On Vision Correction and Bodily Functions
Romans 12:1-8 Aug. 24,2008
I’m delighted to stand in for Melissa today. One of the benefits to being your certified lay-pastor means touching on anything that I feel might’ve been missed over the year. Today’s sermon weaves together three threads that comprise Methodism.
James Kauffman, a professor at the University of Virginia heard a sermon on a radio program, which prompted him to write the following letter to the station:
"Thank you for doing so much to educate people regarding God's Law. I have learned a great deal from your show, and try to share that knowledge with as many people as I can. When someone tries to defend the homosexual... for example, I simply remind them that Leviticus 18:22 clearly states it to be an abomination. ... End of debate. I do need some advice from you, however, regarding some other elements of God's Law and how to follow them. When I burn a bull on the altar as a sacrifice, I know it creates a pleasing odor for the Lord - Lev.1: 9. The problem is my neighbors. They claim the odor is not pleasing to them. Should I smite them?
I would like to sell my daughter into slavery, as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. In this day and age, what do you think would be a fair price for her? I know that I am allowed no contact with a woman while she is in her period of menstrual uncleanliness - Lev.15: 19-24. The problem is how do I tell? I have tried asking, but most women take offense. Lev. 25:44 states that I may indeed possess slaves, both male and female, provided they are purchased from neighboring nations. A friend of mine claims that this applies to Mexicans, but not Canadians. Can you clarify? Why can't I own Canadians? I have a neighbor who insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2. The passage clearly states he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself?
A friend of mine feels that even though eating shellfish is an abomination - Lev. 11:10, it is a lesser abomination than homosexuality. I don't agree. Can you settle this? Are there 'degrees' of abomination? Lev. 21:20 states that I may not approach the altar of God if I have a defect in my sight. I have to admit that I wear reading glasses. Does my vision have to be 20/20, or is there some wiggle room here? Most of my male friends get their hair trimmed, including the hair around their temples, even though this is expressly forbidden by Lev.19:27. How should they die? I know from Lev. 11:6-8 that touching the skin of a dead pig makes me unclean, but may I still play football if I wear gloves?
My uncle has a farm. He violates Lev. 19:19 by planting two different crops in the same field, as does his wife by wearing garments made of two different kinds of thread (cotton/polyester blend). He also tends to curse and blaspheme a lot. Is it really necessary that we go to all the trouble of getting the whole town together to stone them? Lev.24:10-16. Couldn't we just burn them to death at a private family affair like we do with people who sleep with their in-laws? (Lev. 20:14)
I know you have studied these things extensively and thus enjoy considerable expertise in such matters, so I am confident you can help. Thank you again for reminding us that God's word is eternal and unchanging. Your adoring fan,
Whether or not we admit it, as Christians, we each have our favorite parts of holy scriptures that we hold dear, and those which we ignore, or even hang our heads in disgust, confusion, and shame. We’ve seen the bible used to divide people into those who are saved, and "in", versus those who are condemned to eternal damnation. More specifically, some of us seen how some pastors employ fear to have power over others... it’s even been so successful that in Oregon, only 20% of people surveyed report attending church on the average Sunday. What a shame.
During my faith journey in the Methodist church, I’ve learned about the "license", if you will that gives us our Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors: the Method to the Methodism. It’s called the "Wesleyan Quadrilateral". It’s a good thing that I discovered it, because if it were not for this important aspect of our faith, I doubt I could count myself as a member. But while we use the Wesleyan quadrilateral, few of us are ready to explain it.
From age 8, I’ve been a faithful member of the methodist church. And as I became a science teacher, I started grow a chip on my shoulder toward organized religion. The world in 7 days, or the world in 14 billion years. That’s a big margin of error! Humans from the dust 3,000 years ago, or from a common primate ancestor 6 million years ago? Each of the five science departments I’ve been a part of are divided along this line. As a person of faith, where do I stand?
