41 24 1045 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a503d8a764d33009dd85e998c8a1de86.mp3 84ba667e9bf10ed011418446f9212014 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c7384105eae71b92553d5e333e550549.pdf 9424f83120501bf498932b261fa66021 PDF Text Text I Wish I Could Start Over From the sermon series: God’s Prodigal Love Text: Luke 15: 17 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan August 10, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon The parable of "The Prodigal Son" is probably the most familiar and best loved of Jesus' parables. Strange, then, that it should have become known as a story about a son when, in reality, it is a story told to portray the nature of God in His relationship to us. There is prodigality in the story, but it is the prodigality of God's love. "Prodigal" is defined as "given to extravagant expenditure," "recklessly wasteful," "lavish." That sounds like God's love, which comes to expression so powerfully in this compelling story. The story was told to "The Pharisees and the doctors of the Law." They had been grumbling at Jesus' behaviour; he extended fellowship to "sinners." He opened himself up to and embraced persons with whom the religious elite of his day would have nothing to do. "Sinners" covered a broad spectrum of persons. Of course, we do know that he was available to all, the prostitute of Luke 7, the hated tax collectors such as Matthew and Zaccheus, the Samaritan woman of John 4, Mary Magdalene whose past was colorful. But the category "sinner" referred not only to the obviously tainted, but all non-Jews and all Jews who failed to keep the ritualistic demands of the current interpretation of the Law. Jesus told the story to defend his openness to all persons, his offer of grace and forgiveness to all who came with a longing to be made new. He told the story of the father with two sons, each son representing different attitudes and situations of persons. The sons are necessary to the story, but the story is really told to reveal the heart of the father. The amazing truth we learn is that the father has a consistent, steady, boundless love for the rebel who leaves home, and for the uptight, upright son who stays home. The one is a rebellious youth who wants his own life, his independence, feeling he cannot be his own person in the presence of the father. The other is a meticulous, humorless, obedient son whose virtue through performance is offered in place of the one thing the father desired - a warm, spontaneous, loving relationship. © Grand Valley State University   �I Wish I Could Start Over Richard A. Rhem Page 2   The latter described those to whom the parable was addressed. The former described the persons about whom the grumbling occurred: the "sinners" Jesus received. The Truth of the parable is that God is limitless love, open to all, yearning for all His children, wanting their wellbeing, wanting them to be themselves fully, at home, in the Father's house. The focus of the first message was the younger son, the rebel who requested his inheritance and left home. He is a mirror of the person who says, "I want to do it on my own!" The second message pointed to the emptiness that is the end of a life of autonomy, a life which seeks to be a law unto itself, a life lived selfishly, selfindulgently with no meaning or purpose beyond the pleasure of the moment, a life out of relationship of love and trust. Such a life sooner or later raises the question, "Is that all there is?" That sense of emptiness or meaninglessness can come over one gradually or as a jolting revelation. Sometimes it comes after a period of treadmill existence with life going nowhere. Sometimes it comes about in a crisis. Whatever the concrete situation, we are caused to reflect on our lives, on the choices we have made, the priorities we have set and we may be led to sigh, "I wish I could start over." That is the place the younger son came to in the story Jesus told. In the midst of the disaster that befell him, he "came to his senses." (NEB) The Revised Standard Version renders it, When he came to himself. Reality hit. Sober reflection on his situation revealed the folly of his ways. He remembered his father and home. He decided to return; he wanted to start over. Wanting a new beginning is a very common human desire. There are so many areas of our lives that we would like to do over - choices we have made, decisions that directed our life in one course rather than another - to marry or not to marry, to marry this person rather than another, to get an education or not, to pursue one career rather than another, to have a family or not, to make a major move, to start a business. There is no end of the decisions one makes, and every decision becomes a thread in the weaving of the tapestry of our lives. The complexity of decisions forms a web and within that web our lives are caught. The sigh, "I wish I could start over," is thus not uncommon. Most of us, at one time or another, have known the feeling, the longing for a second chance. But there is no going back. © Grand Valley State University �I Wish I Could Start Over Richard A. Rhem Page 3   The very nature of our historical existence is such that we are writing a story in time that is moving from a point of beginning to an end point. Time can be recollected in memory; time can be anticipated in imagination; thus we can transcend the present moment but we cannot unravel time; we cannot undo it. Nor can we freeze it in the present moment. Relentlessly we must move on in the stream of time and to move on is to continue to make decisions. Such is the nature of our human existence. What might be included in the moment Jesus describes in the story as "coming to himself?" I suppose, first of all, there was an honest facing up to his life, to his story. Coming to one’s senses or coming to one’s self is a moment of Truth. Such moments are rare and precious. So much of our lives never come under honest scrutiny; many persons never come to a moment of Truth at all. Most of us live with denial; we may consciously suppress the truth of our lives and expend great energy keeping the truth under, or we may be unconscious of the denial and live with a vague restlessness and anxiety. Who am I really? What is the Truth about me? It takes courage to ask that question. Some of us never allow the question to surface. I doubt that the Elder Brother ever faced the question. Had he honestly engaged himself in dialogue, he might have come to self-awareness of the anger and resentment that were seething beneath the surface of his righteous exterior. He was not a free person, spontaneous, happy. He was without humor. He worked diligently but it was drudgery and life was a drag. When he came upon the joy and celebration of the prodigal's return, it all erupted; the dam burst, the volcano within exploded. He had never really come to know himself. The younger son paid a price for the choices he made. We must not glamorize his wild fling. He suffered. He came to the edge of despair and we must assume that he carried with him throughout his life some scars from his scrape with desolation. But all of that was as nothing compared to the experience of the moment of Truth. When he finally got the courage to do some serious introspection and to take inventory of his life, he came to himself; he came to the moment of Truth. Such a moment does not issue in a running away from oneself or a denying of one’s life. Indeed, that is precisely what had been the case. He had done his best as long as he could to convince himself that he was glad to be away from the father, on his own, actualizing his own person. As the emptiness became more and more evident, the denial of the mess he had made of things was increasingly difficult to sustain. Finally he could do it no more. Now he owned his life, he owned his story. He had made his choices and this is where it led. There was no wallowing in self-pity. There was no blaming of his Elder Brother