On Being a Member of Northaven

 Sermon text from Sunday, May 18, 2008

(Listen to this sermon here)

Sometimes, I think God must have a wicked and twisted sense of humor.

I say that this morning because of two things that collide in our worship: 

-- Confirmation Sunday: the day each year when we extoll the virtue and joy of church membership.

-- And my first full sermon after a General Conference that leaves some questioning whether there IS virtue and joy in church membership.

As I said, I sometimes think God must have a wicked and twisted sense of humor. Or, maybe God’s just a spiritual opportunist. Maybe God puts these kinds of challenges in our way precisely so, instead of fleeing from them, we will discuss and confront them head on. Maybe there is no better time to have these two themes collide on a Sunday morning. 

First, to our confirmands, I want to say “congratulations.” Staying with this process, start to finish, is a real challenge, and I congratulate you all for doing so. I hope you confirmands see this day as the beginning of a lifelong process, not the end of it. One of the things I have learned about my Christian faith is that I am always learning more. Even though I went to theology school to study this stuff, I find that there is always much more to know, and that I am always changing and growing.

And I want to remind us all about what we are doing here this morning in worship, because it’s a little confusing, there’s a lot of action, and it might not be very clear, even to the trained observer.

On Confirmation Sunday, we always set the table so that three things might happen:

-- A chance for these young persons to be baptized, if they need and desire it.

-- A chance for them to make a public affirmation of their faith, if they so choose.

-- And a chance to join this congregation, if they so wish.

We have already done the first two, as you have just seen. Some of these young folks were baptized, and all were confirmed by making their public affirmation of faith. What that means is that they are now baptized members into God’s holy Church, they are baptized members is Christ’s Universal Church.

Near the end of our worship service, there will be a chance for these folks to join this congregation, and we will do so by following the ritual in the back of our hymnal, as we do when any adult member joins our church.

And friends, it is that last step, it seems to me, that has become a challenge, and perhaps even a stumbling block, to some in our community. As I hear the conversation in our community, there are some who are questioning their ties to this particular church because of its ties to the the entity we call “The United Methodist Church.”

In the past few weeks, I have heard members --gay and straight members, I should quickly point out-- tell me that they are “done” with the United Methodist Church. Or, tell me that they haven’t decided yet whether or not they are done, but that the decision is sort of hanging in the balance.

I want you to know that I wish we didn’t have to talk about this this morning. I wish it wasn’t an issue at all. And, if I can make an observation as your pastor, having now lived through two of these General Conferences here: I know of very few churches in our area who come back from General Conference having to have a discussion about whether to even go forward as a whole community.

It’s a real momentum stopper, truthfully. And the kind of thing that most churches don’t experience. Most churches don’t come back from General Conference with a question about whether or not they will go forward together.

I know that there are some in our congregation who wish we wouldn’t talk about this at all. And I want to speak specifically to some of our straight members right here. Some of you are thinking, very logically, “But nothing’s changed about Northaven.”

And, from a logical point of view, you are absolutely right. Nothing has changed. The General Conference has done nothing to further restrict what we can do here in this church, in terms of our witness of faith. In fact, the General Conference passed a strong statement condemning homophobia in all its forms.

But, dear straight friends, please understand that sometimes this doesn’t feel like enough to some of our members. See, to me, I hear our straight members saying, to our GLBT members:

“But aren’t we enough? Isn’t Northaven enough? I know the General Church is screwed up on this issue...but isn’t our love, our community, enough for you?”

And the hard-to-hear answer  is: “Maybe not.” Or, “Not sometimes.” Or, “It sure doesn’t feel like it right now.”

See, our straight members would do anything --I really believe this-- to just make this issue go away...or to create some world in which the “haven” of Northaven is enough.

But our GLBT members often live in two worlds: both our haven here., and the greater community. And in the greater community, the potential for discrimination still persists. They know of the situation in South Georgia, or Western Pennsylvania...or even rural Texas....where where persons might well be refused membership in a United Methodist Church.

And that injustice is hard to take.

So, this is one reason why you have these cards today....these cards on which I pray you will share your feelings about the United Methodist Church, this church, and how we might respond or move forward from here.

These cards are a means of sharing your feelings --whatever those feelings are-- so that we might begin to fashion our response to the General Conference. If you feel angry and hurt, please share that. If you feel as if this changes nothing, share that. Wherever you are this day, please feel free to share your thoughts.

The intention is for our church leadership to take these cards and begin to fashion some response on behalf of all of us. There are some very creative ideas out there --strategies and “actions” that I have heard-- and I trust and believe we’ll be able to have an open discussion of them all.

