12-10-17 The Love We Are Made For

The Love We Are Made For

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

December 5, 2017

Luke 1:39-55  (p. 831 in the pew Bibles)

39 In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, 40 where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. 41 When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit 42 and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. 43 And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? 44 For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. 45 And blessed is she who believed that there would be[e] a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

46 And Mary[f] said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,

47 and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,

48 for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.

    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;

49 for the Mighty One has done great things for me,

    and holy is his name.

50 His mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

52 He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,

    and lifted up the lowly;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and sent the rich away empty.

54 He has helped his servant Israel,

    in remembrance of his mercy,

55 according to the promise he made to our ancestors,

    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”

56 And Mary remained with her about three months and then returned to her home.

Our text for this morning includes this beautiful song, or what I consider more of a “spoken word” thrown down (as they say) by Mary as she declares a subversive and revolutionary message.

I think too often we “nice-it-over” and soften the edges of this rather gritty message from Mary.  Over the years we have put Mary’s words to classical music or a specific tune and kind of taken the bite away from the message.

Rev. Carolyn Sharp put it so well when she said,

“Don’t envision Mary as the radiant woman peacefully composing the Magnificat.”  Instead see her as “a girl who sings defiantly to her God through her tears, fists clenched against an unknown future… Mary’s courageous song of praise [becomes] a radical resource for those seeking to honor the holy amid the suffering and conflicts of real life.”

Over the years, I have come to hear Mary’s Magnificat not in classical tunes or peaceful soft voices, but rather in the voice and soul of my black sisters of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in the inner city of Chicago where I used to teach the Bible.

In my mind, I envision Mary as a young black woman declaring justice, freedom, and hope for her world, instead of the pale white Mary wrapped in baby blue quietly singing in the corner that we are used to seeing depicted on Christmas cards. I see a strong woman with arms flaring, fists raised, wild bodily movements, beads of sweat forming on her brow, and a strong voice throwing down those magnificent words from Luke 1:46-55.

The main reason I hear Mary in this way, is because these words are rather loaded words from Mary.  Actually, these words have had a rather big impact on the church and even our modern world. Did you know that:

●     Mary’s Song (The Magnificat) has been part of the Church’s liturgy or program since its earliest days of Christianity.  [It was that important.]

●     For centuries, members of religious orders have recited or sung these words on a daily basis. Along with the Song of Creation, The Song of Praise, The Song of Zechariah, the Song of Simeon, the Glory in Excelsis, and the Te Deum – the Magnificat is the only song used by the universal church which was written by a women.

●     It is the longest set of words spoken by a woman in the New Testament.

●     It is also the first Christmas carol ever composed.

●     Parts of Mary’s Magnificat echo the song of Hannah (found in 1 Samuel 2:1-10) and are also reminiscent of the anguish of the prophets of the Old Testament.

●     And get this - are you listening...In the past century, there were at least three separate instances of governments banning the public recitation of the Magnificat.  Its message, they feared, was too subversive.

1.   During the British rule of India, the Magnificat was prohibited from being sung in church.

2.   In the 1980s, Guatemala’s government discovered Mary’s words about God’s preferential love for the poor to be too dangerous and revolutionary. The song had been creating quite the stirring amongst Guatemala’s impoverished masses.  Mary’s words were inspiring the Guatemalan poor to believe that change was indeed possible.  Thus their government banned any public recitation of Mary’s words.

3.    Similarly, after the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo—whose children all disappeared during the Dirty War—placed the Magnificat’s words on posters throughout the capital plaza, the military junta of Argentina outlawed any public display of Mary’s song.

Even the German theologian Dietrich Bonheoffer recognized the revolutionary nature of Mary’s song.  Before being executed by the Nazis, Bonheoffer spoke the following words in a sermon during Advent 1933:

“The song of Mary is the oldest Advent hymn. It is at once the most passionate, the wildest, one might even say the most revolutionary Advent hymn ever sung. This is not the gentle, tender, dreamy Mary whom we sometimes see in paintings.…This song has none of the sweet, nostalgic, or even playful tones of some of our Christmas carols. It is instead a hard, strong, inexorable song about the power of God and the powerlessness of humankind.”

From “The Subversive Magnificat: What Mary Expected

The Messiah To Be Like” on the Website EnemyLove.com

Now, it is important for us to understand the context of Mary’s song.  We heard in our scripture reading that Mary was visiting her relative Elizabeth. Yet the reality was she was escaping the ridicule and possible retribution of her neighbors, family, and community for being an unwed pregnant teenage girl.

Scripture even tells us that the situation was grim enough that Joseph had planned to call the wedding off quietly. He did not want Mary humiliated or become a social outcast.

And to take the story up a serious notch, the reality was that according to Jewish Law Mary could have actually been stoned for adultery.

Mary is humbled by the realization that the God of the Universe is up to something and that she has been chosen to be his vessel. She senses things changing, literally being turned upside down. Her difficult life of growing up as a vulnerable woman, economically poor, and living in an oppressive world under Herod and the Roman Empire was being turned around. 

I believe her Magnificat was a cry of freedom and hope for a new world.   This was the cry of…

●     Mary who grew up economically poor.

●     Mary who was a teenage bride-to-be that was pregnant making her a social outcast.

●     Mary who gave birth to Jesus in a homeless situation.

●     Mary who fled with her family as refugees to a strange land because a religious and military power were threatening them.

And this is about a God who knows her condition. Who wants to meet her in her humanity.  Who wants her to identity with Him.

And the same is true for us. God wants us to listen to Mary’s Song – and proclaim it today.

As Reverend Anne Emry wrote in on her blog, Sacred Story,

“Mary’s song rings in our ears, and calls us to disrupt the hold violence has on our world. She sings of a future where all children are safe from violence. She sings of a future where people have homes and food and jobs. Her words are in solidarity with us. She sees to the far horizon and sings of the coming reign of God. We will be fed, and we will feed others. We will be blessed and we will bless others. We will receive justice, and we will do justice to others. All things are possible with God.”

Mary’s Song is timely for us in our day and age – as much as it was in her day.  The beauty of Mary’s Magnificat is that it is our song as well.  Her passion and words, should flow from us as a hopeful message to our world, today.  The queries I continue to ponder are…

Are we bold enough to proclaim Mary’s Song today?

…in our political climate?

…with the troubles in our world with race, gender, and economic inequalities?

…with a religious fervor that is focused on being right and creating “us vs. them” mentalities?  

If so, it is going to have to be done in Love. 

This week as I was researching the text, I came across a modern rendition of the Magnificat by Joy Cowley.  I would like to close our time with sharing this version (it is actually part of the art on the front of our bulletins this morning).  There is one line in it that I believe sums up Mary’s intent and ours… Joy Cowley writes...

"It’s the Love that we are made for…"

Mary knew this truth and so must we as we proclaim this important message again to our world. It’s being the Love of God to our world that we are made for this Season of Awakening.  Listen to this beautiful modernized version of the Magnificat.

Modern Magnificat  by Joy Cowley

My soul sings in gratitude.

I’m dancing in the mystery of God.

The light of the Holy One is within me

and I am blessed, so truly blessed.

This goes deeper than human thinking.

I am filled with awe

at Love whose only condition

is to be received.

The gift is not for the proud,

for they have no room for it.

The strong and self-sufficient ones

don’t have this awareness.

But those who know their emptiness

can rejoice in Love’s fullness.

It’s the Love that we are made for,

the reason for our being.

It fills our inmost heart space

and brings to birth in us, the Holy One.

Ask yourself, this morning:

How will I share the important message of Mary’s Song this Advent?

Who needs to hear it, today?

12-3-17 A Season of Awakening

A Season of Awakening

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

December 3, 2017

Ephesians 5:14-16 (VOICE)

13-14 When the light shines, it exposes even the dark and shadowy things and turns them into pure reflections of light. This is why they sing,

Awake, you sleeper!

    Rise from your grave,

And the Anointed One will shine on you.

15 So be careful how you live; be mindful of your steps. Don’t run around like idiots as the rest of the world does. Instead, walk as the wise! 16 Make the most of every living and breathing moment because these are evil times.

If you grew up in a different faith tradition than among Friends or Quakers, you may have been introduced to the season of Advent. The actual word, “Advent,” comes from the Latin and means “coming.” I grew up in liturgical churches which all celebrated these four weeks leading up to Christmas day as a season of preparation for the coming of Jesus and his birth - with churches arrayed in royal purples or blue for the Coming King and an Advent Wreath with four candles to count down the Sundays until the big celebration. 

