we have a black man running for the office of the president, there are some folks who have the expectation that that means racism is a thing of the past. The black folks don't so much think this ... it's us white folks who have this idea. We want to say, "See, there is no racism. Look what that (mostly) black man has accomplished." Then, if we listen, we hear our dark skinned sisters and brothers pointing out the racism that they experience in their own lives.
A woman almost got the nomination. Does that mean that the fight against misogyny is over? Queer folks have their own parade. Does that mean the fight against heterosexism and homophobia is over? Jesus rose from the dead conquering sin and death. Does that mean our fight against sin and death is over?
It's just not how it works, is it? We think when we get to "this" certain place ... whatever that place is ... that it will be evidence that we've fought the good fight and won. When we finally get to "that" place, we find that our expectations haven't really been met. It's disappointing - sometimes disheartening.
Last week a woman named Esmin Green - a poor, black, mentally ill woman - was brought to a New York City hospital. She needed treatment. Have many of you heard about this in the news? It's a devastating story. She died on the floor of the hospital waiting room. It's recorded on the hospital's surveillance camera. She was lying on the floor for an hour. People walked by her, both medical personnel and other patients. No one helped her. No one cared enough about her because she was poor and black and mentally ill. One would think once you get to a hospital that you'll not die on the floor of the waiting room. One would think that once we have a black man running for president that this kind of thing would not happen to a black woman. One would think a lot of things ... and their, or rather our, expectations would be dashed.
I have a love/hate relationship with expectations. I know that they are practical to have, such as when you set goals or make plans. I had an expectation that I would preach here today. Some of you may have been expecting to see me here today. There's nothing wrong with making plans. I think it's the investment that we make in the plan that gets us into trouble. The higher the investment, the more disappointed we become when our expectations are foiled.
Think about the disappointment of Jesus' followers with each strike of the hammer as he was being nailed to the cross. They had invested everything in the idea that Jesus was the Messiah who would save them from their political and religious oppressions. Sometimes our expectations keep us from listening. Jesus never promised them freedom from the fight. He promised them the fight and that they could have peace and freedom while fighting.
The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to be saying, "You know, I thought the wicked were supposed to die young and the righteous were supposed to be wealthy and grow old. This isn't what I expected at all." We often overlay our expectations onto life. When someone is poor, they must not be working hard enough or they're not very smart. When someone uses a handicap spot, even if they have a handicap sticker in their car, but they have no discernable symptoms, we may assume they are a jerk. Disease looks like this and poverty looks like that and wealth looks like this other thing ... and so it goes.
Real life doesn't bear these things out, and then we struggle to reconcile our expectations with what is really happening around us. Paul struggles with this in Romans 7 when he says, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." He can't even reconcile his own actions with his core beliefs. And frankly, often, neither can we. In Matthew's gospel Jesus is perplexed and angry. People don't recognize what he thinks should be obvious - who John is and who he is. He sounds heartbroken me - heartbroken and angry. The character of Solomon struggles with disappointment in Ecclesiastes. He says, "When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how one's eyes see sleep neither day nor night, then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out."
As we come to the Table today - as we commune together - what are our expectations of what this means? Can we, today, try to put away everything that we think we should think and feel about this? Can we peel away the layers of time and experience that may have dulled our ability to observe the moment and fully participate in the now? If we can do that here, in this vital ritual of our faith, can we then take it outside these walls and observe the now more fully as we live our day to day lives. If we can do that, might we know better who John the Baptist is? Might we recognize Jesus? Might we notice Esmin Green? Might we see each other, our neighbors, our friends, and our foes for who they are and not who we have decided them to be?
I think we will. And, I think if we give ourselves to this practice, we will also know ourselves a little better too. We will become less anxious about our expectations being met because we will have less investment in the expectations and more investment in observing what is right in front of us. I think this is one of the ways that we change the world - one of the ways that we usher in the Kingdom of God. The way is this - We live in now. We feel the power and the truth of now. We work and change things now. We love, now.
Wickedness and Righteousness are not always so clear cut. We think we know what they are and then we meet someone who confuses us or changes our minds. Sometimes we meet our own self and we find out what we were categorizing as righteousness is actually better defined as wickedness - or - that what we defined as wickedness is really more righteous than our righteousness.
Jesus was, and still is, difficult to categorize. The religious leaders of his time disagreed with the common folk, accusing Jesus of such things as being a leader of demons, being a drunkard, and carousing with prostitutes and other sinners. Jesus' followers, however, believed he was sent by God - that he was doing righteous and holy things. Today, when we actually read the words that are attributed to him, it's not always clear what he wants us to understand or learn.
Today I want to talk about expectations and how they become easily foiled - the expectations that Paul had for himself; the expectation of Jesus; the expectations of the writer of Ecclesiastes, and finally, our own expectations.
Let me speak to you for a moment as a Cubs fan. I know that not everyone in this room is a Cubs fan, and I'm not out to convert anyone. It's just that this year we have some high expectations. It's true that every year a Cubs fan has expectations, but this year they have become especially high. Not since 2003 have we been so hopeful. This year, when we swept the Sox at Wrigley Field, I was expecting us to at least win one game against them at Sox Park. Naive? Probably. But I'm a Cubs fan. I have these hopes and dreams and, yes, these expectations. I know that winning the World Series will not bring about the Kingdom of God, although I have heard one interpretation of the Lion laying down with the Lamb as the White Sox playing catch with the Cubs.
What about more serious subjects. What about racism? Now that we have a black man running for the office of the president, there are some folks who have the expectation that that means racism is a thing of the past. The black folks don't so much think this ... it's us white folks who have this idea. We want to say, "See, there is no racism. Look what that (mostly) black man has accomplished." Then, if we listen, we hear our dark skinned sisters and brothers pointing out the racism that they experience in their own lives.
A woman almost got the nomination. Does that mean that the fight against misogyny is over? Queer folks have their own parade. Does that mean the fight against heterosexism and homophobia is over? Jesus rose from the dead conquering sin and death. Does that mean our fight against sin and death is over?
It's just not how it works, is it? We think when we get to "this" certain place ... whatever that place is ... that it will be evidence that we've fought the good fight and won. When we finally get to "that" place, we find that our expectations haven't really been met. It's disappointing - sometimes disheartening.
Last week a woman named Esmin Green - a poor, black, mentally ill woman - was brought to a New York City hospital. She needed treatment. Have many of you heard about this in the news? It's a devastating story. She died on the floor of the hospital waiting room. It's recorded on the hospital's surveillance camera. She was lying on the floor for an hour. People walked by her, both medical personnel and other patients. No one helped her. No one cared enough about her because she was poor and black and mentally ill. One would think once you get to a hospital that you'll not die on the floor of the waiting room. One would think that once we have a black man running for president that this kind of thing would not happen to a black woman. One would think a lot of things ... and their, or rather our, expectations would be dashed.
I have a love/hate relationship with expectations. I know that they are practical to have, such as when you set goals or make plans. I had an expectation that I would preach here today. Some of you may have been expecting to see me here today. There's nothing wrong with making plans. I think it's the investment that we make in the plan that gets us into trouble. The higher the investment, the more disappointed we become when our expectations are foiled.
Think about the disappointment of Jesus' followers with each strike of the hammer as he was being nailed to the cross. They had invested everything in the idea that Jesus was the Messiah who would save them from their political and religious oppressions. Sometimes our expectations keep us from listening. Jesus never promised them freedom from the fight. He promised them the fight and that they could have peace and freedom while fighting.
The writer of Ecclesiastes seems to be saying, "You know, I thought the wicked were supposed to die young and the righteous were supposed to be wealthy and grow old. This isn't what I expected at all." We often overlay our expectations onto life. When someone is poor, they must not be working hard enough or they're not very smart. When someone uses a handicap spot, even if they have a handicap sticker in their car, but they have no discernable symptoms, we may assume they are a jerk. Disease looks like this and poverty looks like that and wealth looks like this other thing ... and so it goes.
Real life doesn't bear these things out, and then we struggle to reconcile our expectations with what is really happening around us. Paul struggles with this in Romans 7 when he says, "For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do." He can't even reconcile his own actions with his core beliefs. And frankly, often, neither can we. In Matthew's gospel Jesus is perplexed and angry. People don't recognize what he thinks should be obvious - who John is and who he is. He sounds heartbroken me - heartbroken and angry. The character of Solomon struggles with disappointment in Ecclesiastes. He says, "When I applied my mind to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how one's eyes see sleep neither day nor night, then I saw all the work of God, that no one can find out what is happening under the sun. However much they may toil in seeking, they will not find it out; even though those who are wise claim to know, they cannot find it out."
As we come to the Table today - as we commune together - what are our expectations of what this means? Can we, today, try to put away everything that we think we should think and feel about this? Can we peel away the layers of time and experience that may have dulled our ability to observe the moment and fully participate in the now? If we can do that here, in this vital ritual of our faith, can we then take it outside these walls and observe the now more fully as we live our day to day lives. If we can do that, might we know better who John the Baptist is? Might we recognize Jesus? Might we notice Esmin Green? Might we see each other, our neighbors, our friends, and our foes for who they are and not who we have decided them to be?
I think we will. And, I think if we give ourselves to this practice, we will also know ourselves a little better too. We will become less anxious about our expectations being met because we will have less investment in the expectations and more investment in observing what is right in front of us. I think this is one of the ways that we change the world - one of the ways that we usher in the Kingdom of God. The way is this - We live in now. We feel the power and the truth of now. We work and change things now. We love, now.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Mixed Messages - June 29th Message
Gay Pride is complicated. According to some religious folks and in some places in the Bible we are told that Pride is a sin. On the other hand, we are also taught to take pride in such things as our work or our family. Our English word Pride isn't very specific. Merriam Webster has 6 separate definitions of the word Pride. This is the first definition:
PRIDE
1: the quality or state of being proud: as a: inordinate self-esteem : conceit b: a reasonable or justifiable self-respect c: delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship
Doesn't that sound like 3 definitions? But that's just the first one. Pride is complicated and contradictory.
Ecclesiastes is also complicated and contradictory. I love this chapter because it's so messed up. It's so crude and human. The character of Solomon simultaneously tells us not to be either too righteous or too wicked and then turns around and scorns all women for being unable to meet his standards. He also tells us that death is better than birth and then tells us that death is bitter, but not as bitter as a woman who is a trap. It isn't a woman who lays a trap - the woman herself is the trap. And according to the rest of the chapter all women seem to be this way.
This teacher we've been studying, presumably male, claims to have found one man among a thousand who can meet his standard. Well, Happy Pride everyone. No wonder he finds women to be a trap! This guy's gay and he's blaming it on women rather doing what he has been instructing us for the last few chapters ... to eat, drink, and be merry.
Pride is complex and contradictory. Ecclesiastes is complicated and contradictory. We are complex and contradictory. Each one of us individually and each one of the communities we belong to is complex and contradictory.
As most of you know, I have had a lot of therapy. I'm grateful for that. If you find a really good therapist it's wonderful. I've been lucky to find a few good ones. In one of my sessions with my last therapist a few years back I was troubled because my girlfriend at the time was railing on me for having mixed messages. I didn't know what she was talking about. My therapist listened to my story and finally said, "There's a reason she thinks you have mixed messages, and that's because you have more than one message." I was stunned. I felt guilty and shameful. Quickly my therapist continued. She said, "You have more than one message because you want more than one thing. We all do."
Friends, I learned that anyone who thinks they have one message is lying to themselves. What we need to do is find out what those messages are ... not pretend that we don't have them. When we read any sacred book, especially our own, we need to remember that it too has mixed messages. It doesn't help us to justify them. I think the best thing we can do is look right at them ... look right at the complexities and the contradictions.
My own belief system is riddled with contradictions. I believe that Jesus is our savior – that he is sacred and holy – and I love to worship him. At the same time I believe that Jesus was a human man who was a political and religious revolutionary and that we are all called, like him, to be saviors in our own time. I believe we are all sacred and holy. Does that mean I need to stop giving in to the ecstasy of worshiping Jesus or that I should start worshiping you? It's complicated and there are contradictions.
I have mixed messages. Jesus had mixed messages. The writer of Ecclesiastes had mixed messages. Every one of us has mixed messages. Many of us are queer and proud. At the same time we all make choices when we will come out to people. If we had one message wouldn't we come out to everyone all the time? Life isn't that simple. We have to make choices. Does it negate our pride when we decide not to be forthcoming about our sexual orientation or gender identity? Not necessarily. What's the difference between deceit and prudence? What's the difference between pride that is inordinate self-esteem and pride that is reasonable or justifiable self-respect? At what point is labeling ourselves a badge of honor and acceptance and at what point is it a box that we put ourselves in?
The parade itself has mixed messages. It is both a parade of protest and a parade of privilege. When we march as a church we are protesting the hetero-normative standard of family and faith. This is good to do. I think we also need to be aware that we are staging this parade in a very privileged way. When the fundamentalists are on the side lines with their banners and bull horns we get mad at their audacity and ignorance. Yes, they are audacious and ignorant - I agree with that 100%. However, even if their prejudice and hate is acceptable to many, there are laws that state they are not allowed to hang us or burn us or otherwise cause us physical harm. These laws don't change anyone's heart, but sometimes they protect us. The laws don't protect us all the time. There are enough people with legal authority who will overlook evidence or do any number of things to save their own from punishment, but at least we have something in writing to work with. There are gay pride parades around the world where they are protesting with the hope of getting some of the laws we take for granted. Just for being in the parade these people get put in jail, stoned, or hanged. When we march here, with the freedoms that we have, we are marching on behalf of those who can't. We are demonstrating to the world that there is freedom to be had. We are inciting others who do not have our freedom to go after it for themselves. Sometimes they die trying. Sometimes we do too. When we use our privilege as a chance to protest, isn't that a sort of mixed message? Doesn't it complicate the event? I hope it does. And I hope that we can wrestle with those contradictions and complications.
