February 17, 2019

The Sixth Sunday after Epiphany

Service for the Lord’s Day

Indian Hill Church

Cincinnati, OH

Jeremiah 17:5-10

Psalm 1

Luke 6:17-26

Reverend Dr. Stephen R. Caine

6:¹⁷ He came down with them and stood on a level place, with a great crowd of his disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea, Jerusalem, and the coast of Tyre and Sidon. ¹⁸ They had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were cured. ¹⁹ And all in the crowd were trying to touch him, for power came out from him and healed all of them. ²⁰ Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹ Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²² Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³ Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. ²⁴ “But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵ Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶ Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”. (Luke 6:17-21, NRSV)

Let us pray: O God, you spoke your word and revealed your good news in Jesus, the Christ. So, we pray that you will fill each of us with that word again, so that by proclaiming your joyful promises to all nations and singing of your glorious hope to all peoples, so we may become one living body, the body of Christ on the earth. Amen.

Location, location, location.  You have heard how important it is, in many different facets of life.  Where you live, where you work, where you are seen matters.

A house in one location can sell for quadruple the amount of the exact same house in another location.  If you have the corner office with the window view, your paycheck looks a lot different than if your work in the mailroom in the basement.

We see location come into play in the world of politics all the time. Pretty soon we will be gearing up for another presidential election (God help us all), and the potential candidates will choose very carefully where they are seen, where they make their announcement of running, where they give their stump speeches.  Will it be in a board room with executives, will it be a large fancy dinner with guests paying thousands of dollars to attend, or will be at a local diner in a small midwestern town where the everyday folk hang out.  Wherever they appear it is well calculated to send a message.  Location, location, location.

Even with Jesus, even in the Word of God, location matters.  Always pay attention to where something is happening.  It means something, usually something deep and powerful.  Our location impacts how we hear a scripture passage.

For example, in Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus delivers the Sermon on the Mount, up on a mountain, hence Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes.  It was a sermon he gave to his disciples, his trusted followers, away from the crowds.

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness

A powerful message and set the stage for the disciple’s ministry.

But in Luke’s Gospel, the sermon Jesus delivers cuts to the chase and goes right for the heart.  None of this poor in spirit or hungering for righteousness.  Jesus leaves no gray area, he is cut and dry and brutally clear.   But, did you notice where Jesus delivers this sermon?   Not high on a mountain, or low in a valley, but on the level plain.

Here is some background for his sermon, the story was out about Jesus, people from all over were hearing about his healing power.  They wanted to see him for themselves. Many of them had physical ailments and wanted to be healed. So as Jesus was walking among them, people were clamoring to touch him, to feel his power.  Over here Jesus.  Heal me, please heal me.

And then Jesus began to speak.  You can imagine an immediate quiet fell over the crowd – “Hush, the healer is going to speak.  How will he make our lives better?”  And so, they listened. His first words must have been such a welcome to the crowds. 

“Blessed are the poor, the hungry, the weeping.

Blessed are the hated, the reviled, the defamed, on account of the son of Man.”

The crowd was probably tracking with him, feeling pretty good, agreeing with his message. Then Jesus goes from preaching to meddling.  When he says, the “woes,” and the woes change everything.

“Woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation.

Woe to you are full now, for you will be hungry

Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep.

Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.”

WOE!

You see, location matters, it matters in how we hear this sermon.  Where we are in life impacts how we hear what Jesus is saying. Again, back to Matthew’s version, which is much more palatable to our North American ears.  While how we hear Luke’s, version puts us in a defensive mode.  In Matthew Jesus delivered this sermon high on a mountain, but Luke moves Jesus to a much different location; down in the plains, down with the people, looking them eye to eye, heart to heart, hand to hand.  Location matters.

In Guatemala, as in many third world countries, there is a literal pecking order of where people live.  The poorer you are the lower on the hill or the mountain you live.  The wealthy you are, the higher up you can afford to live on the mountain.  At the bottom of the hill is where all the trash is dumped and the sewage flows.  Location means everything.  You either look up or down at life and the world.  It strikes me that Jesus comes down the mountain to the level plain to engage people on the same level, not looking up or looking down.  A flat place is where everyone is equal.  And that is the vision of the kingdom that Jesus is talking about.

It is a vision of what the Kingdom of God will be. 

Blessed are the poor and the weeping and the hurting, because they know they need God.

Woe to the rich and the powerful and the well fed, because they think they are in control and don’t know how to fully rely on God.

Please hear me and understand, that I am not in any way, shape or form, romanticizing the poor or the hungry.   No one would choose such a life.  Being poor, hungry, filled with grief is a hard life, filled with pain and heart ache. Never knowing where your next meal is coming from, or a warm place to live, a bed to sleep in, joy for your heart.  But being at rock bottom you just might be more aware of God’s grace when the meal does arrive.

When you are weeping uncontrollably and hurting deep down in your soul, then you know that God is the only one who can give any comfort or peace or help.

When you are lonely and scared and at your wits end, you just might find yourself on your knees praying God I need you.