If you did not know, Advent is observed by many Christian churches including some Quakers. I personally have considered it one of the most Quakerly seasons in the more formal church year because it is known to focus on expectant waiting and preparation - two things that Quakers consider very important to their faith.

As I have been pondering this time of expectant waiting and preparation this year, I have had a different word that begins with the letter “A” on my mind. 

That word is “awakening.” 

A word that has become popular in several circles over the last couple of years. If you are a Star Wars fan like me, you will obviously remember it’s use in the title of the 7th installment of the franchise, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” and then all the subsequent trailers stating that “There has been an awakening.”   

Yet, if you take some time and look into the definition of “awakening” you will come across this important definition, which I believe may describe this time leading up to Christmas even more appropriately.

The definition says that awakening is “coming into existence or awareness.”

What if we looked at the next couple weeks as a Season of Awakening?  While others celebrate Advent - First Friends will celebrate a Season of Awakening.

Doesn’t it seem appropriate when thinking about Jesus being born into this world? And wasn’t Jesus coming into existence and bringing a new awareness to our world? 

The incarnation of Jesus was awaking the world to a new way of seeing. It says in scripture that he was reconciling the people to God and to their neighbors and making them aware of the importance of unconditional love.

As well, this coming of Jesus was shedding a new light on things. We often refer to Jesus as the Light of the World. Jesus was born into this world to shed light on our dark places and to awaken the light within each of us.

What if each Christmas Light that we decorate our homes and trees with and each candle that is lit was a reminder of Jesus’ life and ministry and how we too are called to live that awakened life in this world. It just might have us seeing our lives, and especially, our neighbors in a different light (pun intended).   

This was exactly what Jesus spoke of in his first sermon in his hometown synagogue.  Listen to his words as he quoted from Isaiah.

God’s Spirit is on me;

    he’s chosen me to preach the Message of good news to the poor,

Sent me to announce pardon to prisoners and

    recovery of sight to the blind,

To set the burdened and battered free,

    to announce, “This is God’s year to act!”

Jesus was announcing an awakening!

He awoke the people of his day not only to see just the prisoners, the blind, the burdened and battered (no, that was only the beginning). Jesus would go on to awaken us to the poor, the widows, the orphans, the women, the outcasts, the neglected, and the people from other cultures and races - even the despised Samaritans or what soon he would categorize as all the gentiles (non-Jews).  

Folks, Jesus was awakening a world to God’s Kingdom where ALL people were included and respected, and loved. The veil would be torn and the table set for us to commune together.  This would have been amazingly good news to a world that was suffering from oppressive militant governments, who thought women were possessions, who swept the sick, the diseased, the crippled, and the unclean outside the city gates.

Hmmm...sadly that sounds an awful lot like our world, still today.

Yet, I am optimistic. I sense an awakening happening in our world. God is shedding again his light on our darkness. His ways are coming into existence again and we are becoming aware of the hurt we have caused by not being able to see our neighbors as ourselves. God is awakening our inner lights, he is fanning our flames, and calling us to be his ambassadors to a hurting world. 

This morning as we head into waiting worship, ask yourselves,     

How am I preparing for the awakening that is happening in this world? Who around me is being neglected or treated poorly? Who is in need of a little respect or a blessing of love this Christmas? Who needs an awakening?  

May these be our gifts this Awakening Season and throughout this year!    

11-19-17 Becoming the One Who Was Grateful

Becoming the One Who Was Grateful

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

November 19, 2017

Let us begin this morning by taking a moment to “Center Down” – to calm our hearts, our minds, our lives.  To help you focus on more “happy thoughts” – what I would like for you to do is think about the following query.

Who are you the most grateful/thankful for, today? Why?

So take some time to allow your mind and life to settle, then ask yourself this query.  We will close this centering time by having Dan Rains read our scripture for this morning.

Luke 17:11-19 (VOICE)

11 Jesus was still pressing toward Jerusalem, taking a road that went along the border between Samaria (considered undesirable territory) and Galilee. 12 On the outskirts of a border town along this road, He was greeted from a distance by a group of 10 people who were under quarantine because of an ugly and disgusting skin disease known as leprosy.

Lepers (shouting across the distance): 13 Jesus, Master, show mercy to us!

Jesus: 14 Go now and present yourselves to the priests for inspection of your disease.

They went, and before they reached the priests, their skin disease was healed, leaving no trace of the disease that scarred them and separated them from the community.

15 One of them, the instant he realized he had been healed, turned and ran back to Jesus, shouting praises to God. 16 He prostrated himself facedown at Jesus’ feet.

Leper: Thank You! Thank You!

Now this fellow happened to be, not a Jew, but a Samaritan.

Jesus: 17 Didn’t all ten receive the same healing this fellow did? Where are the other nine? 18 Was the only one who came back to give God praise an outsider? 19 (to the Samaritan man) Get up, and go your way. Your faith has made you healthy again.

Our text for this morning is a familiar story from the Gospels. It is often considered the “Healing of the Lepers” but this morning – I would like to focus less on the miraculous healing and more on the gratitude/thankfulness of the one leper – as I believe it has a great lesson for us today – and our world.

First, let me give us some background. Lepers were known to congregate together outside the city gates. They were considered social and religious outcasts because of their disease. Their only company and help was from each other. Thus, they created what we still call “Leper Colonies.” This is important to place Jesus geographically.

When speaking of lepers and the outcast meant immediately that Jesus was probably on a border. Actually, our text says that Jesus was on the border of Galilee and Samaria. This is very important to this story.

Dick Harfield on his blog “Answers” explains this, he says,

The Samaritans, or Samarians, came from the province of Samaria, formerly the Hebrew kingdom of Israel before its destruction in 722 BCE. The Samaritans would have been of mixed race, descendants of the original Israelites and the immigrants whom the Assyrians brought in to replace the Israelites who had been deported. They shared a common Hebrew heritage with the Jews.

–

Samaritans were related to the Jewish bloodlines. You could call them "cousins," as it were, of the Jews. Geographically, they were neighbors of the Jews. However, they did not follow the Jewish teachings, so they were viewed by the Jews as apostates. That is why the Jews did not associate with Samaritans.

Remember Jesus was a Jew from Galilee. So his family would have raised him with a racist bias against the Samaritans. Just ponder that a moment.

Yet, it is Jesus, who wherever possible, shows us a sensitivity toward racial justice as it relates to the Samaritans – which would have been unheard of and actually problematic for him.

The Jews and the Samaritans were involved in an internal family war – violence, hatred, horrific discrimination, had been dividing factors among these two people groups for quite some time.

And then comes Jesus across the borders from Galilee to Samaria.  Which it says in the Bible he did on several occasions, sometimes to the displeasure of the disciples and those watching him. Folks, it is historically documented that by the time Jesus was on the face of the earth, the Jews and the Samaritans had hated each other for at least 200 years. 

With all we know of this non-existent relationship between the groups, Jesus has the audacity to often mention Samaritans, talk to Samaritans, and even heal Samaritans.

This would be unacceptable by the Jewish leaders of his time.  This might have actually caused Jesus more trouble than blasphemy or healing on the Sabbath.  Because to associate with a Samaritan – was beyond ok – it would mean you too were unclean.

Yet Jesus would tell a parable where the Samaritan was the hero (we title it “The Good Samaratin”) – and the Samaritan is received as a man of good faith. Completely unacceptable to the Religious Leaders.

Jesus would go out of his way to spend time with a Samaritan woman at the city well.  Completely unacceptable on many accounts to the Religious Leaders (a Samaritan, and a woman, and in PUBLIC).

And in our text today, we find out that Jesus heals the lepers – all of those gathered – but it is a Samaritan who would come back overwhelmed with gratitude. Oh no!  What would the Religious Leaders think?

That is what makes this entire story so fascinating.  So much more is going on than just a miraculous healing.

First, the Lepers were desperate.  Most likely they had heard of Jesus and his healing powers.  So when they cry out, “Jesus, Master, show mercy to us.”  I am sure they were hoping for a miracle.

But instead, Jesus had them following the law. He had heard them and already had begun the healing process.  But to re-enter community…they had some rules to follow. Chuck Smith in his Commentary on Luke 11points out that...

1.   The priest had to inspect the skin to determine if the leprosy was truly gone.

2.   There were then certain prescribed sacrifices that had to be made.

3.   They had to perform certain rituals such as shaving off all their hair, and ceremonial bathings.

4.   After all of this, they could then return to their tent within the camp.

The only way the Religious Leaders would believe Jesus was for Jesus to follow their laws and do the healing within their world and beliefs.

The interesting thing about the story is that we don’t even know if the other 9 made it to the priests.  All that scripture decides to tell us is about the one who stopped in his tracks, and ran back to Jesus with gratitude and thanks.

●     No priest needed to tell him he was healed.

●     No religious body that had rejected him and made him an outcast needed to approve.

●     No ceremony was necessary, accept laying prostrate at Jesus’ feet and thanking Jesus profusely.

And then Luke tells us, “oh, and by the way, this man happened to not be a Jew, but a Samaritan.”

Yet again! The Samaritan!

Just listen again to the rest of what Jesus says…

17 Didn’t all ten receive the same healing this fellow did? Where are the other nine? 18 Was the only one who came back to give God praise an outsider? 19 (to the Samaritan man) Get up, and go your way. Your faith has made you healthy again.

It was the outsider…hmmm… Jesus points out once again the racial injustice of his own people toward the Samaritans.

Now, we could take away some great nuggets from this teaching already, but I want to take it one step further.  As I was preparing for this sermon, I came across the following on a blog called, “Nothing for Granted” – the post was titled, “Am I the Samaritan Leper or One of the Nine?” 

To close this sermon this morning, I would like to read the final part of this blog to you, I hope we will be able to identify with the Samaritan even more.

And so we hear this Gospel proclaimed and we sit back and complacently reflect upon the conviction that we are part of a relatively new and enlightened tradition that recognizes every single person as being a child of God. Apparently there is not much here of interest to us.

Perhaps but let's take a closer look. This is, after all, a story of God’s mercy but it is also about us, at our best and at our worst.

It is the story of nine people who failed to thank Jesus for his intercession and of one person who did thank him knowing that he had nowhere else to go but back to Jesus. He had nowhere else to go because the nine, in the name of God, of society and of propriety would have nothing further to do with him. Associating with him was o.k. for as long as they were all fellow outcasts but now things had changed.

Think about it. Jesus had cured them all...a cure that became very evident after they had set out, in accordance with his instructions to find a priest whose role was to attest to their lack of infection. The nine Jews continued on to complete the ritual...a ritual from which the Samaritan was automatically barred.

Did Jesus then set him up for this process of rejection? First by his former fellow sufferers and then by the priest?

I suppose you could say that he did. Jesus certainly knew that once re- integrated into society, the nine would reject the Samaritan simply because that is what society would demand...and he also knew that for the Samaritan to present himself to a Jewish priest would invite further rejection.

But, as always, Jesus knew exactly what he was doing. The Samaritan, in his humility, wanted to express his thanks but, at the same time, he knew that in returning to the Jewish holy man and identifying himself he was risking an even more painful rejection. He probably anticipated Jesus saying something like, "Hold it right there! I didn't know that you were one of those damned Samaritans...I'm not so sure that I want you to be healed!"

But what he said was, "You are welcome, I accept your thanks...it is your faith, a faith of which you are barely aware, that has saved you….continue on your way with my blessing."

And so the Samaritan and now former leper healed and filled with new hope continued to make his way in a society wherein the majority would still look upon him with disdain. He would go on living in a world where clean and unclean...liberal and conservative...cool and uncool...would continue to be operative distinctions.

Down through the centuries he would go, the son of many parents, loved by God and yet frequently dismissed or worse by proud, ungrateful people who had, in their complacency, forgotten that in the final analysis all they are, all that they have and all they can hope for is the undeserved gift of God.

He would become the patient victim of overly officious officials, condescending professionals, bigoted landlords, arrogant employers, contemptuous employees and woefully insecure neighbours.

Do you know him, this ex-leper, this Samaritan?

I do. Sometimes he is me...sometimes you or your child or the person next to you. But she is most often the marginal, the disenfranchised. The easiest of whom to take advantage and the least likely to fight back.

The Samaritan is the next person that you or I avoid in a crowded room...disregard at a meeting or ignore as we hurriedly leave this church.

Yes, thanks be to God, I am the Samaritan...but God forgive me, I am also one of the nine.

11-12-17 Where Are the Peacemakers?

Where Are All The Peacemakers?

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

November 12, 2017

Philemon 1:3-9a                                             

3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 4 I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, 5 because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. 6 I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. 7 Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people.

8 Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, 9 yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love.

[Let us pray]

With all that has transpired since the last time we gathered in this Meetinghouse, I have done a lot of reflecting on the concept of being a peacemaker in our world, today.  I know I am not personally going to change what happened at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas last week, yet it causes me to ask some deeper questions of how I am personally being a peacemaker in my area of influence.  

What has become more and more apparent to me as I watch the news, or read social media, or even in conversations in my communities is how not much is being said about peace or peace making – and not much is being done to seek peace -- only after the fact.

Much of what I see or hear being discussed is revenge, gossip, payback, or people looking for groups or individuals to blame, all while often disregarding what others are saying or feeling. One recent example of this would be the NFL football player taking a knee during the national anthem and being told his protest is a disgrace to the flag, the military, and unpatriotic - missing the entire point of why he is kneeling.  

Too often we are simply closing our ears and secluding ourselves from our neighbors. And our lack of listening and understanding is leading to violence in many and various ways.  

I actually started processing these ideas last summer on our way back from dropping our son off at college. On that trip our family visited Little Big Horn Battlefield National Monument in southeast Montana. There we heard of a vision given to the First Nations Chief Sitting Bull that the white man who was taking their land had “no ears” to hear the desires of natives.

Sadly, I believe our country was founded by many who had “no ears” to see the bigger picture of life together with people different than themselves.  We too often closed our ears and moved forward – not listening, not waiting, and not working out of love. And the sins of our past have trickled down to our present time creating immense amounts of violence in our world.

We are constantly looking to pass the blame to specific groups of people - political parties, religions, and yes cultures and races - because, let’s be honest, it is how we control or conquer for our own benefits. This is the opposite of being a peacemaker - actually when this happens peace is lost.

When we don’t listen carefully, don’t seek to really understand, and quickly pass judgements, we perpetuate violence in our world. 

This week, I was shocked as I read a post by Relevant Magazine titled, “Correcting the Misinformation Being Spread About the Texas Shooting.” In the article it explained how internet trolls faked the gunman’s Facebook page (the one we all saw), as well they faked his name, political affiliation, religion, and status with the military.

And why...because they wanted to control who was blamed.    

Now, I have to be honest. I admit and apologize for the many times I have not listened, when I too have had closed ears to people, their views or ideas, and have created more conflict or a communication barrier.

Seeking peace and being a peacemaker has never been easy, but it is a venture I believe our world is craving. We don’t need more trolls or people without ears, we are in need of peacemakers that will actually live out the change!

I believe it is time for us to return to and embrace our Quaker distinctives - especially in the area of peacemaking. 

A few months ago, I had a conversation with a former colleague who recently became part of a Friends Church in Indiana.  As we talked he shared of his frustrations with the meeting he attends. The biggest frustration being their lack of any visible “peace testimony.”  What really hit me though was when he said, “It is like Friends are ashamed of being part of a peace tradition and now more than ever they should be embracing it.”

Honestly, the Quaker “Peace Testimony” has been a controversial part of who we are throughout history. I believe this is mainly because it is much easier to close our ears and point a finger than it is to listen. Just maybe, we don’t embrace a peace testimony because it is simply hard work.

Our Christian culture has dumbed down Christianity so much.  We have talked too long about “Peace with God” only to ignore peace with our neighbors (near and far), our families, or colleagues, etc… 

So to start we may need a refresher course – and that means we will need to return to our own historic roots – let me read what it states in our Faith and Practice about our Foundations of Peace:

FRIENDS emphasize the fact that the most effective way to end war is to remove its causes, such as misunderstanding, the desire for revenge, the spirit of aggression, and economic, racial, and territorial rivalries. This calls for the utmost endeavor to demonstrate the working power of fair dealing, universal equity, friendliness, and sympathy. The intricate network of modern life demands that Friends use every legitimate means to influence the attitudes of their government toward other nations, that all may conform to the highest standards of justice and good will as taught by Jesus. They should equip themselves with knowledge of the needs and opportunities for whatever ministries of Christian friendship exist in the world family of nations. They should cultivate the personal skills and abilities that will enable them to become interpreters of the Christian way of life which alone is the sure foundation for enduring peace.

Folks, this is our heritage, this is one of our distinctives, and this is not new for us as Quakers, but it may be new for some of us…or maybe because of the way of American Christianity it has become hard to understand – especially since many Christians in America have embraced, even welcomed a more violent spirit, tied to patriotism or a specific political party’s beliefs.

And that violent spirit is not just in military campaigns or politics, Quaker Parker Palmer shows us that violence is permeating not only our churches, but our culture, our families, our own minds, he says,

“Violence is done when parents insult children, when teachers demean students, when supervisors treat employees as disposable means to economic ends, when physicians treat patients as objects, when people condemn gays and lesbians “in the name of God,” when racists live by the belief that people with a different skin color are less than human.  And just as physical violence may lead to bodily death, spiritual violence causes death in other guises – the death of a sense of self, of trust in others, of risk taking on behalf of creativity, of commitment to the common good.  If obituaries were written for deaths of this kind, every daily newspaper would be a tome.”

Folks, our voices for peace and nonviolence are desperately needed once again. This is supposed to be our nature as Quakers – but we have lost our edge, we are no longer disciplined, we have gotten lazy and fat when it comes to peacemaking. 

We should not be ashamed or reticent of stickers that read “War is not the Answer” or signs that read “No matter where you are from, we are glad you are our neighbor” (in one, three of fifteen languages).     

In the intro to the book “Practicing Peace: A Devotional Walk Through of the Quaker Tradition” by Catherine Whitmire she writes,

Quakers have been practicing peace as a spiritual discipline since the 1650’s. Their well-worn path to peace begins in prayer and worship, leads to recognizing God in all people, includes practicing nonviolence, and endeavors to make love the guiding force in all they do. This path which is available to everyone, celebrates life’s highest joys and witnesses life’s deepest tragedies amidst the beauty, uncertainty, and violence surrounding us. While practicing peace is not always easy, it is a spiritual discipline that expands love, generates hope, and satisfies our soul’s deep longing for peace.

That is what I want – and I hope that is the same for you this morning.

Back in October of 2001, Friends in the northwest participated in a Peace Conference held in Newberg, OR. They created a set of 7 queries to help us process how we can be better peacemakers in our world.  Let these be our challenge this week. (You can find them in your bulletin).

1.   Do you find ways to live peacefully in your daily relationships? Do you encourage others to do so by education and example?

2.   Do you recognize, express, and dwell in God as your ultimate source of security?

3.   In a spirit of repentance, confession, and forgiveness, are you willing to leave vengeance to God and pray for your enemies?

4.   Are you active in a community that supports one another in following God’s call to peace?

5.   Are you proactive in praying, speaking, and acting against the injustice that may bring on the occasion for terrorism and war?

6.   Do you find ways to learn about and understand the Friends peace testimony?

7.   Do you act in loving and respectful ways toward those who disagree with the Quaker peace testimony?

10-29-17 Vibrations of God's Love

Vibrations of God’s Love

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

October 29, 2017

Matthew 22:34-40 (NRSV)

34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

For many of us, this passage is very familiar. It is considered a summary of all things and a link that connects us to our beginnings.  You may not be aware that these words are a continuation of what our Jewish sisters and brothers refer to as the Great Shema from the Torah, more specifically Deuteronomy 6.  If you are not familiar with the Great Shema from the Jewish faith, it is considered     the centerpiece of the daily morning and evening prayer and is also considered by some the most essential prayer in all of Judaism. So much so, most Jews consider it a command

So to fully understand this text, we must see it through Jewish eyes.

To a Jew of Jesus’ day when hearing the lawyer ask Jesus his question, they would have heard him ask it in the language of their culture, something of this nature:

"Rabbi, what is your yoke?" or "Rabbi, what is your interpretation of Torah?"

Basically, the lawyer wanted to know Jesus' "bottom line," his summary of the Torah.  For us it may be like asking for 25 words or less on the overall theme of the Bible?   

It was kind of a trick question - as a good Jew himself, Jesus would have been expected to answer with the Great Shema. Which as I read it, you will remember hearing it in Jesus’ answer.

Here is how the Great Shema from Deuteronomy 6 reads:

4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone.[a] 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might. 6 Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. 7 Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand, fix them as an emblem[b] on your forehead, 9 and write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

But Jesus didn’t leave well enough alone (as we say) - he went a little further and made a modification or actually an addition - he added to the Great Shema.  Not only did he speak the familiar words about loving God but he went on and added a second greatest commandment.

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Now, that addition probably came as a shock to the lawyer.  He got what he wanted -- but then got a little bit more.

What Jesus did was not simply expand the Great Shema, but make it more practical - more tangible. Jesus’s answer to how the Torah is summed up is living a life loving God with every part of your being in response to God's grace.  And how is that love for God best expressed...in loving our neighbor!  

In Sesame Street terms this would be like Jesus saying... you can’t have one without the other.  Loving our neighbor as ourselves is how we live out the love of God in and through our lives - and I would go one step further and say it is also how God loves us - through our neighbors.

Or as writer Ronald Rolheiser put it,

“The God of the incarnation tells us that anyone who says that he or she loves an invisible God in heaven and is unwilling to deal with a visible neighbor on earth is a liar since no one can love a God who cannot be seen if he or she cannot love a neighbor who can be seen. Hence a Christian spirituality is always as much about dealing with each other as it is about dealing with God.”

Now, at this point, I want to go back to the book I referenced a couple weeks ago, “The Rebirthing of God” by John Philip Newell.  In his chapter on “Reconnecting with Love” he introduces the reader to someone he considers one of the greatest prophets of love in the modern world, Simone Weil (said Veil). 

“She was a philosopher, mystic, and a political activist. As a French Jew, she saw the Nazi occupation of her homeland, fleeing Paris...only hours before German forces laid siege to the capital. Eventually, she set sail from the south of France to find exile in the United States and then in Britain.”  

Newell points out that “Weil believed that the universe is essentially a vibration of God. Drawing on her Jewish inheritance, she saw everything as spoken into being by God. At the heart of that divine utterance is the sound or vibration of love.”   

I found this image or metaphor so beautiful in describing what Jesus was trying to do when moving from the Great Shema to a more meaningful and fuller understanding of the importance of love for all. 

This vibration of God, as Weil describes it, allows us to see the universe as an “expression of love” and then everything in the “universe is essentially a means to love.”

Now, stop right there.  Ponder that for a moment...The entire universe is a means to love - a sounding board vibrating God’s love to us at every moment.   

Now, some of you are saying...that is not my experience? The universe is vibrating all kinds of things back at me on a daily basis. 

But take a moment and think of it as Newell describes Weil’s understanding,

“The rising sun is a means to love, as is the whiteness of the moon at night. Every life-form, the shape of the weeping willow by the distant pond, the song of the robin in the hedgerow, the light in the eyes of every creature -- all these are means to love. I am a means to love, as are you, your children, and your nation.”

It may take some adjusting in our minds, but it was a Buddhist writer that helped me see my neighbor as not just the people who live around me or for that matter just people, rather our neighbors are all kinds of living beings - animals (domestic and wild), trees and plants, the food and animals we eat, our earth and atmosphere and ozone….etc…  Boy, did that change and expand how I saw my neighbor being a means of love.

I have to ask myself, am I treating animals, my gardens, the spaces I occupy on this earth in a loving manner and I allowing them to be a means of love? Do I love them as I would want to be loved?  

We often talk about being stewards of the earth - but how are we really treating ALL of our neighbors.  Maybe the reason we are not experiencing the vibration of God in the world is because we are not loving God and his creation fully and especially not the way we, ourselves, want to be treated.  

And if we are only talking about our neighbor as people, maybe we are getting in the way of loving our neighbor.  I am reminded of Nelson Mandela’s famous quote.

“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”

Love was Jesus’ bottom line, because God’s bottom line is love, and as Nelson Mandela’s seems to imply so is our bottom line. 

Just imagine...instead of the things we so easily get focused on, what if we were looking for the love of God vibrating in our universe? What if instead of focusing on the...

...the political party one aligns with,

…the sexuality one is orientated toward,

...the education one has achieved,

...the monetary depth one has accrued,

...the religion one professes to follow,  

…the race or culture in which one was born.

...the obstacles one has overcome or continues to wrestle with…

...what if we first looked to see where God’s love was vibrating back to us in this universe?

I know for me, I often choose not to see or sense those “vibrations” in our universe. Too often I actually choose to focus on those other things and then miss the opportunities all around me to experience or even acknowledge that amazing love vibrating all around me in my daily life.  

This week I began taking an intentional inventory of the places where I sensed these “vibrations” in my universe - where what I experienced was a means of love from God.  

●     I found them in the vibrant colors of the maple trees on my way into work on Allisonville Road just past Conner Prairie.

●     I found them in the smell of the fresh rain in the morning.

●     I found them in my parent’s dog Gracie.   

●     I found them in the smooth vocals of Michael McDonald.

●     I found them in the modernist architecture in Columbus, Indiana.

●     I found them in the smell of fresh ground and then brewed coffee.

●     I found them in the brisk cool breeze. 

●     I found them in difficult conversations as well as fun ones.

●     I found them in the giggles, hugs  and smiles of my sons.

●     I found them in an piece of art I created in High School and in the ideas of new art I want to create.

●     I found them in passionate people who wanted to make a difference in our community.

●     I found them in a place we now call home.

●     I found them in the eyes of my wife which spoke her love without words.

And the list could go on and on.  My hope this morning is that I have awakened you to new ways of thinking and seeing.  Where are you experiencing the vibrations of God’s love in the Universe, today?  

10-22-17 The Imitation Game

The Imitation Game

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

Oct. 22, 2017

1 Thessalonians 1:2-9 (NRSV)

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters[a] beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions[b] report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,

Well it is that season of the year when people dress up as their favorite cartoon characters, heroes or heroines, and take on a new persona all for the benefit of receiving candy from neighbors, family, and friends.

When I was younger, I loved to dress up in costumes. I have never told anyone this, but I remember hiding a fake mustache in my bedroom that I would wear with my only Hawaiian shirt (in my bedroom where no one could see) so I could look like and become Magnum P.I.  I thought he was so cool. 

I also, grew up in the era of Underoos. (Anyone remember those?) Where kids could be one of the characters from Star Wars or the Superfriends underneath their normal clothing - like some alter ego or secret identity hidden beneath the surface.   

Anyway, this time of year has many memories for me.  One of the greatest (and somewhere my mom, I am sure has photos of this) was back when I was in first grade.  From what I can remember, first grade was a great year. I loved my first grade teacher - Miss Deinert - probably because she was the only teacher I knew that drove a yellow Volkswagen Bug. I loved learning the alphabet, art projects, and listening to stories.  But most of all I could not wait for Fall and for our class Halloween Party - put on by the room mothers. My mom was always a volunteer and helped out. From what I rememebr, first grade would offer me my first “official” costume party.  I still remember like it was yesterday going to our local .5 and Dime store (Belmonts) for my costume.  As we arrived in the costume aisle of Belmonts, I quickly took an inventory of all the costumes - everything from Chewbacca from Star Wars to Bo Duke from the Dukes of Hazzard. 

But on that day, I was drawn in by a completely different costume and it all started with a plastic pitch fork. I was enamored with this plastic pitchfork - I believe it was black plastic rod with a set of three red pointed tines. I am not ever sure if I had ever seen a pitchfork before this moment (especially not one like this), because I vaguely remember asking my mom what it was. She said under her breath, “Bobby, that is something that the devil uses.” 

Ooooo...intriguing to my 6 year old mind. I carried that pitchfork up and down the costume aisle of Belmonts because I knew it was going to be mine. Sticking with the theme, I picked out an entire devil costume with a red-faced mask with horns and a pointed tail and all. What better costume was there to go with my pitchfork and to wear to my 1st grade Halloween party at my Christian school….haha...

I have come to realize, it is really hard saying no to a cute little 6 year old. I have had three of them in my life and I am sorry for leading my mother down this path when I was that age. But to this day, I still wonder what my mom thought about that costume. What were the others room mothers thinking (I believe Bobby is going to grow up to be a pastor), or what was my first grade teacher thinking?  At 6 years old - I assumed they would think it was totally cool! 

Luckily for me, we were only allowed to wear our costume for the last period of our day which was designated as the time for our Halloweenparty.  I remember at one point seeing a photo of me in my classroom sitting in a back desk with no one around me…go figure.  Bobby Henry was the devil in 1st grade.

Now, why do I tell that story this morning.  It has to do with the concept of “imitating.”  Throughout scripture (and even in our text for this morning) it speaks of imitating Christ. Usually, the word is translated following or follower, but often it has a much deeper meaning. 

If you were raised in the church like I was, you probably heard at some point that you needed to “follow” Jesus, or you needed to have a personal relationship with him, or on occasion you may have been told to try and imitate him (or at least consider what he would do in certain situations - WWJD?). 

Now let’s stop right here and read the definition of the word imitate - it means: 

●     to mimic; impersonate:

●     to copy or reproduce closely.

●     to have or assume the appearance of; simulate; resemble.

That could describe most children and many adults on Halloween Night, or for that matter, at a Comicon Convention - since Cosplay is one of the fastest growing industries in our world. 

Ironically, much of this mimicking, impersonating, assuming the appearance of someone else has a lot to do with escaping reality, fantasy, and masking who we really are deep down. In a culture that has become more and more isolated, technologically dependent and disconnected with each other - simulating and impersonating is a key to survival. 

But this is where I believe the idea of imitating begins to break down.  The imitating that is talked about in scripture is not simply dressing up as Jesus and playing Jesus to all your friends - which sadly I believe a great deal of the American church does. It is not trying to copy Jesus per se but rather allowing his attributes, characteristics, his ways to be manifest in our lives and through our gifting and abilities for the sake of others.

I think this is where the English language has a hard time understanding the full concept of the word imitate or mimos (where we get the word mimic) in Greek.  The concept was that following the example of someone (like Jesus) meant that it was lived out and evident in more than the surface areas - it went into the depth of their being. It was not simply putting on a mask or the right clothing, or even saying the right words, it was embodying the very nature of God.  As Quakers, we would call this “minding our inner light.”  Seeing that of God in ourselves and looking for that of God in our neighbor. 

For the Thessalonians, it changed how they saw their world and it should change the way we see ours as well. In the text for today, it speaks of how it literally turned them into an example for others to follow.  It reads, “you became the example.” God’s ways were literally “sounding forth” through the lives of the Thessalonians. God had become known in their lives so much that Paul said when he and his team arrived they had no need to talk about who God was - because it was so evident in the lives of the Thessalonians.  It was the transforming power of the Holy Spirit inside those people that brought joy, love, and a welcoming spirit - and it was undeniably a true imitation of God.  Outsiders actually saw God in and through them.    

Now, don’t get me wrong, when I come into this space each week, when I meet with each of you, even when I serve alongside you, I can honestly say that I am sensing God’s presence in this place through your lives. Actually, I could probably speak these words of Paul to the Thessalonians to you the people of First Friends. 

Yet, I wonder, if we asked ourselves honestly how we actually come into this meetinghouse each week, or to serve, or to meet with a committee…

●     How often would we admit that we put on “masks”?

●     How often would we admit being drawn in by the “pitchforks” of religion?

●     How often would we be clueless of who we are really imitating or trying to follow?

●     How often would we be simply running through the motions, lacking authenticity, and representing more of an ideal than God’s true character? 

For a long time now, I have heard people complain about the hypocrisy in the church. How on Sunday mornings all across this nation people “dress up,” even put on their “masks,” and take their families to church. And for the 2 or so hours they fake a good life, take on loving, caring, and even welcoming characteristics, but by Sunday afternoon return to “real life.” 

To change our world, our environment, our communities, even our families, it is going to take more than running through the motions and playing church. It is going to take embodying that of God inside each of us.  So the world doesn’t just see our religious costume, but connect to what is in our depths - a faith that is real - a God who is good - and opportunities for hope and joy and peace and love that last.  

Ask yourself this morning:

What will it take for First Friends to become an even more authentic community and even more genuinely embrace the imitation of God?

10-15-17 Worry, Anxiety, Fear, and Hope!

Worry, Anxiety, Fear, and Hope!

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

October 15, 2017

Philippians 4:4-9The Message (MSG)

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

The text for today is one of my favorite “reality checks” in scripture. Whenever I read it, I find it raising a lot of different feelings and thoughts and causing me to stop and think about the things I worry about, my anxiety, and what all I fill my mind with throughout the week. Wrestling with these thoughts are such important things to help us build self-awareness and understanding. Whenever I do this type of spiritual exercise, I understand better what Eugene Peterson meant when he called the Bible, “a book that reads us even as we read it.”

In one of the classes I used to teach at Huntington University, I began each lesson with some Lectio Divina. If you are not familiar with Lectio Divina, those words are Latin for "divine reading," "spiritual reading," or "holy reading." They represent a method of prayer and scriptural reading intended to promote communion with God and provide special spiritual insights. I have even heard one person call it Quaker Bible Reading.

Often it takes repetitively reading the scriptures and honing in on specific words or phrases, instead of specific answers, doctrines, or thoughts. This often leads one to see new things or actually ask different questions of scripture. Too often Bible reading is simply about finding answers or proving others wrong. That is not what Lectio Divina is meant to be. 

Part of the class I taught, as well as in my own devotional life, I utilized a book called, “Solo: An Uncommon Devotional” which utilized Lectio Divina and the Message version of scripture.  The process that the book lays out is rather simple:

Read          Think         Pray           Live.

That could easily be described as somewhat of a mantra for my own life - Read, Think, Pray, and Live. 

This morning, for a change of pace, I would like us to experience a similar process with our text from Philippians. 

To begin I am going to read our text through twice.  As I read, take time to listen for specific phrases or words that speak specifically to you and your condition. Don’t get caught up with why the text is being written, or who it is being written for, or what it’s doctrinal intent...but rather let it speak to your heart and condition in the present moment without any of these other limitations.   

As I used to tell my students, “You may need to close your eyes to open up your ears.”

Listen to these words from

Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down.  It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

(Repeat)

Now, that we have heard the words of this text a couple of times. Hopefully some things have stood out to you as I have read.  It seems with all that we are bombarded with on the nightly news, or in our families, or even in our work or school situations we are all dealing with some aspect of worry, anxiety, fear, or inability to center ourselves down.

So next, I want to ask you a few queries to help you think a little differently about this text and what maybe running through your minds. Please note: these are just prompts to get you thinking.

Also, for some of you, God may already be saying something to you and you may want to stay with that, but if not, I am going to utilize some queries for this specific scripture from the book, “Solo” to prompt more thoughts - causing us to enter the second part, which we call - THINK. 

●     How do you handle something that worries you?

○     Do you ignore the problem so you can put it off thinking about it for as long as possible? 

○     Do you feel depressed and pessimistic about it, pretty sure of negative results, no matter what?

○     Do you spend a lot of energy identifying a solution and working toward it?

●     (Whatever your answer, pinpoint your primary way of reacting. See if you know why you handle worry the way you do.)

●     Now, consider one worry you have today and how you’ve been dealing (or not dealing) with it.  Name that worry. 

At this point, I want to read again the text for this morning. In leu of what you have just been thinking about regarding worry, allow the text to speak again to your present condition.  

Philippians 4:4-9 (MSG)

4-5 Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

6-7 Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8-9 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

As we move into our the third section - Pray. Sit in silence for a few minutes with your eyes closed. Breath deeply and let your mind quiet down again.  Become aware of God’s presence within and around you. [Pause]

Now, take a moment to express to God your concern. Even though God knows the situation, take time to silently tell God about it. (As you do you may want to ponder how your anxiety has affected other areas of your life, such as relationships, work, school, community, etc…)

Ask yourself: What is the worst-case scenario you’re afraid might happen? 

Whether rational or irrational, share with God what you FEAR.

And finally, as we move into our last step - Live.  To live means to rest, reflect or act as you discover how to take what you have learned in this experience into your day. 

So this morning, take a moment to ponder who God is to you. 

Maybe God is too distant or you aren’t sure what God is saying, or maybe you have a clear sense of who God is and what God is saying. The important thing this morning is that you leave this space believing that God has heard you. God has heard you and your concerns and is working “you into his most excellent harmonies.”

How have these scriptures this morning “read you” and how is God working out his most excellent harmonies through you?

As we move into waiting worship - let it continue this process - maybe go back and ask yourself some new questions, or ponder some of the other thoughts or phrases that were speaking to you.  What is or has God been saying to you this morning?

10-8-17 Rejected but Chosen

Rejected but Chosen

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

October 8, 2017

Matthew 21:33-45 (MSG)

33-34 “Here’s another story. Listen closely. There was once a man, a wealthy farmer, who planted a vineyard. He fenced it, dug a winepress, put up a watchtower, then turned it over to the farmhands and went off on a trip. When it was time to harvest the grapes, he sent his servants back to collect his profits.

35-37 “The farmhands grabbed the first servant and beat him up. The next one they murdered. They threw stones at the third but he got away. The owner tried again, sending more servants. They got the same treatment. The owner was at the end of his rope. He decided to send his son. ‘Surely,’ he thought, ‘they will respect my son.’

38-39 “But when the farmhands saw the son arrive, they rubbed their hands in greed. ‘This is the heir! Let’s kill him and have it all for ourselves.’ They grabbed him, threw him out, and killed him.

40 “Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?”

41 “He’ll kill them—a rotten bunch, and good riddance,” they answered. “Then he’ll assign the vineyard to farmhands who will hand over the profits when it’s time.”

42-44 Jesus said, “Right—and you can read it for yourselves in your Bibles:

The stone the masons threw out

    is now the cornerstone.

This is God’s work;

    we rub our eyes, we can hardly believe it!

“This is the way it is with you. God’s kingdom will be taken back from you and handed over to a people who will live out a kingdom life. Whoever stumbles on this Stone gets shattered; whoever the Stone falls on gets smashed.”

45-46 When the religious leaders heard this story, they knew it was aimed at them. They wanted to arrest Jesus and put him in jail, but, intimidated by public opinion, they held back. Most people held him to be a prophet of God.

The parable of Jesus for this morning is a very interesting one.  Jesus often likes to ask queries of his followers, often answering questions with follow up questions. To put the scripture in context, Jesus has just come off of overturning the tables of the temple tellers and advocating that wages be paid to workers without regard to their relative productivity and then he gets to our text for today - a story of tenants in a vineyard who kill all those who come to collect their rent, even their landlord’s son. 

Just a reminder - Jesus was teaching this in the temple and his audience was made up of the religious and state leaders. Jesus was being sidetracked by a these leaders wanting his credentials - remember they had already gone after him about where he was born when saying “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?.”  I think it sound extremely familiar to our present day...

So Jesus gets to the end of his parable and asks these leaders, “Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives home from his trip, what do you think he will do to the farmhands?”  Jesus is asking them to make his point, but also to expose their (and I believe, our) quick judgment and willingness to reject people - even kill people - for our desired outcome. And they didn’t bat an eye saying, “He’ll kill them” called them names and turned to the outcome - profits or money.

Their quick and enthusiastic response was just what Jesus wanted - it was a self-indictment, And as Rev. John Allen in his commentary notes, “Jesus turns quickly to chastise their desire to repress the poor tenants and unleash the justice of an oppressive economic system upon them.”

The church and government leaders were oppressing the poor - but even worse they were willing not only to reject certain groups of people - they were willing to literally remove them from the face of the earth.

Now, this really hit home to me.  It trudged up some deep feelings from my religious journey. 

I remember 20+ years ago sitting in the dining commons of my undergraduate college trying to defend a woman’s right to be a pastor, while sadly on other days joining in as Christian friends spoke of putting gays on an island and blowing it up to purify our world. 

I remember as a child and youth, people of my denomination bad mouthing, slandering, and ridiculing other denominations and religions for what they believed, while thinking my denomination had the “right” answers - never once considering the journey they were on.

I remember Christians affirming that HIV/AIDS was retribution for sin, and yet completely breaking down trying to understand the death of Ryan White in our own state and later the rejection of a man who had AIDS by the pastor I served with on my ministry internship.

I remember on 9/11 listening to good Christians speak of retaliation and revenge and even ridding the world of all Muslims, and wondering why all Christians were not labeled by our extremisms like Nazis or the Klu Klux Klan. 

I remember meeting with a pastor’s association in my home town where my colleagues explained to me that they had asked families with “special needs” children to stay home from church events because their people were bothered and could not learn...as our meeting had an over-abundance of “special needs” children and youth that we valued and loved so much. 

I remember a woman who was asked to not wear her Nascar Jacket during the worship service or simply stay at home because it promoted a national beer distributer, a man who wore shorts to church and was told he was not appropriately dressed, and a young women who had not been in a church for years told that her skirt was too short and should have wore something else...and this list of rejected people sadly could go on.

I remember a group of people who diligently tried to run their pastor out of town and destroy his family for making them feel uncomfortable, asking tough questions, and welcoming the rejected... that pastor was me.

I believe rejection is a disease in the church and in our world.  

Have you ever felt rejected?

The dictionary described being rejected as

●     Being turned down

●     Being refused acceptance

●     Being spit out or vomited

Did you know that research shows that rejection triggers the same brain pathways that are activated when we experience physical pain. Rejection can be and often is a form of abuse. 

Yet, when I read the Bible, I notice something very different. God has a theology of the Rejected. And God has been presenting it to us through Christ from the very beginning.  

Remember this story...

And Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and he stood up to read. And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,

because he has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives

and recovering of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed,

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.  And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” (Luke 4:16-21

Even his mother realized that he was about the rejected when she proclaimed:

 And his mercy is for those who fear him

    from generation to generation.

51 He has shown strength with his arm;

    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;

52 he has brought down the mighty from their thrones

    and exalted those of humble estate;

53 he has filled the hungry with good things,

    and the rich he has sent away empty.  (Luke 1:50-53)

Then there is the Beatitudes…

Who are blessed?

The Poor in spirit.

The Mourners

The Meek

The Hungering for righteousness

The Merciful

The Pure of heart

The Peacemakers

Often these are the rejected in our world.

What if in reality the rejected are actually the “chosen people of God”?

What if the people we use as the scapegoats, the focus of our attacks, the oppressed by society, the demonized and labeled “dead weights” in society, the poor both spiritually and physically...what if these are the people God has chosen to bless? And even more is asking us to bless?

As Quakers you and I are called to seek “That of God in everyone we meet.”  And that doesn’t mean just the ones that are easy to see God in - it means even the ones we ourselves have rejected.  That is not easy.  It has taken me many years to see how my and the church’s rejection of others has caused such hurt and pain. I have to come to the realization that understanding our rejections and reaching out to those we have hurt may not be comfortable all the time, we may get persecuted on occasion, we may be threatened or rejected ourselves by people we thought we trusted, but that is what God has been calling us to all along.    

In his book, “The Rebirthing of God” (which I highly recommend) John Philip Newell says,

“To be bearers of the Light -- which is pure gift and not of our own doing -- means that we are made to shine.  But when we truly shine, and when we work for the true shining of every child, woman, man, and creature, we find that sometimes we create discomfort in the people around us and in the holders of power in our communities and our world.  Not only do they feel uncomfortable; sometimes they feel threatened.  This is as true in our personal relationships and workplaces as it is in the great struggles of communities and nations.  Those who cling to power for their own sake, or for the sake only of their chosen communities and their special interests groups, do not want everyone to shine.  The shadow side of power is a determination that only some should shine, and that only some should be considered worthy.”

So, what is your theology of the rejected? 

Just maybe we need to heed the words of Jesus and hear them again as a call to us this morning.

The Spirit of the Lord is within each person at First Friends,

because we have been anointed and set apart,

to proclaim good news to the physically and spiritually poor.

We are being sent to proclaim freedom to the captives,

sight to the blind, hope to the world,

to provide opportunity and acceptance to those

who are oppressed and rejected,

and to proclaim a year of God’s favor in Indianapolis

10-1-17 Radicalizing Spirit

Radicalizing Spirit(World Quaker Day)

Indianapolis First Friends

Pastor Bob Henry

October 1, 2017

Philippians 2:1-5 (NRSV)

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus.

Since it is World Quaker Day, I thought we needed to spend some time exploring who are are.  So as a good Quaker, I will begin with a query...

How radical are you?  (Just ponder that for a second). 

What lines do you draw around being radical? 

Who is radical and who is just passionate? 

Is being radical helpful and beneficial or is it hindering and annoying?

Maybe even the word itself“radical” is not a descriptor for you because of the associations it represents. 

If we, Quakers, believe we are a people who are alive and have meaning and purpose in this world, then we will have to admit that there is a relationship, as Quaker Jeffrey Dudiak states, between “what is” and “what is not, but should be, between the past and the future, between, on the one hand, the grounding practices, and on the other hand, the aspirations of a living tradition.”

This is why Jeffery describes Quakers as a people with a “radicalizing spirit.” From the earliest of days they went beyond the law, following the Spirit, and opening Christianity to new possibilities. It was as I talked about a couple weeks ago - though...this was an entire group of people experiencing metanoia - what I described as going beyond their own minds and into the mind of God.

We must admit, our Quaker ancestors had a “radicalizing spirit” and were even defined as a “radical faith” by other Christians, faith traditions, and even the government of their day. All for their beliefs around “what is” and “what is not, but should be” in the early days of their formation.

If you are not familiar with some of those beliefs, here are just a few that early Quakers professed:

●     The social and political equality of the sexes.

●     The abolition of slavery, which they saw as evil.

●     That no lands should be obtained from indigenous peoples except through negotiation and mutual agreement.

●     Complete pacifism.

●     No class distinctions.

●     Complete tolerance of other religious views.

Some people, other faith traditions, even governments still would consider many of those beliefs “radical” in our day.  But we must be careful with how we use our words today, especially with all that is going on in our world and country, it seems being radical takes on a new meaning.

What does it really mean to be radical - let’s take a moment to explore this idea.

Jeffrey Dudiak shed some light for me on the word radical and how it is used.  He says,

“Indeed the term ‘radical’ harbors a wonderful ambiguity.  The etymological origin of the term radical is the Latin radix, which means root.  Among the dictionary meanings of radical is the following: ‘forming an inherent or fundamental part of the nature of someone or something.’ Here, then, something is at its most radical when it is rooted most securely in what it is.

But the term also has taken on another meaning, obviously related to, but seemingly contradictory to the first. On this meaning, radical refers to a change or action “relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something,” and it is this meaning that gives us radical in the sense of something “characterized by departure from tradition; innovative or progressive,’ and as ‘advocating a thorough or complete political or social reform.

So this means that…

The term radical can mean either being deeply rooted, or tearing something up from the roots. It can mean either being bound firmly and securely to its ground, or being liberated from such an attachment altogether.

Most people would say we have to pick one or the other, but the word radical actually is the perfect word to describe the paradox that we find in Quakerism. This is not an either/or but rather a both/and scenario. Quakers are radical in both ways. 

1.   We are rooted and secure in who and what we are... and

2.   We are characterized by change or action and a departure from tradition while being innovative and progressive.

It is probably because of what Quaker Rufus Jones identified as “The Beyond Within” - how he described the two minds (our own mind and the mind of the Spirit or Christ) which must learn to cooperate.  Rufus Jones said,  

“Through cooperation with God they [the two minds] build a new stage of the Kingdom of God in the world. We are in that respect not dreamers; we are actual builders...We become organs of a spiritual kingdom and stand in vital relations to an Eternal Mind and Heart and Will with whom to cooperate.”

We become Organs of the Spiritual Kingdom.  (Now, there is a bumper sticker for your car).

Even George Fox wrestled with connecting and cooperating with the Mind ofGod, he said it well,

“Be still and cool in your own mind and spirit from your own thoughts, and then you will feel the principle of God to turn your mind to the Lord God, whereby you will receive his strength and power from where it comes from...therefore be still a while from your own thoughts, searching, seeking desires and imaginations, and stay in the principle of God in you, to keep your mind upon God, and what he is up to.”

This is radical in our day and age. 

1.   Be still and cool in your mind and spirit.

2.   Be still a while so your thoughts, searching, seeking desires and imaginations can focus on what God’s mind wants.

Who has time for that.  We want action, we want response. We want to do anything but be still.  We are a people on the go, seeking God’s mind, heart, and will when we have some spare time. 

If we are going to be Radical Quakers or at least have a “radicalizing spirit” like our ancestors in our world today, we are going to need to understand what that means. 

A while back, I found a book in the dollar bin of a bookstore - sometimes I find the best books there. It was by Rex Ambler called “The Quaker Way: A Rediscovery.” I found this book a breath of fresh air - the reason being was that Rex Ambler was able to give new life to the way we understand our Quaker faith.  And his definition jumped off the page when I read it. Just listen as I read it:

Quakers sit in silence because they want to know something that words cannot tell them. They want to feel something or become aware of something so that they can really make a connection with it. It is something fundamental to their life, they know that, indeed it is the underlying reality of their life, but they are not normally aware of it.

They are preoccupied with other things. They are taken up, like others, with the relatively shallow things of life, encouraged by the media and contemporary culture generally, and they hardly feel the depth of it all. So they feel the loss, the distance, and want somehow to get close to this deeper reality. They want to become ‘the Friends of Truth,’ as they liked to call themselves at the beginning. Not any truth, but a truth that relates specifically to their deepest felt needs, and to the needs of world. They are looking for a truth by which to live, that is, a sense of reality that tells them who they are and how they should live. They want the truth in this sense because that is the only basis on which they could expect to enjoy life to the full and to contribute to life.

Part of the reality of their life, of course, is their relationship with one another and with other people, both near and far. So they want to ‘discern’ what happens between people, what makes for a good life together, and what makes for a bad one. They want to learn in their own experience how relationships that are broken can be mended, how conflicts can be resolved, and how ‘the Friends of Truth’ can work together to make these things happen in the world.

So being a Radical Quaker embodies just that - being still and connecting to the mind of God so that we can impact our world.

I believe this was the metanoia that Paul described Jesus experiencing and that we are to experience in our text from Philippians, today. Just listen again at what Paul is saying.

If then there is any encouragement in Christ, any consolation from love, any sharing in the Spirit, any compassion and sympathy, 2 make my joy complete: be of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not to your own interests, but to the interests of others. 5 Let the same mind be in you that was[a] in Christ Jesus.

When we, Quakers, embrace our “radicalizing spirit” and go beyond our own minds and get into the mind of God we begin to see with new eyes.  No longer is it about us, but it is more about our neighbors, more about their interests. This was Christ’s example, this was the early Quakers legacy, and this continues to be our calling today.  Let us embrace our “radicalizing spirit” today and work to make a better place in this world. 

9-24-17 The Power of a New Quest, by Dan Lee

Scripture reading: I Samuel 17:32-40

The Power of a New Quest

By Daniel Lee

When I was a teenager, one of my favorite bands was the 1970s rock group Kansas. One of their most popular songs was “Point of Know Return.” Does anyone remember it?

The opening lyrics tell of an alluring but dangerous ocean voyage…

I heard the men saying something
The captains tell they pay you well
And they say they need sailing men to
Show the way and leave today

Then the song’s chorus repeatedly asks:

How long, How long to the point of know return?

What’s really interesting is that the song title has a clever play on words – it reads “how long to the point of know return,” spelled K-N-O-W, not the expected N-O.

It seems that the point of know return (K-N-O-W) is very fitting when it comes to the idea of a quest – that you learn, experience or achieve something that fundamentally transforms you. After the quest, you can never go back to the prior version of yourself.

When I think about today’s scripture, I think about David going past that point of know return as he confronted Goliath.

From today’s scripture reading … Then David took his staff in his hand, chose five smooth stones from the stream, put them in the pouch of his shepherd’s bag and, with the sling in his hand, approached the Philistine…

Imagine the scene. The Israelites were on one hill, the Philistines on the other. Every morning and evening for 40 days, the giant Goliath – described as a champion – came forward and mocked the Israelites, challenging someone to fight him. The Bible describes the Israelites as dismayed and terrified.

Then David, a shepherd with a slingshot, steps out from the mass, past the point of know return.

HERE I AM, David said to Goliath.

We all know how the story ends – David slays Goliath. As a boy in Sunday school, I was enthralled with King David.

Now, as a Quaker, I prefer to read the New Testament, particularly the Gospels, and tend to stay away from the more violent parts of the Bible. Perhaps you’re the same way.

But the New Testament cannot be read without the Old Testament. The opening words of the Gospel of Matthew refer to Jesus as the “Son of David.”

Jesus faced the cross much like David faced Goliath – brave and faithful. But Jesus – the Prince of Peace – turned everything on its head to be consistent with His mission of non-violence, forgiveness, and renewal.

David inflicted violence; Christ received it.

David rejected Saul’s armor for the chosen weapons of a shepherd, a sling and staff. Jesus rejected disciples Peter’s sword for the chosen spiritual weapons of a Savior; compassion and non-violence.

Resolute after his time of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus passed the point of know return in his earthy quest. Just as David willingly met Goliath, Jesus willingly met Judas and Roman guards sent to capture him.

“Friend, do what you came for,” Jesus said before Judas kissed Him.

Jesus boldly said: HERE I AM.

That is the power of a quest. A quest is more than just a mere goal. It’s a determined and careful search for something new or something hidden. A quest is a high-risk expedition to secure or achieve something significant.

I’ve come to realize that our faith journeys are more meaningful and adventurous when we think of our spiritual lives as a series of quests.

The quests I’m talking about share three characteristics:

First, Quests bring together our spiritual and physical worlds.

Second, Quests are dangerous because they expose us to the power of God.

Third, Quests teach us, transform, and expand our influence.

The artwork in our hallway here at First Friends tells the stories of Quakers who lived their lives embarking on one courageous quest after another.

George Fox felt called to climb Pendle Hill, where he had a vision of a Great People to be Gathered – that was the birth of a Quaker movement. We are here today because Fox went beyond the point of know return.

There’s also a portrait of Elizabeth Fry in our hallway. She grew up in the late 1700s a Quaker, though she loved dressing and bight colors and dancing. But as a teenager, she went on a quest. She became interested in helping the poor and prisoners after hearing American Quaker traveling minister William Savery speak.

Young Elizabeth seemed well aware she was headed toward the point of know return. She would never again be a frivolous young girl.

She wrote: “I am like one setting out on a journey; if I set out on the wrong road, and do not try to recover the right one before I have gone far, I shall most likely lose my way for ever….”

Elizabeth’s chosen road would lead to become a pioneering leader in prison reform.

She would spend her life helping prisoners living in a literal hell on earth.

HERE I AM, she said to the anguished prisoners.

Elizabeth Fry’s portrait is featured on the five-pound British note. I’ve carried this one in my wallet since I visited England last year because she has so inspired me.

But quests aren’t only for the heroes of the Bible or Quaker history.

Perhaps you’ve been on quests. I have.

I’m holding in my hand highly sensitive documents that have been hidden away for more than 30 years before I sorted through boxes in my basement. These are “Poor Progress Reports” that my high school sent to my parents midterm because I was getting either a D or F in a course.

I intercepted these from the mailbox before my parents saw them. Believe me, others got through!

Let me read a few of my teachers’ comments:

“Dan has done poorly on several major tests this quarter.”

“Dan often ‘drifts away’ during class.”

“Dan has failed to complete several major assignments.” This poor progress report also notes that I had a poor attitude.

One teacher simply wrote, “Dan can certainly do the work, but he is not making any effort.”

Let me ask, what worse could a teacher write about a student?

Looking back at my teenage self, I really don’t have any answers to why I was the way I was.

I remember the evening of my high school graduation feeling a sense of shame. Throughout that summer, for the first time in my life, I became determined to transform myself into something – into someone – different.  In the fall of 1987, my parents dropped me off at Ball State. When they drove away, I knew no one on campus. I was alone.

That was what I wanted – to face my challenges alone. Looking back, I realize now I was beginning a quest that would change my life.

My freshman year, I truly lived a life of inquiry. I spend hours at the library. I voluntarily got a tutor to improve my English composition grade. I sat in the front row of classes and would wait after class to talk further with professors. Outside of class, I read C.S. Lewis’ “Mere Christianity,” took part in a candlelight march to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and attended a lecture by Dr. Maya Angelou.

Quaker Elton Trueblood said, “Deliberate mediocrity is a heresy and a sin.” By holding myself accountable for the first time in my life, I passed the point of know return. My quest created within me a spiritual and intellectual framework that still guides me today.

At their most basic level, quests are about being accountable to the Inner Voice of God. Have you ever experienced a point of know (K-N-O-W) return? Is God leading you on a new quest?

Maybe you want to explore Quaker writings in our meetinghouse library.

Or write your own spiritual autobiography.

Or serve the poor.

Where new in your life can you courageously declare, HERE I AM.

I opened today with a song lyric, and I’d like to close with a song lyric. This one is from a meaningful song for me during my freshman year at Ball State.

It’s U2’s “I Still Have Found What I’m Looking For.” There’s one verse that captures the beautiful paradox of faith—that we have found Gold yet still search for God. This makes quests necessary for us to expand God’s inclusive and loving Kingdom:

I believe in the Kingdom Come

Then all the colors will bleed into one

But yes I'm still running

You broke the bonds and you loosed the chains

Carried the cross of my shame

You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for.

That is the power of a new quest.