Peace isn't having a simple message. Freedom isn't about every one being nice to one another and getting to party. Privilege isn't about finally getting to take it easy. All of these ideals are complicated and filled with contradictions. I think the character of Solomon got it right in verses 15 - 18, "In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing. Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself? Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed with both."
Many, in their wickedness, have declared us wicked! So friends, in our peace-seeking and freedom-fighting let us take hold of our righteousness alongside our wickedness. In our privilege let us fight against oppression. And above all, let us remember that the one who respects and loves God succeeds, both with wisdom and folly, with righteousness and wickedness. We need to let our love for our Divine Beloved motivate us in our righteousness and our wickedness. As you move through this world, take hold of one without letting go of the other.
PRIDE
1: the quality or state of being proud: as a: inordinate self-esteem : conceit b: a reasonable or justifiable self-respect c: delight or elation arising from some act, possession, or relationship
Doesn't that sound like 3 definitions? But that's just the first one. Pride is complicated and contradictory.
Ecclesiastes is also complicated and contradictory. I love this chapter because it's so messed up. It's so crude and human. The character of Solomon simultaneously tells us not to be either too righteous or too wicked and then turns around and scorns all women for being unable to meet his standards. He also tells us that death is better than birth and then tells us that death is bitter, but not as bitter as a woman who is a trap. It isn't a woman who lays a trap - the woman herself is the trap. And according to the rest of the chapter all women seem to be this way.
This teacher we've been studying, presumably male, claims to have found one man among a thousand who can meet his standard. Well, Happy Pride everyone. No wonder he finds women to be a trap! This guy's gay and he's blaming it on women rather doing what he has been instructing us for the last few chapters ... to eat, drink, and be merry.
Pride is complex and contradictory. Ecclesiastes is complicated and contradictory. We are complex and contradictory. Each one of us individually and each one of the communities we belong to is complex and contradictory.
As most of you know, I have had a lot of therapy. I'm grateful for that. If you find a really good therapist it's wonderful. I've been lucky to find a few good ones. In one of my sessions with my last therapist a few years back I was troubled because my girlfriend at the time was railing on me for having mixed messages. I didn't know what she was talking about. My therapist listened to my story and finally said, "There's a reason she thinks you have mixed messages, and that's because you have more than one message." I was stunned. I felt guilty and shameful. Quickly my therapist continued. She said, "You have more than one message because you want more than one thing. We all do."
Friends, I learned that anyone who thinks they have one message is lying to themselves. What we need to do is find out what those messages are ... not pretend that we don't have them. When we read any sacred book, especially our own, we need to remember that it too has mixed messages. It doesn't help us to justify them. I think the best thing we can do is look right at them ... look right at the complexities and the contradictions.
My own belief system is riddled with contradictions. I believe that Jesus is our savior – that he is sacred and holy – and I love to worship him. At the same time I believe that Jesus was a human man who was a political and religious revolutionary and that we are all called, like him, to be saviors in our own time. I believe we are all sacred and holy. Does that mean I need to stop giving in to the ecstasy of worshiping Jesus or that I should start worshiping you? It's complicated and there are contradictions.
I have mixed messages. Jesus had mixed messages. The writer of Ecclesiastes had mixed messages. Every one of us has mixed messages. Many of us are queer and proud. At the same time we all make choices when we will come out to people. If we had one message wouldn't we come out to everyone all the time? Life isn't that simple. We have to make choices. Does it negate our pride when we decide not to be forthcoming about our sexual orientation or gender identity? Not necessarily. What's the difference between deceit and prudence? What's the difference between pride that is inordinate self-esteem and pride that is reasonable or justifiable self-respect? At what point is labeling ourselves a badge of honor and acceptance and at what point is it a box that we put ourselves in?
The parade itself has mixed messages. It is both a parade of protest and a parade of privilege. When we march as a church we are protesting the hetero-normative standard of family and faith. This is good to do. I think we also need to be aware that we are staging this parade in a very privileged way. When the fundamentalists are on the side lines with their banners and bull horns we get mad at their audacity and ignorance. Yes, they are audacious and ignorant - I agree with that 100%. However, even if their prejudice and hate is acceptable to many, there are laws that state they are not allowed to hang us or burn us or otherwise cause us physical harm. These laws don't change anyone's heart, but sometimes they protect us. The laws don't protect us all the time. There are enough people with legal authority who will overlook evidence or do any number of things to save their own from punishment, but at least we have something in writing to work with. There are gay pride parades around the world where they are protesting with the hope of getting some of the laws we take for granted. Just for being in the parade these people get put in jail, stoned, or hanged. When we march here, with the freedoms that we have, we are marching on behalf of those who can't. We are demonstrating to the world that there is freedom to be had. We are inciting others who do not have our freedom to go after it for themselves. Sometimes they die trying. Sometimes we do too. When we use our privilege as a chance to protest, isn't that a sort of mixed message? Doesn't it complicate the event? I hope it does. And I hope that we can wrestle with those contradictions and complications.
Peace isn't having a simple message. Freedom isn't about every one being nice to one another and getting to party. Privilege isn't about finally getting to take it easy. All of these ideals are complicated and filled with contradictions. I think the character of Solomon got it right in verses 15 - 18, "In my vain life I have seen everything; there are righteous people who perish in their righteousness, and there are wicked people who prolong their life in their evildoing. Do not be too righteous, and do not act too wise; why should you destroy yourself? Do not be too wicked, and do not be a fool; why should you die before your time? It is good that you should take hold of the one, without letting go of the other; for the one who fears God shall succeed with both."
Many, in their wickedness, have declared us wicked! So friends, in our peace-seeking and freedom-fighting let us take hold of our righteousness alongside our wickedness. In our privilege let us fight against oppression. And above all, let us remember that the one who respects and loves God succeeds, both with wisdom and folly, with righteousness and wickedness. We need to let our love for our Divine Beloved motivate us in our righteousness and our wickedness. As you move through this world, take hold of one without letting go of the other.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Esmin Green - Death By Racism and Classism
First, I want to direct your attention to Womanist Musings - http://www.womanist-musings.com/2008/07/esmin-greenyes-she-mattered.html
Second, I want to tell you the little that we know about Ms Green. She was black. She was poor. She was mentally ill. She died alone in a room full of people, including health professionals who ignored her. There is a video surveillance of her death in the hospital waiting room.
Third, I need to say this ...
The blatant disregard for Ms. Green's humanity and sacred worth makes me want to vomit. It also makes me want to storm the temple of whiteness and capitalism with a cat o' nine tails. Ms. Green wasn't going to make anyone any richer or feel any whiter than they already were or felt, so they let her die on the floor of a hospital waiting room.
This is a Disgrace! This is Shameful! Had this been a middle class white man would this have happened? How about a middle class white woman? I doubt it. We treat our pets better than we treat the Esmin Green's of our communities. It isn't enough to finger point at New York or at whatever hospital she was it. What are we going to DO?
Will each one of us, especially each one of us white people, take the time to look for the Esmin Green's who are laying on the floor of hospital waiting rooms and ask someone for some HELP? Will we notice people on the subway? In the alley? On our streets where we live ... no, where they live and where we walk from and into our houses?
I am not simply suggesting that we "righteous white people" help those poor black people. I am calling upon us to connect with our siblings; to love because not loving is being abusive; and to see the people that the system of white middle class privilege has rendered invisible.
Will you? Will you do it?
Second, I want to tell you the little that we know about Ms Green. She was black. She was poor. She was mentally ill. She died alone in a room full of people, including health professionals who ignored her. There is a video surveillance of her death in the hospital waiting room.
Third, I need to say this ...
The blatant disregard for Ms. Green's humanity and sacred worth makes me want to vomit. It also makes me want to storm the temple of whiteness and capitalism with a cat o' nine tails. Ms. Green wasn't going to make anyone any richer or feel any whiter than they already were or felt, so they let her die on the floor of a hospital waiting room.
This is a Disgrace! This is Shameful! Had this been a middle class white man would this have happened? How about a middle class white woman? I doubt it. We treat our pets better than we treat the Esmin Green's of our communities. It isn't enough to finger point at New York or at whatever hospital she was it. What are we going to DO?
Will each one of us, especially each one of us white people, take the time to look for the Esmin Green's who are laying on the floor of hospital waiting rooms and ask someone for some HELP? Will we notice people on the subway? In the alley? On our streets where we live ... no, where they live and where we walk from and into our houses?
I am not simply suggesting that we "righteous white people" help those poor black people. I am calling upon us to connect with our siblings; to love because not loving is being abusive; and to see the people that the system of white middle class privilege has rendered invisible.
Will you? Will you do it?
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Happy Pride Parade 2008
In the name of Peace and Pride
On behalf of The Holy, who is our Divine Beloved
Because WE are Holy
We march today
For those who cannot march
For those who have marched before
For those who have no idea that anyone can march
We march today
For you, if you would like
For ourselves
For the intersection of the sacred and the profane
We march today
To honor the past
To change the future
To live in the present
We march today
On behalf of The Holy, who is our Divine Beloved
Because WE are Holy
We march today
For those who cannot march
For those who have marched before
For those who have no idea that anyone can march
We march today
For you, if you would like
For ourselves
For the intersection of the sacred and the profane
We march today
To honor the past
To change the future
To live in the present
We march today
Friday, June 27, 2008
Presbyterians change their Constitution to allow gays and lesbians to become ordained!!
Happy Happy PRIDE!! And congratulations to all those who have worked so hard for so long!
***********************************
More Light Presbyterians Applaud General Assembly Action
PCUSA Welcomes All to Service in the Church
SAN JOSE, CA - June 27, 2008
More Light Presbyterians said a decision today by the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to lift its ban on ordination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is good news for Presbyterians and Christians across the country and world. "This is a great moment affirming God's love for all people. We are thankful to the Commissioners at this Assembly who upheld standards for leadership and service in our Church, and at the same time eliminated categorical discrimination that has denied ordination to LGBT persons based simply on who they are and who they fall in love with," said Michael J. Adee, Executive Director and Field Organizer for the organization.
The action by the General Assembly removes G.60106b from its Book of Order, the Constitution which governs the Church and replaces it with new language. Formerly, it required fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness to be eligible for ordination as deacons, elders or ministers. "The intent of this standard, passed over a decade ago, was to bar LGBT persons from full membership and service in our Church since marriage equality is not yet available to most in our country," Adee said. New language passed by the General Assembly reaffirms historic standards of the Church that focus on faith and character which has withstood the test of time, and did not exclude anyone based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.
Looking to the Future
"A new spirit of acceptance and the recognition that we have many different kinds of families in our churches has taken hold," said Vikki Dearing, Co-Moderator. "This reflects the hearts and spirits of people in the pews. We rejoice with the many that will now be able to answer God's call to serve in our Church." We believe that God is doing a new thing in our Church. We believe that a more loving and welcoming Church is where the Spirit is taking us. We invite everyone who wants to know how to become a more welcoming and affirming place for all God's children to contact us. Together we are building a Church for all God's people!
***********************************
More Light Presbyterians Applaud General Assembly Action
PCUSA Welcomes All to Service in the Church
SAN JOSE, CA - June 27, 2008
More Light Presbyterians said a decision today by the 218th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) to lift its ban on ordination for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons is good news for Presbyterians and Christians across the country and world. "This is a great moment affirming God's love for all people. We are thankful to the Commissioners at this Assembly who upheld standards for leadership and service in our Church, and at the same time eliminated categorical discrimination that has denied ordination to LGBT persons based simply on who they are and who they fall in love with," said Michael J. Adee, Executive Director and Field Organizer for the organization.
The action by the General Assembly removes G.60106b from its Book of Order, the Constitution which governs the Church and replaces it with new language. Formerly, it required fidelity in marriage between a man and a woman or chastity in singleness to be eligible for ordination as deacons, elders or ministers. "The intent of this standard, passed over a decade ago, was to bar LGBT persons from full membership and service in our Church since marriage equality is not yet available to most in our country," Adee said. New language passed by the General Assembly reaffirms historic standards of the Church that focus on faith and character which has withstood the test of time, and did not exclude anyone based on sexual orientation, gender identity or marital status.
Looking to the Future
"A new spirit of acceptance and the recognition that we have many different kinds of families in our churches has taken hold," said Vikki Dearing, Co-Moderator. "This reflects the hearts and spirits of people in the pews. We rejoice with the many that will now be able to answer God's call to serve in our Church." We believe that God is doing a new thing in our Church. We believe that a more loving and welcoming Church is where the Spirit is taking us. We invite everyone who wants to know how to become a more welcoming and affirming place for all God's children to contact us. Together we are building a Church for all God's people!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Reaching Inside From the Outside - Ecclesiastes 6
Reaching Inside From the Outside - Ecclesiastes 6
Sermon from June 22, 2008
As most of you know, Sarah and I had a big decision to make last Sunday. Our cat, Skookie, has been struggling with kidney failure for the past year. We've been paying attention to her quality of life and her symptoms. The last couple of weeks I noticed her going off alone more than usual. There were other symptoms as well, but nothing that was enough to make us feel like we needed to bring her to the vet. This Sunday was different. We talked to the folks at the animal emergency hospital and decided we should spend the rest of the day together as a family. Monday morning we called Skookie's regular animal hospital and got an appointment for 12:30. After an examination and a discussion, Sarah, the doctor, and I decided it was time to help Skookie transition from this life to the next. The doctor left the three of us alone. We talked to Skookie, cried, and held each other. Then the doctor came back in with an assistant. Together we accompanied Skookie, and assisted her in her dying. We cried some more and held her now still body.