But those of us who live comfortable, lives of abundance, who don’t really want for anything.  Hear this sermon much differently.  Why, because our material prosperity helps us to believe that we are self-sufficient, and it lulls us away from the kingdom of God.  When we are so encumbered by things, we can’t see clearly.   When we have so much stuff and wealth and food and entertainment, we get more caught up in ourselves with no real need of Jesus and his healing power.  

Blessed are those who live in dependence on God rather than self.

Blessed are those who live lives utterly dependent on God for life, for sustenance, for well-being.

Blessed are those who don’t have a grip on life for God will show the way.

Woe to those who don’t know what it is like to need God to trust God alone.

Woe to those who are so encumbered by things that a quest for righteousness is foreign.

Woe to those who are so satisfied with this world that they don’t yearn for the kingdom of God.

So, what does Jesus sermon on the plain have to say to us, well fed, comfortable, rich Episcopalians and Presbyterians?  Could it be that it means that we need to come down from our mountain or our hill?  We need to visit the plains.  See people eye to eye, heart to heart and hand to hand.  Rethink our own needs and wants.  Re-adjust where we place our trust.  Begin seeing the world the way Jesus does, where all are equal, and all are fed, and all are loved.  Location makes all the difference in the world.

Perhaps Psalm 1 says it best: Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers. But their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law, they meditate day and night.

May it be so in your life and in mine.  Amen.

January 27, 2019

Service for the Lord’s Day

Annual Congregational Meeting

Indian Hill Church

Cincinnati, OH

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

12: ¹² For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. ¹³ For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. ¹⁴ Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. ¹⁵ If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁶ And if the ear would say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. ¹⁷ If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸ But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. ¹⁹ If all were a single member, where would the body be? ²⁰ As it is, there are many members, yet one body. ²¹ The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” ²² On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³ and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; ²⁴ whereas our more respectable members do not need this. But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, ²⁵ that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. ²⁶ If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.  ²⁷ Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. ²⁸ And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. ²⁹ Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰ Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹ But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way. (1 Corinthians 12:12-31, NRSV)

Let us pray: In you, O Lord, we find our joy, through your law and your prophets you formed a people in mercy and freedom, in justice and righteousness. So, we pray that you will pour out your Spirit on us today, that we who are Christ’s body may bear the good news of your promises to all. Amen.

Every so often a biblical text seems to fit the focus of a Sunday or the work of the church so perfectly, that it makes me wonder if it is truly a gift from God. This Sunday is one of those occasions when the focus of our worship and the work of the congregation coincide with the wisdom of the lectionary. Today is the annual congregational meeting and the epistle reading for today is the well-known admonition from the Apostle Paul using the metaphor of the human body as the body of Christ, the church. Paul deals with what it means to be united when we are so different. How to be one amid diversity. How to remain together with such talented and gifted people who make up the church and how we relate to each other.

My sermon for today is based on Paul’s teaching in Corinth around the year A.D. 54 or 55, two decades or so after Jesus. The new Corinthian church was growing and doing well. They reported that they were filled with knowledge and using the “spiritual gifts” that God blessed them with.   But, with most growth and change not all the news from Corinth was so good. These gifts that should have drawn the Corinthian Christians closer together was instead causing jealousy, division, and schisms in the church. The lines were being drawn between the more conservative Jewish Christians and the more liberal Greek Christians, between the politically enslaved and the politically free, between those who emphasize speaking in tongues and those who emphasized speaking boldly about Christ, between the followers who were loyal to the teachings of Paul or Peter or Apollos.  There were many factions in this church, and each of them was equally passionate and committed to their viewpoints and beliefs.  So, they asked the Apostle Paul for guidance, “What shall we do with all these divisions in the church?” Chapters 12-14 of the book of I Corinthians are Paul’s cohesive response to the issue of diversity and division with the church.

Paul says, “The body is one and has many members.” “The body” in this case means more than one thing.  He (Paul) is mixing his metaphors here in a beautiful way as he uses the physical body to describe the communal body of the church sense.

I can’t read this passage without thinking back to my former church in small town Tennessee and the old curmudgeon Roman Catholic Priest, in our local ministerial association used to say about this text…” some members of the body of Christ are the hemorrhoids! Every church has got them.” Anyway.

So, there we sat gathered around a table, on Wednesday morning. All very committed members of the Indian Hill Church but we were also Republicans and Democrats, Independents and moderates. Young, middle age and elderly. Discussing the recent unpleasantness in Washington DC that was captured on a camera phone and quickly went viral for all to see, to pass judgement and to condemn. If a picture is worth 1000 words, then video tells so much more.  As time passed and the story evolved, we found out that it was much more complicated than it first seemed, a face-off between a Catholic High School Junior and a Native American elder on the steps of the Lincoln memorial over a week ago.

It was clear that as we discussed the recent event that we would never come to a conscious and that is not my point, because we are all entitled to our opinions and our viewpoints, no matter how diverse.  No, what struck me was what kept us together.  When it was clear that we all would not agree on the interpretation of this recent event why did we continue talking? What kept us from throwing salt shakers and silverware at each other?  Trying to stab each other with our forks or worse.  Dividing up into camps of Red and Blue, declaring war and never gathering around a table again?   It is what I believe the Apostle Paul is getting at in this passage.

There is one Spirit, but a variety of gifts as well as opinions.

There is one Lord, but a variety of ways that people serve.

