Finding Jesus, Finding God

Finding Jesus, Finding God

Preliminary manuscript for the sermon at Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, December 21, 2013

Isaiah 58:6-11

Matthew 2:1-11

Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the reign of King Herod. About that time some wise men from eastern lands arrived in Jerusalem, asking, "Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him." Matthew 2:1-2

This fall when I headed out in the mornings before dawn, I saw something strange. The constellation Gemini had an extra star. I have spent decades star gazing, matching points of light in the sky with diagrams in star charts. By now the major constellations are like old friends in the sky. Sometimes all I need to see are a couple of stars and I instinctively know the rest of the pattern. So when I looked east and saw an “extra” star in the constellation of Gemini, I knew something was up. I figured it was a planet which had “wandered” into this part of the sky for awhile.

When I checked the star chart on my tablet sure enough, the “new star” was Jupiter.

I imagine it was something like this for the Wise Men. They had spent a life time watching the sky. And in their world there was no light pollution and few clouds. The whole would have been familiar territory. So when a new star appeared, they were immediately transfixed.

Was it “the Star?” The star of Balaam's prophecy?

There shall a star rise out of Jacob

And a scepter shall rise out of Israel.

Numbers 24:17

Tradition says there were three wise men. Rich old men, Persians living in the neighborhood of Babylon. Philosophers/theologians/astrologers/mathematicians. Men who had spent a life time studying ancient prophecies and talking with one another about what those prophecies meant. They had spent decades praying, meditating, worshiping. Their entire lives they had been on a quest, a quest for God. They had cultivated a restless dream of the triumph of righteousness. They dreamed of a world filled with peace and justice, happiness and health.

The Jewish religion had a well-developed vision of a Messiah. Other religions of that time and place also had dreams of a Great King who would set things right. It's likely these pagan philosopher/theologian/mathematician/astrologers happily combined ideas from all of the available religions in support of their vision of the triumph of goodness.

These men stubbornly believed that some day, somehow God would show up, goodness would triumph. The ancient prophecies they paid attention to were the words that fueled this bright dream.

Then they saw the star. There was no mistaking its newness. The sky in their world was black at night. The stars brilliant. They knew the patterns of stars. This was new. And given their life time of dreaming, praying, studying, speculating, contemplation, they immediately identified this star as a summons.

It's 900 miles more or less from Babylon to Jerusalem, no afternoon lark. It would be a major expedition. It would cost a fortune. But what is money for if not chasing dreams?

How long did it take to put together the expedition? How many people were in the caravan? How many camels? How many camel drivers? How many cooks? How many attendants?

The most likely route for the caravan was up the Euphrates River, then eventually south, down through Damascus, then to Tyre out on the coast, then south into Judea and Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, they asked, “Where is the new king that has been born?”

The arrival of these personages from the East asking about a new king set the city buzzing. A new king? How could that be? But there must be something to it. These guys have traveled 900 miles to ask that question. You don't travel 900 miles for nothing. The Wise Men spoke of the Star which would have been meaningful in that culture. They talked of ancient prophecies—again, highly credible

King Herod was especially concerned. His claim to the throne was never completely secure.

He questioned the Wise Men about the star and their studies of prophecies. Then sent them off to continue their quest with instructions to report back to Herod when they found the child.

The star reappeared and led the Wise Men to a house in Bethlehem. There they found Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus. The Wise Men paid homage. They gave their gifts—gifts worthy of a king. Then satisfied, they headed for home. Happy. Satisfied.

In a sense Christmas is an annual reappearance of an extraordinary star, a planet that wanders across the familiar background of our lives, asking us to check our dreams, inviting us to return again to our quest for God. Christmas reinvigorates our best ambitions. Christmas insists God is here.

God has not forgotten us. God has not forgotten the children of the Central African Republic or the women of Saudi Arabia and India. God has not forgotten the people trying to pay their rent and feed their kids on the money they earn working at McDonalds and Walmart. God has not forgotten the old men wrestling with questions of faith. God has not forgotten the mothers caring for special needs kids or the people coping with their spouse's mental illness.

Imagine we had lived next door to Mary and Joseph and Jesus in Bethlehem. We were there when the Wise Men showed up. Wouldn't we have been surprised? We knew who lived next door. They were regular people. A cute kid. Yes. But a king? No way. God????????? Are you kidding?

Christmas says that child next door in Bethlehem was God.

Then Christmas challenges us to see again the people around us. The woman who shares your bank account and bedroom? Christmas invites us to see the divine in her. Can you do it?

The man you live with: Can you see the divine in him?

The children in your house or across the street? The kids you see on the bus or read about in the newspaper. Not the beautiful kids, not the bright ones, not the responsible ones, not the kids who keep their rooms clean and do their homework without prompting—the other kids: can you see the divine in them?

Christmas invites us to go on a quest to find God, to encounter God. Then Christmas adds this bit of wisdom: You will find him wrapped in a baby blanket, sleeping in a makeshift crib.

This week I received an email from an old friend. It detailed his life-long quest for God. It's a story I've heard before, a story marked with perplexity and pain. I think of him as one of the Wise Men, constantly probing for clearer understanding, refusing conventional ideas of God that violate his deep sense of who a Good God must be. Constantly scanning the skies for a brighter vision.

I cannot answer all my friend's questions. I cannot even answer all my own questions. But this journey of the Wise Men gives one clear point of light.

When we go questing for God, the first place to look is at the ordinary people next door, or the people working at McDonalds or Walmart, or the people washing dishes at the restaurant that serves you your next meal.

God sometimes grants people a vision that transcends this world. They see a star and know that it is a direct message from heaven. But for most of us, finding God will mean learning to see people with the eyes of God.

Christmas can help us do that.

In our worship these last weeks we have ceremonially lighted the Advent Candles. They call us to renew our dreams of peace and the triumph of God's love. They invite us to light our world, joining our efforts to the intentions of God. They invite us to fill our eyes with the light of heaven so that our lives will be radiant.

Good Words

Preliminary manuscript for sermon at Green Lake Church for Sabbath, December 7, 2013. Comments and criticism welcome.

Bible Readings

OT. Genesis 1:1-5

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. Then God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.

And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light "day" and the darkness "night." And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day. Genesis 1:1-5 NLT

NT: John 1:1-5.

In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.

He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. John 1:1-5. NLT

Sermon text:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." Matthew 12:35-37

Words have magic power.

Nicely done.

Good job.

Perfect.

No worries.

That was helpful, thanks.

It's so good to see you.

My day is better when you're part of it.

You look nice, today.

Finally, one of the sweetest things I've heard in a long time. A young woman said about her fiance: 

“When I'm with him, I can be completely myself.”

Do you feel the power of these words? Writing them puts a smile on my face. Reading them probably puts a smile on your face. They make life sweeter, better. Dark days are a little brighter when we hear words like these.

I have favorite words from the Bible.

Fear not little flock. It is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Luke 12

Grace and peace to you. (passim, The Epistles and Revelation)

Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more. John 8

The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light.

On those dwelling in shadowy regions, a light has dawned. Matthew 1

Blessed are the poor in spirit,

Theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 5

Christmas time is a season of good words.

Handel's Messiah sets the best words of the Bible to music.

“There shall a Star rise out of Jacob . . .”

And I imagine the blaze of Venus on the eastern horizon on an icy cold, cloudless morning.

Unto us a child born

To us a son is given

And the government with be on his shoulders.

His name will be called Wonderful,

Counselor,

the Mighty God,

the Everlasting Father.

His government and its peace
will never end. Isaiah 9:6-7

I come back to these words over and over—when I read about the Central African Republic and the horrific chaos and violence that seems to eternally haunt the place. I come back to these words to fuel my hope when I read about another poor man who has spent years or even decades on death row for a crime he did not do. When I am confronted again with apparently insoluble conflict in a marriage.

He shall lead his flock, like a shepherd.

Hearing these words or rehearsing them in my mind, I pray, “Hurry up and do it.” And sometimes I pray, “Teach he how I can partner with you in serving your flock.”

Then there are the grand, triumphant words of the hallelujah chorus.

Hallelujah!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

Hallelujah!

The kingdom of this world

Is become the kingdom of our Lord,

And of His Christ,

And He shall reign for ever and ever,

King of kings, and Lord of lords,

And He shall reign forever and ever,

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Goodness will triumph. Evil will be displaced. Justice will reign from pole to pole and sea to sea. Hallelujah!

When we allow these words to permeate our minds, darkness will have less influence. Our confidence in God will deepen. Our commitments to goodness and righteousness are invigorated. We become allies with God in working toward the triumph of goodness.

This is the beautiful power of words. However, as with anything power, words can be misused. They can cut and twist. You know the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me!” Kids say it as a defense against the jagged, ugly words hurled by others. While it is true that most of the time it is preferable to be hit with words than with rocks or ax handles, the saying is, of course, false. Words can hurt.

God calls us away from ugly words, harsh words, biting words. As disciples of Jesus, we are called to a radical, counter-cultural language. Talk radio specializes in ugly words. People on the left and right entertain us by feeding our sense of outrage. These personalities earn their keep by being more sarcastic, more biting, more angry. Listening to these kinds of words frequently will warp our own souls. They will lead us to be angry about what we cannot fix and complacent about the things that we can fix. I have never yet heard anyone describe some positive action they have taken as a result of listening to talk radio or Bill O'Reilly or Jon Stewart. Good words bear good fruit. They nourish life and hope. They spur us to effective, hopeful action.

We can apply the same rule to the preaching we listen to. If a preacher specializes in condemning sin, the most likely effect of listening to that preacher is increased outrage against the sins of others! So, ask yourself what is the effect of the words I am hearing—whether here at Green Lake Church or on TV or over the internet.

Deliberately seek out good words. Deliberately avoid ugly words, jagged words, cutting words.

Now let me really go to meddling. Tell me about the words in your house. Are your children eager to hear your voice? Are they drawn to you by your good words or are you withering their souls with sharp words, disapproving words?

Kids, especially teenagers, if your parents recorded your words would you be okay with them sharing the recording with us hear at church?

Employers, what kind of words do you use with your employees? When you have to correct them are your words more cutting than necessary?

Within a Christian context the force of these questions is highlighted by the words of Jesus:

A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you." Matthew 12:35-37

Words matter.

In this season of happy words, hopeful words, confident words about the purpose and power of God, let's cultivate the habit of saying good words, beautiful words, words that heal and inspire. As we do this, we will be partnering with God and we will increase our own capacity to fully trust God's good words to us.

Family of God

Manuscript for sermon at Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventist Church

Sabbath, November 30, 2013

Luke 13 and 19

The story begins with a heart-breaking portrait of affliction. A woman has a horrible deformity of the spine. A kids' version of the story goes like this:

There once was a woman who had very much trouble.

So much trouble, in fact, she was bent over double.

All day long as she went about town

all she could see was down on the ground.

She recognized people not by their faces

but by the color and shape of their laces.

She could not see the sky or birds flying by.

She could not pick the figs in the tree by her house

Or fetch down the pot from the shelf up top.

One Sabbath this woman who had very much trouble and was bent over double, went to the synagoge as usual. And who should show up that day, but Jesus. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then Jesus touched her and she was immediately healed. Her back straightened. Now she would be able to look up at the sky. She could go home and pick her figs. She would be able to see the top of her teenage son's head.

Naturally, she was ecstatic and praised God.

The synagogue ruler, however, was quite annoyed. “Look,” he said, “there are six days for this kind of stuff. Come on those days and be healed. But today—why, this is the Sabbath! It is a day for worship, not for healing.

Jesus pushed back.

“You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water?

The answer was a foregone conclusion. Judaism had a well-developed ethic of the priority of life over ritual, even the life of an animal was worth more than a sacred ritual. So, yes, the most religious Jew, the most devout rabbi would not hesitate to untie his donkey and lead it out to water.

So, Jesus says, if you have that much regard for a donkey or an ox what about this woman?

This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years! Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?” Luke 13:15-16

“Daughter of Abraham.” This woman was not just any human being, some riffraff drifted in from the street. She was Jewish nobility. She was an insider, a family member with a pedigree that went back to the greatest of great names. Daughter of Abraham.

When the synagogue ruler looked at the woman, he saw a deformed, misshapen, grotesque figure. He saw how different she was from the ideal of womanhood. In his eyes the magnitude of that difference was a measure of her unworthiness. To this professional, the extent of her deformity was a measure of how far she was from having any legitimate claim on the favor of God or the service of the community. “Get fixed.” he was saying. “Then come and worship.”

Or worship, if you must, then go get fixed. But either way, know you are not one of us.

Jesus cut through all this status game with a simple declaration: This woman is a daughter of Abraham. She belongs. She is in the family. And because she is in the family, the extent of her deformity is a measure of her claim on the resources of heaven, a measure of our obligation to her.

We just witnessed three baptisms. In an official, public rite we welcomed three young women with noble characters, bright minds, musical gifts, and admirable faith. Any family would be proud to claim these young woman as “part of the family.” We certainly are.

How does the story of the woman bent over double, the Daughter of Abraham, connect with the lives of these young women?

First this story is a promise: On behalf of God, we are saying to Sophie, Irina and Charlotte, “Your place here is not created by your beauty, your character, your intelligence, your moral achievements. We take delights in all those virtues. Yes. And if they all were gone tomorrow, you would still be part of the family. If something happens and you end up bent over double for 18 years, we will still claim you as our own, as God's own.”

