Easter - Howard Thurman

"... if stumbling in the darkness, having lost his or her way, one finds the spot at which they fell is the foot of a stairway that leads from darkness into light. Such is the glad surprise. This is what Easter means in the experience of the race. This is the resurrection! It is the announcement that life cannot ultimately be conquered by death, that there is no road that is at last swallowed up in an ultimate darkness, that there is strength added when the labors increase, that multiplied, peace matches multiplied trials, that life is bottomed by the glad surprise. Take courage, therefore:
'When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father's full giving is only begun.'"

WHEN VIOLENCE ABOUNDS: OUR CALL TO ACTION AGAINST VIOLENCE

(This essay was first published as an article in the United Methodist Connection of the Baltimore-Washington Conference in June 1999. It was also published by the United Methodist News Service, and as a chapter in my 2006 book, 'And Yet the Melody Lingers; Essays, Semons and Prayers on Religion and Race.")


The recent acts of violence that have littered our national and local news should heighten our collective conscious and raise our level of concern. The trial and acquittal of four police officers charged in the death of Amadou Diallo is but the latest episode that serves to remind us of the pervasiveness of violence and hatred in our midst. While the issues surrounding Diallo’s death – a West African immigrant who was shot 41 times while unarmed in New York – notably points to the problems underlying some zero-tolerance enforcement policies, and rogue police officers involved in acts of brutality, other instances also serve to point to the permeation of violence in our midst.

Whether it is a 6-year-old boy who brings a gun into a Michigan school and kills his first-grade classmate, or two promising high school seniors in Washington, DC who are gunned down after a basketball game, or a Pennsylvania man who fatally shoots three persons because of his alleged anti-white and anti-Jewish views, we find a plethora of evidence pointing to an increasingly violent society.

Violence abounds. Whether it’s the death of Taisha Miller, the young African American woman murdered by police while sitting in her car in California, or James Byrd, an African American man who was dragged behind a truck to his death by white supremacists in Texas, or Matthew Shepherd - the young college student who - because of his sexual identity - was beaten, hung on a pole and left to die in Wyoming - violence is all around us.

The problem of violence is complex and multi-dimensioned to say the least. The death of Amadou Diallo – and the lack of justice (heretofore) for those who murdered him - points to the prevalence of racism in America. Racism has resulted in a double-standard in many policing practices. These practices are the by-products of policies that tout decreasing inner-city crime rates – but often at the expense of the selective interrogation and arrest of innocent persons of color who fit certain profiles – particularly African American males.

Several other factors seem to be complicit in the recent wave of violence in America. Widening economic disparities between the rich and the poor contribute to the escalating violence. We observe that a disproportionate number of those who are victims, as well as many of the alleged perpetrators of violent acts are a part of America’s under-class.

Additionally, the continued right-wing political influence of the gun lobby – spearheaded by the National Rifle Association - seems intent on keeping guns in the hands of any person – of any age – who for any reason wants to possess a handgun. Furthermore – violence in the media and in cyber-space serve as breeding grounds for a preponderance of the intolerance and violent acts that are carried out among us.

What is the church’s response when violence abounds? First it is incumbent upon the United Methodist Church as a community of the faithful to affirm that the problem of violence in American society is the church’s problem. The apostle James shared that “faith without works is not faith at all.” John Wesley’s notion of social holiness – that we are to “reform the nation and spread Scriptural holiness” - helps us to see that the United Methodist Church is to be prophetically and actively engaged in speaking and acting to eradicate the societal ills that plague us.

Secondly, we must affirm that the problem of violence is shared by all of us. As one of the most diverse communities of faith in the United States, we who are United Methodists are challenged to realize that whether in the city or the suburbs, violence - and its underlying forms of hatred - whether racism, homophobia, sexism or any other forms of xenophobia - must be viewed as our collective dilemma. Violence touches all of our lives, our families and our churches.

Therefore, solving the problem of violence in America is our shared responsibility. Each of our churches - and each member of the United Methodist Church - should prayerfully consider ways that we can constructively address the problem of violence among us. Our collective prayers and thoughts should then spawn us into prophetic social action.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. placed the matter of our faith within the context of peace and justice. King said, “True peace is not merely the absence of tension, but it is the presence of justice.” As we strive to become a just church and society, may we all seek to be the peacemakers that Christ calls us to be.

