The Third Sunday in Lent: Commandments for Life

3/4

After church Sunday dinner

After a week in Florida, I'm back with my friends at Beverley Church in Brooklyn. Here's this week’s reflection. 

SO it is the third Sunday of Lent.

So I'm just back from Florida. The other day I was sitting on my friend's patio, having a conversation. It was 78' and sunny in Florida. And I looked and noticed it was 36' with mixed rain and snow in New York City. Mmmmm. Well, at least the sun was shining yesterday.

I was staying with a rabbi friend and on Friday night, I helped him do his service. After the service, we sat and talked awhile. He's got a pretty hard and fast rule about never putting politics into his sermons. That things are so hard for  most of us out there, that we all need jut san hour's peace once a week. A time to be together praising God  and feeling the healing wings of God embracing us and resting in the peace of the Lord. 

My tradition and experience takes me to a somewhat different place, but I profoundly respect where he's coming from on that point and I always want to make sure that when  we're together, we experience some of that peace and renewal. And I expect  our conversation will go on for  as long as we're friends because there are so many angles  to that conversation.

I was thinking how one of the things  I say about the job of being a pastor is that we are to help with the ongoing  exegesis of the lived lives of the people of God. That is, we're supposed to help you all make sense of what's going on around you theologically and spiritually. And man, I have no idea as to how to even begin to keep up with what's going on around us now. There's just too much every day. 

So I wanted to get into the 10 commandments today. And the thought struck me that once you move beyond one person, you're into politics.  I guess it's all in how you define the term. And by the way, I'm still amazed at Billy Graham lying in state in the capitol rotunda. Its very clear that for all of his public eschewing of politics, he was a very political person. Even as far as  giving to Nixon a bombing plan for Vietnam that if carried out would have killed over a million people. Although it is true that the focus of his public preaching was individual salvation...what it takes to get me into heaven. 

And that's a good entree into the Ten Commandments (and if you're older than a certain age, how do you even say that and not think about Charlton Heston?) Because the 10 commandments are not a personal guide book to get you into heaven. They have a very different purpose.A political purpose if you will. 

Note they're from Exodus. From the part of the Bible story where the Hebrew people exit from Egypt and then have to spend 40 years in the desert learning how we live together as a community.. before entering the  promised land. These commandments are at the base of that. 

(Those who  want to put them in our courthouses have the right instincts, as to their basic importance.   They are the root of our legal justice system. But living in an inclusive society is more complicated. Besides ...are you aware there are protestant, jewish and catholic ways of dividing the commandments? )

The first sounds like its simply religious. But inspiring our friends  in the Confessing Church in the writing of the Barmen Declaration in the midst of Nazi Germany and the so-called 'German Christian" movement. 

We reject the false doctrine, as though the Church in human arrogance could place the Word and work of the Lord in the service of any arbitrarily chosen desires, purposes, and plans." On the contrary, the Declaration proclaims that the Church "is solely Christ's property, and that it lives and wants to live solely from his comfort and from his direction in the expectation of his appearance." (8.17) Rejecting domestication of the Word in the Church, the Declaration points to the inalienable lordship of Jesus Christ by the Spirit and to the external character of church unity which "can come only from the Word of God in faith through the Holy Spirit. Thus alone is the Church renewed" (8.01).

But by claiming primary allegiance to Christ in Nazi Germany, they were making a profoundly (and dangerous) political statement as well.  All authority in Christ, which leaves no room for Hitler. 

We could do a sermon about each of these.  The first four seem to  about our relationships with God and the last five with each other with a day of rest in between..which makes it central...even for slaves and animals...this was the inspiration of the 40 hour week, the end of Child labor, Sunday school...if only we could get back to a sense of sabbath...

And have we ever had more of a need for a commandment about truth?

But here's the main point I want to make about the commandments. The first pretty much says it all. We shall have no other Gods before us...and every one of the other commandments is about giving something else god like importance in our lives before God. Every time we break a commandment, we are placing another concern before God. 

Maybe as a Lenten discipline this week, you could ask yourself at the end of each day what commandments did you break today? Or simply think about  when we made something else more important than God. Or reflect on a commandment a day. And think about metaphors. Remember Jimmy Carter's "Adultery of the spirit?"

Our God will be faithful to the 1000th generation. Thanks be to God!

I had promised the people that I would play for them today.  So following communion, as the offering was being collected, I played my setting of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind."And like I did last Friday at Sarasota, the last time through I stopped and said,
"I've been watching these high school children from South Florida blow us away and you know what? Maybe its too east to say the answer is blowin in the wind.  Maybe we need to sing the answer is the answer my friend is not blowin' in the wind, the answer is in our in hands.  And that's exactly what we did.

And when it was over, went downstairs for dinner. And conversation.  We broke bread together.

First Reading Exodus 20:1-17

1Then God spoke all these words:

2I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; 3you shall have no other gods before me.

4You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, punishing children for the iniquity of parents, to the third and the fourth generation of those who reject me, 6but showing steadfast love to the thousandth generation of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

8Remember the sabbath day, and keep it holy. 9For six days you shall labor and do all your work. 10But the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; you shall not do any work — you, your son or your daughter, your male or female slave, your livestock, or the alien resident in your towns. 11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but rested the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and consecrated it.

12Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

13You shall not murder.

14You shall not commit adultery.

15You shall not steal.

16You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.

Brief reflections on the Ten Commandments

10/4

Quick stop late in the day. The Revolutionary Communists leaving after a long meeting. Frog & Peach taking a break during final rehearsals for Titus Andronicus. Berik working alone on his computer.

10/5

Today we’re  starting a new series: …He’s got the whole world in his hands..and our theme of the day, Back to Basics.

We’ve got no other accompanist today, so after we finish Psalm 19, I play the Melodians By the Rivers of Babylon:

By the rivers of Babylon

Where we sat down

And there we wept

When we remembered Zion.

Oh the wicked carry us away, captivity

Require of us a song.

How can we sing Jehovah’s song in a strange land?

Oh let the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts

Be acceptable in thy sight, Oh Lord.

Our sermon text today is Exodus 20: 1-14, 7-9, 12-20, the  Ten commandments. I start by saying here’s a lot converging. World Communion  Sunday. World peace day. The end of Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement. The Muslim Eid al Aha. This is where we begin our look at the whole world in  God’s hands…with a look at our most basic legal, moral code.

There are different ways to organize. To count.  In Hebrew, it’s the ten words, or  the ten sayings. Leading to the Greek, Decalogue, 10 words…It was The Geneva Bible that was first to use tenne commandements. In fact in Hebrew, the word  TORAH is more accurately translated teaching, than LAW.

There are only two positives and eight negatives.

The Ten Commandments get down to basics, to worship only God, the greatest injury to another  person (murder), the greatest injury to family bonds (adultery), the greatest injury to commerce and law (bearing false witness), the greatest inter-generational obligation (honor to parents), the greatest obligation to community (truthfulness), the greatest injury to movable property (theft).

The writing of these ten commandments most likely dates to the time of Solomon…foundational rules for organizing a kingdom…..and they have a universal quality. BASICS.

We talk about those that are problematic. Like thou shalt not kill, which we have now understand is closer to murder. And stealing, especially in a day when businesses steal more from employees than burglary, larceny and robbery combined. As we’ve learned from our anti-sweatshop friends, from the most vulnerable workers. And envy, that one is really hard…

Anna remarks on the absence of gluttony. One of the seven deadlies, but not the big ten…

Ultimately, I feel like all the commandments after the first are simply variations of idolatry, having other gods beside god.  Last week we talked about authority…who’s in charge…and this comes back to  that question…perhaps ALL truly are based on first….

We sing He’s got he whole world in his hands…the old children’s song…and the  officially welcome Anna into membership as Leila stands by her side on behalf of the session.

Anna, Blueberry, Leila and Puppy

The after communion, we do our St. Francis moment and bless puppy and Blueberry both under Anna’s care today.

 I stay after service to wait for Tina. She was trying to get here for worship, but didn't quite make it. She’s come with her friend Martha. An artist who has painted a beautiful portrait of Tina. She keeps waiting for the loss of Teddy to get easier. It’s going on two years now. But it doesn’t. I understand how she feels. Sometimes it’s hard to let yourself grieve because you’re not sure how stop. I know. No easy answers. But she has an amazing life force, and sense of humor, that is indefatigable. I admire her. And appreciate the laughter. Outside on the steps, it’s as close to perfect an October day as you’ll get.

Third Sunday in Lent: Occupy breakfast

3/11

Jamie has brought more candles to bring more light.

We gather. Begin. John reads the ten commandments. We do Psalm 19 people’s mike style. It ends with oh let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight O lord...I ask if anyone recognizes that. Of course, I say that every Sunday before the sermon. But then Kamini says, Bob Marley, and I say, that’s right and sing it his style. (Well, kind of...)

And after Samantha reads the Epistle, we sing How Beautiful the March of Days...Lily reads the gospel, Jesus throwing out the money changers, in Spanish, I in English. 

We’re talking about a Covenant again. This time God’s covenant on Sinai. And the  Ten Commandments.. God to Moses at Sinai. In Hebrew, it’s words, sayings, matters. In Greek, decalogue, ten words.....In Jewish tradition, these commandments only were  written directly by God’s finger....The universal basis of all morality...and no penalties listed...The other 613 mitzvot were for the children of Israel, not anyone else. 

And by the way, who remembers Charlton Heston?

So OK.,..scorecard time. I’m not asking for any public answers here. How many have you broken? A number of my former Catholics remember their first communion. The commandments and their first confession. Pretty heavy memories.

Which is the first?

I tell the congregation that there are at least three different ways to number. In the Jewish tradition, I am the Lord your God is the first word. ..Or it could be have no other gods before me...I think that everything  else follows that, everything  else is a variation, amplification, about about honoring something other than God...

Which leads me to Jesus in the temple...what was he doing there? Which commandment inspired him? According to Barbara Lundblad, he was disrupting religious routines...(and religious leaders too...) or maybe it was about Jesus and a  strange piety...

What was it that annoyed him...what is it that we need to worry about?  what changes frighten us, do we need to make?

Was Jesus part of the black block of his day? A great conversation ensues, Hope speaking of righteous anger, Jamie saying that you can never be sure enough to unleash that level of violence.

And if you talk about destruction,

Don’t you know that you can count me out (in)

Lennon-Mc Cartney, Revolution

It remains a question in the air. 

Our occupiers invite us upstairs for breakfast. Bacon, eggs, quiche, apple crisp. It's amazing what can be done with a convection oven, a microwave and a hotplate.  I look at the tables. The conversations. The warmth. I see the lives that have been changed. This is exactly what I want. This is community. 

Breakfast table

Leila, Arcadia and Jamie

Amy and Nirka

Later, the Session meets. Sekou has had a fender bender. But he can’t locate his license, is concerned about the police. So I go to be with him. Later we meet together. Talk bout the idea of the Freedom Church. And when we talk about Sanctuary and Jane, it’s Samantha who comes thorugh, says that she never wants anyone to feel unwelcome in our church. That we need to get our two groups together.  Work on the relationship. And she’s interested in creating all Sa thrift shop. We find candidates for the session. And deacons. We will have an annual meeting. It’s been a long day. Time to go home.