The Devil in Pew Number Seven

I recently listened to the book The Devil in Pew Number Seven by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo with Bob DeMoss. I must admit I was intrigued by the books title. The book is a story of forgiveness in the face of repeated painful acts of violence. For the most part, I enjoyed this book although it was slow at times. There are points where, in my opinion, the author spends a little too much time using overly flowery language or explaining too much of a back or side story.There was a point where I probably would not have finished the book if it weren't one I was supposed to be writing a review on for the christianaudio.com reviewers program.

I appreciated that at various points in the book she gave voice to the various theological questions that naturally arise when bad things happen in our lives. She raises up hard questions, and for the most part, avoids giving simple pat answers. I do wish that she spent more time talking about her journey to forgiveness. She talks about that some through out the book but I was disappointed that the book ended with more of an abstract sermon on forgiveness than the honest questioning and wrestling I found in the rest of the book.

The narrator of the book was Pam Ward. She had some weird voices for some of the characters that I found a bit distracting but over all she has a clear smooth voice. For more information about the book, click here: http://christianaudio.com/the-devil-in-pew-number-seven-rebecca-nichols-alonzo?utm_source=ca+Reviewers+Program&utm_campaign=8c8f3351b8-Jan_B_Review_Opp&utm_medium=email

Hallowed be Thy Trick or Treat?

This is the sermon I preach this past Sunday, October 31st. The scripture passage is Hebrews 12:1-2. Click here to read the scripture.

Hallowed be Thy Trick or Treat?

Did you know that Halloween is the second largest commercial holiday in America? Today, Americans spend roughly $6.9 billion on Halloween each year, making it second only to Christmas. On Halloween, young and old alike dress up in costumes, attend parties, go trick-or-treating and make bonfires. Some people even dress-up their pets.

But have you ever wondered where these traditions come from or why we do them? Have you ever wondered where the name Halloween comes from or if it’s ok for Christians to participate in halloween? I thought it would be fun to take a few minutes today to talk about the origins of Halloween and some of the customs associated with is.

The word Halloween actually stems from All Saints Day which is celebrated on November 1^st. The liturgy used for All Saints Day was called Hallowmas, or Mass of the Holy Ones. Hallow means holy so Hallow be thy name, like we say in the Lord’s Prayer means Holy be thy name. And Hallowmas means mass of the holy ones. The night before was called All Hallow’s eve, which eventually turned into Halloween.

Some of Halloween’s traditions can be traced back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain. The Celts celebrated their new year on November 1^st which marked the end of summer and the harvest and marked the beginning of the cold, dark winter. The Celts thought that the boundary separating the world of the living and the dead became blurred and the ghosts of the dead were able to return to the earth.

They believed evil spirits could roam the earth for one night, as they greeted their season. Winter was filled with long cold night and many people died from cold, hunger, and disease during the winter months. The Celts also believed that the ghosts of dead ancestors were able to roam the earth on this night as well.

The Celts believed that if they left their house after dark, they would run into spirits so they would wear costumes to disguise themselves. They thought that if they wore a mask or dressed as a spirit, then the spirits would think they were a fellow spirit and would leave them alone.

The tradition of trick-or-treating could have come from a couple different places. The two most likely possibilities are that it came from the Celts or from England. The Celts would leave food and drink on their door steps as a way to appease these roaming spirits. They hoped that by leaving food on the doorstep, the spirits would find no need to enter the house. Another possibility comes from the All Soul’s parades in England where poor families would beg for food and people would give them “soul cakes” if they would promises to pray for the family’s dead relatives. Later, children would go around to houses in the neighborhood and be given food and money, also in exchange for praying for the family’s dead relatives.

It has been traditional for the church to hold a vigil on the eve of major feast days. When Christian missionaries came to evangelize the Celts, they would allow Christians to participate in the festivities of All Hallows’ Eve and then at midnight, they would lay aside their masks at the door of the church. They would then process into the church for a prayer service, during which they chose to identify themselves, not with evil or other powers, but with the saints of God.

In recent years, it has been the tradition of the church to celebrate All Saints’ Day on the Sunday closest to November 1^st. As a result, the connection between Halloween and All Saints’ Day has been forgotten by many.