Now the Work of Christmas Really Begins...

(From "The Mood of Christmas" by Dr. Howard Thurman)

COURAGE

After seeing the movie "Lincoln" a few weeks ago, and seeing a portrait of Abraham Lincoln at the White House yesterday, I'm convinced that he was a man of conviction and great courage.

GUN VIOLENCE

Violence anywhere is a threat to peace and safety everywhere. And so, as the National Rifle Association (NRA) proposed today, every school in America would to be assigned an armed police officer as a solution to gun violence. I wonder how does this address gun violence in workplaces, places of worship, movie theatres, shopping malls, athletic fields, homes, on college campuses...? My point is not to blame the NRA for the horrific violence that occurred in Newtown, Portland, Aurora, Chicago, Baltimore or anywhere else. I do believe the statement made today by Wayne LaPierre of the NRA that “The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun" is irresponsible and shallow, bordering on arrogant and insensitve, given the complexity of the problem of gun violence in our society. My question is simply, where does the NRA'a proposal to place armed police officers in every school lead us in addressing the root causes of gun violence - whether it occurs in cities, suburbs or rural areas? It does not seem to me that arming more people in more places is the answer to moving us toward becoming less violent and ultimately toward becoming a nonviolent society, but does seem to move us closer to becoming a police state under marshall law. I wonder if the writers of the Second Amendment had this in mind.

BEARING FRUIT - PART 9 - GENTLENESS (WHY GENTLENESS?)

(This sermon was preached at Epworth Chapel, Baltimore on 12/16/12, and is the 9th in a ten-part series on the Fruit of the Spirit)

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Over the past several weeks, we have been considering the fruit that the Holy Spirit produces in our lives as we endeavor to walk with Christ. We have looked at seven fruit thus far, those being love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity and faithfulness. Today, we want to look at gentleness. The apostle Paul said that one of the fruit of Spirit is gentleness.

We are perpetually reminded that these are troubling times in which we live. These are times when it seems that aggression has overtaken us in many respects. We talk aggressively, act aggressively and even think aggressive thoughts. One of the most common themes of this day is “No Fear.”

“No Fear.” I believe that this in some way is a sounding cry in response to the violent nature of the world. Many people are actually afraid for their well-being, their security and safety, and thus we cry out “No Fear.” No Fear – as a response to the mean-spirited nature of our world.

Indeed, this is a world where it is not uncommon to hear about violence in our schools, violence on our streets, violence in the malls, violence in places of worship, and even violence in our homes. We live in a perpetual state of fear and terror – awaiting the next senseless and random act of violence against God’s people.

And thus the question for church – for you and me – is “How are we as Christians supposed to respond to this spirit of meanness that so permeates our reality today?"

Paul said that “the fruit of the Spirit is gentleness.” If we are walking in the Spirit of Christ, we are walking in gentleness. The context of the text here is Paul’s concern about what was going on the church in Galatia. Paul was concerned about how Christians in the Galatian church were treating each other. It’s clear that they were having problems being gentle with one another. We get the sense that they were struggling on a relational level with how they were to walk in the Spirit, and at the same time walk with each other.

This would lead Paul later in his Galatian letter to elaborate on the matter of reaping and sowing, and remind the people that you indeed will reap that which you sow. In other words if they were to continue sowing seeds of dissension, division, meanness, vengefulness and anger, they should expect to reap the same in their lives.

But if they were to sow seeds of love, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, and yes gentleness – they could only expect the reap the blessings of God in their lives.

There’s the story of the woman who would always go to a branch post office in her town because the postal employees there were friendly. She went there to buy stamps just before Christmas one year and the lines were particularly long. Someone pointed out that there was no need to wait in line because there was a stamp machine in the lobby. "I know," the woman said, “but the machine won't ask me about my arthritis."

There’s a saying that gentleness makes a person attractive. If you would win the world, melt it, do not hammer it.

Indeed, it is our task as the church, as Christians – in the midst of the meanness of the world, to search for ways that we might live with compassion and humility and gentleness toward one another.

Yes, it is always tempting for us to conform to the world’s standards of how we are to treat each other – to submit to the ways of those around us who may not know the Lord. But it is our divinely ordained task – as the church – to somehow discover ways to live out compassion and humility and gentleness.