Second this story is a challenge, a call: You are called to speak on God's behalf. God calls you to say to one another and to your classmates and neighbors: you, too, are welcome among us. You, too, are children of the Heavenly King. You are called to see with the eyes of God. To see yourself as God sees you—dearly beloved. And to see others as God sees them—deary beloved.

Baptism welcomes all of us into a community committed to healing. Among us brokenness is acknowledged. We don't pretend that being bent over double is normal. We reject the idea that being bent over double is just as good as standing upright. But rather than condemning the person who is bent over double, we join them in longing for healing. We do everything we can to provide for healing.

When the woman who was bent over double was healed, naturally she was ecstatic. And she was not the only one who got excited. When Jesus pushed back against the synagogue ruler's protest, and insisted that healing the woman was the exactly right thing to do, the rest of the congregation joined the women in happy celebration.

This shamed his enemies, but all the people rejoiced at the wonderful things he did. Luke 13:17

Baptism brings us all into a family where we celebrate healing. Our response to human brokenness is a hunger for healing, a hunger that over time displaces our “natural” hunger for vengeance and even our hunger for propriety.

In Luke 19, we read another story about inclusion in the family of God. Zacchaeus was a prominent tax collector in the city of Jericho. Tax collectors were opportunistic business men, widely regarded as morally deficient. Zacchaeus heard Jesus was coming to town. He wanted to see Jesus, but because he was short and because his life could be at risk in a dense crowd, he climbed a tree along the route Jesus would take into town. (In that culture, tax collectors were seen as collaborators with the enemy because they were acting on behalf of the Roman occupation army. Nationalists would happily kill a collaborator if they could do so without getting caught. A short man squeezed in the middle of a dense, milling crowd would have been a tempting assassination opportunity.)

Jesus stopped under the tree, looked up and said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I'm going to eat lunch at your house this afternoon.”

Zacchaeus tumbled out of the tree and led Jesus and his entourage to his house.

This time the sentiments of the crowd were aligned with the judgment of the Pharisees. They were mad at Jesus. He was contradicting their own prejudices. “He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,” they grumbled. Luke 19:7

At his estate, Zacchaeus put on a feast. At some point in the dinner, Zacchaeus made a little speech.

“I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have cheated people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!” Luke 19:8

Jesus, hearing this speech, responds,

Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a true son of Abraham. Luke 19:9

By going to dinner at Zacchaeus' house, Jesus had demonstrated that he saw Zacchaeus as “inside” the family. When Zacchaeus responded by renouncing deceptive practices and pledging himself to restitution and to generosity, Jesus said in effect, “This proves his place in the family. These are our family values. This kind of behavior is our family tradition.”

The Bible imagines the church as a family—an idealized family.

When someone in the family gets sick, has an accident, loses a job, experiences grief, a healthy family rallies. The family pulls together to see what can be done to support the person.

When the Bible describes baptism as a death and resurrection it is highlighting the radical nature of our identity in Christ. We bury our old identity and are raised with a new identity. We come up out of the water as the newly born children of God, people who have been born into a new family.

In this new family, we have high ideals. We aim to be holy. To love people the way God loves. To forgive as we have been forgiven. To be self-controlled and wise. To be compassionate and generous. To be disciplines and courageous.

When we observe in ourselves or in others a gap between performance and these ideals, we understand that gap as room for growth, as an invitation to orient our lives again toward these noble goals. The gap between performance and the ideal is an occasion for grace—God's pardon, our pardon.

In the family of God, there is no condemnation. Instead we live in hope.

I have listened to mothers of disabled children talk of their dreams and longings for their children. Of course, these mothers want more for their children. But that longing has nothing to do with condemnation. It has everything to do with loving dreams. God dreams of our success, our achievement of holiness and righteousness. God's awareness of the obvious gap between our aspirations and our performance does not lead God to reject us, condemn us. Rather God uses that gap as a call to invite us to try again, to aim higher, to receive forgiveness and to pass it on.

Baptism links us together in a community of hope.

Here at our church we have a couple of young men who are unable to shake our hands or respond in kind when we say good morning. That doesn't stop us from saying good morning. When I see Alex or Quinn, I call them by name and greet them. I would be thrilled if they reached out and shook my hand. I would be ecstatic if Alex responded with a big smile. It hasn't happened. But that doesn't stop me. It leaves me hoping. Someday. Maybe.