There is one God and Father, but a variety of ways that people work for the kingdom. God gives different gifts to different people.

Some, are hardcore to the right;

Others, just as hardcore to the left.

A Few of us are much too confused to be either.

Some, a passion for a more literal interpretation of the Bible,

Others, a passion for a more open and progressive interpretation of the Bible.

All of us, however, is bound together with love. 

In just the same way, that each and every one of us in this room today is inspired by the one and same Spirit, the Spirit who gives to each person their unique and different perspective, their passions and their gifts. This is what Paul is teaching.  Diversity in oneness is okay, not only is it okay it is a gift from God.  Work together to stay together.

Just as the human body is a unified whole, composed of millions of different parts, so is Christ and his body.

The human body is miraculously complex,

With 60 million cells,

With 36 million heart beats every year,

With 300 billion red cells produced every day,

With 60,000 miles of blood vessels in each body.

Just as the human mind cannot begin to fathom the complexity of its own body, so it is with us, with the body of Christ. Our minds cannot comprehend the complexity of the body of Christ.[1] 

Christ is a living body, composed of billions of parts, miraculously complex, with billions of members, located in millions of different settings, with thousands of different languages, with thousands of unique cultures and billions of expressions of the true faith…throughout all the centuries of recorded time.

The human mind cannot begin to fathom the complexity of the body of Christ, any more than the human mind can imagine the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in one’s own physical body.

As the Apostle Paul says, we have these gifts, these passions in our hearts, these workings, these ways of serving God and God’s kingdom; but if you don’t have love inside of you for our sisters and brothers, who think and feel differently than you, then you are nothing. The greatest gift that God has for you and me, all of us, is love is love.  Love for people who don’t think like you.  Love for people who do not share your point of view of the world, of politics, of life.  Love is a sappy, over used, misunderstood word— but it is what holds us — the body of Christ together. The greatest of these is love.

Amen.

---

[1] Reverend Edward F. Markquart, Division, Diversity, and Oneness in the Parish: A Conflict Drama

December 24, 2018 (Christmas Eve)

Indian Hill Church

Cincinnati, OH

Isaiah 9:2-7

Luke 2:1-20

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

2:¹ In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. ² This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ All went to their own towns to be registered. ⁴ Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. ⁵ He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. ⁷ And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. ⁸ In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. ¹⁰ But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see–I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: ¹¹ to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord. ¹² This will be a sign for you: you will find a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!” ¹⁵ When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the child lying in the manger. ¹⁷ When they saw this, they made known what had been told them about this child; ¹⁸ and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. (Luke 2:1-14, (15-20), NRSV)

Let us pray: Who are we, Lord God, that you should come to us?  Who are we? Yet we read that you visited your people and redeemed them through your Son. As we prepare to celebrate his birth, help our hearts leap for joy at the sound of your word, and move us by your Holy Spirit to believe in the audacious promise that is so far beyond our expectations. We ask this through him whose coming is certain, whose day draws near, your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

How many times have you heard this story that we just read from this gospel in Luke?  How many times have you heard this story about the shepherds in the field watching over their flocks at night, when suddenly in a starlit sky there comes the angel and the heavenly host proclaiming good news to all of humanity.  This good news is enough to get the shepherds to go and to follow the directions of the angels in search for the Savior.  How many times have you heard this story that when the shepherds arrive, they find Mary and Joseph and a baby lying in the straw surrounded by the silent and tranquil animals in the barn?

How many times have you heard this story?  Better yet, how many times have you seen it portrayed on greeting cards, or in pictures – this wonderful, warm, loving image?

Christmas is like that for us.  All warm and wonderful.  Memories and images that we treasure and hold dear, that we seek to recreate every Christmas.  Images and memories that transport us back to childhood.  We are so familiar with this story that we overlook that it carries a powerful punch. Let me explain.

It is a real challenge for us to hear the powerful message of this story, when we have so many other memories, images and traditions that help to gloss it over.  This story is a powerful counter-cultural message.  It begins with the Old Testament prophet Isaiah as he speaks directly to political power of his day, in the 8th century before Christ.  Amid talk of governments, warfare, and the economy, Isaiah locates his particular political situation: Assyria, was the reigning superpower, and they have invaded Israel.  The New International Version describes how the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali have been “humbled,” which is a sanitized way of saying “wiped out.” They have become occupied territories.[1]

Sound familiar?  Sure, the names and places have changed … well, kind of.  But war and violence in the Middle East remain constant especially between Israelis and Palestinians.  Throw in terrorism, gun violence and mass shootings, not to mention deep ideological divisions right here at home, and it’s the familiar messy world of politics all these many centuries later.

But Isaiah’s prophetic message is not just to rail against the Assyrians, instead he is sending out a message of hope and assurance to God’s people that the chaos won’t last forever.  Isaiah proclaims that God is Sovereign and God will intervene. God is determined to reign: “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this!”[2]

Isaiah’s prophetic promise is that God will establish God’s Kingdom here on earth and it is a direct and not so subtle challenge to Assyria’s superpower status.   It is easy sitting here tonight in the glory of this event to let that slip by…but we can’t because this prophetic message has as much play today as it did in the 8th Century before Christ.  Which causes me to wonder, do we have the ears to hear this?  It is striking to comprehend that Isaiah is saying that God will not be limited by any nation’s agenda … including our own?