Before I talk about this experience in the context of our faith, I want to thank Sara Ross for taking over for me here (at church) and for her friendship and devotion to me and my family. Sara has been a constant and faithful friend for years. She is like a sister to me. I also want to thank Mark P. for his love, support, and encouragement. Next, I want to thank you all for your prayers and grace. We miss our little one. We commend her to The Holy and to Sarah's grandmother Marion. Every window sill in our home feels a little more empty than it did before. Each room has a little less energy. A few weeks ago, when I talked about feeling before healing, I really meant it. We are intentionally and actively feeling our loss even while at the same time we are grateful that Skookie is no longer suffering.
As I have been meditating on this experience, something that the doctor did became more and more meaningful to me. When she was examining Skookie, she did a number of things. She listened to our story about Skookie's symptoms, she took Skookie's temperature, and she palpated Skookie's body. The doctor did to our kitty what many doctors have probably done to each of us. She used her hands and reached toward Skookie's insides from outside her body. With her fingers, she detected a lump. There was something in our dear friend that should not have been there. The doctor said that she couldn't tell if this lump was inside the bladder, if it was an enlarged bladder, or if it was something inside the abdomen. In the doctor's professional opinion, for a 17 year old cat with kidney failure, it only mattered that there was a lump.
Through training, practice, and experience the doctor knew what the inside of our cat should have felt like. This is what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about reaching toward the inside from the outside. As people of faith I think we need to do this all the time. It is at least part of what faith is – reaching inside – not only seeing with our eyes or hearing with our ears. Certainly the doctor did all that. We need to do all that too. However, what we take in with our five senses is not enough. Jesus berated people for being able to observe and interpret the world with their five senses, but not be able to reach inside from the outside.
Luke 12:54-56
He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"
I think Jesus explains this difference between seeing and seeing in a section in Matthew.
Matthew 13:10 - 17
Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
In this passage, Jesus isn't just talking about a person's physical eyes and ears. He's talking about the eyes and ears of a person's soul or spirit.
The character of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes is very involved in experiencing the world and his life with his five senses, but both Jesus and Solomon do not limit their experiences to what they can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste in the tangible world.
The idea of a sixth sense is common. One pastor of mine called it "knowing with your knower." I like that phrase. I like the idea that we have a "knower." But I believe it is still too limiting to call it a sixth sense. For me, it's more like utilizing all five senses within the intangible realm. We can see in our spirit, taste in our spirit, touch and hear and smell in our spirit. When you walk into a room with people, if your physical vision is intact, you can see the people. But seeing the people with your physical eyes isn't the only way to experience them, is it? I bet you all, to one degree or another, have experienced a person looking at you without seeing them look at you. You can feel it. Have you ever turned your head for an unknown reason only to find yourself staring into the eyes of someone who was staring at you? Have you ever just "known" something was about to happen? Have you ever had to make a phone call to a friend and didn't know why until they answered and told you whatever story was on their heart? These are all examples of using our five senses with our spirits. We hear the cry of a friend in our soul. We feel the touch of someone's gaze.
Jesus experienced people this way too. The woman with the hemorrhage is the most obvious example. With all those people crowding around him how could he feel the power get pulled from his soul by this one woman who touched him for the very purpose of pulling that power?
As we read through Ecclesiastes; as we go about our day; as we discern who we are as a church … as a community; I implore us all to reach inside from the outside. Pay attention to those strange times when you know you know something; when you know you feel something; when you look at something and it doesn't actually look like what your eyes tell you it does. Just like Skookie's doctor, you don't always have to know exactly what it is that you are feeling. Sometimes it is enough to know simply that something is there. Other times we may be able to discern more specifically what is being sensed. It comes with practice, experience and some training. Our reading scripture together, my sharing what I see, our praying for each other, all of what we do together here and outside of these walls ... all these things are types of training, experience, and practice.
What I want to say more than anything is that we have this power! We are created with this power. It is part of who we are. Sure we misunderstand things sometimes. We don't always get the signs or the vibrations right. But we try again because we are made to reach inside from the outside. I think we need to peel away the layers of preconceived notions that we have ... of assumptions ... of sermons and teachings. When we read in Ecclesiastes that, "All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?" ... when we read this, can we reach into it from the outside. Can we listen to it with our spirit as well as with our minds? Can we see the words beyond the words? Yes, I think we can. I have no doubt that we each can do this ... that we each bring a different perspective to these teachings and to our experiences. This is one reason we enjoy the participation of whosoever will in leading us in prayer and readings and communion. This power that we have been created with, to reach inside from the outside, gives glory our Divine Beloved and causes miracles to happen. It causes miracles to happen!
Reach out. Reach in. Reach around. Find your power. Find your gift. And share it with us.
Sermon from June 22, 2008
As most of you know, Sarah and I had a big decision to make last Sunday. Our cat, Skookie, has been struggling with kidney failure for the past year. We've been paying attention to her quality of life and her symptoms. The last couple of weeks I noticed her going off alone more than usual. There were other symptoms as well, but nothing that was enough to make us feel like we needed to bring her to the vet. This Sunday was different. We talked to the folks at the animal emergency hospital and decided we should spend the rest of the day together as a family. Monday morning we called Skookie's regular animal hospital and got an appointment for 12:30. After an examination and a discussion, Sarah, the doctor, and I decided it was time to help Skookie transition from this life to the next. The doctor left the three of us alone. We talked to Skookie, cried, and held each other. Then the doctor came back in with an assistant. Together we accompanied Skookie, and assisted her in her dying. We cried some more and held her now still body.
Before I talk about this experience in the context of our faith, I want to thank Sara Ross for taking over for me here (at church) and for her friendship and devotion to me and my family. Sara has been a constant and faithful friend for years. She is like a sister to me. I also want to thank Mark P. for his love, support, and encouragement. Next, I want to thank you all for your prayers and grace. We miss our little one. We commend her to The Holy and to Sarah's grandmother Marion. Every window sill in our home feels a little more empty than it did before. Each room has a little less energy. A few weeks ago, when I talked about feeling before healing, I really meant it. We are intentionally and actively feeling our loss even while at the same time we are grateful that Skookie is no longer suffering.
As I have been meditating on this experience, something that the doctor did became more and more meaningful to me. When she was examining Skookie, she did a number of things. She listened to our story about Skookie's symptoms, she took Skookie's temperature, and she palpated Skookie's body. The doctor did to our kitty what many doctors have probably done to each of us. She used her hands and reached toward Skookie's insides from outside her body. With her fingers, she detected a lump. There was something in our dear friend that should not have been there. The doctor said that she couldn't tell if this lump was inside the bladder, if it was an enlarged bladder, or if it was something inside the abdomen. In the doctor's professional opinion, for a 17 year old cat with kidney failure, it only mattered that there was a lump.
Through training, practice, and experience the doctor knew what the inside of our cat should have felt like. This is what I want to talk about today. I want to talk about reaching toward the inside from the outside. As people of faith I think we need to do this all the time. It is at least part of what faith is – reaching inside – not only seeing with our eyes or hearing with our ears. Certainly the doctor did all that. We need to do all that too. However, what we take in with our five senses is not enough. Jesus berated people for being able to observe and interpret the world with their five senses, but not be able to reach inside from the outside.
Luke 12:54-56
He also said to the crowds, "When you see a cloud rising in the west, you immediately say, 'It is going to rain'; and so it happens. And when you see the south wind blowing, you say, 'There will be scorching heat'; and it happens. You hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"
I think Jesus explains this difference between seeing and seeing in a section in Matthew.
Matthew 13:10 - 17
Then the disciples came and asked him, "Why do you speak to them in parables?" He answered, "To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. For to those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. The reason I speak to them in parables is that 'seeing they do not perceive, and hearing they do not listen, nor do they understand.' With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah that says: 'You will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn - and I would heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly I tell you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."
In this passage, Jesus isn't just talking about a person's physical eyes and ears. He's talking about the eyes and ears of a person's soul or spirit.
The character of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes is very involved in experiencing the world and his life with his five senses, but both Jesus and Solomon do not limit their experiences to what they can see, hear, touch, smell, and taste in the tangible world.
The idea of a sixth sense is common. One pastor of mine called it "knowing with your knower." I like that phrase. I like the idea that we have a "knower." But I believe it is still too limiting to call it a sixth sense. For me, it's more like utilizing all five senses within the intangible realm. We can see in our spirit, taste in our spirit, touch and hear and smell in our spirit. When you walk into a room with people, if your physical vision is intact, you can see the people. But seeing the people with your physical eyes isn't the only way to experience them, is it? I bet you all, to one degree or another, have experienced a person looking at you without seeing them look at you. You can feel it. Have you ever turned your head for an unknown reason only to find yourself staring into the eyes of someone who was staring at you? Have you ever just "known" something was about to happen? Have you ever had to make a phone call to a friend and didn't know why until they answered and told you whatever story was on their heart? These are all examples of using our five senses with our spirits. We hear the cry of a friend in our soul. We feel the touch of someone's gaze.
Jesus experienced people this way too. The woman with the hemorrhage is the most obvious example. With all those people crowding around him how could he feel the power get pulled from his soul by this one woman who touched him for the very purpose of pulling that power?
As we read through Ecclesiastes; as we go about our day; as we discern who we are as a church … as a community; I implore us all to reach inside from the outside. Pay attention to those strange times when you know you know something; when you know you feel something; when you look at something and it doesn't actually look like what your eyes tell you it does. Just like Skookie's doctor, you don't always have to know exactly what it is that you are feeling. Sometimes it is enough to know simply that something is there. Other times we may be able to discern more specifically what is being sensed. It comes with practice, experience and some training. Our reading scripture together, my sharing what I see, our praying for each other, all of what we do together here and outside of these walls ... all these things are types of training, experience, and practice.
What I want to say more than anything is that we have this power! We are created with this power. It is part of who we are. Sure we misunderstand things sometimes. We don't always get the signs or the vibrations right. But we try again because we are made to reach inside from the outside. I think we need to peel away the layers of preconceived notions that we have ... of assumptions ... of sermons and teachings. When we read in Ecclesiastes that, "All human toil is for the mouth, yet the appetite is not satisfied. For what advantage have the wise over fools? And what do the poor have who know how to conduct themselves before the living?" ... when we read this, can we reach into it from the outside. Can we listen to it with our spirit as well as with our minds? Can we see the words beyond the words? Yes, I think we can. I have no doubt that we each can do this ... that we each bring a different perspective to these teachings and to our experiences. This is one reason we enjoy the participation of whosoever will in leading us in prayer and readings and communion. This power that we have been created with, to reach inside from the outside, gives glory our Divine Beloved and causes miracles to happen. It causes miracles to happen!
Reach out. Reach in. Reach around. Find your power. Find your gift. And share it with us.
Meaning Making - Ecclesiastes Chapter 4
This is the sermon that was preached at Grace Baptist of Chicago by Sara Ross, June 8, 2008.
Meaning Making by Sara Ross
Ecclesiastes Chapter 4
On this rather warm day I'd like to tell you a story that took place in the dead of winter. My friend shared this story with me one day about holiday depression. I'm going to call my friend Benny in order to keep his story his own. Benny shared with me something he did one very cold December day when he was in the depths of a holiday depression.
Benny found he couldn't face the many expectations that others put on him and that he put on himself relating to Christmas and New Year's. The holidays had become simultaneously overwhelming and yet meaningless to him the last couple of years. What he thought the point was had become lost and had been replaced with coercive good will and commercialism, which didn't lead to his good will at all.
Benny had learned in other years what he needed to do in these moments ... pretend his lack of energy to cope with the expectations of the holidays didn't exist at all, until his enthusiasm somehow did kick in.
On this particular day though his fake it until you make it method also seemed pointless. He stopped caring whether or not he did anything on his overwhelming list or if his lack of participation in family events upset anyone. He was desperate to connect to the spirit of Christmas again, so desperate that he put on several layers of clothes and his heavy coat and boots, left his house and got on the bus and headed downtown.
Now Benny really didn't know exactly what he was setting out to do, but he knew he needed to do something. No he was not going to put money in the Salvation Army can or wrap a toy and put it in the Toys for Tots collection. He'd done these sorts of things in years past. They were good, and necessary, but he instinctively knew he needed something different to happen today. He was desperate! He stopped and purchased a Dominicks grocery store gift card. He had no idea what exactly would happen, where he'd go, who he'd find to offer this card to. He just knew he needed to participate in something real, something life giving.
He got off the bus in the Loop and started combing the streets praying that he'd come upon the right situation, trusting that he wasn't out there for nothing. Well, this went on for about 2 hours, Benny was getting cold so he occasionally spent some time in stores and public buildings. On any other day in the Loop he would have been sure to come across someone in need of money or food, someone spending the day in the cold trying to get what he was hoping and needing to offer--where were they?? All he saw were people moving very quickly to stay out of the cold and to accomplish the missions they were on.
It may sound too perfect, like a scene in a Hollywood movie, but Benny told me it was true that he was on his way home feeling particularly foolish and hoping no one would ask him where he'd been that afternoon when something did finally happen. He came out of the side entrance to a building and turned toward the bus stop when he passed a woman on the sidewalk on crutches with a cast on her leg. After Benny passed her he heard a faint, "Sir can you help me get a sandwich, some change, anything?" To my surprise Benny told me he almost didn't stop! Two hours of looking for this moment, only now he's suddenly awkward and shy realizing his own vulnerability in the moment. After an eternal second or two, Benny took a deep breath, and turned around. He nervously pulled the gift card out of his front pocket wishing now he could just give her the card and keep moving, but what he was holding required conversation.