Paul said that he fruit of the Spirit is gentleness. The Greek term that Paul uses for gentleness here is “prautes” (pra-u-tes). This term embodies a number of qualities including meekness, humility, kindness, and even the peace and patience that Paul speaks of as other fruits of the Spirit.

The measure of gentleness is thus taken from our everyday acts – the way we treat each other – the way we treat family, co-workers, church members, and even strangers on the street.

And certainly, there are some people who think that gentleness indicates weakness - that meekness is weakness. They say that only weak people are gentle, and that gentle people are bound to be taken advantage of.

Now gentleness does not mean that we weak. Gentleness does not mean that we are unwilling, or afraid or unable to confront evil in our midst. Gentleness does not mean that we should sit idly and silently, and passively watching and accepting evil as it is perpetuated and perpetrated in our midst. It just means that we are going to find ways to confront evil in gentleness.

Notice Paul’s words in Galatians chapter 6, verse 1:
“My friends, if anyone is detected in a transgression, you who have received the Spirit, should restore such one in a spirit of gentleness.”

In other words it is our divine responsibility as the church to confront evil and transgression in our midst. We are called by God to confront wrongdoing and sin and brokenness, and we are to do it, not in judgment of one another, but in gentleness. We are to speak truth to power, but we are to do it in gentleness. We are to do our part to turn a broken and sin-sick world upside down and right-side up – and for Christ’s sake we are to speak the truth in love – and do all that we do, and say all that we say, in gentleness.

Why gentleness, you ask? First, if we are going to walk in the image – the likeness of Jesus, we are going to walk as Jesus walked. And Jesus walked gently even in the midst of his strength. The Lord was gentle even in the midst of the adversity that swirled around his life.

I picture the Lord, as he encountered the Samaritan woman at the well. While there were others among the Jews who would have nothing to do with Samaritans, because their culture – their ethnicity was different, here was Jesus gently taking time to offer this unnamed, unknown Samaritan woman, in the midst of her loneliness and brokenness, in the midst of her being ostracized and criticized by others, some water and a word of hope. Jesus was gentle.

Why gentleness? Gentleness affirms our life and our humanity. Gentleness affirms that we understand that God’s grace is present and evident in our lives. It says that we know that there have been times when we didn’t deserve it, but that God has been gentle with us. Paul reminded Titus (Tit. 3:2), “to be gentle, and show courtesy to everyone… for we ourselves were once foolish.”

Why gentleness? Gentleness has some fruit bearing qualities. We need to be gentle because our gentleness just might be contagious enough to rub off on somebody else. The gentleness that you convey as a child of God just might be catchy enough to lead somebody else into a closer relationship with Jesus.

I’m glad that Jesus showed gentleness toward us. He did not have to do it, but while we were yet sinners, the Lord died for you and me. While the world was sinking deep in sin, God sent Jesus to love us and rescue us. The Lord is gentle.

That’s why we can sing….
Pass me not
O gentle savior
Hear my humble cry.
While on other thou are calling,
Do not pass me by.
Savior… savior
Hear my humble cry…
While on other’s thou art calling…
Do not pass me by…

BEARING FRUIT- PART 8 - "FAITHFULNESS"

(This sermon was preached at Epworth Chapel, Baltimore on 12/9/12, and is the 8th in a ten-part series on "Bearing Fruit")

“…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23)


In the Apostle Paul’s writings to the church at Galatia, and in other letters that he wrote to the churches throughout Asia Minor, it is evident that a disease had pervaded the land, and infected many of God’s people. The disease that Paul wrote about, and one that continues to exist in many respects today, was more powerful than all of the most deadly diseases of his day, and of this present day. It was more deadly than the leprosy of Paul’s day, and more deadly than cancer… and heart disease… and even AIDS today.

The disease that Paul wrote about would not – today - be recorded at the Centers of Disease Control, or at the National Institutes of Health. It could not have been treated at Northwest or Sinai Hospitals, or at Johns Hopkins. No, the disease that Paul alluded to was a spiritual disease.

It was the disease of faithlessness.