Do we have the courage to believe it?

At a Christmas Eve candlelight service?[3] 

When many of us would rather, stay in our lane, shut up and dribble, stick to sports, stick to accounting, stick to whatever it is you do, just don’t bring up politics.  Here it is on this holy night rearing its ugly head into our beautiful Christmas Eve service, which is supposed to be a political free zone, “the pulpit is no place for politics” and “just preach the bible!”

When we really don’t want our religion and our politics to mix — then we get a loaded text like this!

Biblical scholar at Princeton Dale Bruner, explains, that “Every Old Testament text has its partial ‘fillment’ in its immediate historical context. …” Meaning, that a prophetic Old Testament text has to have some measure of coming true to be reliable.  The ‘fillment’ of Isaiah 9 occurred in the 8th century at the end of the Babylonian exile.   After Assyria destroyed the lands of Zebulun and Naphtali, the political landscape changed again for God’s people under King Hezekiah when, “The yoke of their burden, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor” were destroyed. Under Hezekiah’s reign, freedom, joy, and peace prevailed. Well, for a time, at least.[4] 

          Enter the birth of Jesus, according to the Gospel of Luke, his very political message is that the true son of God, the Divine Son is not Augustus, but Jesus.  The real power in the world is not Augustus in Rome but Jesus in a manger in Bethlehem.  The fulfillment of God’s sovereignty was established not through military force this time, but through vulnerability and love.  Imagine: God reigning in power through the weakest of creatures, a human being, “the only mammal on earth that cannot care for [itself] upon birth.”[5] No wonder it was not obvious to all.

There is an independent film that was released in 2003, titled the Whale Rider.   It is about a remote indigenous tribe, the Maroi’s.   It tells the story of a small New Zealand coastal village, inhabited by the Maori.  They were direct descendants of Paikea, the Whale Rider.  It was their custom in every generation for the last 1,000 years, to select a male heir born to the Chief to succeed him and lead the tribe.  The movie tells the story how this once proud tribe has fallen on hard times and they have become a floundering people waiting for their new chief to be born.  There ancient custom is upset when the child selected to be the next chief dies at birth.  The twist of the movie is that the Chief was blessed with twins and while the male child died in childbirth his sister lives.  The rest of the story is the long and slow realization that the tribe has their new leader who has been endowed with powers from on high only they can’t realize it.  And the reason they don’t know it is because it is a little girl.  She is not what they expected.  It is only when they become desperate and actually see a sign of her power and her special calling do, they finally look to her to lead them.[6]

So here we are another Christmas Eve, when we hear this familiar story and we have let this story lose its power in our desire to recreate the wonder of Christmas Eve’s of our past.

And year after year God persists in giving us what we need, a Savior, not what we want, a mighty warrior.   God continues to respond to our desire for strength by showing us the power of weakness, God continues to respond to our yearning for power by showing us the wealth of poverty, God continues to respond to our aching for achievement showing us the power of loss and lowliness.  And still we want some metaphorical bigger-than-life Messiah, leading a mighty army, God once again sends us a pregnant teenager on a donkey.  Not exactly what we are looking for or even what we hope for.

This time of year, isn’t always easy.  For some, it’s as much a time of grief and stress as it is joy and jubilation.  That’s why we can try to remember that the gift of Christmas isn’t in its splendor but its subversion.  The King of Kings, Emmanuel— God with Us — is a baby born in a barn and announced to shepherds. This isn’t the kind of King who requires gleaming palaces and spectacular decor to feel at home but is willing to enter the gritty brokenness of real life.[7]

So, the question is — are we ready to receive the Jesus who is not what we expect? Are we prepared to make room in our hearts and in our lives for the surprising and unexpected good news that God has sent to us?

Like the angel said, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.”[8]

Let us pray:

---

[1] Reverend Heidi Husted Armstrong, Isaiah 9:2-7; Luke 2:1-14 (15-20), Mixing faith and politics, Presbyterian Outlook, December 18, 2006.

[2] Isaiah 9:7

[3] Ibid

[4] Ibid

[5] Ibid (Verity Jones).

[6] Ibid.

[7] Reverend Dr. Robin J. Steinke, A Different Kind of Hope, President of Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN December 19, 2018.

[8] The Reverend Delmer Chilton, Adjusting to reality, Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, Isaiah 62:6-12, Psalm 97, Titus 3:4-7 and Luke 2:1-20.