The stories of the woman and Zacchaeus turn out right. The woman bent over double stands erect. She can see the sky and pick her figs. The corrupt business man becomes generous and conscientious. We cheer the wonderful turn arounds in these stories. But the spiritual heart of the two stories is not the way they turn out. The spiritual heart of the stories is the radical vision of family announced by Jesus:

This woman is a daughter of Abraham. This man is a son of Abraham. Those who looked like they did not belong, had the status of insiders and old timers.

Baptism declares us, even us, to be insiders and old timers. We belong here. This is our family. Further, baptism declares that we, even we, have been given the full responsibilities of insiders and old timers. That is, we are called to reach out. To bring help and hope and healing to all. We are call to participate fully in the mission of God.

Advocates of Goodness

Sermon manuscript for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

For Sabbath, November 16, 2013

You have heard it said, “Love your neighbor. Hate your enemy.”

But I say, “Love your enemies. Bless the people who curse you. Do good to the people who hate you. Pray for the people who treat you with contempt.

When you do this you are acting as true children of your Father in Heaven. Because he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good. God sends rain on the just and on the unjust.

If you love the people who love you, what's special about that? Even pedophiles do that. If you show respect to people in your own group, that's hardly noteworthy. Even drug dealers do that.

I'm calling you to be a perfect reflection of your Heavenly Father. I'm calling you to act like God.

Matthew 5:43-48

One question I like to ask people is: What good is church?

In the 1700s Quaker Christians advocated for the mentally ill. At that time, the mentally ill were treated like criminals. They were thrown into prisons where the horrific conditions were likely to exacerbate their illness. Quakers awakened the conscience of society and led eventually to more humane treatment of the mentally ill.

It was the Clapham Christians and William Wilberforce who led the decades long march toward the abolition of the slave trade in Great Britain—a humanitarian advance that eventually crossed the Atlantic to “freedom-loving” America.

Of course, many Christians opposed liberating the slaves. They were blinded by thousands of years of tradition. They were seduced by the arguments of those who warned of dire economic consequences if moral considerations were allowed to interfere with the “natural” working of the business machine.

In spite of this confusion among Christians, it was the daring moral vision of radical Christians that awakened the conscience of England and led first to the abolition of the slave trade then to the outlawing of slavery itself.

Christians changed the world by awakening the conscious of their society.

What is the purpose of the church? To be an advocate for goodness. To speak up. To speak out for goodness. For fairness and equity. To challenge entrenched privileges that damage people and weaken society.

A few weeks ago, on Youth Sabbath our young preachers, Lissi, Emily and Andrew challenged us to take seriously Jesus' daunting moral challenge.

It is not enough for us to be nice people—to practice conventional manners. We have a higher calling. Recent events here in our area highlight the need for us as a church to renew our commitment to the radical moral vision highlighted by Jesus' words: Love your enemies. Mimic your Father in Heaven who sends his sun and rain on every kind of person. Learn from God to see every human as worthy. The Christian vision rejects the notion that CEOs are more valuable as persons than line workers. The workers who make airplanes deserve protection in their old age every bit as much as the CEO.

“For decades Boeing has given its line workers a decent retirement benefit. It pays out about $90 a month for every year worked at the company, so that someone with 30 years of service would get $2,700 a month when they’re done at age 65. Add Social Security to that and you’ve cobbled together a comfortable but hardly posh old age for sheet-metal workers, riveters and others who build the nation’s planes.”

But something rotten is going on.

Jim McNerny, the CEO of Boeing, is working to get rid of the corporation's pensions for workers.

I'm sure he would justify this action as necessary to ensure the profitability of the corporation. But here where clear moral vision is needed. McNerny, the man leading the charge to eliminate pensions for workers, has 6.3 million dollars in his own company-funded pension account. If he retired now, he would receive a pension of $265,575 per month. Yes, that's right. McNerny, the man who is working to eliminate pensions of $2700 for workers has in place a pension for himself from Boeing of $265,575. The pension of an ordinary worker at Boeing is a measly one percent of McNery's pension.

McNerny's blindness to moral values is demonstrated further in his vigorous advocacy of cutting the benefits workers would receive from Social Security. Maybe he could make a more credible argument for frugality in the social security system if he paid into like his workers do. But nearly all of his income is exempt from social security taxes. So he is advocating cutting benefits paid out from a program that costs him relatively speaking, nothing.

I use the word “blindness” very deliberately. McNerny is so far insulated from the reality of life for working people, he has no idea of the trauma his plans will inflict on ordinary people.

The church needs to be public in our rebuke of the idea that major players in our society should make decisions exclusively on the basis of share-holder value. Obviously, companies have to be profitable or they will cease to hire workers, cease to contribute to the economic well-being of the country. But the well-being of workers ought to considered right along side the well-being of share holders and directors.

If a company must reduce the benefits it pays to workers, it ought to reduce the salary and benefits of its upper management by at least the same percentage. CEO McNerny should be regarded as a failure if he must eliminate pensions for his workers in order to secure the profitability of his company.

Another item from current news—the battle over the minimum wage. I do not know if raising the minimum wage is the wisest way to provide meaningful opportunities for people at the bottom of the economic ladder. What I do know—with moral certainty—is that our wealthy society must find some way to broaden the distribution of the immense wealth that is ours.

When we can pay people $10 an hour to take care of our children so that we can go to the office and make $1000 an hour trading stock, something is wrong. Is trading stock really a hundred times more worthy than the nurture of children? When we pay our teachers $25 an hour to educate people who are going to make ten to a hundred times that much running our hospitals and our government and our corporations, something is wrong. The system is broken. Our moral vision has become warped.

The church cannot limit its ministry to offering consolation to the withering middle class and providing an occasional bit of emergency financial assistance here and there. Yes, offering consolation is a noble thing to do. And providing emergency assistance is essential to our calling. Yes. But that is not enough.

We are a moral community. We ought to be way in advance of society in cultivating a moral vision. We are not here to bless those with privilege and power. We are here to ask hard questions about how that privilege and power is used.

What has Jim McNerny done to increase the share of wealth the Boeing workers receive? What has he done to distribute the power and privilege that tends to concentrate in the upper echelons of corporations and societies?

What has McNerny done to increase the educational opportunities for the children of the people who work in Boeing cafeterias? What is McNerny doing to raise the lower standard of living that is characteristic of South Carolina? It is immoral for someone with his influence to set up a major plant and hire almost 7000 people and do nothing to improve the schools, do nothing to improve access to health care. Given the magnitude of the impact of corporations on their communities, they have a moral obligation to consider the impact of their work on the overall quality in that place.

It's easy to pick on a public figure like Jim McNerny. It's important that we move on from asking questions about him, about people “out there,” to asking what are we doing in our own world to advocate goodness.

If you are a student, what are you doing to catalyze goodness among your classmates? Does your presence prompt people to be more sensitive to people on the edge of groups? Do you inspire other students to take learning and mastering content more seriously? Are you and your friends talking about what you might do to mend the world, to bring about broader justice?

In your work place, what is your moral impact? Among your neighbors? Do you help others see the value in all people?

The church needs to reclaim the wisdom of Jesus—the radical humane vision that sees all people as worthy. God sends his rain on the just and unjust. On the smart and the mentally challenged. On the beautiful and the homely.

I am not arguing that Jesus gives us a business plan. I am arguing that our business plans need to be informed by more than numbers. Business is a human activity. To be fully human is to have a lively conscience. When we make decisions without reference to a sensitive moral vision are acting subhuman.

God calls us to something better.

God calls us to see clearly, to see people with the eyes of heaven.

Karin shared with me a story about the work of World Vision in the neighborhood of Cochabamba, Bolivia. The average annual income in the area is $450. The land produces very meager crops so many of the men leave seeking better opportunities. Sometimes they send money home. Sometimes they don't. Sometimes they return to their families. Sometimes they vanish without a trace, leaving a wife and kids to eke out a hardscrabble existence.

Cinda was one of those abandoned women. She had a plot of ground, but she could grow only one variety of potato and her harvests were meager for lack of water.

World Vision helped to being the community together to build an irrigation dam. Now Cinda grows several varieties. She has reliable, ample harvests. She has enough sell. With her profits she has been able to buy two llamas, some sheep and a pig. Her life has been transformed because a group of people inspired by the vision of heaven regarded poor peasants in Cochabamba, Bolivia as worthy of investment.

Whether we are looking at people in the mountains of Bolivia or the lowlands of Puget Sound, Jesus challenges us to look beyond the status conferred by economic advantage, religious rectitude, social prominence, beauty, intelligence or academic credentials. Jesus challenges us to rise higher than social convention. Jesus challenges us to see with the eyes of heaven and to partner with God in seeing that all people participate richly in the blessings that are ours.

Green Lake Church

Not merely a preaching venue, but a physical space that invites and soothes and sometimes, when the light is right, evokes wonder. Picture taken Sabbath morning, November 9, 2013.

Green Lake Church neighborhood

Green Lake Church is across the street from Green Lake park.