The words fell out of his mouth, "I don't have any change, but you can take this if you want, it's got $20 on it, if you can get to a Dominicks from here."
The woman laughed, "You're joking, for real? This has got money on it?
"Yes."
"And I don't need to show them ID or anything?"
"Nope just give it to them at the check out." Benny told her.
"For real?" she asked again.
"You know where you can find a Dominicks?"
"Well yes, I do, I can get to one thanks."
Benny smiled a smile of relief at the woman, glad she finally believed him and he turned and walked toward the bus stop. He watched her get on a different bus with the change others' had given her. He knew he probably would never see her again. He wasn't forging an ongoing relationship with this individual, but his relationship with the universe had changed somehow. And the holidays seemed less pointless. Benny told me he now does some version of this ritual every December.
In Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes, the living still have to face the disturbing reality of all the evil that is done under the sun. AnnMarie has spoken the last week or two about the importance of learning how to sit in the tension of feeling our pain and our joy, of integrating the two at the same time. Of embracing joy even in the midst of pain and the seeming pointlessness of all we do under the sun, not ignoring the pain, but seeking to find a balance. Seeking to find a faithful, even hopeful response to what we see. The author of Ecclesiastes offers as one of his responses: seeing our toil in the context of community.
Are you familiar with the bumper sticker, "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty"? This quote was originally coined by peace activist Anne Herbert. She wrote it on a placemat in a restaurant back in the early 80's and the ripples began of a movement that has had far reaching effects.
A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual. They can be either spontaneous or planned in advance.
Some examples of very simple random acts might be:
• giving another driver your parking space when you got there first
• snow shoveling out your parking spot and the car behind yours
• bringing your co-worker a cup of coffee in the morning just the way they like it
• placing a coin in an expired parking meter
• saying hello to people you pass on the street
• complimenting a stranger about something they're wearing, maybe even during that awkward moment in an elevator.
Some of these are related to money when we have it to offer, but some require no financial abundance. This is really about how we move about in the world, as people and especially as people of faith. Consciously and faithfully choosing movement that helps to foster an environment of meaning in what can often appear a meaningless world.
Random acts of kindness are not random because they lack intention, but because they are not based on the obligations of a previously established relationship. Because of this, they encourage more belief in the possibility of future relationship and a communal sense of being in the world. They have the simple yet awesome power to break through a sense of aloneness and isolation.
If you Google Random Acts of Kindness on the internet you will find that there is a network of people from many different walks of life reclaiming communal meaning in their daily lives by sharing their own experiences of this concept. You can find example after example of acts people have thought of that have had an impact. People share acts they have done as well as when they have experienced someone offering them a random act of kindness.
When I find myself discouraged and believe we are losing the good fight, that all there is is bad news out there, futile chasing after of wind in the face of overwhelming oppression, suffering and pointlessness in the world, I find hope in the sharing found among people in these networks. These people are seeking to find creative simple ways to embrace community and set a greater sense of community in motion.
Something significant about Benny's story is that it was about more than a charitable act performed by someone who remained isolated from the person he was helping. Benny went out that day because he knew he needed something too. His choice required him to be active in finding this connection, it required him to then talk to someone, to be vulnerable in some way, and to trust the Spirit to lead him to this encounter.
He was reclaiming something he'd lost. His response to meaninglessness was to seek a sense of community.
Community happens not when we wring our hands and lament its absence, but when individuals dare to talk to each other, dare to care about each others' days. And yes, dare to risk being considered foolish.
The world is transformed when we seek to do kindness. We are transformed when we seek to do kindness, when we risk being kind in what is often an unkind world. The author of Ecclesiastes has found some respite from the demoralizing effects of the oppression and seeming pointlessness he observes around him in the idea of the two and the strength of a three fold chord. Connecting and joining in community and intimate relationship.
Jesus states, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."(Matthew 18:20) Experiencing the presence of Christ in our lives is integrally related to gathering in community and moving about in the world with a sense of community. Christ's spirit is found in the 2 and the 3.
Have you experienced a random act of kindness this week? Have you performed one? In John 10:10 Jesus states, "I came that you might have life and have it abundantly." Let's consider how such acts of kindness can truly have an impact on our communal sense of the abundant life we share together and how we can be visible evidence and offerers of this abundance.
If greater community is not the result of the toil we do under the sun each day then yes, it is ultimately vanity. Only in community do work and reward find an integral connection. Only in community do pain and joy find the same. And only community gives us true rest and support from our toil.
As we collect our offering I invite you to consider what act of kindness you might offer this week to the greater community we inhabit. I invite you in your spirit to place that act in the basket as we dedicate our offerings to God.
Meaning Making by Sara Ross
Ecclesiastes Chapter 4
On this rather warm day I'd like to tell you a story that took place in the dead of winter. My friend shared this story with me one day about holiday depression. I'm going to call my friend Benny in order to keep his story his own. Benny shared with me something he did one very cold December day when he was in the depths of a holiday depression.
Benny found he couldn't face the many expectations that others put on him and that he put on himself relating to Christmas and New Year's. The holidays had become simultaneously overwhelming and yet meaningless to him the last couple of years. What he thought the point was had become lost and had been replaced with coercive good will and commercialism, which didn't lead to his good will at all.
Benny had learned in other years what he needed to do in these moments ... pretend his lack of energy to cope with the expectations of the holidays didn't exist at all, until his enthusiasm somehow did kick in.
On this particular day though his fake it until you make it method also seemed pointless. He stopped caring whether or not he did anything on his overwhelming list or if his lack of participation in family events upset anyone. He was desperate to connect to the spirit of Christmas again, so desperate that he put on several layers of clothes and his heavy coat and boots, left his house and got on the bus and headed downtown.
Now Benny really didn't know exactly what he was setting out to do, but he knew he needed to do something. No he was not going to put money in the Salvation Army can or wrap a toy and put it in the Toys for Tots collection. He'd done these sorts of things in years past. They were good, and necessary, but he instinctively knew he needed something different to happen today. He was desperate! He stopped and purchased a Dominicks grocery store gift card. He had no idea what exactly would happen, where he'd go, who he'd find to offer this card to. He just knew he needed to participate in something real, something life giving.
He got off the bus in the Loop and started combing the streets praying that he'd come upon the right situation, trusting that he wasn't out there for nothing. Well, this went on for about 2 hours, Benny was getting cold so he occasionally spent some time in stores and public buildings. On any other day in the Loop he would have been sure to come across someone in need of money or food, someone spending the day in the cold trying to get what he was hoping and needing to offer--where were they?? All he saw were people moving very quickly to stay out of the cold and to accomplish the missions they were on.
It may sound too perfect, like a scene in a Hollywood movie, but Benny told me it was true that he was on his way home feeling particularly foolish and hoping no one would ask him where he'd been that afternoon when something did finally happen. He came out of the side entrance to a building and turned toward the bus stop when he passed a woman on the sidewalk on crutches with a cast on her leg. After Benny passed her he heard a faint, "Sir can you help me get a sandwich, some change, anything?" To my surprise Benny told me he almost didn't stop! Two hours of looking for this moment, only now he's suddenly awkward and shy realizing his own vulnerability in the moment. After an eternal second or two, Benny took a deep breath, and turned around. He nervously pulled the gift card out of his front pocket wishing now he could just give her the card and keep moving, but what he was holding required conversation.
The words fell out of his mouth, "I don't have any change, but you can take this if you want, it's got $20 on it, if you can get to a Dominicks from here."
The woman laughed, "You're joking, for real? This has got money on it?
"Yes."
"And I don't need to show them ID or anything?"
"Nope just give it to them at the check out." Benny told her.
"For real?" she asked again.
"You know where you can find a Dominicks?"
"Well yes, I do, I can get to one thanks."
Benny smiled a smile of relief at the woman, glad she finally believed him and he turned and walked toward the bus stop. He watched her get on a different bus with the change others' had given her. He knew he probably would never see her again. He wasn't forging an ongoing relationship with this individual, but his relationship with the universe had changed somehow. And the holidays seemed less pointless. Benny told me he now does some version of this ritual every December.
In Chapter 4 of Ecclesiastes, the living still have to face the disturbing reality of all the evil that is done under the sun. AnnMarie has spoken the last week or two about the importance of learning how to sit in the tension of feeling our pain and our joy, of integrating the two at the same time. Of embracing joy even in the midst of pain and the seeming pointlessness of all we do under the sun, not ignoring the pain, but seeking to find a balance. Seeking to find a faithful, even hopeful response to what we see. The author of Ecclesiastes offers as one of his responses: seeing our toil in the context of community.
Are you familiar with the bumper sticker, "Practice random acts of kindness and senseless acts of beauty"? This quote was originally coined by peace activist Anne Herbert. She wrote it on a placemat in a restaurant back in the early 80's and the ripples began of a movement that has had far reaching effects.
A random act of kindness is a selfless act performed by a person or persons wishing to either assist or cheer up an individual. They can be either spontaneous or planned in advance.
Some examples of very simple random acts might be:
• giving another driver your parking space when you got there first
• snow shoveling out your parking spot and the car behind yours
• bringing your co-worker a cup of coffee in the morning just the way they like it
• placing a coin in an expired parking meter
• saying hello to people you pass on the street
• complimenting a stranger about something they're wearing, maybe even during that awkward moment in an elevator.
Some of these are related to money when we have it to offer, but some require no financial abundance. This is really about how we move about in the world, as people and especially as people of faith. Consciously and faithfully choosing movement that helps to foster an environment of meaning in what can often appear a meaningless world.
Random acts of kindness are not random because they lack intention, but because they are not based on the obligations of a previously established relationship. Because of this, they encourage more belief in the possibility of future relationship and a communal sense of being in the world. They have the simple yet awesome power to break through a sense of aloneness and isolation.
If you Google Random Acts of Kindness on the internet you will find that there is a network of people from many different walks of life reclaiming communal meaning in their daily lives by sharing their own experiences of this concept. You can find example after example of acts people have thought of that have had an impact. People share acts they have done as well as when they have experienced someone offering them a random act of kindness.
When I find myself discouraged and believe we are losing the good fight, that all there is is bad news out there, futile chasing after of wind in the face of overwhelming oppression, suffering and pointlessness in the world, I find hope in the sharing found among people in these networks. These people are seeking to find creative simple ways to embrace community and set a greater sense of community in motion.
Something significant about Benny's story is that it was about more than a charitable act performed by someone who remained isolated from the person he was helping. Benny went out that day because he knew he needed something too. His choice required him to be active in finding this connection, it required him to then talk to someone, to be vulnerable in some way, and to trust the Spirit to lead him to this encounter.
He was reclaiming something he'd lost. His response to meaninglessness was to seek a sense of community.
Community happens not when we wring our hands and lament its absence, but when individuals dare to talk to each other, dare to care about each others' days. And yes, dare to risk being considered foolish.
The world is transformed when we seek to do kindness. We are transformed when we seek to do kindness, when we risk being kind in what is often an unkind world. The author of Ecclesiastes has found some respite from the demoralizing effects of the oppression and seeming pointlessness he observes around him in the idea of the two and the strength of a three fold chord. Connecting and joining in community and intimate relationship.
Jesus states, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them."(Matthew 18:20) Experiencing the presence of Christ in our lives is integrally related to gathering in community and moving about in the world with a sense of community. Christ's spirit is found in the 2 and the 3.
Have you experienced a random act of kindness this week? Have you performed one? In John 10:10 Jesus states, "I came that you might have life and have it abundantly." Let's consider how such acts of kindness can truly have an impact on our communal sense of the abundant life we share together and how we can be visible evidence and offerers of this abundance.
If greater community is not the result of the toil we do under the sun each day then yes, it is ultimately vanity. Only in community do work and reward find an integral connection. Only in community do pain and joy find the same. And only community gives us true rest and support from our toil.
As we collect our offering I invite you to consider what act of kindness you might offer this week to the greater community we inhabit. I invite you in your spirit to place that act in the basket as we dedicate our offerings to God.
Monday, June 23, 2008
GFest - gayWise LGBT Art Festival - in London - Nov 2008
GFest - gayWise LGBT Art Festival - in London - Nov 2008 - We are now accepting submissions online on the GFest website (link above & below).
For submission forms you can directly go to :
Please click here to submit Short Films
Please click here to submit Visual Art works
Please click here to submit your Performance pieces
We will be grateful if you can forward this email amongst interested networks & other Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender artists/ Performers & Filmmakers that you know.
Look forward to seeing you at GFest 08 & Many thanks.
Wise Thoughts . gayWise Team
Wood Green Central Library, 2nd Floor, High Road, Wood Green, London N22 6XD
Tel: 020 8889 9555 Email: info@wisethoughts.org
Company Reg. No.: 3758786 Charity Reg. No.: 1077616
Patrons: Baroness Prashar CBE, Lord Dholakia OBE, Lord Patel, Baroness Massey, Jon Snow, Baroness Flather, Stephen Twigg
Friday, June 13, 2008
Eat, Drink, and Be Merry
This is a sermon from June 1, 2008. The text is Ecclesiastes 2:18 – 3:22.
We are continuing our reading and examination of Ecclesiastes that we started last week. The first chapter and a half led me to talk about Feeling Before Healing – that it is important for us to stand in the pain of whatever, face it, and take care of it. We need to embrace our pain and love it because it is part of who we are. All of that is still what I believe.