I also trust and believe there will be other times of sharing planned in the coming weeks. We may have other “listening sessions” where folks can come and share their feelings. We may have GLBT-only meetings, where folks can be heard in a confidential environment.

I trust that Northaven will move through this discussion with the intentionality we always show toward major issues like this.

But I want to come back to church membership for a moment. And I want to come back to the idea of what it means to be a member of THIS congregation. And I want to come back to the scripture this morning, this Great Commission, as it is so-called.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,” Jesus says.

I want you to keep this scripture in mind, as you turn to the backs of your hymnals and note the ritual of membership contained there.

I want  you to note the two questions there that are asked by the pastors. The second is the one I usually ask, which is our traditional United Methodist question: ”will you uphold this church with your prayers, your presence, your gifts and your service?”

But then, notice that first question, “As a baptized Christian and a member of the family of God...”

You see, that’s the baptism and confirmation part...when we say this to persons, we are acknowledge that they come to us from another tradition. But then, we continue....

“ ...will you commit yourself to the ministry of this congregation of the United Methodist Church, seek to understand more about the Methodist heritage, and work so that the United Methodist Church may be a faithful church.”

It’s this last part that strikes me this day: “Will you work so that the United Methodist Church may be faithful church?”

You see, right here in our membership vows, we acknowledge the truth that, sometimes, the United Methodist Church is NOT a faithful church!!!

Can I get an “Amen” to that?

A part of what it means to be a member of THIS congregation is not to swallow, whole hog, the values and beliefs are contrary to God’s law of love.

In fact, the calling of our particular church seems to be, very clearly, to work towards making the United Methodist Church a faithful church, to work toward “making disciples” in the place where we are called, right here at the corner of Northaven and Preston.

In this struggle to make the United Methodist Church into a more faithful church, there are all sorts of places for people to stand. There are some who see their calling to be outside the system, beating on the doors and demanding that they be opened. There is a time and place for that. Our witness of the floor of the General Conference was that kind of witness.

There are those who see their calling to be inside the system, to work within to change the discipline and theology of the whole church. I have said many times that in any great struggle for civil rights,  there are different places for people to stand and different roles for them to play.

It seems to me that Northaven Church is called to straddle that painful span between being on both the outside and the inside. On the one hand, we must not flinch from being prophetic. On the other hand, we have a unique role to play, simply by virtue of what we have already achieved here.

Friends, we are that truly blended church that we believe God calls the world to be. We ARE that church. Ghandi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” And for more than a decade now, Northaven has been in the process of “being” that change.

At the same time, the rest of the world, and the rest of the UMC has not all made that change. And so, our role as a congregation has been to witness to our faith, to witness to our belief in the inclusive church.

And, dear friends, no matter how it feels this morning, the truth is that we are succeeding in this effort. We are succeeding in this effort.

As I mentioned to you two weeks ago, it is quite clear, and quite provable, that the majority of American delegates were ready for change. They were ready to vote for bold, new language on the issue of homosexuality. They were ready to overturn Decision 1032.

Friends, that happened, in part because of OUR WITNESS. Because of our effort to witness to our faith in an inclusive church...because of our dialogue with American delegates during the past several years.

We ARE the change we wish to see in the world, and being that change has made a difference.

But let me ask us all something. Let’s assume that the American Church had been able to overcome the “end-run” of the international delegates. Let’s assume we had “won” the votes on a new Paragraph 161G and overturning Decision 1032. (I know I’m talking shorthand here...bear with me...)

Would things be markedly different this morning in rural Pennsylvania, or rural Texas, or South Georgia? Just because the letter of law had been overturned, would the situation be better overnight in those places?

My hunch would be “no.” Because true change is never just about only changing the letter of a law. True change is about changing hearts and minds and SOULS....making disciples for Christ.

The Presidential primary, of all places, has reminded us of this truth. It’s been fifty years since the Civil Rights movement. It’s been fifty years that we’ve had women serving in United Methodist Churches. And yet, during this campaign, we’ve heard voters say they will not vote for one candidate because he is black or has an Muslim name. We’ve heard others say they cannot vote for another candidate because she is a woman. We’ve heard still others question the third candidate because of his age.

Still today, fifty years after women entered ministry, there are churches that would fight against --probably in insidiously subtle ways-- having a woman pastor. Even though the principle of cross-racial appointments has been a part of our polity for decades, there are churches that would, in subtle ways, refuse to receive a black pastor.

The Presidential primary has reminded us of the limits of legislation. The true change is a change of the heart. And even if we had won every legislative battle at the General Conference, the struggle for hearts and souls would still go on inside the United Methodist Church.

There would still be a place for Northaven Church, and for its unique witness as a blended church. There would still be a necessity for us, as a congregation, to work that the United Methodist Church might be more faithful.

So, I say this to everyone who is struggle with what it means to be a church member this morning: That whatever everyone’s individual choices might be --whatever collective “action” or “witness” we may choose as a congregation-- there will still be a place for our congregation to witness to our faith, to work to make disciples in the place we are right now, and to work toward the greater church being a faithful church.

Finally, I thought the most appropriate story to close with today would be to tell you about last time I changed a flat tire. I often try to look for metaphors in my daily life, things that happen to me that speak to where I am right at that moment. And, Friday-before-last, I was on my way back to Presbyterian Hospital to pick up Dennise and take her home from her surgery. She had been in the hospital for two days, and was set to go home late Friday morning.

Now, I should mention to you that despite this good news, I was in a foul mood. I was really in a bad place....emotionally...and physically. Anybody who saw me that week can testify to this. I had some kind of upper-respiratory crud. I was turning the events of General Conference over and over in my head....worried about the future of this church and the future of our denomination. 

I was cursing the fact that Dennise had to have this surgery and had to have it just then. I as cursing the fact that all this was happening to so many beautiful people here at Northaven. I was driving along, praying all sorts of silent prayers, the working of which I cannot repeat here in church.

And I turned the corner at Walnut Hill. Now, for those of you who know that area, you know that there’s a Toys R Us, a new CVS pharmacy, then about a quarter mile more is Presbyterian Hospital. You may remember that between the Toys R Us and the new CVS pharmacy is a small lake which used to be a part of Glenn Lakes Golf Course. The geography now is that grass slopes down from the CVS parking lot...at about a 50 degree angle, straight into that lake. (I know this is a strange detail for me to remind you of...but bear with me....it will make sense in a moment...)

So, I turned the corner at Walnut Hill, and as I turned I could feel that the tire was going flat. I could tell, because we have had so many flat tires in that car now, that I have now lost count.

So, I got over the right lane, pulled into the CVS parking lot, and just parked along the edge of the lot, right next to the lake.

I got out and, sure enough, the back right  tire was flat.

I can’t tell you how angry I got in that moment. I prayed those same prayers outloud...

Why did I have another flat?

Why on the way to get Dennise?

She doesn’t deserve that....I don’t deserve that....

And why is all this stuff happening to Northaven?

Northaven doesn’t deserve that either....

So, I called Dennise to tell her that I’d be a few minutes late, while I put on the spare. And then I opened the trunk and got out the small spare. I got that back right tire jacked up, sitting on the curb, with my back to the lake. The lug nuts are off...and the tire falls off into my lap.

Now, it’s stuck in my lap. And I’m cursing even more....staying more stuff I can’t repeat here. And in my  frustration, I pick up the tire, and heave it over the curb into the grass. 

What happens next happens in about 20 seconds...

Instead of just rolling over on to its side, that tire had regained its shape, landed upright on its side, and was now rolling down the hill, straight toward the lake!!! Firestone must have balanced that tire REAL good. Some of that grass may have been part of the old golf course....it was slick and smooth....it was a like a flat-tire Autobahn!!!

There was nothing between my tire and the lake.

So --and again, this just took seconds-- I leapt up and went racing after the tire. Yes, I was angry. But I wasn’t angry enough to have the tire go in the lake!

And then, perhaps the Holy Spirit of God took over, because about ten feet from the waters edge, the tire simply took a slight turn, rolled over, and fell flat in place. It missed the water completely.

As I finished chasing after the tire, and put it back in the trunk, and realized that  God had just spoken to me...

Many of us are angry and hurt right now. Many of us are confused. But anger can often lead us to make things worse in our own lives. When we live out of our anger, we can end up throwing the tire into the lake, when all we mean to do is change it.

Some of us may decide that our anger and hurt cannot allow us to stay connected to the UMC. And I can understand that.

But what if our anger could fuel some new response instead? Some response perhaps you will write down on this card today? 

I’m not saying, “Don’t be angry.” 

But I am saying, “Let’s be careful that in our anger we do not make things worse for ourselves, or for this church we love.”

Perhaps we can find a response that will allow us to be faithful to our calling, and to continue challenge the UMC to be a more faithful church. Perhaps that is work we can still do together, as the church we have been called by God be at Preston and Northaven.

Amen.

Posted: Tuesday - May 20, 2008 at 12:30 PM           |