So what’s a Christian to do on Halloween? It’s a question that has been asked throughout the centuries and, very faithful Christians have ended up on different sides of the issue. Still today, some Christians chose to avoid Halloween all together because some of the traditions have pagan roots. Other Christians still choose to partake in the festivities, claiming that many different holiday celebrations, even Christmas, have incorporated and redefined pagan traditions into something with Christian meaning.

Here’s my take on Halloween. You don’t have to agree with me but here’s where I come out on the issue. I think when we do hold these two days, Halloween and All Saints’ Day together, it can be a powerful witness to Christ’s victory over all evil. Even if the celebration of them can sometimes be held days apart instead of back to back.

At the end of Halloween night, as you wash off the pace paint, take off your masks and lay aside your costumes, it can serve as a reminder that even though we often hide from other people and from God behind various masks, our true identity lies in Christ. Ultimately our identity lies not in the masks we routinely wear in front of other people, or the way other people perceive us. Our identity is defined by our baptism. We are ones who worship the One who has conquered death and raises us to new life. As you take off your costumes, take a moment to remind yourself that you align yourself with God, not with the powers of this world.

I also believe Halloween can be a reminder of the power of Christ. We know through the death and resurrection of Christ, ultimately all evil will be overcome by God. When Jesus died on the cross it may have looked like evil won. Even now, in our lives, there are times when it looks and feels like evil is winning. But we know the end of the story. We know, that just went evil seems to be the strongest in the crucifixion of Christ, that’s actually when God is triumphing.

None of the things we see on Halloween can overcome Christ. And when we take off the masks, it can be a wonderful reminder that Christ is stronger than anything else we face. Halloween can be a wonderful reminder that, despite the way things may appear, nothing can separate us from the love of God.

Halloween and All Saints’ Day also serve as a reminder that we do not go through this life alone. Trick-or-treating is a community event, where people travel together in groups. Faith is much the same way. We do not go it alone. We have a community of faith that travels with us on our faith journey. And All Saints’ Day reminds us of those Christians who have gone before us. Hebrews reminds us that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. Not even death can permanently separate us from our loved ones. Instead they travel with us, in the great cloud of witnesses that serve as an example and encouragement to us in our faith journey. Halloween and All Saints’ Day can remind us that not even death can separate us from the love of God.

Halloween has a mixed history. Some may consider it a form of worshiping the devil or evil. Others may consider it a way to proclaim our faith in Christ. If you do chose to participate in the festivities of Halloween, remember it’s connection to All Saints’ Day and hallowed be thy trick or treat.

To blog or not to blog?

I haven't blogged in awhile. Partly that's because I have been dealing with baby stuff but mostly it's because I've been wrestling with blogging in general. I've been doing a lot of thinking about how in our society feels so over stimulated. So many people are blogging, tweeting, facebooking, texting, emailing, etc that sometimes it feels like everyone is yelling and no one is listening. Everyone wants to claim their right to freedom of speech but no one wants to take up our responsibility to listen. One of the things I've learned is that while you have the right to speak, you still have to earn the right to be heard.

So I have been pondering what role this blog has. Is it just another voice in the masses? One more thing adding to information overload? Am I just one more person wanting to voice my own opinions without earning the right to be heard? Is this blog something that facilitates genuine conversation and listening to one another or is it something that shuts down conversation?

It's hard to answer some of those questions, especially since the reality is that it's probably some of both. My hope is that this blog will help facilitate conversation with one another. This is intended to start conversation, whether online or in person. With that in mind, I've decided to try to resume this blog.

And so it begins...

This is the sermon I preached this morning on Genesis 1:26-30. Click here to read the scripture passage first.

And so it begins…

Over the last couple of weeks, Dennis and I have officiated at several different funerals. Having all these funerals in such a short amount of time has made me realize that we all have a story. As I met with the families to discuss how they would like their loved one remembered, I was privileged to hear some of the family stories. You know, those stories that seem to be told over and over again at every family gathering. These are the stories that are told so often, that people who weren’t even around when the story happened still tell it like they were there. They are stories that don’t belong to any one person, but belong to the whole family. These are the stories that ,whether we realize it or not, help form our understanding of who we are.