December 16, 2018 (Advent 3)

Service for the Lord’s Day

Indian Hill Church

Cincinnati, OH

Zephaniah 3:14-20

Isaiah 12:2-6

Luke 3:7-18

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

3: ⁷ John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, “We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” ¹⁰ And the crowds asked him, “What then should we do?” ¹¹ In reply he said to them, “Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise.” ¹² Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, “Teacher, what should we do?” ¹³ He said to them, “Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you.” ¹⁴ Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what should we do?” He said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages.” ¹⁵ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, ¹⁶ John answered all of them by saying, “I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹⁷ His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” ¹⁸ So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. (Luke 3: 7-18, NRSV)

Let us Pray – O God of the exiles and the least, the last and the lost, you promise restoration and wholeness through the power of Jesus Christ. So, in the sure confidence of your promises we pray that you will fill us with faith to live joyfully, sustained by your grace so that we may eagerly wait for the day when they will be fulfilled for all the world to see, through the coming of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

I have recently become fascinated by my family tree.  It began as an assignment for a continuing education course I was taking.  The assignment was to learn more about my family history so that I can better understand myself.  I researched, and I found that I have some rather plain in-laws and some colorful outlaws, I have a Vietnam war hero as well as a draft dodger, I have civil war veterans from both the north and the south.  My mother’s family was from Blair County Pennsylvania and Perth Amboy, New Jersey.   My father’s side of the family is from Columbus, Mississippi and Guntersville, and Green County, Alabama.  It has been fascinating to learn about my family, the titans of industry and the school delinquents, the beauty queens and the librarians.  For example, my mother’s side of the family is from London and my father’s side is from the Isle of Man, Scotland.  My mother’s side of the family was Anglican at some point because I have seen that my great, great, great, great (that is 4 greats) grandfather was Baptized in the Church of England in the 1720’s.  One my father’s side of the family one of my great, great, grandfathers was married to a Cherokee Indian Princess in Alabama, while great, great, great grandfather was a Primitive Baptist preacher, so I guess it is in my blood.  So, what does this have to do with anything, nothing really, at least that is what we hear from John the Baptist, in the passage for today. “Don’t say to say to yourselves, that We have Abraham as our ancestor, for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.”  It is as if he is saying, that ancestry, family tree stuff might look good on paper and make you sound important, but it won’t mean anything to God.

Ah, yes, John the Baptist, he makes his annual appearance into the liturgical season, always on the Third Sunday of Advent.  And he makes bold and challenging statements that often make us nervous, but they are supposed to grab our attention.  Here just ten days from Christmas, right in the middle of our advent build up to the birth of Jesus, comes John the Baptist.  I don’t know about you, but he makes me feel guilty.[1]

He goes on to say, “Bear fruits worthy of repentance.”   Then he gets even more serious, saying that the one who is coming after him (Jesus) will be even more judgmental than he is, for he will come with a winnowing fork in his hand, and he (Jesus) is going to separate the wheat from the chaff and burn the chaff in the fire.  I have an uneasy feeling that I am probably chaff.  What about you?  Before we get all defensive and down on ourselves, I think this passage has some redeeming qualities. I believe it is more about how we respond to the challenge than it is about trying to figure out if we are wheat or chaff.

This is the sort of message we have come to expect from prophets, fire and brimstone, and John the Baptist, is no different.  Repent, change, turn back or else.  Fear inducing, guilt producing transformation.  Turn around on the road of life.  This sort of rhetoric has been a cornerstone of the Church for centuries.  You know the message, people are bad and sinful, and God is good and loving, so as God’s people, we must change our behaviors or else God will get us.   This is what the crowds hear from John the Baptist, so they ask him the obvious next question: “What then shall we do?”  Please, notice John the Baptist’s response, he gives tangible and concrete ethical instructions, that are surprising simple. 

He announces changes to our behaviors, actions that we can do.  Not impossible and difficult but instead, simple, mundane, and everyday: “Share, Be fair, and Don’t be a bully.”[2]

It reminds me of the recent funeral service for President George H.W. Bush. I was not able to watch it live but I have seen clips and heard about how moving the tribute to our 41st President was.   He was clearly loved by his family, his son, President George W. Bush publicly sobbing about the example his father was.  I watched 60 minutes, last Sunday and learned about the deep and abiding friendship the elder President Bush had with James Baker.  It was such a supportive and dear relationship that Baker actually rubbed the Presidents feet just before he died. Great comfort was shared in the moving yet familiar Episcopal funeral liturgy that refers to Presidents, princes and paupers by our first name, was used and our 41st president simply became known as “George,” a sheep of God’s own flock.   Then in a brilliant and profound statement, the officiating priest, The Rev. Dr. Russell Jones Levenson, Jr. of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, in Houston, said: “Some have said in the last few days, ‘this is an end of an era.’  But it does not have to be.  Perhaps it’s an invitation to fill the hole that has been left behind.”[3]

          Now, it is not my intention to make a political statement, but rather inviting us all to think about how we live and how we treat other people.  Are you fair and just in your daily life? Do you share from your abundance? Are you a bully?

If you are, why?

What would it look like, what would it feel like to live lives worthy of repentance?  What would it look like to treat others fairly? No matter their importance, power or worth to you?

