Taking God Seriously, and not taking ourselves too seriously

I was thinking this morning about what worship ought to be like in our church. It seems that our worship service ought to have a real sense of reverence, but of the sort that doesn't take ourselves too seriously. There is a so-called reverence which has a sense of arrogance and rigidity. That is where the human beings who lead the service and those who participate take themselves too seriously.

True reverence has a deep sense of humility from the human side as we turn towards the One True God and Ruler of the Universe. True reverence, in humility, calls upon others to turn to the Holy One.

And, I think that a reverent service shouldn't be too 'wordy.' We shouldn't go on and on in our sermons and in our prayers, or even in our announcements. Too many human words can really fill up a worship service.

I am beginning to think that we just have too many parts to our service, so that a person who is beginning to really worship ends up being disturbed by this part and that, by having to look back at the bulletin to see what to do.

Some parts of our worship service are very important as they allow us to express some of our deepest convictions about life, God and our fellow creatures. But, some parts of our service, or at least the way we conduct them don't help us enter into a holy place but tend to keep us just outside the door.

We Are So Close to Real Sanity

It is Friday morning, and as I reflect on this work week that is almost at an end, I realize that I am feeling much better than I have for a good while. I started this week with a strong resolve to attend to my inner life as much as outer life this week. And, I am starting to think that a person's relationship to his or her own soul is similar to the relationship of a person to a close family member. When we tend to that relationship, a sense of peace and love and meaning unites us with our loved one. When we ignore, avoid or take for granted that relationship, a sense of alienation and loss of peace comes between us and our loved one.

I am beginning to think that my relationship with my own soul is similar to that. This week, while attending to many other things, I didn't forget to stop and get a sense of the state of my own soul. I will talk more about this in the next post. But, for now, I am convinced that we are so close to experiencing a real, profound sanity in life. This is a sanity that comes from a soul that is awake and able to channel into our lives an amazing and gracious power that is new everyday. The soul is the gateway to another reality that we are meant to share in, but that we ignore. This other reality is the reality of the Great Other whose beauty and wisdom and mercy give fire to the Sun and also give fire to the soul.

'Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless God's holy name!" This is the song of my soul this morning. I pray that I show respect for the blessing of having a soul today as I go to court this morning. And, part of that showing respect is to recognize other human beings as those who share in that remarkable blessing of having a soul as well. We are so close to real sanity, because all it takes is learning how to make that inward journey to a place within us that is holy. But, while that journey is very short in terms of physical space, it can be very long in terms of personal travelling. Something this morning makes me very hopeful about this journey for human beings. It seems to me this morning that the way is much more simple and also closer in a personal sense than we have thought. Jesus said once: "Come unto me all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. For my burden is easy, and my yoke is light."

Ash Wednesday at Fourth United Presbyterian

Thanks to all who came and worshipped with us last night at Fourth United Presbyterian. We had many members of Central United Methodist with us and also members of our church and Lonsdale United Methodist as well. The choir of 4th United Presbyterian led by our church musician, David Turk, was a real blessing to all.

We appreciated music from Central United Methodist and are grateful for the preaching of Rev. Aldana Allen of Lonsdale United Methodist Church and Rev. Bruce
Galyon of Central United Methodist Church.

We came forward to the table for the "imposition of ashes." As the traditional Ash Wednesday saying goes: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." Certainly a sobering message, this solemn reminder of our mortality. You would think we wouldn't need to be reminded about that since we are surrounded by reminders of the fragility of human life and live daily with memories of loved ones who have died.

And, maybe it is not that we forget about our mortality, but maybe the problem is that we don't remember it in the right context often enough, and that is in the context of worship and reverence and trust in God. Those words: "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return" spoken in the midst of holy worship convey a sense of the dignity and meaning of being human. Outside the context of worship and reverent trust in God those words might be taken as demeaning.

It makes me think of other sayings of the Church that might make good and holy sense in worship, but be very confusing and perhaps badly misunderstood outside the experience of the sacred worship. When we move into the world with our traditional sayings and beliefs, we need to be able to translate them so that we explain what this saying means in faith. For example, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust." It is a sobering reminder that we are creatures and that we are dependent in all things on our Holy Creator. It is assurance that God knows our human frame and how fragile this existence is. It is also a confession of how difficult the burdens of life can be - a confession made to One who has taken on human flesh and who has borne the burdens of human life, even the burdens of humiliation and wrongful execution. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return." We are not immortal on this earth; we are mortal. Let me say that again: "We are not immortal; we are mortal." We do not survive death because of the immortality of our souls. We die, and we believe that we will be raised up to new life because of the mercy and grace of the one who is immortal, our Creator God. "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection from the dead." That is what we say at the graveside. Our hope is in our Creator God, the God who raises the dead.