In my family, one of the stories that’s told over and over again is the story of my father having his appendix removed. It’s a long story so I won’t tell all of it but I’ll give you the overview. My parents were both stationed at Ft. Polk, LA. My mom worked as a critical care nurse. Apparently my dad had been complaining of abdominal pain all weekend. My mom finally convinced my dad to go in and get it checked out and sure enough it was appendicitis. The dr. sent him to get blood work done and so he stopped off to find out which surgeon was on duty. Apparently my mom and the other nurses used to talk about how one surgeon wasn’t quite up to par. One of my parents’ friends Cathy was working at the desk so my dad asked her which surgeon was on duty. She tells him but asks him why he’s interested. My father then proceeds to tell her that he has to have his appendix removed. She, knowing my father, doesn’t believe him and says “oh, yeah right! So I suppose it hurts when I do this.” And pokes him in the stomach.

My father insists he did not crumple to the floor. He swears his knees sprung up and hit him in the chest, then with no feet under him he fell to the ground. Needless to say she believed him after that. A whole lot of other chaos and hilarity happens after that. The orderlies couldn’t get the gurney unfolded so my father had to help set up his own gurney because they insisted he was too sick to walk. The hospital roof started to leak , and the critical care section of the hospital flooded while my dad was in recovery. My mom who wasn’t on duty that day but was there to take care of my father ended up helping move the unit to a different section of the building that wasn’t flooding.

It’s a funny story. One that often leaves us with a stitch in our side and tears streaming down our cheeks from laughing so hard. But it’s also a story that tells me a lot about my family and who we are. For starters, we are stubborn, sometimes refusing to do the things we need to do just out of sheer stubbornness. We are a family of jokesters and sometimes friends are going to joke back. It tells me we are family who handles crisis well, who is able to remain calm and is willing to step in and lend a hand. Stories tell us a lot about who we are.

We all have stories that help form our identity, that help us understand who we are. These are individual stories and family stories, but they’re also the stories from groups of people. As Americans, we tell the story of how we came to this country. We tell the stories of the struggle for independence, the struggle born of the desire to govern ourselves. We tell the stories of brother fighting against brother, a nation divided against itself. We tell the stories of a woman who refused to stand and a man who had a dream. They are stories that tell us we are a people who value freedom. Freedom for all people regardless of religion, or gender, or race, or economic class.

As Christians we have stories that we tell over and over again that tell us something about who we are and whose we are. They are the stories of our faith family passed down to us in scripture. Each year we tell the story of a virgin giving birth in a stable. We tell of an innocent man who willingly died in place of the guilty, and of an empty tomb. They are stories that tell us that we have value, that we are a people loved and cared for by God. They tell us that God does not stand aloof and distant from us but enters into our condition and relationship with us. They are stories that tell us we are a people who will be defined not by power and might but by sacrifice and forgiveness.

Genesis tells us another story. It tells us that God created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon and the stars. It tells us that the seas and the mountains, the deserts and the rainforests, the frozen arctic and the volcanic islands were all formed by God. Then God created all the living things on the earth and in the sea. God created the redwood trees of California, the baobab trees of Africa, coconut trees, and maple trees. God created whales and octopi, and algae that emits a blue glow in the dark. Kangaroos and penguins, elephants and mice, dogs and cats are all the work of God.

It’s a story that tells us everything we see was intentionally formed and made. Nothing that exists in nature was an accident. Not even the cicadas that take 16 years to develop underground, only to live for a few short weeks after emerging from the ground were a mistake. Each tree that we see, each piece of fruit we eat, each dog that we pet, started as a dream of God’s and was intentionally and delightfully brought into existence. It’s a story that tells us everything we see has its beginning in God. It’s a story that tells us that God, not us, is the Creator. God, not us, is the source of all that exists.

Genesis goes on to tell us that God created humankind in God’s image and set us as overseers of God’s creation. We are tasked with caring for what God has made. Genesis tells us the story of our beginnings. Human beings, each one of us, are the creation of God. We are different than the rest of creation because we are made in God’s image but we are still a part of creation.

This is a story that reminds us of our place in the world. We are beloved by God, lovingly and intentionally made. But we are not God. We are created, not the Creator. We are given the task of overseeing and caring for creation, but creation is not ours. It doesn’t belong to us. Everything the exists belongs to God and we are simply given the task of caring for it.

