Transformed to Help Put the World Right Again
Indianapolis First Friends Quaker Meeting
Pastor Bob Henry
March 26, 2023
Good morning, Friends and welcome to Light Reflections. This morning I conclude my series on the Bible. Our text for this morning is from John 3:1-18 from the Message Version:
There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”
Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”
“How can anyone,” said Nicodemus, “be born who has already been born and grown up? You can’t re-enter your mother’s womb and be born again. What are you saying with this ‘born-from-above’ talk?”
Jesus said, “You’re not listening. Let me say it again. Unless a person submits to this original creation—the ‘wind-hovering-over-the-water’ creation, the invisible moving the visible, a baptism into a new life—it’s not possible to enter God’s kingdom. When you look at a baby, it’s just that: a body you can look at and touch. But the person who takes shape within is formed by something you can’t see and touch—the Spirit—and becomes a living spirit.
“So don’t be so surprised when I tell you that you have to be ‘born from above’—out of this world, so to speak. You know well enough how the wind blows this way and that. You hear it rustling through the trees, but you have no idea where it comes from or where it’s headed next. That’s the way it is with everyone ‘born from above’ by the wind of God, the Spirit of God.”
Nicodemus asked, “What do you mean by this? How does this happen?”
Jesus said, “You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics? Listen carefully. I’m speaking sober truth to you. I speak only of what I know by experience; I give witness only to what I have seen with my own eyes. There is nothing secondhand here, no hearsay. Yet instead of facing the evidence and accepting it, you procrastinate with questions. If I tell you things that are plain as the hand before your face and you don’t believe me, what use is there in telling you of things you can’t see, the things of God?
“No one has ever gone up into the presence of God except the One who came down from that Presence, the Son of Man. In the same way that Moses lifted the serpent in the desert so people could have something to see and then believe, it is necessary for the Son of Man to be lifted up—and everyone who looks up to him, trusting and expectant, will gain a real life, eternal life.
“This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
Before we head into Palm Sunday and Easter, I wanted to conclude my sermon series on the Bible by looking at what some Christians consider one of the most important dialogues in the Bible, the dialogue we just heard in our text for today.
As an impressionable teen, I spent many weekends attending Christian concerts in my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Often, they took place at the Embassy Theater downtown Fort Wayne, which was literally right around the corner from where my mom worked. Since she worked for our church’s denominational office, the band promoters would come by, the day of the concerts, and offer her free tickets, and she would pass them on to me.
Since, Christian concerts seemed a safe bet for me compared to the many other things I could get into, my parents were fine with me going. I often went with a friend or two and had a lot of fun.
Thinking about our text for day, I was reminded of one concert that went very late, due to what is commonly known as an “altar call.” Most of these concerts were heavy on altar calls - sometimes taking up almost half the concert. This specific concert, I recall, was an exception and went much longer.
If you are not familiar with altar calls, this is where the band would slow down the set, the lead singer would come out and sit on a stool at the mic and tell a moving story about coming to faith in Christ, and then an invitation was given to the audience to come forward and accept Christ and be “born again.”
Back then, there were always those two words: “Born Again.”
The pull to go forward was like a tractor beam pulling people in. I watched as tearful people were led almost zombie-like to the front. Other people came from the side exits to pray with those coming forward.
Ironically, I never found myself led to go forward. See, I grew up in a church that focused on being baptized as a child – and so I felt I was already “in” and did not need to go through this unusual ritual. Also, I found myself skeptical of all the theatrics, the seeming manipulation, and the tears.
That night, as I was taking it all in, I watched one of my friends get caught in the tractor beam. All of a sudden, He was standing and going forward without saying anything. He came back when they released everyone back to their seats and said, “Well, I have been born again.”
I looked at him and asked, “What do you mean?” And all he could say was, “I am not sure, but I think it was what I was supposed to do.”
The rest of the night we talked about it. He described deep feelings of guilt and not living up to God’s standards. He talked a lot about his sin and the many mistakes he had made. He often cried as he shared.