This is preciously how John responds to the question, of what shall we do?   Each of us is invited, where ever we find ourselves, whether at work, or at home, at paly, or at school, with your spouse or your children, in whatever role or position we occupy, to answer that question by doing, by living, by exhibiting grace, mercy, kindness, love, honesty, humility and love.  Simple, profound and the way of God.  In doing so, we will, through the power of God, participate in God’s transforming love for all the world.[4]

Let us pray:

---

[1] Reverend Dr. K.C. Ptomey, Jr.  A Homily on Luke 3:7-18 for the Third Sunday of Advent December 14, 2003

[2] Reverend Dr. David Lose, Commentary on Luke 3:7-18, www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=511

[3] Reverend Jill Duffield, Commentary on Luke 3:7-18 2018 www.pres-outlook.org/category/ministry-resources/looking-into-the-lectionary

[4] Reverend Jill Duffield, Commentary on Luke 3:7-18 2018 www.pres-outlook.org/category/ministry-resources/looking-into-the-lectionary

November 11, 2018

(Proper 27/ 25th Sunday after Pentecost / the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time)

Service for the Lord’s Day

Indian Hill Church

Cincinnati, OH

Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17

Psalm 127

Mark 12:38-44

Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

 

3:1 Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, “My daughter, I need to seek some security for you, so that it may be well with you. 2 Now here is our kinsman Boaz, with whose young women you have been working. See, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. 3 Now wash and anoint yourself, and put on your best clothes and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. 4 When he lies down, observe the place where he lies; then, go and uncover his feet and lie down; and he will tell you what to do.” 5 She said to her, “All that you tell me I will do.”

 

4:13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. When they came together, the LORD made her conceive, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next-of-kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse. 17 The women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed; he became the father of Jesse, the father of David. (Ruth 3:1-5; 4:13-17, NRSV)

 

12:38 As he taught, he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, 39 and to have the best seats in the synagogues and places of honor at banquets! 40 They devour widows’ houses and for the sake of appearance say long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.” 41 He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. 42 A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. 43 Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. 44 For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on.” (Mark 12:38-44, NRSV)

 

Let us Pray – May the words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable unto to you O God, our creator, our redeemer, and our sustainer. Amen.

 

Our stories for today focus on women, especially widows and their subversive acts.  I am going to focus only on the Old Testament reading.  It is an abundant story that is not particularly safe for work, as you notice the lectionary skips all the sexual innuendos.  I will let you read the racy parts for yourself.

 

Some background to set up our reading for today.  This little book of Ruth tucked in between Judges and First Samuel tells the story of three people: Naomi, a widow from Bethlehem; Ruth, her daughter-in-law; and Boaz, a wealthy farmer. Most scholars believe that the book of Ruth was written before the Israelites were forced into Exile. Many scholars believe the importance of the book of Ruth is to establish the heritage and ancestors of King David, who will become the king of Israel.

 

Regardless of the exact heritage all agree that the story of Ruth is a story for all time, a story of vulnerability, loyalty, and faithfulness.

 

Naomi, the wife of Elimelech and the mother of Mahlon and Chilion, has just lost her husband Elimelech.  She is widowed living in a foreign land during a horrible famine.   She is determined to return to her homeland but she husband-less, and her sons have both died as well.  So, she is all alone.  All she has left is her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth.   These three widows are at the mercy of a patriarchal society with no “husband” to “care” for them.  It was the custom for any woman who was not attached to a male was at the mercy of economic and social forces were set up against them.  There was a law called the law of levirate marriage that specified that a widow be claimed by the nearest male relative of the deceased man is obliged to marry his brother’s widow.  So that she and her offspring would be provided with a name, with a home.

 

Naomi is strong, she is proud, she is resilient, and she wants to go home so that when she dies, she will die in her homeland.  She does not want her daughters-in-law Orpah and Ruth to go with her.   So, she pleads with them to return to their own family’s home in keeping with the customs of the day.

 

Orpah decides to go back to her homeland and to live with her family.  While, Ruth, decides to break with tradition and she vows to go with Naomi back to Bethlehem.  Ruth’s decision may seem like an easy one to us today, but it was actually very monumental.  It was a decision with an ever-lasting impact.

 

Now, Ruth is an outsider in many ways.  She is an outsider to the family being the daughter-in-law.  She is an outsider to the tribe of Israel because she is a Moabite. And she is an outsider because she is a woman.  But she makes a decision that shows her fortitude and her servant spirit, which is even more powerful because she is an outsider.

 

Ruth, the outsider shows us how to truly love and serve others!

 

 

Why would she make a choice to follow her mother-in-law to a foreign land to presumedly die?  At a time of such vulnerability how could Ruth be so loyal?

 

Many Biblical scholars say that this story is imagery of what God does for each of us. Ruth being the image of God. That like Ruth, God will break with tradition to care for us and go with us.

 

So, Ruth, in a supreme act of devotion, follows Naomi to Bethlehem the home of Boaz.  Remember that Boaz, the wealthy farmer is also a relative of Naomi’s dead husband.  So, in an act of subversion Naomi puts together a scheme to send Ruth to meet Boaz, in hope that Boaz might become their “redeemer”  and rescue them from their economic suffering and dependence.  It is through this secret meeting on the threshing floor that Ruth and the clever Boaz connect.  Later in front of the city elders, Boaz claims Ruth as his wife, then they marry.  Later they have a child who continues the Davidic line that eventually leads to the birth of Jesus.

 

The subtext of this story of Ruth, Naomi, and Boaz is a metaphor for how God intersects with humanity.  Not many of us today are able to experience God in the direct way that the characters of Ruth’s story did but it is worth examining.  We may not experience God as a burning bush, a descending dove or even a booming voice from above.  We may not be able to see God as a chess master visibly moving us through the events of our lives or as the divine puppeteer directing our every move.  However, if we examine our lives, we may be able to see God in the details as the one to whom we attribute some amount of responsibility for the circumstances in our lives, as well as those of the world at large.