This week, in the reading, there is still pain and frustration evident in the words of the character of Solomon. He has come to a new place – a new decision about how to deal with it all. He says that the best thing to do, and what God has given us to do, is to eat, drink, and enjoy your work. Some translations say, “Eat, drink, and be merry.” We are to nourish ourselves, and enjoy our toil. That’s what I want to talk about first. Second, I want to talk briefly about the poem at the beginning of chapter 3 … For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. Third, I want to talk about this being June – Pride month.
It is important to me that we not diminish this teaching of “eat, drink, and be merry,” by creating an either/or scenario – EITHER we feel our pain OR we eat, drink, and be merry. Instead I believe this is a both/and teaching. We need to feel our pain while we nourish ourselves and enjoy what it is we have to do in this life. That’s the challenge – feeling the pain, acknowledging the frustration and anger, nourishing ourselves, and enjoying life. When Philippians 4 teaches us to, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” I believe it is repeating this lesson. Can it be done?
Can we get to that place of overarching joy or happiness or satisfaction or whatever it may be, while we are suffering some kind of pain, sorrow, frustration, or anger? Can we totally live in the moment? What does it take to do this? Isn’t this what almost every self-help book claims to have the secret to? I am not making that kind of claim. I am saying that I believe it is possible to live such a life. I think that Jesus is one of the known teachers who accomplished this kind of life. And I believe that the character of Solomon is striving for this kind of balance, wisdom, and harmony. I am also saying that I am willing to struggle with you through this book to see if we can find points of balance, wisdom, and harmony for ourselves – both individually and as a community.
So, what might it take to live integrated without our joy and our pain – with being contented and yet being frustrated? Usually we put these emotions at opposite ends of each other. We chart or rate how we feel on a scale of happy to sad or content with discontent. How does what Ecclesiastes is suggesting change that paradigm? How does it shift our expectations?
Maybe there are multiple scales. There might be an overarching scale or a foundation and then offshoot scales like job, relationship, nuclear family, alone time … stuff like that. Is one overlaid on top of another and which ever feels strongest is how we end up feeling? Or maybe we have a default scale that overrides the others unless one of the others breaks or is extremely intense. Are these linear scales or are the cyclical?
I don’t know. There are lots of theories out there. Tons of theories. I favor cyclical theories over linear ones, but I don’t know. I think we can examine these things and expound on them for as long as we have breath and while there may be some benefit to be had from such exercises, I think mostly they are just exercises. Ecclesiastes is saying, “Things are not right! There are a lot of things that I can’t control and it ticks me off! The best that I can do is to find work that I enjoy and do it, eat, and drink.”
I want you all to know that I have found work that I enjoy. Being your interim pastor fills my heart with good things. I want to walk this journey of discernment with you. Not all of us are fortunate to have work that we like. Sometimes we have to make the best of a situation and find something fulfilling – some work that maybe our capitalist society would call a hobby – and enjoy ourselves there. I don’t believe we can count on the analysis or the understanding of how it works or why it is thus and such. We need to simply live it and feel it and breathe it.
It is difficult to hold on to your pain and hold on to your joy at the same time. We tend to feel guilty if we experience joy while we are in a painful situation. The truth is, I think, that we need to breathe, and joy and happiness give us breathing room. There are people who live their lives bitter and angry. Some of them don’t even know that at their core they have a pain that has festered into bitterness. These things come out in all sorts of ways, but if they don’t come out intentionally then they are just festering. The character of Solomon, through holy Wisdom, is intentionally speaking out what is causing him pain and working on how to live in a way that is pleasing to God. Verses 24 and 25 say, “There is nothing better for mortals than to eat, drink, and find enjoyment in their toil. This, also, I saw, is from the hand of God; for apart from God who can eat or who can have enjoyment?”
Here is a poem that has meant a lot to me over the years. It was written by a woman named Oriah.
“The Invitation.”
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living.
I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your hearts’ longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
I doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain. I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it’s not pretty, every day, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”
It doesn’t interest me where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
I’m going to let that stand on its own and move on to the last two things I want to touch on briefly – “For everything there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven,” and Pride month.
For years I held this poetic section of Ecclesiastes about there being a time for everything close to my heart. It was the way that I made sense of life. If there was one thing in the Bible that I could count on, it was this poem. Then one day I was talking to a friend about this and she kind of burst my bubble. She said something like, “I don’t think there is ever a time for a woman or a child to be raped, or for people to starve. I think there are lots of things there isn’t a time for.” Well crud, I thought. She’s right. I wanted some kind of formula, and I wasn’t going to have one. That was about three years ago, and I still don’t have a formula. I’m ok with that now. This poem does offer a lot of latitude in the way we can perceive things though. It isn’t the formula that I once thought it to be, but it is a good way to frame many many ways of being and thinking. It’s a beautiful poem that gives us permission to be fully ourselves – to dance and to mourn; to keep and to throw away; to speak and to be silent; to love and to hate – and the list goes on.
There is another way to consider this poem. What if this poem isn’t about saying that to everything there is a “right time” … but instead maybe it is acknowledging that all these things do exist and have their time, even if they take it by force. We have to divorce ourselves from the popular song, Turn, Turn, Turn to see it this way. The emphasis in the Pete Seger song is for world peace; for an end to war. But right in the poem there says that there is a time for war. What if this poem is only pointing out that all these things co-exist, and no value is being placed on any of these things? While it is true that verse 11 says, “God has made everything suitable for its time,” I have to wonder if that is truly the value the author believes or if it is a way to try to make sense of his world. In other worlds, the author, like myself a few years ago, wanted something to hang on to … a formula. The idea that God made everything suitable is quickly followed by more talk of justice and wickedness not being in their proper or expected places, and that we mortals should just try to find some enjoyment in our lives.
Finally, it is Pride Month here in Chicagoland. What is it to be proud? What is it to be queer? We each have our definitions. Mostly I want to encourage everyone to think about what makes you proud and what makes you queer; whoever you are, even if you are in the majority regarding your sexual orientation or gender identity.
Regarding Ecclesiastes and queerness I want to say this – what the author of this book does is turn the conventional wisdom of his time on its head. The author is constantly saying that what they thought they knew no longer makes sense. As queer people of faith – and I count heterosexual gender normative allies in the queer mix – we turn the conventional wisdom of our time on its head too. There are many who say that we can’t possible be children of The Holy, and yet we can testify how The Holy is living and breathing in wonderful positive ways through us. Even if the only testimony that we can muster right now is that we still have our community of Grace Baptist Church that, I believe, is a powerful testimony.
There are other ways that Ecclesiastes speaks to queerness, and over the next few weeks they will come up. But for this week let us remember that it isn’t the analysis alone that helps us become integrated. This week let’s live intentionally at the intersections of our lives. Let’s try to eat, drink, and enjoy what we do. Let’s be proud of who we are and above all let’s remember that we, like the character of Solomon, turn conventional wisdom on its head. We embody the truth of The Holy.
Feeling Before Healing
This is the sermon from May 25, 2008. The text is Ecclesiastes 1:12 – 2:17.
We’re going to be picking away at Ecclesiastes for the next few weeks. It will be interesting to see where this takes us during Pride month. Ecclesiastes has been an important book for me during transitions in my life, and since we are in an interim phase I thought I’d pull it out again.
There are many things that I like about this book. It addresses confusion and injustice without being overly concerned about being politically correct; it contradicts itself with a self-awareness you don’t see in many other biblical writings; and it isn’t afraid of being sad and staying sad. I know that may not sound encouraging to some people, but when you’re sad – which everyone is sometimes – we don’t always want someone trying to cheer us up. Romans 12:15 teaches us to “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” So often we hear the sound of crying and immediately respond out of a desire to fix things. It’s also true though that Proverbs 17:22 says, “A merry heart does good like a medicine,” but I think that sometimes we go too quickly into dispensing the medicine. First we need a little storytelling, a little commiserating, a little solidarity in the struggle. We get some of this in our own meeting here during our prayer covenant time. It’s a powerful thing to share our struggles and our woes as well as our joys. It’s powerful to contradict ourselves in a self-aware kind of way. This is how we figure things out. This is how we come to wholeness.
The book before Ecclesiastes is the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is very invested in teaching how to be good, wise, and industrious so that you please God and have a long life. Evil, foolish, and lazy people, while they may experience some gain or joy here on earth, are promised to be scorned by God and die young. It has been purported that Solomon wrote both of these books; although now scholars are saying that he probably didn’t really write either of them. But looking at these writings side by side, imagining them being written as if by Solomon, we see a possible progression of thought. First Solomon as a young man – or maybe a middle age man – and he’s got it all figured out. He has the answers and gives instructions on how to live a good and upright life. If you follow these rules you’ll be golden. Then Solomon gets a bit older. He takes a look at life and notices that it isn’t always as easy as his instructions claim it is. He reflects on his life and comes up with different conclusions. Not only are his answers not cut and dried, but his questions aren’t even that clear. No longer are there judgments against “foolishness” or praise for “wisdom.” Instead we are told that neither foolishness nor wisdom make any difference at all. And why is that? Because “the same fate befalls all of them.” And that fate that he sees at this point is death.
It’s tempting for me to rush forward and talk about the hope that I find in this book. There are themes that are only hinted at in this beginning section. I am no different from anyone else, wanting to rush in and heal the pain or fix the problem when I should be listening to the story, feeling the pain, and learning about the problem. I will refrain from jumping ahead and I’ll attempt to let the book unfold for us … to speak for itself as much as possible.
And what it’s speaking about right now is how this person conducted research into what it means to be alive and found pointlessness and death to be its sum total. It say that he conducted research because he claims that everything he did, he did intentionally – he did keeping his wisdom – even when he was being foolish. (I make that claim too sometimes.) But let’s believe that this person actually kept their wits about them while they were taking pleasure in all that they did; amassed great wealth and freedom; oppressed those more unfortunate than himself; and ended up hating life. It’s hard to feel sorry for him when it’s put that way, isn’t it? He sounds a little spoiled. But keeping in mind that this is an experiment to learn something about the core value of living – what did he end up with? Sorrow, hopelessness, and bitterness. Can we sit with him in this? Can we learn from his experiment?
It would be an easy answer, especially for me as a preacher, to say that the reason he ended up sorrowful, hopeless, and bitter is because he had neglected God. He went off to explore wisdom and foolishness on his own, neglected his spiritual life, and only received superficial gains that did not feed his soul. While that sounds nice and religious, I think it is way too simple. After all, he did give himself to Wisdom. What is Wisdom? First, Wisdom is personified in Proverbs as a woman. Second, Wisdom is not defined as being merely smart and savvy. Proverbs says this in chapter 8:22 – 36. I’m keeping the masculine language intact bearing in mind that the voice who is speaking is the voice of the woman Wisdom.
"The Lord brought me forth as the first of his works, before his deeds of old; I was appointed from eternity, from the beginning, before the world began. When there were no oceans, I was given birth, when there were no springs abounding with water; before the mountains were settled in place, before the hills, I was given birth, before he made the earth or its fields or any of the dust of the world. I was there when he set the heavens in place, when he marked out the horizon on the face of the deep, when he established the clouds above and fixed securely the fountains of the deep, when he gave the sea its boundary so the waters would not overstep his command, and when he marked out the foundations of the earth. Then I was the craftswoman at his side. I was filled with delight day after day, rejoicing always in his presence, rejoicing in his whole world and delighting in mortals.
Now then, listen to me; blessed are those who keep my ways. Listen to my instruction and be wise; do not ignore it. Blessed are you who listen to me, watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. For whoever finds me finds life and receives favor from the Lord. But whoever fails to find me harms himself; all who hate me love death."
That’s Wisdom. She is spiritual and holy. She describes herself in ways that are amazingly similar to the ways that Jesus describes himself, and is described by others. That the writer of Ecclesiastes says he was functioning in wisdom, and given that we are going along with the premise that the writers of these books are intended to be understood as being Solomon, tells me that we should understand who Wisdom is according to the definition of Proverbs. Solomon was not neglecting his spiritual life – he was trying to find a depth that he had lacked all his life.
His religious practice and easy answers were not enough to sustain him. He needed to find out why he was … why things were created … what was the point. What he found increased his distress. Our reading today ends with him hating life because everything is grievous and meaningless like a vapor. And that’s where we’re going to end today … feeling this loss, feeling this distress. I believe that we must feel before we can heal. We must tell our stories and face the pain. We must keep the conversation going, no matter how hard and uncomfortable it gets. That doesn’t mean we become contentious with each other trying to start fights. It means that we go deep and find the truth of who we are in this moment.
I also want to share that the book of Ecclesiastes doesn’t end here. Our reading for today ends here, but the book goes on for awhile. I am not suggesting a life of wallowing in pain, but if we don’t first deal with the reality of the moment we will not end up whole in the future. I think that’s true regarding the way our country deals with racism, classism, and heterosexism, the way our families and our faith community deal with conflict, and the way we deal with our own personal disappointments.
Grab a hold of Wisdom this week. She may not look like what you think she will, but when you find her, take hold with both hands. Then look at everything, feel everything, try everything. What happens? Okay, so maybe you can’t do all that in one week… but you can start. Mindfully move through your week and let yourself look, feel, and try. Don’t fix anything – just observe and feel. Remember that it doesn’t end here; it’s where we begin.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Lesbians Die After Setting Selves On Fire
Lesbians Die After Setting Selves On Fire
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: May 19, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
http://365gay.com/Newscon08/05/051908in.htm
(Chennai, India) Two Indian women whose families had tried to break up their relationship set themselves on fire in what police describe as an apparent suicide.