Then, for the next several weeks he was a miserable wreck. Soon he began to judge people, even me. Nothing was good enough for him and our friendship dissolved. To this day, I believe he is still searching for something…but he seems to always come up short.
That is why I feel this sermon in very important for us this morning. I want to look at the dialogue in our text for today between Jesus and the Pharisee leader, Nicodemus.
In that text, you heard some of the most quoted and misused scriptures and theological concepts in Christianity, today.
Not only does it talk about one of the most controversial terms in Christianity – that of being “born again” it also closes with the most quoted verse from the New Testament – John 3:16.
I chose to have our text read from the Messsage, for several reasons. Eugene Peterson titled this section of John 3, “Born from Above” – notice not Born Again. That title is more than simply a title. It is actually a correction.
Most modern texts translate the words “born again” but the reality is that John actually said something more in line with being “born from above” or “born of the Spirit from above.”
This is key to our understanding and helps us manage these verses in light of the whole of scripture.
I don’t know if you have noticed how the term “born again” has evolved over the last 40 or so years, but back in the 80’s when I was a kid, everything seemed to be about being “born again.”
People have used the term to describe an event or process in which they “gave themselves to Jesus,” (much like the altar call story I shared), which was supposed to cause a positive change in their lives and often give them a sense of meaning. But that was not always the case – as with my friend.
Many of you in this room, may have this as part of your faith journey. For some it may be comforting and for others it could hold a lot of baggage.
Today, in the world we live in, being “born again” or using that tern is primarily negative. Actually, I have dropped it from my conversations as a pastor – especially with people in the public sector. Plus, since it continues to be misused it is not helpful.
The term is often associated with an extreme Christian perspective. It also carries with it a specific set of beliefs or theologies, a political stance, even a legality that gives us a way to divide people, groups, beliefs, and thoughts. This new perspective of the term is far from what I would call Quaker or possibly even Christian.
This is because being “born again” has always been linked with a more “Conservative Christianity.” Yet that might be a bit misleading. Let me explain:
In “Speaking Christian,” Marcus Borg says,
“A conservative is one who seeks to conserve the wisdom of the past. But much of “conservative” Christianity in our time is a modern creation, not a conservation of the riches of the Christian past.”
By this definition, Quakers by their very nature are “conservative” in their desire to return to the way and teachings of Christ and his apostles. What I find interesting is that there are “progressive Quakers” like us, that could be described in this way as well. This is where utilizing “conservative and progressive” descriptors are not that helpful.
I would say that one of the aspects that has confused or convoluted this theological understanding in America is our obsession with heaven and the afterlife, and its connection to escaping this earthly dwelling for a better place.
For many people, being “born again” has been linked simply to going to heaven, (what some label) “fire insurance”, or a way out of this messed-up world’s hurt and pain.
And that leads to another problem. In the text for today, many, throughout history, have turned the phrase or even translated the “kingdom of God” into simply heaven and then claim that unless one has a new birth experience, which they usually associate with believing the right doctrines, one cannot enter heaven or sometimes even know God or the Divine in a personal way.
Chuck Queen, who I have quoted before in this series, shed some light on this in his reflection on this text. He says,
“Actually, to “see the kingdom of God” is just another way of talking about experiencing and participating in the dynamic reality of God’s life and will. John also calls this “eternal life,” which he contends is the present possession of disciples of Christ. (3:15-16). Scholars of John call this “realized eschatology,” which is just a fancy way of saying that John puts the emphasis on interacting and engaging in God’s life and work right now – in this world – rather than in the afterlife….the emphasis is on being in relationship and partnership with God in the present.”
We might understand the “Kingdom of God” better if we saw it as Martin Luther King Jr. did – as a Beloved Community, which he described as “the experience of God’s kingdom in our lives today.” People of this beloved community recognize the intrinsic worth of all people. Prejudice, cruelty, and greed are replaced with an all-inclusive spirit of friendship and goodwill. And because members of the beloved community are to prioritize love, kindness, compassion, peace, and service, societal ills such as homelessness, hunger, war, violence, poverty, and prejudice can be addressed in the present.
