This is a sermon I gave last year about this time during the Lenten season. I share it not out of any ego, but just because these lenten themes have been on my mind, specifically how we can move from legalism into more simple joy. Anyway, here's the sermon in its entirety:
___________________
Sermon at Presbyterian College, April 10, 2007
John 9: 1-34
What does a blind man see the moment he is healed? This miracle would make a good movie trailer: Seth the blind beggar played by Brad Pitt was just a normal boy growing up in the streets of Jerusalem except for one thing, he was blind from birth. Little did he know one day everything would change forever. Jack Bauer plays as Jesus in this amazing story of a miraculous healing. What does Jonny see and do the moment he is healed? Find out this summer when the “Passion II: The Pharisees Strike Back” hits theaters. OK...yeah maybe not.
The moment of realization is both surprising and powerful. A man who has been blind from birth suddenly gains the ability to see. What was it like? Was he overwhelmed by light or did blackness slowly fade into vision. Did he see in color or black and white? Was he scared and overwhelmed as if he was watching Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3D at Disney world? One thing is certain: His life was changed. He was left speechless after this miracle. As the Pharisees continue to inquire about this man who violated the laws of the sabbath, the blind man simply knows one thing: “he is a prophet.” He also exclaims the phrase we know from “Amazing Grace”: “that though I was blind, now I see”. The blind beggar is in utter awe and knows nothing more but to express the wonderful life changing power of Christ. He can now see things he couldn’t see before, well in his case this meant everything. Unfortunately for him the Pharisees would hear nothing of it as they were still so outraged at Jesus’ action. The blind beggar is like your friend who just returned from studying abroad and won’t SHUT UP about their trip. JACK, enough about New Zealand already. DREW Ok whatever you went to Africa, thats great! TINA, I’m sick and tired of all of your stories from the border! I don’t care about anyone’s life changing experiences. I’m perfectly content with how life revolves around my comfortable life down here in rural South Carolina and nothing you all say can move me. Somehow we tend to play the role of the Pharisees, missing all that God is teaching us. We remain blinded and hard hearted to how God is trying to move us and move others.
Being a senior, I am constantly on the lookout for my moment of realization. We as seniors are constantly asking the question, “what am I doing with my life?” We all eagerly wish for a moment when suddenly we are able to see into the crystal ball of our future. Could it be that sometimes we are so caught up in the mess of everyday life that we are blinded to what God is showing us? Perhaps we need a new perspective?
We are nearing the end of the lenten season and into Holy Week when we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ. Most of us are probably about ready to get back to drinking Coke again, using facebook again, or eating sweets after midnight again. Many of us have probably cheated somewhere along the way and felt guilty for not practicing self-discipline during the lenten season. I can’t believe I just ate that M&M from Dr. Hobbie’s office!! Others of us are probably extremely proud of the fact that we are able to give up something we love doing for forty days. Have we gotten too legalistic? Perhaps Lent has become more about doing something right for 40 days rather than eagerly anticipating the celebration of Easter with eyes that have been opened by God to see his miracles all around us. The Lenten season is for preparing the way for Holy Week through prayer, fasting, and spiritual preparation. I want to encourage that we take to this season as the man who was just healed of his blindness rather than as the legalistic Pharisees. Let us with new eyes be continually open to how God is working miracles in our lives. Let us with new eyes look forward to the celebration of Christ’s death and resurrection. Let us with new eyes treat every new day like the moment of realization had by the blind beggar, so excited that God is working in our lives that we are not held down by legalism.
There is a popular song out now by the band Snow Patrol called “hands open.” This song is about a guy knowing how much he loves a girl and wishes she would just let down her walls to let him in. The theme of opening ourselves to love and be loved emerges in this song. The chorus of the song says: Hands open and my eyes open / I just keep hoping / that your heart opens. I get the image here of God standing there with his arms outstretched, OPENED eyes looking at us in loving anticipation that our eyes, our hearts will also open up. The song finishes with the words: It's not as easy as willing it all to be right / Gotta be more than hoping it's right / I wanna hear you laugh like you really mean it / Collapse into me, tired with joy . Again I hear this as God’s words to us, wishing us to open up to him with a deep desire, not held back by the rules and little details. He is calling us to collapse into him, TIRED with JOY. As soon as the blind beggar is healed he reacts in utter awe, trusting God completely and wholeheartedly. In a similar manner God is working through us that we might confidently desire his will. May our eyes be opened so that we may approach God as the blind man did, Tired with Joy.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 11, 2008
I'm an aspiring idealist
This was an email response I had sent to someone a few days ago. I realized a lot of these things have been weighing heavily on me the past few years of my life and writing this email finally gave me a chance to make those thoughts more concrete. So here are some of my views regarding the relationship between faith and politics:
*****
I continue to read and delve into the world of religion and politics. In Old Testament II we are studying how prophets were calling judgements on Israel and Judah for their treatment of the poor (more than any other issue). I have read books by Jim Wallis and Shane Claiborne, prophets in our own day for how religion should relate to politics. Believe me, I have been torn on this issue the past few years of my life. And I must say, I find it harder and harder to separate the worlds of religion and politics.
We are Christians first. This means our values as Christians should shape how we live our lives in this world. We have the unique ability as Christians to not only show how God has impacted our lives through actions of love, but to actively work to promote this love in the world we live in. How in the hell can we see injustice and things that are blatantly against the rule of Christian love and not say/do anything. Obviously there are no concrete answers to these issues, but still we live as Christians in the coming kingdom of God, and thus our actions should always reflect what Christ would have us do.
I am not saying our religion should stand behind a specific candidate, subscribing to all that they stand for. Rather, our politics should stand behind our religious beliefs, which shape every aspect of our lives. George Bush did this, although I would disagree with a lot of his theology. Evangelicals radically stand behind Bush and other candidates for promoting religious pro-life and anti-gay agendas. This is fundamentally wrong. However, supporting a candidate because their policies are most in line with your personal views regarding the truly inclusive love of God is a different issue altogether.
As Christians, if we see children of God being oppressed or subdued by the governing authority, we have every right to make a statement, as it is not only affecting the world we live in, but our religious system of beliefs. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke out in the same way at the oppression going on in their day. Read some Amos.
There are no concrete answers to what our religion says about how we should live in this world, but that doesn't mean we should remain silent. We should be actively discussing these matters.
For example, I believe that war is an extremely unfortunate and inevitable part of life. But instinctively militarily invading a country in order to oust a dictator, no matter how bad he was, and for reasons unclear, is simply not the Christian action to do. Hell, if we were following Christ literally, what ever happened to turning the other cheek? Denying two males the right to visit each other in the hospital or get tax breaks due to their love for each other, based on religious reasons, is simply discrimination. Giving tax breaks to the most wealthy of Americans, continuing to spend millions on the military, and ignoring the plights of poverty and education in our country are frightening examples of what the prophets were speaking out against in their day. How can we be active Christians to stand up and say these things are simply not how Christ calls us to be?
I'll also be honest to say that my faith was losing energy through college. I was sick of this comfort Christianity. Christianity that is socially active is not only completely Biblical, but extremely important for our "faith with action." I have found a REFRESHING new way to energize and use my faith.
I am not calling people to be democrat. I am not calling people to be republican. As a minister, I will call people to search for injustice in the world and learn to speak out against it as a Christian. I fully recognize the importance of NEVER alienating your congregation. And don't worry, a gift of mine is bringing people together (like obama!). I fully believe I can love people and develop relationships with them, despite my beliefs. The ministry should not be about constantly walking around on eggshells that would "close minds to Christianity." You honestly can not please everyone, and I recognize this. But if you are forced to minister to a congregation in fear of being yourself, of having to constantly appease without challenging anyone, then what's the point?! There is a loving approach to this issue and it resides in loving conversation without coersion towards a specific platform.