Enter the Quadrilateral: Consider scripture, but also consider tradition, reason, and experience; the (other 3 sides). If one accepts a literal interpretation of everything in the bible, one is bound to react with surprise, or anger, or curiosity, or guilt after reading the passages above, and others as well. But if we attend a bible study with Melissa, or if we go into the library of our church, there is a concordance that tells us what was going on at that point in history to make someone write the passage the way they did. So the first thing I have to say is that I’m delighted to be a science teacher, I’m delighted to be a methodist, where my God is big enough to work through the big bang or evolution. Was Jonah really swallowed by a whale?! I don’t know, but I do know that the story is about God’s grace on the people at Nineveh, and the way Jonah learned about grace. I truly believe God wants me to learn the interpretations, and not just stop with the literal wording of the passages in Holy Scripture. In the 80’s, our church debated whether we should change the words in our favorite hymns to more inclusive language. While our tradition was an image of God the Father, our experience and our scripture indicated that God is too big to be contained in a male-centered deity. So we changed a few words. The effect? A more inclusive church; open hearts, open minds. And the debate goes on today with a variety of issues... If you’d like to hear those scholarly debates, attend annual conference. To that, I say, "thank God." It’s what makes our church strong in the faith, and
Today’s reading is about the body of Christ. It’s a nice image, but what does that mean?
According to the concordance, it refers to the way that all of us are blessed with gifts: among them, prophesying; leadership; some are called to minister; teach; give, and exhort. The verse compares alludes to the way that parts or systems of the body as each being vital, and connected by muscles, tendons, and skeleton to the head, just as each of us are joined to each other, despite our diversity, to Christ our head, united by the Holy Spirit. This manner in which each member belongs to each other sure flies in the face of self-made individualism, doesn’t it?
Some of us are focused on feeding the poor in Josephine County. Still others lend their expertise and time to maintaining the physical facility. Others do visitations to the sick in our church. About a year ago, one of our members reminded us that by or actions and inaction we are not living into Open Hearts, Open Minds, Open Doors as we could be. It was something I knew; something I disliked about our church as a denomination-- but something I felt powerless about. This member has inspired me to devote more time, more learning, and more listening. She’s a vital part of the body of Christ, and has brought many of us closer to God as we walk our faith journey.
There is a legitimate fear that if we become a reconciling church, that it will divide members of our church. But that takes us back to the bible. Are you of the mindset that your bible is meant to be interpreted, or merely read at face value? And if you take it at face value, are you ready to act upon it? Are you ready to give up football, shellfish, and stone various people for various offenses? I for one am not going to go there. So the second thing I have to say to you is "What Part of the Body of Christ are you? There’s another good image of Christ’s church as the body: a body grows, and a body heals. But most importantly, each part of the body is dependent upon the others functioning in a healthy manner. Without the protection of the skin and immune system, being able to move won’t do too much for very long. Being able to think doesn’t do much good without a mouth and hands (or in physicist Steven Hawking’s case, eyelids) to express oneself. Reading the bible, without meditative reflection, and some assistance from biblical experts, without attending church, without serving one’s community, is like being a disembodied part of the body of Christ-- at least perhaps to a Methodist.
Just one of the Wesleyan interpretations that elevates the status of women in our church is that Eve was created by God from a rib of Adam’s: close to his heart-- thus Adam’s partner. Other denominations have considered that Christ was a man, thus women should not be ordained. I take great pride that my church asks me to interpret the bible-- to avoid "checking my brain at the door", if you will. So the third thing I’d ask you to consider when you’re in conversation about your church-- to remember that other churches and the media are already defining what it means to be a Christian. For about 20 years now, as defined by the media, Christianity has been about abortion and gays, and that’s it. For our church it’s always been about more: our stewardship of God’s resources; treatment of women, children, and minorities-- that it’s about the use and misuse of our nation’s military, and more. Other churches and other Christians will not define me, and now I’m noticing the media re-defining what people of faith are preoccupied with in this election cycle.
I’ve got my "sound bite" when talking with others-- I love to say, "Yes, I worship at Newman United Methodist. It’s one of the few faiths that ordains female pastors, and even welcomes science teachers like me!" You listen to people who introduce themselves here as Methodists. Why are they so proud? I submit that it’s their way of saying, "I don’t check my brain at the door when it comes to my faith. I came to my spiritual senses years ago, and I’m proud of it." I’ve got an open mind, and I attend a church with open doors.
This is an interesting time in our world’s history: Islamic fundamentalism vs. progressivism, accumulation of wealth and power by countries such as India, China, Dubai, and others, a shift of power to oil-rich countries, rising unemployment and underemployment in the US, depletion of certain resources, global warming, global population and immigration dynamics... What should the Christian should think and do. We have an exciting legacy here at Newman. As members of "the body," what’s your sound bite as you witness? And what "gifts" do you have here that are part of the body, and sorely needed in the world? Amen.
Bob Bath, Lay Minister