Holy Sex

Sermon for Green Lake Church of Seventh-day Adventists

November 9, 2013

Text: Genesis One and Two.

Thursday evening I was sitting in Forza's coffee shop just down the street working on today's sermon. When I'm writing in a setting like that, whether I'm working on a sermon or an article or book, the world disappears. For long stretches, my computer screen and keyboard become the entire universe.

Well, on Thursday evening, at some point I returned to reality long enough to notice a really tall guy sitting a couple of feet away. Later I saw he had been joined by a tall woman. She had very short, black hair which showed off her beautiful, elegant neck. Later still, maybe ten minutes, maybe half an hour later, I heard him talking about a sister and then make some reference to other family members. At that point I didn't immediately focus back on my sermon. Instead I eavesdropped for a minute or two. I heard her reply by saying something about her family. Then she asked something further about his family. The conversation was easy, leisurely.

I thought, “first date.” Adam, meet Eve.

The Bible begins with two stories of creation. Chapter One is the story of religion. Chapter Two is the story of sex. And some of you thought the Bible was boring! :-) In both cases the stories make radical claims. The religious and sexual ideals presented in these two chapters have never been surpassed.

In Genesis One, God shapes the cosmos and life. The story climaxes in the creation of humans in God's image and God's double declaration of satisfaction. God announces he is satisfied—God looks at all of creation and says, “It is very good.” Then God demonstrates his satisfaction by keeping Sabbath.

In this vision, religion is pictured as resting with God—NOT placating God, not even pursuing God. On Sabbath we rest in God. We savor God's presence and smile just as God savors our presence and smile. God keeps us company and smiles on us whether or not we notice, whether or not we deliberately keep company with him. The fundamental religious vision of God here at the beginning of the Bible story is a God who is gracious, reliable, supportive, present.

Genesis Two begins again with a vision of a barren, empty void. “There were no plants, because there was no one to take care of them.” Genesis 2:5. There were no animals. No people. There was not even any rain. (This is a particularly important fact for my Seattle congregation!)

God steps into this bleak landscape, stoops to the earth and from the soil fashions a man. God carpets the land with vegetation and populates it with animals. The world begins pulsing with life. But the plants and animals are not the focus. They are merely the backdrop for the human story. The man we met at the beginning of the chapter wanders this lush, vibrant terrain. His initial fascination and engagement slowly turns into an aching loneliness. He sees pairs of animals but for himself he finds no partner.

God interrupts Adam's lonesome trekking. He puts the man under anesthesia, removes a rib, then from this rib magically creates a woman. Adam comes out of anesthesia, opens his eyes, and sees the most gorgeous, mesmerizing sight in the universe—Eve.

“At last!” the man exclaimed.
“This one is bone from my bone,
and flesh from my flesh!
She will be called ‘woman,’
because she was taken from ‘man.’”

This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. The man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.

In this story, the goal of creation is romance. A man and a woman, brought together by God, enthralled with one another, united in an enduring union. Their connection is so profound, it is described as a new “thing.”

In chapter one, the last thing created was the Sabbath. In chapter two the last thing created is a couple.

Which highlights a profound truth: the purpose of creation is community.

These two chapters remind me of the “Two Great Commandments” we find in the New Testament. When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” he answered the question, but he also corrected the question. The first and greatest commandment is to love God with your entire being. But looking for a single commandment is a misplaced search. The greatest commandment is inseparably linked with the second greatest commandment: love your neighbor as yourself.

Genesis One and Two seem to answer the question: What is supreme purpose of life? Genesis One answers: enjoyment of the favor and presence of God. But we cannot live wisely in the light of that purpose alone. So Chapter Two says, the purpose of life is a relationally rich, enduring sexual union.

Authentic religion cannot be just about God. Not even about my relationship with God. Healthy religion shapes our beliefs about God. It offers practices that enhance our awareness of God and our appreciation of God. AND religion builds happy, healthy relationships and societies.

In recent years, this perspective has found interesting support in a wide variety of studies that show people are happier and healthier if they are married and attend church regularly. (Mere belief in God appears to confer no measurable benefits. Curiously, the states where conservative Christian beliefs are most prevalent—the so-called Bible belt of the South—are the places with the highest levels of divorce and other social dysfunction.)

Some years ago I was invited by the Psychology Department at Andrews University to give a series of lectures on sexuality. I had previously co-authored a small book on sex, but in preparation for these lectures to a bunch of psychology students and professors, I needed a more extensive bibliography. So I read books by marriage counselors, Buddhist authors, Christians, even a hedonist or two.

There was a stark contrast among the various perspectives. The Buddhist books were boring. I'm no expert on Buddhism, but as far as I can tell ecstasy and passion are not major themes in Buddhism. “Mindfulness” is not the first characteristic that comes to mind in describing sex.

The hedonistic author went the opposite direction. In his view, sex was reduced to a brief, intense biological moment. There was nothing of shared history. He knew nothing of intimacy that grows richer over time. His entire focus was on techniques to heighten the fleeting experience of rapture before the excitement faded and you were off to the next adventure.

The Buddhists authors had nothing interesting to say about passion and fire. The hedonist had nothing interesting to say about love.

I read a two or three books by secular marriage and sex counselors. It seemed to me that their advice was smart and practical. But in the books I read, the authors were writing advice to help other people achieve something they themselves had not accomplished. That is, these books assumed that the sweetest experience of sex would occur in a relationship that was life long, a relationship that was not interrupted by affairs or divorce. But every one of these authors had themselves been divorced. So I was a bit suspicious of their wisdom.

I had high hopes for the Christian books, but I was disappointed. They acknowledged that sex was part of God's creation plan. Sex is good. But the couple of books I read seemed to be more eloquent when they spoke of sexual failure and sexual sin than when they spoke of sexual bliss.

This makes sense historically because of the influence of Paul.

Finally, I picked up a couple of Jewish books. Here I found the wisest, sweetest, most convincing writing about sex. They built on the wisdom of Genesis One and Two.

When you bring together the two stories at the beginning of the Bible here's what you see:

It is obvious in Genesis that the sexual union between Adam and Eve was God's plan, God's desire, God's intention. There is not the slightest hint in Genesis that sex is sinful or dangerous. It was the glorious finale of the creative work of God.

In this sense Genesis One and Two parallel the stereotypical plot of a chick flick that ends with a passionate kiss. Or the more circumspect conclusion of a fairy tale—And they lived happily ever after. This is God's dream for humanity.

Genesis imagines sex as far more than mere moments of biological pleasure. Sex is imagined as part of romance, and more, as part of romance that endures and deepens and matures.

This wisdom is the back drop for the moral strictures surrounding sex found elsewhere in the Bible. The rules are rooted in a profound appreciation for the wonder and beauty of sexual intimacy.

The way Genesis presents sexual intimacy, it becomes a source of wisdom that goes way beyond marriage, way beyond the magic of romance. It offers wisdom for every relationship.

When Adam woke from his sleep and saw Eve, he recognized her as part of himself. This is the dream of romance. We find our “other half.” We find the who “completes us.” In the world of dreamy romance distinctions blur and union is the grand truth of life.

This romantic vision offers wisdom for life. We are called to recognize our essential connection with all people. We are all one flesh, children of one father. Classmates, co-workers, neighbors. Jesus expanded this radically and called us to recognize our kinship even with our enemies.

Adam and Eve were naked together and experienced no shame. Again, a beautiful picture of the dream of romance. When we are caught in the wonder and magic of romance, we think there is nothing that could separate us from our lover. We imagine we could tell them all, show them all, and still we would be perfectly secure in their love.

This dreamy romantic vision is a picture of God's dream for our life together as humans—that we would learn to live together in such a way that we can be completely open with one another and be unashamed.

Young people, keep the dreams of grand romance alive in your hearts. Do not be seduced by the promises of mere biological wonder. Reject the philosophies that attempt to separate sex from love. Embrace the disciplines that will lead into glorious, live-long romance.

God designed us as sexual beings. God wants you to experience the bliss and ecstasy of sex. It is also true that the highest sexual bliss is a perfect fusion of biology and soul. Sexual intimacy happens only in deep human relationship, and the richest relationships are enduring ones, yes, life-long ones. Don't let anything less capture your dreams.

Old people, take what you have learned from romance and apply that wisdom broadly. Just as good sex is a fusion of earthy biology and high-flown spirituality, so good Christianity is a fusion of the earthy and spiritual. We have ideas about God. We turn those ideas into wisdom by pouring our lives into concrete engagement in the world. Working to promote prosperity and health. Advocating and practicing reconciliation.

My mind returns to that couple in the coffee shop. They were beginning their romantic adventure by talking and listening. They were gently opening themselves to be known, hoping that as they were known to one another, they would be heard and embraced.

Similarly, we all are called to act as God's surrogates in hearing people's stories. Listening, understanding their dreams and their wounds. Working for their healing. And seeking healing ourselves. As we do this, shame will atrophy, social harmony will increase. We will find ourselves keeping company with God.