Another issue that needs addressed, which I warned of earlier in this series, is taking the Bible literally. Nicodemus is a literalist. He evens struggles with ACTUAL RE-ENTRY into his mother’s womb (that is about as literal as one can get.) He doesn’t get the symbolic nature of the language Jesus uses – and I would say many Christians struggle with this as well.
Remember Jesus’ response to Nicodemus, though?
“You’re a respected teacher of Israel and you don’t know these basics?”
I may be a bit bold in saying this, but I wonder if God isn’t asking this of us – do we know our basics?
As Quakers we talk about being “born of the Spirit” or being “born from above.” We speak of one “Turning Within” which is an essential element of the Quaker spiritual journey, where at some point, one discovers God, Christ, the Inner Light, the Spirit or Divine (whatever name you give it) has been dwelling within them all along. Inwardly present in a quiet and humble way that was often easy to dismiss or ignore.
I wonder if we, Quakers, have forgotten the basics to connecting with the Divine?
Being “born of the Spirit” is obviously the work and revelation of the Spirit or the Inner Light in our life. Here is what we actually say in our Western Yearly Meeting Faith and Practice about this working:
“It…inspires one to live, struggle, and suffer for the achievement of what ought to be…It is the spiritual endowment that enables one to advance beyond the narrow bounds of self toward the Christian ideals of goodness and love, and to respond to the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit…It is “that something we cannot call less than divine and universal, for it links us with the eternal realities, and with our fellow siblings of whatever race or creed. It may be hidden or warped by ignorance or pride or self-will or prejudice, but it cannot be wholly lost, for it is part of that which makes us essentially human, made in the divine image, and having within us boundless possibilities of life in God.”
So, being “born of the Spirit” is about being inspired to live, struggle, and suffer for the achievement of what ought to be (in the present)…it links us to the divine and to our neighbor…and even though at times we may get in the way…with God there are boundless possibilities of life, now!
Or as Chuck Queen articulated,
“One can think of being born again as a clearing away of all the debris and obstacles so that the dynamic energy, love, compassion, and nonviolent power of God (the Spirit) can flow unhindered in us and through us into the world.”
I sure wish that is what I would have heard when I went to those concerts when I was a kid. That there was dynamic energy, love, compassion, and nonviolent power available to me that I could utilize to change my world – instead of fearing my sin, hell, and all that guilt.
I think as Quakers we need to reclaim this language and teach it in the right way. Instead of spending so much time trying to figure out who is in or out in this world or the next, what if we actually worked on being personally or corporately “transformed” in the present moment?
Isn’t that the message Jesus is giving to the “rule-obsessed Pharisee, Nicodemus?
Being “born of the Spirit” implies that we are transformed from the inside by the work of our Inner Light or Spirit of God – so that we will be able to in turn transform the world around us – to demonstrate the Jesus life – to share in the work of our creator…unhindered, with dynamic energy, love, compassion, nonviolent and transforming power.
That sounds a lot more Quakerly, doesn’t it?
I love Eugene Peterson’s translations of Jesus’ words to Nicodemus after he shared John 3:16…just listen once again…
“God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again.”
Folks, that I believe is exactly what God is calling us to this morning.
You and I are to be transformed. Born from above. Born of the Spirit. Transformed from the inside out! To help put the world right again! Not with accusing fingers or by telling others how bad they are – but by joining God in living, struggling, and suffering for the achievement of what ought to be!
As we enter waiting worship this mornings, take a moment to ask yourself the following queries.
How might “turning within” re-connect me to my Inner Light, the Divine, Spirit, God or Jesus and transform me from the inside out?
What do I need to clean away from my life so I can experience the dynamic energy, love, compassion, and nonviolent power available to me?