19 24 1045 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a3d167580a2b4fbd3b891cede40ca63f.mp3 61c56323c15b6aef64c25f5f9214ef16 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ee907204a827dc5a7bf8dae933aa7d57.pdf 11cb31aea340c82b2fbd85a5c04dd612 PDF Text Text Just Imagine: The Real Miracle of Easter Easter Sunday, The Festival of the Resurrection Scripture: I Corinthians 15:35-37, 42-50; John 20:11-18 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan March 31, 2002 Transcription of the spoken sermon We have come a long way in a few weeks. If you have been journeying with us, with Jesus on the Road Less Traveled, we have been in some dark environments, and we have felt the heaviness increasing until Thursday evening, the night in which he was betrayed, and Friday noon, the crucifixion. It has been a long way, and in a post-9/11 world, we have felt it more poignantly, perhaps, than at any time that I can remember. In the darkness, as it concluded, the end of the journey, we heard the mixed messages, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”, "Father, into thy hand I commend my spirit," and now here we are on Easter Sunday morning once again, amid the flowers in all of their beauty, and the flickering candles, the magnificent music, and this setting of Easter worship. Is it too bright too soon? Do you ever feel that? Just too bright too soon to move out of that darkness into the splendor of this moment - is it simply too quick a transition? One of our families who faithfully worshiped throughout Lent and entered very, very thoughtfully into that journey with Jesus told me they came Thursday night but wouldn't be here this morning because they simply couldn't move that quickly out of the darkness and into the light. I respect that. I feel that somewhat myself. For, what are we celebrating this morning? What has brought us from that somber and sobering darkness into this beautiful moment? What is Easter, after all? What is it all about? A simple answer which the Church has given down through the centuries, of course, is that obvious answer. Jesus died in order that I might live. Jesus died to open heaven's gate. He lives and now we, too, shall live. Easter is about resurrection. Easter is about that movement from life through death to life eternal. And certainly, that is no insignificant movement and that is no insignificant realization, particularly if, as we celebrated here yesterday, we experience the life of one loved and lost a while. Not an insignificant affirmation if one receives a terminal diagnosis and knows that one's days are numbered. And so, in no way do I want to say that promise of Easter, that Christian hope is without deep meaning and great significance. © Grand Valley State University �Just Imagine: The Real Miracle of Easter Richard A. Rhem Page 2 But, think with me for a moment about that. Is that really what Easter is all about? Is Easter really all about the assurance to Richard Rhem that, at the point of his death, he need fear no darkness, for the light will dawn? I mean, what about all of the history that we have been traversing together? What about the journey of Jesus into the darkness of his day which seems to be replicated all too well in the post-September 11 world when Jerusalem is burning, when Hindu and Muslim are massacring each other, when the globe trembles with the anguish that has it in its grip. Is it really enough to say that Easter is about my personal, ultimate, eternal life? We've done that in the Church, of course. We have made that promise, and again it is not insignificant, but do you feel my question? Isn't there something more? Aren't we brushed into a broader canvas? Isn't there another story going on? My own personal existence is one thing, but what about the whole cosmic movement of 15 billion years? What about the course of human history? What about this creature that we are who comes to consciousness and to awareness and who gives society and culture and civilizations? What about the vast canvas of human history? What about the awesomeness of creation? What about the human possibility, the human experiment? Isn't there more to it than whether or not I live and die and live again? Isn't that a narrow focus compared to the broader question? Haven't we missed what Jesus was all about? Let me suggest to you this morning that perhaps Easter is about human transformation. Maybe Easter is about social transformation. Maybe Easter is about a dawning awareness of something new. Maybe Easter is about the transformation of the world. Maybe all of that in which Jesus was engaged and all of the struggle and the anguish of the human community is reflective of something deeper and something more, and maybe the followers of Jesus in the wake of his death had something dawn upon them that said, "My God! He lives!" Resurrection and the nature of it has been debated and discussed from the beginning. Peter read the lessons, Paul's long 15th chapter of I Corinthians. The Corinthians were Greeks, somewhat philosophically inclined, and there were those who were saying there was no resurrection, and Paul said, if there is no resurrection, I have no message to preach, your faith is vain, our preaching is empty, nothing has happened then if there is no resurrection. But, when he got to try to explain what in the world resurrection was, Paul didn't know any more than you do. Did you hear the torturous way he was arguing about that resurrection? In fact, he starts off that one paragraph by saying, "You fool!" That’s the kind of thing we do with one another when we're not sure, raise our voice, get shrill. Paul didn't know what he was talking about, of course. He certainly wasn't talking about corpuscles. He wasn't talking about a physical body. I thought some years ago I mentioned that Easter certainly wasn't about the resuscitation of a corpse. I really thought everybody understood that by now, but not everybody did. It ruined a few Easters, I think. © Grand Valley State University �Just Imagine: The Real Miracle of Easter Richard A. Rhem Page 3 But, you know, if you just hear Paul, he says flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. What is buried is perishable; what comes forth is imperishable. He talks about a physical body and a spiritual body and, frankly, Paul is going around in circles because it's not about corpuscles for Paul, because Paul was on his horse and on his way to Damascus and the light knocked him off his horse and he had a vision of the ascended Lord and there were no corpuscles there. He had to go into the city and sit there in the darkness for a while and think about it. And what happened to Paul after his resurrection experience was a transformation, an absolute transformation and he was turned around in his tracks. He began to think differently and he became passionate about something of which he could never have dreamed. John's Gospel, written some six decades after the event, John who is dealing with people who have no possibility of any kind of encounter with the corpuscular Christ, tells the story of Mary and she recognizes Jesus. And of course, in the story, she wants to grab him and he says, "Don't hold me, Mary." Well, John is simply saying, isn't he, that this thing is not about bodies? Or, Thomas who missed the Easter Sunday night service, shame on him. And when he's told about the fact that Jesus was there, he says, "I don't believe it. I won't believe it unless I can put my finger in the wounded hand." And then the next Sunday night he was in church and, without coming through a door, no corpuscles there, Jesus - a hand, a wounded hand without corpuscles, can you believe it? There you are, Thomas. Well, Thomas doesn't need to touch the hand, because Thomas suddenly sees something and he says, "My Lord and my God." It is about transformation of understanding, about seeing something, and John writing six decades after the event has to deal with people whose only hope is to be able to believe it without handling it. As a matter of fact, it's not about handling it. It is about finally understanding it, it is finally to see what came to expression when the word became flesh. What was embodied in that life? That is the point - what came to expression, what was the story, what was that initial impulse of the Jesus story that led to the Jesus movement that caused people after his crucifixion to say, "The Lord is risen." Wasn't it that they began to see that in this human one, this human being, God was revealed? So, God is revealed as human. So, human beings are called to be human. And in these past weeks I have suggested that we, contrary to what we assume, are not human, we're advanced primates. But then someone suggested to me that that is a slander on the monkey world. Monkeys don't behave as poorly as we do. But, you get the point. The point is that Jesus embodied something - some truth and beauty and grace flowed through that flesh, and they saw it, and he was crucified, and they were crushed, and they said, "Oh, but he lives!" What lives is what he embodied. What lives is that which he represented. What lives is what he incarnated. God lives. God's intention lives. © Grand Valley State University �Just Imagine: The Real Miracle of Easter Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Easter is about human transformation. Easter is about seeing something. Easter is "Aha! I understand." Easter is Jesus getting through. Sometime or other in the past I put aside this little sheet, thinking some Easter I'd need a message. I came across it recently going through a lot of old materials, and it talks about an imaginal cell, from imagination. An imaginal cell. It is about caterpillars and butterflies. You know, the butterfly is the symbol of Easter par excellence, the transformation. Well, this paragraph talks about imaginal cells. Let us compare our situation with a metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. When the caterpillar weaves its cocoon, imaginal disks begin to appear. These disks embody the blueprint of the butterfly yet to come. All of the disks are a natural part of the caterpillar's evolution. Its immune system recognizes them as foreign and tries to destroy them. But, as the disks arrive faster and begin to link up, the caterpillar's immune system breaks down and its body begins to disintegrate. And when the disks mature and become imaginal cells, they form themselves into a new pattern, thus transforming the disintegrating body of the caterpillar into the butterfly. The breakdown of the caterpillar's old system is essential for the breakthrough of the new butterfly. Yet, in reality, the caterpillar neither dies nor disintegrates, for from the beginning its hidden purpose was to transform and be reborn as a butterfly. What a magnificent analogy. What a beautiful picture. Imaginal cells. Someone named them imaginal cells. I'd love to know the zoologist who did that. I'd love to know why he/she called them imaginal cells. Those are cells that, coming out of the egg, the caterpillar carries with it, and they lie dormant in the caterpillar for a period of time until they begin to make their move and then eventually, in the transformation, they become the imaginal cells. Are they not the cells, perhaps, that imagined the butterfly? And imagining the butterfly, eventually the butterfly becomes the reality of the caterpillar. Imagination, you know, is one of the great human faculties, and we have denigrated it by saying, "Oh, it’s only your imagination." Nonsense. Those who study the human person say the imagination may be that very place where the Spirit of God has the opportunity of imprinting the human mind. The imagination can take human language and create a whole new reality, because when we tell our stories, we create a new reality. Reality is language embodied, and the imagination is that faculty by which we can dream of something that has never been. And what if all of the anguish and all of the travail of the present - what if Hindu and Muslim at each other's throat, what if the Arab world in all of its anger and its terror against us, what if Palestinian and Israeli, what if all of the shaking of the foundations in this present day is the travail and the birth pangs of a whole new world of which we have not yet dreamed? What if Easter is that indomitable © Grand Valley State University �Just Imagine: The Real Miracle of Easter Richard A. Rhem Page 5 human hope, because of that creative spirit within us that keeps pushing us to imagine another way of being, a different reality, a transformed world? What if Easter is about the dawning awareness of that which has never been, except in the intention of God? What if Easter is about something we've not yet dreamed of and even now is underway? Just imagine! That's the miracle of Easter. © 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 Sunday Scripture Text I Corinthians 15:50, John 20:17, 29 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-0-20020331 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-31 Title A name given to the resource Just Imagine - The Real Miracle of Easter 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 31, 2002 entitled "Just Imagine - The Real Miracle of Easter", on the occasion of Easter Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 15:50, John 20:17, 29. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Easter Inclusivism Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8cfa63ff4e4830b86f2d9dd1de1dd45b.mp3 c9d980fbf78c8a802e4a22e87474fb71 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/979a9b01513991c1e1b904ccc27b3d10.pdf db671cf0e6e118a55e62006901ccd63d PDF Text Text The Road Taken Makes All the Difference From the series: Journeying on the Road Less Traveled Scripture: Luke 4:1-13; John 12:12-28 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Palm Sunday, March 24, 2002 Transcription of the spoken sermon "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood and sorry I could not travel both," so said Robert Frost, for Robert Frost knew, contrary to the wisdom of Yogi Berra, that when you come to a fork in the road, you cannot just "take it" You have to choose. We have been following Jesus, journeying with Jesus this Lenten season on the road less traveled, and we come today to Jerusalem and the culmination of that way that he went, because the road that we choose makes all the difference. The Gospel portraits of Jesus are very clear in presenting him as one who lived with intentionality, with a strong sense of identity, following consistently a vision that led him to Jerusalem and finally to crucifixion. So, this morning we find him approaching and entering that Holy City as the culmination of his ministry. Jesus did not begin at this point to make those choices that led him to death, for the Gospels are clear that he had been one who had been choosing the road less traveled consistently throughout his ministry. Matthew, Mark and Luke all give us temptation narratives, Mark simply referring to it, Matthew giving a rather full account, and Luke the account that was read a moment ago. The temptation story is not a historical event, not Jesus out on the wilderness for forty days coming back to say, "This is what happened." But Luke tells us in the opening verses of his gospel that he checked all the sources he could in order to get the fullest possible handle on this Jesus, on this tradition that had grown now for Luke some five decades after the event itself. When Luke wants to paint the portrait of Jesus, at the onset of that ministry, he records this mythical story of Jesus' encounter with the adversary, with Satan, because the temptations that Jesus faced throughout all his ministry were clearly temptations to use his considerable power - to make a stone into bread, serving himself and perhaps socially the needs of people, using his considerable power to manipulate the political system and by compromise and expediency gain worldly acclaim. Or, perhaps, charismatic that he was, using the religious community manipulatively, coercively, forcing belief through some dramatic action of one kind or another. These were not temptations that were there in the very beginning for Jesus, but © Grand Valley State University �The Road Taken Makes All the Difference Richard A. Rhem Page 2 Jesus wrestled from the beginning with those very possibilities which were always open to him. Luke tells us that, once that encounter was over, the Devil left him for a more opportune time, indicating that Jesus was not yet done with the temptation to compromise that to which he was committed. Jesus was intentional about who he was and what he was called to do. John's Gospel tells us that he started out as a disciple of John the Baptist, teaching and preaching around the Jordan. But things weren't going so well there, and he thought it best to move on and that probably represents more than just moving out of the territory. It probably represents his movement away from John the Baptist, the fiery preacher of the judgment of God, looking for the wrath of God to be poured out on that people. Jesus, becoming uneasy with that, finding for himself the model of the suffering servant in Isaiah, the model for his own person and his own ministry, moving up into Galilee in what is called the Galilean Spring, and Luke tells us in the paragraph following the temptation story about how Jesus delivered the prisoners and caused the deaf to hear and the blind to see. Jesus initiated a ministry that was the embodiment of the grace of God, bringing joy and inspiration and healing and liberation to people. Then in the middle of Luke's Gospel, chapter nine, verse 51, Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem, and now we see him there. I had Bob read the account in Luke's Gospel, even though I had lifted John's account in the 12th chapter of John's Gospel. I was going to do John because I was going to point out that John is the only one who uses palms, and palms were a nationalistic symbol, and the people were receiving Jesus as a national hero, and they were ready for him to make some move to restore the dignity and the freedom of the nation. His mounting the donkey in John's Gospel was his own action to correct their misconception of what he was about and who he was. But with things in Jerusalem as they are as we speak, I simply had to go back to Luke's account for he comes into the city as the peaceable king. There aren't even any branches in Luke's account. Then he stands on the crest of Olivet and weeps over the city. "If only you had known, if only you had known the things that make for peace. You missed the moment of your visitation, and now it is hid from your eyes, and there will not be one stone left upon another." Once again, nobody was there with a stenographer's notebook and nobody had their camera at the ready, but what Luke is telling us in placing Jesus there and putting those words in Jesus' mouth is that it was Jesus' way that led him to that point that would have looked over Jerusalem and would have seen the imminent devastation and ruination of that city and that people, for when Luke was writing his Gospel, this was not prophetic, this was not foreknowledge of what was about to happen. You didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know what was going to happen, as a matter of fact, but what Luke was doing five decades later was describing what actually happened, because in the Roman-Jewish War of 66 to 70, the whole city was finally brought to absolute and utter ruin, never again to be © Grand Valley State University �The Road Taken Makes All the Difference Richard A. Rhem Page 3 that place of the Temple and the priesthood and the center of Jewish religious life. And so, Jesus comes to Jerusalem on this day to bring his message finally to the very center and the heart of the leadership of this people, and he can see what is going to happen. I thought to myself, with what is happening in our world today, I can hardly not set that passage before you because it does say what I have been trying to say in these Lenten weeks, both on Sundays and on Wednesday nights, that is that there are two roads, that Jesus took the road less traveled, the way of God's inclusive grace and unconditional love and non-violence, and that way is the only hope of the world. Jesus, as he stands before Jerusalem, is holding out the only hope of the world, and that is to find the way of peace. As we worship this morning, Jerusalem is burning, hostility, terrorism, violence and death is everywhere, and the situation there seems to be almost a carbon copy of that which was going on 2000 years ago, except today the ones who are desperate, the ones who would do the foolish thing of challenging overwhelming power are the Palestinian people, aren't they? What chance did the Jewish people in 66 to 70 have in the rebellion against Rome? Really none at all. It was an act of suicide. But, people can get that desperate so that it doesn't matter. When they have lost everything, then they do the desperate thing which has no hope at all of success, but which is the final sign of their utter frustration, anger, resentment, and hopelessness. We have not visited anything in this Lenten season that we have not visited many times before. We probably have not taken up any themes that we have not reflected on together before, but somehow or other, in the wake of 9/11, it all comes so poignantly before us. It seems so fresh; it seems so contemporary. It seems like these events surrounding Jesus and Jerusalem are happening all over again in our world, and we see these ways that divide. There is business as usual, and business as usual has been the rule for the past 2000 years, for the way of Jesus has not been followed. Business as usual is real politics. Business as usual is the imposition of force to coerce the settlement. Business as usual is that politics that uses whatever force is necessary in order to maintain the status quo or to return things to the status quo, the use of force being necessary to accomplish that purpose. The imposition of force continues to be necessary in order to maintain that status quo. Nothing really changes with the imposition of force. Hearts are not changed, minds are not changed, behavior is not changed. Rather, it is coerced, and so there is a lock put on it and the maintenance of some measure of quietude, however that may be described. The other way is the way of Jesus, the way of peace, which has not been tried. The way of peace which hasn't been tried, of course, sounds so Pollyanna. It sounds rather ridiculous, doesn't it? It sounds like preacher-talk. It is the kind of thing you expect to hear in church, but thank God when you get to Monday morning it is the real world, whether you are in the corporate rat race, or whether you are in © Grand Valley State University �The Road Taken Makes All the Difference Richard A. Rhem Page 4 the military, or political assignment, or whatever it may be, because the real world out there doesn't take Jesus seriously. And yet, you know, when you think about Jesus, in spite of all of the darkness into which we are entering right now, Jesus was not a tragic figure. Jesus was a person of great joy. Jesus was an inspiring personality. Jesus was noted for his table fellowship, the camaraderie of the meal. Jesus was a healer Jesus loved children. Jesus was a human being, Jesus lived a humane existence and created humanness about him. So, I grant you, it sounds silly to suggest in a world like ours, post-9/11, focused even now in the Middle East and in Jerusalem, to talk about the way of Jesus, doesn't it? And yet, when you stop and think about Jesus himself and who he was and what he embodied, has anyone in history impacted human behavior more? Has anyone made a difference in the world more than Jesus? And when someone did take him seriously like Gandhi, look what was effected. And in our own country, in the civil rights era of Martin Luther King, that way of non-violent resistance? For 2000 years it has been business as usual, pretty much, and here we are. We could destroy ourselves, we really could. How much into a corner does Israel have to be shoved before they use nuclear capability? You might say they are smarter than that. What if it is existence or being driven into the sea? And what if, as some young Egyptian student suggested, that a suitcase-sized nuclear bomb could eliminate the problem of Israel? And what if that situation continues to escalate until it becomes a civilizational war which astute commentators are speaking of? We could bring this planet back to the Stone Age where the only thing that would be alive would be some moss on a rock somewhere. Well, I suppose that sounds also like dramatic pulpit rhetoric, but it really isn't. Our world is really in crisis, and business as usual, real politic, the imposition of force, the exercise of power has brought us to the brink of disaster. So, Jesus the Pollyanna, Jesus the silly, unrealistic idealist - there he stands looking at Jerusalem and saying, "You missed your chance, and now it’s hid from your eyes." That is the way it is with us. We can get to a point where we just can't see anymore, and then just awful things can happen. So, Jesus -I don't know, Jesus, but I wonder if with the Internet, for example, if you could come back or somebody like you could get on the Internet, could begin to filter this around the world, could somehow or other grab the attention of the whole global community of people who essentially are people of good will, and take it out of the hands of the power brokers and let the people speak. I just wonder whether there aren't people, multitudes – I wonder if there isn't somebody somewhere that could embody again that which Jesus embodied, because the world is before a fork in the road: two ways, two roads diverge in the yellow wood, and we have to choose which one we will follow. © 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 Series Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled Scripture Text Luke 4:1-13, John 12:12-28 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-0-20020324 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-24 Title A name given to the resource The Road Taken Makes All the Difference 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 24, 2002 entitled "The Road Taken Makes All the Difference", as part of the series "Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 4:1-13, John 12:12-28. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Palm Sunday The Way of Peace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a8b72830c0776e49a895a3fca4c9aef5.mp3 e20bcdf409bf62a9951315843bb7b190 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 The Grace To Let Go Scripture Text Luke 22:39-53 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-0-20020320 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-20 Title A name given to the resource Of Violence 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 20, 2002 entitled "Of Violence", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 22:39-53. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3c2c53f0a835efa1aa713c999f7a8dae.mp3 e64d962b2f04af21d063a46497e6ba96 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 Passion Sunday Series Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled Scripture Text Isaiah 42:3, Mark 13:26, Matthew 6:10 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-0-20020317 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-17 Title A name given to the resource Thy Kingdom Come, Meaning... 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, 2002 entitled "Thy Kingdom Come, Meaning...", as part of the series "Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled", on the occasion of Passion Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 42:3, Mark 13:26, Matthew 6:10. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e3ca8949f223f420b6785b6f2f7019da.mp3 b1e05b1b6112ee971c1eb579c3eca274 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 The Grace To Let Go Scripture Text John 11:44-53, 12:36-43 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-0-20020313 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-13 Title A name given to the resource Of the Need to Control and Dominate 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 13, 2002 entitled "Of the Need to Control and Dominate", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 11:44-53, 12:36-43. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f1b0981263d34719e5eb077a561f33eb.mp3 c413e4fb7527c5f6238d7c50b36d53b3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/60f3249a8f1a68c180150f5380902e74.pdf 9ecfe39f22e274cf23acff515d167b5c PDF Text Text What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? From the series: Journeying With Jesus on the Road Less Traveled Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5, 26-27; Matthew 9:1-8 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan March 10, 2002, Lent IV Transcription of the spoken sermon It is Lent again and we are in the midst of the season, and we take Robert Frost’s very apt description of the road less traveled as the way of Jesus, for he, indeed, chose a road less traveled. We come again to this season and we listen to the stories as we try to sense again what there is about him, one so difficult to follow and yet, one whom we know intuitively is right and is the only hope of the world. Jesus traveled a road less traveled and because of that, that is, because the road is less traveled, the world is in the state that it is in. You will, no doubt, remember the theme of my Advent sermons. Well, of course, you will. "God in the Mirror of Christmas." Never forget it again. That series represented for me an insight, a breakthrough, a new level of understanding which is somewhat a miracle at this advanced age. You may remember when I remind you that how I had said for years and years and years as I came to the Advent season, we celebrate here the one who came and is coming again, right? That is the Advent theme. The one who came and is surely coming. And how for years I spoke of the one who came in humility who will come in great glory, the one who came in poverty as a child who will come in glory to judge and to reign. And all of a sudden I woke up to the fact that those two portraits of Jesus are in conflict with each other, that the Jesus of Christmas is quite other than the Jesus whom we expect to come in clouds of glory, that the God mirrored in the Jesus of Christmas is quite other than the God who sits on the throne and sends the Son to judge the earth and to establish the kingdom. The God of Christmas is the God revealed in the flesh of a human being, a child, vulnerable, humble, poor. The God of the second coming is the God who brings vengeance on his enemies, saving and establishing the elect, to be sure, but causing his wrath to be poured out on all the enemies. As I wrestled with that in the Advent season this year, I really felt I was seeing something for the first time, a tension within the New Testament itself, a conflict in the image of God that was mirrored at Christmas, and that is mirrored in what are spoken of as the last things or the end events. And then rather serendipitously, I had among the pack of books I took to Florida, three particular © Grand Valley State University �What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? Richard A. Rhem Page 2 books that ail reinforced that insight and made it leap out at me and jump off the page: James Carroll's Constantine's Sword, the story of the church 2000 years in its history with the Jewish people and the awful, awful history that the church has over against the Jewish people, Jack Miles, who had written God: A Biography, now Christ: A Crisis in the Life of God, and Walter Wink's The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man. Two weeks ago I had an excerpt in your liturgy from The Human Being, and I have one again today. It is my only hope that this morning won't be totally wasted, that you might go home this afternoon and read it six times and say, "Oh, that's what he was trying to get at." This morning follows up on two weeks ago when I said the stunning revelation that what we see in Jesus is that God is human. The revelation in the flesh of Jesus is that God is human. Traditionally we have said Jesus came from another realm, the second person of the Trinity assumed human nature in order to reveal God in human nature, but as a divine intruder, he came in from another realm and revealed a God of another nature, alien to our humanity. But, the more you look at it, the more you think about it, the more I wrestle with the scriptures about it, what was really happening in Jesus was that, in the humanity of Jesus, we saw God as human. I read from the first chapter of Genesis where the Hebrew writer understood our humankind to be created in the image of God. And in the old Hebrew myth of the Fall, all of the hell on earth is because that image was defaced in the Fall. You have heard me say often enough here that that story makes a lot of sense, but I could understand it better if it would be re-written to say all the hell on earth is because the human being created in the image of God was created potentially in the image of God, and in the emergence, the evolutionary emergence, we see signs, hints here and there of that image of God coming to expression in the human, but we are far from human. Jesus was the human one. But, how far we fall short of Jesus. Jesus, the human one, revealed God and we say we're human? We're not human. We are still advanced primates. Do I have to convince you of that? Go home and turn on your television and the first item will be the terrible, terrible violence in Israel. We see these two people who will destroy each other. Or, get the report on the elections in Zimbabwe, where Mogavi after 20 years of oppression and domination, uses his thugs to brutalize a people who get up at dawn and walk for hours and stand in line for hours to cast their ballot, hoping for a change, and knowing all the time that it is rigged and fixed and the domination and the oppression will continue, the corruption and the graft. Or, go to Afghanistan. Need I say more? Or, you might yet hear the news report to Congress from the Pentagon about designing smaller nuclear weapons to be able to use on seven targeted countries, including China, Russia, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Libya. My God, people, as a representative from the Brookings Institute said, over against the claim from the © Grand Valley State University �What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Pentagon that this isn't really a change, he said, "Oh, yes, it's a change. What it is is the regularizing of nuclear weapons." Don't we know? Do we think because we are the most powerful, do we think that we can throw our weight around to the extent that we can tell every other nation to disarm and to get rid of their armaments while we design more? Do we think somehow or other that God has made us sovereign? Well, are we human? Here and there, a hint of a humanness breaks through. But we are advanced primates. We are still pre-human beings, and to say that Jesus reveals God as human is not to pull God down. It is to say that that call to us to be like God is a call to us to be human. When I read my books, particularly the one by Walter Wink from whom I have given you a second excerpt today, I was just amazed how strongly was reinforced that sense that I had of that conflict built into the very New Testament itself, between the God revealed in Jesus at Christmas - poverty, humility and grace and that God of the second coming who will wreak hell on earth. You remember perhaps two weeks ago that I said Walter Wink points to Ezekiel's vision of God in the first chapter of Ezekiel where Ezekiel sees this vision of the throne and that one, that figure, is one, as it were, human, and Ezekiel is the one who is constantly addressed by that one as the human being. “Son of man,” it is, but son of man is translated as human being. So, we have Jesus taking up that vision of Ezekiel and that designation as son of man, human being, for himself so that Jesus goes through the Gospels talking about himself as the human being, the son of man translated every time you read it as human being. You have Jesus as that human being bringing to expression his understanding of God. That is today what I am trying to say - what comes through in the Jesus story? Walter Wink, in the little excerpt printed out for you, says there are certain questions. Before he was worshiped as God incarnate, how did Jesus struggle to incarnate God? Before he was worshiped as God incarnate - that's what happened, isn't it? Jesus as human being was elevated more and more and more until he became God. It happened already in the New Testament, and it came to culmination in the 4th and 5th centuries in those creedal formulations: Jesus of Nazareth elevated to be son of God, divine deity. But, before that, when Nicodemus went to see him, how did Jesus embody God? When people met him, when they encountered him, what did they experience? What came through to such an extent that before long they are calling him God? What came through in the Jesus story? Before he became identified as the source of healing, how did he relate to and how did he teach his disciples to relate to the healing source? I read the little story in Matthew. He heals the paralytic and they are amazed, and Matthew says in the eighth verse they glorified God that God had given such authority to a human being, to human beings, plural. Matthew is saying what © Grand Valley State University �What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Jesus did was not just that Jesus did it, but that a human being did it, that there is in human beings the power to heal and the power to forgive. So, before Jesus was singled out and set apart, when he was just one of them and he encountered the paralytic and he said, "Your sins are forgiven and rise up and walk," what was it? What did they see in him? What did he elicit in the paralytic? Was it not a human being looking at another human being and seeing in that human being God, the divine, the healing power itself? And all at once, they took him out of the midst and set him apart, now he becomes the healing source. But, before that, how did he relate to the source of healing? Did he not somehow or other live in the stream of a recognition of God whose very nature is to forgive and to heal? Before forgiveness became a function of Jesus’ cross, how did he understand people to have been forgiven? He extended the forgiveness before he ever died. If you go according to traditional atonement theology of the church, you have to say that Jesus anticipated the fact that he would die for the sins of the world, so in advance, he let him off the hook. Isn't that ridiculous? Jesus extended forgiveness because Jesus believed that it was God's nature to forgive. God didn't need a pound of flesh. God didn't need a blood sacrifice. Jesus extended forgiveness as a human being to another human being because it was his conviction that that is the way reality is, that is the way God is. What comes through in the Jesus story? What was it that flowed out of him? We speak about Jesus as the revelation of God. Revelation. Once again, in our long tradition of the church, we talk about revelation theologically as though, somehow or other, God breaks in from some other realm. That is not the way it is. Revelation – somebody has an idea, someone has an experience. Moses, fumbling around in the wilderness, struggling with his past and his experience in Egypt, about his own people, suddenly looks up and there's a bush on fire. He hears a voice, he gets a call, he goes on a liberation mission to deliver the children of Israel. Moses had an experience that became a revelation and founded a people. Buddha had an experience. It was an individual, subjective, life-transforming experience, and what he experienced found resonance in others and in generations, founding a whole civilization. What happened to Jesus was not different from that. Jesus was a human being. He had a consciousness of God. His consciousness of God was that God was against all forms of domination. If you read the writing by Walter Wink, you will find him describing domination and it is his sense, as he reads the Gospel (that is the best lens through which to understand Jesus), that Jesus stood against all forms of domination, that God was non-violent and all-inclusive. That was what came through in Jesus. That is how Jesus experienced God. That is what Jesus embodied. That is the impact Jesus made on those around him, so that a community was formed. Now, that community failed to live very long in terms of that initial coming to expression, because already, as I said, in the New Testament, there is this movement to a second coming and quite a different idea of God. But, initially at least, what came through in Jesus was an understanding of God as non-violent and as all-inclusive, © Grand Valley State University �What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? Richard A. Rhem Page 5 and, if you believe that, and if you begin to pick up followers, and if it gives indication that it might become a movement, then if you are in power politically or religiously, you have to kill such a person, because that vision is very dangerous. That vision can start a whole revolution. So, you have to crucify the author of that vision. And, of course, that is exactly what happened. It’s one thing, of course, for Jesus to have been in the peasant crowd, an itinerant rabbi in occupied Israel, speaking the way he did. Speaking the way he did in his context, it is rather obvious that those who were downtrodden and oppressed would have been drawn to his vision. To be sure, he paid with his life for it. But, you know, it is quite another thing when you are in 2002, when you are a part of the American nation, affluent, powerful,-when you are the shakers and the movers of the world as we are, thank God we made Jesus into a cult figure. Thank God we made Jesus the savior of the world. Thank God we said he came from heaven to die on the cross for our sins and returned to open heaven's gate. Thank God we did that, because if we hadn't done that, we would have had to deal with the real Jesus, and to deal with the real Jesus will get us in all kinds of contradiction. To deal with what came through in Jesus, intuitively we know it is true. Intuitively, we know Jesus was right. Intuitively, we know that Jesus' way is the only hope of the world. Intuitively, we know that Jesus was the light of the world. Once again, he wasn't the only light. He wasn't the only one that had an idea, an experience that blossomed into a great movement that had positive effect, but for us, that is where we go. We go to Jesus, and what comes through in Jesus is so contrary to the power arrangements of our world, that we have to make him a salvation figure, and we cannot really afford to see him as a human being who lived as we live in the context of history as we are, because it contradicts us every time we turn. I don't know what to do in Israel. What do you do in Zimbabwe? What do you do in Afghanistan? What do you do about nuclear weapons? If the world were like Jesus, then we wouldn't need any of that, and I am not a pacifist. Some of you may be. If you are, you're closer to Jesus than I am. But, I know sometimes violence is necessary. I think of the Second World War. But, I know that pacifists are right and Jesus is right to the extent that, if we don't follow the way of Jesus, at some point we will destroy the human story and the human possibility. I am not despairing. I am not without hope, because God is full of grace, and God will never give up on us. But, if we would, this Lenten season, face honestly what comes through in the Jesus story, we would have serious wrestling to do with how we negotiate 2002 and Century Twenty-one. The one thing at least we ought to do is admit, "Jesus, I can't follow you. It's too tough. It's too costly. Intuitively, I know you're right, but I just can't go there." That would be more honest and more authentic and more God-pleasing than to sing, "Hallelujah, what a savior!" © Grand Valley State University �What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? Richard A. Rhem Page 6 References: James Carroll. Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 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 IV Series Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled Scripture Text Genesis 1:27, Matthew 9:8 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References James Carroll. Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews: A Hisory, 2001, Walter Wink. The Human Being: Jesus and the Enigma of the Son of the Man, 2001. 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-0-20020310 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-10 Title A name given to the resource What Comes Through in the Jesus Story? 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 10, 2002 entitled "What Comes Through in the Jesus Story?", as part of the series "Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled", on the occasion of Lent IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 1:27, Matthew 9:8. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives All-Inclusive God as non-violent Lent https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d82a7a3ac888ba86e32ce268e411a231.mp3 6076b3612e4cbd5246e370b00d1fec2a 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 The Grace To Let Go Scripture Text I Corinthians 13:1-7, Luke 10:38-42 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-0-20020306 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-03-06 Title A name given to the resource Of Resentment and Grudging Obedience 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 6, 2002 entitled "Of Resentment and Grudging Obedience", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 13:1-7, Luke 10:38-42. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3ce0fc8553ca8bc09cd434060c6760e3.mp3 ee0b4bf40082acb28e50d42e9660648a 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 The Grace To Let Go Scripture Text Matthew 16:13-23, 26:69-75, John 21:15-23 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-0-20020227 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-27 Title A name given to the resource Of The Need to Win 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 27, 2002 entitled "Of The Need to Win", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go", on the occasion of Midweek Lent. Scripture references: Matthew 16:13-23, 26:69-75, John 21:15-23. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/762372bc29f22591476ae6f031ff5e43.mp3 81c6c0c2bfa0c896e4e2298e07e8b31b https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f8cc95f7270dd837d47f9cc42680287a.pdf afd4071da2a36e9d510fdf431185c8ac PDF Text Text Jesus the Human Being: A Stunning Revelation of God From the series: Journeying With Jesus on the Road Less Traveled Text: Ezekiel 1:26; Luke 9:55-56 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 24, 2002, Lent II Transcription of the spoken sermon The “Reading from the Present” is in your liturgy. You can take it home. Read it this afternoon about five times and then you may get some hint as to what I was trying to say this morning. It is a writing from Walter Wink, who has done a very interesting study and has published a book now entitled, The Human Being. As we journey on this road less traveled with Jesus in this Lenten season, the thing that I am hopeful will come through to us is what came through in Jesus. I'm hoping that we can see through Jesus to what came to expression in Jesus. I'm going to try to chip away this morning at an idea that I hope will continue to come through this Lenten season, so that you can look back at Lent 2002 and say, “That's when Dick hammered us over the head week after week with the idea that it was not Jesus per se, but what came through Jesus, what came to expression in Jesus." I make that critical distinction because you see, in the Church, in the tradition of the Church, we have come to worship Jesus as God, and that was the farthest thing from Jesus' mind, that he should have been ever considered anything but a human being. The elevation of Jesus to Godhead was the creation of the ancient Church, centuries two through five, in its creedal formulation which borrowed from the very technical, philosophical language of the Greek philosophical tradition. Jesus never said, "Worship me." Jesus said, "Follow me." We can understand how that happened. We speak of incarnation, the Christmas miracle. We speak of God being embodied in Jesus, and one of the things that that elevation of Jesus to the status of deity has done is it has preserved over the centuries the story itself. We can see, in retrospect, how that process took place. But, it's very important for us to realize that it was not Jesus' intention that he be worshiped, but that he be followed. Now, how do you give expression to what came to expression in Jesus? They said, "My God!" They said, "It was as though God were with us," and it was just a tiny step to go beyond to say, "Jesus is God." But what they were trying to say was that, in the experience of Jesus, they had the experience of the nearness of God, © Grand Valley State University �Jesus the Human Being: A Stunning Revelation of God Richard A. Rhem Page 2 of the grace of God, of the compassion of God, of the love of God. And so, beginning in the Gospel of John, the fourth Gospel, we have this very high doctrine of, teaching of, incarnation: famously, in John 1:14, 'The word became flesh and dwelt among us." Or, as John says in the 14th chapter, "Jesus said, 'If you have seen me, you have seen the father.'" Or, as Paul says in II Corinthians 4:6, "We have seen the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." You've heard me say that over and over and over again. Jesus is our window to God. Now I want to make a subtle shift which is terribly important. What we have done traditionally is we have said that God became other than God is, assuming human nature, thereby revealing the nature of God. So, for God to become human was to move out of deity into humanity. Now, what if we just turned that around and said, as a matter of fact, what happened was that Jesus revealed, not the divinity of God, but the humanness of God? What if the stunning revelation is this - that God is human? What if Jesus, being a revelation of God, did not take Jesus becoming something other than God is, accepting, assuming another nature foreign and alien to God? What if the stunning revelation is that one looks at Jesus and says, "God is human." I can imagine all sorts of bells and whistles are going off in your minds, and all sorts of questions being raised, but just let's think about it for a moment. We think that we are human. But, we're not human. Now and again, here and there we act humanely. Now and again, here and there we manage to be fully human according to that ideal that we carry with us. But, for the most part, we are inhuman. We are people on the way. As Walter Wink says in the insert that you're going to read five times this afternoon, we are not yet human. We're mere promissory notes. We are mere intimations of what it would be to be human. Therefore, as another scholar has said, that famous missing link between the primate and the human that is always thrown up as an argument against evolution, that missing link isn't missing at all. It is we. We are still primates in so much of our life and human society. The stunning revelation is that God is human and calls us to be human in the fullness of the humanity as it was manifested in Jesus. Now, that's something to think about. Let me give you a little background. I read from the first chapter of Ezekiel. The phrase "son of man" in Ezekiel occurs 93 times. That is a lot. The phrase translated "son of man" is in the Hebrew, bin Adam. Remember Adam? He was the husband of Eve. But, that really wasn't his name. It was A-dam, a creature of the earth, a human made of humus. Bin Adam is “a son of the human.” Now, in Ezekiel's vision, it's a marvelous vision. If you read the insert five times this afternoon, read the first chapter of Ezekiel six times. It's the throne vision. It's that fun vision that is celebrated in the Negro spiritual, "The Wheel Within the Wheel." It's called the throne vision and in the opening paragraph of the first chapter, Ezekiel says, "I saw a vision of God." It's a vision, a vision. This vision of God comes down to the verses that we read, where © Grand Valley State University �Jesus the Human Being: A Stunning Revelation of God Richard A. Rhem Page 3 the prophet goes out of his way to say, "I don't really know how to describe what I'm trying to describe. It seems like this. It seems like, as it were. It had the appearance of..." Finally, he says, "It was as though this one who was revealing himself to the prophet was human." Now, let's go to the Gospels. What self-designation did Jesus use over and over and over again? Son of Man. He always called himself the son of man. He never called himself Messiah. He never called himself son of God. He called himself son of Man. Son of man translated is bin Adam, or the Greek translation of that Hebrew phrase. It is interesting that the early Church took all of the exalted titles possible and attributed them to Jesus, so that the whole creedal elevation of Jesus in the early Church was by use of titles that were exalted. The early Church never used son of man in its creedal formulation. Why? Well, the best translation of son of man is human being. Some translations would say mortal, or human one, but Walter Wink, and I think he has good basis for this, said, "I think the best translation for the phrase 'son of man' out of the Greek language would be Human Being." So, what Jesus is doing in the Gospel, whenever he refers to himself as the son of man, is referring to himself as a human being. Frankly, the Church was never very comfortable with that. The Church was never able to write any hymns or creeds that celebrated the human being, because, after all, weren't they trying to celebrate God in Christ? Surely they were. But what was missed was that the God in Christ was human. Far beyond the humanness that you and I have yet achieved, for we are people on the way and lagging all along the way, but the stunning revelation is that what came to expression in Jesus was the humanity of God. I don't have time this morning to try to go back in those Creation stories and the human being created in the image of God, but what I see in this is that our calling to be like God is a calling to be fully human. When Jesus has set his face to go to Jerusalem, and he goes through Samaria, the Samaritans aren't happy with him because there is a jealousy, a terrible racial violence between Jews and Samaritans, and so they are not happy at all that he is going through Samaria to Jerusalem. The disciples recognize the resistance that he is receiving and James and John are nicknamed in the Gospels the "sons of thunder," no doubt with a reference to Elijah, the great Hebrew prophet. They say to Jesus, "Let’s call down fire from heaven." Colloquially speaking, they said, "Let's blast the brothers." I don't know how they thought they could call down fire from heaven, but after all, Elijah did and consumed the prophets of Baal, so maybe it would work again. Let's show them who we are. In a good Bible with a footnote, a very well-attested reading adds Jesus' words, "You don't know what spirit you are of, for the human being (the son of man) has come not to destroy human life, but to heal it." Now, that, I believe, is pretty solid biblical basis for seeing Jesus in his full humanity as a revelation of God as human. Therefore, the call to us to be God-like is a call to be not something other than we are, alien to our nature, but to be fully human, and the calling to us as a © Grand Valley State University �Jesus the Human Being: A Stunning Revelation of God Richard A. Rhem Page 4 community is to be humane. That is not a bad place to leave it on the threshold of our annual meeting as we celebrate this community. I mentioned Wednesday night to the pilgrim band that comes for Eucharist during Lent, the irony that it is in the Bible Belt, that it is in the religious ghettos, that it is in the places of the high concentration of conservative Christian congregations that there is altogether a lack of humane existence, that there is fear and divisiveness and an excluding of people left and right. To me, that's an irony. It says to me that maybe the people who are left in the Church by and large, in a generalization which is always dangerous, are so fearful, fearful of being pulled into this full humane existence, fearful of that which is human, striving to be divine, as it were, not recognizing that to be divine is to be human, if the revelation of Jesus is the true revelation of God. It is an irony that we have the greatest difficulty in tight Christian communities to be open to the other, to that which breaks the mold. I am grateful for this community. As we go into this congregational meeting, I'm grateful for this community that inclusion here is more than a catchword, that we have learned the inclusivity of the grace of God and that we practice it. That we stand on our identity statement published every time we publish a liturgy, that this is a place that is open to all, regardless, that we are open to all manner and condition of humankind, because we celebrate God as creator who, in the creative initiative, has brought forth a magnificent prodigality of diversity. We have also learned here that Jesus is our window to God, but not the only window, so that we can be open to people of other faith traditions. For, what we have learned is that our religious formulation and structure is a human, creative, imaginative construct. We made it in response to a vision, in our case, a vision of Jesus who learned a vision from Ezekiel, and the whole Christian Church in all of its forms and structures is our response to that mystery of God that came unveiled in Jesus. We respect and honor great traditions who follow other windows into the mystery of God that will always remain a mystery. I am thankful that this community is open to all people, no matter where they are on their faith journey, and to those who cannot articulate any faith at all, but simply are seeking, and who need and desire a community of compassion that is humane. Tonight is the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games. It has been a wonderful 17 days, beginning with that magnificent opening ceremony. If you have watched over these past couple of weeks, you have seen humanity at its best. Have you seen the faces of the camera focused, and those faces so alive, so beautiful, on bodies so trained and taut? And then, the parade of the nations, a symbol of the global community more eloquent than any sermon I could preach. In the exhibition of skating last night, with the pressure off, Michelle Kwan, who was supposed to get the gold, skating gracefully and beautifully with her face wet © Grand Valley State University �Jesus the Human Being: A Stunning Revelation of God Richard A. Rhem Page 5 with tears for the gold that she missed, and the people loving her all the more. Or, the Canadian pair and the Russian pair whose skating brought out the supposed scandal of judging and therefore, a double gold this year, and there they were bound hand in hand, arm in arm, body to body, the four of them in a most magnificent display of reconciliation and peace. I'll tell you what - the human possibility is so magnificent. Where there is love, where there is grace, where there is humility, freedom, and openness, dear God, what we could become! What we could become is human, by God. That's a stunning revelation. 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 Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled Scripture Text Ezekiel 1:26, Luke 9:55-56 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. Augsburg Fortress, 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-0-20020224 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-24 Title A name given to the resource Jesus, the Human Being - A Stunning Revelation 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 February 24, 2002 entitled "Jesus, the Human Being - A Stunning Revelation of God", as part of the series "Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled", on the occasion of Lent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Ezekiel 1:26, Luke 9:55-56. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Humanness of God Lent The Son of the Man https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ffa493ed26d56fc1d27e5ecaecf8892d.mp3 c8af50964acef07981b89065c10529ed 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 The Grace To Let Go Scripture Text Luke 2:33-36, Mark 3:19-35, John 19:25-27 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-0-20020220 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-20 Title A name given to the resource Mary and Her Son 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 20, 2002 entitled "Mary and Her Son", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 2:33-36, Mark 3:19-35, John 19:25-27. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/78d550f632de2eb9e04cff141cf77670.mp3 806d969257ffea6b13a09c49ffc668df https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/06f0b0d95bd8b1b7924e6176420cc401.pdf cec5b429274fac8b11b38cb5b843c95a PDF Text Text This Do; But Why? From the series: Journeying With Jesus on the Road Less Traveled Text: Luke 22:19,1 Corinthians 11:24 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Lent I, February 17, 2002 Transcription of the spoken sermon Once again the Lenten season. Once again "Journeying with Jesus on the Road Less Traveled." That is the Lenten theme for 2002. We are here again, and it all seems so familiar, and yet, it is all new and fresh, which is the amazing thing about the Gospel story. With each returning Lenten season – to focus once again on Jesus, on his life, on his fate, on that which emerged in the wake of his life and death and the experience of his presence living with them – all of that never seems to grow old or ordinary. And so, once again, we will journey with Jesus on the road less traveled. The road less traveled is a phrase which, to a contemporary audience, probably calls to mind the book by M. Scott Peck by that title, The Road Less Traveled, of which I guess there have been some six million published, a book that was on the bestseller list of The New York Times Review of Books longer than any that I know. I paged through it quickly; I didn't see any reference in Scott Peck's book to the origin of that phrase, but really it is a poem by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken," and if things work out according to schedule, we'll conclude this Lenten journey to the threshold of Holy Week with that poem rendered beautifully as an anthem. But, in the meantime, we want to journey with Jesus on the road less traveled. The road less traveled would indicate that there's a fork in the road and, contrary to that profound, contemporary philosopher Yogi Berra, who said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it," a fork in the road demands of us a choice. We cannot take both arms of the fork. Sometime along the way, we meet that fork in the road and we have to decide where we will travel and how we will travel. Jesus met such a fork in the road at some point. We want to be examining that in these weeks. Last week we did hear the question that John the Baptist raised to Jesus. He sent his disciples to Jesus to say, "Are you the one, or do we look for another?" because John had heard rumors about a marvelous ministry in which there was joy and grace in Galilee, and it wasn't exactly the blueprint that John had envisioned for Jesus for whom he had been a mentor and a guide. But Jesus, obviously in the struggle to determine his own call and identity, when faced with that fork in the road to follow John and his preaching of righteousness and the © Grand Valley State University �This Do; Buy Why? Richard A. Rhem Page 2 apocalyptic nearness of the end, took a road less traveled. He went another way and, in going another way, he found himself on the way to the cross. We have been to the table this morning. The table is set with bread and cup, the bread is broken and the cup is poured out. It doesn't seem, in the sanitized version in which we experience it as a congregation in 2002, to represent what, as a matter of fact, it does. It was John Dominic Crossan here one Lord's Day, I think on the first Sunday of Lent, who reminded us that when you have bread and cup separated, speaking for body and blood separated, you have a sign of death and a violent death. And so, when we come to the table of our Lord, we are confronted with the reality of his violent death, which was a consequence of the journey on the road less traveled. Jesus made his way and the end of it was crucifixion because of that for which he spoke and which he embodied, which was nothing less than the love of God in the midst of our human darkness. As we journey with Jesus during these Lenten Sundays, we will be journeying on the way we have gone several times before. It is not new for this congregation, and I really don't have much that is new, except in nuance. But I was reminded of the way that we have come together over the last decade or decade and a half. My own experience, for better or for worse, eventually proves to be your experience and, as I have been wrestling in earlier years with Jesus, I came to see Jesus less as some God figure and more as a human being who was the embodiment of God. I came to see Jesus in all of his humanity. As the liturgy said a moment ago, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. It was April 15 of 1984 that I preached the sermon, "Jesus, You Are Really Somebody," and that was a bit of a watershed for me, because it was as though, in dismantling some of the Christological, creedal formulations of the second and third and fourth and fifth century Church as the Jesus movement became the Christian Church and the established Church of the Roman Empire, I began to see through that Christological, creedal formulation and began to feel the flesh of Jesus. Contrary to what might appear to be happening, that is, that I was pulling Jesus down to my own size, rather, Jesus became for me a man magnificent in what he was and how he was. My estimate of Jesus, my admiration for Jesus, my amazement before Jesus grew in proportion to my seeing him as my brother. Seeing him that way, I began to see him in the way that he was and the way that he walked and the life that he lived. I began to see him in a light that I had never appreciated when, for me before, he had been a divine intruder, a God-figure coming in to effect a salvation for the world. I began to see him in a totally different light and a phrase began to be repeated here, particularly during the Lenten season, "Jesus died the way he died because he lived the way he lived." I remember it was in 1993, Palm Sunday, when I made the rather bold declaration in the title of the message - "Jesus Did Not Die For Our Sins; Jesus Died Because of Our Sins." It was the darkness of the world that rose up and said © Grand Valley State University �This Do; Buy Why? Richard A. Rhem Page 3 "No" to Jesus, which was, in effect, saying "No" to God. That is the light that began to dawn for me in the life of Jesus, what he embodied, and consequently, what he met in his violent death. And so, here we are again ready to journey with Jesus on this road less traveled, and we have been to the table this morning. Actually, the message should precede the table, for the Word should illumine the act to follow. But then, how do we get the kids out of here on time? So, we go against good liturgical practice; we do the act and now I'm going to say, "Why?" Jesus and the institution as Paul passed it along, as Luke passed it along, says "Do this. This do." And I ask, "Why?" Well, obviously, first of all, and it is in the text itself, "Do this in remembrance of me." For we are historical figures, rooted in history, and unless we continue by some means to call to mind, we forget and we lose. And so, Jesus, in good Jewish fashion, or the followers of Jesus in very natural Jewish fashion, fashioned a ritual, a sacrament, for they had been remembering for 2000 years. The last supper, whether it was technically a Passover meal or not, we can't really be sure, but it was in the manner of the Passover meal, and the Passover meal was an annual celebration of their being set free from Egypt under Moses. It was the Passover supper on the night of their deliverance that they celebrated, and in their years of faithfulness, they celebrated every year and the Jewish community to this day still keeps Passover, remembering that they were slaves in Egypt and they were delivered by the mighty hand of God. In the beautiful statement of Moses in the Book of Exodus, in the words of God, "See how I have brought you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself." Year by year by year by year, thousands of years now, the Jewish community has remembered and they have maintained their sense of identity. And Jesus and the community around Jesus, the immediate disciples, obviously fashioned a sacramental celebration by which the community would continue to remember, would continue to remember Jesus, to remember, to call to mind, to come back again and again to this founding person, this founding story, to remember Jesus. Every great religion has something that it remembers, that marks it, and there are others who have been luminous with revelatory grace in the history of humankind. But for us, it’s Jesus. Jesus is our window into the heart of God and so, just as he, a Jew, was