The charred bodies of Christy Jayanthi Malar, 38, and her partner identified only as Rukmani, 40, were discovered Saturday in the home of one of the women in the town of Sathangadu.
Police said it appeared the women died in an embrace.
Both women were in opposite-sex marriages in what some LGBT activists say is common among Indian gays who must fight laws against homosexuality and pressure from families.
The two women had been lifelong friends and had met while attending school together.
Police said that the families of the two women knew of the relationship and had tried for years to separate the women.
Despite the pressure the women continued to meet while their husbands were at work.
On Friday Rukmani went Malar's home following a heated argument with her family. Relatives followed her and continued to yell insults at her from the street. The next morning they committed suicide.
"Around midnight, they poured kerosene on their body and set themselves on fire," a police officer told the Times of India.
"They appear to have hugged each other during the final moments of their life."
In bitter irony both families agree to allow the remains of the two women to be cremated together.
Following the suicide LGBT activists renewed their demands for the repeal of India's laws against homosexuality.
The law was written in 1861 when India was still a British colony. While Britain long ago abolished its sodomy law the legislation remained on the books in India after independence and governments have refused to remove it.
"In India, same sex relationships are not in any way accepted, and even talking about it is considered taboo," women's advocate Vasanthi Devi told The Times.
"Since it is perceived to be unnatural and unacceptable, a lot of sensitivity is required in handling the issue. Sadly, counseling is virtually unknown in our society, be it for students or adults. If we had counselors to guide, any number of tragedies can be avoided."
©365Gay.com 2008
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff
Posted: May 19, 2008 - 5:00 pm ET
http://365gay.com/Newscon08/05/0519
(Chennai, India) Two Indian women whose families had tried to break up their relationship set themselves on fire in what police describe as an apparent suicide.
The charred bodies of Christy Jayanthi Malar, 38, and her partner identified only as Rukmani, 40, were discovered Saturday in the home of one of the women in the town of Sathangadu.
Police said it appeared the women died in an embrace.
Both women were in opposite-sex marriages in what some LGBT activists say is common among Indian gays who must fight laws against homosexuality and pressure from families.
The two women had been lifelong friends and had met while attending school together.
Police said that the families of the two women knew of the relationship and had tried for years to separate the women.
Despite the pressure the women continued to meet while their husbands were at work.
On Friday Rukmani went Malar's home following a heated argument with her family. Relatives followed her and continued to yell insults at her from the street. The next morning they committed suicide.
"Around midnight, they poured kerosene on their body and set themselves on fire," a police officer told the Times of India.
"They appear to have hugged each other during the final moments of their life."
In bitter irony both families agree to allow the remains of the two women to be cremated together.
Following the suicide LGBT activists renewed their demands for the repeal of India's laws against homosexuality.
The law was written in 1861 when India was still a British colony. While Britain long ago abolished its sodomy law the legislation remained on the books in India after independence and governments have refused to remove it.
"In India, same sex relationships are not in any way accepted, and even talking about it is considered taboo," women's advocate Vasanthi Devi told The Times.
"Since it is perceived to be unnatural and unacceptable, a lot of sensitivity is required in handling the issue. Sadly, counseling is virtually unknown in our society, be it for students or adults. If we had counselors to guide, any number of tragedies can be avoided."
©365Gay.com 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Alexandra Billings in Chicago!!! May 18th
Here's a test.
1. Who is one of my all-time favorite performers?
Answer - Alexandra Billings
2. Who is one of my all-time favorite bloggers?
Answer - Alexandra Billings
3. Who is going to be in Chicago May 18th?
Answer - (no, i don't think you all are idiots. yes, i did answer this in the subject line of this post. for pete's sake answer the damn question...) Alexandra Billings!
4. Who am I going to see (God willing and the creek don't rise) Sunday at 9pm, May 18th?
Answer - (say it together please) Alexandra Billings AND Honey West. (See how tricky I am? I added Honey without indicating. You gotta watch me all the time.)
Where, you ask?
@ 3160
3160 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
http://www.chicago3160.com/
Alexandra and Honey 
So hey there folks in Chicago ... wanna meet me at @3160 for a late-night Sunday experience? I mean, really, these women are amazing!!
I've taken the night off preaching because of the rest of my weekend festivities, though I'll still possibly attend church and then head to the gig.
Two of my favorite things in one night - Praising God and then applauding for Alex and Honey.
1. Who is one of my all-time favorite performers?
Answer - Alexandra Billings
2. Who is one of my all-time favorite bloggers?
Answer - Alexandra Billings
3. Who is going to be in Chicago May 18th?
Answer - (no, i don't think you all are idiots. yes, i did answer this in the subject line of this post. for pete's sake answer the damn question...) Alexandra Billings!
4. Who am I going to see (God willing and the creek don't rise) Sunday at 9pm, May 18th?
Answer - (say it together please) Alexandra Billings AND Honey West. (See how tricky I am? I added Honey without indicating. You gotta watch me all the time.)
Where, you ask?
@ 3160
3160 N. Clark Street, Chicago, IL
http://www.chicago3160.com/
Alexandra and Honey So hey there folks in Chicago ... wanna meet me at @3160 for a late-night Sunday experience? I mean, really, these women are amazing!!
I've taken the night off preaching because of the rest of my weekend festivities, though I'll still possibly attend church and then head to the gig.
Two of my favorite things in one night - Praising God and then applauding for Alex and Honey.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
INCITE! New Website!
For Immediate Release, Please Forward Widely!
Contact: incite_national@yahoo.com, 484-932-3166
May 14, 2008
INCITE! LAUNCHES BEAUTIFUL NEW WEBSITE!
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence announces the exciting launch of our newly re-created website. Check it out:
http://incite-national.org/
Beautifully designed and engineered by Tumis (http://tumis.com/), a fantastic bilingual design studio dedicated to global social justice that is woman-owned and run by people of color, the new website features an overview of INCITE!'s history, analysis, news, and projects. The site also includes organizing resources, more detailed information about INCITE! chapters and affiliates, and ways to get involved in radical women of color organizing.
Additionally, an Organizing Toolkit To Stop Law Enforcement Violence Against Women of Color & Trans People of Color has been integrated into the new site. This toolkit provides critical organizing resources to address police brutality, immigration police violence, and militarism targeting women and trans people of color. Check it out here:
http://incite-national.org
In the coming months, we will develop additional elements in the site including:
* a blog to spark critical dialogue among women of color and our communities about news, events, and ideas
* more developed resources such as a bibliography of books, articles, and films, and a list of weblinks to fantastic organizations and centers of information
* more accessible organizing tools to support grassroots mobilization
Be sure to visit our site map to help navigate through the newly organized site:
http://incite-national.org
Thank you to the amazing INCITE! community and supporters, including the Funding Exchange Media Justice Fund, for providing the resources and support needed to create the new site. We still have more work to do to make the site truly dynamic and interactive and your financial support is vital for that project. Please visit our donation page to help sustain this work!
http://incite-national.org
To send feedback or questions about the site, please e-mail us at incite_national@yahoo.com.
THANK YOU!
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
PO Box 226
Redmond, WA 98073
phone: 484-932-3166
incite_national@yahoo.com
www.incite-national.org
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence is a national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence against women of color and their communities through direct action, critical dialogue and grassroots organizing.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Gifts: Law and Spirit
Deuteronomy 16:9 – 12; Acts 2:1 – 8; Acts 20:13 – 16; 1 Corinthians 16:5 – 8
Happy Pentecost! This is the day that Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost, though, was an established Jewish celebration long before Acts 2. The Hebrew Bible refers to Pentecost as The Feast of Weeks. The Jewish Encyclopedia says this:
"The traditional festival of Pentecost as the birthday of the Torah, when Israel became a constitutional body and "a distinguished people," remained the sole celebration after the Exile. … Apparently the custom of studying the Law all night of Pentecost is old." http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=177&letter=P
According to this source, as well as others that I referenced, Pentecost was a celebration of the giving of the law. It was called the Feast of Weeks because it was celebrated 7 weeks and a day after Passover. That adds up to 50 days, which is how we end up with the more recent name of Pentecost, which means 50th. The Hebrew Bible tells us that there was a lot more to the celebration of the Feast of Weeks than reading Torah. It was also the concluding festival of the grain harvest. We're barely in planting season here, so it's difficult for me to imagine harvest right now. But I think it's important that we try to find the origins of these things as often as we can for the sake of trying to make sense of where we come from as a people of faith and why we do what we do. That way we know when we depart from the celebration's origins and we can do it intentionally. Pentecost didn't happen in a vacuum any more than Christmas or Easter. I believe there is some strategy involved – some connections that are not apparent or at best are challenging to dig out. Whether it was God or the writers of these stories or both, there are reasons lost to us or at least difficult to attain.
The disciples gathered together in someone's home to celebrate The Feast of Weeks. This would be 50 days after Passover. It's been almost 2 months since Jesus' death and resurrection. The disciples were preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead, but they were also practicing their Jewish faith. On this feast day, they were celebrating the law given to them by God.
The activities prescribed for this feast day are quite elaborate. You had to do some serious preparation to do it right. That's true of most Jewish feast days that I know of. The account in our book of Acts says that they were all in the house. They were ready to celebrate. And then this strange thing happened. The sound of a violent wind broke out. It doesn't say that there was actual wind … but there was the sound of it. And then a tongue of fire rested on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. It seems their festivities were hijacked by the Holy Spirit.
By this time I imagine the disciples were getting used to going with the flow. Following Jesus had never offered them much predictability. At some point you have to either fish or cut bait. Or as a few of my friends say, "Go big or go home." In other words, Jesus didn't offer a namby-pamby or wishy-washy experience. He was often really confusing, but never luke-warm. So this sudden departure from their traditional Pentecost celebration might not have shaken them up as much as it did the devout Jews referenced later in the text who were amazed and astonished. I'm not saying that this wasn't a big deal, because clearly it was.
Later in Acts we hear about Paul's desire to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem if possible. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is planning on staying in Ephesus to celebrate Pentecost. As this new Jewish sect began to grow, they continued to worship and honor The Holy with their traditional celebrations, but over time they became re-shaped so that they were still relevant. Today we honor ourselves as being a people, a distinct group of people with a specific faith tradition. The Feast of Weeks was a celebration in honor of the law being given to the people after they were rescued from their lives of slavery. This law was considered a gift given to them by the Holy One. They had a purpose again. They had a God to serve and rules with which to serve that God. Even though the rules were bad in Egypt, at least they knew what was expected of them. In the wilderness where they were walking after they were rescued they had no clue who they were or how they should act. So these laws were a gift to them. It helped them become a community.
What I'm curious about is, why was it this feast day that the Holy Spirit decided to drop in? What was it about The Feast of Weeks, the day reserved to celebrate the giving of the law that made sense for the Holy Spirit to be released in such an extravagant way?
It seems to me that this experience of the gift of the Holy Spirit being given on a feast day designed to celebrate the gift of the law is one way God or the leaders of this new movement could dismantle the hierarchy of the oppressive religious institution of the time. In the book of Galatians, the writer is going on and on about what the law provides and what the spirit provides. It's a very provocative book and also not a little confusing. The basic tenet, as I understand it, is that if you put yourself in a position to be law-abiding, then you have to put yourself under the authority of the law and of those who maintain the law. If, on the other hand, you put yourself in a position to receive Spirit and be grace-abiding, then you are guided by love instead of law. Love is better than law.
This day for us marks the giving of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be grace-abiding people. This grace that we have been given, prompts us to live with the core values of the law written on our hearts. No longer do we have to display in some religious way that we are keeping up with the religious codes of our religious system. Rather, it is by living our lives out as devoted followers of Jesus the Christ, prompted by love, that others will see who we are and what we stand for. We need not manufacture do's and don'ts.
I also believe the Pentecost story tells us that we will make connections with people who are otherwise speaking a different language than us. The way we give ourselves to our calling – to Spirit and to Grace – profoundly impacts our surrounding community. We don't act a certain way because those are the generally accepted and expected norms of our church or our denomination. We do not have to be looking over our shoulder waiting to be caught because we broke some religious law. We act according to love. We extend the grace that was extended to us. We share the food that is shared with us. We do any number of things because we were taught love not law.
This, my friends, is counter-cultural. We have to explain ourselves often because we're not doing things that people expect us to do. We're not being in ways that people expect us to be. For instance, many of us here identify ourselves as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, or queer. Many of us also identify as Christians too – some of us specifically as Baptist Christians. I don't need to tell you how that confuses and sometimes angers some folks. Pride month is just a few weeks away. When we march in the parade with our church banner and signs and pass out our information, we get some interesting looks. But if we're going to do this thing and be this way, I encourage us to do and be with as much enthusiasm as we can muster! I am kind of an enthusiasm junkie … I know that … And there's lots of folks in my life who sometimes want me to just try to sit still. And I do from time to time. But the gift of the Holy Spirit moves in me in a way that I can barely contain myself sometimes. I'm not you. You're not me. We are us.
The Holy Spirit reshaped the celebration of the Feast of Weeks for the new Jewish sect called the Way. The more traditional Jews wondered what was going on. They'd never seen such a celebration before. But they were drawn in because they could recognize something of themselves in it. There's something about us that's recognizable too. Sometimes it's discouraging always having to explain ourselves. We don't always see favorable results. But we can't know what the spirit is doing in the lives of those with whom we share. We can't make assumptions that they didn't get it or we didn't do it right. Remember that we have been given the gift of the spirit, not the law. We are moved by love and grace. We haven't been called to manufacture anything. We are called to be who we are and to live out the teaching of Jesus the best way we know how. Some people are going to think we're crazy … or drunk … or immoral. Teaching moments will present themselves to us.
Rituals have to be reshaped for the times. We are ushering in a new time – in our church specifically and in our society. It's not always clear what it will look like or how it will feel. We don't know how others will react. Can we take the risk to let the Holy Spirit flow within, around, and between us? I believe we can. I believe we will. I believe we are.
This week I encourage you to feel the stirrings within you. Don't discount what you are moved by or moved to. It may be something totally different than you'd ever considered before. It may be an old longing that you discounted years ago. You may feel drawn to go deeper into your known gifts or you may find yourself considering something totally outside of your comfort zone. Maybe you'll want to lead communion and you've never done that before. Or maybe you'd like to not lead anything for awhile, and you've never done that before. There are whole ranges of possibilities. Whatever it is, let yourself feel it and bounce it off of what you know about the Holy Spirit. Does it feel like it builds up love? Does it extend grace? Does it make you feel more whole, even if it's a little scary? Can you do it enthusiastically, knowing that your enthusiasm may look entirely different than mine? Chances are high, actually, that your enthusiasm looks entirely different than mine. Whatever it is that you are called to and that this community is called to, my prayer is that we accomplish what is said in verse 6 of the 2nd chapter of Acts – Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were amazed and astonished, because every person could recognize something of themselves in what was going on.
Happy Pentecost! This is the day that Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. Pentecost, though, was an established Jewish celebration long before Acts 2. The Hebrew Bible refers to Pentecost as The Feast of Weeks. The Jewish Encyclopedia says this:
"The traditional festival of Pentecost as the birthday of the Torah, when Israel became a constitutional body and "a distinguished people," remained the sole celebration after the Exile. … Apparently the custom of studying the Law all night of Pentecost is old." http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/v
According to this source, as well as others that I referenced, Pentecost was a celebration of the giving of the law. It was called the Feast of Weeks because it was celebrated 7 weeks and a day after Passover. That adds up to 50 days, which is how we end up with the more recent name of Pentecost, which means 50th. The Hebrew Bible tells us that there was a lot more to the celebration of the Feast of Weeks than reading Torah. It was also the concluding festival of the grain harvest. We're barely in planting season here, so it's difficult for me to imagine harvest right now. But I think it's important that we try to find the origins of these things as often as we can for the sake of trying to make sense of where we come from as a people of faith and why we do what we do. That way we know when we depart from the celebration's origins and we can do it intentionally. Pentecost didn't happen in a vacuum any more than Christmas or Easter. I believe there is some strategy involved – some connections that are not apparent or at best are challenging to dig out. Whether it was God or the writers of these stories or both, there are reasons lost to us or at least difficult to attain.
The disciples gathered together in someone's home to celebrate The Feast of Weeks. This would be 50 days after Passover. It's been almost 2 months since Jesus' death and resurrection. The disciples were preaching Christ crucified and risen from the dead, but they were also practicing their Jewish faith. On this feast day, they were celebrating the law given to them by God.
The activities prescribed for this feast day are quite elaborate. You had to do some serious preparation to do it right. That's true of most Jewish feast days that I know of. The account in our book of Acts says that they were all in the house. They were ready to celebrate. And then this strange thing happened. The sound of a violent wind broke out. It doesn't say that there was actual wind … but there was the sound of it. And then a tongue of fire rested on each of them and they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues. It seems their festivities were hijacked by the Holy Spirit.
By this time I imagine the disciples were getting used to going with the flow. Following Jesus had never offered them much predictability. At some point you have to either fish or cut bait. Or as a few of my friends say, "Go big or go home." In other words, Jesus didn't offer a namby-pamby or wishy-washy experience. He was often really confusing, but never luke-warm. So this sudden departure from their traditional Pentecost celebration might not have shaken them up as much as it did the devout Jews referenced later in the text who were amazed and astonished. I'm not saying that this wasn't a big deal, because clearly it was.
Later in Acts we hear about Paul's desire to celebrate Pentecost in Jerusalem if possible. In 1 Corinthians, Paul is planning on staying in Ephesus to celebrate Pentecost. As this new Jewish sect began to grow, they continued to worship and honor The Holy with their traditional celebrations, but over time they became re-shaped so that they were still relevant. Today we honor ourselves as being a people, a distinct group of people with a specific faith tradition. The Feast of Weeks was a celebration in honor of the law being given to the people after they were rescued from their lives of slavery. This law was considered a gift given to them by the Holy One. They had a purpose again. They had a God to serve and rules with which to serve that God. Even though the rules were bad in Egypt, at least they knew what was expected of them. In the wilderness where they were walking after they were rescued they had no clue who they were or how they should act. So these laws were a gift to them. It helped them become a community.
What I'm curious about is, why was it this feast day that the Holy Spirit decided to drop in? What was it about The Feast of Weeks, the day reserved to celebrate the giving of the law that made sense for the Holy Spirit to be released in such an extravagant way?
It seems to me that this experience of the gift of the Holy Spirit being given on a feast day designed to celebrate the gift of the law is one way God or the leaders of this new movement could dismantle the hierarchy of the oppressive religious institution of the time. In the book of Galatians, the writer is going on and on about what the law provides and what the spirit provides. It's a very provocative book and also not a little confusing. The basic tenet, as I understand it, is that if you put yourself in a position to be law-abiding, then you have to put yourself under the authority of the law and of those who maintain the law. If, on the other hand, you put yourself in a position to receive Spirit and be grace-abiding, then you are guided by love instead of law. Love is better than law.
This day for us marks the giving of the Holy Spirit. We are called to be grace-abiding people. This grace that we have been given, prompts us to live with the core values of the law written on our hearts. No longer do we have to display in some religious way that we are keeping up with the religious codes of our religious system. Rather, it is by living our lives out as devoted followers of Jesus the Christ, prompted by love, that others will see who we are and what we stand for. We need not manufacture do's and don'ts.
I also believe the Pentecost story tells us that we will make connections with people who are otherwise speaking a different language than us. The way we give ourselves to our calling – to Spirit and to Grace – profoundly impacts our surrounding community. We don't act a certain way because those are the generally accepted and expected norms of our church or our denomination. We do not have to be looking over our shoulder waiting to be caught because we broke some religious law. We act according to love. We extend the grace that was extended to us. We share the food that is shared with us. We do any number of things because we were taught love not law.
This, my friends, is counter-cultural. We have to explain ourselves often because we're not doing things that people expect us to do. We're not being in ways that people expect us to be. For instance, many of us here identify ourselves as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, or queer. Many of us also identify as Christians too – some of us specifically as Baptist Christians. I don't need to tell you how that confuses and sometimes angers some folks. Pride month is just a few weeks away. When we march in the parade with our church banner and signs and pass out our information, we get some interesting looks. But if we're going to do this thing and be this way, I encourage us to do and be with as much enthusiasm as we can muster! I am kind of an enthusiasm junkie … I know that … And there's lots of folks in my life who sometimes want me to just try to sit still. And I do from time to time. But the gift of the Holy Spirit moves in me in a way that I can barely contain myself sometimes. I'm not you. You're not me. We are us.
The Holy Spirit reshaped the celebration of the Feast of Weeks for the new Jewish sect called the Way. The more traditional Jews wondered what was going on. They'd never seen such a celebration before. But they were drawn in because they could recognize something of themselves in it. There's something about us that's recognizable too. Sometimes it's discouraging always having to explain ourselves. We don't always see favorable results. But we can't know what the spirit is doing in the lives of those with whom we share. We can't make assumptions that they didn't get it or we didn't do it right. Remember that we have been given the gift of the spirit, not the law. We are moved by love and grace. We haven't been called to manufacture anything. We are called to be who we are and to live out the teaching of Jesus the best way we know how. Some people are going to think we're crazy … or drunk … or immoral. Teaching moments will present themselves to us.
Rituals have to be reshaped for the times. We are ushering in a new time – in our church specifically and in our society. It's not always clear what it will look like or how it will feel. We don't know how others will react. Can we take the risk to let the Holy Spirit flow within, around, and between us? I believe we can. I believe we will. I believe we are.
This week I encourage you to feel the stirrings within you. Don't discount what you are moved by or moved to. It may be something totally different than you'd ever considered before. It may be an old longing that you discounted years ago. You may feel drawn to go deeper into your known gifts or you may find yourself considering something totally outside of your comfort zone. Maybe you'll want to lead communion and you've never done that before. Or maybe you'd like to not lead anything for awhile, and you've never done that before. There are whole ranges of possibilities. Whatever it is, let yourself feel it and bounce it off of what you know about the Holy Spirit. Does it feel like it builds up love? Does it extend grace? Does it make you feel more whole, even if it's a little scary? Can you do it enthusiastically, knowing that your enthusiasm may look entirely different than mine? Chances are high, actually, that your enthusiasm looks entirely different than mine. Whatever it is that you are called to and that this community is called to, my prayer is that we accomplish what is said in verse 6 of the 2nd chapter of Acts – Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were amazed and astonished, because every person could recognize something of themselves in what was going on.
Monday, May 05, 2008
Fear-Based Religion?
Acts 4:32 – 5:16
32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35 They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"). 37 He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 "Ananias," Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!"
5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price." And she said, "Yes, that was the price." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16 A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
Fear-Based Religion?
We are community of faith. We are a community of sacred intentions, divine dreams, holy hopes, and enduring love. We use this book to guide us, inspire us, and correct us. Some of us, me included, even call this book "sacred." And yet, sometimes I find myself disappointed, disillusioned, and disrespected by this collection of written works. I think sometimes this book fails us. We have to figure out how to separate what is written in here – the words that make up the stories – from what is sacred. If we don't, then stories like the one we just heard might damage us. I don't believe The Holy wants us damaged.
The story of Ananias and Sapphira gets used by religious leaders over and over again to scare followers into heeding their bidding … their rules. When I think of the foundational teaching of Jesus, I am amazed that this story, and so many others like it, made it into the canon.
There are two rules of which Jesus said the rest of the rules revolve around. The first is, you should love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second, Jesus said, is like the first. It is, to love your neighbor like you love yourself.
The punishment meted out to Ananias and Sapphira under the leadership of Peter is as severe as the punishment Saul had been doling out to those in Peter's group. That punishment is death and both believed it was God's judgment for those who were sinning. Granted, Saul's method of death is more painful, so it has been said that God is more merciful. But really the bottom line is that according to this story, when you mess up God kills you. Conversely, when you do right, God heals you.
The section of the story that we heard today starts out with an affirmation of the community. Everyone has enough to eat, a place to sleep, and no one was selfish. That sounds like a pretty good way to live. It sounds like the kind of thing that Jesus would feel good about. Next we are told about Barnabas who sold a field that he owned and gave the money to the community and Ananias and Sapphira who sold their property but lied about how much they received. Okay, so maybe there was a little selfishness. The consequence of their actions was death. There was no opportunity for repentance, no questions asked, just judgment.
After their death, the story moves swiftly to the signs and wonders that were being performed – much like sudden death due to telling a lie there were sudden healings. But people were afraid. It says that fear seized the whole community. In verse 13 it says a curious thing – "None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem." Who are "the rest" in this sentence and who are "the people?" Did the people who held them in high esteem not join them because they were afraid of them? If it wasn't for the previous statements about the church folk being seized with great fear I would interpret "the rest" as being the religious authorities. We hear a little of their story just past what we read earlier. The sect of the Sadducees were jealous of the apostles and imprisoned them. That's in keeping with the gospels – followers of Jesus making the authorities angry and getting into trouble. But that the community of believers were seized with fear because of a threat of punishment really bothers me.
The story continues with "a great number of people being added to the Lord." They are desperate to be healed. Just as the woman with the issue of blood in the gospel account just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' robe, these people want Peter's shadow to fall on them for their healing. It sounds powerful and desirable – but I have a problem with it.
The desperation of the people in the gospel accounts and the desperation of these people feel different to me. Both kinds of desperation seem like they are born of a need to feel the power of God. Jesus, however, when he encounters this desperation tends to turn the power back toward the one who is seeking to receive. We can see this in the story of the woman who was bleeding. The story is all 3 synoptic gospels. I'll read from Mark, the 5th chapter.
28 for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32 Jesus looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
This woman was fearful and trembling and Jesus says to her … it wasn't me, it was you. It was your faith that made you well. Be at peace, daughter. Be healed.
The Acts story doesn't give us the same analysis. Folks come from all around to get close enough to Peter that his shadow will fall on them, just like the crowd pressed in against Jesus. People who are sick and tormented come to Peter. Friends bring their loved ones on cots because they are desperate for the power of God. But this power of God has shifted, I think. It is no longer Jesus releasing people to have their own faith and to be empowered by it for their own healing. Now it is Peter doing the healing and administering the power of God. It is also Peter administering the judgment of God. The community is seized with fear. And no one is saying that there is anything wrong with this. Well, I'm saying that there is.
The woman with the issue of blood lived in a fear-based society and in a fear-based religion. Jesus offered her her own power back and gave her peace. Ananias and Sapphira lived in a fear-based society, but their religion was supposed to be peace-based. True that they lied. They should have been called out on that, no question. But instant death with the result of fear seizing the community of believers feels like an undesirable shift to me. This is the kind of power that results in all kinds of oppressive evil.
By fear-based religion and fear-based society I am talking about authorities using fear to rule people. And I believe that fear-based religion fuels a fear-based society.
Last week our United Methodist siblings had their General Conference. During this event they go over their laws … their rules. It was affirmed at this conference that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. It is a fear-based system that tries to keep people who are different than the majority in their place.
A little over a week ago there was a ruling of the officers who killed Sean Bell. They were acquitted. Sean was a young black man who lived in Queens. He was shot at 50 times by 3 police officers in November of 2006. Sean was unarmed and not committing any crime.
On the website, justiceforsean.net, there is the following entry:
Friday, May 2, 2008:
Protestors held a rally outside the 103rd Precinct in Queens where the three acquitted detectives worked.
"The cops have to realize that they can't just go around shooting people and asking questions afterwards," said one protester. "They have to realize that we are human beings and they have to treat us like human beings."
"We're out here today because a week ago today, a judge let go the police who murdered Sean Bell in cold blood," added another. "They sent a message last Friday that the lives of black and brown youth in this country are worth nothing, and we're out here today to say that we're drawing the line."
Sylvia Rivera was a Puerto Rican drag queen and a leader of those being barraged with fear and physical violence at the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
Here is an excerpt from villagevoice.com
When genderqueers rioted at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, it wasn't because the last jitney had just left for Fire Island. They took on the cops because their sanctuary had been invaded once too often, and, unwelcome at the city's tonier gay bars, they had few other places to call their own. Sylvia immediately understood the significance of their rebellion. She called Stonewall "the turning point," and she threw one of the first bottles at the cops.
I could go on by talking about the Jena six or the Memphis 3. We could talk about what is happening in Burma and Tibet. All of this is fear-based … authorities telling people to act right or else.
Jesus was hard on people, sometimes downright rude, and maybe I still have too romantic notion about him, but I don't think he would have brought down the wrath of God on Ananias and Sapphira. Here is an example of the followers of Jesus seeking power and authority and Jesus' response to them.
This is from Luke 9:46 – 56
46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest." 49 John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you."
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.
Three times in a row we see the disciples trying to attain power for themselves and twice to enact judgment. Finally it says that Jesus rebukes his disciples for wanting to command fire from heaven to consume those from whom they received an inhospitable welcome. The first thing I want to point out is that Jesus rebukes them, he doesn't kill them. And second, Jesus has mercy on those doing wrong to him. These examples may be more of a parallel to the stories of Ananias and Sapphira. We have folks doing wrong all over the place … some are not followers of Jesus and some are. Jesus does call out his followers, but no one is threatened or killed.
We're not always going to do it right. Sometimes we will be selfish, much like Ananias and Sapphira. But God help us if we become like Peter! His ability to heal does not give him the authority to enact judgment.
Our society is in the habit of ruling through fear and intimidation and being ruled by fear and intimidation. We need to stop this cycle. It isn't what our teacher taught us. I believe that we need to resist this kind of leadership, but not by using the same tactics. Audrey Lord said, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." We need to resist in love and in non-violence. It is not futile to march or write petitions or vote. It is not futile to speak up in the office or at a party when we hear a racist, ablest, or heterosexist remark. It is not futile to forgive our friends, our enemies, or our siblings in the faith. And it is not futile to take your own power of faith for your own healing. I am not advocating a name it/claim it gospel, but I do believe in a gospel of empowerment. Sick people heard about Jesus and went to him to be healed. That act was an act of faith and Jesus proclaimed that it was this that made them well. Then he sent them off in peace. I am suggesting that we do the same thing.
Don't let the Peter's of the world control you and your faith. I think this kind of power should be cyclical, not linear. With Jesus it was cyclical. A person went to him for a healing and he gave them affirmation of their faith and their power. This kind of faith can then flow continuously. Peter, on the other hand, has people come to him for a healing and he heals them. It stops there. This is a linear progression. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A progression where one person has power and another person doesn't. I believe in a cyclical progression, one with no beginning, middle, or end. There is sacred power and it is shared and multiplied.
Share your power and don't take away anyone else's power. Know your own power and don't let anyone take that from you. Work on behalf of those whose power is being stripped from them. This is violence – this stripping away of a person's power. Fight on behalf of the Sean Bell's and the Sylvia Rivera's. Fight on behalf of yourself when a legislative body or anyone determines that who you are isn't legal or holy or human enough. And if someone walks under your shadow for a healing, pick them up and tell them that it was their faith that released the power of The Holy.
32 Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33 With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. 34 There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35 They laid it at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means "son of encouragement"). 37 He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2 with his wife's knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 "Ananias," Peter asked, "why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!"
5 Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard of it. 6 The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him. 7 After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter said to her, "Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price." And she said, "Yes, that was the price." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 And great fear seized the whole church and all who heard of these things.
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon's Portico. 13 None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14 Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15 so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16 A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
Fear-Based Religion?
We are community of faith. We are a community of sacred intentions, divine dreams, holy hopes, and enduring love. We use this book to guide us, inspire us, and correct us. Some of us, me included, even call this book "sacred." And yet, sometimes I find myself disappointed, disillusioned, and disrespected by this collection of written works. I think sometimes this book fails us. We have to figure out how to separate what is written in here – the words that make up the stories – from what is sacred. If we don't, then stories like the one we just heard might damage us. I don't believe The Holy wants us damaged.
The story of Ananias and Sapphira gets used by religious leaders over and over again to scare followers into heeding their bidding … their rules. When I think of the foundational teaching of Jesus, I am amazed that this story, and so many others like it, made it into the canon.
There are two rules of which Jesus said the rest of the rules revolve around. The first is, you should love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength. The second, Jesus said, is like the first. It is, to love your neighbor like you love yourself.
The punishment meted out to Ananias and Sapphira under the leadership of Peter is as severe as the punishment Saul had been doling out to those in Peter's group. That punishment is death and both believed it was God's judgment for those who were sinning. Granted, Saul's method of death is more painful, so it has been said that God is more merciful. But really the bottom line is that according to this story, when you mess up God kills you. Conversely, when you do right, God heals you.
The section of the story that we heard today starts out with an affirmation of the community. Everyone has enough to eat, a place to sleep, and no one was selfish. That sounds like a pretty good way to live. It sounds like the kind of thing that Jesus would feel good about. Next we are told about Barnabas who sold a field that he owned and gave the money to the community and Ananias and Sapphira who sold their property but lied about how much they received. Okay, so maybe there was a little selfishness. The consequence of their actions was death. There was no opportunity for repentance, no questions asked, just judgment.
After their death, the story moves swiftly to the signs and wonders that were being performed – much like sudden death due to telling a lie there were sudden healings. But people were afraid. It says that fear seized the whole community. In verse 13 it says a curious thing – "None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem." Who are "the rest" in this sentence and who are "the people?" Did the people who held them in high esteem not join them because they were afraid of them? If it wasn't for the previous statements about the church folk being seized with great fear I would interpret "the rest" as being the religious authorities. We hear a little of their story just past what we read earlier. The sect of the Sadducees were jealous of the apostles and imprisoned them. That's in keeping with the gospels – followers of Jesus making the authorities angry and getting into trouble. But that the community of believers were seized with fear because of a threat of punishment really bothers me.
The story continues with "a great number of people being added to the Lord." They are desperate to be healed. Just as the woman with the issue of blood in the gospel account just wanted to touch the hem of Jesus' robe, these people want Peter's shadow to fall on them for their healing. It sounds powerful and desirable – but I have a problem with it.
The desperation of the people in the gospel accounts and the desperation of these people feel different to me. Both kinds of desperation seem like they are born of a need to feel the power of God. Jesus, however, when he encounters this desperation tends to turn the power back toward the one who is seeking to receive. We can see this in the story of the woman who was bleeding. The story is all 3 synoptic gospels. I'll read from Mark, the 5th chapter.
28 for she said, "If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well." 29 Immediately her hemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30 Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, "Who touched my clothes?" 31 And his disciples said to him, "You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, 'Who touched me?'" 32 Jesus looked all around to see who had done it. 33 But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease."
This woman was fearful and trembling and Jesus says to her … it wasn't me, it was you. It was your faith that made you well. Be at peace, daughter. Be healed.
The Acts story doesn't give us the same analysis. Folks come from all around to get close enough to Peter that his shadow will fall on them, just like the crowd pressed in against Jesus. People who are sick and tormented come to Peter. Friends bring their loved ones on cots because they are desperate for the power of God. But this power of God has shifted, I think. It is no longer Jesus releasing people to have their own faith and to be empowered by it for their own healing. Now it is Peter doing the healing and administering the power of God. It is also Peter administering the judgment of God. The community is seized with fear. And no one is saying that there is anything wrong with this. Well, I'm saying that there is.
The woman with the issue of blood lived in a fear-based society and in a fear-based religion. Jesus offered her her own power back and gave her peace. Ananias and Sapphira lived in a fear-based society, but their religion was supposed to be peace-based. True that they lied. They should have been called out on that, no question. But instant death with the result of fear seizing the community of believers feels like an undesirable shift to me. This is the kind of power that results in all kinds of oppressive evil.
By fear-based religion and fear-based society I am talking about authorities using fear to rule people. And I believe that fear-based religion fuels a fear-based society.
Last week our United Methodist siblings had their General Conference. During this event they go over their laws … their rules. It was affirmed at this conference that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching. It is a fear-based system that tries to keep people who are different than the majority in their place.
A little over a week ago there was a ruling of the officers who killed Sean Bell. They were acquitted. Sean was a young black man who lived in Queens. He was shot at 50 times by 3 police officers in November of 2006. Sean was unarmed and not committing any crime.
On the website, justiceforsean.net, there is the following entry:
Friday, May 2, 2008:
Protestors held a rally outside the 103rd Precinct in Queens where the three acquitted detectives worked.
"The cops have to realize that they can't just go around shooting people and asking questions afterwards," said one protester. "They have to realize that we are human beings and they have to treat us like human beings."
"We're out here today because a week ago today, a judge let go the police who murdered Sean Bell in cold blood," added another. "They sent a message last Friday that the lives of black and brown youth in this country are worth nothing, and we're out here today to say that we're drawing the line."
Sylvia Rivera was a Puerto Rican drag queen and a leader of those being barraged with fear and physical violence at the Stonewall Riots in 1969.
Here is an excerpt from villagevoice.com
When genderqueers rioted at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, it wasn't because the last jitney had just left for Fire Island. They took on the cops because their sanctuary had been invaded once too often, and, unwelcome at the city's tonier gay bars, they had few other places to call their own. Sylvia immediately understood the significance of their rebellion. She called Stonewall "the turning point," and she threw one of the first bottles at the cops.
I could go on by talking about the Jena six or the Memphis 3. We could talk about what is happening in Burma and Tibet. All of this is fear-based … authorities telling people to act right or else.
Jesus was hard on people, sometimes downright rude, and maybe I still have too romantic notion about him, but I don't think he would have brought down the wrath of God on Ananias and Sapphira. Here is an example of the followers of Jesus seeking power and authority and Jesus' response to them.
This is from Luke 9:46 – 56
46 An argument arose among them as to which one of them was the greatest. 47 But Jesus, aware of their inner thoughts, took a little child and put it by his side, 48 and said to them, "Whoever welcomes this child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me; for the least among all of you is the greatest." 49 John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." 50 But Jesus said to him, "Do not stop him; for whoever is not against you is for you."
51 When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; 53 but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. 54 When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" 55 But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56 Then they went on to another village.
Three times in a row we see the disciples trying to attain power for themselves and twice to enact judgment. Finally it says that Jesus rebukes his disciples for wanting to command fire from heaven to consume those from whom they received an inhospitable welcome. The first thing I want to point out is that Jesus rebukes them, he doesn't kill them. And second, Jesus has mercy on those doing wrong to him. These examples may be more of a parallel to the stories of Ananias and Sapphira. We have folks doing wrong all over the place … some are not followers of Jesus and some are. Jesus does call out his followers, but no one is threatened or killed.
We're not always going to do it right. Sometimes we will be selfish, much like Ananias and Sapphira. But God help us if we become like Peter! His ability to heal does not give him the authority to enact judgment.
Our society is in the habit of ruling through fear and intimidation and being ruled by fear and intimidation. We need to stop this cycle. It isn't what our teacher taught us. I believe that we need to resist this kind of leadership, but not by using the same tactics. Audrey Lord said, "The master's tools will never dismantle the master's house." We need to resist in love and in non-violence. It is not futile to march or write petitions or vote. It is not futile to speak up in the office or at a party when we hear a racist, ablest, or heterosexist remark. It is not futile to forgive our friends, our enemies, or our siblings in the faith. And it is not futile to take your own power of faith for your own healing. I am not advocating a name it/claim it gospel, but I do believe in a gospel of empowerment. Sick people heard about Jesus and went to him to be healed. That act was an act of faith and Jesus proclaimed that it was this that made them well. Then he sent them off in peace. I am suggesting that we do the same thing.
Don't let the Peter's of the world control you and your faith. I think this kind of power should be cyclical, not linear. With Jesus it was cyclical. A person went to him for a healing and he gave them affirmation of their faith and their power. This kind of faith can then flow continuously. Peter, on the other hand, has people come to him for a healing and he heals them. It stops there. This is a linear progression. It has a beginning, a middle, and an end. A progression where one person has power and another person doesn't. I believe in a cyclical progression, one with no beginning, middle, or end. There is sacred power and it is shared and multiplied.
Share your power and don't take away anyone else's power. Know your own power and don't let anyone take that from you. Work on behalf of those whose power is being stripped from them. This is violence – this stripping away of a person's power. Fight on behalf of the Sean Bell's and the Sylvia Rivera's. Fight on behalf of yourself when a legislative body or anyone determines that who you are isn't legal or holy or human enough. And if someone walks under your shadow for a healing, pick them up and tell them that it was their faith that released the power of The Holy.
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