Yeah so maybe I'm just a crazy idealist now. But hey, wasn't Christ?
I recognize boundaries of being a minister. Boundaries that mean we should not promote any political agenda in order to not aleinate or turn off parishoners. But for now, as I am still a student, I have no shame in encouraging my close friends and family to make any decision I feel is most in line with my religious faith and political activism.
*****
I continue to read and delve into the world of religion and politics. In Old Testament II we are studying how prophets were calling judgements on Israel and Judah for their treatment of the poor (more than any other issue). I have read books by Jim Wallis and Shane Claiborne, prophets in our own day for how religion should relate to politics. Believe me, I have been torn on this issue the past few years of my life. And I must say, I find it harder and harder to separate the worlds of religion and politics.
We are Christians first. This means our values as Christians should shape how we live our lives in this world. We have the unique ability as Christians to not only show how God has impacted our lives through actions of love, but to actively work to promote this love in the world we live in. How in the hell can we see injustice and things that are blatantly against the rule of Christian love and not say/do anything. Obviously there are no concrete answers to these issues, but still we live as Christians in the coming kingdom of God, and thus our actions should always reflect what Christ would have us do.
I am not saying our religion should stand behind a specific candidate, subscribing to all that they stand for. Rather, our politics should stand behind our religious beliefs, which shape every aspect of our lives. George Bush did this, although I would disagree with a lot of his theology. Evangelicals radically stand behind Bush and other candidates for promoting religious pro-life and anti-gay agendas. This is fundamentally wrong. However, supporting a candidate because their policies are most in line with your personal views regarding the truly inclusive love of God is a different issue altogether.
As Christians, if we see children of God being oppressed or subdued by the governing authority, we have every right to make a statement, as it is not only affecting the world we live in, but our religious system of beliefs. The prophets of the Old Testament spoke out in the same way at the oppression going on in their day. Read some Amos.
There are no concrete answers to what our religion says about how we should live in this world, but that doesn't mean we should remain silent. We should be actively discussing these matters.
For example, I believe that war is an extremely unfortunate and inevitable part of life. But instinctively militarily invading a country in order to oust a dictator, no matter how bad he was, and for reasons unclear, is simply not the Christian action to do. Hell, if we were following Christ literally, what ever happened to turning the other cheek? Denying two males the right to visit each other in the hospital or get tax breaks due to their love for each other, based on religious reasons, is simply discrimination. Giving tax breaks to the most wealthy of Americans, continuing to spend millions on the military, and ignoring the plights of poverty and education in our country are frightening examples of what the prophets were speaking out against in their day. How can we be active Christians to stand up and say these things are simply not how Christ calls us to be?
I'll also be honest to say that my faith was losing energy through college. I was sick of this comfort Christianity. Christianity that is socially active is not only completely Biblical, but extremely important for our "faith with action." I have found a REFRESHING new way to energize and use my faith.
I am not calling people to be democrat. I am not calling people to be republican. As a minister, I will call people to search for injustice in the world and learn to speak out against it as a Christian. I fully recognize the importance of NEVER alienating your congregation. And don't worry, a gift of mine is bringing people together (like obama!). I fully believe I can love people and develop relationships with them, despite my beliefs. The ministry should not be about constantly walking around on eggshells that would "close minds to Christianity." You honestly can not please everyone, and I recognize this. But if you are forced to minister to a congregation in fear of being yourself, of having to constantly appease without challenging anyone, then what's the point?! There is a loving approach to this issue and it resides in loving conversation without coersion towards a specific platform.
Yeah so maybe I'm just a crazy idealist now. But hey, wasn't Christ?
I recognize boundaries of being a minister. Boundaries that mean we should not promote any political agenda in order to not aleinate or turn off parishoners. But for now, as I am still a student, I have no shame in encouraging my close friends and family to make any decision I feel is most in line with my religious faith and political activism.
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