Casa de Sara Fundraiser at Fourth United Presbyterian Church

James Cone, An African-American Theologian

According to a PBS documentary,

"James Cone was born in Fordyce, Arkansas in 1939 and grew up in the small town of Bearden. There he experienced the life-affirming community of the black Church alongside the soul-crushing reality of white racism. Through sermons, songs, and prayers that called on God's concern for their well-being, the Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church taught Cone "how to deal with the contradictions of life and provided a way to create meaning in a society not of [his] own making."

"Bearden, Arkansas had a population of 400 blacks and 800 whites. The whites in Bearden, as Cone explains, "tried to make us believe that God created black people to be white people's servants." White racism led to "separate but equal" schools, segregated movies and restaurants, beatings and arrests, and political and economic inequality. Cone continually questioned how the whites in his town could consider themselves good Christians, and devised - "but never enacted out of fear" - plans to disrupt their Sunday services and test their commitment to the Gospel."

James Cone went on to college, a master's program and then earned the Ph.D. in theology from Northwestern University. In his academic teaching, he found himself in a time of social struggle which called for a new understanding of faith.

James Cone faced a crisis of faith as he heard the message of Malcolm X that "Christianity was the white man's religion" while also hearing the message of God's reconciling love through the preaching of Martin Luther King, Jr. Cone discovered in his theological work and spiritual life a new way to understand God in the crisis of the Civil Rights Movement. Cone has written several influential books. One of the most well known is "God of the Oppressed," in which he speaks of the reality of Black Theology. In later years, he has written a remarkable book: "Martin and Malcolm," in which he interprets the life and work of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. relating their analysis of American life to each other. This book is particularly penetrating in its analysis as it bears the marks of a man who worked out his on salvation both personally and professionally by struggling with the meaning of Malcolm and Martin.

I highly recommend "God of the Oppressed" and "Malcolm and Martin." Also, Cone has written a very good book on African-American music and its role in faith. I had this book called "The Spirituals and the Blues." I think I loaned it to Mr. Goins. I need to go by and see Mrs. Goins. She was wanting to donate some of Mr. Goins' books to our church library. I may find it in that collection.

February Community Forum on Spirituals

February 24, at 6 p.m. we will gather in the sanctuary to listen to African-American Spirituals sung by our choir and selected soloist. We will also share some of the history of these Spirituals and the important role they have played in the life of the Church. A light meal will be served afterward.

Bible Study on Exodus Continues

We will meet this Thursday evening, February 17 at 6 p.m. in the downstairs fellowship hall. We welcome the pastor and members of Central United Methodist Church who will be joining us. Read Exodus 15-20 in preparation.

An Interpretation of the Tower of Babel

This strange story in Genesis 11 tells of human beings gathering together to "make a name for themselves on earth," lest they be forgotten. It is said that all humans spoke the same language in that day, and that the Divine was so threatened by the human plan to build a tower to the heavens that it was necessary to confuse humans by giving them all different languages so they couldn't communicate with each other and plan such great things anymore.

On one hand, this can simply be seen as an explanation of why there are so many languages on earth. On the other hand, we ought to remember that this sacred story didn't drop out of the sky from heaven, but was written in Hebrew by some crusty old Jews who had been through a struggle in history to maintain their identity as the people of God in a world that questioned their right to exist as a people. Deep in Israel's history was the experience of being oppressed by the great empires of the ancient world: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon (later Greek and Roman empires). And, if we realize that this 'Tower of Babel' tale was written by Hebrew people of faith in the shadow of the oppressive empires of the world, we will realize that this story is a warning against EMPIRES AND THE UNIFORMITY IMPOSED BY EMPIRES. Empires assume a high level of cooperation and require uniformity among its citizens: one language, one culture as Alexander the Great imposed.

So, sit down and read the Tower of Babel story again, and think of it being told from the perspective of a small nation whose experience in the world had to be affirmed and asserted overagainst the empires of the ancient world. See if this doesn't sound like a warning against uniformity and empire, and an encouragement of a distinctive people. Right after this chapter in Genesis, we find that God begins to rebuild the world, not by some great cooperative project between nations, not by choosing a great group of people, but by choosing one man, Abraham who believed in God. With this one man, God made a covenant, and out of this trusting relationship began to rebuild humanity.