Indeed, as in the days of the Apostle Paul, faithlessness had crept into to the church, and in many ways had crippled the church’s mission and paralyzed its ministry. This disease of faithlessness is one that continues to persist in many circles today. The disease of faithlessness has, in many ways and in many places, placed the church on life-support at best, and in many instances taken the very life out of the church.

This is the dilemma that Mike Regelle wrote about in his book, “The Death of the Church” several years ago, where Regelle said that in every age, the church will inevitably die. The question for the church then is will we die to die (a permanent/terminal death), or will we die to live (a resurrected life in Christ)?

It is clear in Scripture that the very purpose of Jesus and his coming into the world was to point you and me – and all of humanity toward a clearer understanding of who God is, and to help us to draw closer in our relationship with God. God desires that each of us has an intimate relationship with Jesus that comes through our belief in God and in Christ as the savior of the world. Such belief is the very nature of faith.

What is faith? The writer of the book of Hebrews offers perhaps the most definitive description of faith when he writes that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not yet seen.” And so, faith means that we believe in God and believe God even when we cannot see the Lord.

St. Augustine, perhaps the greatest theologian in the history of Christianity, helped us to understand the nature of faith when he wrote: “Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that thou mayest believe, but believe that thou mayest understand.” Augustine shared further about faith in this way: “Faith is to believe what we do not see, and the reward of faith is to see what we believe.”
This is a challenge to a world today where so often we need to “see it to believe it” - where as the saying goes – “the proof is always in the pudding.”

But, faith comes before understanding and seeing. Faith begins by believing in God, and believing God to be the source of life and truth for our lives.
This is the challenge for the faithful and the reason why we are here. We are beckoned to search out ways to live faithfully amidst that which would sap the energy and life out of the church and God’s people and render us faithless.

Paul in his letter to the Galatian church offers a remedy – an antidote - for the faithlessness of his day, and for us today, when he writes that the “fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” Paul declares that one of the fruit of the Spirit is faithfulness.

In other words, when we are walking in the Spirit of Christ; we will be walking in faithfulness.

What was Paul trying to help us with here? What was he really trying to get at when he talked about faithfulness?

Our faithfulness is first and foremost rooted and grounded in the faithfulness of God toward us. If you know like I know, we worship and serve a God who is faithful toward you and me in all places and at all times. There has not been a time in human history when God has not been faithful toward us.

This – the faithfulness of God - is what would lead the prophet Jeremiah to declare in Lamentations 3, that “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, thus we are not consumed. The mercies of the Lord are new every morning; God’s faithfulness endures not for a season, but forever.”

The great Methodist evangelist, E. Stanley Jones, talked about God’s faithfulness in this way: “Faith is not merely your holding on to God--it is God holding on to you. He will not let you go!” God has been, continues to be, and will be faithful toward us.

There’s a story of a man who fell off a cliff one day, but managed to grab a tree limb on the way down. The man looked up and the following conversation ensued:

"Is anyone up there?"
"I am here. I am the Lord. Do you believe me?"
"Yes, Lord, I believe. I really believe, but I can't hang on much longer."
"That's all right; if you really believe you have nothing to worry about. I will save you. Just let go of the branch."
There was a moment of pause, and then the man responded: "Is anyone else up there?"

It’s Good News to know that God is faithful toward us. God will not let you go! With whatever you might go through, and however long troubles might last, we can be assured that that Lord is faithful.

Second, our response to the faithfulness of God is that we are to be faithful toward God. And I’ve come to realize that once you know that a faithful God has saved you and raised you, and continues to see about you, it’s not hard to be faithful to God. It’s not difficult to worship the Lord, and serve the Lord when we realize that God has been faithful toward us.

God is faithful. Lest you need any more evidence of God’s faithfulness, and why we need to respond in faithfulness, think about what God did that leads us into Advent. God looked down over the world over 42 generations, and God said that I’m so faithful (I love the world so much) that I need to send a Son and a Savior into the world. So God sent Jesus… born in a manger… meek and lowly… wonderful counselor… the prince of peace… almighty God… king of kings… Lord of Lords… He’s faithful!

That’s why our mothers and fathers in days past could sing with assurance – as an affirmation of their faith – that:

We’ve come this far by faith
Leaning on the Lord
Trusting in his holy word
He’s never failed me yet
Oh-Oh-Oh
Can’t turn around
We’ve come this far by faith!