And so it begins. Stewardship is instituted by God. God created the earth and every living creature in it. Then God created humankind and set us as stewards over God’s creation. According to merriam-webster, a steward is “one employed in a large household or estate to manage domestic concerns.” I’d say being tasked with the care of all creation counts as managing the domestic concerns of a large household! Genesis tells us the story that we are called to be stewards of all that God has created.

Stewardship, is not something that the church invented to pay the bills. Stewardship is part of God’s plan. God created everything, and everything belongs to God. A life of stewardship starts with that affirmation. It begins with the affirmation that everything is God’s and we are merely entrusted with the care of things, none of it actually belongs to us. Our pets don’t belong to us, they are God’s and we are tasked with caring for them. Our time doesn’t belong to us, each breath that we take is a gift from God. The time that we do have is given to us by God to achieve God’s purposes. Our bodies are not our own, to use and treat however we choose. They are formed by the hands of God and entrusted to our care so that we might further the kingdom of God.

A lot of the times when we hear the word stewardship, we automatically think of money. Stewardship certainly includes what we do with our money but stewardship is much more than that. It involved every aspect of our lives.

Adam and Eve didn’t have money and yet stewardship begins with them. They are tasked with caring for all that God has made. As stewards of God’s creation, every aspect of their lives would be affected. It would affect how they treated the land and the sea, the air. It would affect how they would treat the animals God has created, the fish and the birds. It would affect how they treat each other, since human beings are also part of God’s creation. It would affect what they chose to eat and how they chose to spend their time. Every part of their lives is affected by God’s command to care for creation.

We as God’s people have inherited this role as steward. This story in Genesis tells us not only who we are and whose we are, it also helps us to understand our purpose. We weren’t created simply to sit around and consume everything within our grasp. We weren’t created to use the creation God made with no regard for how it affects creation. We are tasked with caring for God’s world.

But Genesis is not the only story we’re told. In fact, we hear different stories all the time. Each a competing voice, trying to convince us of their claims. Burger King’s slogan “have it you way” gives voice to society’s story that we can have whatever we want, whenever we want, regardless of how it affects others. It tells us that satisfying our desires, our happiness, is the ultimate goal and the most important thing.

Revlon’s slogan “you’re worth it” gives voice to the story of entitlement that’s told over and over again. You deserve these things because you’ve worked hard for them. You’re entitled to over-eat while millions die of hunger. You’re entitled to waste thousands of gallons of water while millions don’t have access to clean water. You’re entitled to pay the cheapest price you can find, without regard for those laboring in sweat shops to make those “bargains” possible.

We have sayings like, “pull yourself up by your own bootstraps” that gives voice to the story of prosperity. It tells us that if you’re poor you must be lazy. You must not have studied hard enough or worked hard enough. If you’re unemployed it must be that you’re too proud because there are plenty of jobs out there if you want work bad enough.

Society tells us a lot of stories, stories that complete with the biblical witness. Unfortunately, we are told these stories much more frequently then we are told the biblical stories. The average American is exposed to over 3,000 advertising messages a day. Everywhere we turn, someone is trying to get us to buy into their story.

With these stories being told over and over again, it’s hard to hear the voice of the biblical witness. That’s part of why daily prayer and devotion is so important. It helps give us time to hear anew the stories of our faith family. It helps us to be reminded of the stories that tell us of our true identity.

Keeping our identity as God’s stewards is hard with so many competing claims on our identity. But that doesn’t change the fact that we were created with a purpose. Part of that purpose is for us to act as stewards of all that God has entrusted to us.

In two weeks you are going to be asked to make a commitment of your prayers, your attendance, your financial gifts, and your service. That commitment is a private act between you and God. It’s an opportunity for you to make a statement about which story you’re going to believe.

Whether we like it or not, we all have to choose which story we’re going to believe. We make that choice over and over again multiple times a day in the way we live. We make a choice about what story we’re going to believe by how we treat others. We make a statement about which story we believe by how we spend our time. We make a statement about which story we believe by how we care for the environment. We make a statement about which story we believe by what we spend our money on. We make a statement about which story we believe by how we care for our bodies.

We all have to choose. As you prepare to make a commitment of your prayers, you attendance, your financial gifts, and your service, I encourage you to spend time in prayer and searching scripture. Take time to hear again the biblical story of who you are and what you were created for. Take time to consider what story you will tell with your life.

Amen.