Pride Sunday – 08/27/2023

Today is Pride Sunday. You have had this celebration here before, but I don’t ever remember participating in a Pride Sunday. Thus, for me, this is a blessing. Pride is often thought of in a negative sense as to why do you think you are better than anyone else. Of course, it is quite the opposite, as it is about recognizing that every person is a child of God. This is regardless of anything.

In many churches and with a number of people we in the LGBTQIA+ community have been seen as less than, committing some kind of great sin for being who God created us to be. We at Faith Lutheran church do not believe that. Our welcoming statement spells out many groups who are often excluded, where we are here to welcome and include.

For me today is about celebrating diversity and inclusivity. God did not create us all alike and that is a beautiful thing. In Psalm 139 we read from the New Living Translation: O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.

You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Wonderfully complex. This is something that all of us are called to grapple with. For those of us in the LGBTQIA+ community, in order for us to find wholeness we have to affirm who God made us to be. This is not an easy process it means we are different than the main-stream person. We are different than what has been seen as “the norm”.

Yet God has created us to be complex beings. As God’s people we are called to celebrate this. This is not easy when we have people who are afraid of this complexity. There are churches who like to pull out the Bible and find texts to support their fearfulness. For me this is limiting and denying who God has wonderfully created. Everyone in this room and listening online are wonderfully created by God who loves everyone equally!

In our first lesson today, we find that famous rainbow that has become the symbol for the LGBTQIA+ community. The rainbow colors that we encounter in this Bible story are the colors that when mixed with each other produce all of the possible colors that we can think of. Basic, but yet wonderfully complex.

In the story of Noah’s Ark, the rainbow comes at the end of a cleansing of people and animals. God was hoping that taking a family and two of every animal, that God could start over again on the earth. In the end God did not like this and used the rainbow as a sign that God would never do this again.

This is a promise for all people and animals. The rainbow was and is a sign of hope that God would never flood the whole world again and start over. A symbol of God’s love for all of creation in the complexity that God created.

The rainbow Pride flag was designed in 1978 by artist and gay rights activist Gilbert Baker. He came up with the design after he was encouraged by Harvey Milk, another gay rights activist, to create a new, positive symbol that the entire LGBTQIA+ could rally behind.

Up until this point, a pink triangle was being used. As you may know, it was Adolph Hitler who conceived this sign during World War II as a stigma placed on LGBTQIA+ people, just as the star of David was used against Jews. Harvey Milk felt that a new symbol was needed that would symbolize love and not oppression.

As a basis for deciding on the rainbow flag, Baker went back to Noah’s Ark where it was used as a symbol of hope, a covenant between God and all of creation. Baker also found that it had been used in Egyptian and Native American history. Rainbow flags were flown for the first time in 1978 at “Gay Freedom Day” in San Francisco.

Colors have been added to the flag to represent people of color and the trans community. There are many versions of the flag also, to represent the complexity of God’s creation. Once again we are not saying that we in the LGBTQIA+ community are trying to put ourselves above others, but to celebrate who God made us to be.

We can as a community of faith enlighten these colors of diversity when we allow the light of Jesus to shine through us. Jesus tells us in our Gospel lesson for today that we are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.

As followers of Jesus, we do not create the light, but we allow Jesus’ light to shine through us. When we use lights, there is a reason for it. We wouldn’t turn it on to read and then put it out again. Jesus says once my light starts shining through you, don’t cover it up or put a bushel basket over it. If you are going to start shining my light, let it shine all over.

Unfortunately, as human beings it is easy for us to bring that bushel basket out to cover the light. Sometimes we are not even aware of it. We all have biases, some we know, and others are hidden. Biases are a bushel basket. They can come from things we have learned as children growing up. Biases are passed on until we can identify them and see a need to change our way of thinking.

All of this is a process. I believe biases can be changed over time. It takes the willingness to educate ourselves to begin to identify our biases. Then to see how they have and continue to affect other people. It is when we are willing to let the light of Jesus shine on our biases that we can see the wonderful complexity that God has created. When we begin to work through our biases we are better able to celebrate diversity and begin to embrace inclusion.

This fall I and a friend of mine will be leading a discussion on racism, Indigenous People and gender and orientation. It will be on Zoom for one hour on Sundays at 4:00 pm for five weeks starting September 24. There will be around 1 hour of reading and things to listen to each week that we will then be used in our time together. Please see the announcements and the FLC news for more information and to register.

Identifying what our bushel baskets are and working to erase them is what will allow Jesus’ light to shine through us. Eugene Peterson in his paraphrase of the Bible, The Message, says it this way: You are here to be light, bringing out the God colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We are going public with this, as a public city on a hill. If I make you light bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand-shine! Keep your house open, be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous parent in heaven.

Today on this Pride Sunday, we are called to be light bearers, that Jesus’ light may shine through us and bring out God’s colors in the complexity of God’s wonderful creation.

If this were the only Bible passage you had heard about Jesus, you might question for a bit who Jesus is. Even from everything that we have heard about Jesus this doesn’t fully sound like him, does it? Everything else that we have heard and read about Jesus had him holding up women with respect and loving all people. But that is not what we hear initially in this Gospel lesson.

]Jesus basically calls the woman a dog and he doesn’t have time for her. She comes to Jesus out of concern for her daughter who is tormented by a demon. We don’t know what the demon was, but the Canaanite woman came pleading to Jesus for help. Out of respect for who she knew him to be, she addresses him Lord, Son of David.

]Jesus ignored her and did not answer her. His disciples got into it and said send her away for she keeps shouting at us. Then Jesus finally answered and basically said that I am not here for you, “I was sent only to the people of Israel! They are like a flock of lost sheep.”.

]The woman further acknowledged Jesus by kneeling before him and said “Lord, help me.” Jesus answered. It is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs. The woman replied, Yes, Lord, but even puppies get the crumbs that fall from their owner's table.. Jesus then answered her, “Woman great is your faith! I will grant your request. The woman’s daughter was healed instantly.

Could it be for just a moment that we see a glimpse of Jesus’ human side? It seems that he lost his focus. Matthew’s Jesus was always talking about adding to the kingdom. Inviting more and more in. At times Jews called Gentiles dogs as they did not feel that the Gentiles measured up to the keeping of the law. In this moment it seemed that only the Jews were Jesus’ focus.

Jesus as a human being lost his focus and for just a brief moment was drawing a smaller circle. Jesus was telling the woman at first that he did not come for her. His disciples really picked up on this and pushed the point to get rid of her. But, it was the persistent woman that brought Jesus back to his focus. The focus being that the kingdom was for Jews and Gentiles, in other words everyone drawing a larger circle.

The woman knew who Jesus was. She addressed him Lord, Son of David. Lord, a step above others. One to be worshipped. There have been people in high-ranking positions who have chosen not to listen to people as they are beneath them. This woman believed that Jesus would honor her request and would eventually listen to her.

When Jesus tried to ignore her, she got down on her knees to plead. This was another form of respect that she was giving Jesus. She did not stop pleading, Lord, help me. Then probably the most degrading thing that Jesus said about a woman came out of his mouth, you dog, are not worthy to even have the crumbs from the masters’ table. She came back again and said even the dogs or as some translate it as,puppies, the Gentiles eat the crumbs.

It was as if a switch went off in Jesus’ head and he realized that he was out of focus. This Gentile woman recognized who Jesus was and what he was capable of. She treated Jesus accordingly. Her persistence seemed to make Jesus remember again that he was there for all people, Jews and Gentiles, drawing a larger circle.

In our churches today we have many different sizes of circles as to who is in and who is out. It seemed as if Jesus was drawing a smaller circle until he was reminded that the kingdom included everyone and that meant drawing the larger circle. At Faith, we have tried to draw a larger circle as we have stated in our welcoming statement.

We, at Faith Lutheran Church, welcome you as a child of God. As Paul said in his letter to the Galatians, “for in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith.” (Galatians 3:26) We strive to be a place where everyone is welcomed and affirmed.

No matter your age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, marital status, faith background, political leanings, or mental or physical ability – you are welcome as you are. As children of God, we are all one in Christ Jesus and rely on the unconditional nature of God’s love and grace to be our help and guide.

Last Saturday was our community dinner. I have heard many positive comments about it. This is drawing a larger circle. When youth are saying that they appreciate our church, I believe we are facing the right direction or focus. The challenge is how to further connect with them.

I have heard many good options, but I don’t know if we are set up to do many of them. Throughout this next year we will be looking at our system and how it empowers our mission statement, welcoming statement and goals or doesn’t. A one-person evangelism/outreach committee is not able to do a great deal.

This is why it will be important to again identify the gifts God has given Faith and to use them where God is calling us to use them. The community picnic is a great connection with the community, drawing a larger circle, and can we use that as a foundation to further connect with the community. It doesn’t seem that we have a system that would allow us to do that at this time.

Faith cannot meet all of the needs of the community, but the more focused and intentional that we are the larger that we can draw our circle. Just as the woman recognized who Jesus was and continues to be, so are we called to recognize him. Lord, Son of David, please give us direction. She believed that Jesus could fulfill her need and she wasn’t stopping until he did.

I believe the only way that we can intentionally keep drawing the circle larger is to seek Jesus’ guidance. We have learned in our own lives that it doesn’t always come on our time. It is persistence that tells Jesus that we are serious about having our need met. Our need being Jesus’ direction on the mission work that we are being called to.

When Jesus didn’t seem to be listening, the woman knelt before him and showed him more honor. She even dared to respond to his derogatory comment calling her basically a dog. She could have taken this to mean that Gentiles are not as important Jews. This did not stop her, and she said even the crumbs are important. Whatever Jesus can do for her is important to her.

Jesus then recognized her great faith. No matter what, she was persistent. Jesus once again remembered what he had been preaching and teaching, that the kingdom was for everyone, drawing a larger circle. He remembered that he had been preaching and teaching that God loved everyone equally, no matter whether you were Jew or Gentile.

For us, we have put into words and on paper that this means: No matter your age, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, marital status, faith background, political leanings, or mental or physical ability – you are welcome as you are. As children of God, we are all one in Christ Jesus and rely on the unconditional nature of God’s love and grace to be our help and guide.

I truly believe that Faith has a heart for drawing a larger circle and is striving to do so. During this transition time we will be challenged to examine and assess how we are drawing a larger circle and who God wants us to be reaching out to. For us to do this will take persistence in seeking God and being willing to humble ourselves as the woman did in her kneeling that we may draw the largest circle possible.

This is a special musical presentation of The Quiet Heart, performed today by Chris Lewis at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

This is a special musical presentation of Brethren, We Have Come to Worship, performed today by Elaine Harrison, Brenda Kopf, Megan Nyquist, Gretchen Paige at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.

Prayer of the day :

"O God our defender, storms rage around and within us and cause us to be afraid. Rescue your people from despair, deliver your sons and daughters from fear, and preserve us in the faith of your Son, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.  Amen."

Sermon

I Kings 19: 9-18, Psalm 85:8-13, Romans 10:5-15, Matthew 14:22-33        

Now the Silence

[God] said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by.”  Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind, an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.  When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave.  Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

This reading from I Kings is paired with the Matthew story of Jesus going up on a mountain by himself to pray.  Elijah had been sentenced to death by Queen Jezebel, held responsible for the death of the 450 prophets of the god Baal.  He was running for his life, surely scared but also so depressed that he just wanted to die.  We read, in the wilderness “he asked God that he might die.  ‘It is enough, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my ancestors.’”  (Read 19:3-10)

Then these words from God, “Go out and stand on the mountain…”

In the gospel story Jesus has just dismissed an enormous crowd where the sick were cured and 5000 men plus women and children had been fed by the disciples with five loaves and two fish blessed by Jesus.  

And after he had dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray.  When evening came, he was there alone…

But, unlike Elijah, Jesus was not running for his life.  Surely he too was grieving, though not for himself like Elijah, but from the news that his cousin, John the Baptist, had just been beheaded by order of King Herod.  And Jesus was no doubt weary from a very long day caring for probably 10,000 or more people.  And likely he was mindful that the day would come when he too, like John, would be put to death. Jesus needed to be alone; he needed quiet; he needed time to pray.

During the Confession of Sins, the moments when we are silent are intentional.  And I have asked Bruce to wait a minute or so after this sermon before introducing the hymn of the day just for silence.  It was in “a sound of sheer silence” or in other translations “a still small voice” or “a softly whispering voice” that the LORD spoke to Elijah.  I think it was how his Father spoke to and with Jesus, his Son…And I suspect, a primary way the Holy Trinity, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit speak to all of us.

I am only beginning to appreciate the words of Martin Luther who said that when he knew the day ahead would be especially challenging, he would pray for two hours before engaging all that would come that day.  [I am nowhere yet near that laudable discipline!]  But don’t you and I know that when we have been still, as still as best we can be, if even for a few minutes, we are sometimes given greater focus and clarity about what’s next in our lives; yes, what and how God would have us be and do for the most loving living of each day?

“Now the Silence” is a beautiful hymn you may have heard and perhaps sung.  I’ve asked Deb to sing it during Holy Communion today. I speak the words now:

Now the silence, Now the peace, Now the empty hands uplifted; Now the kneeling, Now the plea, Now the Father’s arms in welcome; Now the hearing, Now the pow’r, Now the vessel brimmed for pouring; Now the body, Now the blood, Now the joyful celebration, Now the wedding, Now the songs, Now the heart forgiven leaping; Now the Spirit’s visitation, Now the Son’s epiphany, Now the Father’s blessing.  Now.  Now.  Now.

Now the silence, now wherein the still small voice may be heard…  For Jesus and for each of us in whom he dwells, such silence is filled with God’s very self.  The sheer silence is a way God prepares us for challenges, including the storms that lie ahead.

When evening came, he was there alone, but by this time the boat battered by the waves, was far from the land, for the wind was against them.  And early in the morning he came walking toward them on the sea.

Early in the morning, early each morning, might we say, might we believe Jesus is walking toward us?

I think about the people on the island of Maui where the wind and the waves and, most disastrously, the raging fires have swept through entire villages. Can they believe that Jesus is walking toward them, these shocked and devastated people?  Can they believe that his Father’s arms are now and forever holding even loved ones who have perished? …For the survivors, maybe not right now.  Maybe now God is for them at best an apparition, at worst bringing judgment and death. 

But can we believe that Jesus is walking toward them?  Can we believe that when their hope and their faith is failing, when they are drowning, Jesus is reaching out to rescue them?

A member of Faith in a recent Tuesday Bible study shared a challenge for our congregation.  It is, albeit, much, much less consequential than that faced by the people of Maui. In approving our annual budget, we counted on the sale yet this year of a portion of our property to eliminate our still significant nearly half-million building debt.  But now it seems likely that the sale will not be consummated so quickly. 

Granted, this is nowhere near the challenge faced by the people of Hawaii, but it is our challenge.  Will we meet our obligations of providing Word and sacrament and other forms of caring for each other and of providing consistent care for others in this hurting and frightened world we have been called to generously and steadfastly serve? 

But hear the gospel for the people of Hawaii and for the people of Faith:  For this and for any other challenges we face, whether great or small, Jesus on the mountain, in the night of our distress, has already prayed for us.  And now Jesus is on his way to help us. Though we may not immediately recognize him, can we not in the silence of our hearts hear him say, “Take heart, it is I.  Do not be afraid.”?

But maybe we are Peter: 

“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”  [Jesus] said, “Come.”  So Peter got out of the boat, started walking on the water, and came toward Jesus.  But when he noticed the strong wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” 

Hear the gospel:

Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him, saying to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”  When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”

One thoughtful commentator has suggested that Jesus’ words, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” were not a harsh, belittling criticism, but a gentle, softly spoken reminder to Peter to trust that Jesus has got this.  The worst storms in our lives cannot separate us from God’s saving love made known to us in his Son.

Now, in the silence following this sermon, think of a strong, battering wind in your  life.  Then hear Jesus, walking on troubled waters, saying to you, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.”

Amen.

This is a special musical presentation of Beautiful Savior, performed today by Emily Brown at Faith Lutheran Church in Okemos, Michigan.