We see football players kneel in prayer giving thanks to God after scoring a touchdown. We hear friends and relatives give thanks to God for the outcomes of the recent elections or when they get a job or when they escape harm in an accident.  It is easier to see God’s hand at work when our lives go well, and we feel blessed.  But I hope you notice that Naomi attributed her calamities and hardships to God as well as her ultimate happy ending.

 

The book of Ruth shows how the actions and commitments of ordinary and even unexpected people such as foreigners and widows can change the course of history for the better.  The decisions of these women especially help to redefine our understanding of family, as it shows the work of God to bring about the birth of the grandfather of King David, which ultimately leads to the birth of Jesus.

 

Later today as we celebrate The Kirkin of the Tartans’ is in itself a celebration of an act of subversion.  On July 25, 1745, the young Prince Charles Edward Stewart, “Bonnie Prince Charlie” returned from exile in France by way of Scotland where he enlisted many of the Highland Clans to join him to try to overthrow King George II of England.  He hoped to overthrow the King and he promised the Highlanders that if successful he would restore the Scottish throne to the Royal House of Stewart. There overthrow attempt was unsuccessful.

 

In response King George II enacted the Act of Proscription — to subdue the Highland clans.  The Act of Proscription banned the wearing of any sign of the Tartan, forbade speaking in Gaelic, outlawed Scottish music, dancing, and the playing of the pipes.

 

Legend has it that during the 36 years following the Disarming Act of 1746 the clans would carry small pieces of their banned tartan cloths under their cloaks to the Kirk (Church). During the worship service the Scottish clergy would offer a secret blessing for the clans and their hidden tartans.  The Highland clans rededicated themselves to God and their Scottish heritage.

 

These Scottish clans were more than just blood relatives they were a gathering of people for protection and for economic, political and social support. Specific tartans developed because each Highland area liked to weave a certain design using local herbs and dyes. The clans and their representative tartans are symbols of the importance of community and clan was the family. The tartan is a symbol of this love and togetherness.

 

So, just think, if God can act through two widowed and destitute women and our ancestors who were stripped of their heritage to change the direction of history how might God act through you, me, our congregation?  I think the lesson is clear that most often God is acting through the least of these the poor, the widow, the orphan, the stranger, the least, the last, and the lost.  So, friends we are invited to open our eyes to notice them for we just might see God at work.

 

Let Us Pray – God of the past, we give you thanks for servants like Ruth who show us how to love and follow. God of the here and now, be with us as we attempt to, follow the way of Christ. God of the future walk with us each of this journey giving us a strength beyond our understanding. AMEN.

September 30, 2018 (26th Sunday in Ordinary Time/Proper 21)
Service for the Lord’s Day
Indian Hill Church
Cincinnati, OH
Esther 7:1-6, 9-10; 9:20-22
Psalm 124
Mark 9:38-50
Reverend Dr. Stephen Caine

9:38 “John said to him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he was not following us.” 39 But Jesus said, “Do not stop him; for no one who does a deed of power in my name will be able soon afterward to speak evil of me. 40 Whoever is not against us is for us. 41 For truly I tell you, whoever gives you a cup of water to drink because you bear the name of Christ will by no means lose the reward. 42 “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire.44 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. 46 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, 48 where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. 49 “For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves and be at peace with one another.” (Mark 9:38-50, NRSV)

Let us pray: O God, our guide and help in dark and contentious places: as Esther prayed faithfully and worked courageously for the deliverance of your people, so that all people may know the peace and unity of your kingdom. Amen.

Demons and hell and self-mutilation! You might think that you have stepped into a fire and brimstone church with this language. It is interesting that this is the language Jesus uses immediately following the story of Jesus gently welcoming a child into his arms. The harshness of these sayings underlines the seriousness of Jesus’ message. He challenges the disciples to remove whatever barriers stand between them and the Kingdom of God. In doing so Jesus says some of the hardest words he ever spoke. “Cut off your hand and your foot,” if either of them is holding you back from being the person God calls you to be. “Pluck out your eye,” if it is pulling you in the wrong direction. Do whatever it takes, Jesus says, to be my disciple. He even uses the “h-word” three times, something Jesus rarely does. These are hard words, maybe even impossible words for us to hear. What does Jesus expect from his disciples, his followers?

There is no doubt that Jesus wants these words to upset the status quo of the disciples and they are meant to get us to think and act. They challenge us to explore how real is our commitment? Am I prepared for a commitment that costs me something? Something that matters.

It is also important to remember that Jesus is speaking at a vitally important time in his relationship with his disciples.

If you recall the readings from last week, you know that these words of Jesus follow his second foretelling of his betrayal, death and resurrection in Jerusalem. In short, these events are about to become very real for Jesus. So, when he says that he is going to Jerusalem to die — he means it. Jesus holds himself to a higher commitment than he asks of anyone else. He is a Messiah, not of self-advancement, but self-sacrifice on behalf of others.