remembering the deliverance of Moses, so the Church for 2000 years has been remembering who it is, who is its center, and what it is called to be, because in that early movement and down to this present day, we believe that something, something came to expression in Jesus, and it is that which came to expression in Jesus to which we are called again and again in order that it might continue to come into expression, in order that the God embodied in Jesus and the manifestation of that grace and power that was there in that life, in order that that same manifestation may continue to be experienced in the ongoing course of history. © Grand Valley State University �This Do; Buy Why? Richard A. Rhem Page 4 It is not as though we worship Jesus. It is not as though we seek to emulate the journey of Jesus. It is that in the journey of Jesus we see that that was it! God was there! This one, this one, with a human face was reflective of the depths of God. That is our story, you see. That's what has made us what we are, and so Jesus said, "Do this." Why? In order always to remember, not simply to hark back to that past, although in harking back to that past, we are reminded of that past in order to be reminded what came to expression. Do you follow me? Sometimes I think that I am so simple and so clear, and then somebody goes out afterwards and they make a comment, and I say, "Oh, my goodness. I must have been so dull." Or, maybe they were, who knows? You see, the tendency is always, the tendency has been, to make Jesus a cult figure and the tendency rather early on was to turn that whole event into a salvation cult as though somehow or other God was able now to forgive the world because Jesus died for the sin of the world and, frankly, I think that is to evade and to avoid that to which Jesus would call us, that which came to expression in Jesus. What came to expression in Jesus is what needs to come to expression universally in order that this world may be transformed. Jesus said, "Do this. Do this to remember. Don't remember in order that somehow or other I might mean something other than I am. Do this to remember me in order that you may be what I am. Do this in order that the dynamic that is set afoot here may become the dominant mood and dynamic of the world." It’s the only hope of the world. They weren't kidding when they made Jesus the light of the world, the hope of the world, the savior of the world. He said, "Do this." Why? To remember, and maybe I could add, to stand in solidarity with, not only see it and admire it, but to stand in solidarity with it. As we read in the first letter of Peter, he has given you an example that you follow in his steps, to remember the teachings of Jesus, to remember what he embodied, and then to say "Yes, yes, yes. Somehow, by God, yes," failing often. Simon Peter is set before us this morning, denying often, betraying often, yet never able finally to give up that struggle to be in solidarity with Jesus, to be in the uniqueness of our own person, in the uniqueness of our own historical moment, to be what Jesus was in his embodying God, the God who is love, the God who calls for justice, for compassion. Ah, do this, because every time to feed on Jesus, to say it in that way, is to gain that inward strength once again to be in solidarity. © Grand Valley State University �This Do; Buy Why? Richard A. Rhem Page 5 And then just this, and I don't even know how to say this. To remember, to be in solidarity with, and to experience in the depths of our being the mystery that is God. I grew up in the Reformed faith with a liturgy that comes out of the 17th century which was in the wake, of course, of the 16th century Reformation and the break from the Catholic Church, and that liturgy was didactic. It was a theological statement. Every i dotted, every t crossed. It was a statement of justification, in a sense, of the break from the Roman Church. It was a statement that appealed to the mind, it was an intellectual and a rational description of the understanding of the doctrine of the atonement which was the center of the table or the bread and the cup. That is what marked that post-Reformation community. Intellectual definition, rational explanation. I have envied those of you who have been raised in the Roman Catholic tradition or high Episcopal or high Lutheran, Anglican, because you always knew there was something more operative than that which could be stated in a proposition, in a creedal clause. Some mystical dimension, some encounter within the depths below a rational mind, the subconscious or the unconscious, some encounter, some experience of God which cannot be defined. Now and again it happens in sacramental action. That’s what ritual is about, calling us again and again to a certain practice and, lo and behold, now and again, there is a light that goes on, there is a movement of grace, there is the brush of an angel wing, and that, hopefully, also is at least an occasional experience when we do this, remembering, being in solidarity with, but being open to that dimension of the Spirit that is not at our disposal, but now and again graces us if we have at least some thin, mystical thread within the fabric of our being. Nancy and I had a lovely evening with three Revs. Van Hoeven and their wives, our dear Gordon and Dorothy, and then his cousin Doc and Shirley, who are members here, and then his brother Jim and Mary, and Jim has been a longtime, close friend of mine and conversation partner. We had an evening in which we partied very well and laughed a lot. We laughed until we cried, and we told stories. We remembered stories. Gordon told stories on me way back into the sixties, and it was a delightful evening. Somewhere in the midst of it, I don't know how it came up, but Jim, who is a good theologian and a good thinker, said to me, "You know, recently Mary and I were in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City, that cavernous space, that holy space, and the smell of incense and the mighty choir and the great organ, and I was moved, and I said to Mary, ‘The Jesus Seminar doesn't build cathedrals.'" It was a deep, profound insight you see, because, just as I grew up with the liturgy of the Lord's Supper, which was didactic, rational, explaining everything, just so, in our search for the historical Jesus – whether it be Dom Crossan or Marcus Borg or Amy-Jill Levine or Paula Fredriksen, or whomever – sorting through all this stuff, trying to get down to the real core of it, it's not enough. Finally it is that kind of total commitment in the presence of a mystery that transcends us. And when we come to this table, when we engage in this © Grand Valley State University �This Do; Buy Why? Richard A. Rhem Page 6 community, when we pray and we sing, now and again, here and there, something happens and we keep doing this, not because grace or Spirit or glory are at our disposal, but we keep exposing ourselves in the midst of the mystery, longing to be touched. Jesus said, "Do this," and as we do it, we remember and we are to go in solidarity with him and the way he went, on the road less traveled, and at the end of it all, the road we take makes all the difference. © 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 I Series Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled 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-0-20020217 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-17 Title A name given to the resource This Do, But Why? 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 17, 2002 entitled "This Do, But Why?", as part of the series "Journeying With Jesus On the Road Less Traveled", on the occasion of Lent I, 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 Journey Lent Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9948f1b02a20a52b02bda5b2c2656f64.mp3 620c5fa2a3c60d5d6ef1c9d3607e6ac8 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 The Grace To Let Go, Scripture Text Psalm 31:1-5, 11-18, Luke 23:44-49 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-0-20020213 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-13 Title A name given to the resource As Death Approaches 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 13, 2002 entitled "As Death Approaches", as part of the series "The Grace To Let Go,", on the occasion of Ash Wednesday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 31:1-5, 11-18, Luke 23:44-49. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e135833ad88e1f62206874f07b80aaf9.mp3 894f7a71026c8ff47282e675fa4ee6a6 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2c01c39fd02c38e6204cade9dce08527.pdf 8b5abddc36a9f754c1290e759f949c87 PDF Text Text From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human Epiphany V Scripture: Psalm 103:1-18; Matthew 11:2-19 Text: Psalm 103:14 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 10, 2002 Transcription of the spoken sermon Last week I, as I suppose many of you, watched the Super Bowl taking place in New Orleans. Because of 9-11, the game was moved back a week, consequently right into the center of Mardi Gras. And, as we have come to expect with television these days, it is a string of commercials interrupted occasionally by football. And then, even less frequently, there may be an interview of some interest, and with Mardi Gras being on in New Orleans, the capitol, and all of that in the midst of the Super Bowl celebration, one of the television journalists interviewed a local New Orleans person who talked about the celebration of Mardi Gras as he had experienced it growing up as a second or third or fourth generation New Orleans person. He made the point that it was a wonderful festival, a wonderful family time, that it was really a time for family and friends to enjoy each other and to celebrate together and he made the point that what the media camera catches about Mardi Gras is not really what it's all about. It is not, after all, he said, one big orgy. It is just a good, decent family celebration, and I'm sure that he is right, and I'm equally sure that the cameras will try to find whatever is at its naughtiest to bring us from New Orleans and the Mardi Gras celebration. But, as the interview was going on, I thought to myself, "Native of New Orleans who celebrated many Mardi Gras, I wonder if you really know the deep background of Mardi Gras." He gave no indication of knowing that place out of which it arose, or the reason for it arising, which is the fact that, in the wisdom of the ancient Church, there was a recognition that it is necessary to have a certain rhythm and balance in life, and so the Christian Year is structured such that one moves from feast to fast to feast to fast. (C. S. Lewis, in his Screwtape Letters, has the old Devil commiserating about God's wisdom and giving people that rhythm, feast to fast to feast to fast, where it is always the same, yet always new.) In the interview, I didn't see any acknowledgment of that background, really, in the ancient Church where, on the threshold for example of moving into the solemn and sobering period of Lent of forty days, license was given to have a grand party, to pull out all the stops and to celebrate. © Grand Valley State University �From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human Richard A. Rhem Page 2 This morning we have a taste of it with some foot-tapping music and there are Paczkis, and you're invited to indulge to your heart's content, but in the real celebration of Mardi Gras, there is this full release of all that is a part of the human person, the human animal, the recognition that to honor the human is to give opportunity for the expression of the full gamut of that which constitutes us as human beings. So, Mardi Gras was a party that started out as an opportunity to let go and to release and to get it all out of your system as you moved into the somber time of Lent which was marked in the tradition of the Church by self denial, which we have come to mark more in terms of the cultivation of some added dimension of our spiritual experience, not necessarily repression or self-denial, but spiritual enrichment. Nonetheless, in the ancient practice of the Church, there was this emphasis on self-denial and prior to it, on the threshold of it, a grand party, and there was wisdom in that, because we are, after all, creatures who are composed of body and soul, soul and spirit, material ,physicality, sensuality, spirituality - all dwelling within our skin. But, of course, the Church has always also recognized the risk and has been squeamish about the expression of our humanity in such a fashion. I was reminded of this in a book I read while I was gone, Constantine's Sword, by James Carroll. You'll probably be hearing me quote this thing a time or two every week for the next ten weeks or so. It has to be one of the ten best books I've ever read. James Carroll was raised a very observant Roman Catholic. In his childhood and his adolescence, he had a very devout mother who led him on pilgrimages and exposed him to the finest and the richest of spiritual experience in the Catholic tradition, to the extent that he eventually became an ordained priest and even a member of the Jesuit Order. Eventually, James Carroll came to his own personal conviction that that was not what he was cut out for. He left the order. He is a writer, a journalist, married, with a son and a daughter. He continues, according to his own description of himself, as a faithful, if critical, Roman Catholic. The point of my story is this: the Church has always been squeamish about the expression of the human, particularly in its sensuality, its physicality, in its bodily expression, and James Carroll, wanting to bring his wife and his two children on a pilgrimage to Europe where he had grown up, where his father had been in the upper echelons of the military in Germany after the Second World War. They came eventually to St. Peter's itself, in Rome and, as they approached, the Vatican guard stopped them and would not let them enter because his little daughter, just a child, had her knees exposed, because she had a little mini-skirt on. James Carroll, who was raised in the very heart and center of the Church, deeply traditioned, priest and Jesuit, and all the rest, says in this book that he saw his little daughter humiliated at the doors of St. Peter's. Suddenly it rushed over him – everything of which he had experienced a failure of the Catholic Church, that © Grand Valley State University �From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human Richard A. Rhem Page 3 failure being the denial of the human, that squeamishness before the full humanity and its expression. I could identify a little bit with him because I had been turned down at St. Peter's myself for wearing Bermuda shorts and, taking many people there over the years, I always warned them to bring a scarf and have their shoulders covered, and fully covered kneecaps. Nonetheless, what he experienced was a moment of insight. He credited his non-Catholic wife with being more adept at dealing with situations like this than himself. The wife took the little girl off to the side and kind of skinnied her little skirt down until it covered her knees, and then took her sweater and covered her bare midriff and they went through with flying colors. The story, of course, simply points to that which has marked so much of the Church, its moralism, its inability to deal with the flesh. Now, I started out by saying the Mardi Gras was particularly that opportunity to do that. But, on the other side of the coin, the Church has been so crimped and so cramped in the full expression of human being. When I read Carroll's narration, I was reminded of a story of my own which happened over thirty years ago down in Williamsburg, Virginia, looking at some of those old Colonial buildings and taking a tour of Williamsburg. We came to this building, a lovely building, an upstairs hall, lots of windows, nice wooden floor, and over in the corner there were some wine vats and then some chairs stacked up. The tour guide said, just matter-of-factly, that in this hall on Saturday evenings the community would gather for a dance and enjoy a glass of wine together in this space. And then, on Sunday morning, the chairs would be set up and the community would return for divine worship. As I heard that, there was an experience, a moment for me precisely like the moment for James Carroll at the door of St. Peter's. For at that advanced age of my life, wine had never touched my lips, nor had I ever danced one step or the two-step, or whatever they danced when I was growing up, out of religious and moral scruples. It wasn't just that I am clumsy, which I am, but I could not dance. It was one of the things I could not do. As I stood there that bright, summer morning in this hall flooded with light with its wine vats and its dance floor and the chairs that on Sunday were filled with worshipers, I had one of those "Aha" moments, one of those Epiphany moments when I realize that I was living a truncated existence, that there was a whole spectrum of life of which I was not a part, which was civil and decent and lovely and grand, and I had been so crimped that there was no balance in my life, no balance between Saturday night spent in an enjoyable fashion and Sunday morning spent in religious devotion. I didn't know those things could go together. And so, for me, it was also a moment of insight and I realized that there was something lacking in my own traditional experience and nurture, and frankly, in my ministry. This morning, I tell these stories simply to make the point, as we are on the threshold of another Lent, that it is in the honoring of the full spectrum of our © Grand Valley State University �From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human Richard A. Rhem Page 4 humanity that we best honor God and best find our own human fulfillment, for we have in the Church not done a very good job of honoring that full spectrum. The Psalmist speaks so profoundly in this regard when he speaks of the love of God. Certainly there is sin and transgression, but he says, as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is God's love for those who fear him, and as far as the east is from the west, so far has God removed our transgressions from us. And then he goes on in what I think is just so profound: "For God knows our frame; God remembers we are dust." And, of course, it is a reference to the Creation story where the Creator in the midst of a garden of delight, Eden, a garden of blessing, forms the human being out of the mud, the stuff, the earth, and then breathes in the breath of life so that that mud becomes a living being or a living soul. What the Jewish people have known and maintained in terms of balance so much better than we in the Christian Church is that the whole human being is made up of that physicality and spirituality, and that both must be honored and allowed to come to expression. What happened in the New Testament, and you can take a line from Paul to Augustine to John Calvin, and you have a terrible distortion of the human being. Paul hinting at original sin. It was Augustine who formulated the doctrine of original sin, and of course, it was trumped by Calvin, as well, in the Reformation period. But, to take the Creation story which in its Jewish format is a story about the Creator creating a creature who has physicality and spirituality, who is put to a test, who fails the test, but who is tested again and fails again and tested again and fails again. There are about four falls in those early chapters of Genesis. There is not a "Fall," as though there was an original couple that ate an ancient apple that marked forever the rest of the human race. To do that to the story is to miss the story and all of its profundity. But, that's what happened in the Christian Church so that, to be human became synonymous with being sinner, and so to be human was not something to be trumpeted, but rather almost something to be ashamed of, something that needed to be screwed down and restricted and repressed and, consequently, many of us have lived with a bad conscience about that shadow side, to use Jung's term, and have lived with the denial of much of our humanity that is simply a part of being a human being with physicality and spirituality. Mardi Gras at its best was the attempt to allow people to kick over the traces and have a ball, to be just a little bit naughty, if you will, but to enjoy themselves fully, fully cognizant of the fact that they were entering into a period when they were called to more sober reflection and the pursuit of spirituality. If we would honor the image of God within us, if we would allow humanity in its wholesomeness and healthy fullness to come to expression, then we'd have to recognize that rhythm from feast to fast, from party and celebration to serious intention and disciplined spiritual experience, and to do this is to allow the fully human to come to expression. © Grand Valley State University �From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human Richard A. Rhem Page 5 It isn't easy. I think the Psalmist, as I said, expressed it as well as it could be expressed. God made us human. Why would God condemn what God created in the human that is physical and spiritual? Jesus ran into it. John, good old John, fire and brimstone preacher looking for the end, all torn up by all of the degeneracy around him, John who had introduced Jesus now has questions. There was too much joy in Galilee for John's liking. There were stories about too much joy connected with Jesus' ministry for John's liking. He sent his disciples to ask, "Are you the one, or was I mistaken? Aren't you the real item?" And Jesus gave him a very ambiguous response. He didn't defend himself, just didn't define himself except by his deeds. He said, "Go tell John what you see - the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame are walking, the prisoners are released." And then he said a very interesting thing, "Happy is the one who is not offended in me." There have been a lot of very sincere, devout, religious people who have been offended in other religious people who have had too much fun, who have enjoyed life to the fullest. And Jesus couldn't have affirmed John more than he did, but he said, "You know what, the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than great old John." And then he said to the people, acknowledging the fact that this is not an easy thing, "I don't know what to do with you, because it is like children in the marketplace saying, 'Hey, we wanted to play weddings and you didn't want to play weddings. You didn't want to be happy. So, we said, 'Well let's play funerals,' and you said, "We don't want to be sad, either.'" He said, "I don't know what to do with you. John comes neither eating or drinking and you say he has a demon. I come eating and drinking and I'm possessed." It is not easy. Happy is the person who is not offended in another person's joy and expression of their spirituality in a celebration. It is ironic that this morning between services one of my dear old friends came up to me and said, "I got a letter from a friend of mine telling me how awful is Christ Community and how terrible are you. You wouldn't believe it." I said, "Oh, yes, I would." Happy is the person who is not offended in the joy and the celebration as we seek to give expression to the fullness of our human nature, after all, in the image of God. Lent is coming, but in the meantime, have another Paczki. References: James Carroll. Constantine’s Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History. New York: Houghton Miflin Company, 2001. © 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 Epiphany VI Scripture Text Psalm 103:14 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References James Carroll. Constantine's Sword: The Church and the Jews: A History. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2001. 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-0-20020210 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-02-10 Title A name given to the resource From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human 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 10, 2002 entitled "From Feast to Fast: Honoring the Human", on the occasion of Epiphany VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 103:14. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Celebration of Life Epiphany https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b8f93deeb6c4a2e9f61e3a498a5f9a0b.mp3 b254c42ba391c7e2ece0d476d67fb48e https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3180fc8932f33414f0e739203d9fa66a.pdf 323527025feab968f374db11c16919fa PDF Text Text The Best Is Yet To Be Epiphany Sunday Scripture: Isaiah 60:1-7; Revelation 21:1-4, 22-27; Matthew 2:1-12 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan January 6, 2002 Transcription of the spoken sermon On this Epiphany Sunday, I want to make a bold declaration that the best is yet to be, the best is yet to be in terms of the cosmic journey and the human story. Obviously, that is an affirmation of faith which is beyond verification, and yet, it is an expression of the trust that we have as a people of faith, as the people of God. It is possible in any given present moment to be paralyzed by the darkness. It is possible in this present situation in which we find ourselves as a nation to be paralyzed by the shock of September 11. In your insert I had printed a piece from The New York Times of October by David Kennedy, which, when I read it, I thought was good to give me perspective, and I thought it might give all of us perspective. It is a piece that I will not read, but simply refer to, for he makes the point that the nation was very jittery, very uncertain, full of fear and trepidation in the wake of that shock. And then he goes on to remind us that we have been there before, that the darkness has been there before, that the fear and the uncertainty have been there before. He points, first of all, to Pearl Harbor to remind us of those days, and yet, as I thought about that, I realized that one really has to be on Social Security in order to remember that. So, there are a couple of generations who would not be able to refer back to the anxiety, the angst of those days. But to be reminded that in those days there were German U-2 boats off our Atlantic coast sinking our shipping, that provocateurs were landed in Florida and New York, that on the West Coast they were so fearful of a Japanese invasion that they cut off radio signals, they moved the Rose Bowl from Pasadena to the Carolinas, and, with one of the dark blotches on our history, Japanese-Americans were incarcerated out of fear and suspicion. And then he goes on to remind us of those Civil War days and Revolutionary days, and the fact that there has been darkness before. There has been fear and uncertainty before, and he concludes with a positive statement about the resilience and the creativity of the people of this nation, and I thought on the first Sunday of a New Year, on Epiphany Sunday, it might be good to be reminded that the darkness has always been with us, but that the Epiphany © Grand Valley State University �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 2 theme, the light has dawned upon you, the light has visited you, is a word that we might well meditate on and contemplate as we try to put our present experience in perspective; for there has been darkness and the announcement of the light is not a denial of the darkness, not a denial of the harshness, brutality, the violence and so much horror that has marked the human story. No, the announcement of the light is a statement in face of all of that, in spite of all of that. It is a statement of faith. It is an expression of hope, it is grounded in a deep trust. In John's Gospel, as he tells the Christmas story, we have those famous words of the word becoming flesh, and in that context he says the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it And so, this morning, I want to weave a little biblical thread, a little biblical tapestry for you which is witness to that constant confidence of the people of God in the light that has shined and will never be extinguished. In the Advent series I did not use the words of Isaiah 9:2, but we did read them in the late service on Christmas Eve and you will recognize them immediately: "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light." That was the eighth century Isaiah. He is also the one in the eleventh chapter who spoke about the shoot from the branch of David who would come to judge with justice and equity and who would bring about that state of things where the lion and the lamb would lie down together. And there was second Isaiah who picked up those themes. He is now in the exile situation in Babylon where the people of Judah had lost their faith and had tended to move toward the gods of the Babylonians, after all they were the victors. And that prophet began with the words made famous by Handel, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people,” says your God. “Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold your God."' And he is the one who spoke about the return in all of the glory and brilliance and brightness of those passages. The people did return, but it wasn't all so bright and glorious, and so, third Isaiah, in the context of those first waves of refugees returned, had to encourage them again. He said, "Arise, shine, for your light has come. The glory of the Lord has shone upon you." He makes reference then to the nations coming to Jerusalem, the wealth of the nations being brought into the city, and the kings of the nations bringing their gifts, from which, of course, Matthew borrowed the picture in order to tell the story of Jesus, for after third Isaiah and his encouraging words, there was a period of drought and darkness, frankly. And then, Jesus is born and the impact of Jesus causes Gospels to be written and Matthew, in telling his story, goes back to Isaiah and uses that name from Isaiah, Emmanuel, God with us, and he borrows the picture of the kings bringing the wealth of the nations and he tells about the Magi who followed the star who came to adore and to offer their gifts. © Grand Valley State University �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 3 That was written, you have to understand, after Good Friday. So, he was aware of the fact that the darkness had come on with its unnerving power in that darkest of all afternoons when the son of God was crucified. But it was post-Easter, you see, when those gospels were written, and the post-Easter church was convinced that the one who was crucified was not dead at all, for they experienced his presence and his power and his life throbbing within their life, and so, when they told his story, they told the story of the kings coming with their gifts and the star bright with light because they believed in that vision which they borrowed from third Isaiah and second Isaiah and first Isaiah - that hope of Israel that had come to expression in many ways and forms through many prophetic voices. Then, of course, the persecution set in and in that little Jewish Jesus movement, there was one John, who was exiled for his faith to the Isle of Patmos, and on the Lord's Day, in the Spirit, he received a vision, a vision of the new Jerusalem, and once again, speaking about Emmanuel, God with us, God with God's people, and borrowing from Isaiah 60, he speaks about the Holy City glorified, and the gates of the city always open, and the temple there, and no night there, for the Lord God was the light of the city, and the kings of the earth brought their wealth. So, you have a whole tapestry, a biblical tapestry from the Hebrew scriptures through the Gospels through that picture of the consummation of all things and, running through it all, is that wonderful assurance that the light has dawned and the darkness would never overcome the light. What do you think? Is it just wishful thinking? Every time a historical epic was entered into with hope and light was announced, it seemed to come to nothing. Oh, those prophetic voices gave hope to God's people, and that’s no little thing. People of God were encouraged and they were lifted in their spirit and they did go on. As a matter of fact, the dream never died, and that is not without its significance. But, I wonder - is it just wishful thinking? Is it what it ought to be, what the best of the human imagination wishes and imagines it could be, but finally the old world just keeps grinding on its way by power and might, greedily acquiring wealth and seeking preeminence? It is interesting, isn't it, that the dream was always dreamed by an insignificant ragtag remnant of people. Can you imagine the chutzpah, the audacity of that dream as it came to expression from Isaiah? Who were these people, anyway? They saw themselves as living in the navel of the earth. Goodness sakes, all of the nations were going to come, they were going to flow into Jerusalem. There's a prophetic theme we speak of as the exultation of Mt. Zion. Mt. Zion would be lifted up and all the nations would flow to her, and she would teach Torah. She would teach God's law and God's truth. And in that prophetic vision, as beautiful as it is, there is talk of righteousness and of justice and of peace. There is a portrait of human well-being, human community. But, it's always dreamed by those who have not a prayer of effecting it or implementing it, and old Isaiah in the 8th century was wrong. Second Isaiah was simply wrong. Third Isaiah was wrong, and Matthew was wrong, and the Revelation of John was wrong in terms of history having entered into some ultimate © Grand Valley State University �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 4 point where the light would flood and scatter the darkness. We're two millennia beyond that. So, the dream has been alive for nearly three millennia, and it's always been dreamed by a rag-tag remnant of folk who may well be right, but have not the power to make it right. How could they keep dreaming it? Well, they believed in God. They believed in a God beyond the stars who at some point would intervene and would effect what had been promised. They believed in a sovereign Lord of history that would bring all things to its consummation. And, if I were to preach to you this morning the way I preached for many, many years, and the way I suppose these passages are preached in 99 and 44/100% of the Christian pulpits of the world, then what I would say to you is, "Wait. Hold on. Keep on hoping. Keep on praying for, though the times move on and the reality never comes to realization, nonetheless, trust God. It will be so. Let us pray." I can't do that anymore. I don't want to be just one more voice saying one more time all of those same old things and send you forth saying it was good to be there. Nice sermon. Because, you see, I don't believe that some God beyond the stars is going to come in and fix it for us. Is it just wishful thinking? Is there really nothing to it, then? No, I want to say to you this morning that I believe in the message of Epiphany more than ever I have in my life. I believe that Jesus is the light of the world more strongly than ever I have in my life. I've preached all these things in traditional fashion and believed them, but I never believed them strongly enough, because I never felt existentially gripped by the fact that, my God, Jesus is the light of the world. The difference now is that I come to see that, the light having dawned upon us, it is incumbent upon us to make the light come to its realization in human well-being. I realize now how true it is that the light has dawned upon us. We have seen the heart of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ has mirrored God. Jesus Christ has mirrored a God crucified. Jesus Christ has mirrored a God who wins by losing. Jesus Christ has shown us the way. But, we have not followed him. We do not need more light. We really know, and one of the blessings of the tradition of which we are a part – rooted in the Hebrew prophets and the Greek philosophers and Roman law, Western civilization – one of the great blessings of this grand tradition is that we have come to see that which allows the human spirit to flower and to flourish, and we know that which constitutes human well-being. But the problem is that those who have dreamed the dream have never been able to implement it, because they've been the rag-tag remnant of humanity, the minority report always, a voice crying in the wilderness. How could the dream possibly keep alive? Well, as I said, they believed in God. But, more than that, the dream is true! It touches the deepest reaches of the human soul. It's true! We know it's true. The New Creation where there's not a child that will die in infancy and an old person die without the fulfillment of years, where people will plant gardens and eat the produce thereof © Grand Valley State University �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 5 and build houses and be able to dwell in them, a land where they will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain. We know that is true. If only a super power, if only a super power believed the dream. A super power, for example, that had amassed power and was willing to yield it up, had amassed immense military might and was willing to lay down its arms, had amassed vast economic resources and would use those to turn the earth into a garden. Then that dream would not be so fantastic. Then that dream would not be so unrealistic. Then it might be possible to effect the dream and to implement the vision. You see, the dream is true. The dream didn't tumble out of heaven somewhere. The dream was placed by the Creator Spirit in the depths of the human heart. The dream has lived on through all the darkness because, finally, that dream will never be defeated. Finally, that dream will continue to obtrude itself upon human consciousness, until finally somewhere, sometime, some people make it happen. And, in the meantime, to live in the light of that dream, in the meantime to have our own behavior affected by that dream, in the meantime to be the earners of that light and that life. Ah, one could grow cynical. One could despair. Suddenly the war on terror takes second place to the war on the economy, for the son learns from his father that it is the economy, stupid. And so, all of the engines of power will be turned on in order to regenerate this monster that we have created which is not our servant, but of which we are slaves. One could wonder if it can ever be. And yet, the dream won't die, and there have always been a minority of people who have believed that the best is yet to be. A people who have kept the dream alive, who refuse to quit, have refused to be silent. Maybe in the long run, if we really want to take the long-range view, maybe a million years from now, they will look back on us and say, "You know what? That was the childhood of our species." Maybe it takes millennia but, whatever it takes, we dare not deny the dream, for the light has dawned upon us and we are people of the light and to live in the light is to live even in the darkness humanely and to know the mantle of God's grace. Is it just wishful thinking? Or, is it time for us to do something about 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 Epiphany Sunday Scripture Text Matthew 2:9, Revelation 21:24 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-0-20020106 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2002-01-06 Title A name given to the resource The Best Is Yet To Be 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 January 6, 2002 entitled "The Best Is Yet To Be", on the occasion of Epiphany Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Matthew 2:9, Revelation 21:24. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Epiphany Jesus Light of the World https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/908cae5b762dd98fed27ff247ff2e69d.mp3 0bcc8ec7601ecf3a8081cd643a3d9238 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f008c3ea5017deaa825aa01d74acfb42.pdf f30c79e5e18d38ed4b442139201723e3 PDF Text Text Leaving Bethlehem Christmastide I Scripture: Philippians 3:12-16; Matthew 2:12-18 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan December 30, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon We have been to Bethlehem again and we desperately needed to go, didn't we? We needed to experience once more the Christmas mystery and miracle. And as I said last week, after having spent a couple of hours in a rehearsal for the Christmas pageant, it always seems to happen again and never disappoints us, because I think there is something deep within us that knows the truth. There is some deep intuition that the love that came down at Christmas is the ultimate truth, and that the only real power in the world is the power of love. All other power is penultimate and can only finally be overcome. The power games of the world issue in somebody on top for a while, to be toppled by another, in an ongoing desire to be number one. But there is something deep within us, when we celebrate Christmas, when we bow again at the manger, when we go to Bethlehem, there is something deep within us that knows that that is the final truth. And so, this year especially after 9-11, we had to go to Bethlehem to be reassured and to let it happen again, wash over us, to experience it once more, and indeed, we have done that and it has been good. We have found again that our hearts become more tender and the world becomes a softer place, and that is because it is true. Sometimes I have celebrated Christmas with the angels' songs about peace on earth and wondered how could it be, when will it be? I remember one year preaching on the subject, "Peace on Earth: Promises, Promises," or "Peace on Earth: Wishful Thinking?" wondering if it maybe was just a delightful fairy tale that had no relationship to the hard reality of the world. But, this year, in our long Advent journey which has been more demanding than usual, we have discovered something else. We have discovered a tension within the New Testament itself, a tension between the God who is mirrored in the Christmas story and the God who is mirrored in the so-called Second Coming of Christ in power and glory to judge and to reign. We have discovered that the God who was mirrored in the Christmas story is a God who was mirrored as a child, a human face, that the insight of Christmas, the deepest insight of Christmas, is that God is a God of love without coercion, and that the kingdom of God will not come through any way but through the way of the child or the human. That is where the © Grand Valley State University �Leaving Bethlehem Richard A. Rhem Page 2 tension is, of course, because the God we want, the omnipotent God, almighty God, that God is mirrored in that Second Coming which is the Advent theme. "When the Lord of glory comes with power to reign." But, that is in contrast to what we see in the manger of Bethlehem. That is in contradiction to the God mirrored in the Christmas story, and, as I have said to you numerous times in these past few weeks, I never felt the tension until this year. I am sure it was because we are all wrestling with what kind of a world is it going to be and what kind of response must we make, now that 9-11 has happened, and that everything has changed? Well, really nothing has changed, but our illusion has been stripped away and we have come to see how vulnerable we are. Then we go to Bethlehem and we see the vulnerability of a child, and we find that the God mirrored in Christmas is the vulnerable God who moves by love or doesn't move at all. So, we have gone to Bethlehem. Our deepest intuition has been confirmed, our trust deepened, our hope renewed. Dear God, it was important to go to Bethlehem this year. But we cannot linger there, can we? We have to leave Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary had to leave because the idyllic picture painted for us in the Christmas stories of the mother and the child and the animals and the manger and the star hovering overhead and shepherds adoring and angels singing - that idyllic tale was a light set in the darkness, and before long, Joseph had a dream once again and that was that he had to take mother and child and flee the area, to go to Egypt because Herod was going to seek and destroy the child. Those Wise Ones whose visit we will celebrate next Sunday, they too had another dream and had to depart, bypassing Herod's royal palace, going to their own country in another way. And we, too, leave Bethlehem, for that world which is always with us, that world filled with violence and hostility and especially now so vividly before us, a world at war, a world where terrorism is a terrifying threat for our every move, a world that is hunkered in for the long haul of a very intense struggle. And so, we have to leave Bethlehem. And as we leave Bethlehem, the question that I would raise with you is, What difference will it make that we have been there? What difference will it make as we return to our world that we have adored at the manger of Bethlehem? What difference will it make in our response to the world that we have seen God mirrored in the Christmas story? Will it be simply business as usual? Or, will this journey have made some difference to us, impacted our thinking, changed us, transformed us, and become a catalyst to send us back as transforming agents in our world? I suppose that I am a hopeless idealist when I hope that we have knelt at Bethlehem and really seen something life-changing. As I said a few moments ago, peace on earth? Who are you kidding? Peace on earth? Promises, promises. Peace on earth? Get real. And what I see this year as never before is that there is a connection between the manger and the angels' song. It is not a coincidence that © Grand Valley State University �Leaving Bethlehem Richard A. Rhem Page 3 the angels sang about peace on earth and good will among humankind in connection with the birth of the child. That story, created as it is with all of the beautiful accoutrements of angels and shepherds and stars, that story was saying something and it was saying something intentionally and profoundly, and it is that there is a connection between God mirrored in a child and peace on earth. That's what has hit me so strongly in this Advent journey that has brought us again to Bethlehem, and now, as I leave, I wonder what difference will it make? Have I been changed and altered, has my world come into a different focus? As I said last week, we are a good people, we American people, a good people at the pinnacle of power who have been impacted by the Christmas story. That is our dilemma. We have imbibed the Christmas story and intuitively we know it's true, and yet, what can we do with it? When we leave Bethlehem, what will we do with what we have seen and experienced once again? Ah, the Wise Ones had to leave and go another way. And I read that paragraph from Paul just as an example of the exertion that there is in walking this Christian way, this way of Jesus. Paul, in a rather personal and individual way, spoke about his own experience of being scrupulously religious and then having been captivated by the vision, been set free from all religious performance, was free to go into the world and to press for that goal for which he had been captivated. The Christian life, too, is a life that calls us to an exerted effort to do something, to become something. Not in order that we might gain salvation, but having seen something, to do something with it. Not attaining, but pressing on, forgetting those things that are behind and pressing forward, having seen something new, to do something with it. And here we are, American people, a Christian people in terms of this community, and we have been to Bethlehem. Now we depart. What difference will it make? I think about the Middle East right now, and as I was thinking about this, I thought what is going on there is a microcosm of our world. What is going on in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a microcosm, because there is Israel that has all of the moral fiber of tradition over centuries and millennia, that moral law, all of that which comes down from Moses shaping that people, and they have power, and they are dealing with an alienated people, a people who have been made homeless in some respects, a people who are poor, people who seem to have a lot of sense of being victim. And what is going to happen? I see it as a microcosm because I see a powerful force with a moral sense over against an alienated, disaffected people. You know what I am afraid is going to happen one of these days? I am afraid that the pressure that we put on Israel is going to be relaxed just enough or be disregarded, and Israel with its power, is going to move in and dominate and simply put its thumb on that region and hold it by power. Sick of all the conflict, sick of all the suicide bombings, sick of all the stone throwing, sick of all of that. Sick of all the constant violence and danger and peril - sick of it all. Get out the © Grand Valley State University �Leaving Bethlehem Richard A. Rhem Page 4 tanks. Get out the guns. Get out the army. Reduce it to a state of enforced peace. That could happen. How long would it last? How secure would Israel be? It reminds me, you see, that that is a little piece of the globe right there, but it is a picture of the whole globe. It reminds me of the Christmas story when Rome ruled the world. It was the great super power. Roman legions enforced the peace. We speak of the Pax Romana, which was a peace enforced. It was a peace enforced by legions and swords. It kept things in good order. But underneath the enforced peace was the seething underbelly of the human family, and imperial Rome was not the place that God chose to bring the child. Herod's court was not the place for the birth of the child. The power games and structures that are a part and parcel of the human scene in history are contradictory to that which is ultimately true and which we have spotted once again at Christmas. All of our strategic planning, all of our military might, all of that is in contradiction to that which is revealed at the heart of Christmas. And so, we leave Bethlehem, and what are we going to do? I don't think there is any question abroad about whether or not we need to pursue the terrorists. But there are voices being raised about how much military might do you use to go after a network of people. But even that is not the issue. The real question for us, leaving Bethlehem, is how we will approach the global community and the global situation in the wake of 9-11. The U. S. A. has exactly the same power position that Rome had and, during the Cold War, it was a standoff between us and the USSR. It was a standoff, there was a balance of terror, and we all did our things fairly decently and fairly well. There was order! Might, power can ensure order. Let's acknowledge that. But once, through our own strategic planning and cleverness, we brought the USSR to its knees, what happened? The world unraveled with all these civilizational groups rising up and all these conflicts around the globe, and now we're the lone super power. What are we going to do? Are we going to try to maintain that position by force and might? Are we going to create an anti-missile shield with billions and billions and billions of dollars in order to protect ourselves? Are we going to continue to go on and muscle our way through the world in order to maintain economic advantage? Are we going to go on into the world in all of its diplomatic relationships, throwing our weight around? Or, are we going to see that, in a position of preeminent power, it is precisely our prerogative now to yield up some of that power and to begin to think globally? And if we would begin to think globally, giving billions and billions of dollars to international organizations, working through organizations like the United Nations and the World Court, working for global environmental control and working to rid out poverty, disease in Africa, homelessness and all of the anguish that is a part of the human scene, then we might begin to find a way for humankind to dwell securely. It is only when power yields up its prerogative that © Grand Valley State University �Leaving Bethlehem Richard A. Rhem Page 5 there is the possibility for peace on earth. There is no accident between the angels' song and the birth of a child, and there is no accident between international policy on the part of a world super power and the condition of the human family. It is for us, it is in our court and, if we have seen God in the mirror of Christmas, I suppose it’s too much to ask, isn't it? I suppose that I am a hopeless idealist, that masses of us who have knelt at the manger will say, "Oh, my God," and then rise up, changed. In a couple of weeks in this place there is going to be a seminar on a Sunday afternoon led by a peace group advocating non-violence, and they presently are in Israel in the midst of the crossfire between the Palestinians and the Israelis. This peace team is going to be here on the 13th of January, talking about an alternative. There is room for good conversation about the use of force, about pacifism, about non-violent resistance, and this is a place where that conversation can take place, because what we create here is a forum. There's no party line. There is diversity of opinion, and we honor that. But, I want to go on record to say this, dear friends, acknowledging the complexity of the situation, acknowledging only a limited knowledge and understanding, this I want to say - if you have seen God in Bethlehem's child, then you know wherein lies the possibility of peace on earth and, when you leave Bethlehem, you have a hard choice to make. © 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 Christmastide I Scripture Text Philippians 3:13, Matthew 2:12 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-0-20011230 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-12-30 Title A name given to the resource Leaving Bethlehem 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 December 30, 2001 entitled "Leaving Bethlehem", on the occasion of Christmastide I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Philippians 3:13, Matthew 2:12. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Christmastide Way of Peace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c6f4dfb01f6850a4dd016cb750d03404.mp3 af74006ab262521afcb1df5812ef4979 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 Christmas Eve Scripture Text Luke 2:1-4, 1Cor.2:23-26 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-0-20011224 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-12-24 Title A name given to the resource The Paradox of Christmas 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 December 24, 2001 entitled "The Paradox of Christmas", on the occasion of Christmas Eve, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 2:1-4, 1Cor.2:23-26. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b9ee2be296e00a60c94406d20db6f026.mp3 6950e5504f8b048a9f86e92ac6104a61 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/068f2a4e68a0c4b7e99542cd87a8d588.pdf 58318d32e9a0c4e7acfd047dbfbe557e PDF Text Text God in the Mirror of Christmas: A Child Advent IV Scripture: Hebrews 11-4; Luke 2:1-7 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan December 23, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon The thing that I want to say to you this morning is really quite simple. I broached the subject last week; it is the realization on my part of that tension within the New Testament between the Christmas story and what it mirrors about God, and the post-Easter biblical material that speaks of the triumph and the reign and the coming again of Jesus with power to reign and to judge. As I indicated last week, I have lived with that tension for years and years and I never recognized the tension. It never struck me that to speak about the one who came in poverty and humility and then to speak about that one who came as coming again with the splendor of royal power was giving me two pictures of God, two mirrors. It was reflecting God in two contrasting ways: the mirror of Christmas, that is the mirror of the God with the human face– the God who is in the manger as a child in all of the vulnerability and all of the beauty of that moment which we will celebrate again tomorrow evening – and the God of the rest of the New Testament is the same old God, the same almighty, omnipotent God who is in control, the God who at the right moment will send the Son and the Son will come in glory and splendor with power to reign and to judge, and there will be the vindication of the righteous and there will be vengeance on the wicked. That whole judgment scene of the God in control, the sovereign Lord of history, that picture of the New Testament is strung throughout the whole New Testament, and if you want to read it in all of its bare horror, read the book of Revelation. That picture is in contrast to what the Christmas story mirrors about the nature of God. Last week we read in John's Gospel, "In the beginning was the divine intention, and the divine intention became flesh and dwelt among us. No one has ever seen God but the son has revealed God." Or Paul's statement "We have seen the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." Or the statement from the Epistle to the Hebrews that I read a moment ago, where how could it be more explicit? Jesus is spoken of as the Son who is the exact image of God, the reflection of the exact nature of God. That's the Christmas story, and what God is mirrored as being in the Christmas story is a God of vulnerability and ultimately, © Grand Valley State University �God in the Mirror of Christmas: A Child Richard A. Rhem Page 2 finally, a God of love. Christmas is about heaven touching earth with love. Christmas mirrors a God who moves by love to persuade, but never coerce, for the child that is the central focus of this Christmas season is a child with all of the wonder of a child, dependent, vulnerable, beautiful, innocent, harmless - there is a picture of God. But that stands in such sharp contrast to the revelation of God in the rest of the story, almost as if Christmas happened and the life of Jesus happened, Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount, counseling compassion over against the good and the evil, the righteous and the unrighteous as reflective of God's attitude and spirit. Jesus of the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus of the parable of the Prodigal Son, Jesus - all those stories of the God who draws near, the God who is full of grace, the God who is accessible, the God who is approachable. Jesus of Passion Week who goes right into Jerusalem and speaks his truth to power and is crucified for it, not resisting. Resisting only violent response, praying finally for his enemies, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”– that Jesus gets jettisoned on Easter, and from there on the Christian story and the Christian Church has become one triumphalistic procession down through the centuries, waiting for that one who came in humility and vulnerability, to come in smashing glory. How could I preach for years and years and years and not feel that contradiction? And which God do we choose? Well, of course, we choose the God who raised Jesus from the dead. Of course we choose the God who will bring history to its culmination point. Of course we will choose the God who has time in his hand, who will call the shots, who will send the Son in clouds of glory to judge the quick and the dead, finally to reign. Of course, that's the God we will choose, the God we can worship. That’s the God we can be secure with, that's the God who can set things right. And what happens to the God of the child? What happens to the God mirrored at Christmas? What happens to the God with a human face? We talked about that last week, but I want to say this week one further insight on this whole week, and that is that, in spite of the fact that we have moved too quickly from Christmas, in spite of the fact that we pray, "Come, Lord Jesus," nonetheless, every year we come back to Christmas. We can't forget it. We can't get it out of our system. We can't get it out of our bones. Every year we come back to this moment. Every year we begin to experience the magic and the wonder of Christmas. Every year we come again to bow before the manger that holds the child, and every year it happens again. We all know it. There is no question about it. The world is a softer place this weekend. The world is a softer place at Christmastime. The tear flows, the lump in the throat, the old carols stir something deep within us. The simple and beautiful story told again moves us. I've already celebrated Christmas because I have gone through a couple of rehearsals for the early service for tomorrow night. So, I know the baby gets born © Grand Valley State University �God in the Mirror of Christmas: A Child Richard A. Rhem Page 3 again, a real-live baby cries, and as I stood as one of the narrators for the story, being beautifully portrayed by our lovely young dancers and our shepherds, and Mary and Joseph, as I saw it again yesterday, I was cognizant myself of the fact that it does move you again. It happens again. It's a lovely story. It's a story that reaches the deepest part of the human being, and we come back to it every year, and it's the same old story but it's new every year and it moves us every year, and we celebrate every year, and we rejoice in it every year, and I want to submit to you that we do that because it has gotten into the marrow of our bones and we know intuitively that that story is the ultimate truth. We know that the love that came down at Christmas reflects the grain of the universe, the truth deep down in things. You see, most of the rest of the year, we don't live that way. Most of the rest of the year, we simply get caught up in all of the power games and all of the power structures, political life, economic life, social life. We move away from Christmas and we forget the radicality of the vision that we have seen. But, for just a little while, we remember and it touches us because it is true. It is the final truth. And there is that within us that knows it is the final truth. Jesus is our window to God. Jesus isn't the only window to God. Jesus isn't everybody's window to God, but Jesus is our window to God. I appreciate the fact that a dozen or so of you sent me the last page of Time magazine, the essay by Rosenblatt entitled, "God Is Not On Your Side Nor On My Side." I like the fact that so many of you thought of me when you read it, because it tells me that you are listening and that you identify with me with that kind of idea. I appreciate that fact. But, Jesus is our window, and I want to tell you, Jesus is a radical window. Jesus is a magnificent window. Jesus is a window on God that is so profound and so magnificent, that we ought not to miss it. It is so easy to take it for granted because it is the old, old story and we know the story so well, and how could we ever find anything new in it, and then one sits back for a moment, and says, "My God! Do you realize what that story is telling me about God?" It is radical! It is revolutionary! It is so radical and revolutionary that the world hasn't been able to deal with it yet. Our old world is rocking with war again and I am sure the reason that this Advent season I was not able to live with the contradiction without at least lifting it up was the fact of current events, what is going on in our world. That often happens. One has an old story, an old tradition, and suddenly something happens to you or something happens in the world, and one sees something that was always there and one didn't see it at all! Suddenly I see it everywhere now. I see what the future, if there is to be a future, I see what it has to be. It has to be a world that is posited on the nature of God reflected in Bethlehem, in Jesus. That is hardly the way we have lived, even though in the West Jesus has been our window. That’s hardly the way we have lived. It's dangerous to live that way. It can put your national security in jeopardy, of course. But, you see, in this old © Grand Valley State University �God in the Mirror of Christmas: A Child Richard A. Rhem Page 4 world of ours, after 9-11, it has become apparent to us what has long been true, and that is that there is no ultimate security through power or might or force of arms. It would be political suicide for our national leaders without talking about securing this nation, but this nation is not secure, and given the technology of our world today, given where we are in our world today, it will never be secure again. It will never be secure in a world where there are those who are dispirited and despairing and hopeless and helpless and alienated and angry and full of rage – never be secure again. And so, what we really have to do is find out another way to be in this world, because power isn't going to do it. It just might be that, while we're number one, it might be the smartest, most savvy thing in the world for us to begin to create a new one world reality. You see, right now, the way it has been, might, force, power has ruled, and the international game is a vast chess game, and those analysts of international affairs plot out those chess moves. We should do this, they'll do that, and if we do this, we can checkmate at this point, because it's a power game, it's a game about winning, or at least not losing. And it isn't going to work anymore. Our world is rocking with war and there is no security and down deep in our hearts, we know, and we keep coming back to Christmas every year and we're moved by it Our eyes moisten again, we get a lump in our throat again, our hearts are softened again. You can feel it on the street, because down deep we know that's true, and we try to get on with life according to the only way life can be survivable, right? Well, one wonders. We come back and we're touched, because that is the deepest truth and, if that is the deepest truth, I wonder when we're going to try it Let me tell you about a savvy move we made in that chess game. You know it, too; it's been in the news. You know that we funded Osama bin Laden. You know that we funded and gave arms to the Taliban, right? As long as they were fighting the Soviet Union. And why did we do that? Simply because we didn't like the Soviet Union? We are smart. We knew if we could get the Soviet Union to have our own Vietnam, it would suck the life blood and resources right out of them. We'd bring them to their knees. And, by God, we did it. There are those among our leaders right now who were responsible for that policy, who are defending it, and I'm sure there are some of you out there who would say that was a good move, because the Soviet Union was brought to its knees. Didn't President Reagan call it "the evil empire"? Ah, dear friends, as long as we're in that kind of a game, we will be trying to save our necks, we will be trying to defend our borders, we will be trying to perpetuate the preeminence of our position, and it's a no-win game, ultimately. You know the problem with the American people? We're a good people at the pinnacle of power, and Christmas has seeped into the marrow of our bones. If we could just use our power in any brutal and violent fashion, we could shape this © Grand Valley State University �God in the Mirror of Christmas: A Child Richard A. Rhem Page 5 world up. You wouldn't have to pray. You wouldn't have to ask for God's blessing. You wouldn't have to pray "God bless America." Just turn our resources loose with no moral qualms, with no ethical consideration, just bomb 'em, baby. Bomb them into submission. We have the stuff, folks. We could do it. But, we can't do it, because we have Christmas in the marrow of our bones. We have been touched by Jesus. We've seen God in the face of a child, and once you've seen God in the face of a child, you just can't go on being a mean S.O.B. anymore. That's our dilemma. A good people at the pinnacle of power who know the ultimate truth, but haven't quite dared to live by it yet. Maybe this year. © 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 Advent IV Series God in the Mirror of Christmas Scripture Text Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 2:1-7 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-0-20011223 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-12-23 Title A name given to the resource A Child 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 December 23, 2001 entitled "A Child", as part of the series "God in the Mirror of Christmas", on the occasion of Advent IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 2:1-7. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Advent Divine Intention Incarnation Pluralism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7fda7a0e5216eb03418aba5cbb81eb94.mp3 dea6d0833a8d98fb4cf3ea91754689af 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 Advent III Series God in the Mirror of Christmas Scripture Text Isaiah 11:1-9, II Cor. 4:1-6, John 1:1-18 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-0-20011216 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-12-16 Title A name given to the resource A Human Face 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 December 16, 2001 entitled "A Human Face", as part of the series "God in the Mirror of Christmas", on the occasion of Advent III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 11:1-9, II Cor. 4:1-6, John 1:1-18. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/89a765b4fa5daa2da2923097d60335f6.mp3 40ad615155dda5505c3292c2259d0cd2 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bbab33b4cc660ed59040308921d81511.pdf 6cca075d535e0eaaf2b64bacc0e71737 PDF Text Text A Tale of Three Cities From the Advent Series: God in the Mirror of Christmas Micah 5:2-5a; Revelation 19:1-6; Matthew 2: 1-6, 16-18 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Advent II, December 9, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon Advent 2001 would be similar in some respects to Advent 1941, for we celebrated on Friday sixty years of the attack on Pearl Harbor, which would have been the crisis of the world at the time that Advent was celebrated in ‘41, and once again, our world is in crisis in this 2001 Advent season. It is a season in which we are particularly thoughtful about history, about the calendar of God, about where things are and whether or not there is something going on which is more than meets the eye. I remember a story told me by Bruce Thielman, who is a pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Pittsburgh, a great pulpit historically, who had a great preacher of a former generation, Clarence McCartney. Bruce Thielman said he was rummaging around in the attic of old First Presbyterian, Pittsburgh, one day and he came across some sermons, including the sermon that McCartney preached on the 14th of December in 1941 and he said from reading the sermon there would have been not the slightest hint that the world was in crisis, which perhaps is a symbol of the oftentimes irrelevancy of the pulpit. Certainly in Advent we cannot escape contemplating the meaning of the events that have pressed in upon us because it is the theme of this season of the year when we particularly wonder about the course of human history and the engagement of God in that history. The Christian faith inherited that concern about history from the womb of Judaism from which it emerged, for the Hebrew prophets are credited with causing the world to think historically, to think in terms of beginning and process and consummation. The prophets lived by a dream. I don’t know what it was, call it the inspiration of the Spirit of God, call it the intuition of a particularly blessed people who were living as a very small and beleaguered people through most of their existence, but in any case, the Hebrew prophets had a magnificent dream of an alternative world. You remember that dream - of a world of human wellbeing, when the lion © Grand Valley State University   �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 2   and the lamb would lie down together and they would not hurt or destroy in all God’s holy mountain, that dream of shalom. The early Jesus Jewish movement, of course, were the children of that dream, that dream which was so powerful in its provision of hope for a people who had suffered so much and so long, and there were those in the early movement, the Jesus movement, who said certainly this one, Jesus, was the designate of God. He must be the anointed one of whom the prophets spoke. The Hebrew word for anointed is messiah, of course, and so they were saying this Jesus is the messiah. That so characterized, so marked Jesus, that he became known as Jesus Christ, but Christ is simply the Greek word for anointed. Jesus, the anointed, Jesus the messiah, Jesus the Christ - what the early Church was saying was that that one the prophets foresaw, that one who would come and bring justice and righteousness and peace to the earth, that one was none other than Jesus. And so, the Christian Church came into its future expectation honestly, out of the womb of its Hebrew mother. Then, of course, there was a surprise, for that anointed one was crucified. Who could have thought it? Who could have dreamed it? And yet, the crucified one they experienced alive in their midst, and they spoke of resurrection. And certainly, then, this time of Jesus’ absence from them would be a brief interim in which the good news could be proclaimed, and then certainly, soon, he would come again. The Book of Revelation from which I read a moment ago ends with, “Come quickly, Lord Jesus,” and he says, “Behold, I come quickly.” So, the early Church lived in that expectation of the imminent return of the one who had come. And the Church’s celebration of Advent historically has been a celebration of that expectation of the one who came, coming again, and Advent has been particularly the season in which we have thought about the movement of history and history’s culmination and history’s end events. And here we have reinterpreted that coming again, that second coming, so to speak, for we have come to acknowledge that an imminent return after 2000 years can hardly be compelling. Certainly that early interpretation of where the world was in the timeline of God erred, although understandably so. David Hartman, the rabbi from Jerusalem, has re-interpreted the prophets’ dream, as well, so that that shalom on earth, David Hartman says, is not necessarily some future time and place, but rather, the critique of every movement of history. Every human arrangement, every historical arrangement, every age, every epic, every moment comes under the judgment of that dream of shalom, and every human arrangement is shown to be inadequate compared to the intention of God according to the dream of the prophet. But, here we are in another Advent season, making our way toward Christmas. What I’d like to do today and for the next couple of weeks is to have us think about Christmas as a mirror that reflects the nature of God. What kind of a God is reflected in the mirror of Christmas? From what we know about the event, what © Grand Valley State University �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 3   kind of a God is revealed from the Christmas mystery? Think with me this morning about A Tale of Three Cities as we reflect on world history, its course, and perhaps its culmination. Three Cities: Rome, obviously, the seat of imperial power, a city still today magnificent as evidenced by its ruins. Rome, who ruled the world as the ancient world had never been ruled before, ruled by the most powerful empire that the world had known. The Roman Empire. The Roman Emperor. Imperial Rome, on top of the world, its empire stretched far and wide, and it held peoples and tribes in subjection. It was the occupying power at the time of the birth of Jesus. Luke tells us the story of Jesus in reference to Caesar Augustus, for it was Caesar Augustus who proclaimed an edict that all the world should be taxed, and that was the way by which Luke brought Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus. But, here in this far out province, the lives of people are implicated by the decree of an imperial ruler who lives in Rome. Roman law, Roman order - it was a great civilization. There was much to commend it. It was, perhaps, the finest human arrangement in terms of government and rule and the ordering of society. Rome, famous for its law, famous for the magnificent civilization that arose under its aegis. Rome was an empire not without its own dreams and ideals. After Julius Caesar was assassinated, there ensued a fifteen-year civil war, a civil war which was bloody, indeed, but which culminated finally with Octavian coming to Rome in 29 before Christ as the sole ruler. Before that, the Roman poet, Virgil, had written in his Fourth Eclogue a tribute to Augustus, Caesar Augustus, who was one declared, on his birth, as a savior, as a son of God. In 1890, in Asia Minor in a little village, there was an inscription found, “To Augustus as the Son of God, the Savior of the World.” Virgil had dreamed about the birth of one who would bring the world peace, and the Roman world began its new year, subsequently, on the 23th of September, which was the birth of Octavian who became Caesar Augustus. So, the Roman calendar was gathered around the birth of this one who was purported to be son of God. He was the great nephew of Julius Caesar. Julius Caesar had been elevated to deity. This one was understood as son of God, and the word savior was applied to him. And so, in 29 before Christ, there is one on the seat of authority in the Roman empire, one who is understood as son of God, Savior, a bringer of peace and wholeness to the brokenness of the world. As I say, Rome, this gigantic empire, was not without its integrity, it was not without its idealism, it was not without its dream, and yet, it was the super power of the day and it was committed, above all, to the perpetuation of its preeminence and power. And so, when it came down to it, it may have a man of peace on the throne and, incidentally, the first official act of Caesar Augustus was to close the Temple of Janus, the double-faced god of war, and he dedicated a gigantic altar to peace, the Augustan Altar of Peace. So, again, it is not as though this people was without its ideal, its hope and its dream. It is not as though the Roman hierarchy © Grand Valley State University �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 4   did not understand that which was good for humankind. But, when push came to shove, it was the Roman legions that ruled, and by military might and the power of the sword, Rome enforced the Roman peace, the Pax Romana. That’s the irony, isn’t it? This powerful, powerful human institution with high ideals enforced by the power of the legion and the sword. I suppose you’re already suspecting that I might suggest that Rome’s situation in that ancient world 2000 years ago was not so different than our situation in our world in 2001. We, too, are the world’s one great super power, and we, too, are a people of a high idealism. There’s a kind of moralistic strain, even in our foreign policy. We are a people who engage in a military action and are more concerned, really, about humanitarian aid. All of the ambiguity of our present situation, eh? A mighty power with high ideals and humane concerns and yet, of course, if we would be honest, we, too, are a people like Rome whose hands are dirty, with alliances and coalitions with regimes who are oppressive of their own people, but good for our own preservation of power and preeminence. Oh, the world is a messy place, and the human story is full of such ambiguity. Here we are, the world’s great power, so reflective of Rome in the days of its glory, struggling, I suppose, with that tension between idealism and real politic, the rough and tumble of national, international affairs. Ah, 2001 - not so different than year one. And there was Jerusalem, of course, a bit of a different situation and yet, also so reflective of the human situation. There a man named Herod who was both Jewish and Edomite, so he had Jacob and Esau in his veins – there Herod got himself into the good graces of Rome and was appointed governor in 47 before Christ and in 40 before Christ became king, King Herod the Great. And he was great. We’re told the story of Herod having melted down his own personal gold in order to buy corn to feed people in time of famine. Another time of crisis, he remitted the taxes of the people. He was a builder; people came from the ancient world to examine the glories of Jerusalem, the building projects of Herod the Great. And Jerusalem was ruled well. There was the other side of Herod, though. He was a paranoid individual, ruthless and brutal. Herod had his wife Alexandra and her mother put to death. When he came to power in 40, when he was crowned king, he had the Sanhedrin slaughtered just to remove the old guard, so to speak. Another time, 300 court officials were slaughtered at one fell swoop. He had his own eldest son murdered, and two others of his sons were murdered. Caesar August said it would be better to be Herod’s pig than his son. And after his long, long rule, knowing that he had not endeared himself to the people, he retired to Jericho, knowing he was about to die, and he had the finest of Jerusalem arrested and imprisoned so that when he died, they could be put to death, because he said, “When Herod dies, no one will cry. But, when Herod dies, tears will flow.” There’s a nice fellow for you. That was Herod the Great. © Grand Valley State University �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Jerusalem. And Herod is so representative of those who are in power, who worry about keeping power, for when the magi came, inquiring about the birth of a king because they had seen his star, Matthew tells us that Herod was greatly troubled, and all Jerusalem was frightened with him. You see, when you have an established order and when you are on top, you have always to worry about maintaining that order and preserving your position and your pre-eminence. So, Herod, this brutal, paranoid ruler, when he realized that the magi had gone home another way, simply had all the children two years and under slaughtered. We call it the “Slaughter of the Innocents.” A brutal act for the preservation of power and the removal of any possible threat to his authority. And, of course, Jerusalem wasn’t only marked by that kind of civil king, but also entwined in the ruling establishment of Jerusalem was the Sadducean party, the high priestly party, and we know from the story of Jesus that when this prophet made his way and made his point, and proclaimed in the center of Jerusalem that which he believed to be reflective of the will of God for this people of God, it was the collaboration of the Herodian party and the Roman government, Pontius Pilate, that Jesus was killed. So, Jerusalem was that city, too, that knew in all of its dimensions that vying for earthly power, the political games that people play, the vying for position and the preserving of preeminence - that was Jerusalem in the days of the one who was born on Christmas. I read from the Revelation to give a sense of the biblical story, the outcome of that kind of power play, for the 19th chapter of Revelation is that from which comes the Hallelujah Chorus. But, when you read the 19th chapter, you have to be shaken just a bit because there is such vengeance in that chapter, and what is being celebrated? Well, it is the devastation and the ending of Rome, called Babylon, the great harlot, the great whore. Babylon, standing for Rome, represents in the biblical perspective that whole gamut of human arrangement that is set on power, and the enforcement of rule by force and military might, economic domination, all sorts of domination systems, and in the 19th chapter of Revelation, she is overthrown and the smoke rises and there is this hallelujah celebration. And there is this great affirmation, “The Lord God Almighty reigns.” You can understand, perhaps, the vengeance, because this people has suffered. It has suffered terribly at the hands of imperial power, and so they rejoice in the dream of that ultimate overthrow because the revelation of John is again in that biblical tradition that believes finally Almighty God will bring it out right. It is rather amazing to me, when I realize that that picture is in tension with the Christmas miracle, because that picture in Revelation is the kind of expression for that human desire for vengeance, and that human desire for God Almighty to take charge and to damn the darkness and to establish the righteous. And yet that’s not at all what I see in the Christmas miracle, because there is a third city – Bethlehem. © Grand Valley State University �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Micah speaks of Bethlehem, “Least of the tribes of Judah.” Little Bethlehem, from you will come a ruler and he will be a shepherd to his people, be a man of peace. Now, you can feel it coming. This is the typical sermon cant. This is the naive preacher’s talk, because Rome will be overthrown and Jerusalem will be devastated, but the one who comes out of the poverty and the obscurity of Bethlehem will be established as the Lord of Lords and the King of Kings. And yet, that Christmas miracle reveals a God who comes out of the most unexpected place, and in the most unexpected way, a God who is embodied and reflected in a human face and, for God’s sake, as a child. But, do you see what I am trying to put before you? The paradox of the God reflected in the mirror of Christmas? The God reflected in the mirror of Christmas is not the God of Revelation’s almighty triumph. The God reflected in the Christmas mirror is a God of vulnerability, born as a child, become a man, crucified for God’s sake, crucified violently by the power structures, the human power structures of this world. The Christmas mirror reflects a God who is vulnerable, whose supreme revelation is in a human face and in the form of a child, because the revelation of Christmas at its heart is that human, historical arrangements will not finally prevail. They will prevail and prevail and persist and persist, but finally, they all come to nothing. And so, I talk naive preacher talk this morning, because we all know that finally, it is a power game. Finally, you can have humanitarian concerns, but the bottom line is still military might enforcing our will, preserving our position, and yet - Christmas is about a God who can be crucified, God embodied in a child. And you see, I am aware of how naive is this talk. But, remember – Rome fell. Because no matter how strong you are, no matter how many legions, no matter how many swords, there comes a point in the human story when you tire of trying to preserve a position of preeminence. There comes a time in the human story when people worry, weary of protecting themselves and projecting themselves. There comes a time when every great power finally fades, sometimes in devastating fashion. And in the meantime, people have been consumed with the power game, with the preservation of preeminence and the perpetuation of position. And so, dear friends, 2001. We have fought the totalitarianism of Fascism under Hitler’s regime and prevailed, we have outlasted the Communist experiment under the USSR and we have prevailed, and we are engaged now in a war which will not be won by military might. We know that, don’t we? And we are a people who are at the top of our game and we know no people has ever stayed there. And from that third city, Bethlehem, came one who was like a shepherd, who was a man of peace, and that really is what Christmas reveals about the nature of God. God is love. Love can be crucified. Love is vulnerable. Love is patient and kind. And love never fails. Every other strategy finally will fail. Christmas reveals the God who will prevail – because love never fails – but who is the opposite of all of our human domination systems. © Grand Valley State University �A Tale of Three Cities Richard A. Rhem Page 7   I’d like to have sent you out with a cozy little Christmas message this morning. Forgive me for that. But, there is enough for you to think about here to disrupt your whole Advent season. © 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 Advent II Series God in the Mirror of Christmas Scripture Text Micah 5:2,3, Matthew 2:3, Revelation 19:2 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-0-20011209 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-12-09 Title A name given to the resource A Tale of Three Cities 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 December 9, 2001 entitled "A Tale of Three Cities", as part of the series "God in the Mirror of Christmas", on the occasion of Advent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Micah 5:2,3, Matthew 2:3, Revelation 19:2. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Advent Followers of Jesus Hebrew Prophets Love Nature of God Shalom https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/65fbe9b4d90cd80dcaca661972c8b57f.mp3 b10e920adc4823d9687fef4f10be05f0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2d1741a563936b9bf490c8ee41865e43.pdf 7fc065076b1ff96a907556fb39eeece2 PDF Text Text 911: To An Unknown God – This is an Emergency! Acts 17:16-34 Richard A. Rhem Fountain Street Church Grand Rapids, Michigan November 25, 2001 Prepared text of the spoken sermon We hear repeatedly that September 11 has become one of those defining moments in the history of the nation. Although there was the immediate shock and the strong emotional reaction, that level of response cannot long be sustained. Nonetheless, the trauma of that tragedy, the demonic dimension of its conception and the brilliance of its execution remain with us. Reality has not changed but our awareness has, awareness of our vulnerability and, one hopes, recognition that there are some fundamental changes that must take place in this world of ours. In crisis times we flee to old securities – to patriotism, for example, the flag. That’s certainly understandable. It is a symbol of what we cherish, of those freedoms that have marked our national life, those values we hold dear. Yet, there is also a show of nationalism which is simply tribalism on a large scale, a very natural response as well – all too natural, for it reflects our animal nature – an instinctual reaction which is exceedingly dangerous in a world like ours where there lie in many quarters the capacity to destroy this spaceship we share. But there is another old verity to which we flee with which I would deal this morning – namely, piety: the flight to God for refuge and protection. The churches were full for a week or two after the attack of September 11 but, of course, people got over that in a hurry. Still, “In God we Trust” and “God bless America” are blazoned across the landscape as we appeal to almighty God, the Lord and sovereign of history, the one who guides and controls the course of human history. Once again, such a response is quite natural, understandable – it too is almost instinctual, at least to the extent that the human creature, having evolved to the point of consciousness, self-awareness, awareness of the other, has lived in the face of Mystery. © Grand Valley State University   �911: To an Unknown God: This is an Emergency! Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Living in the face of Mystery is the context for the origins of religion. So far back as we can trace the human story, there is the presence of the religious response to the mystery of being human, being before the mystery of existence. The great religious traditions of the world are those that began with a vision, an experience, some founding story which found resonance in a community, developed a cult, a form of worship and a way of life, a moral code. That is what constitutes a religion: A teaching, doctrine, dogma; A mode of worship, of observance, a ritual; A way of life, a moral code – all of this creating a mode of adjustment to the mystery of existence. And so we should not be surprised that post-911 there has been a flight to piety. The realization of vulnerability often moves us to seek some shelter, some security. This is as old as the human story. It was true in the ancient world. When Paul came to Athens, he surveyed the city and was distressed at the variety of temples and statues to a pantheon of gods and goddesses. His Jewish tenet, his monotheistic faith, is summed up in the Shema, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord is one!” This passionate man was not only a Jew who was convinced that God was one –Creator of all – but also that this God was the God of Israel and, further, that this God had visited the human scene embodied in Jesus of Nazareth. Soon we will celebrate Christmas, the Word made flesh – the heart of Paul’s faith. And Paul was nothing if not bold. He believed he was living on the edge of history – the End was approaching. He was a preacher of the last times and he was imploring all to recognize the true God and the revelation of that God in Jesus Christ. Athens, of course, was the greatest university city in the world, the city whose Golden Age boasted the greatest philosophical traditions the world has ever known. Even 500 years after its Golden Age, Athens was still a place of philosophical conversation and debate. And so Paul was invited to tell his story before the elite court of Athens. He began by complimenting the Athenians on their quest. And then – here’s audacity – he claimed to be proclaiming the Unknown God. Six hundred years earlier, a plague had been experienced. A Cretan poet Epimenides devised a plan. A flock of black and white sheep were let loose from the Areopagus. Wherever they lay down, they were sacrificed to the nearest god. If a sheep lay down where there was no shrine, it was sacrificed to the Unknown God. © Grand Valley State University �911: To an Unknown God: This is an Emergency! Richard A. Rhem Page 3   “To the Unknown God”– there too you see, the plague drew them to piety. Paul takes this occasion to claim he knows this Unknown God who is God alone: God, Creator, history’s Governor, and the one who is bringing it all to its consummation. Some 600 years after Paul, another visionary received “the Truth” dictated from Heaven – the Prophet Mohammed, with every bit the conviction of Paul that he had the latest Word from the same God Paul worshiped, only under a different name. In the wake of 911, Andrew Sullivan in The New York Times Magazine had the courage to raise a question about the religious dimension of the present crisis. He writes: …this surely is a religious war – but not of Islam versus Christianity and Judaism. Rather, it is a war of fundamentalism against faiths of all kinds that are at peace with freedom and modernity… It seems almost as if there is something inherent in religious monotheism that lends itself to this kind of terrorist temptation. And our bland attempts to ignore this – to speak of this violence as if it did not have religious roots – is some kind of denial. We don’t want to denigrate religion as such, and so we deny that religion is at the heart of this. But we would understand this conflict better, perhaps, if we first acknowledged that religion is responsible in some way, and then figured out how and why. Andrew Sullivan, “This is a Religious War,” The New York Times Magazine, October 7, 2001. In The Economist some years ago I was struck by these words: History is bound to be bloody when people, hardly understanding themselves, claim to understand God perfectly and then meet people who think the same only different. But it is not just monotheism that is at fault for certainly that move from polytheism was an advance in human understanding. If there is an ultimate, a final principle, a Life force or Holy Spirit, then oneness is implied. But is it not time to recognize that the Unknown God proclaimed by Paul is no longer capable of holding us in thoughtful conviction? From all we know about nature and historical development, certainly that a supernatural being “up there” or “out there” is controlling the universe is no longer credible. Let me cite three voices that represent three disciplines of human learning that, I think, sum up concisely where we are: © Grand Valley State University �911: To an Unknown God: This is an Emergency! Richard A. Rhem Page 4   In a statement about what is going on in history, Jacques Monad, the Nobelwinning biologist, in his classic Chance and Necessity says, if he accepts this negative message in its full significance, “Man must at last wake out of his milleniary dreams and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives in the boundary of an alien world, a world that is deaf to his music and as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his suffering and to his crimes.” And Erich Fromm writes in Man For Himself, There is only one solution to his problem – to face the truth, to acknowledge his fundamental aloneness in the universe, indifferent to his fate, to recognize that there is no power transcending him which can solve his problem for him.” At his inaugural at Cambridge University, G. N. Clark wrote, There is no secret and no plan in history to be discovered. I do not believe that any future consummation could make sense of all the irrationalities of preceding ages; if it could not explain them, still less could it justify them.” In a world where religion provides the fuel for fanaticism and atrocities are committed in the name of God, is it not time to recognize the old supernaturalism is dead? There is no God out there shifting the gears, pulling the strings. No supernatural revelation containing absolute truth formulated in dogma and creed or sacred text. That is probably the most difficult article of faith for the religious person – Christian, Jewish or Muslim – to let go of God in control, omnipotent, almighty. We so long for security; we so desire a Divine Parent and Protector. But can we honestly observe our world without being aware of randomness and chance? And what is the great temptation of the preacher? To offer a security he cannot deliver. There are fundamentalist churches, conservative churches and liberal churches – the whole spectrum – but all of them are still holding on to a Supreme Being in control. They may make room for free will, etc., but finally one comes to the Rubicon. One must decide: God outside of nature in control, or some sense of the God present within the unfolding process, enlivening, creative, biased toward life but not in control, only persuading by love. That is quite another understanding. It calls for us to be mature, to grow up, to recognize that the process has brought us to the place of responsibility. Are we left bereft? Hardly so. Let me offer my own experience because it is still relatively fresh although the result of a long process of years of thought and reflection. © Grand Valley State University �911: To an Unknown God: This is an Emergency! Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Think of the wonder of the cosmic reality of which we are a part. Think of life in all its variety, nature in all its fascinating dimensions: sunrise, sunset, the seasons following in orderly fashion. And being human, being here together, thinking together, recognizing our responsibility and experience of community – love, joy, gentleness – the fruit of the Spirit! 911 – after the rush to the God in control, perhaps we will recognize that that conception of God has brought us to an emergency. Perhaps it is time to realize Paul’s God needs an update. Not the God out there but God within, coming to expression through the human in the ongoing cosmic dance, full of wonder. © 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 Pentecost XXV Series Response to 9-11Attacks Scripture Text Acts 17:16-34 Location The location of the interview Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids 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-0-20011125 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-11-25 Title A name given to the resource 911: To An Unknown God - This is an Emergency! 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 November 25, 2001 entitled "911: To An Unknown God - This is an Emergency!", as part of the series "Response to 9-11Attacks", on the occasion of Pentecost XXV, at Fountain Street Church, Grand Rapids. Scripture references: Acts 17:16-34. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Nature of God Nature of Religion Supernaturalism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/acb4c6dd9b7f45249d09517bf531b1b1.mp3 1f61837e3ce74743b6a6cb564978c994 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 Pentecosst XXIV Scripture Text Genesis 2:4-9, I Timothy 6:11-19 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-0-20011118 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-11-18 Title A name given to the resource The Pursuit of Happiness 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 November 18, 2001 entitled "The Pursuit of Happiness", on the occasion of Pentecosst XXIV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 2:4-9, I Timothy 6:11-19. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/94e4df00ba4878d5c4a72b3ff090593d.mp3 a3f6823c52a3bcc3033b79fe3485710a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/984a2f525e497d79e71875e52bc69cc0.pdf 48f10236a28aa7762104bd06b1e766b0 PDF Text Text God and History: What’s Happening? Pentecost XXIV Scripture: Isaiah 65:17-25; I Corinthians 15:20-28 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan November 11, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon There is in your liturgy printed a reading from Carl Sagan, which I am not going to read in its entirety, but in a paragraph at the end, commenting on Planet Earth as it is seen from outer space, that little pale blue dot that we have all seen, Carl Sagan writes, Our planet is a lonely speck in the great enveloping cosmic dark. In our obscurity - in all this vastness - there is no hint that help will come from elsewhere to save us from ourselves. It is up to us. It’s been said that astronomy is a humbling, and I might add, a character-building experience. To my mind, there is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly and compassionately with one another and to preserve and cherish that pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known. The piece from Carl Sagan to which I referred is a statement that was sent to me immediately following the events of September 11, and I must admit they resonated with me more than the pronouncements of preachers and television evangelists in the immediate wake of that crisis. No help from outside. It's in our hands, and we are called to kindness and compassion. We see the symbol of that Planet Earth hanging in outer space, the image that has come to us from that picture taken from deep space in which we see the reality of that global community without any divisions or barriers, and we realize that we are on Planet Earth together. What Sagan says, he says as a scientist, as a great communicator of the mysteries of science, and also as one who has been rather outspoken in his denial of the traditional God that we image in the Church traditionally. And yet, what he says is not so different from what we have been saying here for some time, and that is that the God "out there," in control, sovereign of history who directs, governs, moves according to a pre-determined purpose, that that God is dead. That God doesn't really work for us anymore. Well, at least not for me and not for some of us. For all for whom it works, that's wonderful. As a matter of fact, what we know about the cosmic reality of which we are a part and the © Grand Valley State University �God and History: What’s Happening? Richard A. Rhem Page 2 historical development whose unfolding and in whose unfolding we have emerged, that God in control just doesn't seem compelling. Oh, I know. In crisis times we flee to old securities. A couple of old securities to which this nation has fled in these recent weeks are patriotism and piety. Patriotism -I won't ask you to raise your hands, but how many of you have flags on your cars or in your windows or in your shops? A rather natural and normal kind of response and reaction. After all, the flag stands for something precious and the flag is identified with this nation and we love this nation, and this nation has come under attack. And so, the flag is our effort to affirm our love and our devotion to this nation that has been so richly blessed and a source of such blessing to us all. But patriotism also has another side to it, another dimension, and I think some of that enters into our flying of the flag also. Namely, we are the United States of America and you really ought not to mess with us, and if you do, you'll get your due, you'll get yours. The flag is perhaps sometimes, on the part of some, at least, a sign of belligerence and determination not to succumb to those who would dare attack us. And then there is piety, of course. The first week or two the pews of the churches across the nation were filled. Thank God people got over that in a hurry. But, still, a flight to the piety of the past, to the old securities, to the God in control. Dear God, at a time like this, don't we long for, don't we wish for a God in control? A sovereign of the universe, the Lord of history, the one who is guiding it and directing it and who will bring it all to its consummation? Don't you realize that the greatest temptation to a preacher at a time like this is to secure you in that old security? That is a very normal and natural longing, as well. Deep down in the human being there is that desire for all to be well and for someone to be in charge and in control, the good and gracious God in charge, the omnipotent one, almighty God. There are many who are exploiting that old traditional image of God to give a kind of security which, frankly, we can't give. It’s not surprising that we should revert to that or flee to that. After all, our whole biblical tradition conditions us to look for that kind of a God. There is that beautiful vision in Isaiah 65, a passage to which I return again and again, that beautiful picture of shalom, that picture where there is no infant mortality, where everyone lives to an old age, where one builds a house and lives in it and plants a garden and eats its produce, where one is able to benefit from the fruits of one's labor, a world in which lion and lamb lie down together and there is no hurting, no destroying in all God's holy mountain. It's a wonderful dream, reflective of something deep in the human heart, reflective of something that I think we all think should be or could be or maybe will be - that beautiful harmony throughout nature in history, shalom. Is it any wonder that we who have been nurtured in the biblical tradition would flee to a God like that in a time © Grand Valley State University �God and History: What’s Happening? Richard A. Rhem Page 3 of crisis? The God who is judge of all the earth brought Judah into its exile, but now, as the savior of the world will bring Judah back home and will create a new heaven and a new earth, making it all right. I want a God like that. I would love a God like that. Or, Paul, who was nurtured on that same prophet but who had the encounter with Jesus Christ, the risen one, knocking him off his horse, that vision that Paul had that turned him around, that vision of the living Lord whom he believed would come shortly. In this great chapter on the resurrection Paul not only points to the resurrection, but in that paragraph I read he gives you the whole scheme as it is going to unfold very shortly - Jesus Christ risen from the dead, now ascended in heaven, ruling, putting all enemies and all adversaries down under his feet, and when he subdues all hostile powers, then he will take that kingdom and yield it up to the father and God will be God, all in all. Wonderful, wonderful drama. And Paul thought he was living on the very edge of history where it was about to transpire and, of course, 2000 years later, you can't take that same vision and still keep it alive. You just simply have to say Paul didn't understand where he was in the time line. And yet, you can appreciate what Paul was longing for, what turned him around, that which made him go to the ends of the earth proclaiming. It was a consummation, it was the resurrection over the last enemy, death. It was the subduing of all negative darkness. It was the overcoming of all evil. It was bringing to that moment when God would be all in all, maybe in different contours than Isaiah, but the same kind of thing. It’s really a silly thing when, 2000 years later, a series of books called Left Behind takes that thing literally and plays it out as though it is about to happen in the future. Ridiculous. But, I can understand what was in Paul's mind and heart. For me, rather than Left Behind, I'll take Harry Potter. Because Harry Potter deals with magic and mystery, and there is something in us that believes that there is more going on than meets the eye. If you want a couple of concise statements about what is going on in history, Jacques Monad, the Noble-winning biologist, in his classic Chance and Necessity, says if he accepts this negative message in its full significance, "man must at last wake out of his millenniary dreams and discover his total solitude, his fundamental isolation. He must realize that, like a gypsy, he lives in the boundary of an alien world, a world that is deaf to his music and as indifferent to his hopes as it is to his suffering and to his crimes." Wow! And Erich Fromm writes in Man For Himself. "There is only one solution to his problem - to face the truth, to acknowledge his fundamental aloneness in the universe, indifferent to his fate, to recognize that there is no power transcending him which can solve his problem for him." Sort of like Sagan saying no outside help available. At his inaugural at Cambridge University, G. N. Clark wrote, "There is no secret and no plan in history to be discovered. I do not believe that any future © Grand Valley State University �God and History: What’s Happening? Richard A. Rhem Page 4 consummation could make sense of all the irrationalities of preceding ages if it could not explain them, still less could it justify them." Well, just three voices of contemporary scholarship in the light of the tradition of faith of which we are a part which would leave us on our own. And to be left on our own in a time like this is a scary business. There is no wonder that we unfurl the flag. There's no wonder that we pray fervently to almighty God. And yet, there is Harry Potter, and there are the fairy tales that we all love, and what do we love about a fairy tale? Certainly it has its darkness, its demons, its shadow side. But, the fairy tale also always comes out right. Eventually, the good prevails and the light prevails. We love a fairy tale. I think we love a fairy tale because there's something intuitively in us that believes that the fairy tale is true. There is something in us that refuses to believe that there is nothing more, that there is simply this cosmic reality unfolding without mind or purpose or direction. There may not be someone grinding the gears of the universe up there. I think Sagan is right. There is no help out there, but there may be something in here. There may be something enlivening the process, the whole creative unfolding. There may be that which moves toward light and life. But, it may not win. It may not prevail. And yet, it will not finally be destroyed. I think that really is the story of Easter. As you think about this, we would so love an omnipotent God. We would so love that God Almighty. We so much want God to be in control and in charge, and yet the very God that we profess, revealed in the face of Jesus Christ, was revealed in the vulnerability of a child, and we will celebrate it here in a few weeks. The clue we have of the nature of God is a God who is incarnate in a child, who was embodied in a human being, a human being who with grace and love and compassion makes his way, speaking truth to power until finally he is crucified, and, as he is crucified, he says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." The God we want is a God who is in control. The God who is revealed to us if we could believe it is the God who is revealed in the vulnerability of love. The only persuasion is the persuasion of love. There is no coercion. There is no God Almighty. There is no omnipotent one. There is no one out there to pull the strings and move it around. What do we pray? What do we mean? What do we ask for when we say "God bless America?" It is time for us, of course, to be saying "God bless the world," but to know that that prayer is seriously offered as a commitment to be the embodiment of kindness and compassion and care, because there is no help that will come from the outside. There is only that persistent Spirit, that persistent deity that pervades, with which reality is pregnant, that calls us again and again and again to life and to love, and if need be, to sacrifice and to yielding up life. © Grand Valley State University �God and History: What’s Happening? Richard A. Rhem Page 5 We don't really believe the Gospel. We would hardly dare live according to the Gospel. It would be a dangerous thing if Jesus were in charge. I don't know if I would dare vote for him. Because everything would have to be different. I don't know about what we're doing in Afghanistan. I don't know about the military action. I really don't. Very early this morning they were talking about bin Laden on the videotape saying he had nuclear weapons. I'm not wise enough to know what we are to do in this kind of a situation, but I know this and you know it too, military might will not solve this crisis. We cannot bomb enough in order to bring out a good result. It's no use praying to Almighty God, for the God within us who would move us to kindness and compassion, to civility and human decency, and to a transformed earth - that is the only God we have, and the only power that God has is the power of love. It's a pretty risky business, good friends. It is the temptation of a preacher to make you secure in the arms of almighty God, but it is the task of the prophet to tell you that God would move through you to be the arms that would secure the world Something is going on. More than meets the eye. Thank God. © 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 Pentecost XXIII Scripture Text Isaiah 65:17-25, I Corinthians 15:20-28 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-0-20011111 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-11-11 Title A name given to the resource God and History: What's Happening? 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 November 11, 2001 entitled "God and History: What's Happening?", on the occasion of Pentecost XXIII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 65:17-25, I Corinthians 15:20-28. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Immanence Incarnation Pentecost https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/27ae9083dd4133e5d50c20d346fb6d20.mp3 6c1d92aece2b1b40a43e0da85c926a10 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 Pentecost XXII Scripture Text I Corinthians 13:13 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-0-20011104 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-10-04 Title A name given to the resource Love Now: Peace Then 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 October 4, 2001 entitled "Love Now: Peace Then", on the occasion of Pentecost XXII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 13:13. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5ca730c5972c726ccc9b54630b205567.mp3 4929dca34906b99ecbfa116e6bbbe52a 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 Pentecost XXI Scripture Text Habakkuk 1:1-5, 3:17-19, Phil. 4:10-13 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-0-20011028 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-10-28 Title A name given to the resource Detachment: Living Beyond Fear 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 October 28, 2001 entitled "Detachment: Living Beyond Fear", on the occasion of Pentecost XXI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Habakkuk 1:1-5, 3:17-19, Phil. 4:10-13. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives