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violachicScripture texts:
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
I Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
Revolution:
1. A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
2. A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Disciple:
1. One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
2. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise.
So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here, I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.
Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote these words from a Birmingham, Alabama jail cell in April of 1963. He had been imprisioned after executing civil disobedience during a protest against segregation. The letter, which is known today as the famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", is a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963 titled "A Call For Unity" which agreed that social injustices were taking place but expressed the belief that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts and not taken onto the streets. Born on January 15th, 1929, King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 while speaking in solidarity with the black sanitary public works employees, who had been on strike since March 12 of that year.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"The only “something in my life” I can hold onto is to do what little I can to bring about the creation of the Peaceable Realm of God. It is my sense that such a realm will always have natural disasters. It is the “man-made” disasters that we are called upon to bring to and end."
Tom Fox, a friend and colleague of mine, was a team member in Baghdad with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. He wrote these words in his blog less than three months before he and three of his coworkers were kidnapped by an extremist group. They were held for three and a half months before Tom's body was discovered in Baghdad on March 10th, 2006. The other three hostages were released thirteen days later. On his last blog entry, dated November 8th, 2005, there are 92 comments left by friends and supporters from all over the world while waiting for news. Reading these, you will see things written such as
"I know that you are doing what God called you to do.
"May your courage be a model for the rest of us."
"You are in all our prayers as you testify to the true gospel of peace and love as demonstrated in the teachings of Christ."
"Your shining life proved how Jesus does still walk the earth."
Disciple: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
"I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again - a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here. Yesterday, I watched a father lead his two tiny children, holding his hands, out into the sight of tanks and a sniper tower and bulldozers and Jeeps because he thought his house was going to be exploded."
Rachel Corrie, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, wrote these words home on February 27th, 2003, about a month after she arrived in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip on the Egyptian border. About three weeks later, she was crushed and killed by an Israeli bulldozer while defending a Palestinian home in danger of demolition. She was 23 years old.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways."
Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero spoke these words as part of his Christmas Eve homily in 1979. Exactly three months later, on March 24th, 1980, he was assassinated in the pulpit moments after finishing a homily in which he called on Salvadoran soldiers, as Christians, to obey God's higher order and to stop carrying out the government's repression and violations of basic human rights. His high-profile death provoked international outcry for human rights reform in El Salvador.
Disciple: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
It is quite difficult sometimes for me to figure out what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. We live in crazy and confusing times- although, I'm sure, no crazier or more confusing than past times, or than times to come. But crazy and confusing, nonetheless. We get bombarded with opposing messages on all sides. What makes me a "good Christian"? What must I believe? What must I do? What presidential candidate should I support? Infant baptism, or Believer baptism? Works, or Faith? (We can have a debate on that over coffee hour, if you'd like. Lutherans vs. Episcopalians, with the Covenant guy moderating.) Isaiah says that God has known us "since we were in our mother's womb", that we are called be be servants of God. But what exactly does that mean? Today's gospel has Jesus gathering his first disciples, who follow him after hearing John the Baptist exclaim "here is the Lamb of God!". Like many of us at one time in life or another, I am sure that Andrew and Peter had no idea exactly what they had signed up for.
So here we are, on the second Sunday after Epiphany. We may finally be winding down from the holidays. Resolutions have been made (and perhaps broken), children are back at school, credit card bills have been received, the tree taken down, and the creche lovingly packed away until next year. Have we had sufficient time to reflect on what the season has meant? Now, I will freely admit that Christmas is my favorite holiday. Its true that I enjoy the snow and the carols and the gifts and the sparkly tree. But it goes much, much deeper than that. You may also be wondering why, on the second Sunday after Epiphany, I have decided to all of a sudden preach about Christmas- haven't we covered that already? Well, I am aware that Pentecost, the "Birthday of the Church", is the liturgical New Year. I'm aware that Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is the defining moment of Christianity, the reason for being, the proof in the pudding. But for me, every year, it always starts at Christmas. Actually, it starts in Advent, with Mary's Magnificat:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers."
You see, for me, Christ is the ultimate revolutionary, and God taking on human form to come to Earth to bring justice and mercy, and peace, the ultimate revolution.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
This "momentous change" was so powerful, it inspired a Hindu in the early 20th century to non-violence resistance, who in turn inspired a Black Baptist preacher in the 1950s to rally for civil rights, peace, and social justice. Christ's revolution comes full circle.
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
There is something serendipitous, I think about celebrating the birthday of the nation's most renown civil rights leader so soon after Christmas.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Tomorrow, children across the country will stay home from school, while parents all over the country try to figure out what to do with their children on such a cold, forbidding day. Perhaps by mid-afternoon, the children will have driven their parents and caretakers up the wall. In all of this, will any of us stop to think about why there are stir-crazy children watching too much television in living rooms all over America?
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
From early childhood, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a household name for our family. My mother spent her college and post-college years working with Black churches in Chicago, and has many stories and anecdotal evidence of the injustices experienced and the justice fought for by people of color in the 1960s. One story that stuck with me was of a little girl, about six or seven, who, every time they drove past the public pool in Des Plains, would ask "can we go swim there?" Of course, the answer was no, but how do you explain that to such a small child, that by dint of simply having skin a darker cast than others, she would be rejected from swimming at a public pool. There is no question that this was a large part of why I have decided to take the life path I have.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
So long ago, after hard discernment, I had to make a decision. I had to make a decision about what it meant to ME to be a disciple of Christ. Like Andrew and Peter, I didn't necessarily know what I was signing up for. But I knew that it was what was right. To me, being a disciple of Christ means understanding and fighting to end injustice. It means looking your neighbors in the eye, and smiling, no matter their skin color or religion or dress or accent. It means not staying quiet just because it the easy thing to do. It means taking my example from people such as Tom Fox, Rachel Corrie, Oscar Romero, and Martin Luther King, Jr. It doesn't necessarily mean dying for my beliefs- indeed, I have plans for a long and fruitful life- but if I do, I can't think of a better reason to die. Indeed, Tom Fox wrote "...if Jesus and Gandhi are right... I am to stand firm against the kidnapper as I am to stand firm against the soldier. Does that mean I walk into a raging battle to confront the soldiers? Does that mean I walk the streets of Baghdad with a sign saying 'American for the Taking?' No to both counts."
But he does then finish up with "But if Jesus and Gandhi are right, then I am asked to risk my life, and if I lose it, to be as forgiving as they were when murdered by the forces of Satan,"
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
To follow Christ- to be a disciple, to participate in the revolution- I have made certain decisions for myself. Of course, this is just for myself, as I would not stand up here and tell everyone the decisions they should make. But for myself, I want to design my life to follow Christ in the best way I know how. This includes not consuming Coca-Cola products, because of the injustices the company perpetrates in India and Colombia. I yearn for peace, and work for it in whatever way I can. I want to destroy racism, and allow all people true equality. I choose to consume as little as possible out of deference both to those who have far less than I do, and for the environment that must sustain the aftermath. I live in intentional community with those who have similar values, so we can struggle together through the discernment process involved with the choices we make. So I suppose my challenge for you today is not to make the same choices I have made. I will freely and cheerfully acknowledge that there are many paths to peace and justice. But my challenge to you today is to discern what it means to you to be a disciple of Christ. I challenge you to be a part of the ultimate revolution- but not a revolution with guns and bombs, but a revolution such that God brought to Earth on the first Christmas, te turning upside down the world on its head.
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"God's reign is already present on our earth in mystery. When the Lord comes, it will be brought to perfection. That is the hope that inspires Christians. We know that every effort to better society, especially when injustice and sin are so ingrained, is an effort that God blesses, that God wants, that God demands of us."
These were Oscar Romero's last words. I hope them to someday be my last words.
So let us be disciples of Christ together, and let us celebrate the revolution of God's love for us. With dancing, of course, because, in the words of Emma Goldman, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution".
Hymn of the day: Canticle of the Turning
Isaiah 49:1-7
Psalm 40:1-11
I Corinthians 1:1-9
John 1:29-42
Revolution:
1. A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
2. A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Disciple:
1. One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
2. An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise.
So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here, I am here because I have organizational ties here. But more basically, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their "thus saith the Lord" far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco-Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town.
Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid. Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial "outside agitator" idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider anywhere within its bounds."
Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote these words from a Birmingham, Alabama jail cell in April of 1963. He had been imprisioned after executing civil disobedience during a protest against segregation. The letter, which is known today as the famous "Letter from a Birmingham Jail", is a response to a statement made by eight white Alabama clergymen on April 12, 1963 titled "A Call For Unity" which agreed that social injustices were taking place but expressed the belief that the battle against racial segregation should be fought solely in the courts and not taken onto the streets. Born on January 15th, 1929, King was assassinated on April 4th, 1968 while speaking in solidarity with the black sanitary public works employees, who had been on strike since March 12 of that year.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"The only “something in my life” I can hold onto is to do what little I can to bring about the creation of the Peaceable Realm of God. It is my sense that such a realm will always have natural disasters. It is the “man-made” disasters that we are called upon to bring to and end."
Tom Fox, a friend and colleague of mine, was a team member in Baghdad with the Christian Peacemaker Teams. He wrote these words in his blog less than three months before he and three of his coworkers were kidnapped by an extremist group. They were held for three and a half months before Tom's body was discovered in Baghdad on March 10th, 2006. The other three hostages were released thirteen days later. On his last blog entry, dated November 8th, 2005, there are 92 comments left by friends and supporters from all over the world while waiting for news. Reading these, you will see things written such as
"I know that you are doing what God called you to do.
"May your courage be a model for the rest of us."
"You are in all our prayers as you testify to the true gospel of peace and love as demonstrated in the teachings of Christ."
"Your shining life proved how Jesus does still walk the earth."
Disciple: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
"I have bad nightmares about tanks and bulldozers outside our house and you and me inside. Sometimes the adrenaline acts as an anesthetic for weeks and then in the evening or at night it just hits me again - a little bit of the reality of the situation. I am really scared for the people here. Yesterday, I watched a father lead his two tiny children, holding his hands, out into the sight of tanks and a sniper tower and bulldozers and Jeeps because he thought his house was going to be exploded."
Rachel Corrie, a volunteer with the International Solidarity Movement, wrote these words home on February 27th, 2003, about a month after she arrived in Rafah, a city in the Gaza Strip on the Egyptian border. About three weeks later, she was crushed and killed by an Israeli bulldozer while defending a Palestinian home in danger of demolition. She was 23 years old.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"We must not seek the child Jesus in the pretty figures of our Christmas cribs. We must seek him among the undernourished children who have gone to bed at night with nothing to eat, among the poor newsboys who will sleep covered with newspapers in doorways."
Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero spoke these words as part of his Christmas Eve homily in 1979. Exactly three months later, on March 24th, 1980, he was assassinated in the pulpit moments after finishing a homily in which he called on Salvadoran soldiers, as Christians, to obey God's higher order and to stop carrying out the government's repression and violations of basic human rights. His high-profile death provoked international outcry for human rights reform in El Salvador.
Disciple: One who embraces and assists in spreading the teachings of another.
It is quite difficult sometimes for me to figure out what it means to be a true disciple of Christ. We live in crazy and confusing times- although, I'm sure, no crazier or more confusing than past times, or than times to come. But crazy and confusing, nonetheless. We get bombarded with opposing messages on all sides. What makes me a "good Christian"? What must I believe? What must I do? What presidential candidate should I support? Infant baptism, or Believer baptism? Works, or Faith? (We can have a debate on that over coffee hour, if you'd like. Lutherans vs. Episcopalians, with the Covenant guy moderating.) Isaiah says that God has known us "since we were in our mother's womb", that we are called be be servants of God. But what exactly does that mean? Today's gospel has Jesus gathering his first disciples, who follow him after hearing John the Baptist exclaim "here is the Lamb of God!". Like many of us at one time in life or another, I am sure that Andrew and Peter had no idea exactly what they had signed up for.
So here we are, on the second Sunday after Epiphany. We may finally be winding down from the holidays. Resolutions have been made (and perhaps broken), children are back at school, credit card bills have been received, the tree taken down, and the creche lovingly packed away until next year. Have we had sufficient time to reflect on what the season has meant? Now, I will freely admit that Christmas is my favorite holiday. Its true that I enjoy the snow and the carols and the gifts and the sparkly tree. But it goes much, much deeper than that. You may also be wondering why, on the second Sunday after Epiphany, I have decided to all of a sudden preach about Christmas- haven't we covered that already? Well, I am aware that Pentecost, the "Birthday of the Church", is the liturgical New Year. I'm aware that Christ's crucifixion and resurrection is the defining moment of Christianity, the reason for being, the proof in the pudding. But for me, every year, it always starts at Christmas. Actually, it starts in Advent, with Mary's Magnificat:
"My soul glorifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has been mindful of the humble state of his servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has done great things for me--holy is his name. His mercy extends to those who fear him, from generation to generation. He has performed mighty deeds with his arm; he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things but has sent the rich away empty. He has helped his servant Israel, remembering to be merciful to Abraham and his descendants for ever, even as he said to our fathers."
You see, for me, Christ is the ultimate revolutionary, and God taking on human form to come to Earth to bring justice and mercy, and peace, the ultimate revolution.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
This "momentous change" was so powerful, it inspired a Hindu in the early 20th century to non-violence resistance, who in turn inspired a Black Baptist preacher in the 1950s to rally for civil rights, peace, and social justice. Christ's revolution comes full circle.
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
There is something serendipitous, I think about celebrating the birthday of the nation's most renown civil rights leader so soon after Christmas.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Tomorrow, children across the country will stay home from school, while parents all over the country try to figure out what to do with their children on such a cold, forbidding day. Perhaps by mid-afternoon, the children will have driven their parents and caretakers up the wall. In all of this, will any of us stop to think about why there are stir-crazy children watching too much television in living rooms all over America?
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
From early childhood, Martin Luther King, Jr. was a household name for our family. My mother spent her college and post-college years working with Black churches in Chicago, and has many stories and anecdotal evidence of the injustices experienced and the justice fought for by people of color in the 1960s. One story that stuck with me was of a little girl, about six or seven, who, every time they drove past the public pool in Des Plains, would ask "can we go swim there?" Of course, the answer was no, but how do you explain that to such a small child, that by dint of simply having skin a darker cast than others, she would be rejected from swimming at a public pool. There is no question that this was a large part of why I have decided to take the life path I have.
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
So long ago, after hard discernment, I had to make a decision. I had to make a decision about what it meant to ME to be a disciple of Christ. Like Andrew and Peter, I didn't necessarily know what I was signing up for. But I knew that it was what was right. To me, being a disciple of Christ means understanding and fighting to end injustice. It means looking your neighbors in the eye, and smiling, no matter their skin color or religion or dress or accent. It means not staying quiet just because it the easy thing to do. It means taking my example from people such as Tom Fox, Rachel Corrie, Oscar Romero, and Martin Luther King, Jr. It doesn't necessarily mean dying for my beliefs- indeed, I have plans for a long and fruitful life- but if I do, I can't think of a better reason to die. Indeed, Tom Fox wrote "...if Jesus and Gandhi are right... I am to stand firm against the kidnapper as I am to stand firm against the soldier. Does that mean I walk into a raging battle to confront the soldiers? Does that mean I walk the streets of Baghdad with a sign saying 'American for the Taking?' No to both counts."
But he does then finish up with "But if Jesus and Gandhi are right, then I am asked to risk my life, and if I lose it, to be as forgiving as they were when murdered by the forces of Satan,"
Revolution: A sudden or momentous change in a situation
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
To follow Christ- to be a disciple, to participate in the revolution- I have made certain decisions for myself. Of course, this is just for myself, as I would not stand up here and tell everyone the decisions they should make. But for myself, I want to design my life to follow Christ in the best way I know how. This includes not consuming Coca-Cola products, because of the injustices the company perpetrates in India and Colombia. I yearn for peace, and work for it in whatever way I can. I want to destroy racism, and allow all people true equality. I choose to consume as little as possible out of deference both to those who have far less than I do, and for the environment that must sustain the aftermath. I live in intentional community with those who have similar values, so we can struggle together through the discernment process involved with the choices we make. So I suppose my challenge for you today is not to make the same choices I have made. I will freely and cheerfully acknowledge that there are many paths to peace and justice. But my challenge to you today is to discern what it means to you to be a disciple of Christ. I challenge you to be a part of the ultimate revolution- but not a revolution with guns and bombs, but a revolution such that God brought to Earth on the first Christmas, te turning upside down the world on its head.
Revolution: A turning or rotational motion about an axis.
Disciple: An active adherent, as of a movement or philosophy.
"God's reign is already present on our earth in mystery. When the Lord comes, it will be brought to perfection. That is the hope that inspires Christians. We know that every effort to better society, especially when injustice and sin are so ingrained, is an effort that God blesses, that God wants, that God demands of us."
These were Oscar Romero's last words. I hope them to someday be my last words.
So let us be disciples of Christ together, and let us celebrate the revolution of God's love for us. With dancing, of course, because, in the words of Emma Goldman, "If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution".
Hymn of the day: Canticle of the Turning
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Date: 2008-01-20 10:29 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 03:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 03:12 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 03:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 05:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 09:44 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-20 10:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-21 08:26 pm (UTC)and the haircut made it even better!
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Date: 2008-01-22 05:07 am (UTC)God blessing
peace
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Date: 2008-01-22 04:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-22 05:08 pm (UTC)"At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin of Sasha, a young boy, took me aside. With a grave face, as if he were about to announce the death of a dear comrade, he whispered to me that it did not behoove an agitator to dance. Certainly not with such reckless abandon, anyway. It was undignified for one who was on the way to become a force in the anarchist movement. My frivolity would only hurt the Cause.
"I grew furious at the impudent interference of the boy. I told him to mind his own business. I was tired of having the Cause constantly thrown into my face. I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for anarchism, for release and freedom from convention and prejudice, should demand the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to become a nun and that the movement would not be turned into a cloister. If it meant that, I did not want it. "I want freedom, the right to self-expression, everybody's right to beautiful, radiant things." Anarchism meant that to me, and I would live it in spite of the whole world — prisons, persecution, everything. Yes, even in spite of the condemnation of my own closest comrades I would live my beautiful ideal."