But the disciples’ try to avoid his words and change the subject. So, they decide to argue about who is the greatest among them. And when Jesus calls their hand on it, he gives them a lesson in humility with the example of caring for small children.

It is then in an effort to get on Jesus’ good side again that John says, “We saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we stopped him because he does not follow us.” Again, the disciples try to avoid his message and shift Jesus’ attention away from their own failures onto someone else’s perceived mistakes. Jesus will have none of it. He believes it is time for the disciples to have faith and to really mean it.

Jesus is openly talking about laying down his life for the world. He will die. He will be betrayed. He will be crucified.

And while his disciples can say the correct words, “You are the Christ,” somehow, they can’t bring themselves to mean it. They have a stumbling block in their way. As they continue to shy away from commitment. Stumbling blocks.

Jesus exact words are, “If any of you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea.”

Stumbling blocks. We all have them, the things that get in our way that keep us from moving forward or stop us from being the complete people God wants us to be. I can spend the rest of our time on our individual stumbling blocks, doubt, fear, brokenness, insecurities, but I will leave that up to each of you to ponder on your own, so today as we worship together in this community of faith it is important to look at our collective stumbling blocks here at Indian Hill Church.

I see that we have three main stumbling blocks here at IHC, we could have more but for the sake of time I will focus on three.

The first is our past, good, bad, indifferent…it is just that the past. We can’t go back to the glory days of Paul Long and Jim Metzger. We can’t go back to the dark days of infighting and dysfunction all we can do is move forward and work to make the church as strong, healthy and faithful as possible.

The second stumbling block is our mindset. Will we be guided by the idea that we are limited, limited by our budget, constrained by our facility, inhibited by our vision, our leadership or will we embrace the unlimited potential we have gathered in this congregation. You the people of this church have incredible energy, wonderful imagination and endless love that will enable us to reach beyond these limits and to achieve our dreams. To think big— not small, to expect more— not less and to believe the audacity of the promises of God.

Our final stumbling block is a tangible one. Money. There I said it that bad word. M-O-N-E-Y…Today we kickoff our annual stewardship campaign and it may be the most important campaign Indian Hill Church has ever had. Why is that you ask? I believe it is the most important because it is setting the foundation for our future. This year, I want to remove all stumbling blocks to our growth and financial well-being. To do this I want to start with the basics. How does the church financial situation happen?

Just as Jesus turns the spotlight on the disciples themselves and as he wants the disciples to pay attention to their own behavior. I want us to look at our own financial situation. So, I admit that I am using very broad-brush strokes here and it is not my intention to make anyone uncomfortable, and I certainly don’t want to run off anyone who is visiting with us today, but it is important that we all understand how this church meets its financial obligations.

First, we tell you what our needs are: This year we would like to raise $900,000 to meet our proposed budget. This includes money for two clergy salaries roughly 27% of our budget, 8 staff salaries (3 fulltime and 5 part time) roughly 30% of our budget, for a total of 57% of our budget that we spend on personnel salaries.
The next largest segment of our budget is the maintenance and upkeep of our building and grounds. Roughly 20% of our budget.
Then is Worship and Music for the soloists, special musicians, Organ upkeep, piano turning, sheet music, worship supplies. Roughly 11% of our budget.
Then Children and Youth ministries 10 % of our budget.
Then Outreach/Church and Community the life blood of a church is only 5% of our budget.
We spend 5% of our budget paying our assessment to the Diocese of Southern Ohio and our per capita to the Presbyterian Church USA.
Again, this is a very broad brush look at our expenses. The issue for us is that we raise 79% of the money needed to meet our budget so we must take a draw from our income from our endowment in order to fill the gap.
All of this is to say, we don’t have a money problem, we have a giving problem. You have it and you need to give it. Why?

Will you give more because you like what the church is doing? Will you give more because we are in a better place, with wonderful music, incredible programing for children and youth and inspiring worship? Will you give more because you feel good about the church? This year we will ask for your commitment in specific ways with real numbers. What is your stumbling block for giving more to IHC?

More numbers: we have roughly 290 potential giving units yet 60 of those give absolutely nothing, zero, nada, zilch. So, 230 giving units are footing the bill for the church, which is great, THANK YOU! However, what if those 60 gave something to help the cause. What is your stumbling block?

The church today is very different from the church of fifty years ago. In fact, it is very different from the church of ten years ago. Church, any church, is no longer a given on Sunday morning. Putting money in the offering plate is no longer the norm. But yet, this church, Indian Hill Church we have life, energy, imagination and well, quite frankly, a bright future. Not so that we can be the greatest. We don’t want to go back in the Gospel and fall into the disciples’ trap. We have a bright future because we have gifts here — gifts of talent, energy, imagination, potential and yes money. And all those gifts can make a difference in the world.

If we give what we are capable of, thinking of the abundance of gifts we have been blessed with and not scarcity, we will have the funds to support music with all the resources it needs, to support Christian education for children, youth and adults all the resources it needs, to Air Condition the entire building, and have enough funds to support ministries and agencies in our community, out city and our world to make a real and lasting difference. So, I invite you to join me and my family to give more this year to make a real difference.

Let us pray: