15 24 1045 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/384a27df4b20d81730ae7c095d9b40fb.pdf fd99db3f702022f96e129766ec1a1527 PDF Text Text Your Elephant Is Showing… Pottawattomie Park Potluck Picnic Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 23, 2008 Prepared text of the Talk No, this is not about your Republican Party affiliation if that be the case with you. Your Elephant is the total package that makes you you except for your reason – your faculty of critical rationality. I am over my head here…but this is a picnic and I hope this can be fun for us to examine our assumptions, prejudices, and deeply held beliefs as we negotiate life’s journey. It may be especially interesting for us, many of whom have experienced a disruption in the pattern of our spiritual life and practice over the past four years and find ourselves in the midst of a political campaign that began in a much too lengthy primary season and now is heating up as we move toward the party conventions. • • • • • • • • How have I come to be the person I am? How have my religious beliefs been formed and how deeply do I hold them? Why am I a Republican, Democrat or Independent and how do I respond to the political discussion? What do I think and feel about nation and the rapidly emerging global community? Do I hope the U.S. maintains superiority – the imperial power? Is that nationalism? And isn’t nationalism especially dangerous in the global community? Or, in our emerging global reality, don’t we have to begin to form world government? And then, finally, what impact on my political, social, and economic views does Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount have? Or, more broadly, am I shaped as a follower of Jesus with implications for my political, social, and economic views or is my religious life a thing apart from the nitty, gritty of my world? © Grand Valley State University   �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 2   I have been frustrated by these questions over the past couple of years. My valued conversation partner has been Peter Hart who has been pursuing an investigation of the make-up of the brain as it has evolved in the emergence of the human being. One of the critical areas of research and reflection in the last years has been the relationship of the brain and human consciousness. The brain has been called a meaty computer – and some would reduce the human being to chemicals and electrical circuits – all a purely physical phenomenon. But what of human consciousness? What of our capacity to transcend the purely physical reality in awareness, in social relationship, in spiritual experience? You won’t be surprised that I believe we are more than the totality of blood, nerves and neurons. Obviously I would affirm that “added plus” of spiritual being. However, I have been very interested in how the physical make-up of the human being – and particularly the brain – has evolved and how one’s attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and prejudices are shaped by the physical underpinning of the spirit or mind. One of the things that I learned from Duncan Littlefair was the amazing fact that matter has given rise to spirit. Here we are, creatures who live with awe and wonder, and ,if we be religious, with reverence and gratitude and the spiritual dimension which has been birthed from matter. Matter has given birth to that which transcends the material. Again, let me be honest: I am over my head here; I have only an inkling of what I am trying to express, but my point is that the material that has birthed the mind/consciousness/spirit is still immensely engaged in the determining of the human being’s thoughts, feelings, beliefs and commitments. That is where the Elephant comes in. In an interesting book, The Happiness Hypothesis, Jonathan Haidt uses a most interesting metaphor to describe the mind/body relationship. Picture an elephant with a human rider on its back holding the reins. The Rider is our Reason – our rational capacity. The Elephant is our whole physical being – nerves, hormones, emotions, etc. that make up our total being. Haidt writes: Like a rider on the back of an elephant, the conscious, reasoning part of the mind has only limited control of what the elephant does. (p. xi) The metaphor is a vivid representation of the relationship of our conscious, rational selves as we struggle with our unconscious biological, neurological structure that is the Elephant upon which we are perched. We pride ourselves on being rational, thoughtful, conscious persons. And some of the time we are thoughtful, mindful, civil, rational, decent creatures. We take up © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 3   the reins and guide the elephant in paths of righteousness, love, compassion and civility. But then something happens that goads the elephant, prods the beast and then the beast will demonstrate a mind of its own and our sane, deliberate reasonable response is washed away by the power and strength of our accumulated evolutionary past which finds place in our being. Suddenly the Elephant shows itself. (Note: the Rider is not separate from the Elephant in the metaphor – Rider and Elephant are one.) When all is calm and collected, the Rider (or Reason) guides the whole. When the Elephant is challenged/threatened/cornered, the reasoning part, the Rider, doesn’t have a prayer. Haidt’s book goes on to describe the development of the brain, its respective parts as they developed in our long evolutionary past and I am not going into that. I have not the competence to do that, nor is that my purpose. I am using the metaphor and that to which it points to talk with you about the issues I mentioned above in order to prod you to ask yourself some interesting questions about what you assume are your well-thought-out positions on some important questions. I intend this to be fun – an exercise in self-exploration, hopefully bringing insight and self-awareness – an exercise in self-knowledge. And so, let me come back to my introductory questions. Let’s begin with the religious dimension of our lives: Why are you a Christian? Well, because Christianity is the one true religion, right? Now I suspect, were I addressing most Christian gatherings, the answer would be, “Yes, of course.” But for this group, after some years of struggling with the issue of Christian exclusivism, I would expect a more nuanced response – We are Christian because, for most of us, we were born into Christian families. We have come to understand the nature of religious tradition: a founding story / a community developing a tradition / a way of life / the moral dimension. Our Elephants are exclusivists. Tell the Elephant there is light and grace in other traditions and the Elephant feels threatened. Think back about how perhaps you struggled with that question. I remember my own painful journey. And remember we were judged to be outside the pale of Reformed Faith on this issue. © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 4   It is interesting that a recent study by the Pew Research Center claims the majority of Catholics and Protestants now believe there is salvation in other faiths – an encouraging sign. But you may remember, in our conflict with the Muskegon Classis, I said, “Scratch the word alone in the claim of ‘salvation through Jesus Christ alone’ and I will sign on” – and the answer was “No way.” A dozen years later I am amazed that was even an issue; but for me, for us, to come to that point was a struggle. Our Elephants are exclusivists. Does that mean I can go anywhere, to any kind of religious community and find my heart warmed, my mind opened, my spirit fed? No, not at all. My Elephant or, better, my being, has been hard-wired not only to be religious but has been formed by faith, vision, understanding, liturgy, worship experience, hymns, sacraments, etc., and it is those religious observances that touch me, move me, inspire me, challenge me and bless me altogether. My rational part – the Rider in me – understands I am the product of a long conditioning process that I have come to understand in its misty, mythological origins, in its evolving forms and present expression that I affirm, I choose. To use an image that, when I first used it, got me into trouble – The Cathedral at Chartres: An Englishman, Malcolm Miller, gave fascinating lectures in the Cathedral. He told how, before the printing press, the cathedral was the village library – the stories told in stained glass. The biblical story was recorded in the windows of the respective sections of the cathedral. Depending on the section – nave, chancel or choir – you “read” one of the stories. I thought to myself, one tradition reads one story, another one reads another – but the light that made the stories come alive was of a common source. I became a pluralist in that moment. If I choose, perhaps I can move into another “picture”. If I’m seeking, I may explore. Some even cross over. But I’m not so inclined. My faith understanding at this point satisfies me. And for the rest, I bless them. Perhaps I can say it this way: my rider has made peace with my elephant and in things religious my elephant is not easily roused. I have made a choice which ministers to the deep traditioning that formed me. I am at peace. Let’s move to the political dimension. I know one is not supposed to mix religion and politics but I’ve been reckless before. We are in the midst of a presidential campaign. Will it be McCain or Obama? Are you a Republican or a Democrat or an Independent? © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 5   We live in a time of too much media coverage – too many talking heads with too much air time. And since the real issue is audience share/ advertising/ the bottom line, the reality is not thoughtful, reasoned discourse appealing to our rational nature but rather which channel can best rouse the elephant in us. And the elephant does rouse, doesn’t it? I was raised in a staunch Republican home. I have said before, it seems I am always out of step with the times. As a child I remember table conversations in which FDR was the evil Satan. As the years went by, I learned FDR was ranked as one of the great presidents who constructed the safety net that has been in peril from the party of my birth. I find I’m not a very good party person anymore just as I am no longer a religious exclusivist. Yet there is an elephant dimension in me that created a feeling of guilt the first time I pulled the lever for a democrat. In Chicago on Monday I paged through a few books at Borders. One was George Lackoff’s The Political Mind. I was interested because I have recently read Drew Westen’s The Political Brain and Lackoff refers very affirmingly to Westen’s book. The Political Brain does something like Haidt in The Happiness Hypothesis in that he demonstrates how we make our political choices. We only think we are being calmly reasonable in our political choices when it is really our Elephant talking most of the time. We find those political leaders highly reasonable and persuasive when they are feeding our elephant appetites, while their opponents sound off-key. What is really happening to us is the triggering of all sorts of factors below the level of our consciousness. It can be rather depressing at first blush when I realize what is really going on – I would like to think I’m an intelligent, balanced, well-informed, fair-minded citizen, only to realize that I am a bundle of sub-rational prejudices and predispositions that I paste on the respective candidates. We wonder why politics becomes so divisive, so mean, so negative and then we learn that what is being appealed to is not our reason and civility but our passions, our prejudices, our fears – in a word, our elephant. Will that ever change? I’m really not sure. It is really not as though it is everyone else’s problem; I too am a big elephant with a little reasoning rider. Awareness helps. I become aware that there are factors affecting me on issues and candidates that cause me to react positively or negatively and, from time to time, I may be tempered in my reaction or I may give the one who is not the candidate of choice for me a bit of leeway. But the closer the issue comes to my elephant core, the more difficult it is for me to keep some objectivity in place. In the Democratic Primary there was much discussion about the issues of gender and race. © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Did Hillary suffer from bias against the idea of a woman in leadership? Certainly there is a percentage of the population that would refuse to vote for a woman no matter who she was. And no doubt there is a percentage of the population that will refuse to vote for Obama because he is black. And in each case this will be by some who will state the fact openly, but probably a large percentage for whom gender or race are determinative below the surface – that is, folks who would deny that consciously and yet be controlled by those issues subconsciously. I wish I could say for me such subconscious prejudice is not the case but that would only show how little I understand myself. Are we doomed forever? No, I think we do make progress. In the case of religious exclusivism, as we saw, there is progress against exclusivism. And in the recent primary battle, it was between a woman and a black man. And it is highly possible that a black man (or bi-racial) will be elected. That is quite amazing. But the reality of the elephant remains as we make our political choice. Finally, let me come to an issue I deem by far the most critical, namely, the question of what kind of a world we envision and are committed to strive for. I began with the religious issue and moved to the political issue, in each case attempting to point out how our reasoned judgment is strongly controlled or at least influenced by our subconscious formation and conditioning. The elephant when roused clouds the rational judgment, which we assume informs our judgments. All that background heritage we carry seeps through our reasoning processes. So it is as regards our global vision. Let me make a couple observations: In its founding vision and founding documents, ours is a truly remarkable nation. We began in bloody revolution. The heroes of the Revolution we celebrated on the Fourth of July were freedom fighters. We rebelled against the Royal Crown – the legally established authority which considered us terrorists. We tend to forget that historical fact when we engage in pushing down revolts around the world. But I would argue that the nation that was born – the founding vision – was remarkable – was ahead of anything at that time – the divine right of kings, the feudal systems and emperor worship. I am no expert on all of this. I am attempting simply to make the point that our emergence as a nation was a remarkable move forward in the establishment of human dignity, human rights, and democratic government. We are still a young nation relatively speaking but have been a laboratory of human community. We © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 7   have established a free and prosperous, creative and innovative nation. In a word, this nation has been an impressive human achievement. To be sure there are dark shadows aplenty in our history – one of the most glaring –slavery and the continuing racism that manifests itself. I am not denying where we have fallen short but the ideals of our founding and the embodiment of those ideals has been a remarkable human experiment. Having said that, I must say that we are in serious danger of compromising those ideals. And here I want to suggest something that may rouse the elephant in you… In 1989, I think it was, the Berlin Wall fell as the Soviet Union imploded. It was a glorious celebration. The long Cold War ended. We remained the one great super power. No one could touch us. What a moment that was and what grand possibilities that presented. Leaving gaps in recording the history of the last two decades admittedly, there arose political thinkers who saw the possibility of a unipolar world – the era of America – one world power dominating the globe. A study paper was produced that outlined the future direction. But the world was only apparently at peace. There were festerings of the human soul in many places. The most serious challenge from what we have named Islamic Fundamentalism – 9/11 happened. And we are all too well aware of the failure to deal with that terrorist act as a police action. After removing the Taliban from power in Afghanistan, it became an occasion to invade Iraq. The rest is history… In his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush named North Korea, Iran and Iraq as “the axis of evil”. The 9/11 event gave power to the neoconservative movement that had produced that unipolar version during the presidency of the first President Bush. (At that time in a sermon I criticized that axis of evil characterization with its hostile tone suggesting we should rather use our position at the pinnacle of power to change the world.) Imperial America was born – American Empire – and there we are today. I won’t bother you with statistics but military power is deployed around the globe. A war in Iraq – and Islamic terrorism still a threat to global community. What might have happened if at the pinnacle of power we had changed the way the world relates in global community? What if we had used our overwhelming power/ wealth/resources to unite the world through the alleviation of poverty, world health care and education, lifting up people aspiring to a humane existence? © Grand Valley State University �Your Elephant is Showing… Richard A. Rhem Page 8   There is a problem with empire. It remains in power by domination, through military might. It is always threatened and needs to react to challenge. Empires must always look over their shoulder and guard their flank. And this too – empires rise and fall, and in the meantime sustain themselves through endless war – until they die exhausted. Now being a preacher I cannot help but refer you to Jesus who came preaching the Kingdom of God. He was born in a time of brutal empire to a people living under the heel of Rome. But he changed the world through the power of love. Love your enemies…and when they crucified him, he prayed, “Father, forgive them…” And it worked too until the Church became the Empire with all the trappings of pomp, glory and power. But the memory of the dangerous life and message of Jesus has never been defeated. Of what practical significance is this? You watch your elephant rise up…. 1. 2. 3. Carefully, responsibly we must yield our sovereignty using all our resources to create a world government; There must be total nuclear disarmament; There must be an end to war. I know, I know. I hear the “Yabuts”. But what is making everything in you rise up to write that off as an “impossible dream”? Oops – your elephant is showing… References: Jonathan Haidt. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, 2006. Drew Westen. The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, 2007. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Sunday Potluck Picnic Location The location of the interview Pottawattomie Park References Jonathan Haidt. The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom, 2006. Drew Westin. The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation, 2007. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20080723 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-07-23 Title A name given to the resource Your Elephant is Showing... Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 23, 2008 entitled "Your Elephant is Showing...", on the occasion of Sunday Potluck Picnic, at Pottawattomie Park . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Arc of Justice Brain Science Exclusivism Pluralism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/23d005275872c83d6ecf62142a0718e2.pdf ff273c3f1ed2bbfca789b42fcb38e45e PDF Text Text A Final Act of Grace Sunday Potluck Richard A. Rhem Grand Haven Community Center Grand Haven, Michigan May 4, 2008 Prepared Text of the sermon   Returning  home  from  Florida  on  February  5,  we  entered  the  home  of  our  kids,  Lynn   and  Keith  Mast,  as  the  telephone  rang.  It  was  a  call  from  Gerry  Rodarmer,  saying   that  Sam  Bacon  had  died  that  day  and  Janet  was  trying  to  get  hold  of  me  to  conduct   Sam’s  funeral.  A  few  days  later,  Feb.  10,  Don  Nagtzaam  died  .  On  March  19  Roger   Vander  Meulen  died.  On  April  15  Allen  Ruiter  died.  In  the  meantime  I  spoke  at  a   memorial  gathering  for  John  Nemenye,  who  was  loosely  related  to  CCC.  From   February  to  April,  I  have  conducted  five  funerals  for  CCC  members.  And,  in   preparing  those  services,  I  gained  some  insight  into  the  reason  we  are  here  today.  I   hope  as  I  relate  the  experience  of  preparing  for  and  conducting  those  services,  I   might  enable  us  all  to  understand  why  we  are  here  today  and  hopefully  enable  us  to   move  on  to  a  positive  and  joyful  future.       I  suspect  we  have  present  today  persons  in  various  relationships  to  CCC.  Most  of   you,  I  suspect,  no  longer  are  part  of  that  community;  some  of  you  are;  some  of  you   are  still  trying  to  figure  out  where  you  are.  So  hear  me  as  I  tell  a  tale  of  four  funerals.      As  those  of  you  know  who  have  been  at  a  number  of  the  funerals  I’ve  conducted,  I   weave  into  one  a  eulogy  and  a  biblical  message.  I  always  try  to  set  the  person  forth   as  they  were  in  the  context  of  a  collage  of  Scripture,  finding  in  Scripture  something   that  marked  the  person  and  is  also  a  ground  of  hope  and  source  of  comfort.      In  the  case  of  Sam  Bacon  and  Roger  Vander  Meulen,  it  was  the  time  of  their  deaths   that  gave  me  a  clue  as  to  how  to  proceed.      Sam  died  on  “Fat  Tuesday,”  the  climax  of  Mardi  Gras,  the  day  before  Ash   Wednesday.  The  funeral  three  days  later  was  at  the  beginning  of  Lent.  I  thought  of   the  passage  in  Genesis  2  where  God  takes  a  scoop  of  earth  and  forms  the  man,   breathing  into  him  the  breath  of  life  and  then  the  disobedience  in  Genesis  3  and  the   sentence  on  the  guilty  couple  –  “Dust  thou  art  and  to  dust  thou  shalt  return”  –  the   words  we  speak  over  each  worshiper  on  Ash  Wednesday  as  we  apply  the  ashes  on   the  forehead.  Sam  and  Janet  came  to  us  from  Fountain  Street  and  I  had  one  of   Duncan’s  favorite  poems,  “This  Quiet  Dust”,  which  seemed  to  put  it  all  in  context.   © Grand Valley State University   �A Final Act of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 2    Roger  Vander  Meulen  died  during  Holy  Week  –  the  pain  of  loss  and  grieving   appropriate  for  the  solemnity  and  darkness  of  that  annual  observance.  But  his   funeral  was  on  Easter  Monday.  Again  it  was  the  observance  of  the  Christian  year   that  created  the  context  –  again  I  used  Genesis  2:4  –  Dust  –  God’s  act  of  creation  and   the  promise  to  dust  thou  shalt  return.  But  now  it  was  Easter  Monday.  I  turned  to  St.   Paul  in  the  great  Resurrection  Chapter  15  of  First  Corinthians.  Paul  struggled  to   bring  to  expression  his  assurance  of  resurrection  –  Flesh  and  blood  (or  dust)  is   mortal  and  the  mortal  cannot  inherit  the  Kingdom.  The  mortal  must  put  on   immortality.  I  told  the  story  of  the  butterfly  emerging  from  the  caterpillar  whose   immune  cells  fight  the  new  imaginal  cells  –  fighting,  as  it  were,  the  transformation   into  the  new  form,  and  are  finally  overcome  as  the  butterfly  emerges  –  a  creature  no   longer  fated  to  crawl  on  earth  but  gaining  wings  to  fly!       I  need  not  go  on  with  Paul’s  claim.  I  cite  the  services  of  Sam  and  Roger  to  illustrate   how  much  the  annual  observance  of  the  Christian  Year  provides  the  context  for  our   life  and  our  death  –  How  meaningful  to  work  with  the  ancient  observance  to  bring   meaning  to  life  and  death.  There  is  a  framework  within  which  we  have  lived  our   lives  and  which  gives  insight  into  death.       I  turn  now  to  the  funerals  of  Don  and  Allen.  Different  as  they  were,  there  was  that   which  was  the  same  though  manifested  in  different  ways.  Don  did  beautiful   cabinetry  work  throughout  the  church  –  every  room  contains  some  sign  of  his  skill   and  devotion.  And  every  Sunday  in  the  choir  –  loving  the  creation  of  beautiful  music   and  liturgy.      Allen  loved  the  church  as  well  –  was  faithful  in  worship  and  for  years  set  the  Lord’s   Table.  For  these  two  I  am  reminded  of  the  Psalmist’s  love  for  Jerusalem,  for  the   Temple,  for  the  altar  –  the  place  of  special  manifestation  of  the  Presence  of  God.       Psalm  42:3  and  Psalm  84  come  to  mind.  In  Psalm  42,  the  poet  is  in  a  situation  of   exile,  longing  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord.  He  carries  on  a  dialogue  in  his  soul:       Why  are  you  cast  down,  my  soul....     Hope  in  God;  I  will  yet  praise  him,    my  help  and  my  God.     O  send  out  your  light  and  your  truth;    Let  them  lead  me,     let  them  bring  me  to  your  Holy  Hill.   ..then  I  will  go  to  the  altar  of  God,     my  exceeding  joy.       Psalm  84  is  a  song  of  pilgrimage  to  Jerusalem:       How  lovely  is  your  dwelling  place,     O  Lord  of  Hosts     © Grand Valley State University �A Final Act of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 3   My  soul  longs,  indeed  it  faints  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord;     my  heart  and  my  flesh  sing  for  joy    to  the  living  God.       “I  would  rather  be  a  doorkeeper,”  or,  as  someone  has  translated  the  phrase  –  “linger   at  the  threshold.”      The  people  of  Israel  knew  God  was  present  everywhere,  but  Jerusalem  was  special   –  a  place  set  apart,  a  place  where  the  symbolism,  the  ministries  of  the  Temple,  the   Holy  of  Holies  were  –  and  their  whole  faith  and  devotion  longed  to  be  there.     That  is  the  tale  of  four  funerals.  Why  do  I  recap  those  services?  Because  of  a   profound  insight  that  overwhelmed  me.  It  wasn’t  really  something  I  hadn’t  known   before;  but  it  was  as  if  what  I  really  knew  struck  me  with  clarity.       In  the  case  of  Sam  and  Roger,  it  was  the  annual  observance  of  the  Christian  Year.  In   the  case  of  Don  and  Allen,  it  was  the  sacred  space  itself  –  the  literal  place  where  we   gathered  replete  with  the  symbolism  of  our  Christian  observance,  that  was  the  focus   –  the  place  of  praise,  celebration,  worship,  liturgy  and  prayer.     And  it  struck  me:  This  is  what  we  have  lost.  It  is  for  that  reason  that  we  grieve.  We   grieve  because  we  have  lost  the  observances  and  the  sacred  place  that  framed  our   daily  lives.  And  it  is  painful;  we  have  experienced  a  death  of  sorts.       Now,  lest  I  be  misunderstood,  let  me  be  very  clear  that  I  am  well  aware  that  what  we   shared  together  in  community  was  a  human  creation.       It  was  in  July  of  2000  that  I  preached  a  sermon  entitled  “Religion  Made  on  Earth”.   That  sermon  was  not  the  beginning  of  an  understanding  but  the  conclusion  of  a  path   we  had  been  journeying  on  for  a  long  time:  “Religion  is  a  human  phenomenon,  and   what  I  want  to  say  this  morning  in  this  first  message  is  very  simple,  but  if  you  really   hear  me,  it’s  very  radical.  You  won’t  hear  it  often  in  church,  but  I  believe  that  it  is   simple  and  it  is  true:  religion  is  made  on  earth;  it  is  a  human  construct.  Religion   didn’t  fall  ready-­‐made  from  heaven.  There  is  no  absolute  religion  with  God’s  stamp   on  it  as  over  against  all  of  the  other  religions  practiced  by  the  diversity  of   humankind.  All  religion  is  made  on  earth  and  is  a  human  construct.     One  might  ask,  ‘Well,  isn’t  it  true?’      Is  a  sunset  true:  Is  a  poem  true?  Of  course,  it’s  true.  It  is  true  in  the  sense  that  it  puts   us  in  communion  with  God.  It  satisfies  the  hunger  of  our  heart.  It  elicits  from  us   what  is  noble  and  best.  It  gives  us  a  reason  for  being.  It  gives  us  a  hope.  It  enables  us   to  go  on  to  tomorrow.  Of  course,  it’s  true.  But  religion  is  not  true  in  the  sense  that  a   chemical  formula  is  true,  not  in  the  sense  that  the  hard  stuff  of  the  natural  sciences   is  true.  It  is  not  empirical  and  verifiable.  Religion  is  a  judgment  call.  Religion  is  a   © Grand Valley State University �A Final Act of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 4   choice.  Religion  is  a  response  to  a  story.  It  is  engagement  in  worship  and   community;  it  is  the  following  of  a  way  of  life.  Religion  can  be  good  or  less  good,  but   not  true  or  false  in  a  sense  in  which  we  deal  with  true  and  false  in  a  world  marked   by  the  scientific  method,  empirical  investigation.  No,  religion  is  a  human  construct   and  all  of  them  alike  are  made  on  earth.       With  that  recognition  on  our  part  that  it  was  not  the  case  that  we  had  found  God’s   stamp  and  our  worship  was  a  direct  translation  of  heaven’s  worship,  what  we   claimed  was  only  that  this  was  our  story  and  our  way:  mining  the  rich  treasures  of  the   Christian  Church,  we  found  a  meaningful  way  through  liturgy,  sacrament,  symbol   and  aesthetic  expression  to  come  into  the  presence  of  the  Holy  Mystery,  the  Mystery   of  God.      And  we  did  it  well!  Meaningful  liturgy  gathered  around  the  church  year,  intelligent   interpretation  of  the  biblical  story  while  re-­‐imagining  the  faith  for  our  time,   exultant,  aesthetically  uplifting  experience  in  music  and  other  artistic  expression.  It   was  quite  wonderful  really  –  the  moving  experience  of  transcendence  that  lifted  us   out  of  ourselves  to  experience  the  sacred  mystery.  No  one  was  more  responsible  for   the  beautiful  offerings  week  after  week  than  our  Mr.  Bryson  whose  gifts  would  have   made  Riverside  Church  in  New  York  City  proud,  and  the  whole  pastoral  team  made   their  contribution.      But  it  was  not  either  true  or  false,  right  or  wrong.  It  was  our  chosen  way;  it  lifted  us   into  the  presence  of  the  Mystery  that  is  God.       And  again:  it  is  no  more.  There  has  been  a  death  and  we  grieve.  A  death  because  that   experience  week  by  week,  season  by  season,  year  in  and  year  out  shaped  us  –   spiritual  formation  we  name  it  –  at  the  core  of  our  being  we  are  deeply  imprinted  by   scripture,  song,  liturgy,  symbol,  the  sacrament.  These  observances  have  formed  us   and  put  us  in  touch  with  life’s  ultimate  mystery  and  meaning.       But,  if  we  claim  only  that  what  we  had  was  our  chosen  way,  the  obverse  of  that  is   that  now  there  is  another  chosen  way  being  practiced,  and  it  is  not  right  or  wrong;  it   is  different.  Rather  than  mining  the  rich  veins  of  Christian  tradition,  there  is  the   incorporation  of  other  traditions  and  an  intentional  emphasis  on  current  social   issues  –  There  is  an  intelligent  address  of  issues  that  for  us  were  the  subject  of   Perspectives  and  Wednesday  Adult  Education  –  but  not  centered  in  the  corporate   worship  experience.  And  attempting  to  be  simply  descriptive,  I  would  point  out   there  is  little  experience  of  worship,  nor  is  that  desired.  Being  lost  in  wonder,  love   and  praise  is  not  the  intended  end.       This  is  not  wrong;  it  is  different.  And  that  is  where  the  community  has  moved  and   having  moved  there,  it  is  not  of  interest  to  me  because  it  lacks  the  reason  I  worship  –   to  have  my  being  inspired  and  lifted  into  the  presence  of  the  Holy.  And  that  is   approached  differently;  it  doesn’t  work  for  me.  There  is  a  loss;  I  must  simply   © Grand Valley State University �A Final Act of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 5   acknowledge  that.  That  is  why  we  are  here  this  morning,  gathering  with  others  who   have  likewise  experienced  that  loss  –  a  kind  of  death.       As  a  group  you  have  gone  through  stages:  At  first  there  was  anger.  That  is   understandable  even  if  it  is  not  helpful  and  is  finally  self-­‐destructive.  Some  of  you   were  part  of  a  committee  that  approached  the  Board  of  Trustees  with  your  concerns   but  received  no  real  empathy.  There  was  no  constructive  dialogue.       And  there  have  been  various  attempts  to  see  if  something  new  might  arise.  But  that   has  had  its  problems.  This  group  isn’t  easily  satisfied.  We  really  had  it  all  and  that   will  not  be  easily  re-­‐created.       And  we  have  given  our  lives,  our  energy,  our  treasure  over  many  years.  For  most  of   us  the  idea  of  beginning  again  is  forbidding.       Finally,  here  we  are  because  we  long  for  community  –  and,  since  all  we  can  salvage   are  ongoing  networks  of  friends  who  share  a  story,  a  history,  an  experience  of  God,   that  still  is  the  center  of  our  lives.      I  told  you  the  tale  of  four  funerals  because  it  became  so  powerfully  clear  to  me  why   we  grieved.  We  have  sustained  a  great  loss  and  it  is  not  going  to  be  re-­‐created.  We   have  experienced  a  loss  of  what  was,  what  we  loved  and  is  no  more  –  what  will  not   come  back.       And  what  do  we  do  with  our  grief?  We  celebrate  life,  we  remember,  we  give  thanks   and  we  go  on.  But,  perhaps  for  our  own  spiritual  well  being,  there  is  one  more  thing   we  need  to  do  –  one  final  act  of  Grace.       Celebrating  what  was,  what  was  shared  in  community,  remembering  with  joy,  we   will  heal.  But  finally  the  confirmation  of  all  that  we  experienced  will  be  evidenced  to   the  extent  we  can  bless  and  affirm  that  ongoing  community  that  takes  new  shape   and  form.       A  new  community  is  forming.  New  directions  are  being  forged.  Positive  engagement   with  the  ongoing  societal  structures  and  cultural  movements  is  happening.  New   people  are  finding  a  spiritual  home  and  many  who  shared  years  of  experience  with   us  are  being  blessed  and  challenged  in  new  ways.       All  of  that  we  affirm  without  denial  of  our  loss.  But  as  we  affirm  we  will  heal  and   find  our  way  however  that  may  emerge.       It  is  to  a  final  act  of  grace  that  I  call  you  in  the  confidence  that    all  will  be  well,  all  will  be  well,    all  manner  of  things  will  be  well.   © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Sunday Social Gathering Location The location of the interview Grand Haven Community Center Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20080504 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2008-05-04 Title A name given to the resource A Final Act of Grace Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 4, 2008 entitled "A Final Act of Grace", on the occasion of Sunday Social Gathering, at Grand Haven Community Center. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community of Faith Practice of Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/db1dc5c8893d47256131cd777175dfe6.pdf c932866a06d1f39eacf89b95925c9f9d PDF Text Text Unruly Grace From the series: Stories Jesus Told Matthew 20: 1-16 Richard A. Rhem Lakeshore Interfaith Community, Mother’s Trust Ganges, Michigan October 28, 2007 My theme these three presentations has been Stories Jesus Told with the purpose of discovering what the stories reflect about the nature of God. Parables should be heard to catch their major point and should not be pressed in all their details. I think in the stories I’ve chosen it is faithful to the heart of the stories/parables to read off from them Jesus’ understanding of the mystery of God and that has been the focus of my study of these stories. The nature of God as it comes to expression in the stories Jesus told – that has been my purpose. In doing so I reflect as a Christian, as a follower of Jesus, the way of Jesus. But I’ve enjoyed doing it so much in this setting – an interfaith gathering place where we seek to be true to our respective faith traditions but have opportunity to be enriched by other traditions and the unique insights and perspectives each brings. In my previous two discussions and again this morning I am inviting you to reflect with me on the Nature of the Sacred Mystery – Jesus being the stimulus, the catalyst, but not so much to instruct you in the Christian understanding as to invite you to reflect with me on the mystery we will never fathom. When we speak of God as Mystery, we use the term not as a mystery novel where finally the mystery is unraveled or solved. God as mystery indicates a reality beyond our human capacity to comprehend. That is not an obvious truth. Given all the words we speak, all the sermons preached, all the volumes written – one might get the impression we know a great deal about God. We preachers are probably the greatest deniers of God as Mystery – we often give the impression that we are quite well informed as to the nature of the Mystery that is God, but that is a false impression. Whether dogmatically orthodox or radically liberal, whether Christian or Muslim or Jewish, whether Buddhist, Hindu or Jain – all God talk is a probing of a mystery that cannot be fully grasped – at best a relative apprehension of the Ultimate – and that of course is why the exclusive claims to the faith, for example, of a Christian tradition are both arrogant and ignorant. And yet the massive human endeavor we speak of as religion/ the religious quest/ religious observance/ religious behavior – witnesses to the manifestation of the Sacred Mystery in our human experience. There is, I believe, an insatiable hunger © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University   �Title Richard A. Rhem Page 2   and thirst for communion and/or union with God, with the Mystery that is the origin, ground and goal of all that is. Certainly there are those who deny that to be the case for themselves and there are those who write the religious quest off as a carryover from the age of superstition that, for thinking folk, is being replaced by critical rationality and scientific endeavor. But the religious sense of awe and wonder remains for the vast majority of humankind even when the critical faculties are engaged. Why is reflection on the nature of the sacred mystery important? Beyond the fact that it seems simply part of being human to wonder about the nature of God, I would suggest such a quest is important because human behavior tends to reflect the image of God one carries in one’s being – one’s mind and heart. We tend to emulate the Ultimate Reality we conceive. We reflect our understanding of the nature of God or of reality in our behavior – in our attitudes and actions. I am a Christian first of all because I was born into a Christian family and tradition. Over a long pilgrimage I have come to see my tradition in the context of the great religions. I affirm my Christian faith but not uncritically. I reject any claim to absolute revealed truth or exclusive claim to the mediation of God’s salvation. The dimension of the Christian tradition – the New Testament particularly – that I find most profound is the claim of the Incarnation – God in the human –specifically in the humanity of Jesus, but not only in Jesus – rather the human becoming of God and thus the God embodied in the human, again in Jesus for Christian faith. In the face of Jesus I see the heart of God. In his total life, in his words and deeds, I see God revealed. I chose the way of Jesus as the path I would follow – always poorly – and, in these Sunday mornings, as an invitation to reflect on the Nature of God. So let me return to my purpose after that lengthy parenthesis – I am inviting you to reflect with me on the nature of God and, I can even say, the Nature of Reality, from the understanding of Jesus as it comes to expression in the stories he told. The first story – The Prodigal Son, which I suggested was really a story about the Prodigal Love of the Father where salty tears drowned out a returning son’s carefully crafted speech of apology and request – God/Reality as Prodigal Love. And then the second story of the woman of the night who entered the Pharisee’s dinner party and wept over Jesus’ feet, evidence that at some point he had touched her life, accorded her human dignity and a sense of worth. She was transformed by love and loved in return – transforming love. For the story Jesus told of two debtors who had nothing to pay and were freely forgiven – Jesus asked the Pharisee, Simon, which one would love most and he said rightly, the one who was forgiven most – © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University �Title Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Transforming Love. We turn now to the third story which I am entitling “Unruly Grace”. Grace is simply love in action. Jesus’ stories have portrayed the nature of God as love and that love moving out to the world to a person, a community, is Grace. The prosaic definition we often use is “undeserved favor” – but I like “love in action”. And love in action is unruly. I like that word in this connection – it is a surprising combination – unruly usually carries a negative connotation – an unruly child, an unruly guest, etc. – one not playing by the rules: rules of fairness, rules of contracts, rules that structured social relations. That is what today’s story is about. Matthew 20:1-16 is a story Jesus used to make the point of the startling statement in the previous chapter that human salvation was an impossible human achievement: The rich young man – What do I lack? Sell all… Disciples: “Who can be saved?” Human impossibility – But with God (only with God), salvation is possible because it is Gift. The Parable: Matthew 20:1-16 A landowner hires workers to work his fields. It is 6:00 a.m. They contract – a day’s wage for a day’s labor. But he needs more workers and so returns to the “unemployed laborer pool” at 9:00, noon, 3:00 and 5:00 p.m., each time finding laborers looking for work and sending them to his fields without contract, assuring them only to pay whatever was right. When evening arrived the workers returned for their pay. The landowner instructed his manager to pay them all a day’s wage beginning with those hired last. When those hired first – at 6:00 a.m.– got a day’s wage – as they had agreed when they were hired –, they grumbled because those who came later got the same amount. They protested, These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. Their complaint wasn’t that those hired at 5:00 p.m. got a day’s wage but only that they didn’t receive more – “you made them equal to us!” If, before you hear this story in terms of God as the householder and you take it as a human story, with whom do you identify? Don’t you tend to join the first hires in their grumbling? It isn’t fair after all. Is not the mantra of the women’s movement, equal pay for equal work, relevant? Isn’t there something that offends our sense of justice? But think about it… © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University �Title Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Take the householder’s final word: “Are you envious because I’m generous?” It was the generosity of the householder that the workers resented. He had fulfilled his word. The contract mutually agreed on was honored. But those whose contract was fulfilled were offended by the householder’s grace. And this surprising fact has profound relevance for religious understanding, observance, practice. Again, remember the context – Who can be saved? Jesus’ answer: No one through human effort of whatever kind Religion based on the Performance Principle Does not save, does not achieve Peace with God. In my particular faith family background this is Reformation Sunday, the last Sunday in October. Martin Luther in 1517 nailed his 95 theses to the church door in Wittenberg, Germany, protesting the practices of his Roman Catholic Church that had a full set of observances, practices, and requirements through which the church mediated God’s saving grace, and in the 16th century the system had become very corrupt. Luther was one of those persons who suffered from an accusing conscience – He found no peace, try as he may, punish and pummel himself as he did. In anguish he performed and performed and performed some more. Going to his Confessor, the Confessor said, “Martin, you must love God”, to which Luther responded, “Love God? I hate God!” The agony of Luther has been played out again and again, over and over. There is that about us human beings that wonders about God, desires peace, union, communion with God. Whatever the roots of religion in the human are – fear, guilt, wonder, intuitive sense of the sacred – there is the felt need to be put right with God or the Ultimate Order of the Universe. And it just seems natural that we must find a way to achieve that being right with God. And there is the rub – We can’t achieve it. We don’t need to achieve it. It is given fully by a gracious God – Who plays by no rules – Unruly Grace you see! The nature of the Sacred Mystery, of God, of the Real is Love expressed as Grace for creation and all creation’s children. © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University �Title Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Isn’t that quite amazing when you think of all the religions and all the religious observances and practices? Isn’t it just human/quite natural to assume on the basis of being right with the Universe, with the Ultimate, with God would be some sort of performance? And has not the institutional form of the respective religions reinforced that natural tendency What do I lack? What must I do? And the institutional religions are on guard against any suggestion that there is a Grace that transcends them all, with nothing to do. I found that out… The RCA Minister of Evangelism was scandalized and very critical of my suggestion of universal Grace. He said, “If that’s true, I might as well sell used cars.” The Prodigal’s well-rehearsed speech about what he would do to earn a bunk in the servants’ quarters was simply drowned out by the father’s loving embrace. The two debtors of Jesus’ story in Luke 7, both owing different amounts, both had nothing to pay and were both fully forgiven. And in this story the first hires are given their due while all the rest are simply graced by the householder’s generosity. Kristen Stendahl suggests Matthew was writing to a Jewish-Jesus community that was beginning to receive non-Jews – Gentiles – into the community and how would they be received? As second-rate Christians? You mean, some must have said, that we who are the products of generations of faithful covenant membership have no advantage over these Gentiles coming in out of pagan darkness? Jesus’ story says – That’s right because nobody earns salvation – there is no performance principle, no merit system. God’s unruly grace relativizes all human observance/ practice/ behavior. Well, then why do we engage in religious observance? Hopefully because we find meaning and fulfillment in that observance. Hopefully our religious practice is an end in itself giving wisdom, insight, peace and joy and the experience of being in the Presence of the Holy. And for some of us the experience of community – community where our best selves are confirmed and encouraged, where our © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University �Title Richard A. Rhem Page 6   insights are tested and our horizons broadened – a community where compassion finds expression and serving finds opportunity. Once we are touched by Grace, transformed by Grace, all coercive, obsessive religion evaporates and we are transformed. In a beautiful writing by Paul Tillich, “You are accepted”, I find this expressed: It strikes us when our disgust for our own being, our indifference, our weakness, our hostility and our lack of direction and composure have become intolerable to us. It strikes us when, year after year, the longed-for perfection of life does not appear, when the old compulsions reign within us as they have for decades, when despair destroys all joy and courage. Sometimes at that moment a wave of light breaks into our darkness and it is as though a voice were saying, “You are accepted. You are accepted.” Accepted by that which is greater than you and the name of which you do not know. Do not ask for the name now. Perhaps you will find it later. Do not try to do anything now. Perhaps later you will do much. Do not seek for anything. Do not perform anything. Do not intend anything. Simple accept the fact that you are accepted. If that happens to us, we experience grace. Salvation – do we need to be saved? That word has much baggage with it and is used so differently. Do we need to be saved? Yes, if salvation is understood as its root suggests – as healing. We bring as much baggage with us ourselves and most of us manage to mess up our lives at some point – and then, trying harder doesn’t really help. Finally there is nothing we can do. But the Word of Grace is healing – that is salvation – issuing in peace and joy. So is the universe/ ultimate reality full of Grace? This is the understanding of Jesus according to the stories he told – In a word, he said God is like that… And if I hear that and trust that and entrust myself to such a Reality, such a Sacred Mystery, I will act in kind, and if all who would encounter such Grace were to act it out would we not create the reality we trust in, the reality we live. All religious traditions have their own take on this and I’m not knowledgeable as to how such Unruly Grace would translate in other religious traditions but this is what I find in Jesus and that’s why I chose to follow his way – poorly to be sure – but seriously. © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lakeshore Interfaith Gathering Series Stories Jesus Told Scripture Text Matthew 20:1-16 Location The location of the interview Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20071028 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-10-28 Title A name given to the resource Unruly Grace Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 28, 2007 entitled "Unruly Grace", as part of the series "Stories Jesus Told", on the occasion of Lakeshore Interfaith Gathering, at Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges. Scripture references: Matthew 20:1-16. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives 2007 Transforming Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/817731ed123ccc489e9dbce48c9e3aba.pdf 2f314399f474aa1545a9a5fd1e03be1b PDF Text Text   Transforming Love From the series: Stories Jesus Told Luke 7:18-50 Richard A. Rhem Lakeshore Interfaith Community, Mother’s Trust Ganges, Michigan September 16, 2007 Let me begin by reminding you of what I am attempting in these three presentations which I’ve titled “Stories Jesus Told.” The first last month focused on the parable of the Prodigal Son which I suggested is not about the prodigality of the son but the prodigal love of the father. Today an encounter and a story about transforming love. My purpose in centering on these stories is to discover the understanding of the nature of God they reflect – using the word God as the symbol for the Sacred Mystery at the heart of reality – Sacred Mystery, Ground of Being, Creative Source/Enlivening Presence, even, I suppose, Creative Nothingness/Emptiness. The great religious traditions have variously imaged the ultimate/the absolute. My Christian faith finds its most profound understanding of the nature of God in the incarnation – the human embodiment of God in Jesus. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. And the one in whose face we see a clue to the mystery of God did not leave us a dogmatic text or a catechism; rather, Jesus told stories – stories whose purpose was to reflect the nature of God as Jesus understood the Divine nature and reality. Today’s lesson, I suggest, reveals God as Transforming Love. Let me be clear: I am selective in my use of Scripture. I take responsibility for that selection because part of my religious journey as a Christian and a minister of the Gospel has been a movement from seeing the Bible as my authority for truth, to seeing truth as my authority as I meditate on the Bible. Stated differently, my authority is truth rather than some authority being my truth. Truth – Do I claim to possess it? No, not as ultimate, absolute truth – It is truth as I understand it, as it resonates with me, with my best wisdom and insight. This is not to deny that there is Absolute Truth; it is simply to recognize no human possesses it. There will always only be a relative grasp of that Absolute. With that acknowledgement let me set the context for the story we consider today. In Luke 7 we have Jesus carrying on his healing ministry and he is being acclaimed by the people. Then in 7:18 John the Baptist appears in the narrative. John had led a popular religious renewal movement and is called the Baptist for © Grand Valley State University   �Transforming Love Richard A. Rhem Page 2   he called people to be baptized as a sign of repentance and renewal before what he believed would be the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God. John was apocalyptic. He expected the end of the age. He was looking for God to send a messenger (Messiah – anointed one) who could usher in the end time when God would vindicate the righteous and pour out God’s wrath on the wicked. John was expecting, in the parlance of the Hebrew prophet, “that great and terrible day of the Lord.” And John couldn’t wait. It seems he had hoped Jesus was that one who was to come. But now, in prison because he had the temerity to condemn the court scandal of King Herod, he hears of the ministry of Jesus – Good news of the in-breaking of God’s Kingdom all right, but good news and grace to all and healing – a ministry of inclusion for all people. And John is confused and disappointed – hoping for fire and judgment, John hears of grace and healing. And so he sends his disciple to Jesus with the burning question for John: Are you the one who is to come or do we look for another? Oh, can’t you feel the urgency, the pathos of that question for John! His whole life project is at stake. Had he got the wrong person? Had he misunderstood the times in which he lived? Was he wrong about God’s program? The disciples of John come to Jesus and they pose the question. In a positive and gracious way Jesus responds. He doesn’t answer the question as such. He simply says, “Go tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news brought to them, and blessed is anyone who takes no offence at me.” The citations of the dimension of Jesus’ ministry are taken from the Hebrew prophets but those who spoke of healing, not apocalypse. When John’s disciples left, Jesus spoke to the crowd about John. He affirmed him as a great prophet. Jesus himself had begun as part of the movement of John the Baptist but at some point he left and went on his own and he fashioned quite a different ministry. But nonetheless, he honored John as a great prophet. Then in a parenthesis Luke tells us that the very religious authorities, the Temple establishment, that were offended at Jesus and grumbled about his inclusion of all and his refusing to follow the purity codes that determine who was in and who was out, had also rejected John’s ministry. That brings us to the occasion for the story we examine today. The Occasion: © Grand Valley State University �Transforming Love Richard A. Rhem Page 3   A religious leader – a Pharisee named Simon – wanted to know Jesus firsthand so he could judge for himself whether this one causing such a stir was a genuine religious teacher, a prophet as claimed, or just another messianic pretender of which there were plenty – another charismatic religious figure who would flame up and soon burn out. And so he invited Jesus to a dinner party. We need not attribute sinister motives to Simon. Let’s assume it was an honest effort to judge Jesus for himself. And there it happened. Unlike our dinner parties in the privacy of our homes, the Middle Eastern home had an open courtyard where folks could wander in and then it wasn’t that unusual for some even to sit along the wall of the inner home and listen to the conversation. On this occasion a woman of the street or lady of the night entered. Seeing Jesus whom she must have seen before – a time when somehow he gave her dignity and humanity – she lost it – emotion burst forth. She intended to give him a sign of love and respect for she brought a flask of ointment. What she did instead was the bursting forth of emotion – tears falling on his feet – letting down her hair never done in public by respectable women but an action she had mastered. She wipes his feet with her hair and anointed them with the ointment. Such a display of love and emotion was precisely what never happened at the house of a Pharisee. It was all quite embarrassing and disconcerting for Simon, the host, but at least he accomplished the purpose of the dinner engagement – he knew now that Jesus was indeed no prophet, for a prophet would have known what sort of woman this was fondling his feet – a sinner with whom the righteous would have nothing to do. And it was just at that point that Jesus spoke saying he was indeed a prophet able to read the musing of the other’s mind – and this brings us to the story. The Story: And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he said, “Teacher, say it.” “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” © Grand Valley State University �Transforming Love Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has washed my feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. You gave me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss my feet since the time I came in. You did not anoint my head with oil, but this woman has anointed my feet with fragrant oil. Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” And He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” (Luke 7:40f The Teaching: I like the King James version in this instance because I want to use the characterization of the two debtors – both having “nothing to pay” – and turn it around from the human obligation before God to the requirement of God – which is “nothing to pay.” In the context and story what we have is the contrast between: 1. Jesus/John – A Kingdom of Grace/ A Kingdom of Judgment: John’s threat and appeal, but Jesus’ reflecting a gracious God who says you have nothing to pay; 2. The religious institution with its delineation of who is in and who is out, its exclusionary justice dividing the righteous and the unrighteous– and – Jesus whose attitude, spirit and behavior was open to all conveying grace to all who, self-aware, knew they needed forgiveness and acceptance and allowed themselves to be embraced by grace. Aware of need, receiving forgiveness and acceptance, the response is transformation and the image of God in the story is of a God whose love transforms. Love changes a person – Law may control; Fear can cripple; Power coerce; © Grand Valley State University �Transforming Love Richard A. Rhem Page 5   but Love transforms. Application: If, as I believe, the Christian tradition sees Jesus as the human mirror of the nature of God then that mirror reflects a God who says you have nothing to pay – all your religious duties, obligations and demands are baggage placed on the single truth that you are loved for no other reason than that it is my nature to love and, when you get it, you will be transformed and love in response. Overwhelmed by grace the dam of emotion breaks and love pours out in light of such love that transforms, that changes and frees. Finally let me come back to the issue I raised in the first presentation. This, I believe, is a faithful rendering of the nature of God as imaged in the stories Jesus told and indeed in his whole behavior to the end. But is this also the nature of reality? If God is the Ground of Being, the Eternal Creative Source of All, is Love at the center? Does the God Jesus mirrors match the Creative Source of Cosmic Reality? Let me suggest that the cosmic drama of 13.7 billion years has eventuated in the likes of us – self-conscious beings able to ask such a question and if we can wonder about such a question are we not also the very means by which the cosmic process, the human story, can be shaped? Has not the cosmic drama come into our hands? Do we not face a choice as to what future will emerge? Look at our world – in the grip of imperial designs as we seek dominance globally, accomplished by military might and intimidation. We may have enough power at present to keep the lid on, enforce our will, put down all resistance but seething beneath the surface is violence and anger that at any time can explode and bring apocalypse. Maybe Jesus was just a dreamer, a visionary, impractical when it comes to the affairs of nations. But look at the chaos we have created. What if one should arise to lead who would give love a chance – because only love transforms. It works one to one, why not people to people? Could we be on the way to a future shaped by love and grace that alone can transform the human family and create a global community of justice and peace? © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lakeshore Interfaith Gathering Series Stories Jesus Told Scripture Text Luke 7: 18-50 Location The location of the interview Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20070916 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-09-16 Title A name given to the resource Transforming Love Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 16, 2007 entitled "Transforming Love", as part of the series "Stories Jesus Told", on the occasion of Lakeshore Interfaith Gathering, at Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges. Scripture references: Luke 7: 18-50. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Transforming Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4f229b7a8476be45871527d6fe3f78f4.pdf a4caff4787d102b37784b8811cbd9a88 PDF Text Text A Fool for Christ Palm Sunday Luke 19:35-44; John 12:9-19; Zechariah 9:9-10 Richard A. Rhem Lakeshore Interfaith Community, Mother’s Trust Ganges, Michigan April 1, 2007 When, some months ago, Tapas invited me to speak today, he reminded me that it would be April Fool’s Day and wondered if I might like to use the phrase from St. Paul – “A Fool for Christ.” I consulted the calendar and realized April 1 was also Palm Sunday and the beginning of Holy Week on the Christian Calendar. I immediately agreed on the theme because I have always felt that in the events of this week one sees the very heart of Jesus’ ministry and one who seeks to follow the way of Jesus as it comes to expression in the events of this week must, by human or worldly standards, be a fool. We all know what a fool is but I got the dictionary out nonetheless – ...one who is lacking in reason or common powers of understanding; a person with little or no judgment, common sense or wisdom; to act in a ridiculous manner; to do silly things… Such is the definition of a fool. What has that to do with being a fool for Christ? Well, as I am using that designation on the threshold of Holy Week in the Christian Calendar, I am suggesting that from the perspective of worldly wisdom, from the perspective of common sense, to follow the way of Jesus is foolhardy because it is to live out an ethic of love, specifically of non-violent resistance to the systems and structures by which human society is ordered. It is to pursue the way of peace in a violent world – to live with compassion in a brutal world – to seek justice in a world marked by injustice – to live in love in a hostile world. And why is such a way of life the way of a fool? Simply because to live in the way of vulnerable love is to court death by the powers that be, powers of church and state, the established institutional structures by which our world is ordered and controlled. Let me be clear at the outset – 1) The Way of Jesus that beckons me has not been realized in my own life; it is an amazing ideal which draws me but which I have betrayed. © Grand Valley State University   �A Fool for Christ 2) Richard A. Rhem Page 2   In this setting I want to be very clear that the Way of Jesus is my way, my story, but not the only way, the only story – not the only dream and vision for a transformed world – but I speak out of my own tradition, grateful for a place like this where our respective stories are shared and respected – where our shared stories enrich us all in our respective journeys. With those comments made let me take you to the Palm Sunday event that is today celebrated in the Christian Church. The four canonical Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, each record the occasion of Jesus entering Jerusalem, but each has its own interpretation of the event. The Gospels, written four to six decades after the event, arose in different communities at different times and reflect the historical contexts of their communities, each community with special situations, challenges and interests as well as the perspective of the authors. When I took English Bible at Hope College, we used a harmony of the Gospels – parallel readings of the four Gospels in columns down the page. That was the result of a scholarly process that forced each Gospel with its unique angle into one consistent story. We’ve learned after serious scholarly research of the Gospels that in so doing we missed the respective nuances of the story as it was composed by various writers in various situations and historical contexts. This morning I want to focus on the accounts of John and Luke because it is my judgment that in those two portraits we see the entry into Jerusalem in the best perspective from which to understand the whole week culminating in Jesus’ crucifixion. First, John – the only account mentioning palm branches – a significant detail because the palm branch was a sign of nationalistic fervor. What is going on with the crowd and its palm branches? According to John’s picture, this is a crowd filled not so much with religious fervor as with rising nationalistic zeal. As I mentioned, only John speaks of palm branches and that is significant. Palm branches had a nationalistic association. Palms were evocative of Maccabean nationalism. As a symbol of nationalism, the palm occurred on the coins of the Second Revolt (132-135 C.E.). When Judas Maccabeus rededicated the temple altar after the Syrians had profaned it (164 B.C.E.), the Jews brought palms to the temple. When Simon Maccabeus conquered the Jerusalem citadel (142 B.C.E.), the Jews took possession of it carrying palm fronds. In the Testament of Naphtahali V4, the fronds are given to Levi as a symbol of power over all Israel. In sum, John’s use of palms would seem to give to the whole scene a political overtone: Jesus being welcomed as a national liberator. © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Further, the words “God bless the King of Israel,” which John has the crowd chant are not found in Psalm 118:26 from which the words, “Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!” are taken. Once before in John’s gospel (6:14-15), after Jesus fed the multitude, he realized the crowd wanted to make him king and he withdrew from them. There is little doubt that the scene John paints is intended to indicate what was going on with the crowd. They were hoping that in Jesus they had found a national liberator and they hoped that this one now entering Jerusalem was about to declare himself the King of Israel. But this was precisely not what Jesus was intending. Now he must do something to set them straight. What does he do? He seeks to dispel the crowd’s misunderstanding through a prophetic action – an action even the disciples did not understand until after his death and resurrection. The action: Jesus sat on a colt, thereby seeking to call to mind the words of Zephaniah and Zechariah. In Zechariah and Zephaniah it is the king who comes, but it is a different kind of king. Listen to the Zechariah citation: See, your king is coming mounted on an ass’s colt. If we go to that context in Zechariah, we find it is a call to Jerusalem to rejoice because its king is coming, coming mounted on an ass’s foal, to banish chariots from Ephraim and war horses from Jerusalem; the warrior’s bow shall be banished. The prophet’s word continues: He shall speak peaceably to every nation, and his rule shall extend from sea to sea, from the river to the ends of the earth. “Yes, Jerusalem,” Jesus seems to be saying by mounting the ass’s colt, “I am your king coming to you, but a different kind of king than you expect or desire.” Similarly, in Zephaniah we have, Fear not, O Zion,…the Lord your God is in your midst, like a warrior to keep you safe; he will rejoice over you and be glad; he will show you his love once more… In that same context the prophet cries, …be glad, rejoice with all your heart, daughter of Jerusalem…the Lord is among you as King, O Israel… © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Jesus’ mounting the colt was a prophetic action, according to John. After the death and resurrection, John writes, we understood what that action was trying to say. Jesus realized that the crowd had misinterpreted the Lazarus miracle just as the crowd had misunderstood the multiplication of loaves and fishes in John 6. The raising of Lazarus was a sign that God the giver of life was visiting His people in Jesus. They should not be proclaiming him as an earthly king, but as the manifestation of the Lord their God who has come into their midst, the God of Zechariah who would bring peace to the whole world. We find this focus on peace for the world even more pronounced in Luke’s Gospel. Remember the angel’s song with which Luke portrays the birth of Jesus – “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace…” Now as Jesus approaches Jerusalem we have him arrive at the destination intended in chapter 9:5l, where Luke writes, “…he set his face to go to Jerusalem,” and the so-called “journey section” of the Gospel culminates with Jesus overlooking the city from the Mount of Olives and weeping over it – weeping because in its imminent rejection of him it could only look forward to total devastation. I find this a most moving scene and it could be spoken time and again over the course of the human story – missing the moment, missing the possibility to avoid disaster, missing the visitation of God and the things that make for peace – human blindness, human stubbornness, human pride, anger, arrogance and cussedness in the service of nationalism, obsession with power and domination, refusing the way of peace which demands humility and willingness to change, to repent, to acknowledge one has been wrong… Two portraits of Jesus on the occasion of his entry into Jerusalem, each being very clear about the intention of this one and the challenge he brought to his own people and his world. Reflect with me for a few moments about those two portraits of Jesus as he moves toward the climax of his life’s mission. The Gospels – not biography, but there is biographical data; not history, although the Gospels do deal with real historical time and place. Literally “Gospel” means good news – it is a report, a perspectus, an interpretation of historical events. In the case of our Gospels they are portraits of the founder and founding events of the Christian religion, the Christian faith tradition. And what we reflect on today – the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem – no doubt has an historical core. Jesus did indeed come to Jerusalem, the center of his peoples’ religious life and their total self-understanding as a people, a people of God, of Yahweh. But did it happen as either John or Luke told the story? Probably not. Out of whatever happened a story was told as part of a larger story and a portrait was painted as part of a larger painting to reflect the impact of his life. This is what was experienced in the life of Jesus. © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 5   A scholar who has worked intensively on the birth of Christianity and the Historical Jesus, John Dominic Crossan, makes what was for me a most helpful distinction between “History Remembered” and “Prophecy Historicized.” History remembered is a recounting of events as they were experienced, as they occurred. There is no such thing as an absolutely accurate recounting of historical events – point of view, angle of vision, memory all force us to speak of a relatively accurate recounting. Until the relatively recent past (during two or three decades of biblical studies), I had taken the Gospels as history remembered – but then I came to see them as prophecy historicized – meaning the Passion Narrative of the Gospels, the story that begins on Palm Sunday and moves through Easter Sunday, is created out of the sacred text of the Jews – what we traditionally call the Old Testament, the sacred text of Jesus and his contemporaries, as well as ongoing Jewish faith. I cannot begin to document that here – it is a study in its own right. I simply say that it is most remarkable that the events beginning with Jesus’ arrival at Jerusalem and unfolding through crucifixion and resurrection, are woven together out of Old Testament citations. And how were these citations selected? There was selection and I suggest the selection was make in order to create a portrait of the one whose life, ministry and message were being set forth as the way, the truth and the life. The concrete life, ministry and teaching of Jesus as experienced by those who became the Jesus Movement or the early Christian Church was told in terms of the story the gospel writer told but the citations were chosen because they reflected the way Jesus was experienced. I go into this not to call in question the respective accounts of palm Sunday; I do it to transcend questions about whether it all happened, which account is the most accurate, etc. I do it to get to the portrait itself because the portrait reflects the impression Jesus made, how he was heard and understood – the Gospel as presentation of the Good News that came to expression in the life and ministry of Jesus, the details of whose lie are lost in the cloudy fog of the past never to be totally recovered. Think with me about the portrait of Jesus as Luke and John narrate the story of Palm Sunday. And what are the contours of the message embodied in the historical life of this one coming of full expression at this critical juncture of his life? Let me suggest the following – certainly not a complete description but a dimension I find both inspiring and challenging for our world today – Jesus as an embodiment of humility and love expressed in non-violent resistance. We see it in the refusal to play to the nationalistic fervor of his contemporaries. © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 6   This we see particularly in John as he tells the story: the crowd with its palm branches, symbolic of the Maccabean revolts of the second century before the Common Era – nationalism – my nation right or wrong, the lust for power and domination, the desire to be # 1, lie just beneath the surface for most of us most of the time. There were the zealots of the time of Jesus, those who were committed to throwing off the Roman yoke; those who eventually brought about the fatal collision with Roman power that left Jerusalem streets run red with the blood of the slain and the city a heap of ruins. Zealotry among an oppressed people is understandable and ultimately fatal. But zealotry is not restricted to dominated peoples; it is present as well in the nationalistic rhetoric of our own administration and shamefully of many among the religious right who even now advocate military action against Iran just as, tragically, we have engaged in the pre-emptive war with Iraq. No dove for sure, Colin Powell warned before that fateful attack, the Pottery Barn analogy “if you break it you own it.” Having created the tragic chaos in Iraq we live with the consequences and still there are political and religious voices that would have us begin anew in Iran. The imperial mindset entails endless war. That is simply the way it is. Luke wrote after the destruction of Jerusalem: Jesus’ prophecy was most likely never uttered on the Mount of Olives before he entered Jerusalem but Luke was quite right in attributing those words to him because his whole life and ministry was an effort to short-circuit the nationalistic passion that assumed it was possible means of force and military/guerilla action to find freedom and peace. This is what the portrait of John tells us. He sought to put out the nationalistic passion of the crowd whose palm branches signaled their desire for the use of force to overthrow the oppressor, for a leader who would spark a revolt to overthrow the imperial domination. In the words of Luke’s Jesus, “If you…had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes….” Was Jesus simply a weakling, fearful, cowering before the powers that be – religious, social, cultural and political, suggesting one should simply submit to unjust structures and violent oppression? Not al all; Jesus was no advocate of the status quo. It was not the human desire for freedom, justice and humane existence that he called in question. It was rather that there is only one way to peace, justice and community – it is through non-violent resistance from a posture of humility and strength. We have seen instances of such non-violent resistance that have overcome overwhelming odds: Ghandi – Martin Luther King Jr. –And that may be too © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 7   little, too rare, to convince one. Yet there is that in the human consciousness that is moved at such action and spirit. When I think, “But it can’t work on the global scale” then I realize that our present course is what does not work. A military solution is not a solution – it is a shorter or longer term stop-gap measure that will finally degenerate again into violence and war. Whether with individuals or nations, only love transforms and compassion heals and creates the possibility for peace. It is time such a claim ceases to be mere religious cliché and pulpit talk. If we live by empirical evidence that evidence lies in all the tragedy, violence, death and devastation of the entire human story. We should be able to see in the overwhelming evidence of the historical record that the human species has developed to such a point and the present human potential to destroy the human emergent world is so evident that we can no longer live by the clan and tribal ways of fear, isolation, national sovereignty and imperial dominion. War is insane. War is no longer an option. Our thinking must change! That has been true of me; my thinking that is my understanding of God and the nature of God’s action in the world has changed dramatically when first humankind lived under the threat of nuclear annihilation, I was not afraid because my understanding of God was that of the Sovereign Lord of History, the Lord God Almighty. The End was in God’s hands. But this was a sovereign God external to the creation, ruling and, on occasion, intervening. But God has become for me much more the Sacred Mystery, the Creative Center of Being who rules through the lure of love or not at all. Love persuades; love does not coerce. The human creature in the image of God can resist the lure of love and the consequences may well be the end of the human emergent world. War is no longer an option. Our thinking must change - change or we will destroy our world as surely as Jerusalem was destroyed in awful violence. And, if we stave off total devastation, we will nevertheless live in fear of destruction in the meantime. Jesus called his world to repent. In Greek metanoia is composed of two parts: meta, “to change,” nois from nous, “mind.” Jesus’ message was: “Change your mind!” © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 8   Our thinking needs to change. And we need to experience a change of heart. I’m not sure which one must occur first. Maybe our thinking won’t change without a significant emotional experience. And such an emotional catharsis is the potential of Holy Week for those for whom the Way of Jesus is compelling. As I reflect on my own spiritual journey, my thinking has changed dramatically while at the same time I have experienced a significant emotional transformation in my experience of following Jesus and if, as I believe, Jesus was a human embodiment of God, of the Creative Mystery of Being, then I can say it is only in my latter years that I have experienced love for God. For me there has been a transformation of my thinking and my experience of God and that has come about through a fresh vision of Jesus in his full humanity in the portrait I see painted in the Gospels. Studies in research of the Historical Jesus have been important in putting Jesus in his historical context and, in the portraits painted of him in the Gospels, I have seen the amazing life of this one whose life was marked by grace, who reflected God’s unconditional love and who spoke truth to power, confronting the oppressive structures of established political and religious authority – for which he was crucified. While this fresh portrait of Jesus was making its impact on me, changing my thinking, I encountered two stories of persons whose heroic lives were the consequence of the Way of Jesus as I was coming to understand it. While studying in the Netherlands, trying to find a new theological understanding since my little system had groaned and cracked in the midst of my seven years of pastoral experience, I was struggling with trying to translate and understand contemporary Dutch and German theology. One day I picked up a little paperback, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Letters and Papers from Prison. It was my spiritual sustenance during those four years in Europe. In Bonhoeffer I found a contemporary disciple of Jesus who risked his life and finally gave his life in his resistance to the Nazi horror that was raging in Europe. His life, his faith, his courage so impressed me. At some point I realized what I felt for Bonhoeffer was more gripping than what I felt for Jesus. But my understanding of Jesus was changing the more I saw him fully human in his own historical context. I grew up with Jesus, Son of God, second person of the Trinity, whose atoning death was my only hope of salvation but that divine Saviour figure never really got to me in the same sense I was experiencing the life of Bonhoeffer. Finally I brought all this to expression. It was actually a Palm Sunday sermon, April 15, 1984. In that sermon I said, Jesus has no doubt been the greatest inspirer of human faith and life in the whole of human history. I have been reflecting on why his life has not been more © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page 9   powerful for me. I think I understand why Bonhoeffer moved me more – or so it seems. I think it is because Bonhoeffer was of our time. He seems more human – more one of us. He took on Hitler – not the Jewish High Priest or the Roman Emperor. He was a man – just a man. But Jesus was something else. The more I think about it, the more I am convinced that the Church in her theological discussion has removed Jesus – the real, historical, human figure – from me. Yet the more I penetrate through the theological haze surrounding him, the more I see him for what he was. The more overwhelmed I am at the grandeur of his life, the more I am moved by his faith and commitment, the more I love him and want to be like him. It is a paradox; the more I see him in his full humanity, the more I am inclined to bow in worship before him. I concluded the sermon inviting the congregation to think about Jesus in his full humanity, confronting non-violently the domination system of his day. Maybe in our contemplating of his behavior in these days we will see the wonder of his life. Maybe we will finally break out with the exclamation, “Jesus, you are really something!” If that happens, we will be changed; we will die and be born again. If the events of this week – the magnificence of Jesus’ authentic human life, the humility that is strength, the obedience that is freedom, the self-renunciation that is the highest expression of selfhood – ever penetrate to the core of our being, then we will bow in adoring worship before him whom God has highly exalted. “Adoring worship” was probably not the strongest way to conclude but in the sermon I had cited that powerful solo sung by Mary Magdalene in the rock opera Jesus Christ, Super Star, who sings so movingly, “I don’t know how to love him.” My second story came not long after Bonhoeffer triggered fresh emotional apprehension of Jesus. I was given a book by Philip Hallie, Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed, the story of a village in the French Alps. It is a story of how this mountain village, Le Chambon, defied the orders of the German Gestapo and the collaborating French Vichy government under Nazi domination during the Second World War, by sheltering refugees of all sorts, but the majority of whom were Jews. It is a gripping, moving, inspiring narrative whose center is a French Reformed pastor, Andre Trocmé. In his youth Trocmé had experienced the gruesome horror of World War I. He encountered an occupying German soldier and learned this soldier went about his duties as a telegrapher unarmed because he refused to kill – He had had a conversion experience and he believed as a follower of Jesus, he could not do © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page10   harm to another – he could not kill another human being. The German soldier said to him, “Christ taught us to love our enemies.” This encounter so deeply impacted Trocmé that for the rest of his life he lived by the imperative to do no harm to another. Trocme eventually studied theology at the University of Paris and became a French Reformed pastor. One evening in a men’s group, Trocme was discussing a book that claimed Jesus was a myth created by St. Paul. Trocmé refuted the book’s claim but found himself asking the question: If Jesus really walked upon this earth, why do we keep treating him as if he were a disembodied, impossibly idealistic ethical theory? If he was a real man, then the Sermon on the Mount was made for people on this earth; and if he existed, God has shown us in flesh and blood what goodness is for flesh-and-blood people. (p. 68) The rest of his life was a living out of the Sermon on the Mount. The events of the village of Le Chambon during the German occupation of France during World War II, the story as told by Hallie, is wonderfully moving and inspiring. I suspect what was so powerful for me was the connection between Trocmé’s total living out of the Sermon on the Mount as the catalyst for the magnificent compassion and love that was embodied in the village as it became a city of refuge. And I had not known what to do with the Sermon on the Mount in my preaching. I could not go along with certain fundamentalist claims that it represented the ethic for the kingdom age when Jesus returned and ruled on earth. But of what practical good was it in a winner-take-all world such as ours – competitive, aggressive, where nice guys come in last? And so I seldom selected my sermon texts from those passages that scholars who study the New Testament text actually are inclined to attribute to Jesus when they withhold such accreditation to much else recorded in the gospels. But I was being changed: Bonhoeffer’s heroic engagement with the Nazi darkness; Le Chambon saving hundreds of lives at their own peril; my own wrestling with the Gospel. And I am still being changed, still wondering, questioning, trying to understand the Way of Jesus in the present historical moment. © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page11   That is a bit of my journey – my thinking has changed: Jesus, second person of the Trinity to Jesus, the embodiment of God in a fully human being, the embodiment of humility, compassion, grace and love who through non-violent resistance speaks truth to power in order to re-order human society in the ways of peace and justice. And I have been emotionally gripped – I love Jesus. I believe he is the way, the truth and the life and I do believe his way is the only hope for the world. And my nation is a world empire and empires can only perpetuate their imperial dominance through military might, intimidation and the arrogance of power. War is insane, but we are still on a war strategy. We have unlimited power but we have become too civilized to use it and what we cannot defeat by our power is the violence of the powerless – the terrorist who will blow him or herself up because of ideology or religious faith or because there is nothing to lose. There was a moment when the Berlin Wall fell and we were without question the one world super power, that we might have had an opportunity for a new creation. In the world of power politics you dare not let down your guard unless the biggest power on earth takes the lead. And I wonder if following 911 we had responded differently – if we had pursued the murderers as they should have been pursued by police action, but if we had called an International Conference of Nations rather than naming an Axis of Evil– hearing the plaints of the oppressed, the background of the anger of the terrorists, the hopes and fears of the powerless and the voiceless – What if we, the world’s one super power, had voluntarily put away our nuclear arms leading the nations to disarmament. Hopeless idealism? Perhaps. What’s the alternative? Don’t we have it? Don’t we see the carnage daily on our TV? And are we not really in a more dangerous world today than on 9/12? I wonder if we could transcend partisan politics, if we could gather as concerned human beings we couldn’t agree that the present policy is not working. A radical new approach is called for. What if we got a conversation going with Islam, with the Palestinians, with Israel, with China, with Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Somalia, with whoever would come to the table and we did it without the threat of our power, militarily, economically – What if as a so-called Christian nation we really took seriously the way of Jesus as the way we would be what if...? On this Palm Sunday I propose the above which, I suspect, makes me a fool for Christ, but I also suspect if someone would arise on the national scene who would © Grand Valley State University �A Fool for Christ Richard A. Rhem Page12   dare to propose such, he or she might be elected President in a landslide because, deep down, we know… Jesus was right. Would that he would not have died in vain. References: Philip Hallie. Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed: The Story of the Village of LeChambon and How Goodness Happened There. Harper Perennial; Reprint edition, 1994. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Palm Sunday Scripture Text Luke 19:35-44, John 12:9-19, Zechariah 9:9-10 Location The location of the interview Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges References Philip Hallie. Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed: The Story of the Village of LeChambon and How Goodness Happened There, 1994. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20070401 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-04-01 Title A name given to the resource A Fool For Christ Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 1, 2007 entitled "A Fool For Christ", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, at Lakeshore Interfaith Center, Ganges. Scripture references: Luke 19:35-44, John 12:9-19, Zechariah 9:9-10. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Palm Sunday Transforming Love Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d318e328034c733717d5bd24faae2e6.pdf 39397f776b4fdfb5e22a9baf5345814f PDF Text Text   Here I Stand Sunday Evening Gathering Spring Lake Country Club Richard A. Rhem September 24, 2006 Well, that’s a little dramatic, I suppose. It comes from Martin Luther as he stood before the Diet of Worms giving an account of his faith. This is not such a historyshaping moment and where I stand is of little interest beyond the narrow confines of Christ Community. Yet we have shared a wonderful experience of faith community and beautiful worship: intelligent, aesthetically uplifting and inspirational, all marked by excellence. And now for many there is an absence of that experience and a void in the soul. I share that experience, or lack of experience. We are still part of the community; we still support it financially. We still hope for it a good and strong future. Yet, Nancy and I must acknowledge that we feel estranged and sense ourselves more at home with the community in exile––the Diaspora. That being the case I feel it important and necessary to be clear about my engagement or lack of it since Thanksgiving, 2005. Let me say that I wondered if I should be here tonight. I was happy to do the three summer Sunday evenings. When asked, I was assured this was an opportunity for good friends with much shared history to meet, an opportunity since those envisioned were those who had dropped out of regular worship attendance and missed the experience of community. Those evenings arose quite spontaneously and were not the result of some strategy session by a committee looking for an alternative to CCC. Was it naive to think such gatherings would not make the sense of loss felt more deeply? Perhaps. Were those gatherings created purposefully to create such a sense and a yearning? Simply, no; there was no ulterior motive I know in my mind and I do not believe in the minds of the initiators either. In any case, the gatherings generated a desire and request for more monthly gatherings and, now, with this difference: Now beyond the original purpose of social gathering, it was announced that the community itself would discuss where it was in relation to CCC. © Grand Valley State University   �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 2   A clear demarcation was made between the three summer gatherings and this evening’s gathering and those to follow. That’s why I questioned whether I should be here; to gather with you where no CCC talk was allowed was one thing; to be here where you are beginning to ask, “Where are we? What is our future?” is another. I decided to be here and to speak because I decided it was important for me to set the record straight since inevitably all sorts of rumors abound. I am willing to be judged for all for which I am responsible but I want for those who care for me and trust me to hear from me where I have been and where I am. Hence my title: “Here I Stand.” I have a further motivation––a pastoral concern for you here and for the whole community. But I will come to that shortly; first my story. The Crisis As I turned over the reins, I don’t think anyone would deny I had given Ian a “running start.” The retirement celebration was marvelous. The timing was right. I was ready and delighted to retire and to let go. And I did. And for 18 months I was present and supportive of Ian’s ministry. In the Fall of 2005 I realized I was sensing a growing concern about the direction CCC was moving. I had early on suggested to Ian that people don’t get out of bed to hear what they can hear at Rotary even though I granted he was dealing with important issues, was well prepared and obviously gifted. But increasingly I missed the liturgy, the “cathedral worship” and the experience of being ‘moved” on Sunday morning. And I was concerned at the numbers that were no longer present. My concern was not really theological but the so-called Progressive label I felt was not so much Progressive Christianity as Progressive Religion in General for which the biblical tradition was almost incidental. It was not my place to voice complaint. I still claimed, “All he has to do is make it,” but I knew I was not spiritually fulfilled or satisfied on Sunday morning. But then I was put on the spot: Ian emailed me––the first communication in quite some time––asking if I would add a paragraph to the stewardship letter or, at least, co-sign it. I must tell you that put me in a real conflict situation. I wrestled and wrestled with that request. At a lunch with Cindy Anderson, Board Chair, about another matter, I told her of the request and that I couldn’t do it. I had written out why and gave that to her and she said she would tell Ian, although I emailed the same response to him. With integrity I could not ask you to support what I increasingly found troubling and this for a long-held conviction that the people have two votes on community direction: their presence; their financial support. We lived that way for years. We were “Team Driven,” supported by competent lay leadership, but I always knew finally the people ruled. Here is the email I sent: © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 3   cccgrace@charter.net Subject: RAR Reflections Date: November 30, 2005 10:44:38 PM EST Reflections of One Retired but Caring Still…. I was quite certain they were wrong who claimed I could never “let go;” I have. I found it not difficult. A marvelous retirement celebration, the excitement of the community for a fresh, new beginning, and the freedom from the daily/weekly pressure all added up to what I think was a graceful passing of the baton. I made clear that I would do what was asked of me but initiate nothing. I have lived up to that. When there emerged an uprising in the spring I did my best to support the leadership in any way I could. Beginning as Ian did in a presidential election year in a destructively polarized nation, I supported the prophetic note that sounded from the pulpit. On the one occasion I was asked by Ian to express my sense of how things were going, I pointed out my concern about the Sunday morning experience. In a nutshell, I affirmed Ian for dealing with significant subjects, displaying serious preparation and intelligent treatment. My one concern expressed was the lack of an experience of awe and wonder in the presence of Mystery—the elevation of spirit, the experience of being “moved.” My word to Ian was that people will not get up on Sunday morning to hear an interesting lecture that they might hear Friday noon at Rotary. I put it that way in order to attempt to indicate what I felt was lacking. As the weeks and months passed, it was evident that while many CCC members were absenting themselves, there was a new energy and many new faces. My “mantra” to those who were critical was “all he has to do is make it work.” I knew what I missed reflected the person I have become and that which was so central to my being—a love of high Worship, the traditional Liturgy re-interpreted/translated, received again with a second naiveté, able to touch the depths of my soul, along with an aesthetic elevation of my spirit in the seamless, carefully crafted liturgy of Word and Sacrament laced with the finest artistic expression. What my being loves and longs for is perhaps a fading appreciation. I remained unapologetic in my manner of apprehending and being apprehended by the Sacred Mystery, but I was aware that I had had my day. If the current format could bring new growth and vitality to the community and meet the needs of the rising generation, I would affirm that as the way into the future—“all he has to do is make it work.” © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 4   The fall Courier raised concerns of a deeper dimension for me. The “Turning Eastward” raised questions. Pluralism has long been taken for granted at CCC. The study of World Religions in the Perspective Hour has occurred for several years. However, the importation of elements into our corporate worship—I still use that word intentionally—did not feel to me authentic nor did I think it enhancing of the corporate experience. My concern deepened when in September I received a call from a person I deeply respect whom I knew to be enthusiastic in the early stages of transition and whose spirit is positive and caring. She asked if I would read a piece she had written in an attempt to articulate what she was feeling about where our community was heading. I did so. I could not deny that her analysis was precisely my own. Subsequently I read a few other similar expressions that came to me. I could no longer deny that what a few thoughtful and supportive folk were saying was what I too had come to feel. Let me be clear—I am part of this community and want to remain such. This is our spiritual home, our “family.” Our pledge for 2006 is turned in. We desire the continuing well-being and prosperity of the community. I do think, however, that the voices of serous people of good heart need to be heard. I, perhaps as much as anyone, can identify with Ian in the leadership role. He must lead. He must lead out of his center, where his vision burns and his passion flows. I do not want him to trim his sails or be untrue to himself. That being said, the respective Governance Boards are responsible not only to him and the Team but to the People. It is here that I see our greatest challenge: Can the present direction of the current leadership succeed in bringing the community to a new future? During the years of my leadership we operated with a Team-Driven ministry, the respective Governance Groups affirming, supporting, critiquing. There has not been for a long time essential congregational involvement beyond the governance groups and thankfully, very little congregational discord. To those who suggested we “greased the skids” and ran freely I always replied, “The people are in charge—they vote with their feet and their dollars.” If the people are present and are paying for the ministry, then we are doing something right. I hold by that position. These reflections arise because I have been asked by Ian to sign with him or add a paragraph to a fund-raising letter. I have anguished about how to respond. I have concluded that to sign would be to endorse a course and a future I cannot with integrity endorse. © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 5   I remain. I desire the well being of the community. I remain thankful for the place open to all—a true alternative to church as usual. I want CCC’s best/ I want Ian’s best. And I want—apart from my involvement – to let the 2005 giving and the 2006 pledging tell us how we are doing and what is required of us. RAR 11/30/05 Soon after that decision it seemed the CCC situation was less than healthy in finance, team, and community. Perhaps I stepped over the line at that point but I communicated my deep concern to the then Board Chair, Cindy Anderson, and the day before I left for Florida, to the Chair-elect, Ron Zoet. Was I out of place? Perhaps. Why did I do it? It was my sense that it was time to acknowledge that the community was in trouble and perhaps time to face that honestly with Ian, trying to determine a gracious way to deal with what I thought was the reality of our situation. No need for anger or hostility––just an honest conversation. I had stepped over the line. My intention was positive for all involved but the consequence of that communication was that, upon my return from Florida, I was confronted with the charge that it was widely perceived that I was not supportive of Ian’s ministry. A half dozen close friends knew that, but beyond the present and future Board chairs––no one else knew that from me. The charge was made by Ian in the presence of Jack Spong who had been thoroughly apprised of the situation and, with his long experience as a Bishop, had concluded the problem was that the old guy couldn’t let go. This was grossly unfair. He did say in the middle of the lunch, “How does it feel to be mousetrapped?” He sensed something but never asked why I felt as I did––and I had acknowledged to Ian that it was true––I could not be supportive of his ministry. Ian wanted to continue the conversation that week. I resisted. Finally I agreed to sit with him but only with another present, my trusted friend Peter Hart. Ian was not sure of that but eventually agreed and brought the Board Chair, Ron Zoet. That was my moment of truth. Ian asked if I would be involved in some education. I declined, saying if I had continued to be involved, perhaps I could, © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 6   but now, with the hiatus of almost a year of any significant involvement and with the current direction, I did not feel I could. And then I tried to be clear with Ian. In summary, I said, “Ian, I think you will make it. I wish you well. I will do nothing to undercut you. And when you succeed, it will not be the future I had hoped for, but that doesn’t matter. There will be a new CCC and that is the future.” I then added this footnote: I said, “I have so many friends in this community. To this point I have been so careful but now I must tell you I will be honest with my friends. I can no longer act contrary to my own inner being.” We parted on positive terms, understanding each other––simply on different wavelengths. But I assured him that I was content with a future I did not desire if he could effect that. That was not my business––I wished him well. But, in being honest with him, I felt I gained my freedom to be true to myself. Jack Spong had suggested I had to get in or get out. I chose the latter and have distanced myself from the community over these past six months, although, as I indicated above, we continue our financial support and remain a part of CCC. And, I repeat again as I said above, my first choice would be for CCC to have a strong, vibrant future with us or without us. When that future is secure, we can choose to be a part of it or not. But until that future is determined and secure, I would hope the whole community, those currently engaged and those considered the Diaspora, might with civility and mutual respect examine what options there are for CCC going forward. As we are aware, this evening is different from the summer series because we will intentionally take up the question of future options. And to the summer series folk who requested that these monthly gatherings continue, there is added a group of people who quite independently have been probing the question of the future for themselves and others who were like-minded. Let me underscore the fact that this emerging group arose totally independent of the Summer Gathering initiative and prior to the first gathering on July 9. As must be obvious, the future of CCC was on the minds of many. For the summer gathering initiative, the driving motivation was community–– being with good friends. For the emerging group, the driving motivation was a sense of the absence of experience of transcendence, the experience of being in the presence of the Mystery that embraces us and inspires us. This evening those concerns converge with the Key Question––Can there yet be a return to one community even if there were sub-communities meeting different needs and desires. This is a question for the whole community to take up––not one initiated or led by former team members. © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 7   Here I stand; I’ve done my best to give an account of myself over the past ten months. But I have one more concern to share and that is a pastoral concern. It has to do with the spirit in which we seek our future. We have been marked by Grace over all these years and I would hope, however the future unfolds, Grace would prevail all around. In our religious formation and our spiritual commitments, powerful emotions are engaged and deeply felt. And we are all vulnerable to feelings of anger when the religious core of our being is touched. Friendships are strained, alienation is common and we fail to act out of our best selves according to our highest values. We are all in jeopardy at this time. And so, while my “Here I Stand” was an effort to set the record straight, my most important message this evening has to do with the care of our souls and concern for the spiritual well-being of those who constitute the present CCC ongoing. There is anger about and probably all around––in those who resent those who have left and in those who saw no alternative to leaving. That reality reminded me of a dialogue between God and the runaway prophet Jonah. The Hebrew Scripture book of Jonah is unlike the great books of the Hebrew prophets in that it is a parable or a folk tale rather than a concrete address to a historical situation. The story is familiar––God calls Jonah to preach to the foreign city of Nineveh and instead Jonah goes in the opposite direction. He doesn’t want Nineveh to repent and be spared God’s wrath. As Jonah is sailing in the opposite direction, God sends a storm and finally Jonah acknowledges he is the cause of the storm. He is thrown overboard, the storm ceases and Jonah finds himself in a whale of a belly––or is it the belly of a whale! Jonah repents, is spewed forth on land and makes his way to Nineveh, preaches repentance and the Ninevites heed the prophet, repent, and God mercifully spares them. What fascinates me about the story is the dialogue between God and Jonah at this point. Jonah is angry because God spared Nineveh, indeed, so angry he says “God, take my life.” And then that wonderful question: God asks, Is it right for you to be angry? At that point Jonah goes out of the city and makes a booth for himself and sat in its shade to see what would happen to the city. But God was not through; God caused a large plant to grow and give shade to Jonah to save him from discomfort. Jonah was happy. Then God caused a worm to attack the plant and it withered. The sun rose and God caused a sultry east wind to blow and the sun beat down on Jonah and again he asked to die. And then again the question––Is it right for you to be angry about the bush? © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 8   And Jonah said, “Yes, angry enough to die!” To which God points out Jonah’s concern for the bush pales before God’s concern for the people of Nineveh. I retell that ancient tale because of the question “Do you do well to be angry?” What the writing is really about is Jonah’s “mode of being.” God doesn’t argue with Jonah, nor does he condemn the anger or deny its presence. Rather, Jonah is asked to become aware of his own spirit and attitude. One commentator uses an interesting translation of anger––”a burning of the nostrils”––anger is a burning and while it is a common human emotion, left unattended it burns within and is destructive of the human spirit. I won’t linger here but simply suggest to all of us in many and various situations when we feel a burning within, we remember the question––Is it well or good to be angry? Why are we angry? What is the source of our anger in our own being? What does my anger say about me? The other passage that came to me is from the New Testament––Ephesians 4. The 26th verse counsels: Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger. Again the reality of anger is recognized. The counsel is: own it, be aware of it and let it go. The previous statement is apropos to our situation: So then putting away falsehood, let us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. and verse 32 offers a beautiful appeal: ...be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. and 5:1 continues, Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us.... Ephesians is probably a post-Pauline letter in the name of Paul and its theme is the church or the Christian community, so it is especially relevant to our concerns at present. One of the most moving pleas for the unity of the Body of Christ is found in the first 6 verses of Ephesians 4. Hear this eloquent appeal: © Grand Valley State University �Here I Stand Richard A. Rhem Page 9   ...with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. And then concluding with the reality that there is one body and one God...and the following section continues in a most compelling fashion to plead for unity aiming at maturity in Christ. So this is my pastoral concern––that we be very much aware of our own mode of being––self aware, self-critical, tending our own souls. And then that we hear the plea for unity in the spirit of humility and love in the bonds of peace. In a word, let Grace abound all around. I honestly do not know what the future holds for Christ Community. I hope there is a strong and vibrant future. It may be such that once again I can feel at home there, finding my spirit lifted to the face of Mystery. It may be that a future emerges such that for me there continues to be an absence of that for which my spirit yearns. In either case there is no place for anger, for anger burns and destroys. And no place for demonizing another, for that divides and alienates. It is not my place to create that future. In freedom, I will follow my heart, determined to be kind, tenderhearted, loving and seeking peace. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Sunday Evening Gathering Location The location of the interview Spring Lake Country Club Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20060924 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-09-24 Title A name given to the resource Here I Stand Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 24, 2006 entitled "Here I Stand", on the occasion of Sunday Evening Gathering, at Spring Lake Country Club . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community Worship https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/83facdebde0d21920172dcf9c1cf1dce.pdf 639e568d0ead7885d5858d339b63249d PDF Text Text The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Summer Social Gathering Richard A. Rhem The Spring Lake Country Club Spring Lake, Michigan August 27, 2006 On this, another social gathering, I want to say what a pleasure it has been to be with you on these summer evenings, and to thank you for giving me an opportunity to reflect on my life and ministry from the perspective of my retirement. For the first time in that two-year period, I have been stimulated to think about my journey from the deep Christian formation of my childhood and youth to the unabashed posture of a critical thinking intellectual of open and liberal mind and spirit. That is the identity I would claim for myself. Critical Thinking - We live in a cultural period named Post-Modern which is a designation that means simply "after the Modern," and conveys the fact that we don't really know what to call the present. Post-Modern thinkers criticize the Modern Period - the Enlightenment over-confidence in human rationality to master the Mystery of reality. However, one of my best teachers, Hans Küng, wrote in one of his earlier works that the one mark of modernity that we must never lose is critical rationality, the exercise of human intelligence, of human reason, in the pursuit of the human project. Intellectual -I remember so vividly the Sunday the great New Testament scholar, Bishop Krister Stendahl, preached at Christ Community and spoke at the Perspectives hour. He said, "I am an unabashed intellectual." I loved it and began at that point to own the designation for myself. There are intellectuals and there are intellectuals, and I have no illusions about being in the "Intellectual Big Leagues." Nonetheless, I do value the life of the mind, the world of ideas and the intellectual probing of new frontiers of the human experience. Being a pastor first of all, I did not have the luxury of the scholarly life of reading, reflection and writing. Yet, in the tasks of preaching and teaching, I was always fascinated by the intellectual task of understanding - understanding the biblical story, the theological tradition and their application to ongoing human experience. Of Open and Liberal Mind and Spirit. My last presentation traced my movement to a liberal posture - liberal of mind and spirit. Let me pick up the story there, reminding you that being liberal is not a position, but a posture. It is not a creedal position or even a religious commitment, nor is it a political platform. It has to do with the open mind operating with critical © Grand Valley State University   �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 2   rationality that engages religious/cultural/moral and political issues, seeking understanding in order to forge commitments and action intended for the enhancement of the human situation - ultimately for creating a global community rooted in love, marked by grace - in a word, the realization of the Hebrew prophets' magnificent vision of Shalom - peace as total harmony. The Vision The vision of Shalom - of a new creation - comes to expression in various prophetic writings in the Hebrew tradition. I refer you to two, one from Isaiah, the great 8th century, B.C.E., prophet, in Chapter 11, which begins with the idea of "a shoot" from "the stump of Jesse," and Chapter 65 of Isaiah, a writing from a later prophet during the Exile looking to the Return. We need not debate the conception of God as the sovereign of history, nor the fact that the vision was not realized in the Exile's return and which, in the present violent chaos of the Middle East, seems farther from realization than ever. The vision ends: They will not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain; for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. There was in the human mind and heart over two and a half millennia ago such a vision. I find that most remarkable. It remains a dream in the human breast while our whole understanding of cosmic reality and the action of God in history has been radically transformed. That transformation has come about by the emergence of the scientific breakthroughs through the empirical method, applied by critical reason to the study of the natural world. And that transformation has been fought at every new breakthrough by religious authority and, unfortunately, such fighting still marks much of the religious world. Such opposition is futile and fruitless and has caused much of the intellectual community to write off the religious community as hopelessly benighted. In the epic struggle of science and religion, there have been scholars on the scientific side who have claimed more than their empirical investigations can justify, denying the whole realm of religious mystery and experience. One such is Francis Crick, who, in his The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul, writes, The astonishing hypothesis is that "you," your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. As Lewis Carroll's Alice might have phrased it: "You're nothing but a pack of neurons ..." The scientific belief is that our minds - the behavior of our brains - can be explained by the interactions of nerve cells (and other cells) and the molecules associated with them, (p. 3, 7) Crick claims this position stands in contrast with "The religious concept of a soul, and puts science in a head-on contradiction to the religious belief of billions of human beings alive today." © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 3   "A head-on contradiction ..." indeed, and it rages still. But, is that impasse the only possibility? I contend it is not and will attempt to offer an alternative possibility. In doing so, I do not claim to be proposing something new and original, but rather, what many scholars both in science and religion have proposed. The Wonder of the Cosmos The scientific endeavor is never finished, but what we have learned about the natural world takes our breath away. We stand in wonder and awe before the unfolding of the cosmic dance - an unfolding we are told that has been in process for over 13 billion years. And space! Can we begin to comprehend the thought of an expanding universe of billions of light years, of billions of stars and galaxies and, some would claim, parallel universes? Mind-boggling beyond my capacity to take in. At its best, the scientific enterprise continues to probe, recognizing, as the great Einstein claimed, it is probing Mystery, with each new breakthrough bringing forth fresh questions, creating models, carrying on experiments which bring forth more data that, in turn, call for new paradigms. It is a wonder-full drama with no necessity to threaten religious reality, although certainly necessitating adjustment of ancient forms of religious belief. To resist the ongoing march of scientific discovery, as indicated above, is futile and foolish and it robs one of the freedom to revel in amazement at the natural order into which our lives are woven. Rather, in my experience, it is inspiring to take in the natural world to the extent possible and then re-think the possibilities of religious response in light of what is. So, where are we? We have a marvelous vision of Shalom from the ancient prophet, expressed in a worldview and conception of God which the natural sciences and historical consciousness make necessary to revise. Let me attempt to portray the ongoing development of human understanding by reminding you of my own journey which I think many of you have traversed, as well. That journey consists of three stages: The Pre-Critical The Critical The Post-Critical In my first presentation, I told you of my whole academic experience through high school, college and seminary which left me in a pre-critical stage, unable and unwilling to think critically as I held to and taught the biblical story in terms of the ancient biblical worldview. I was defensive of that worldview, took it literally, and was threatened by all knowledge to the contrary. But, alas, finally I could no longer deny that my deeply formed and very rigid understanding of the biblical paradigm could no longer be held with integrity. In the words of Alfred Lord Tennyson, © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Our little systems have their day, they have their day and cease to be. They are but broken lights of Thee, and Thou, O Lord, art more than they. It must be obvious that being deeply formed in a pre-critical mindset in a world exploding with data that could not be incorporated into that pre-modern understanding of God, nature and history put one in a very uncomfortable position - constantly threatened, always on the defensive and wondering what the next breakthrough in the sciences might reveal. Finally, my "little system" broke and I was ready to open myself to the best of human knowledge and understanding. Intellectual honesty, I realized, was also a spiritual matter. I wanted to know the truth and tell the truth to the extent that was possible for me. Thus, I entered the next phase of my life and ministry - the critical phase - a phase that lasted for me about thirty years, during which I was preaching and teaching, thinking, reading and writing. My move into the critical stage was never marked by a "loss of faith" or a negative spirit over against my Christian faith. During those three decades, I was being a pastor and living out of a deep faith that was undergoing considerable revision, but never overthrown. I lived out the experience that Gary Dorrien, in his Making of the American Liberal Theology, documents. I find his definition of the Liberal movement and his high valuation of it precisely my experience. He defines the Liberal movement thus: In accord with my concept of it as a movement that began in the late eighteenth century, I define liberal theology primarily by its original character as a mediating Christian movement. Liberal Christian theology is a tradition that derives from the late-eighteenth and early nineteenthcentury Protestant attempt to reconceptualize the meaning of traditional Christian teaching in the light of modern knowledge and modern ethical values. It is not revolutionary but reformist in spirit and substance. Fundamentally it is the idea of a genuine Christianity not based on external authority. Liberal theology seeks to reinterpret the symbols of traditional Christianity in a way that creates a progressive religious alternative to atheistic rationalism and to theologies based on external authority. (Vol. I, p. XXIII) It took me a long time to work out the question of biblical authority and I can trace the gradual movement in my understanding. But, the mediating function of the liberal approach was obvious to me, once my infallible, inerrant scripture eroded and my conservative biblical paradigm collapsed. I spent the Fall Term in 1983 at the University of Michigan with Professor Hans Küng, who was deeply engaged at the time in his work on paradigm change in theology. A book of great impact, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions (1962), by Thomas S. Kuhn, had, in the words of one commentator, made clear that © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 5   science is not the steady, cumulative acquisition of knowledge that is portrayed in the textbooks. Rather, it is a series of peaceful interludes punctuated by intellectually violent revolutions ... in each of which, one conceptual world view is replaced by another ... The book was enlarged in a second edition in 1970. Küng charted the course of paradigm shifts in theological development from the earliest centuries much as Kuhn did for the unfolding scientific worldviews in which he showed how, in the scientific revolutions, one worldview is replaced by another. Kuhn documented how the scientist takes the data available and builds a model or a paradigm. Further data comes to light that doesn't fit into the prevailing paradigm and it is resisted, but finally more data is accumulated and the prevailing paradigm is rejected, its data and the new data of discovery are combined into a new paradigm that can accommodate all the data available at that time. Küng documented a similar movement in theological conception except, in the religious community, there were always groups that perpetuated a given paradigm despite the ever-evolving knowledge of the cosmic story and scientific understanding. Out-of-date worldviews are manifold in religious worldviews. But, this is where the Liberal movement comes in - no longer willing or able to deny the explosion of knowledge provided by the natural and social sciences, the liberal Christian thinkers were open to scientific breakthroughs and, with continuing commitment to their Christian faith and experience, sought to distinguish the faith from the worldviews in which it came to expression. Thus, there was revision of much biblical conceptuality and the faith that came to expression in the ancient worldview was set free from the ancient forms in which it was expressed. This was the mediating function of the liberal movement - the use of critical reason to understand the data of scientific discovery and the discernment of Christian faith that was wrapped in now outdated worldviews that had to be abandoned in light of new discovery. This process which marked the Liberal movement and continues to be its finest gift to Christian faith is a process I have gone through, as indicated above, and let me acknowledge it is scary and sometimes painful. One wonders if one's faith will dissolve, leaving one without the source of one's meaning, hope and comfort. And, it can be costly! Hans Küng, in 1983, had just learned that the German Bishop, Joseph Ratzinger, presently Pope, had passed on Rome's decree that the theology courses Küng taught at Tubingen would no longer be credited for those studying for the priesthood. To read Küng's Memoirs is to realize the risk one takes as one seeks to bring one's Christian understanding into accord with one's understanding of the knowledge available in all the disciplines of human learning. Yet, once one sees one's faith as distinct from the conceptual framework in which it first came to expression, and once one opens one's mind to the knowledge of the natural and social sciences, there is no "going home." And so one must move through the Critical stage, testing everything, ruling out no question, claiming no privilege of "the eyes of faith" in one's inquiry. © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 6   The Critical phase is both necessary and dissatisfying for one deeply formed in the conservative biblical paradigm as I was. It is an anxiety-ridden experience; one wonders where one will end up. But I was fortunate in that I had time to read and think and write sermons. And, I took a cadre of folk with me in Wednesday evening classes where we probed the questions and read significant scholarly works. And along the way, there were cumulative experiences. I've already mentioned the semester with Küng. And, in the early 90s, the exposure to the Jewish community, involvement with the Jewish-Christian committee, and the inter-faith experience was very significant for me. Perhaps the most significant endeavor for me was serving on the Board of Editors of Perspectives, a journal of Reformed theology intended to stimulate theological dialogue in the Reformed Church. In the writing of several essays, I began to focus the new understanding I had been gaining in my reading and reflection. In these years 1985-95, I brought into sharp focus the results of my critical inquiry of the previous years post-Europe. I won't trace the development of my thinking here, but simply point out that by the mid-90s, the Muskegon Classis challenged my theological position, determining I was outside the pale of Reformed theology and, with the congregation, I moved out of the RCA to independency. I experienced freedom - a freedom I did not know I did not have while engaging in my critical testing of my theological understanding while still in the ordained ministry of the RCA. Now I was finally free to follow the consequences of years of critical investigation. Declaring our independence in 1996, by 1999 I had moved into a Post-Critical stage. But, before I go there, I must mention that my understanding of the nature and function of religion was changing. This change came about as I got involved in inter-religious dialogue, as well as experiencing firsthand the deeply religious life of one who called himself a Religious Naturalist - Dr. Duncan Littlefair. I saw in him the celebration of the wonder, miracle, joy and glory of life, lived out in a life of worship and the wonder of all creation and the human being. These concrete life experiences were life-changing for me. I wonder if we ever really change, if we are ever transformed in any other way than through encounter and concrete experience. I had to rethink the phenomenon of religion itself, all knowledge to the contrary. One of the significant scholars whose work we studied was Gordon Kaufman, who had recently retired from Harvard. His In Face of Mystery was a great "revelation" for me, especially his claim that religion is a human creative construct. Tracing the development of the human from earliest beginnings, he showed how the religious dimension developed and I found his explanation compelling. I came to understand how religion played a significant role in human development, beginning within clans and tribes as the means to explain the natural phenomena experienced, to seek security and harmony with the Ultimate Mystery, eventuating in 800-600 BCE in the great religious traditions that arose simultaneously in what is called the First Axial Period. Informed by such an understanding, I came to see religious truth, not as a series of creedal propositions containing absolute truth, but as sacred story lived out in © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 7   life-forming fashion through prayer, ritual and moral living. The story was celebrated in music and sacred dance and worship. And, as Karen Armstrong has claimed, at the heart of all the great religions is the call to compassion. Understanding the nature and function of religion thus, I realized exclusivism was a hangover of tribalism and, for me, the theology of religion pointed to pluralism as the only reasonable conclusion. This, too, was freeing; with absolutism and exclusivism removed, I was able to go back to my own story, the biblical story and my Christian faith - no longer needing to defend or convince or argue, but simply search out again its depth and meaning, its wisdom and its teaching as to the meaning of human existence before the Face of the Sacred Mystery we call God. I had entered fully the post-critical stage where I could see the whole grand story and tradition as for the first time - and loving it now, not as the only way, truth and life, but as my way, my truth, my life. No need now to prove anything; rather, I could live fully in the human world, open to the wonder and miracle of the universe, trusting that all Being was grounded in an Ultimate Mystery that was the creative, enlivening source of all that is. An Ultimate Mystery who is lifegiving, as seen in the cosmic drama that has been emerging with life to the point at which the human can trace the process of billions of years and stand in awe of it all, giving voice in praise and adoration. Emergence has become a key concept for me as I survey the whole cosmic drama - the gradual unfolding of the universe issuing, at this point in the process, in creatures such as we are. Emergence I understand as a model I create in place of the ancient Genesis story with its profound mythical story, and I propose emergence because I can hear all the data available from cosmology in its present state and see it as the emerging reality that has come to this point without feeling any threat to my religious being. In other words, I can receive the latest and best knowledge and then think about it religiously in terms of my biblical story. And here I find a fascinating point of connection. In John's Gospel the prologue begins In the beginning was the Word ... In Greek, "word" is logos, a philosophical term that points to the divine intention in Creation. The prologue reminds us of Genesis 1:1, In the beginning God... And then in verse 14, The word became flesh ..., a reference to Jesus as the human incarnation of the Divine Intention. Then in verse 18, an interesting statement, No one has ever seen God, followed by the claim that Jesus, the Word made flesh, has made God known. This, of course, is the Christian understanding of Jesus as the embodiment of God in human being - The Christian understanding of Incarnation. God become Human. Translating that into Emergence conceptuality, I would say that the cosmic process emanating from the Creative Source, the Ultimate Mystery, has evolved to a point where that Infinite Mystery emerged in human form. © Grand Valley State University �The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Richard A. Rhem Page 8   Stating it differently, the Infinite is now revealed in finite form - the human - and the human, in the image of the Infinite, is the emergent form of that Infinite Ground - thus, the deep yearning for God in the human being. This whole idea is given a further and profound development in the First Epistle of John, chapter 4. In verse 7, we are called to love one another because love is from God, and "God is love." Then the phrase from the Gospel, 1:18, is repeated, No one has ever seen God. But, then a significant development of the idea of incarnation is added: If we love one another, God lives in us, and God's love is perfected in us. A few lines later, the same claim is made. God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. If we put all this together, we have a theological model which is in harmony with an emerging cosmic drama whose Creative Source, God, is understood as Love and whose presence in the cosmos is experienced in human love, the human being the embodiment of the infinite creative Ground of Being. The cosmos becomes conscious in the human and love is the highest expression of cosmic reality - love that gathers all into harmony, the only possibility for Shalom, the ancient prophets' vision. And where do we see such love lived out? In our biblical story, we see it concretely come to expression in Jesus, in whom the cycle of violence was broken, who counseled, "Love your enemies," and whose non-violent resistance to imperial power and political expediency brought him to the violent death by crucifixion. Jesus, who was true to his own teaching as he died, prayed Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing. Other religious traditions teach and encourage positive human values and contain profound insights, having guided generations in their respective "ways." I need not denigrate another tradition. I need not claim I have fully grasped the deepest insights of the biblical story, nor claim I have embodied the way, the truth and the life as it came to expression in Jesus. But, it is enough for me that that story, that life in which I have been nurtured, which I have preached, challenges, inspires and enables me to realize my full humanity. And I believe that in that “Way, Truth and Life” lies the hope for a human future - the realization of the vision of Shalom. References: Francis Crick. The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul, 1994. Scribner reprint edition, 1995. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Summer Social Gathering Location The location of the interview Spring Lake Country Club References Francis Crick. The Astonishing Hypothesis: The Scientific Search for the Soul, 1994. Gary Dorrien. The Making of the American Liberal Theology, Vol. 2, 2003. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20060827 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-08-27 Title A name given to the resource The Magnificent Vision of Shalom Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 27, 2006 entitled "The Magnificent Vision of Shalom", on the occasion of Summer Social Gathering, at Spring Lake Country Club . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives God as Love Paradigm Shift PostModern Shalom https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/652a2e0f38138c10e17ff262e8cc0d65.pdf e2e2e005e79611c0d8bf98d299f22f1e PDF Text Text The Making of a Liberal Sunday Evening Social Richard A. Rhem Spring Lake Country Club Spring Lake, Michigan August 6, 2006 Prepared text for talk It is wonderful to see you and to be with you again. I was delighted with the first social gathering – it was electric – hugs and tears and laughter: a great combination! As I indicated then, I was a bit embarrassed that so many came to hear my story, but then realized that was what was advertised so you came anyway. Then Tom Hammond clarified the situation for me when he assured me that the reason this community gathers is not because of the address but rather to meet one another – and I know he was teasing me, but he was also correct. Being together with such a community is a rich experience worth enduring sermons poor and poorer. Some of you have told me you know my story and the first presentation didn’t bring anything new. Let me say I know some of you know my story well, but my decision to go over it again was not to tell it one more time but to tell it for the first time from the place to which I’ve come and the present understanding I have. My story, as all of our stories, is particular but in the particular there lies the universal and it is the universal aspects that interest me – not just for myself, but for all of us. I hope my reflection can be a catalyst for you to reflect on your own story, bringing to awareness where you are and why you are where you are. To live with awareness and intentionality is a great gift – awareness of why we are passionate about some questions, why we react strongly in some situations, why some things simply don’t touch us or move us. The process about which I’m speaking involves increasingly bringing to consciousness that vast underground sea of the unconscious. I’m no expert here but I know that there are depths in us that erupt or seep through, fashioning our attitudes and determining our actions. The more I am aware of how I act and react in any given situation, the more I will live with self-understanding and selfknowledge. Why am I moved, or not, by religious experience; why am I a Christian – a conservative Christian or a liberal Christian; why am I a Republican or Democrat; © Grand Valley State University   �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 2   why do I feel as I do about Israel, the Middle East – Iraq, Iran, Hamas, Palestinians, and so on… It is with such questions in mind, with such a search, that I go over my story from the present perspective. And I do so for my own understanding but, more importantly here, to trigger a similar process in you, because such a process renders great riches and enhances our lives. The fascinating question for me revolves around the relationship of my early nurture and my educational experience. As I reported last week, high academic achievement throughout my schooling, yet, at age 25, I was not an educated person in terms of critical thinking and critical analysis. What would I have gained from a more open nurturing? Yet, when my system broke, I never felt adrift from God, rudderless, or despondent. When the dogmatic structure imploded, was it the deep nurturing that enabled me to stand amidst the failed system? And how about you? Have you mapped your journey? Not everyone experiences a crisis of faith and identity but I did – a total swing from absolutism to critical rationality and provisionalism. That is where I find myself at this point in my life – knowing my values, beliefs, commitments are choices I make without absolute certainty and without verifiable proofs. I hope in my third presentation to detail some of the fundamental choices I have made and the fundamental trust with which I live. But let me pick up the story where I left off in my first presentation: I have settled in the Netherlands enrolled in the doctoral program at the University of Leiden under the direction of Professor Hendrikus Berkhof. As I have indicated, a recent re-reading of Gary Dorrien’s The Making of American Liberal Theology, Vol. II, brought me to a sharp awareness that I had never studied or been aware of the theological development in this country and yet it was a remarkable tradition. I had, however, studied in depth the liberal development in Europe. That development looks to Friedrich Schleiermacher as the Father of the Liberal Theological movement. The orthodox Christian faith was seriously challenged in the late 18th century. The rise of the natural sciences employing the scientific method of empirical investigation and the rise of historical consciousness in the 19th century were the major challenges to the dogmatic structure of Christian faith, both in its Catholic and Protestant expressions. The culture of the European universities were not at all sympathetic to religion and, specifically, not to Christian faith. Schleiermacher, at age 29 in 1797, wrote On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultural Despisers, a title that speaks volumes. He was part of the cultural elite but felt © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 3   totally isolated from his contemporaries. His “Speeches” were his attempt to give expression to his own deepest truth. In the first speech he acknowledges no authority beyond his own thought and experience. Why then, as I am fully conscious that in all I have to say to you I entirely belie my profession, should I not acknowledge it like any other accident? Its prepossessions shall in no way hinder us. Neither in asking nor in answering shall the limits it holds sacred be valid between us. As a man I speak to you of the sacred secrets of mankind according to my views – of what was in me as with youthful enthusiasm I sought the unknown, of what since then I have thought and experienced, of the innermost springs of my being which shall forever remain for me the highest, however I be moved by fear. Nor is it done from any caprice or accident. Rather it is the pure necessity of my nature; it is a divine call; it is that which determines my position in the world and makes me what I am. Wherefore, even if it were neither fitting nor prudent to speak of religion, there is something which compels me and represses with its heavenly power all those small considerations Let me be clear. As I arrived in Leiden at age 32, I was nowhere near the wisdom and insight of Schleiermacher. My foundations were crumbling and my systematic theological scheme was faltering but I was not yet able to diagnose my dilemma. Even so, I begin with Schleiermacher because I now realize that the task he set for himself was precisely what I have been engaged in for over 30 years – for me a long, arduous journey toward freedom – the freedom to wonder, critique and change. It was right here in Spring Lake that this drama took place during the years 1971 to 2004. I remember vividly my return here in 1971. I was not sure I had anything to preach or if I could lead the worship service. I had been in Europe for four years, having preached twice: once in The Hague and once in Antwerp. I chose a dissertation subject that was just breaking with most of the work in German philosophical theology that was heavy indeed but the focus – the question of whether there are traces of God’s action within history that were discernible – was my question. The discussion centered in the resurrection of Jesus – a subject that had not been seriously considered in German theology for over a century. I was full of that discussion and had written the first chapter when I felt it necessary to return to the States to check on my children who had left with their mother on July 1, 1970. My whole domestic situation at the time would take a chapter to portray and was not insignificant to my eventual theological movement but would take me from my purpose in this presentation. In sum, I returned here, not knowing whether I could find my voice to lead the Spring Lake congregation but I did insist, “Give me Jesus and the resurrection and the rest is negotiable.” © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 4   What Schleiermacher was consciously about as the 18th century closed, I was about also, but without the clarity with which he sought to ground his faith in a new mode and bring Christian faith to fresh expression. In a series, Makers of the Modern Theological Mind, C. W. Christian writes the volume Friedrich Schleiermacher. He sets the historical context for Schleiermacher’s work. The question confronting Schleiermacher and nineteenth-century theology was whether it was any longer possible to restore the vitality of Christian faith and to provide a basis for a vigorous and creative future. The double crisis of scientific empiricism and relativizing historicism seemed to tear away the foundations on which traditional Christianity had stood. Claude Welch has expressed the two absolutely urgent questions which confronted the generation of Schleiermacher; namely, whether theology is any longer possible in the modern world, and, even if it is, whether a Christian theology is possible. Schleiermacher’s work as a theologian can be understood in large measure as a response to these questions. If the rehabilitation of faith and theology was to be more than doctrinaire, several specific demands faced the one who assumed the task. First, he must find a new authority for faith, since the traditional appeal to church authority and Scripture seemed no longer sufficient. Second, he must demonstrate how the work of theology is to be done in the changed, intellectual and cultural atmosphere of the modern world. Finally, he must show what an adequate theology – one which is at the same time truly modern and genuinely Christian – has to say. Thus the theological quest of Schleiermacher is threefold: it is (1) a search for authority, (2) a reconstruction of theological method, and (3) a reformulation of the content of religious faith in general and of the Christian faith in particular. That concise summary of Schleiermacher’s task is possible when one looks in retrospect from the end to the beginning – something I am now attempting for myself. While at the time of my European experience I did not have such clarity, one thing I knew for certain: the authority with which I had based my Christian faith to that point was broken. I knew the view of Scripture that sees it as an inerrant, infallible revelation from God, mediated by the Spirit through human instrumentality, was no longer a tenable article of faith for me. Thus I did know in personal experience that I needed a new authority. It is understandable that those who go through a faith crisis most often come face-toface with the matter of authority. As Gary Dorrien writes in the first volume of his trilogy The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion: The idea of liberal theology is nearly three centuries old. In essence, it is the idea that Christian theology can be genuinely Christian without being based upon external authority. Since the eighteenth century, liberal Christian thinkers have argued that religion should be modern and © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 5   progressive and that the meaning of Christianity should be interpreted from the standpoint of modern knowledge and experience. For the most part we are born into a faith, whether Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus and all the myriad of religious expressions. That is the way it has been in traditional societies. With the advent of modernity in the West, that has broken down, eroded by the rise of critical rationality. The empirical method of the natural sciences and the rise of historical thinking in the 19th century have caused us to question the received tradition handed down. Still, we begin at heart in the religious understanding and posture into which we are born, for the most part. But then, for some of us, questions arise. For Schleiermacher, as the 18th century closed, the whole elite cultural milieu was hostile to religion as a phase in human development that was passing before the triumphant march of human rationality. For me, it was simply questions that I could no longer suppress, spawned by pastoral experience and continuing study and reflection. I began to realize how many pat answers were really learned responses that were not rooted in reason, tried and tested, but simply what the narrow confines of my conservative tradition taught. And the wider my exposure to other traditions and communities, the more it was apparent that the whole structure of faith and practice was arbitrary, constructed at some point in the past, given the mantle of divine authority and passed along as absolute truth. One of the unexpected gifts of my experience in The Netherlands was worshiping at the American Church in The Hague as well as the Dutch Hervormde Kerk. The Hague had about 4000 Americans, many of them southern oil folk who worked the North Sea. Those for whom a church community and worship was important gathered on Sunday, coming from all points on the Protestant spectrum. A good number of Southern Baptists with big red-covered floppy Bibles, High Church Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians and even some Dutch folk wanting to practice their English. For me this was a marvelous introduction to ecumenical Christian community. All the respective forms were used. If an Episcopal baby was to be baptized, the Episcopal liturgy was used, if Presbyterian, the Presbyterian liturgy and practice was followed, and so on. When the Eucharist was celebrated, one could go forward, kneel and receive the sacrament at the rail or wait in the pew for the elements to be passed. The congregation from various backgrounds found community in a foreign land and celebrated their mutual Christian faith by means of their respective traditions. I’ve often reflected on that experience as the seed bed for my return here and our name change from the First Reformed Church to Christ Community Church four months later. Once let loose in such a rich ecumenical experience, I wanted us to become more than a Reformed congregation. In June 1971, we took our first step © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 6   out of the narrow confines of a particular parochial institutional affiliation, opening up to the whole spectrum of Christian institutional alignments. The point I’m making here is that what for me once was the divinely ordered institutional form and structure, as expressed in the Reformed Church in America, was now understood as one historically conditioned institutional form and structure – relative to its time and place of origin. This all seems so elementary, such recognition seems so obvious to me now, but it was not always so. It was a process of exposure and experience beyond the narrow confines of my early exclusive experience in the Reformed church with its heavy Dutch ethnicity, piety, and doctrinal teaching. But the breaking out of church forms and structures was child’s play compared with the theological struggle that lay ahead of me. It was the engagement with the theological formulation of my Christian faith that brought me to Europe and, again, the question of authority was the first item that needed to be dealt with. Slowly, painfully, I was moving from a Reformed Christian with the mantra “Soli Scriptura” – by Scripture alone – to a liberal posture that approached the Bible critically, understanding it in terms of the historical context in which it arose and recognizing that it was not a book of one unified theme, consistent from Genesis to Revelation, but a vast collection of writings covering centuries of variegated human experience and spiritual insight, wisdom and historical experience. Where does one find authority? Why do I believe this rather than that? How does one arbitrate between conflicting claims of the respective faith traditions? Huge questions! And, reading in The Christian Century the report of the annual synods of the respective denominations, one is aware that these respective bodies have not yet come to consensus on the authority question. As I said above, I was on the way to a liberal posture. Let me attempt to put “liberal” in the context in which I use it. I cannot trace the history of the liberal movement as it issued from Schleiermacher in Europe or as it developed in the American liberal tradition, but I hope I can enable you to see the liberal posture, not as a movement with its own set of religious insights and doctrinal formulations, but rather as a method, a set of mind as one approaches all questions. I find it interesting that in our present religious and political discourse the liberal label is looked on as negative. There is an election Tuesday and the campaign literature that has come to our house finds the candidates touting their conservative credentials; a liberal doesn’t stand a chance in our region. Yet the Oxford Encyclopedia English Dictionary defines “liberal” as “giving freely, generous, not sparing; open-minded, not prejudiced; not literal (of interpretation); for general broadening of the mind, regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change.” © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 7   Sounds pretty good to me. Why would not everyone want to be liberal? Well, perhaps because the liberal movement also became codified with its own set of beliefs; it became liberalism marked by its own creedal formulations. This discussion would lead us astray from my purpose which is to see the liberal approach, not as a well-formulated set of beliefs, but as a method. This was insisted on by one of the Chicago School Theologians, Shailer Matthews (born 1863). He wrote The Faith of Modernism, using the term “modernism” in a positive sense although it was used as a derogatory description of those liberal thinkers who were trying to find an expression of Christian faith in light of modern knowledge. As Dorrien describes Matthew’s work, The mainline churches were trapped in stupid debates over outmoded literal dogmas while the world went to hell…. “There are two social minds at work in our world,” he observed. “The one seeks to reassert the past; the other seeks by new methods to gain efficiency.” The first was a futile reaction against modernity, but the second could not succeed without progressive Christian guidance and support. (Vol. II, p. 205). …The key difference was its scientific character. Matthews argued that modernism was not a new theology or philosophy. It was essentially a method, not a creed…it was “the use of scientific, historical, social method in understanding and applying evangelical Christianity to the needs of living persons.” Modernism had no confessions, it did not vote in conventions, and it did not enforce belief by coercion…Dogmatic Christianity is based on doctrinal conformity through group authority; modern Christianity begins with the religious movement that gave rise to doctrine and interprets the movement through the use of critical methodologies. Modernists are Christians “who accept the result of scientific research as data with which to think religiously.” (Vol. II, p. 206). Dorrien has been most helpful to me in defining liberal theology. In the Introduction to Volume I, he writes, The intellectual giants of nineteenth-century theological liberalism were German theologians and philosophers, but the questions that gave rise to this tradition were not unique to German academics: Is it possible to be a faithful Christian without believing that God willed the annihilation of nearly the entire human race in a great flood, or that God commanded the genocidal extermination of the ancient enemies of Israel, or that God demanded the literal sacrifice of his Son as a substitutionary legal payment for sin? Is it a good or true form of Christianity that teaches the doctrines of double predestination and biblical inerrancy? Can Christianity claim to be religiously true if the bible contains myths and historical errors? Is there a progressive Christian “third way” between the authority-based © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 8   orthodoxies of traditional Christianity and the spiritless materialism of modern atheism or deism?... The liberal tradition of theology that flowed out of the enlightenment established the methods and laid the enduring conceptual foundations of modern critical theological scholarship by appealing to the authority of critical rationality and religious experience. In accord with my concept of it as a movement that began in the late eighteenth century, I define liberal theology primarily by its original character as a mediating Christian movement. Liberal Christian theology is a tradition that derives from the late eighteenth and early nineteenthcentury Protestant attempt to reconceptualize the meaning of traditional Christian teaching in the light of modern knowledge and modern ethical values. It is not revolutionary but reformist in spirit and substance. Fundamentally it is the idea of a genuine Christianity not based on external authority. Liberal theology seeks to reinterpret the symbols of traditional Christianity in a way that creates a progressive religious alternative to atheistic rationalism and to theologies based on external authority. Specifically, liberal theology is defined by its openness to the verdicts of modern intellectual inquiry, especially the natural and social sciences; its commitment to the authority of individual reason and experience; its conception of Christianity as an ethical way of life; its favoring of moral concepts of atonement; and its commitment to make Christianity credible and socially relevant to modern people. (Vol. I, pp. xiii-xxii). In the second volume, Dorrien defines liberal theology’s essence. The essential idea of liberal theology is that all claims to truth, in theology as in other disciplines, must be made on the basis of reason and experience, not by appeal to external authority. Christian scripture may be recognized as spiritually authoritative within Christian experience, but its word does not settle or establish truth claims about matters of fact. In the nineteenth century this idea was imagined and developed by a relative handful of American religious thinkers, until 1880’s, when it became a movement… (Vol. II, p. 1). References: Gary Dorrien. The Making of American Liberal Theology: Imagining Progressive Religion, 1805-1900, Vol. I. John Westminster John Knox Press, 2001. Gary Dorrien. The Making of American Liberal Theology: Idealism, Realism, and Modernity, 190-1950, Vol. II. Westminster John Knox Press, 2003. © Grand Valley State University �The Making of a Liberal Richard A. Rhem Page 9   C. W. Christian. Makers of the Modern Theological Mind: Friedrich Schleiermacher. W. Publishing Group, 1979. Friedrich Schleiermacher. On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultural Despisers, 1797. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Summer Social Gathering Location The location of the interview Spring Lake Country Club References C.W. Christian.Makers of the Modern Theological Mind, 1979. Gary Dorrien. The Making of American Liberal Theology, Vols I, II, 2001, 2003. Friedrich Schleiermacher.On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultural Despisers, 1797. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20060806 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-08-06 Title A name given to the resource The Making of a Liberal Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 6, 2006 entitled "The Making of a Liberal", on the occasion of Summer Social Gathering, at Spring Lake Country Club . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives History of Liberalism personal journey PostModern https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/30b1e68986db9f35cd76ddaff5337336.pdf c8f118fc1a672f1a000c0b2bfe037893 PDF Text Text Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Ordination Service for Bill Freeman Micah 6:6-8; I Corinthians 13; John 1:1-5,14,18 Richard A. Rhem First Congregational United Church of Christ Belding, Michigan May 7, 2006 Transcription of the spoken sermon No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and God's love is perfected in us ... God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. I John 4:12, 16 I am deeply honored to have been invited to preach Bill Freeman's ordination sermon. That Bill should have asked me is especially gracious and remarkable because, if he had listened to me about five years ago, we would not be gathered here to witness his ordination. I told him not to pursue the ministry. For a decade or so, I was a member of a Tuesday conversation that gathered at a little round table in a corner of Duba's bar. The center of the conversation was the incomparable Dr. Duncan Littlefair, whose penetrating mind kept us engaged in stimulating conversation. One day he said to me, "There is a guy who has hung around Fountain Street Church named Bill Freeman. He is thinking about the ministry and I don't think it's a good idea, but I told him to talk to you." Well, this story moves around interesting times and places. A grand tradition each Friday before Christmas was a Christmas party at the Littlefair home. The choir, old and new, gathers and there is a wonderful Carol Sing preceded by good food and drink and social engagement. You don't really need an invitation; you just show up. It must have been about five or six Christmases past at Duncan's gala that Bill got hold of me and we found a narrow alcove where we could talk. He told me of his desire to enter the ministry - the feeling that this was something he felt compelled to do. I asked him why. I told him he had and was still making a difference through his media and communication skills. I suggested there were better ways for a person in his mid-40s to be involved in significant movements than going back to seminary and jumping through the hoops the institutional Church sets up for those who would become ministers of the Word. And I tried to scare him out of the idea. To be sure, I was one of the lucky ones - a great congregation, a wonderful experience of over three decades. But, I told him of all the pain I saw in congregations and in pastors. I told him bluntly - it is a © Grand Valley State University �Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Richard A. Rhem Page 2 tough business. This is not a good time for mainline churches or for pastors who would approach their task with critical intelligence and a liberal and open spirit Bill listened attentively and then went on with his intention as if we had never spoken. And I'm glad he did. In ensuing encounters, both Dr. Littlefair and I became believers. This was not just some restless guy looking around for some new path to follow; no, this was a man yielding to an inner calling that was compelling him forward. Eventually, we said to him, "You have to do it!" He has, and here we are today - his seminary diploma and United Church of Christ credentials in hand, and he will be ordained in the midst of a congregation that, in extending to him the Call to be their pastor, has confirmed that inward call that he felt five years ago. Bill, I'm delighted you did not listen to me. I now know what you strongly suspected back then - there was something stirring in your life that was of the Spirit of God. The call of God is a mystery, but we know it when we see it. In you, we see it. I have entitled my ordination sermon "Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh." "Seeing is believing" is a common phrase employed when a claim is made that is questionable. Another way to express one's doubt might be, "Show me," or "Prove it." Using this phrase, I'm thinking about the Church. I'm thinking specifically about the Congregational Church in Belding and I'm thinking, too, about your ministry, Bill. You may have a well-honed Mission Statement. There are confessional statements that have formed the United Church of Christ, and, of course, the whole Christian movement has been shaped by Scripture and the ancient ecumenical creeds that affirm the truth claims of the Christian Church. But finally what really matters is the concrete life of this community and what is really critical for the execution of your ministry is the Word becoming flesh. There is a great theological tradition that reverses my claim. None less than the great St. Augustine and St. Anselm put it the other way around and you may recognize the Latin. St Augustine said, "Credo ut intelligam" - "I believe that I might understand," and Anselm's phrase was "Fides Quaerens Intellectum" "Faith in search of understanding." Stated popularly, believe it and you will understand eventually. In this case, faith precedes reason; if you believe, you will come to see. There has been a great philosophical/theological discussion down through the centuries and, frankly, I have loved being immersed in that conversation; I do not denigrate it. But, we live in a day that has seen the upheaval of the great theological systems and a challenge to all the great religious absolutisms in the respective world religious traditions. To continue simply to make claims with the counsel that if only one will believe, one will see and will understand is a losing enterprise. © Grand Valley State University �Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Thus, Bill, on this your day of ordination, and Congregation, on this occasion of the ordination of your new pastor, let me suggest that you will share a fruitful future as the Word becomes Flesh here and Belding sees and believes, believe that God's Spirit is in your midst and the grace of Jesus Christ is being lived out in your shared life. Let me root that claim in what I believe to be the central claim of the Christian faith as it came to expression in the Fourth Gospel, the Gospel that emerged from the Johannine community from which we also have the Letters of John. My text is from First John 4:12 and 16. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and God's love is perfected in us ... God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. No one has ever seen God. That clear acknowledgment comes right out of the Gospel; you will find it in 1:18. And that acknowledgment also points to the deepest yearning of the human heart — to see God or to have one's life touched by God, by the deep Mystery of our existence. In John 14 we read that familiar statement of Jesus, "I am the way, the truth and the life ..." and then Jesus says, "If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him," to which Philip responds, "Lord, show us the Father and we will be satisfied." Have we not all at some time expressed that wistful longing of Philip -just show us! If only we could see, really see and know! And then Jesus comes back with that audacious claim, "Whoever has seen me has seen the Father." I am convinced this is the central core of John's Gospel. In the Prologue to the Gospel, 1:1-18, we have the theme set forth. The opening words remind us of the Creation Story - "In the beginning was the Word ..." and someone has translated that "In the beginning was the Divine Intention." And then in 1:14, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us ..." or the Divine Intention became flesh. That, of course, is that marvelous statement of the Incarnation - God become Human, for "Flesh" is synonymous with human. Now, move to 1:18; there we have the acknowledgement we have already noted in I John 4:12- "No one has ever seen God." and now the writer goes on to express the incarnation in other words, "It is God the only son, who has made him known." And here again it is possible to translate the text in a most revealing way; the claim is that Jesus is “the exegesis of God." I must point this out because Bill has just graduated from seminary where he learned the art of exegesis, that is, the art of interpreting the text — drawing © Grand Valley State University �Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Richard A. Rhem Page 4 out the meaning of a literary piece. The Greek word behind the English "made him known" is Exaeasis. or exegesis in English. But, we are not finished with our biblical foundation of my claim that seeing is believing when the Word becomes flesh. If we had only John's Gospel, we might think that God became human once for all in the humanity of Jesus, that incarnation was a once for all episode and, for those of us who have come after that once for all occurrence, the only possibility was believing, hoping to see. That is where the Gospel would leave us, as we can see, if we stay with the Gospel of John for a moment. Remember the post-Easter encounter of the risen Lord and Thomas? Thomas had missed the Easter evening appearance of Jesus to the disciples. He didn't believe it. He said, "I won't believe he lives unless I can touch his flesh." Thomas was a "show me" person. But, the Gospel writer knows from that time forth "show me" persons were out of luck. And so, we have the encounter of the risen Lord and Thomas, in which Thomas is invited to touch the wounds of Jesus, the explicit statement that such tangible experience is less blessed than those "who have not seen and yet have come to believe." The purpose statement of the Gospel, John 20:30-31, is clear: It follows immediately the Thomas story. Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But, these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, you may have life in his name. There you have it. The Fourth Gospel gives us that profound portrait of Incarnation - "The Word became flesh," and the further claim that in that incarnation in Jesus we have the clue to the Mystery of God. The truth is affirmed, but for all who follow that episode of incarnation in Jesus, the only option is to believe it hoping thereby to gain life. Precisely here the writer of the First Letter of John moves beyond the Gospel in a significant manner. The Gospel: Believe and you will see. The Letter: Love one another in concrete human community and you will see and experience the Presence and Grace of God. Both writers acknowledge the same truth: "No one has ever seen God." Both writers affirm the revelation of God in humanity - the Word become flesh. But, here is the critical difference: © Grand Valley State University �Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Richard A. Rhem Page 5 For the Gospel, the location of that revelation is in Jesus in the days of his flesh; for the writer of the Letter, the location of that revelation is the community of human love in ongoing human experience. Jesus is the Exemplar of what is universally true - we see God in the face of the other. So, when we fall in love and exclaim, "It is divine!" that is not hyperbole. It is true. For, God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. Notice again the writer's intentionality: he does not say, as we might expect those who abide in God abide in love. Then again, we might throw up our hands and exclaim, how do I abide in God? Too often in the Church we get it backwards: cultivate the devotional life; worship regularly; give generously; live piously; love God. and you will know and you will find salvation. No, that is all backwards. Love one another - Love the stranger - Love and the rest will follow; it is as simple as that! I’m confident, knowing you, Bill, and knowing that this congregation has called you to be their pastor, that I am preaching to the choir. But, looking out on the wasteland of religion in these United States in our day, this elementary truth has been largely forgotten. I'm pleased to know in that vast wasteland there will be here an oasis of Grace, a concretion of Love, and Belding will see and believe. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Ordination Service for Bill Freeman Scripture Text Micah 6:608, I Corinthians 13, John 1:1-5, 14, 18 Location The location of the interview First Congregational United Church of Christ, Belding, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20060507 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2006-05-07 Title A name given to the resource Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 7, 2006 entitled "Seeing is Believing: When the Word Becomes Flesh", on the occasion of Ordination Service for Bill Freeman, at First Congregational United Church of Christ, Belding, Michigan. Scripture references: Micah 6:608, I Corinthians 13, John 1:1-5, 14, 18. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Intention God is Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a1538acda4e7feab9dd8bfb95525d923.mp3 e84c8740e522541c21d685bdee6c5f58 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Scripture Text Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, John 3:1-10 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20050828 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-08-28 Title A name given to the resource A Shared Yearning & Journey - The Religious Quest Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 28, 2005 entitled "A Shared Yearning & Journey - The Religious Quest", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Ecclesiastes 3:1-13, John 3:1-10. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives personal journey Religious Quest https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bce7b21efd31010267de1b0949310078.mp3 bbb35eb6020655876fbcfb4de6ab0a9f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20050821 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-08-21 Title A name given to the resource Arrogant Claim & Impossible Demand - The Peril of Religion Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 21, 2005 entitled "Arrogant Claim & Impossible Demand - The Peril of Religion", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives personal journey Religious Quest https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/60ae0bd1ae1c2ecd69dac1069f501518.pdf 46980a4d275f01e595c50b262aecad75 PDF Text Text Love That Just Won’t Give Up Easter Sunday Luke 24:13-17, 28-35; I John 1:1-4; 4:7-8; 12, 16 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan March 27, 2005 Easter 2005. Who would have dreamed I would be the preacher! Ian called a couple of weeks ago and asked if I would be willing to be the preacher for Easter, and I responded that I would be happy to be. He honors me thus and demonstrates his trust in me; I am grateful for that. Reflecting back over the year, I went to my file of liturgies, as well as my daily calendar. If my notes are correct, the Lawtons arrived on March 22 a year ago. On March 28, which last year was the Fifth Sunday in Lent, I read a note of greeting and gratitude from Ian, promising to be present the next week which was Palm Sunday, April 4. And on Easter, April 11, Ian preached his first sermon here. This invitation to preach at the end of Ian’s first year with us provides an occasion to look back over that year – not that that was Ian’s intention; nor do I intend to use the Easter sermon as a backward glance. Resurrection opens the future and I intend to get to that. But, I cannot pass up this opportunity to make a comment or two. Many ask how I like retirement. My answer: I recommend it! I am delighted to be at this time in my life. The time was right; you created such a beautiful closure. I’m so content and, honestly, proud of the community I, with the team and lay leadership, was able to create, that I have no regrets. And I have let go. Some doubted I could. I knew I could and would and I have. The transition has happened. Transitions are not for the faint-hearted. Nobody said it would be easy. We had it so good for so long – 33 years! – and we were so comfortable. But I knew it was time to catch the next wave and move this community to the next stage. This was the challenge we laid before Ian and I cannot imagine anyone coming in and doing it with greater courage and confidence, intelligence and passion than Ian has. One realizes in such a transition there will be change but, of course, to know that intellectually is one thing; to feel it emotionally is another. Faced with the emotional shock, one must choose between trying to exercise power to hold on, hold back, resist the new movement and control the development, or, recognizing © Grand Valley State University   �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 2   the inevitability of change, and indeed the necessity of it, open one’s being to the creative interchange that is occurring and trust the process in community to effect creative transformation. I sense most of us are following the second option and that is hopeful. Last Sunday, Nancy and I remained for the Sermon Talk-back and many expressions were offered which reminded me of similar settings we experienced over the years and similar comments – for example: “I can bring my family and friends here and know they will not be embarrassed;” and, “This is the first church I have been able to feel at home in.” There were expressions, too, of love for and emotional attachment to the tradition; beloved symbols and rituals which move the heart and reach the depths of our beings. I saw Ian listening, taking it in, and I’m sure desiring to continue to bridge past to future with sensitivity and care. And it is happening. Lent has been for me once more a meaningful journey. The preaching has been strong and full of integrity. I am so thankful that there continues to be in this place honest and intelligent preaching that engages me. I know there are some of you for whom the transition has not been comfortable, causing dis-ease and discontent. But, I must say honestly to you I believe that is the result more of style, not substance. I’ll probably never forgive Ian for that metal bed frame hanging over my head, messing up the aesthetics of my sacred space! But, so what? That doesn’t matter. While in Florida, Nancy and I spent our annual evening with the VanHoeven clan: Gord and Dorothy, Doc and Shirley and Gord’s brother Jim and his wife, Mary. After a fabulous fish fry which Doc prepared, we watched a bit of the Christmas Sunday service at which Ian’s father preached, which they had on a DVD. I was really impressed; it was professionally produced and well done and I suspect one of these days folks around the globe will be able to experience the Sunday service from Christ Community – and, God knows, such an alternative the world desperately needs. The title of my sermon is “Love That Just Won’t Give Up.” Ian listed that to be his sermon title before he asked me to preach and I assured him I would stay with that. After all my years of preaching, I am able to twist any text or title to say what I want to say. © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 3   And that title affords me a bridge to my Easter message. Love that just will not give up is a claim that reveals the grain of the universe, that points to the Ultimate Mystery of Reality – and that is what I want to say this morning – Love is the Originating Mystery of the Cosmos and that Love will never give up. The Gospels give us a variety of snapshots of the Easter story – snapshots, incidentally, that cannot be reconciled into a coherent picture. The Easter Gospel this morning from Luke 24, the narrative of the encounter of the risen one with two followers on the Emmaus Road, is my favorite, I suspect because I love the manner in which the revelation of the Easter miracle unfolds. Unrecognized, Jesus joins the disciples and joins their conversation. They are leaving Jerusalem in despair with sadness of heart in the wake of the crucifixion of Jesus. This one unknown reminds them of their scriptures and then, arriving at their home, they invite the stranger in who, though the guest, becomes the host at table and in the blessing and breaking of bread, is revealed as the Living One whose death they had been grieving. Their eyes were opened even as he vanished from their sight and with amazement, they speak of how their sad hearts had become burning hearts and their grief transformed to joy, for they knew Jesus was alive and very much present to them. They rushed to tell their good news to the disciples, exclaiming he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread. Sadness to joy;Despair to hope, and the deep assurance that the love embodied in their Jesus could not be put to death, the realization that Love just won’t give up. I love Dom Crossan’s comment on the Emmaus story: Emmaus never happened. Emmaus always happens. The Church has struggled so strenuously with the Easter Event – insisting on its historicity – that Jesus did, indeed, rise bodily from the tomb. And in the traditional interpretation of Jesus’ death as an atonement for the sin of the world, I understand that need to insist that he arose from the grave, because that was the sign of sin removed and heaven opened to all who trusted him. The bodily resurrection was God’s sign that salvation had been accomplished for us by him. But, that has not been our understanding of Jesus’ death for a long time. It must have been a dozen years ago that I suggested that Easter was not about the resuscitation of a corpse. And I raised a few eyebrows and, here and there, a fever arose. (You forgive an old man and forget that his radical moves in the past caused you discomfort and confusion.) © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 4   It was Palm Sunday, 1993, when I preached “Jesus Died Because of our Sins, Not For Them.” For years there has been no atoning death preached here – my concise summary statement each Lent has been, “He died the way he died because he lived the way he lived.” And Ian has been preaching that eloquently. Jesus spoke Truth to Power in the best tradition of the Hebrew prophets. He challenged the power of the established Church and State. He came preaching the Kingdom of God, crying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is here.” Repent is the English translation of the Greek word Metanoia, Meta the prefix meaning change, and Noia from Nous, for mind. Change your mind! Change your thinking! Etymologically, Metanoia is the opposite of Paranoia, from which we have paranoia, irrational fear, delusional suspicion. Jesus’ message was, Change your thinking! The old order of domination, oppression and human exploitation is doomed! All too soon the Christian Church domesticated Jesus’ radical social/political claim and turned repentance into a moralistic call to turn from personal sins and peccadilloes. But, Jesus was talking about a different kind of sin – the institutionalized sin of imperial domination that oppressed the people. Believe me, the authorities would have applauded him, not crucified him if he had preached “Keep your nose clean; obey the commandments and piously follow the tradition.” They would have subsidized him, popular as he was – he could sell family values, tax cuts for the wealthy, and the shredding of the social safety net so the poor might be stimulated to move to self-sufficiency. No, Jesus proclaimed an alternative world marked by justice and fairness and compassion. He was judged a menace to established order and marked for death, the death of a social/political subversive. But, that is where the Miracle occurred – On many Emmaus Roads over days and weeks, over months and years, gathered in community, sharing a meal, blessing and breaking bread, his followers sensed his presence and they knew all that had come to expression in him was true – and that truth could not be killed. The love he embodied just would not give up, because it was the reflection of the heart of the Originating Mystery of Being. That was Easter Faith – You can’t prove that, except by living its truth and that was the Easter Miracle: A shift in perception – and it is a shift in perception that transforms. © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Such a shift in perception is the result of a moment of revelatory luminosity; a moment of unveiling of what is always everywhere the case. But, in a moment of disclosure, we see and, seeing, we come to a conscious awareness of a new possibility and we are transformed. And what constitutes that transformation? What are the contours of the transformation effected by the shift in perception Easter brings about? Would it not be a transformation into the likeness of Jesus? Wouldn’t one so transformed take on the mind of Jesus? The heart of Jesus? The agenda of Jesus? Wouldn’t that agenda, now translated into the great issues of Century 21, have some strong words about corporate corruption, about the unconscionable increase in CEO salaries when wages of the average worker have decreased? Have something to say about the Imperial Designs of this nation, even though woven with idealism? Raise questions about the dismantling of the social safety net and the re-distribution of wealth upward? Wonder about health care and education and the cities that face massive deficits? The historical Jesus and the early Jesus Movement were too soon co-opted by the powers that be. Jesus was made into a Savior figure. The Cross, instead of being a sign of the death that results from speaking truth to power, was made into a symbol of salvation from sin and damnation and the Christian Church became a salvation cult. All of this is old news here. But, with each returning Lent I wonder anew if we can really follow Jesus or are so locked into a social structure so at odds with his agenda that it would take a revolution to give the way of Jesus a chance. I’ve been out of step all my life. I kid about it, but I am serious. Growing up in a wonderful home with all the love and security one could ask for, it was a very conservative religious and political environment – totally authentic and sincere. Religiously, as a child, I thought salvation would be limited to a narrow range of Christians – which certainly did not include Roman Catholics. You get the picture. The liberal Methodists in my little village were also out of luck, or beyond the pale. There was no “luck” involved. Politically, the only option for a Christian was to be Republican. My first awareness of the political scene was the Presidential election of 1944. As a child of nine, I sensed FDR was the wrong choice. I imbibed real negativity toward him, knowing nothing, of course, and many years later having to recognize how twisted and warped was my estimate of one considered to be one of the greatest presidents this country has ever had. In all of this – my home village, my religious affiliation, my political affiliation, such as it was, I felt in a minority, different, out of step with where the world was going. That only intensified my youthful commitments – didn’t the Gospel quote © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Jesus claiming, The gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to Life and there are few who find it! Steered from the womb to the ministry, I studied and studied and studied. You know that – I tried so hard to support intellectually the nurture and conditioning of my childhood and youth and then the orthodoxy of the Church. I need not belabor this, but I remind you of the path I’ve traveled because I am Exhibit A of one who has undergone a dramatic shift in perception, for me a long process rather than a sudden awakening, but total, nonetheless. And that shift in perception was for me a miracle, a miracle of resurrection and it has been transforming, And it has made me out of step again as surely as I was as a child and youth. The shift came from meeting Jesus again for the first time, as Marcus Borg would say. It was a Palm Sunday, April 15, 1984, when I preached a sermon entitled “Jesus, You Are Really Something!” It was the beginning of an encounter with the humanity of Jesus, disentangling him from the high Christological doctrines that the Church created in those early centuries as they lost the real human being – a loss which turned him into a savior figure, removing from him the prophetic edge that threatened Imperial Rome and got him crucified. As has been characteristic of my journey, the progress was slow, but with each returning Lent I felt more sharply the disparity between the way of Jesus and the way we follow him. Slowly but surely, I knew to follow him would put me out of step again because as I was being sensitized to the practical implications for Christian faith and political commitment, religion and politics in this nation were moving to the right and the contrast with the agenda of Jesus as I have come to understand it grows ever more sharp. And, frankly, it is painful. So much about the political agenda of the nation troubles me; so much about most of the Church embarrasses me. And it is because the shift in perception caused by encountering Jesus in his humanity transformed me, changed me – it was a miracle of resurrection because, you see, the really critical miracle is not some past event, but present transformation through a shift in perception. That is the Easter miracle. Emmaus never happened. Emmaus always happens. Jesus arose in the conscious awareness of those who had been his community. In the love he embodied they met the Ultimate Mystery, the Sacred Mystery which is the final truth in whom we live and move and have our being. © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 7   And that means Love is the Final Truth, Love by which every religious institution, every political agenda, every social program is to be judged, because Love expresses the Grain of the Universe, the Cosmic intention. And Love just will not give up. Love – not sentimental sweetness, but tough, strong, marked by integrity, committed to the well-being of the other, refusing to respond in violence, taking the consequences. Let me be clear; the Love of which I speak, the Love embodied in the flesh of Jesus, in his concrete behavior, is not some sentimental sweetness. It was Love that stood up against injustice, that protested human exploitation by religiopolitical systems and structures, that broke down social-religious barriers that excluded. It was non-violent Love, but not passive; Jesus’ protest was concrete resistance which provoked and elicited reaction. And then, most amazing, a Love that received into itself the lethal consequences without hostile response; indeed, purveying grace and forgiveness to the end. It was such Love concretely lived out that put its stamp on the Jesus community. From one of the early Christian communities we get the Fourth Gospel and the Letters of John. It was the Gospel that told the story of Jesus as “The Word became flesh” (John 1:14) – the central Christian affirmation of Incarnation, Jesus, the human as the embodiment of God. In the First Letter of John that theme is picked up. Listen to the concreteness of the experience: We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life. In chapter 4, the writer says it straight out: God is love. And later he writes, No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God lives in us, and God’s love is perfected in us.…God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them. To see that is a shift in perception; it is the Easter miracle; it is transforming. The natural sciences probe the vast expanse of outer space and the amazing mysteries of sub-atomic particles. Cosmology seeks to unravel the secrets of the expanding universe and quantum physics the nature of energy fields in which that universe swims – a Reality marked by chance and necessity, randomness © Grand Valley State University �Love That Just Won’t Give Up Richard A. Rhem Page 8   and order. But, whatever its future unfolding in all its awesome splendor, the Cosmic Process has issued in the likes of us who know in our deepest core that Love is the Grain of the Universe, and that love lived out concretely brings to fullest, richest expression our humanity reaching toward Global Community. Out of step, on the edge of despair at the present abuse of power and failure to protect the weakest members of the human community, I come to Easter; I experience again the Miracle of Resurrection; I know the Ultimate Movement of the Creative Spirit is toward the Light and the concretion of Love – and I believe again. This present darkness will overreach and implode – because Love just won’t give up! A shift in perception – Resurrection, the Easter Miracle – Change your minds! Don’t yield to the darkness; Light will dawn; Love will prevail. That is true as broadly as the cosmos. It is true for the global community. It is true for this community – But I cannot conclude without acknowledging that for some, perhaps for many, the darkness and pain is more personal – where you live with those you love, or those you have lost. Your own hurt is so deep you cannot begin to worry about the global community or the nation or even this community in transition. Perhaps Easter is just too bright; your pain just too deep. Although you cannot take it in, let me nonetheless affirm that the cloud will lift, the darkness dissipate, and healing will ensue because Love just won’t give up. Let this Easter morning be a reassurance for you – Love will never give up. And we will make that love as tangible as this community in its embrace of you. In these moments, open your heart to the new being Love creates, a shift in perception; the Easter Miracle which is transforming. And finally, know that All will be well, All will be well All manner of things will be well. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Easter Scripture Text Luke 24:13-17, 28-35, I John 1:1-4, 4:7-8, 12, 16 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20050327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-03-27 Title A name given to the resource Love That Just Won't Give Up Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 27, 2005 entitled "Love That Just Won't Give Up", on the occasion of Easter, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 24:13-17, 28-35, I John 1:1-4, 4:7-8, 12, 16. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Easter Transforming Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8b037cc63cc87bc75a589caf064d8051.mp3 ec6343b2dc2c8b2408975a4f471c1951 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4ce95ff200c70b9ce72fb9aee512e59d.pdf c32ee24dd54713a908bc462ec9e71a63 PDF Text Text Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent The Littlefair Legacy, A Center for Religion and Life Weekend Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan October 10, 2004 Transcription of the spoken sermon It is a pleasure to sit here once again in your midst, although, in getting ready for this moment, I realized why I retired. We've had a great weekend. Friday night was a party at Duba's Restaurant, where else? And it was a wonderful, celebrative remembering, telling Duncan stories. Yesterday, Dr. Gary Dorrien of Kalamazoo College, gave two fine lectures, the one about the Chicago School which had a shaping influence on Duncan, and then one addressing more the contemporary situation in a manner in which Duncan would have been proud. Now, of course, this morning, and the session following when we will continue to talk about the Littlefair Legacy. This has been a weekend sponsored by The Center for Religion and Life which cannot really be separated from this community of faith, and the question might be raised - why are you doing this? I thought perhaps I ought to begin by saying that we are doing it because we want to keep alive the voice and the spirit of Duncan Littlefair who made such a great impact on this whole area, particularly the Fountain Street Church community that he shaped and formed over some six decades, being a part of it as pastor and pastor emeritus, and the area far beyond. But we do it too because, more lately, he became a shaping influence in this community through an intimate friendship developed between us, he becoming for me as one born out of due time, a mentor in my elderdom, a time when perhaps I should have had it all figured out. But I continued to find new horizons opened, particularly by the scintillating mind and passion of Duncan Littlefair. If he were here on this weekend, he would say, "What's all the fuss?" Dr. Lubbers mentioned that at his party Friday evening. What is this all about? I never knew anyone quite like Duncan, who had an unusual giftedness, brilliance, charisma, force of personality, who was, at the same time, so unconcerned about self-promotion and would not at all have been happy to be the center of this kind of celebrative weekend. Yet, down deep I think he knew that, while he never had it within himself to promote himself or in any way to perpetuate that which he had shaped and created, nonetheless he was not unaware of the value of it. From time to time I had conversations with him about © Grand Valley State University   �Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent Richard A. Rhem Page 2   finding some way to keep that voice and that spirit alive, and he was open to that. I think he would be pleased that there are those of us who are concerned to perpetuate the power and the influence of the religious embodiment that he represented in our midst. We do it here simply because he had come here so often to worship and loved this place, and in many ways, cast his mantle upon me. He was present with us when we brought Ian here for the first time and he was fascinated by Ian and so hopeful and confident for the future of this place with the leadership of him. One of the goals that we have in a weekend like this, with the lectures yesterday by Dr. Dorrien being what we touted as the first annual Littlefair Lectures, is to establish an annual lectureship, an annual Littlefair Lectureship that will keep alive that vision and that voice and that spirit of Duncan Littlefair, an endowed lectureship that annually can bring an outstanding scholar on the cutting edge of religious thought and study into the West Michigan area, that we might be reminded every fall or whenever it would occur, that we have had in our midst one of the greatest religious thinkers and leaders of his generation. It is my hope that such a thing will be established, perhaps with an endowment at Grand Valley State University, and then a directorship from Grand Valley and from Fountain Street Church where Duncan labored all those years, and from Christ Community. I have met with Dr. Lubbers who will be with us in the hour following, and former Mayor of Grand Rapids John Logie from Fountain Street Church, and we are working on this and do hope to bring it into reality. But, why all the fuss? What's it all about? And I want to say that we have had a gift in our midst which ought not to be forgotten or not ever to be taken for granted. We have experienced this gift and can relate to the positive value, the impact of that life and, thus, I think that it is incumbent upon us to do what we can in order to keep that spirit alive. Duncan Littlefair was for decades known as the “Voice of the Liberal” in Western Michigan, a bastion of conservative, evangelical orthodoxy. He was not unaware of the fact that the whole conservative community saw him as a threat, suspected him, and called him by the nickname Dr. Littlefaith. He would simply smile about that. But the very fact that everyone seemed to be aware of him and threatened by him and would denigrate him by such a name as Littlefaith was indicative of the fact that, in this area, he was having an impact far beyond the community in which he was carrying on his ministry. To have met this man and to come to know him was to come to experience religion in all of its fullness, in all of its beauty and all of its positive power. For me, it is a most remarkable fact of my life, a life that has been given wholly over to engagement with the religious quest and the religious task, one who was warped from the womb to be religious, one who was educated for religious ministry and leadership, one who has done it seriously and responsibly with all of my being, it is most remarkable to me that I should have come in the latter © Grand Valley State University �Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent Richard A. Rhem Page 3   decade of my life to encounter one who embodied religion that caused me to be "born again," even though I had engaged positively and I think fruitfully in the religious quest and the religious life. But, I suppose, to be honest, I was one for whom religion had also been task and burden. And then to come to encounter one who embodied a religion that was the very poetry of life, that brought forth the deep inner resources of life, one who lived a religious life that enabled him to be fully human and to bring the aroma of humaneness to all of those whom he met was quite amazing. When I met Duncan Littlefair, my life was changed. It was good religion. It was religion that drew from the depths of reality, bringing to expression in a magnificent manner the highest possibility of being human. The toast at Duba's is famous now. Lifting our glasses around that table, "To the wonder, the miracle, the glory and the joy of life." And that was more than a toast. For Duncan, it was a way of life, and to be in his presence and to come to know him in intimate friendship was to be transformed and changed. I was conscious of it happening. I was conscious of the consciousness with which I began to live humanly when I came to the encounter with this man. Good religion is passionate. So much of the religious story, so much of the Christian tradition story, of which we have been a part, is a story of a very serious and magnificent religious vision. The whole biblical story born in Israel and coming to full expression in the event of Jesus Christ and the whole grand tradition of the Church - all of that has been a passionate, human adventure and experience. But, that whole tradition came to its expression in a world, in a time, in an age before the modern period with the explosion of knowledge and our scientific understanding of the whole cosmic reality. So, what we have inherited, what has shaped us, our prayers, our liturgies, our hymns, our sacraments, our manner of devotion - all of that derives from a worldview that has been dissolved by the application of modern science. That in which we have been nurtured is reflective of a conception of reality, of a world that is dissolved by the advance of modern knowledge. And so, we live a bifurcated existence and, if we are aware, if we are conscious, there is a dissonance between the practice, the Sunday worship with the forms and the structures that had been given to us and the way we live the rest of the week, with all of the knowledge that we have of this unfolding cosmic drama. In the ongoing life of the church there have been those who have tried to take seriously the eruption of human knowledge and accommodate the tradition with our present reality. What happens so often is that, before that advance of knowledge in our world today, the religious faith, the belief system, etc. has been reduced and reduced and reduced. Take away this, take away that, give up miracles, give up prayer, give up whatever, bring it down as far as you can, but hold on to the biblical worldview, out of custom or fear or superstition, all while a modern world with all of the knowledge is cascading down upon us. The liberal theological movement tried to lessen the dissonance by reducing the core of the faith. But, what has often resulted is an anemic religious experience, believing a © Grand Valley State University �Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent Richard A. Rhem Page 4   little less, believing a little less passionately, but knowing the real world is a world that is being opened up to us by the continuing research and probing of the sciences in all of the human disciplines, calling the old faith into question. That wasn't true of Duncan. Duncan had a robust religious experience. As I said in his memorial service, the man was drunk with God. He was intoxicated with the Holy and the Sacred, and to be in his presence was to be in the presence of a human being that was filled with religious awe and wonder. It was shocking to me. I, who had been prejudiced with the rest of Western Michigan to think of this humanist, this naturalist as one who must be religiously barren, to find one who was so passionately religious in the spiritual quest, to whom the toast "To the wonder, miracle and joy of life" was the center, core and creed of his faith. It was contagious. To see him stand in awe of the flower, of a blade of grass, of a leaf turned golden in autumn, to see the joy in his countenance as he sat in his old wooden rocker by a crackling fire on a dreary, gloomy day, delighting in the heavy, gray clouds; one who looked you in the eye with penetrating eyes and loved conversation, and at our Duba's table would insist on one conversation with everybody at full attention at all times. This was a human being that was the very embodiment of everything that is divine, and I stood amazed. For me that heavy obligation of religion, that burdensome aspect of religion, that controlling, threatening, condemning dimension of religion, that religious tradition which had weighed heavily upon me, which I had been working at all of my life to resolve, suddenly fell away before the beauty of a human being who was the very incarnation of God. There was no sacrifice of the mind or the intelligence. There was the eager and ready exploration of every facet of human knowledge, of probing of the depths of every question, the welcoming of every little piece of data, the delight at every favorite theory and canon of science that got overthrown by more exploration and further experimentation in the revelation of new data. The mind was fully free to soar into all of the realms of human understanding, never a threat, always an increase in wonder and awe, because religion for Duncan was not some creedal formulation, not some set of propositions, not some truths deduced from this Bible storybook. Religion for Duncan was not some canon law of the institutional church or the favorite formulations of an ancient tradition for, as my good friend Lester always was fully aware, knowing it in Duncan and, to his distress seeing it happening in me, finally there is no authority beyond the authority that arises from within one fully cognizant of the totality of the possibility of human understanding. And then reveling in life …not some kind of abject bowing before some supernatural deity out there, but indeed, as he contended, the whole cosmic process was coming to expression in the likes of us, the emanation of God from the creative center, that ultimate Mystery of Being. I love the quote read a moment ago. Can't you hear Duncan preaching it? It's typical preacher's talk. It’s © Grand Valley State University �Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent Richard A. Rhem Page 5   not carefully honed rhetoric. It's not carefully, philosophically expressed. It's the kind of pulpit talk where the preacher begins to foam at the mouth because there's something within him that will come to expression. We are the intrusions, we are the extrusions. What are we - intrusions or extrusions? One pushes in, the other pushes out. We are illustrations, we are examples, we are God! For God's sake, we are God! It's amazing. There isn't anything beyond, you see? But, the beyond has come to expression in the concrete, the infinite in the finite, and we, the finite concretization of that Infinite Mystery, have that longing again for the Mystery. It's a longing to go home. And so, in our very naturalness, we're the ultimate expression of that which is Sacred and Holy, that one reality of which we are a part, that one tapestry into which our existence is woven. We are the consciousness, the voice, the storytellers of that unfolding of God in the one reality. Passionate, intelligent, Duncan loved Paul. Of course, he had no time for Paul's eschatology, the end of the world; he had no time for Paul seeing Jesus as the atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world. He would say, "Well, Paul couldn't help himself. Look where he was coming from." But, he loved Paul because Paul had passion. He loved Paul. Couldn't you see Duncan just like Paul going right into the Areopagus in Athens, right to the heart of the philosophical center of the ancient world? Can't you see Duncan going there and looking those greybeards in the eye and saying to them, "Haven't you heard the latest?" Paul had a vision, Paul had a passion, Paul was delivered from the burden of religion. Paul was delivered from all of that striving, all of that load of guilt. Paul was released by grace in his encounter with Jesus Christ in that vision he had, and he wanted to tell the whole world about it. Duncan loved that about Paul. Duncan loved anybody that was passionate about something, somebody that believed something and wanted to move the whole world. Good religion is not some anemic non-controversial pablum fed to weak people who are afraid. Good religion is robust, full of passion, and it has an open mind to probe to the depths with all of the possibility and potential of human understanding. Why should we keep that alive? It would be a dereliction of our duty if we should allow that which we have had in our midst to fade from memory and fail ourselves and our larger community the opportunity of exposure to that beautiful, passionate intelligent quest for God in that one drunk with God. He was the embodiment of religion that makes the human divine. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Center for Religion and Life Weekend Series The Littlefair Legacy Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20041010 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-10-10 Title A name given to the resource Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 10, 2004 entitled "Good Religion: Passionate and Intelligent", as part of the series "The Littlefair Legacy", on the occasion of Center for Religion and Life Weekend, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Duncan Littlefair Fountain Street Church https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7798d5a1545857effc5ed86cb46f09af.mp3 5dce5f7e962db67d485737513260ab43 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cbb6c84c3e12ac36d8ade19b9500310d.pdf 25e44c493b2e538915b7e030fa5dd4cd PDF Text Text Of Dreams and Visions Baccalaureate Sunday and Pentecost Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:14-17, Luke 4:16-30 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Memorial Day Weekend, May 30, 2004 Transcription of the spoken sermon This is one of those full Sundays. We live by three calendars - there is the church calendar, and on that calendar, this is the day of Pentecost. But, we also live by a national calendar, and on the national calendar, this is the weekend of Memorial Day. And we have a community calendar, and for Spring Lake it is graduation day, last week it was Grand Haven’s. I don’t know about Fruitport or West Michigan Christian, but it is the time, at least, of commencement, and so at Christ Community, it is the celebration of Baccalaureate. As we thought about that, we realized that it was just too much to handle on any one Sunday and so our new pastor, Ian Lawton, was moved by the Holy Spirit to proclaim next Sunday Pentecost. We will have a grand Pentecost festival and I trust you will all wear red. Because it is Baccalaureate, and I happen to have two granddaughters graduating, as well as a grandson from another university, that is Michigan State, Ian very graciously offered the pulpit to me today so that I could get in a last word, as it were. As a matter of fact, as I thought about it, the themes of Memorial Day and Baccalaureate for me came together very easily, and I even found a biblical text with a Pentecost flavor. When you’ve been preaching as long as I have, you can twist almost anything to say almost anything, and so with great skill, I have woven Pentecost passages into a Baccalaureate challenge as we remember Memorial Day. Some of us here viewed recently in this place a documentary film entitled “The Fog of War.” The title itself speaks volumes - The Fog of War. The ambiguity of the human situation, the confusion and turbulence, and the fact that we often make tragic judgments that lead to horrific consequences. I’m not going to speak about that film this morning, but it is that documentary of the years of Robert McNamara who was Secretary of Defense during the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam conflict. I mention it because he is now 85, and as he looks into the camera, he says, “I’m 85, I’ve lived a long time and I’ve learned some things.” And © Grand Valley State University   �Of Dreams and Visions Richard A. Rhem Page 2   I thought that’s really a good excuse for my Baccalaureate sermon. I’m an old man and I found a text about old men. “Old men will dream dreams,” the prophet Joel said and the Apostle Peter repeated. Old men will dream dreams and young men and women will see visions, and so very simply, as the rest of you listen in, although I trust there’s a word for us all, this morning is about an old man’s dream to inspire young men and women to become all that they can become in this critical moment in our world’s history. I did take the text from Joel, the Hebrew prophet. The prophets had a magnificent dream. We call it a Messianic Kingdom that they imaged, and Messiah is the Hebrew word for anointing, the anointing of the Spirit of God. The Hebrew prophets had this magnificent dream. It comes to expression in so many different ways in the writings of the prophets. It is a dream of nature in harmony, when the lion and the lamb lie down together. (I think it was Woody Allen who said, “When the lion and the lamb lie down together, the lion will sleep more soundly than the lamb.”) Nonetheless, you get the picture - the lion and the lamb bespeaking a peacefulness in the kingdom of creation where there is no longer violence or fear. And the prophet speaks of that day when they will not hurt or destroy on all God’s holy mountain. The prophet Isaiah followed by Micah and Joel pick up that promise of a time when the Spirit of God will judge among the nations and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. And Micah speaks of that time when all of the nations will walk before their own God and Israel will walk before the Lord God, and every man and woman shall dwell safely under their own fig tree. Those pictures of a peaceable kingdom, pictures, images of a world that is in harmony between God and nature, nature and nature, nations and nations, people and people, is a dream. It’s a magnificent dream. It is an ancient dream. That dream is between 2500 and almost 3000 years old. It’s not something that we dreamed up recently because things have unraveled for us. It’s a dream that has rested intuitively in the human heart throughout the ages, from the time that the human became human, and probably began to recognize that the kind of tribalism that put everybody in peril at all times was an impossible way to live. The time when the human consciousness began to realize intuitively that there was an alternative way to be other than the way of violence and war and death and destruction. A marvelous dream of the prophets - no exploitation. You would plant a garden and eat the produce thereof. You would build a house and be able to dwell in it, not fearing that some bulldozer would knock it down. Throughout those prophetic books, you can read over and over again that sense of an alternative world, another possibility, of a community at peace. Of course, the prophets dreamed of a world like that in terms of a God who was in control. They dreamed of a world in which eventually that God would act powerfully in the midst of history. They imaged a God who was outside of the whole created © Grand Valley State University �Of Dreams and Visions Richard A. Rhem Page 3   order, the God who had called it into being, the God who still continued to guide and direct and control, the God who was the sovereign Lord of history, the God who would bring about eventually the end of time. Well, the fullness of time saw the birth of Jesus and the community that gathered around Jesus saw in him the embodiment of that dream, they saw the enfleshment of that dream of a different kind of a world. Jesus in the days of his flesh, called people to love their enemies, to do good to those that persecuted them. Jesus overcame the conventional wisdom of the day. Jesus broke down barriers, he spoke to women, he greeted the Samaritan, he refused to be crammed into that dye cast of prejudice and dogma and ancient feuds. They looked at Jesus and they said, “This is the one.” Whether Jesus preached that sermon in Nazareth or not, I don’t know, but when Luke paints the portrait of Jesus, he paints a portrait of Jesus coming to his hometown and saying, “Now, look, this is the time. The prophecy of Isaiah of that day when the Spirit of God will be poured out and captives will be set free, the blind caused to see and the lame to walk, the favorable year of the Lord, that’s now. It’s fulfilled in me.” And, of course, such a claim ran into that conventional wisdom and that age-old prejudice of the day, because Jesus dared to suggest that the grace of God was broader than the river of Israel. Jesus used examples of the grace of God that overflowed banks of Israel and embraced all people. They wanted to kill him for it. There is a latent anger in the human heart when those prejudices are tapped, when conventional wisdom is challenged. Nonetheless, in the embodiment of his visions and values, Jesus was one who was followed and the community gathered around him such that in the wake of his death and resurrection, on the day of Pentecost, Peter would stand up and say, “Look, this is what it is. This is that realization of that dream. This is the pouring out of the Spirit of God that will usher in that New Age.” The mistake that the Church made was to see that embodiment of the dream in Jesus as a one-time event. And so, the community following Jesus, instead of recognizing that now into the creative process the Spirit of God had emerged into that kind of humanity which was the calling of all, set Jesus apart as one and only, as unique. But, as a matter of fact, Jesus was the embodiment of that ancient dream. He dreamed it himself, he lived it out, and while we do not have that God “out there” to come in and fix things for us, what we have learned is that God is in us, that God is that creative process that is moving this whole cosmic journey along, and that that ancient dream in the human heart of a world at peace and harmony is a dream now that must be realized, not by some returning judge from beyond the earth, but must be realized by the likes of us, you. That’s my word to you today, a call from an old man who is a dreamer, for you to dream the impossible dream, and the impossible dream is a dream of a world without war. © Grand Valley State University �Of Dreams and Visions Richard A. Rhem Page 4   This is Memorial Day weekend, and yesterday there was dedicated a grand memorial to the veterans of World War II. Perhaps you caught it on the television screen, old, aged veterans now with canes, wheelchairs and oxygen tanks, many of them weeping as they remembered, as some of you would weep even now as you think about those days in mid-twentieth century when the whole world was in crisis and conflict. en years ago some of us visited Normandy Beach, looked at the bluffs that had to be scaled, where our troops were sitting pigeons. We watched the calm, undulating sea that on June 6, 1944 ran red with blood. It is a moving experience, and in those moments one senses something holy and sacred, and out of the chaos of that Second World War, there emerged the realization among our leaders that we could no longer afford war among nations, and there was a vision and a dream of a United Nations in which the conflict between peoples would be solved through discussion and conversation and compromise, empathic understanding and the yielding in order that there might be finally peace on earth. Now, some decades later, we find that the dream is still not realized and even the vision of a United Nations has taken a serious blow, not through any foreign power, but through the miscalculation and misjudgment, the manipulation and coercion of our own government and leaders. I want to say to you young people today the world has reached a point where we can no longer tolerate war. It was one thing when one tribe took off against another tribe. It was one thing when the world was younger and a whole village could be decimated or a whole region. But, planet earth spun on its way and most people had no knowledge of it. Do you know that half of the people who have ever lived are living today? We have come to a point ... Mike Ackerson with your national championship in the Science Olympiad, you could devise a means by which this planet could be destroyed. We have it in our hands. We have it in our power. When I say we could no longer tolerate war, that is not just idle idealism, nor is it fluffy romanticism. It is the most hard-headed realism with which I can confront you, for if we do not change course, if we do not recognize the error of the myth of redemptive violence, that is that violence finally can achieve peace, we will come to a crisis which will get out of our hand. What’s happening in Saudi Arabia as we worship this morning? Can you not imagine the scenario which would throw the whole globe into conflict? You see, we had an opportunity in 9/11 for a wake-up call. It was a wake-up call which should have been followed by the kind of police action which would have sought to bring to justice those who perpetrated the atrocity. But, the wake-up call should have been to us who are the most powerful, affluent people in the world to © Grand Valley State University �Of Dreams and Visions Richard A. Rhem Page 5   recognize that we can never be secure until the globe is secure, because we have become a global family, a global community, a global neighborhood. We should have awakened to the fact that there are those who are humiliated, hopeless, having nothing to lose, and we should have recognized that wherever there are people who have nothing to lose, the world is a dangerous place. We should have recognized that it was time to sit down with all earth’s children and recognize the gulf between the haves and the have-nots, those who have everything and those who have nothing, and it was time to effect the ancient dream where everyone could plant their own garden and eat the produce, build their own house and dwell in it, have the dignity of human existence. With all of the power and all of the resources that we have, if only we had not dreamed dreams of empire and concocted strategies by which we might maintain our dominance. But, if only we had learned from the one who stood up in Nazareth to say “Today the scripture is fulfilled in your presence.” If only we had learned that it is only in dying that one comes to life, that it is only in giving one’s life away that life can be possessed, that it is only in being willing to die that one can live. If only we had learned the lesson of Jesus who said God causes the sun to shine on the just and the unjust, and the rain to rain on the good and the evil. If only we had recognized that we are members of one human family, that we are the human family through whom God, the Spirit, is emerging, that we look not “out there” somewhere for someone to come in and make it all happen, but rather, the God who is within us would, through us, who embodied the dream, realize an alternative world, a world at peace. I call you young people to dream the impossible dream, to march into hell if need be for a heavenly cause. In your insert there are the words of “The Impossible Dream,” and under it a little statement from William of Orange who was the liberator of the Netherlands back in the 16th century, who said, in effect, “You don’t need hope to undertake an enterprise, and you don’t need success to persevere.” There’s something so strong about that, something so good about that. Oh, I want you to be kids. I want you to have a ball. I want you to have fun. I want you to celebrate. But, I want you to have a vision beyond all of that. I want you to have a vision of an alternative world which may seem like an impossible dream and, in light of the history that has been written to this moment, you might say it’s hopeless. But, William of Orange said you don’t need hope to undertake the enterprise. You undertake the enterprise because it’s right. You undertake the enterprise because it’s true. You undertake the enterprise because it is imperative if there is to be a human future, if the creative process is to continue, if the human story is to move into all that it can possibly be. You don’t need hope. You simply have to believe it. And you don’t need success. You just need a dogged perseverance. Never give it up. © Grand Valley State University �Of Dreams and Visions Richard A. Rhem Page 6   I would say to you this morning, think critically. Back one hundred years ago, when I was where you are, nobody said to me think critically. They said think traditionally. I want to say to you, think critically. Don’t believe your President; don’t believe your political leaders; don’t believe your teachers; don’t believe your parents. (I make an exception for grandparents.) Don’t believe them without filtering what they say and what they teach through the filter of your own mind and heart. Believe that God is in you, the Light is in you, trust that intuitive sense within you that things can be other than they are. Refuse to live by conventional wisdom. Reject the prejudices that we adults have placed upon you. Follow Jesus. We here have achieved something. I think again of how narrow has been my focus, trying to create an alternative to church as usual, and I think we have, and I think it’s good. But, I want to say to you - that’s too narrow. We need to think about an alternative world and a global community which is a neighborhood filled with every race and every creed and every idiosyncracy with the Spirit of God. I hope that it doesn’t take you as long to wake up as it took me. The best I can do is, as an old man, to dream a dream in the hopes that there’s a vision that will catch on fire in you. You are really terrific. You can change the world. God bless you. Go for it! © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Baccalaureate Sunday, Eastertide VII Scripture Text Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:14-17, Luke 4:16-30 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040530 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-05-30 Title A name given to the resource Of Dreams and Visions Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 30, 2004 entitled "Of Dreams and Visions", on the occasion of Baccalaureate Sunday, Eastertide VII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Joel 2:28-29, Acts 2:14-17, Luke 4:16-30. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Global Community Global Peace Pentecost https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d677ab1ded5702351d97beae55ce77c.mp3 a273e9f4020bed7df0189d71d4909407 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ca8d2a0a63184ec621ad4238c674c05.pdf ab90f74705eb3386e2c9789184db3818 PDF Text Text A Shift in Perception From the series: Resurrection Acts 7:54-8:1; I Corinthians 13:1-8; John 20:19-23 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan April 18, 2004, Lent II Transcription of the spoken sermon It is a marvelous way to celebrate Eastertide with a Dance of Creation. It was a goddess of fertility named Oster who gave us the name Easter and the ancient people prior to the Axial Period, 800 to 600 B.C.E., celebrated their religious observances according to the rhythms of nature, the cycles of the year. And so, what a beautiful way for us to celebrate the coming alive of the earth on a beautiful day like this with the flowers budding and the buds bursting, to celebrate the goodness of God in the wonders of creation. Resurrection, as an experience of life after death, was really a conception that came to the fore shortly before the birth of Christ. There isn’t much in the Hebrew Scriptures about any life after death. They don’t even worry about it. The goodness of God in the land of the living was the blessing of God for the people of Israel. But, in those couple of centuries before the birth of Christ, there was increasing persecution, and in the books we call the Apocryphal books, that were filled with apocalyptic expectations, the intervention of God at the end of history, we find resurrection as an idea coming to the fore, and the reason that resurrection came into the consciousness of people was the fact that there were righteous, God-fearing people who were witnessing to their faith in God who were being killed. They were called the righteous martyrs. As the community considered the fact that these people were being killed for their refusal to deny their faith in God, they looked at one another and said, “Must not God in justice vindicate these righteous ones who have died for their faith and their honor of God?” And so, resurrection came to be an idea, a hope, an expectation that somehow or another, in the end, those who had died for their faith would be vindicated by resurrection, by God. When the community of Jesus’ followers, following his crucifixion, experienced him as with them still, when they experienced still after his crucifixion the grace that he conveyed, the love that he embodied, the freedom that he offered, they said, “He is not dead, he’s living.” And from their depression and their fears and their crushed hopes, they had a shift in perception and resurrection is what they called it. Resurrection is a shift in perception. It is a miracle; it is a miracle of © Grand Valley State University �A Shift in Perception Richard A. Rhem Page 2 love. It is an experience of an insight, the gaining of an understanding that is lifechanging, that is life-transforming. Resurrection is a shift in perception. Now, of course, we say today perception is everything and there is something to that, but that’s not what I mean. What that means is that the empirical reality out there isn’t the issue, it is our perception of that empirical reality. I do know the physicists among us would tell us that the observer affects the observed and I’m not going to get into all that philosophical stuff. This is just simply a straightforward claim this morning that a shift in perception, a change in understanding is resurrection, and it is life-changing. It is wonderful. The prison of our tombs, the stones are rolled away, the shackles fall off, the scales fall from our eyes and suddenly we get it, we see it. I think that’s what happened in the experience of those followers of Jesus in the wake of the crucifixion. Although in Luke and in John there certainly are resurrection stories that seem to intentionally want to emphasize a physical, bodily presence, that is not the majority of the resurrection accounts at all. The stories vary widely in the New Testament, as you might expect in the wake of an experience like this. But most of them are appearances, visions, and that’s why I take the stories of Paul this morning. Paul had a shift in perception. We saw him first at the stoning of Stephen. There he is consenting to Stephen’s death, this violent death which is the consequence of a religious absolutism and dogmatism that is threatened by any other understanding that believes somehow or other God is served by that kind of violent reaction. I suppose if it was the 21st century and if it was a part of the already boring and disgusting presidential campaign into which we find ourselves, it might have been Paul standing up and saying, ‘I, Paul of Tarsus, approve of this martyrdom or this killing.” That’s what he was doing. They laid their cloaks at his feet, the story said. And then he is on his way to Damascus, still breathing out threats, ready to murder, ready to haul people into court, to bring them to Jerusalem bound, men and women, those who were followers of the Way, because Paul, this absolutist, this dogmatist, was an angry religious man (There is no anger like religious anger, there is no more obsessive-compulsive behavior than stems from bad religion, and Paul was the epitome of it.). And then there is the light and there is the voice. What’s going on with Paul, how do we know? We could psychologize it all day long. Maybe there was something already simmering in his soul as he watched Stephen die. Maybe there was something in him, some decency in him that would betray the violence of his actions. But, in any case, he’s a broken man and he’s blinded, but then he sees. And after years of assimilation he becomes the Great Apostle who, in the midst of the Corinthian congregation of which he was the founder, in the midst of their own alienation and disturbances and divisions, could write to them of the indispensability of love, describing love in a beautiful fashion such that we call it the hymn of love and read it still with great profit. © Grand Valley State University �A Shift in Perception Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Paul experienced a vision. For him, it was resurrection, and a shift in perception created for him a whole new life. That’s what resurrection is. It is that movement from being all bound up to freedom. It is that movement from defensiveness and stinginess to graciousness and openness. It is the loosening up of all of that which binds us up inside and makes us less than we really want to be. That’s resurrection. It is a shift in perception and it is a miracle. I received an envelope full of goodies from my friend Jim Dykehouse through his mother, Nancy, this week and she said, “Jim gives you these things for you to throw away.” Well, Jim always gives me packages of goodies which he clips down in Chicago, knowing that we live here in the boonies and we don’t get much of that good stuff, so I always look forward to what Jim gives me. One thing I didn’t throw away was a piece from the Chicago Tribune, entitled “The Enlightenment of an Old-School Pol,” and written by Carol Marin. It is the story of Richard Mell. Richard Mell is an Alderman in Chicago; he was an old ward boss. Some of you are too young to remember the days when Chicago was crime-free because it was so corrupt at the top, when Richard J. Daley ruled and the old ward bosses kept everything in tight rein. Richard Mell was one of those. In the 80s he was rather notorious. His picture appeared with him standing on his desk, waving his arms. In 1987, there was an ordinance that was before the Cook County Commissioners asking for the protection of people of homosexual orientation from discrimination. The article reports, ...It was soundly defeated, 30-18. Mell was one of those who voted no. In response, gays in the packed gallery began singing “We Shall Overcome.” You can hear the regret in Mell’s voice as he remembers turning to a colleague and saying, “What in the hell did we just do? This is the worst vote I’ve ever cast and I’ll never do it again.” That vote took place on the eve of Deborah’s 18th birthday and, though Dick Mell didn’t know she was gay, he suspected it. Attractive and sensitive, he says, “she wasn’t interested in boys.” It would take two more years before she could tell him she was a lesbian. In the 90s, Deborah moved to San Francisco where it was easier to be an openly gay person than at home in Chicago. She was gone nine years. Though there were family visits back and forth, Dick Mell talks about “the time we lost with each other - dinners, birthdays, little things.” She moved back home three years ago. You get the sense in talking to the alderman that, now that his daughter is back, he’s not going to let her go or let her down....What Dick Mell has learned is what so many of us have figured out over time. It’s that homosexuality has a name and face....On this point, Dick Mell knows that ordinary people are way ahead of most politicians. And he has his daughter to thank for that, something he did © Grand Valley State University �A Shift in Perception Richard A. Rhem Page 4 last Thursday when he arrived at the police lockup where she was being held. “I was worried he might be angry,” said Deborah. Far from it. “He had a huge smile on his face and hugged me. I started to cry. I think he started to cry. And he told me what a good daughter I am.” A shift in perception is a miracle of love, and it frees us, and that’s resurrection. It doesn’t happen necessarily. One of the, in my estimation, most infamous leaders of the so-called Christian Right is Randall Terry. He’s the head of Operation Rescue which aims at Planned Parenthood, and his inflammatory rhetoric has been responsible for the killings of abortion doctors in clinics. You perhaps have seen him on television. Most inflammatory rhetoric conceivable. In the May issue of Out magazine, coming to the newsstands this week, his son Jameel, 18 years old, writes an article in which he acknowledges that he is gay. Aaron Brown on CNN, one night last week, interviewed Randall Terry who expresses his grief and his pain, but who continues to spout that same hard line of the immorality of homosexuality and of the devastating judgment that will follow its acting out, and so on. At the end of the interview in his own inimitable style, Aaron Brown said, “Mr. Terry, this must be very difficult for you, but let me ask you just one question. In the light of this revelation from your son and his obvious pain, do you at all question some of the rhetoric and the tactics that you have used in the past?” And Randall Terry’s answer in so many words was, “No.” Because Randall Terry would rather be right than loving and peaceful. So, it doesn’t happen automatically. One has to be open to a miracle. As I thought about that, I thought about my own experience. I remember, it must be 30 years ago now, getting a letter from a young man, a letter with pain such as I had never read on paper before, whose spirit was crushed, bruised, because a pastor had rejected him in his homosexuality. And I remember the next most painful letter I ever received, maybe a dozen years ago or so, same thing, only this time the rejection, like Randall Terry, was from a father. And I thought about my own experience, I thought about how fortunate I have been to meet people concretely in their humanity and to come to experience in that diversity, and to come to love them just as they are. I thought about 14-15 years ago, when Rabbi David Hartman came to Muskegon and the Jewish-Christian Dialogue, and this man so full of the love of God, so overflowing with warmth, said, “Do you have to deny my truth to have your truth? Do you have to deny my joy to have your joy?” That was the day he dialogued all day long with Krister Stendahl and those two beautiful human beings, one of the most brilliant and wonderful rabbis in the world and one of the most beautiful New Testament scholars in the world, and I saw them loving each other. Dear God, that’s resurrection, that’s a miracle of love, that’s a shift in perception which has enabled me then to move fully into that arena with joy, with freedom. © Grand Valley State University �A Shift in Perception Richard A. Rhem Page 5 Thanks to Boyd Wilson, our resident professor of World Religions at Hope College, who brought Diana Eck to Hope this past Tuesday. She gave a marvelous lecture. Nancy and I had dinner with her, so we know her, but it wasn’t just that personal relationship. It was just this marvelous lecture in which she painted for us our world as it is. She was not saying our world ought to be this way or that way. She was saying this is the reality with which we live, this pluralistic reality, pluralism in religion, pluralism in peoples of all kinds mixing up in this great global community of which we are a part, like it or not, with all of its implications in every dimension of our life. As I sat there, I listened to her portraying in such a positive way the possibilities of the acceptance of the other and the diversity, not trying to wipe out all differences, but embracing one another and celebrating one another in our respective diversity, I felt so light and I felt so free and I felt so thankful to be able to say “Yes, yes!” Then in the question and answer period, a young man stood up, well-spoken, respectful, who said, “I am an exclusivist.” He made his witness very competently and very respectfully, and I looked at him and I loved him, because I saw in him myself when I was a student at Hope College who would have been threatened to death by this marvelous lecturer, this wonderful woman, wonderful scholar. I knew him, even though he doesn’t know of himself what I know of him, and I project myself onto him, to be sure, but in doing so, I know that there’s a knot in the pit of his stomach. I know that there is a defensiveness that rises within him. I know that there is an anxiety. There is a fear, a fear that has to be raised by the wonder of the stories that were told by this articulate scholar Diana Eck, and I thought of myself and thanked God for the kind of experiences that effect this shift in perception that have been, for me, resurrection. This message is not about pluralism and religion in government, it is not about homosexual orientation or same-sex marriage, it is about a shift in perception, about that thing that puts a knot in your stomach and causes your face to flush and your blood pressure to rise. It’s about those issues, whose button being pushed, you feel yourself uneasy, unsure, causing some of you, perhaps, to strike out vociferously, and others of you simply to slink into the shadows full of unease. This sermon is about you and those things that are unresolved in your heart and your soul. God knows in our world today, polarized as we are about everything, we need to disband our egos long enough to allow the possibility of a shift in perception that can lead us from being bound up to freedom, from anger to peace, from violence to embrace in this global community which is so small that we have to learn how to celebrate one another in all of the diversity. This sermon is an invitation to you to be honest about the things that knot your stomach and mar your spirit and trouble your soul, an invitation to open yourself to a shift in perception which is a miracle of love which could be the first day of the rest of your life. I, Richard Rhem, recommend it. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide II Series Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Scripture Text Acts 7:54-8:1,I Corinthians 13:1-8, John 20:19-23 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040418 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-04-18 Title A name given to the resource Resurrection: A Shift in Perception Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 18, 2004 entitled "Resurrection: A Shift in Perception", as part of the series "Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God", on the occasion of Eastertide II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 7:54-8:1,I Corinthians 13:1-8, John 20:19-23. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Love Resurrection https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/55841695425903d393e0d9c42e6beba7.mp3 aaf308b45480b680f29037acf8aceaf9 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1d1252e5f8978008830c8c117cc2b798.pdf 160625694162c7e874504fc9749588e6 PDF Text Text The Destabilizing, Troubling God From the series: Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Luke 19:35-20:2 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan April 4, 2004 Palm Sunday Transcription of the spoken sermon The Gospel lesson that I read is really my favorite Palm Sunday passage. It's a very moving passage, such a poignant moment. By the time that Luke wrote that Gospel, of course, it was a half century since Jesus had lived and approached Jerusalem. Luke did not have to make Jesus a predictor of the future as he foresaw the devastation that would befall that city. For Luke, as he wrote, it was history. Jerusalem was an ash heap. The temple was no more. It was no longer the center of the ritual life of Israel. It wasn't even a significant center for the Jesus Movement at that point. Although Luke has him looking over the city and predicting the devastation, he did not have to have some kind of supernatural power to do that, for it must have been obvious to such a sensitive soul that there would be this moment of conflagration in wake of the confrontation that was inevitable. And so, he has Jesus weeping over the city, saying "If only you had recognized the things that make for peace." But, it was too late. In any given historical moment and situation, it can be too late to do the things that make for peace. In the words of Yogi Berra, I wonder on Palm Sunday, "Déja vu all over again?" Will the cycle of violence, the violence of the occupier continue to elicit the violence of the occupied, which in turn, will elicit greater violence by the occupier? Will the imperial power with its brand of violence through exploitation and domination always oppress to the point where there will be violence in return, which in turn will demand a greater expression of violence? What do you think? Do you think that it's just always going to be that way? Are you a kind of a realist who shrugs their shoulders and says, "Well, that's the human situation. It's always been that way; it's always going to be that way." Or, another possibility is that you may be one of the minority who really believe that we are on a course to destruction, maybe some global nuclear catastrophe, or © Grand Valley State University �Destabilizing, Troubling God Richard A. Rhem Page 2 maybe just the continual fouling of the earth, the air, the water. Do you perhaps fall into that group that sees doom down the line? Or, do you think that maybe we'll get on top of this? Do you think maybe, given enough time, given enough ingenuity, resource, power, finally we'll be able to bring some kind of humane, global community to birth? What do you think? What do you think? You know there's always been a dream deep down in the human heart, a dream of an alternative possibility, a dream of an alternative world. I think, for example, of the Hebrew prophets - they were such towering figures. We modern folks sometimes think that the world just arrived in our coming and that we're so smart, but 2500 years ago a magnificent dream of another possibility found expression through, for example, Isaiah, who envisioned a new creation, who envisioned a world in which people would plant gardens and eat the produce thereof and build houses and be able to dwell in them. He envisioned a world in which the lion and the lamb would lie down together and no one would hurt or destroy in all God's holy mountain. Or Micah, who envisioned a world in which swords would be beaten into plowshares and every person would sit under his own fig tree and dwell in safety. Those were ancient dreams. The intuition of the human heart is known for a long time. With the violence and the destruction, war, domination and exploitation, oppression, suffering and tragedy - people have known for generations and millennia that there ought to be another possibility. The Hebrew prophets, as I said, were dreamers. They dreamed about Shalom. They had hope in history. The prophets spoke about judgment. They called the people to account and they were quick to point out where the covenant was broken. But, in the Hebrew prophet, judgment was always in order to restore and to renew. Judgment was always in order to turn and to call to repentance in order that there might again be established that covenant. Judgment was never absolute with the Hebrew prophet because the Hebrew prophet had hope in history, because that prophet believed in the movement of God in history. The prophet had hope in the historical process. There's another biblical model, however, and that's the model of the apocalyptist, for example, a John the Baptist. The apocalyptist despaired of history. He threw up his hands. He lost hope. He simply despaired of the possibility of any kind of amelioration within the process of history itself The apocalyptist threw up his hands, despaired, and cried unto God to do something, to intervene dramatically. When Walter Wink was here, he suggested that the apocalyptist created that vision in order that people might be shocked and turn around. I'm not sure he's right about that. I think the apocalyptist had so given up on history and the possibility of any kind of renewal, that he said, "God, how long, how long? Do something!" And when I read the apocalyptist in scripture, I get the sense that he © Grand Valley State University �Destabilizing, Troubling God Richard A. Rhem Page 3 can hardly wait, because, of course, he is the righteous and it is the wicked, the other that will be damned. So, there is that dualism in apocalyptic literature. The Book of Revelation is an apocalyptic reading in the New Testament with its visions of the gore of the judgment of God when the city will run with blood up to the halter of the horse. There is a kind of celebration in that. The apocalyptist, in contrast to the Hebrew prophet who had hope in history, was despairing of history and saying, "God, bring down the curtain of history. Damn the wicked, and vindicate your people!" Both the Hebrew prophet and the apocalyptist shared the conviction that, finally, God would intervene one way or another. The attitude was totally different, the spirit was different, the vision was different, but both of them had a sense that God was the sovereign of history who would eventually bring all things to consummation. That particular biblical vision was secularized in the modern period, particularly in the 19th century with the dawning of historical consciousness and the idea of evolution that was everywhere. The climate of opinion of all thinking people was shaped by the idea of evolution, evolutionary development, the 18th- century Enlightenment and then in the 19th century, for example, Charles Darwin and the "Origin of the Species," and there was a great optimism that arose. This was a secularized vision, really, of the biblical paradigm, but it would come now through education and human progress and human invention and ingenuity. As the 20th century dawned, Protestantism had moved to a classic liberal phase. The fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man was the great model. There was this great anticipation. I still subscribe to the most well-respected journal of Christianity, The Christian Century. It was named as the 20th-Century dawned. This would be the "Christian Century," and there was a great optimism about the human possibility. There was a kind of secularization of the biblical vision. But, here, too, in a secular way through progress and education, we were moving toward the kingdom of God. And then the 20th century - World War I in the second decade of that century. During that same decade, the Communist Revolution and eventually the Stalinist Communist regime with millions and millions and millions of people annihilated. Then the rise of Fascism in Germany, the rise of Hitler and Nazism, the Holocaust, the Second World War, the chaos of a world in the grips of devastation and violence. And the Cold War and the nuclear standoff of terror, the balance of terror. And '89 wasn't it, when the Berlin Wall went down and then the Balkans, after a bit of euphoria, exploded? Then Desert Storm. The 21st century dawns and 9-11 happens, and there is Iraq and there is Madrid, smoldering a second time. And in Falluga last week four American mercenaries are killed and their bodies are desecrated and there is rejoicing in the street, young men celebrating because the mighty have fallen and there has been pain and a wound inflicted on the great Satan. Well, what do you think? Do you think it's just always going to be this way? Where the occupying violence elicits violence from the occupied, which calls forth © Grand Valley State University �Destabilizing, Troubling God Richard A. Rhem Page 4 increased violence from the occupier? Of course. Of course. Our leaders tells us that Falluga will not intimidate us and our resolve is firm and we are poised to make a statement violently. That, I suppose, is necessary in order to remind the occupied that violence won't work. But, violence does work, for the terrorist is not an animal, the terrorist is a human being who in his own way has despaired like the apocalyptist, only he has taken God's role into his own hands. He is a freedom fighter of sorts. He is an idealist, a dreamer, except his dream has been crushed. Those young men celebrating in the streets - it's a terrible thing, it's an awful thing. And after we feel the horror of it, we get very angry about it, but those kids are just kids, and they are doing what happens sometimes in a soccer game in Europe where they get to rioting after England and France have played, and if we don't know that, within our own hearts, there dwells the potential for the very same kind of exuberant celebration in the light of the putting down of the big one, then we don't know ourselves very well. Those boys who appeared on television are mothers' sons, you know, nurtured in a culture of Saddamic oppression, and now occupied by the mightiest power on earth. What do you think? Is it just always going to go on this way? I entitled the sermon "The Destabilizing, Troubling God," and I was thinking about Jesus as the embodiment of God. Kings and empires don't appreciate destabilizers and troublers. Old King Ahab, who was the epitome of the worst king of Israel, when he met the prophet Elijah, said, "Oh, thou troubler of Israel," and Elijah had to say to him, "Ah, King, I'm not the troubler of Israel." The prophet would speak the word of God into the established, structured situation where that situation had become oppressive or dominating, where that structure had become defeating of the human possibility. And then in the name of the God of justice and righteousness and compassion, the prophet would roar. Kings don't like prophets, and empires don't welcome prophets. It was obvious that the temple establishment and the Roman imperial authority had to get their heads together and do something about Jesus. People were spellbound by him because somehow or other he addressed people in such a way that he elicited from them their humanity, their deeper humanity, and he gave them again some reason to hope and some new possibility. His action in Jerusalem, which was the culmination of that long journey there, was destabilizing and troubling. Not to the people, but to the established authority who had a vested interest in keeping the status quo. Ah, don't we long for stasis? Status quo? Stability? We're willing almost to give up all of our rights if we could just find some methodology by which there could be guaranteed to us absolute security. If we could just get back to normal, if the world could just be turned back again to where you could go about doing your business or travel where you wanted to travel without worrying about boarding a plane or a train, or what the next CNN report might have to say, where you could © Grand Valley State University �Destabilizing, Troubling God Richard A. Rhem Page 5 just get on with your life like it used to be, wouldn't it be wonderful if we could return to normalcy? Well, let's turn up the pressure. Let's turn the screws. Let's get stronger, more powerful. Let's dare the violent terrorist to raise his head. That's been the pattern for thousands of years, hasn't it? And the world has always been violent, but it's just that we have the potential now to do it so much better. We can do it so much more broadly. We can do it with so much more devastation. We can wipe out continents today, so why don't we just continue to do like we've always done? What do you think? Is that a possibility? Would that work? Can we finally effect transformation that way? As I come to the end of my ministry, I am so amazed at the impotence of the Church, and this country is the most religious in the modern, industrialized world. I am so amazed how we have been co-opted by the powers that be. We claim to follow Jesus. Well, we've made of him a savior figure to deal with us individually in our sin problem, but I suspect, as Jesus was weeping over Jerusalem, he wasn't worrying about what Mel Gibson says he was worried about, that is that he was going to bear the sin of the world as a sacrifice to God, but I suspect really what he was worried about was the absolute, tragic devastation that was going to be visited on this holy city, this heart of Israel, his people. His despair was the fact that no one was working toward peace, but rather, the powers that be were working at the status quo which was a continuation of the domination system. I think that's why he wept. I suspect he weeps still. Do you know a better way? I know you can identify with the dream. I know you wish there were peace and normalcy and I believe you are people of good heart who wish it for all people everywhere, which of course you do. Then, how long will we continue to operate under the myth of redemptive violence, that one more show of force or one more war or one more military escapade will finally bring peace? When will we find something inside us so stirred and transformed that we will as a people rise up and say, "You only find peace not by preparing for war, but by working toward peace." André Trochmé was a French Reformed pastor during the Second World War who saved scores and scores of Jewish people. He was a pacifist and was interned and, while he was in the camp, Stalingrad fell to the Germans. The Germans rejoiced and someone said to Trochmé, "You pacifist, if you had been in Stalingrad, should they have defended themselves? Or should they just have given up?" He said, "No. Of course, they had to defend themselves, because by the time the siege was laid, it was too late." You don't get into the crisis itself and then decide to lay down your arms. You work toward a situation where you avoid that moment, because then it's too late. That's what Jesus said - "If only you could have seen the things that make for peace, but it's too late." Do you know that there is only one nation on earth that can change the ongoing scenario of violence begetting violence begetting more violence? There's only one © Grand Valley State University �Destabilizing, Troubling God Richard A. Rhem Page 6 nation on earth that can alter that, and you know who it is. We who have power, wealth and dominance beyond anybody who is even close to second place are the only people on earth who could lead a global movement against violence, for an alternative method for the relating of the human family. This morning as I sat in my loft, it was still dark, and I looked out the window over the lake and suddenly smoky clouds cleared and there was this magnificent moon all ready to set into the sea. And a little later, behind me was the rising of this golden sun in crystal clear air. As I looked out my window, the pussy willow was in blossom and the daffodils are trying to push their way into bloom, and I thought to myself "What a wonderful world!" And when you add to the wonder of earth coming alive the possibility for human relationship, for love and grace, embrace, Oh dear God, let us not let it all come to ashes. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday Series Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Scripture Text Luke 19:35-20:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040404 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-04-04 Title A name given to the resource The Destabilizing, Troubling God Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 4, 2004 entitled "The Destabilizing, Troubling God", as part of the series "Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, Passion Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 19:35-20:2. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Eschatology Grace Shalom https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cf4c036db374f1b659f4f609aa92ab6b.mp3 c8c52a05841e676edb84320be595fcd1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d8f005ffe23ce033843fa4664a70281e.pdf cf4f3cea3f0eee57773bddf9a55fba14 PDF Text Text Do You Suppose God Is Really Like That? The Prodigal Son’s Father From the series: Stories Jesus Told Luke 15:11-24 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan March 28, 2004 Transcription of the spoken sermon This Lenten season we are remembering Jesus, hoping thereby to experience God, and we remember Jesus not because he was alien, a God-figure from beyond that entered our history, donned our human nature and effected our salvation only to return to that eternal state. Rather, we remember Jesus because as John’s Gospel said, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” and that marvelous insight which is much more profound, I think, than anyone has ever plumbed, is that God has become human. So, in remembering Jesus, we are remembering a human being about whom our tradition has said, “There God is embodied.” A couple of weeks ago, Walter Wink was with us to suggest that our calling as human beings is not to become God-like, but to become fully human, because God is the only Human Being with a capital H and a capital B; and, that this cosmic process of billions of years has been evolving and has issued into this present state in which we are the products of that emerging process - alive, conscious, able to contemplate it all. That cosmic process of billions of years has culminated in the likes of us, but as Walter Wink reminded us, we are only primitively human, we are only human on the way, and if that insight of Jesus as the Son of the Man would indicate, then it is toward that full human existence that we are moving, by God’s grace, in order that we might become human as God is Human. And so, in remembering Jesus, we are seeking to experience God. Jesus is our story. There have been other human beings who have been overcome with encounter, who have been overwhelmed by some moment of epiphany, some rifting of the sky, some theophany, some manifestation of that Ultimate Mystery. Abraham heard a voice or saw a vision or had a dream and the instruction was to leave his family and his environment and go out. For Moses, it was a burning bush. The experience of the Buddha in enlightenment was not other than that, and Mohammed had visions which he then recorded in the Koran. Our window on God is Jesus and in John’s Gospel again, in that conversation with Phillip, as we noted, Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have © Grand Valley State University   �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   seen the father.” To look upon the face of God, look upon the face of the human. And so, we have our window, Jesus, and it was Jesus’ life. But in his life, Jesus was a storyteller, and he told the story which I read a moment ago which is perhaps his most familiar and best-loved parable, the parable of the Prodigal Son. The story has a lot to say about the son, about human nature, but it’s more profoundly a parable about a prodigal God. It is a parable about the nature of God, for the father in the story is obviously God. As Jesus tells that story, he reveals his understanding, his sense of the nature of God. I want to think about that with you this morning with a question, and this is my question to you: Do you suppose God is really like that? The father represents God in Jesus’ parable. Do you think God is like the father in the parable? If the father image bothers you, if that is too much a throwback to an old, supernatural being beyond us, or if the father image as father bothers you, let it go. Think in terms of the Ultimate Mystery, or a source and ground of being, that abyss of limitless being out of which flows all that is. I don’t care how you think of it; image it any way you want to, it doesn’t matter. But, Jesus was talking about that which was ultimate. He was talking about Ultimate Reality. He was talking about the sacred, the holy, the Mystery. He was talking about God. I wonder, and I want you to keep asking yourself this morning, “Do I really suppose that that Ultimate, that God, is like that? Like the father figure in the story?” The story is so familiar. There is the request of the younger son against all tradition and all decency, really, to have his inheritance ahead of time so that he can depart, and he goes off into the far country. Since we’re focusing on the father figure, I want you to simply note that there was total freedom given to the son. There was no injured pride. There was no weeping and wailing. There was no judgmental attitude. There was no alienation. Jesus says the son made the request and we know the request was contrary to family order. But, there was no protest. The father gave him his inheritance and he left without any brokenness, any estrangement, which says to me that the Ultimate Mystery in Jesus’ mind is that which offers freedom, total freedom, that we write our own script. Now, when I say total freedom, I know I am speaking in a community where we have such ability to write our script. We are, of all people, most blessed with our resources, with our context. And I know that that is not true of millions and millions of earth’s children, so when I speak about the freedom to write our own script, I am mindful of the fact that that freedom has in some cases severe limitations. You perhaps have been reading again about women in Afghanistan immolating themselves, setting themselves on fire. Can you imagine? Can you imagine how tragic must be the human existence of one who would be driven to that kind of absolute desperation? Did you catch in the newscast last night that in Palestine the little children are collecting cards like our kids collect cards? Baseball cards, right? No. The Palestinian children are collecting martyr cards. Some Palestinian entrepreneur has created cards with the pictures of those who have been martyred. There were all these little children with their cards and they © Grand Valley State University �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   were filling their albums with martyr cards. Can you imagine a child growing up who, rather than having baseball cards, has martyr cards? Or, that young lad, 14 years old, with a bomb strapped to him who was fortunately intercepted by the Israelis, a suicide bomber really not wanting to die? So, when I think about freedom to write our script, I know I’m talking to those of us who have so much, so much beyond so many of the world’s peoples. There are limits to that freedom, but nonetheless, if there is no longer any freedom, there is no longer any humanity and so I would say that in the story Jesus tells, what he is saying in that getting over the yielding to the request of the younger son is that there is no absolute script that is written; there is no predestinated story that is unfolding according to some eternal plan; there is no sovereign, ultimate, absolutism in history. It is rather that we write the story with freedom in greater or lesser degree. Do you think God is like that? Do you think that reality is like that? Do you think that our human experience is like that? We can go from the departure of the son directly to his return. We don’t have to go into the far country and linger there, although a lot of great sermons have satisfied prurient interest about what went on in the brothels and the pig sties, but we don’t really need to go there because this story isn’t about the experience of the son. It’s really about the father. And so, from that granting of freedom, we go to that gracious welcome, a welcome that if you knew the color of the local society, the father an elderly gentleman picking up his robe and running to meet the son, defies all of the local custom about dignity and honor and what is right and proper, the father who doesn’t let the son get his well-rehearsed story out, but rather, embraces him with tears. Eighteen months or so ago, a few of us were in St. Petersburg and I stood in the Hermitage before that huge canvas of Rembrandt’s “Return of the Prodigal,” and pictured there is that old man, his arms straight from his shoulders, the son stooping before him, with a welcome without recrimination, with a welcome without any sign of alienation, with a welcome without any word of rebuke, that spoke not at all of some period of probation, a welcome that simply was a reunion and a celebration full of love and grace. © Grand Valley State University �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Do you suppose that God is really like that? Do you suppose that the ultimate mystery of reality is like that? Well, if we would put it in contemporary terms that we have been talking about God becoming human, do you suppose that the cosmic process of 13 billion years has a bias toward love and grace? Would you think that maybe in this evolving process onto which stage we have emerged there is something intrinsic in the process itself that has a bias, a tendency toward love and grace, that kind of magnificent picture that Jesus drew for us? Or, would you say “No. No, a cosmic reality has no bias toward love and grace. It is a random process, a random, neutral process unfolding.” You may be right about that. But, if that is the case, we have emerged and one emerged about whom they said there is the embodiment of what is ultimate in the mystery of God, and that one told a story about this kind of love and grace and we have made that one our centerpiece, that one we say is our window on God; and that one spoke about that which is ultimate in terms of love and grace. So maybe it is a random process. Here we are; who would have thought it? Nobody directed it. That’s one possibility, but here we are and we can gather around a story like that © Grand Valley State University �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   which says that the ultimate values are freedom and love and grace effecting reunion and reconciliation. So, whether the process has that within itself or we come on the stage and recognize that and invest it with ultimate meaning, it doesn’t really matter. Whether intrinsic in the process or affirmed by us, love and grace and reconciliation and reunion are the Ultimate. Do you think, do you suppose that that’s the way it is at the heart of things? That’s not the way it is in traditional religious understanding. That’s not the way it is in traditional Christian understanding, for while in traditional Christian understanding the parable of the Prodigal Son is a piece of the puzzle, it is jammed into the blender with a lot of other stuff and what we get is an homogenized view in which you have to add some stuff to the parable of the prodigal in order to get a decent God. In the traditional view, there is something more that you have in the parable of the prodigal. The father who, in freedom, allows one to write one’s own story, and with gracious openness receives that one back into the bosom of love, in traditional Christianity you have, and it’s right at the heart of this season, you have the whole atonement thing and of course, the world will never be the same after Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ.” It will take another whole generation to wash out that popularization of the very worst conception of the death of Jesus. But there that violent suffering, that horrible suffering of Jesus is a sign of the costliness of the sacrifice that was demanded in order for God to be able to forgive us. That’s 180 degrees from the parable of the prodigal, for the father in the prodigal needed no payment, no pound of flesh nor pint of blood. The father in the prodigal parable simply, with heart broken with joy, received the son home. And that is 180 degrees from traditional Christian atonement theology which says yes, God is loving and because God is loving, God provided a way, but God is also just and therefore needed God’s honor to be satisfied. Those two are in irreconcilable conflict. I see it more clearly every day of my life. Those are two conceptions of God. Those are two conceptions of Ultimate Reality. In yesterday’s paper, perhaps you read that the final volume of the Left Behind series is out. This is a series of novels about the last things, the end times, a dramatization of the Book of Revelation. It is a total misreading and misunderstanding of the revelation of Jesus Christ to John, the last book of the Second Testament. It is a literalization of that which is highly symbolic, and it makes that writing, which was aimed at its own historical context in a time of intense persecution in the early days in the Christian movement, into history written ahead of time of the last times; and it is a travesty of any kind of intelligent biblical understanding or interpretation. But, be that as it may, other than that, how did I feel about it? This is more serious. This is a book review. The title of the book is Glorious Appearing, The End of Days. Apparently, those few believers who were not raptured at the time that Jesus came to take them out of history, those who were left and those who were converted during the time of tribulation are hovering in a rock fortress, and this review says, © Grand Valley State University �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   ... This rock fortress has been protected by God time and time again, but now its inhabitants face a mighty army whose sole goal is absolute annhililation. This battle is the Battle of Armageddon, it is the battle of the end time. Armageddon is a valley in Israel and this is the final battle when Jesus comes and encounters Satan and Satan’s hosts who have been, of course, afflicting the believers. Apparently this head dog is Carpathia and Carpathia himself leads the charge. But, he is no match for Jesus Christ who returns as prophesied to save the fortress. The battles continue with Jesus’ words alone wiping out hundreds of thousands of troops. The culmination is at the holy city of Jerusalem fractured into three by earthquakes as Jesus wins his final victory. Judgment comes for followers of Satan, but it is the peace that Jesus brings to believers that touches the heart. While Jenkins’ writing is swift and a bit colloquial, his use of scripture is truly inspired. Nothing but scripture is spoken by Christ, portions of the Bible that bring comfort, judgment, war and love. That Jesus is a warrior. That Jesus slays thousands with his words. That Jesus wins the final triumph, and effects the salvation of those that believe and the eternal damnation of those he destroys. That Jesus is totally contrary to the Jesus who tells the story that we looked at this morning, where the Ultimate Mystery is love and grace, where there is no final “No,” where the door is always open and the light is burning forever in the window. This is not just an incidental matter. This conception, the traditional conception of a God who needs a pound of flesh and a pint of blood, whose son will return as a warrior to destroy the wicked, this God is a God drawn by the myth of redemptive violence that ultimately the peaceable kingdom will be issued in by violence. Walter Wink used that phrase, the myth of redemptive violence. It is a totally different conception of the heart and center of reality, and in that myth of redemptive violence, you effect finally peace through war. President Woodrow Wilson had a dream of the League of Nations which his own Senate voted not to enter when it was established, but he led us into the First World War, a war to end all wars. More recently we have gone into Iraq in order to bring democracy into the Middle East and we continue to live under the delusion of the myth of redemptive violence. You may say to me, “Well, what is the other answer, then? Passivism?” I would say no, not passivism. It is non-violent resistance, and the cost of non-violent resistance may well be crucifixion and there may be hell to pay for a long time, but I’ll tell you this - it is the way of Jesus and it is the only hope of salvation of the world. There will never be peace brought by violence if we believe Jesus. If we believe Jesus, then there is wonderful news and scary news. The wonderful news is that the ultimate values are freedom and grace and love, that love and grace alone transform. Violence can coerce. Violence can control. Violence can keep the demons at bay. Love and grace alone transform. Love and grace alone alter consciousness. Jesus told the story about the Ultimate Mystery, God, being a God of freedom and grace. That’s the good news. The scary news is that it is in our hands. It is in our hands. © Grand Valley State University �Do You Suppose God is Really Like That? Richard A. Rhem Page 7   So, do you suppose that God is really that? Where did you get your image of God? Handed down, of course, as with all of us. But, isn’t it time for us to receive those traditional images critically and then take responsibility for the choice we make as to what is ultimate? The choice we make will determine whether the human family has a future, whether the peaceable kingdom will ever be realized. What do you think? © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent V Series Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Scripture Text Luke 15:11-24 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040328 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-03-28 Title A name given to the resource Do You Suppose God Is Really Like That? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 28, 2004 entitled "Do You Suppose God Is Really Like That?", as part of the series "Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God", on the occasion of Lent V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 15:11-24. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Eschatology Grace Shalom https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5535d0e49e772aa0cf075ba97f52330e.mp3 28ed9e3c06bb372c303a28da568d63f7 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Midweek Lent Series I Choose to Believe Scripture Text Psalm 139, Matthew 5:43-48 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040317 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-03-17 Title A name given to the resource About the Bible Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 17, 2004 entitled "About the Bible", as part of the series "I Choose to Believe", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 139, Matthew 5:43-48. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Critical Thinking Scripture https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ca0f94d5ded23ef2a9b140556380e774.mp3 823a60f76b7991bf8686bd2b01afa77a Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Midweek Lent Series I Choose to Believe Scripture Text Luke 9:51-56, 22:39-46, 23:32-38 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040310 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-03-10 Title A name given to the resource About Christian Faith Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 10, 2004 entitled "About Christian Faith", as part of the series "I Choose to Believe", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 9:51-56, 22:39-46, 23:32-38. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Christian Faith Inclusive https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cefbf91ad5ffd23d62b1c0bf8fa772ea.mp3 94f7236c0f843c9b5e94e5f35fc5883e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3662b5357657e3f7f13d9a683ece424.pdf 3f54a1a2eab731cc546d4539c8826732 PDF Text Text Jesus, the Truth of God From the series: Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Text: John 14:1-14 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Lent, March 7, 2004 Transcription of the spoken sermon For a Lesson From the Present, I want to read a paragraph from Walter Wink’s book, The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man, which is the book, the reason, why I wanted him here in our midst in the first place, a very, very interesting study. In the course of his discussion, he writes: If God is in some sense true humanness, then divinity inverts itself. Divinity is not a qualitatively different reality. Quite the reverse. Divinity is fully realized humanity. Well, that’s only about 180 degrees from anything you’ve ever heard in church. I’ll read it again. Quite the reverse. Divinity is fully realized humanity. Only God is, as it were, human. The goal of life, then, is not to become something we are not, divine, but to become what we truly are, human. We are not required to become divine, flawless, perfect, without blemish. We are invited simply to become human which means growing through our sins and mistakes, learning by trial and error, being redeemed over and over from compulsive behavior, becoming ourselves, scars and all,. It means embracing and transforming those elements in us that we find unacceptable. It means giving up pretending to be good and instead becoming real. Jesus incarnated God in his own person in order to show all of us how to incarnate God, and to incarnate God is what it means to be fully human. That, too, is the word of God. The season of Lent invites us to remember Jesus, because in remembering Jesus we experience God. That is our story. That’s what has been the mark of the Christian tradition. We find our window to God in Jesus, so our identity statement claims, and that has been the central thrust of our understanding and our community experience together. Probably almost every one of us was born into and nurtured in the Christian tradition. Almost the whole human family that © Grand Valley State University   �Jesus, the Truth of God Richard A. Rhem Page 2   is religious continues in that religious tradition into which they were born. And so, when we claim Jesus as our window to God we are not claiming an exclusivism. We are simply claiming that’s our story, and that’s the story that we celebrate together, and the Lenten season is an invitation to remember Jesus in order that we might again in a fresh way have the experience of that holy Mystery that we call God. And so, this Second Sunday in Lent, I am suggesting to you that Jesus is the truth of God. Not the truth of God in propositional terms, the kind of factual data like 2 + 2 ids 4, or that this congregation was founded in 1870 or anything like that, but rather, that Jesus is the truth of God in the sense that there in the embodiment, in that incarnation we say God. That that person, that consciousness, that human being is for us who continue in that flow of Christian tradition, that is the clue as to the Mystery of the Divine. I suppose that there is no text that has been quoted to me or quoted against me more than John 14:6, “Jesus says I am the way, the truth and the life.” And nobody quotes that to me or against me because he said that, it is what he said after that - “No one comes to the father but by me.” Therefore, the claim is that John, the Bible in general, is clearly a book that portrays an exclusive salvation through Jesus Christ alone. I’m not sure that Jesus said it anyway, but I wish that John hadn’t said he said it. It would have made things a lot easier. But, as a matter of fact, I’m not sure that John intended - I’m sure he did not intend – that that statement would be used in a battle of exclusivism over against a broader understanding of the grace of God. What he was intending is quite clear in the context, and certainly something that I would want to affirm. He was affirming that in Jesus there is the way of life, the truth of life, the way to God; this is that which is embodied in Jesus is the way and the truth and the life, and as a matter of fact, it would be impossible to know God or to experience God apart from that way that Jesus was embodying. I think that that broader interpretation of that particular statement is clarified in the subsequent discussion with Phillip. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father but by me,” but now you know the father as you know me. You have seen the father, and so forth. Phillip says, “What? Show us the father and we will be satisfied. Come on, Jesus, just open up the abyss of the mystery of reality and we will be satisfied.” Jesus said, “You don’t get it, do you, Phillip?” “Well,. What do you mean I don’t get it?” “I’ve been with you so long and you still don’t get it. Look at me. You’re looking at God.” © Grand Valley State University �Jesus, the Truth of God Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Well, that doesn’t sound so radical to us because we know that’s true, don’t we? After all, this Jew Jesus who was running with Phillip and Thomas and Peter and James and John, gathering around campfires and getting their feet dusty in sandals, eating together and dialoguing together, and I hope joking together, this Jew Jesus, well, we know, don’t we? This is no ordinary human being. Why, this was the second person of the Trinity, the pre-existing one who came down from another realm, donned human garments, stood in our midst. So, of course, Phillip, how come you don’t get it? Jesus, God. We who stand 2000 years later who have had the blessing or the plague of all of those Christological creeds that have elevated Jesus from that Jewish, rather charismatic leader, an extraordinary human being, no doubt, but nonetheless, still a human being, we hear that statement to Phillip and it doesn’t shock us because we think, “Why couldn’t Phillip see,” because we know this was odd. Well, of course Phillip didn’t get it because Phillip didn’t know this was God. Phillip thought it was his Jewish brother leader, and if we could go back there and whisper in Phillip’s ear what we know about Jesus, he’d say “What? I’ve been with the guy.” And if we take Jesus aside and say, “You know what they’re saying about you?” he’d say, “About me?” Jesus would not recognize our exalted Son of God. And so, the radicality of what he said to Phillip comes back. Phillip is to look into the face of another human being, Jesus by name, who is saying to him, “Look at me and see me, you see God.” Now that was a radical claim. We say it theologically and philosophically, “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” “No one has ever seen God, the only begotten son in the bosom of the father, he has made God known.” The first epistle of John, the fourth chapter, “No one has ever seen God. The one who dwells in love dwells in God and God dwells in that one.” It’s all pretty simple. Except that the radicality of the claim was that the human being was saved. To look into my human visage is to look into the face of God, because, as a matter of fact, God has emerged in the human. That is what the Gospel claims. References: Walter Wink. The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man. Augsburg Fortress, 2002. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent II Series Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Scripture Text John 14:1-14 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Walter Wink: The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man, 2002. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040307 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-03-07 Title A name given to the resource Jesus, the Truth of God Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 7, 2004 entitled "Jesus, the Truth of God", as part of the series "Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God", on the occasion of Lent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 14:1-14. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Human as Divine Non-exclusivism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e8abbe1ccd7abb62d747fb166c7ac9a4.mp3 0819db9323d8cd7a0e1e78bc4c6281fa Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Midweek Lent Series I Choose to Believe, Scripture Text Isaiah 44:9-20, Acts 17:16-31 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040303 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-03-03 Title A name given to the resource About Religion Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 3, 2004 entitled "About Religion", as part of the series "I Choose to Believe, ", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 44:9-20, Acts 17:16-31. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Inclusive Religion https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fcca773596086c525f761def2de68823.mp3 b26127c725ac1fcc85bbc64b32362991 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent I Series Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God Scripture Text Luke 22:14-23 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040229 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-02-29 Title A name given to the resource Remembering The Way He Was Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 29, 2004 entitled "Remembering The Way He Was", as part of the series "Remembering Jesus, Experiencing God", on the occasion of Lent I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 22:14-23. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Historical Jesus Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9dd060e51fbbb28d518f79ae0e3215ee.mp3 f70477a40e2476f90207083f34c34d5d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/20f32dafdee30a7a35138af005ab6b38.pdf 4a03e6dd689e62a11788db0bdedd34b5 PDF Text Text This Quiet Dust A Littlefair Legacy, 3 Ecclesiastes 3; II Corinthians 4:16-5:5 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Ash Wednesday, February 25, 2004 Transcription of the spoken sermon I don't know how many years ago it was that I first received the ashes on my forehead with those somber words, "Dust thou art, to dust thou shalt return," a good number of years ago now, but it happened here. It had never been a part of my tradition growing up in the Reformed Church, which is liturgically challenged. I would rather have thought about it as some hocus-pocos Catholic sacramental act with which I would have no truck, being a good evangelical and reformed minister. Then, I experienced it one day, experienced the momentous impact of that honest moment, "Dust thou art, to dust thou shalt return," a moment of honesty in a world of superficiality. Perhaps it is that I have moved into the latter decades of my own life that I appreciate it so much. I have come to value it and to treasure it as a pastoral moment, as well, a moment of absolute honesty as I look into your eyes, place the ashes on your head and say, "Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return." We acknowledge the reality of our humanity and our mortality. It is a beautiful moment; this service is an oasis, a sanctuary. It is a quiet place away from a world that is so bombastic with media blitzes, its constant barrage of commercials, its excessive celebrations of Super Bowls and All-Star extravaganzas, of Emmys and Golden Globes, Oscars, and all of the superficiality of those so-called celebrations that mark our society. How different is a moment like this. I don't know whether Dr. Littlefair would enjoy this service or not. He never attended an Ash Wednesday service. And he had pretty much done away with the sacramental and the ritualistic in the worshiping community at Fountain Street. And yet, he loved to sit out there and even on the high holy days when we got out all of the pageantry and all of the symbolism of the tradition, I know how much he enjoyed that. We used to speak about the fact that he was fascinated that we could have translated the understanding of the faith while maintaining those accouterments that have been a part of the tradition down through the centuries. So, I don't know whether he would like this service or not, but I do think he would affirm the honesty and the reality of the moment of our facing each other in the face of our mutual mortality. © Grand Valley State University   �This Quiet Dust Richard A. Rhem Page 2   In preparation for the memorial service while I was in Florida, there were those who very kindly sent me some pieces that were important to Duncan. Jo Earl, his secretary, his friend and his caregiver of over fifty years, sent me some of his favorite poems, and when I read "This Quiet Dust," which is on the cover of your liturgy, I knew that I would be speaking about that this evening, having that be the center of our reflection, although at that time I had not yet thought in terms of a series of messages on A Littlefair Legacy. But, I knew tonight we'd be centered around "This Quiet Dust." It was Duncan's favorite poem, because it expressed so eloquently his faith and his understanding. Before I knew Duncan, I knew of him only by reputation, which of course in Western Michigan was not good. An enemy of the faith, to be sure, one who denied and betrayed the great Christian tradition. I suppose that non-Fountain Street folks got exposed to Duncan most often at funerals where there was a kind of obligatory attendance, therefore the necessity of being submitted to whatever it was that came forth from that pulpit, that infamous pulpit. I do remember, on occasion, people who attended funerals at Fountain Street who would come away saying, "That was awful. There was no comfort, there was no word of hope." I didn't know any better until I came to know Duncan and to know him intimately and to come to understand the nature of his religious faith and experience and expression, and then, of course, I came to understand quite a different picture than that which had been rumored about. I got called this afternoon from an old and very dear friend of mine, John Richard DeWitt. We were classmates together in college and seminary, and he called me from South Carolina where he is now serving as a pastor. He had been in Grand Rapids for a few years at the Seventh Reformed Church. The irony was that Dick and I were just the best of friends, loving each other, and in constant contact and communion over all these many years. He was anchoring the most conservative Reformed Church in the nation and I was anchoring the most liberal. When he came to Grand Rapids, Duncan's dear old friend Lester deKoster joined the Seventh Reformed Church which created quite a stir because he is a person of no mean estate in the Christian Reformed Church. Then he brought Duncan to the Seventh Reformed Church to hear Dick preach because Dick is one of the great preachers in the nation. Duncan loved to hear him preach. The people of Seventh Reformed Church were so thrilled that there was Duncan Littlefair in worship and they began to pray for his soul. Fortunately, he didn't get "saved." But, Lester and Duncan, who had lunch together over all those many years, invited my friend Dick to the table at Duba's, and then Dick invited me and that was the original quartet in the corner of Duba's bar. Dick, a conservative, Reformed, erudite scholar and a gentleman. Lester, a dear, crotchety Calvinist of unbending will. Duncan, off the charts. And when I first came to the table, he said, "Now, tell me who you are," and I said, "Well, I was where Dick still is." So this was the table. I'm telling you this simply because today, unannounced, Dick called from Carolina and, of course, we talked about Duncan. I told him how I concluded the memorial message saying that I wanted to share a secret with you that Duncan © Grand Valley State University �This Quiet Dust Richard A. Rhem Page 3   was a man who lived in constant God-consciousness, that he was a man drunk with God. My friend Dick said, "You're right." Now, that's quite remarkable, isn't it, when you think about it? Quite amazing, really. Two people raised in a very conservative tradition, one remaining there, faithful to that tradition, one having traversed the whole spectrum to quite another position. But, nonetheless, both of us bearing witness to the Godconsciousness of Duncan Littlefair. If you were here on Sunday, you perhaps got at least a hint of the nature of that God-consciousness as Duncan experienced it. It was a God-consciousness that was experienced within the one reality of which we are a part. I understood a liberal as one who recognized that the sciences were laying bare the mysteries of the natural world, and the liberal religious scholar was one who finally gave up trying to find knowledge of the world in the Bible, gave up this authoritative text in terms of the knowledge of reality and nature, the universe, and instead listened to what the scientist had to say about the nature of this reality and then sought to find the way to live religiously within that reality. That reality which was laid bare was a miracle, full of mystery, full of wonder. The reality of which we are a part fills one with awe and no one lived with a greater sense of the wonder and the awe, the miracle of life, than Duncan Littlefair. But, as I said on Sunday, if you were a particular kind of liberal, a Chicago School liberal, a modernist, then you didn't look for God in some other realm, you didn't posit a dualism, a realm of nature and a realm of spirit, a realm of the natural and a realm of the supernatural, but you experienced or looked for the Mystery, the creative center of reality within the structures of nature itself. That was the core and the key to the religious experience of Duncan Littlefair, that eloquent spokesman of that Chicago School, that found the richness of life as the location of the mystery of God, that creative center of things, that creative ground of things, that unfolding miracle which we are all living together. It was that which created wonder and awe and caused one to live with growing awareness and appreciation, and consequently, with reverence and with gratitude. When I read "This Quiet Dust," it was as if Duncan had written it himself. Here in my curving hands I cup This quiet dust; I lift it up, Here is the mother of all thought; Of this the shining heavens are wrought, The laughing lips, the feet that rove, The face, the body that you love; Mere dust, no more, yet nothing less, And this has suffered consciousness, Passion and Terror, this again Shall suffer passion, death and pain. © Grand Valley State University �This Quiet Dust Richard A. Rhem Page 4   For, as all flesh must die, so all, Now dust, shall live. 'Tis natural; Yet hardly do I understand – Here in the hollow of my hand A bit of God himself I keep, Between two vigils fallen asleep. I read that and I said, "Wow". Is that not a magnificent and profound expression of a religious naturalism that understands the unitary nature of reality? This cosmic process of which we are the unfolding part, the emerging wonder, this 13.7 billion-year process in which that dust and matter, that material has emerged into life and into conscious life, suffering consciousness, pain and terror and death, this dust reflective, of course, of that creation story as the Creator scoops a handful of the dust of the earth to create the creature, and reflective, too, of that most profound insight of the Christian tradition, that eternal word or intention of God becoming flesh. God becoming human. No one has ever seen God, the one who dwells in love, dwells in God and God in that one. This quiet dust with the potential of the divine in the human - Wow! That's amazing. The writer of Ecclesiastes was a thinker, a poet, a skeptic, sometimes almost a cynic. It's really interesting that that Hebrew writing made the cut in the canon. As I read, he was talking about the fact that animal breath and human breath are the same, an insight way beyond his time of the unitary structure of reality. And then raising the question, even his recognition of the animal nature of the human and the continuity between the animal and the human, and then wondering what happens to that breath or spirit, because in Hebrew it is the same word, Ruach. What happens to that Ruach? Who knows, he says. Does the spirit of the human go upward and the spirit of the mere animal go downward to the earth? He didn't know. The Christian tradition, of course, centered on the resurrection. Paul speaks about something more. He talks about this earthly tabernacle being dissolved. There again, "Dust thou art, to dust thou shalt return." But, of course, with his encounter with that visionary experience he has of the risen Christ, he speaks of being clothed upon. Well, he doesn't know what he's talking about, either. But, he's wondering, and of course we wonder, don't we? Duncan loved "This Quiet Dust" because it spoke so eloquently of the unitary nature of reality that emanated in the miracle of life which was to be savored, tasted, lived fully, celebrated to the miracle, wonder, glory and joy of life. Is that enough? I think we who have been so conditioned by a very traditional Christian understanding speak about something more and when we face death with one another, the clichés trip off our tongues rather lightly, clichés about which I think we don't often think deeply, and I'm not here this evening to tell you about your © Grand Valley State University �This Quiet Dust Richard A. Rhem Page 5   own hope of something more or confidence in something more, or to be honest with you, perhaps your journey has been something like mine where I have come to an awareness of the miracle of life and the living of that in all of its wonder, more and more wondering myself, if this isn't enough, I really don't know. No one knows. This quiet dust now between two vigils. "Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return," but will that dust return again to life and the miracle of it all? You see, we wonder about things beyond our knowledge very naturally. Duncan perhaps could have lived a while yet, but he bargained with his doctor to let him go home, and his daughter told me when I called from Florida that when they took him out of the ambulance on the gurney and brought him into his home, he had the most serene smile on his face. He was home. But, he was home because he was always home. Dear God, what a gift, his life, this life. A year ago, perhaps on All Saints Day, my sermon subject was "The Secret of Dying Well Is Living Well." Duncan lived so well. He died so well, and when I see that, then simply for me, it is enough. References: John Hall Wheelock (1886-1978), “This Quiet Dust.” © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Ash Wednesday Series A Littlefair Legacy Scripture Text Ecclesiastes 3, II Corinthians 4:16-5:5 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References John Hall Wheelock (1886-1978), "This Quiet Dust." Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040225 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-02-25 Title A name given to the resource This Quiet Dust Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 25, 2004 entitled "This Quiet Dust", as part of the series "A Littlefair Legacy", on the occasion of Ash Wednesday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Ecclesiastes 3, II Corinthians 4:16-5:5. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Littlefair miracle of life https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fa26b2fd8598e214ec76e6d05a76ddb2.mp3 ea2375c30f9221dc16c3d0b9987961ee Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany VII Series A Littlefair Legacy Scripture Text Isaiah 46:1-4, Psalm 8 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20040222 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-02-22 Title A name given to the resource One Reality - Rigorous Science, Passionate Religion Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 22, 2004 entitled "One Reality - Rigorous Science, Passionate Religion", as part of the series "A Littlefair Legacy", on the occasion of Epiphany VII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 46:1-4, Psalm 8. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Natural religion