or his father. He faced his life; he took responsibility for it. He decided on a course of action that would enable him to start over, to begin again. © Grand Valley State University �I Wish I Could Start Over Richard A. Rhem Page 4   In traditional Christian terminology - biblical terminology - the younger son repented; he changed his mind, changed his thinking. That is the literal meaning of the Greek word Metanoia. His thinking was turned around. The speech he prepared for his father indicates that he was aware of his own responsibility. He says bluntly, "I have sinned against heaven and against you." The parable shows us what Jesus understands by sin. It is going out from the father's house, i.e., godlessness and remoteness from God working itself out in a life in the world with all its desires and its filth. The word "sin" used in this instance means literally "missing the mark." That puts it well. That was what the younger son came to see, acknowledge, and confess. He said, "I've missed the mark." Today one might say, "I really blew it!" And then he acted on his new knowledge. He arose and went to his father. He came home. This, too, is a vital step and of critical importance. It is one thing to come to oneself. It is one thing finally to be engaged by the moment of Truth. It is another to act on that insight when it means turning around and facing up to wrong choices and deeds in the presence of family and friends. This phase of the story we might call conversion - the actual about-face. It involves the honest recognition and acknowledgment that one has been in the wrong and is responsible for "missing the mark" and for appropriate action in light of that acknowledgment - in the case of this story, the actual return to the father. All of this is included in coming to oneself. It is a crisis. It is devastating. It takes great courage and it is wonderfully liberating. Our young friend still knows nothing of grace, but he is now ready to face his father and bargain for a chance to start over on the father's terms. "Let me be as one of your hired servants; I know I can no longer expect to be considered your son. Thus he brings to expression the longing to start over. Let's reflect on that for a moment. Starting over is not a denial of the past. We write our story. What we are is the compilation of all we have been. Starting over does not rip us out of our past; rather it creates the opportunity for new beginning with the past no more a weight shackling us with guilt and remorse that would hobble our spirit and limit our future. We own our past. We assume responsibility for it. We are the wiser for it; we live with the consequence of it. © Grand Valley State University �I Wish I Could Start Over Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Sometimes that past is something we would not want ever to experience again, but even in its tragic dimension, having gone through it, we would not trade the lessons learned, the experience gained. One must come to accept and take responsibility for one's own story. Beginning again does not involve amnesia. There is no whitewashing, brainwashing or some other psychological trick that we play on ourselves. We put it behind us and we move on, but the past remains our past. It is our story. The younger son did not really realize the newness that grace creates. His intention was to return and earn at least servant status. What he was to encounter in the father's loving forgiveness and total acceptance was beyond his wildest dreams. Move, now, to the attitude and posture of the father. He did not use his authority to hold the young son. He used no coercion, manipulation or guilt trip. He let him go. From the reception he gave the boy on his return, we know this was not because of a lack of love and concern. We will focus on that love in the final message. Why, then, did he simply let the boy go? The answer is that he knew he would not have his boy home, even if he forced him to live under his roof, until the boy came to himself, until he came to his senses. That is the only way God's intention can be realized. What he desires is a gracious, personal relationship. Our relationship with him is not reciprocal in the sense of being "fifty-fifty." He initiates. He offers grace. He sustains us in relationship. But we are not passive blocks of wood. His initiation must call for the response which is a genuine turning toward him. Trust speaks of response. And for response to be the inward movement of the person, it must be elicited but cannot be demanded or forced. Remember again why Jesus told the story. He was claiming that his very presence was a sign of God's initiating grace, a sign of salvation present and freely offered. To respond to him was to respond to God - to come home to grace. When the son said, "I want to do it on my own!" the father recognized the always possible option of seeking autonomy rather than relationship. Only when he came subsequently to say, "Is that all there is?" had he made his own discovery that he was on a dead-end street. That was the moment of truth. He came to his senses. He said, "I wish I could start over." He had not yet encountered grace; he did not yet have the faintest idea of grace. But one thing he remembered: the sadness in his father's eyes when he left. The absence of anger, of threat. The sense that he might cut off his father, but his © Grand Valley State University �I Wish I Could Start Over Richard A. Rhem Page 6   father had not responded in kind, cutting him off. The posture of the father built no barriers for return. In our broken human relationship we often cut off the possibility of return because we respond in kind, anger for anger, wound for wound. Jesus portrays a father whose spirit and action communicate that the door is always open. There he was pleading with the religious leaders saying precisely that - come home, just as he pictured the younger son arising and going to the father. The good news of the message is that the way is open; the barriers do not exist beyond our own minds. The Father awaits us. We can start over. We can begin again. The longing for home is the first sign of grace. The honest owning of one's life, its light and shadow, its goodness and guilt is the dawning of something more wonderful than words can describe. There is much more to tell. We will come to that. But hear this good news, all who are weary, bored, empty, guilty, afraid — Come home. You can begin again. © 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 XII Series God's Prodigal Love Scripture Text II Corinthians 15:17 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-0-19860810 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-08-10 Title A name given to the resource I Wish I Could Start Over 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 August 10, 1986 entitled "I Wish I Could Start Over", as part of the series "God's Prodigal Love", on the occasion of Pentecost XII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 15:17. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Forgiveness Nature of God Parable Prodigal Son Sin Unconditional Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/13647f8b2d151e2d35b8a09b1903a798.mp3 bdcd28cff8cf96920890feb6b493be61 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 XI Series God's Prodigal Love Scripture Text Ecclesiastes 2:11, Luke 15:14 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-0-19860803 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-08-03 Title A name given to the resource Is This All There Is? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 3, 1986 entitled "Is This All There Is?", as part of the series "God's Prodigal Love", on the occasion of Pentecost XI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Ecclesiastes 2:11, Luke 15:14. 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/48371bb25c8da3b293474fa6f916921f.mp3 2e87951fa710a8b9d0bd75660a3cac22 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/157fe6b1dc352f3f19c26faf1871da87.pdf 07ccb4e194cf4619fac0d3a1130c546e PDF Text Text I Want to Make It On My Own From the sermon series: God’s Prodigal Love Text: Luke 15: 13 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 27, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon …The younger son turned the whole of his share into cash and left home for a distant country… Luke 15: 13 The Parable of the Prodigal Son is misnamed. It is really a parable, not about a prodigal son, but about the prodigal love of God. If there is anything prodigal in the story, it is the love of God, the love of the Father, the love of God as reflected in the behaviour of the father in the story. We call it the Parable of the Prodigal Son, and one would be fighting a losing battle to try to rename it, I suppose, but I think the series title that we embark on this morning does reflect more accurately the nature of the parable. It really is a parable about God's love, about the nature of God, about the manner in which God relates to us - far more important than the action of the son. The parable was told by Jesus in the first place in order to defend his own behaviour as a reflection of the behaviour of God, or the attitude and spirit of God. In reading those first verses of Luke 15, one finds that the story was addressed to the scribes and the Pharisees, the uptight, upright who were condemning Jesus for his associations. In the Gospels we don't really get a fair picture of the Pharisees, and that is because we get this overagainstness, this adversarial relationship between Jesus and the Pharisees. But we do see the contrast, even if it is only given in that one-sided fashion in the Gospels. Nevertheless, the Pharisees, who were the strict, separated ones, believed it necessary to disassociate themselves from people who were considered ritually unclean. They called everybody that was not one of their own sect a sinner. NonJewish people were sinners; Jewish people who were engaged in some kind of employment whereby they could not maintain their ritual purity were sinners. And so, they very quickly wrote off everybody that was other than they were as sinners. Publicans, tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes - whatever the designation may be, there was a kind of general categorization of all of those who were other © Grand Valley State University   �I Want To Make It On My Own Richard A. Rhem Page 2   than the Pharisees. And the Pharisee would have nothing to do with the likes of sinners. And so they were condemning Jesus who was open to all, available to all, accessible to everyone, and, as a sign of his accessibility, would have table fellowship with such people. The Dutch New Testament scholar, Edward Schillebeekx, says that the most fundamental characteristic of Jesus in the Gospels is his table fellowship. That which speaks most loudly about who Jesus was are the narratives about his table fellowship. In that context, to break bread with someone was not only to extend friendship, but was to embrace that person. It was the most intimate sign of acceptance and the offering of fellowship to another. Now, it is still, to a certain extent, true for us as well. To have a meal together is a sign of friendship and is a method by which we share intimacy. But it was especially true then. And so, Jesus, being open to all and accessible to all and breaking bread with any, no matter where they were coming from, no matter what their history, no matter what their present circumstance, no matter what their status in society – that openness got him criticism and got him written off in the minds of the Pharisees. And to defend his action and to say that his action was such because God is that way was the purpose of this parable. And so, he told the story of the father who had two sons. One was a rebel who wanted his inheritance and who took off into the far country, only finally to come to himself and to come back. The other was uptight, upright, a model of the Pharisees to whom the parable was spoken, who did everything right, dotted every i, crossed every t, followed every command and lived in total subservience. But the interesting thing about both brothers was that both of them failed to be the one thing the father wanted them to be, and that was to be in relationship of love and trust. It is possible to go into the far country and to kick over the traces and to be a total rebel and live out of relationship with the father. And it is possible, as well, to stay in the father's' house and to dot every i and cross every t, follow every prescription, and use all of that righteousness and all of that rightness as an insulation also against the father, against the relationship of love and trust. What Jesus lived out was a relationship of spontaneity and a freedom that was characterized by love and trust. When he opened himself up to people, he was a reflection of the Father Who opened Himself up to all people, Who did not ask about one's history or where one was coming from, did not ask about the state of one's morality or the degree of one's righteousness, but simply said, "Come on, and let me embrace you. Let me love you. Let my grace make you new." The Father's heart was reflected in the action of Jesus who was open to all kinds of people. He spoke to the Pharisees who were mirrored in the elder brother, who in the father's house was as far from the father as the younger son who went into the far country. This morning I want to focus on the younger son. I have said already that the parable is about the father's prodigal love, but I have to admit that the perspective from which we are going to be looking at that is through the eyes of © Grand Valley State University �I Want To Make It On My Own Richard A. Rhem Page 3   the younger son, particularly. And so, this morning we are going to look at that young rebel as he looks at the father and he says in the depths of his being, as well as expressly to the father's face, "I want to do it on my own. I want to do it on my own." The younger son was a rebel. No, better, the younger son was simply human, and in this story Jesus painted that which lives in the heart of every human being. There is that in all of us that says, "I want to do it on my own." In fact, I want to suggest to you that probably within the skin of all of us live both the rebel and the elder brother. Probably there are not only two kinds of people, but most of us live with a kind of civil war going on most of the time. Most of us have within us both the rebel that wants to break out of bounds and the self-righteous Pharisee that condemns with a cold kind of legalism. And those two sides within ourselves live there with some kind of cold war going on and sometimes an act of rebellion against each other. We can find both of those sons within ourselves, and we can find people who reflect more the one or the other. But what Jesus was talking about was something that is intrinsic to our human nature, and this morning let us simply recognize that there is something within all of us that says, "I want to do it on my own." The thing that the youngest son failed to understand was that what he was seeking was not freedom, but autonomy. Now, God wants us to be free. Freedom is God's gift, and His intention for His people. But what we want, thinking that it is freedom, is really autonomy, and autonomy is to live as a law onto one's self. It comes from two Greek words which mean a self-law, and there is something in every human breast, I believe, that would desire to be a law onto oneself, to be autonomous, which is something other than freedom. Freedom is life in community, lived in responsible trust and love. Freedom is that ability to become fully actualized with the potential which God has created in us, but always in the parameters that have been set for us in the creative intention of God. Freedom is the ability to come to full expression by becoming what God intended us to be. Autonomy is that drive within us that says, "Don't let anybody tell me anything" (God, parents, husband, wife, child, government, whatever). "I'll take on the whole world. I will finally do it on my own." I think that until we come to recognize that some of that lives within us, we'll not fully own up to who we are. If it is true that within us live these two persons, the self-righteous Pharisee and the wild rebel, then, until we come to accept that about ourselves, we'll not really be truly healthy or spiritually whole. If we read a little bit in the field of psychology, we are told that we have to learn to accept our shadow side. That is, there is a dark streak in all of us we need to accept because it is a part of us. You see, the Pharisee gave to the world an exterior of total righteousness. But he lived behind a mask, because that external obedience to an external code, which could only be pulled off with a tremendous expenditure of energy, was not the real person. And if the Pharisee who lived with that total righteous mask, always on guard, always putting up a front, always © Grand Valley State University �I Want To Make It On My Own Richard A. Rhem Page 4   putting the best foot forward, didn't recognize that that was a facade and not the person, that within the person there was also the rebel, there was also this other person who was living quite differently according to his own compulsions and that which compelled him and drove him on – if the Pharisee didn't realize that, then he never came fully to be conscious of his total humanity. The rebel lives in us all, and if we have been so conditioned, so bound, if we have been so programmed that the rebel has never come to our consciousness and found expression in our life, then there's a whole part of us that we've never owned or reckoned with that someday could explode with great consequences. Within us all is that drive for autonomy that says, "Get off my back." (God, government, husband, wife, parents.) "Get off my back; I'll do it on my own!" And the best way to find it come to expression is to just push and probe a little bit and to see that welling up within, because there is that within us with which we have been created that wants to actualize itself. Now, in the story, the father doesn't fight that at all. The father simply goes to the safe and gets out the money, gives the boy the wallet and sends him on his way. And Jesus was saying something about God and about human nature. We understand what he was saying, because we have all lived through it ourselves. He purposely uses a father and two sons as a reflection of God and His children because he knows that that is exactly where we all live. And we've all been children. We've all moved through those dangerous, perilous years of adolescence. We've all felt the urge to break out and the constraint to hold it in. And if we are parents, we know that our families are so structured that we can hold the children in. And when the crisis comes, and you come to me and tell me about your son or your daughter, I can be quite objective. You can be at your wit's end, and I can smile in quite a relaxed fashion and say, "Look, she's only human. Look, give him a break. Look, you've baptized the kid. Trust God and give him a little room. Let them experiment a bit. Let them feel who they are." But, don't suggest that to me when it's my son or daughter, because then I get very worried, because they might be like I was, and I do want room for myself, but I don't want room for those I love because I know how deeply they can be hurt. I mean, this story ends rather nicely - the boy comes home. But what if the boy had been knifed in a brothel? Or what if he used his possessions in order to somehow or other engineer some plot to explode the world? We say, "Nice going, Father, you let the boy go and he came back." But what if he hadn't come back? And they don't always come back. Then we would say, "What a silly father! Why did you do it? Why did you let him go?" The father would say, "I had to let him go, because what I’m after, finally, is not an automaton, not a kind of puppet that responds to the pull of a string. I am for creating a child who loves spontaneously and trusts and lives in relationship." And that's the problem, isn't it? Even God has limited His power in order to exercise that kind of love, extending that kind of freedom in the cause of allowing © Grand Valley State University �I Want To Make It On My Own Richard A. Rhem Page 5   us to develop into fully human beings. It's a risky business, and God took the risk. In families, we do what we can to build a hedgerow to keep them going down the center of the road, somehow, not deviating too far to the right or to the left. If we do that in the family, we do that in the Church, too. The Church is an institution which is dedicated to the binding of human freedom. Why do many of the best people leave the Church? The most courageous spirits take off. Because, what do we do in the Church? We develop a ritual. We say we've got to worship this way. We develop a theology, and we say, "This is your dogma." And we develop rules of conduct and we say, "You're in or you're out, depending on whether you toe the line, dot the i, cross the t." The Church is institutionalized and becomes a great conservative force in society. There are people that don't believe in anything, but believe there ought to be a church because that keeps people in line. It is an anchor against the rebel in us all. And, of course, in government and society as a whole, we're always trying to program in order to hold that human rebel in check. And God delivers us to our freedom, stands lovingly in fear and trembling, looking to see if we'll come home. "I want to do it on my own. I want to do it on my own. Get off my back! Give me space; give me room. Let me breathe! Let me live! Let me be!" We say this until we find that that kind of autonomy leads to terrible anxiety and a bondage which we could never dream of. And then, thank God, there are those who come to themselves and come home, only to find that the real freedom they were seeking has been there all the time extended to them in the embrace of the Father, who just says, "Oh, good! You're home at last!" Jesus went about touching human beings, associating with them, eating with them, breaking bread, fellowshipping with them, hugging them, loving them, encouraging them, picking them up - the kind of people that the pure and the righteous really have little time for and no regard for and no hope for. And Jesus said, "You've got it all wrong. God is up there just waiting until you get it out of your system. And then when you're ready, He'll put His arms around you and say, 'Come home and find the freedom that you always thought you could find out of my presence.'" "I want to do it on my own." I suppose that there is a kind of once-for-all coming to God through Jesus Christ. There is a kind of once-for-all yielding up our arms, laying down our weapons, coming to the Father through Jesus, the Son. But I suspect that it is probably something we have to keep doing again and again, as well, because we can get way off in the far country, fall back into that old temptation to autonomy and doing it our own way, and all of a sudden wake up and say, "Gosh, I'm a long ways from home." And whether it's that once-for-all commitment, or just coming back again, the beautiful invitation is the Father standing there with open arms saying, "Who are you fighting? What are you running from? Why don't you just come home and let me love you?" © 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 X Series God's Prodigal Love Scripture Text Luke 15: 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-0-19860727 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-07-27 Title A name given to the resource I Want to Make it On My Own 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 July 27, 1986 entitled "I Want to Make it On My Own", as part of the series "God's Prodigal Love", on the occasion of Pentecost X, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 15: 13. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Freedom Inclusive Grace Nature of God Parable Prodigal Son https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b45f45074c510333223295a4129f2dce.mp3 158e8bb80a7a096300ea02f75271e77e 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 IX Scripture Text Jeremiah 37:17 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-0-19860720 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-07-20 Title A name given to the resource Where Can One Find a True Word? 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 July 20, 1986 entitled "Where Can One Find a True Word?", on the occasion of Pentecost IX, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Jeremiah 37:17. 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/a9ec1c0f919315843b3050c93ef556cc.mp3 d91c2dc732200613371acd599bcd5c0b 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 VIII Scripture Text John 18:37-38 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19860713 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-07-13 Title A name given to the resource A Vision of Reality - The Impossible Dream (Man of LaMancha) 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 July 13, 1986 entitled "A Vision of Reality - The Impossible Dream (Man of LaMancha)", on the occasion of Pentecost VIII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 18:37-38. 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/89a7f6fd1a3e1f686f551262b0bbc54f.mp3 49b7d401a5418c388137f255c0fdd175 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 Liberty Weekend Celebration Scripture Text Isaiah 65:17-25 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-0-19860706 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-07-06 Title A name given to the resource A Vision of Liberty - a celebration of dialogue, music and word 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 July 6, 1986 entitled "A Vision of Liberty - a celebration of dialogue, music and word", on the occasion of Liberty Weekend Celebration, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 65:17-25. 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/f4e943366171d6512917baf1b6532a1a.mp3 4ec11f99cbca03edefddf5d1c61f4550 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 VI Ordination, Installation Scripture Text II Timothy 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-0-19860629 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-06-29 Title A name given to the resource Leadership for Greatness 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 June 29, 1986 entitled "Leadership for Greatness", on the occasion of Pentecost VI, Ordination, Installation, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Timothy 1:7. 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/d8e341fd76fc684ae79d6c82f1255ca7.mp3 dc83c9615afec788a9f7b34a206998e7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/61a14a14b5538f6715a57794144dd3a6.pdf a923405b3cbf333d68ff8a5b06f2bb1e PDF Text Text Christ Community: A People Who Belong Text: I Corinthians 3: 21-23 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan June 15, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon ... everything belongs to you ... yet you belong to Christ, and Christ to God. I Cor. 3:21-23 Last evening the Parlour was filled with people for a media event sponsored by the Reformed Church in America, and it was a very interesting evening very well done: a teleconference which linked up Chicago, New York and California. The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America is convening at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California, and the program largely emanated from the Crystal Cathedral, but within seconds there was a switch to New York and to Chicago and back again. One of the marvels of the modern world is the technology that can bind people together across the nation, across the continent. Of course, this was small compared with the world-embracing media events that we have experienced in recent months. Nonetheless, it was quite significant and for me, at least, quite a thrill and I think we all enjoyed it. It's part of an attempt by the Reformed Church in America, of which we are a part, to discover its identity in this last part of the 20th century - to discover our identity in order not necessarily to know what we have been but, in the light of what we have been and what God is calling us to be, what posture we should assume as we look forward to Century Twenty-One. What is God's will for this church? What is God's will for the whole Church? What is God calling His people to be in this world of which we are a part? Perhaps you saw on the Church Page in the Tribune last evening an article about a book that has come out, a study of the world evangelization and world class cities, which documents what we really have known for a long time and that is that the Christian effort to witness to Jesus Christ is not keeping up with world growth and world population, and that the major cities of the world in the 21st century will be cities which will not only not be Christian in predominant culture, but may even be hostile to Christian faith. We simply live in Western Michigan in a kind of cocoon that does not face us with the reality of the world, a world which is not only not being conquered for Jesus Christ (I don't like to use that militaristic term and yet it's been one that has been a part of the Church vocabulary for a © Grand Valley State University   �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 2   long time), we're not only not winning the world for Christ, we are not keeping up with population growth, and we will face down the line, and our children and our children's children increasingly will face, a Western culture which will not be able to take for granted the things that Western culture takes for granted today, even though Western culture today is not meaningfully and significantly rooted in the Gospel of Christ anymore. There can be no argument about the fact that what we became in Western civilization has arisen very largely out of the biblical vision of things. The Judeo-Christian tradition has shaped the values that we think perhaps are part and parcel of the American way of life, and yet, if we go back, if we study the history of ideas and the development of culture, then it becomes obvious that the things that we value so highly and take for granted are things that come out of a commitment to a biblical vision. And the day will not go on forever. I suppose that someday we will wake up with a shock at that reality. The RCA is simply one denomination that is saying, in the light of today's world, in the light of the imperative of the Gospel, what is God calling us to be? And so the event last night was one event in a series of events in a three-year period in which we are asking that question. It's a good question to ask. The whole Church should be asking that question in light of the world situation that we face. Recently, at the Commencement of New Brunswick Theological Seminary, I with several others delivered a paper on the idea of RCA identity, and in working over that paper, I discovered that the genius of Reformed Faith is that it refused to admit to being a new faith or another faith, and the intention of the Reformers of the 16th century was not to start another church, not to start a competing institution. That actually did happen and once that happens, the splintering continues, but the name Reformed was really used almost in the sense of a verb. It's always better to use a verb than a noun. A noun states a condition, a state of being. A verb bespeaks action. And what was in mind in the 16th century was not to begin a new church, but to rediscover the one, holy, apostolic catholic church, to find that biblical faith once for all delivered to the saints, and to reshape the institution in order that that Gospel might be released in all of its pristine clarity. And so, to be Reformed was not really to be a member of a competing church organization. It was the claim to be the Church re-formed according to the Word of God. Or to be a Church, The Church reforming. That was the insight. That was the genius of that branch of the faith that emanated out of Switzerland particularly, took root in Germany and in the Low Countries: to be the Christian Church, the catholic Church, reforming, always needing to be reforming. Because the Church takes shape in history, and the Church is peopled by people who tend to absolutize the relative and to make ultimate that which is only transitory and partial, to take a partial insight and baptize it as though it were the whole Truth. And so, in that 16th century when they were so sensitized to the corruptibility of all human institutions and the partiality of all human insights, the Reformers of the Reformed branch of the faith called themselves the Church Re-Formed according to the Word of God. © Grand Valley State University �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 3   As I worked on that paper, I realized that John Calvin had a great passion for the unity of the Church. John Calvin was in favor of calling pastors together from the whole continent in order to discuss how that unity could come to expression. John Calvin was ready to have a church council called which had been the custom of the Church in the early centuries - to call a Council of the whole Church over which he was willing to have the Pope preside, on the condition that the Pope himself would abide by the decisions of the Council. And so, it was in the early expression of the Church re-formed according to the Word of God that there was only one church, that there could be only one church, and that there must be constant intentionality to discovering and expressing the unity of the Church of Jesus Christ. And at New Brunswick, in the paper that I shared, I used our experience to say that the local community of God's people could be a genuinely ecumenical community. I used that opportunity to say that in 15 years we have experienced the possibility of becoming a body of Christian people from a diversity of backgrounds and traditions, finding our unity in Jesus. It is hardly possible on the level of the large Church structure. Frankly, there are too many popes, cardinals, bishops, executive secretaries and all other kinds of officialdom with too much vested interest who piously say, "We are concerned about the Church and the Truth," but who are really concerned about their positions, so it is almost impossible on that giant Church level ever to affect unity. Structural unity will probably for a long time to come evade the grasp of the Church because people really don't want it. I mean, if I have position, power and prestige in the RCA, why should I want that merged into one great body in which I would become just, you know – I mean, if I'm a Chinook swimming in Lake Michigan, why do I want to become a perch in the ocean? Right? And down deep, that's what keeps the Church in its separate compartments. But when I came back here 15 years ago, I had had an experience of the possibility of genuine ecumenicity in a local fellowship. The four years that I was in the Netherlands, I worshiped sometimes in the Dutch Church, sometimes in the American Protestant Church of the Hague. In the APC, at that time, well in The Hague at that time, there were 4,000 Americans back in the late 60s. There were many of them who were oil people prospecting off in the North Sea. A lot of them came out of Oklahoma and Louisiana and Mississippi. They brought great, large, red Bibles to church, floppy Bibles. Southern Baptist folk. And then, there were also a few High Church Episcopalians, and there were all assorted kinds of Methodists and Baptists and Presbyterians. When you were an alien in a foreign land, you seek out a community of people with whom you can fellowship. Then theological distinctions are not quite so important. And I found that in that American Protestant Church in The Hague, there was a conglomeration of people of every stripe and every background who found something being together, united in Jesus Christ. And it was simply impossible for me to come back here and to squeeze back into the narrow © Grand Valley State University �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 4   confines of a church with a specific confessional background and a specific ethnic caste. And as I was reflecting on this, I suppose that it was that experience that was the background for the experience of going out to the Institute of Church Growth and Leadership in California, which some of us attended in ' 71 where we recognized the possibilities for the church and came back and within a very short time we had changed the name of this church. It was May 3, 1971 when I preached on the text of this morning, suggesting it was reasonable and responsible to change the name of this church. And after 101 years of history, the First Reformed Church of Spring Lake became Christ Community Church. The vote on a rather warm, weekday evening at a special congregational meeting was 120 yes and 4 no. We also that night called Gordon VanHoeven. The vote was 117 yes to 7 no. He searched out those 7 and dealt with them. All kinds of people have written to me since that time to say, "How in the world did you ever effect the name change?" because people seem so glued to that which is traditional and familiar. And I have to say I don't know, but there was a momentum that was generated which we really believe was attributable to the Spirit of God, and that name signaled to us all a radical departure, a movement out of a narrow, confessional track, a movement out of a narrow ethnic background, and an intention of becoming a genuinely ecumenical community. And at this point, Christ Community has become as diverse as the American Protestant Church of the Hague. Now, how do you find your identity with all of that diversity? How do you find unity amid all of that pluralism? Well, it's very simple, because thank God that, in the inception of the Reformed Faith, the intention was not to begin another Church, but simply to be the one, holy, catholic Church, and simply to let it be reformed by the Spirit of God through the Word of God. Add, in so doing, the reformers were recognizing the essential unity of the Church. In our denominational structures we give witness to the unity of the Church, but our practice denies it. What we have done in this local community is simply not waited for the huge Church structures to move at their snail's pace, but we have become here genuinely Christ's Community; we have become the holy, catholic Church. Now, this movement toward unity reflects the biblical imperative and at its very inception the Church had to wrestle with the question of divisiveness. We read it this morning. Paul founded the Church at Corinth. He spent some time there, and within a little time, people came to him from the congregation and said, "We've got divisions. We've got jealousy and strife. We've got a party that meets out in the parking lot and they claim to be the people of Cephas or Peter. We've got people that meet in the Parlour. They claim to be people of Apollos. The First Apollos Christian Church. We've got people that even claim your name, Paul. And then we have that special group that meets around the altar. They say,' We're Christ's people.'" © Grand Valley State University �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Paul said, "Is Christ divided? Were you baptized in the name of Paul? " And then he goes on to deal with Jesus and the cross and so forth, and he comes back and says, "You know, I would really like you people to move on and to get into spiritual depth, but I can't even deal with the things that are really important. The world needs to hear about Jesus, and you're arguing about whether it's Paul or Apollos or Cephas. I'd like to feed you meat and all you are really ready for is milk!" And then he goes on at the end of that chapter to say, "Look - Apollos is yours, Peter is yours, I am yours. All things are yours. Everything belongs to you. The world. Life. Death. The past. The future - all is yours. But you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." And on the basis of that text, this congregation didn't dare vote to continue to be calling itself the First Reformed Church. How could we? How could we disobey the Word of God? How could the Church with all its self-righteous pronouncements and its pious affirmations continue in its division when there can only be one holy, catholic Church? Now, it was true already in Corinth. No wonder that we've got a Lutheran Church. No wonder we've got Calvinists rallying around the banner. No wonder we've got Wesleyans all over the place. And how can you be Roman Catholic? That's like being a particular universal. It's a contradiction in terms. You're either Roman or you're Catholic. You can't be Roman Catholic. We don't hear the Word of God, and we perpetuate our divisions and our selfrighteous assurance that we have a corner on the truth. Friends, there is no form of church government that is biblical as opposed to others. It doesn't really matter if we're Congregational or Presbyterian or Episcopal in our government. There are glimmerings of all of those in the Scripture, but there's not any scriptural justification for being separate churches because of the way we organize ourselves. There is no correct liturgy over against some other form of ritual. All of them arose in historical circumstances ministering to specific needs in concrete situations. There is no final confession of faith that has said it all. The Apostles Creed is probably the most unifying symbol in the Christian Faith, largely because it avoids theological definition and simply points to the historic life of Jesus. But even the Apostles Creed doesn't say it all. It, too, has a history, a context. The problem with the Church throughout all its life is its absolutizing of that which is relative, its claim for ultimacy for that which is transient and partial. Because there's something in us all that wants to say, "My church has got it. Every i dotted, every t crossed. We say it better than you do. We do it better than you do. And we're closer to the Scriptures and to the will of God and all of that." And it is simply not true. So, what we have tried to do on a local level is be simply Christ's, belonging to God. What we have tried to become here is a community of people who recognize that we are brothers and sisters of one another because Jesus Christ is our Elder © Grand Valley State University �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Brother, and God is our Father, and so we're members of the family together. What we've tried to bear witness to here is the one holy, catholic faith, that faith in Jesus Christ which has taken various historical forms and various institutional forms and had its faith come to expression this way at one time, and this way at another time, all of which is for us to learn from, to appreciate, to give thanks for, and all of us together, simply, to attempt to be Christ's who is God's. So, this community has only a relative grasp of the Truth, and we're open to continue to learn what God has to say to us. This church happens to be Presbyterian in government, but if they could ever get the whole thing together, I'd be willing to give that up if there were a way in which the whole Church could be united in a form of government that would get us together. We have certain ritual forms. If we could just stick with the biblical forms everything else is negotiable. We haven't got it all together. We're pilgrim people, of limited insight, of partial vision. We're just a pilgrim people on the way. We belong to Jesus, through whom we belong to God, and because we do, we belong to each other. Maybe the calling of the Reformed Church in America in the century before us is to give up its life, for the whole Church to become truly catholic again. Maybe the calling of Christ Community Church is to be a catalyst in the midst of the Reformed Church in America that the RCA may be to the larger Church what we have become. Maybe God is calling us in deep humility and deep commitment simply to model out that it is possible for people of diversity to became one in Jesus. I love ethnic festivals. I love mostly the food. I have roots. You have roots. Some of us share the same roots, some of us have other roots, but I love to enter into the roots of others. I was in New York a few weeks ago and we worked late on this theological journal and we went out to eat and then someone said, "There is an Irish tavern where they sing Irish music," and so we all went. In the back room, filled with people, all these Irishmen. I didn't say I was Dutch; I just sort of slipped into a booth. They bring their piccolos and their flutes and their drums and their fiddles, and they sing and they make music and drink beer, and sing and make music and drink more beer. The Irish are marvelous people. Their country's blowing up, and they sing. I love shish kabobs from the Greeks, and Hungarian goulash, and the beer halls of Munich. I love the English and I love my old wooden shoes. The Church of Jesus Christ doesn't have to be some bland, lowest common denominator. It can have all of the richness of a diverse community of people who say with many tongues and many tunes, through many expressions, "Jesus Christ is Lord." And out of all of the richness of that diversity which we can celebrate together, we can recognize that all of that diversity is relative to the only thing that matters – that we are Christ's and Christ is God's. Thank God that we belong. Maybe we can become that catalyst because our most famous, most meaningful confessional statement has no confessional or ethnic bias. It begins with this question, "What is your only comfort in life and in © Grand Valley State University �Christ Community: A People Who Belong Richard A. Rhem Page 7   death?" And the answer is, "That I, body and soul, in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ." Why, if you can say that, you are my brother, you are my sister. We're one in Jesus Christ. So, what else matters? So, what's the big deal? So, why don't we get smart and love each other in Jesus' name, to the glory of God? Let us pray. Thank you, Father, for forming us into Your family. Enable us to live in love, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. © 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 IV Scripture Text I Corinthians 3:21-23 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19860615 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-06-15 Title A name given to the resource Christ Community: A People Who Belong 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 June 15, 1986 entitled "Christ Community: A People Who Belong", on the occasion of Pentecost IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 3:21-23. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community of Faith Diversity Ecumenical Pluralism Reformed Church https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/882dc1b79dca3b9f84e018891a95ebf8.mp3 ff1d7d79c687bd2711cd80a3db07a572 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Baccalaureate Sunday Pentecost III Scripture Text Ecclesiastes 11:4 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-0-19860608 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-06-08 Title A name given to the resource Social Security??? 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 June 8, 1986 entitled "Social Security???", on the occasion of Baccalaureate Sunday, Pentecost III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Ecclesiastes 11:4. 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/b0648391d89252390d544cf18b9950f7.mp3 69d4b238d0181873c540c182b22f328b 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 Trinity Sunday Scripture Text Isaiah 11:1-2, II Corinthians 13:14 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-0-19860525 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-05-25 Title A name given to the resource The God Who Blesses Us 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 May 25, 1986 entitled "The God Who Blesses Us", on the occasion of Trinity Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 11:1-2, II Corinthians 13:14. 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/865bbec8269dc658c5947a2d3884f836.mp3 5b8fce305f8c303cd6844abd01fc47f1 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 Scripture Text Acts 2:28, 32-33 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-0-19860518 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-05-18 Title A name given to the resource The Feeling That Remains When the Concept Fails 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 May 18, 1986 entitled "The Feeling That Remains When the Concept Fails", on the occasion of Pentecost, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 2:28, 32-33. 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/6759ffc8b8f5cb7e913c8d02e980f249.mp3 d06fa5cd20f892b3c744b6d416b115b0 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 Ascension Sunday Scripture Text Exodus 34:6-7, Psalms 78:5-7, Romans 8:34-35, 39 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-0-19860511 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-05-11 Title A name given to the resource Healthy Families - Grace Across the Generations 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 May 11, 1986 entitled "Healthy Families - Grace Across the Generations", on the occasion of Ascension Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Exodus 34:6-7, Psalms 78:5-7, Romans 8:34-35, 39. 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/8fc1bd687ba743407a6b29a9bd293082.mp3 6342504f390b0bdd265c99ea0b23b2ed Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Scripture Text Psalm 118:24, 28, Revelations 19:6-7 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-0-19860504 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-05-04 Title A name given to the resource Exaltation and Exultation 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 May 4, 1986 entitled "Exaltation and Exultation", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 118:24, 28, Revelations 19:6-7. 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/34c5abe659c12e997b144d4d77e0f144.mp3 967c0fbdfc7b5b5cb548d2981dbec94f Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide V Scripture Text II Corinthians 9:7 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-0-19860427 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-04-27 Title A name given to the resource Habits of the Heart 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 April 27, 1986 entitled "Habits of the Heart", on the occasion of Eastertide V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 9:7. 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/a2f4c3e91fbce4e814ae530f82829f25.mp3 610c63a7b269c64330a8b9f82b020c99 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide IV Scripture Text Matthew 11:4-5 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-0-19860420 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-04-20 Title A name given to the resource The Church: God's Emergency Ward 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 April 20, 1986 entitled "The Church: God's Emergency Ward", on the occasion of Eastertide IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Matthew 11:4-5. 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/1e6d9a7fc0f69464b8ada2ad9f7a8014.mp3 25e45222517a2e09c9828616cd0e3d9c https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bef8019aaa16c21b20e0fa9ae13842c2.pdf 8a5532ad355c69e88dec92a91b342aa4 PDF Text Text It Is an Easter World! Text: I Corinthians 15: 20 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Eastertide III, April 13, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon It is an Easter world! I stress the positive affirmation. That is the meaning of the text. Paul had been dealing with an idea that would have denied the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. He showed the consequences of denying the resurrection and then he made the bold, simple claim of the text: But the Truth is, Christ was raised to life… That is the center of the Gospel, the basis of all we claim in our Christian faith. We believe it is true; Jesus is the living Lord and because he is the living Lord, we are bold to say, It is an Easter world! It is an Easter world despite all appearances and we must be quite candid about that. Our affirmation of faith is made in the face of a mountain of data that seems to contradict it. There is trouble in our world. We teeter on the edge of armed intervention in Libya. We tremble with every news report wondering where terrorists will strike next. And we carry a good deal of personal baggage with us – personal pain, broken relationships, vocational anxiety, and disappointments. Some of our neighbors succumb to the weight of it: Then we have the tragedy of a soul poisoned with cynicism and bitterness. Some, deeply wounded, wall themselves in, making themselves invulnerable to being hurt again, and, at the same time, invulnerable to love and grace – the walking dead. But this is the First Day of the Week; this is the celebration of the resurrection. This is the day that the Lord has made. We are here to rejoice and be glad because beneath the appearance is a deeper reality. Christ has been raised to life! It is an Easter World after all! © Grand Valley State University   �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 2   We are going to listen to St. Paul as he lifts up the reality of the resurrection of Jesus. We will reverse his manner of treatment but in so doing we will discover the positive ramifications of the resurrection of Jesus. For his statement, "If Christ be not risen...," after which he spells out what the consequence would be, we will substitute the positive affirmation, "Because Christ is risen ..." The Corinthian congregation failed to understand or refused to believe that there was yet a future consummation coming, an aspect of which would be the resurrection of the dead. They did believe Jesus arose and they believed they were already alive in him, but they denied that there was still more to come. They considered that they were already "resurrected" – spiritually they had been made alive – and that was true. But for them, the rest of history did not matter and the final summing up of all things – the new creation – had no reality. They "spiritualized" the truth of resurrection. In typical Greek fashion they understood salvation as deliverance from the body, from entanglement in the material world. They had no conception of the new heaven and earth and the "spiritual body," the resurrection body of which Paul speaks in the chapter. That is the problem Paul addresses. He does so by saying that to deny our future resurrection is to deny the resurrection of Christ. Obviously, Paul argues thus because he sees the vital linkage between Christ's resurrection and our resurrection. Thus he argues backward. To deny our resurrection is really to deny Christ's resurrection. But such denial is limiting. He began the chapter with the broad witness to the resurrection of Jesus. And then in our text he moves to the offensive with the straightforward declaration, But the truth is, Christ was raised to life – the first fruits of the harvest of the dead. I will say no more about the Corinthian problem with resurrection. Rather, I want simply to set forth what Paul says would be the consequence if Christ were not raised, or, stated positively, I want to set forth what is, in fact, the case because Christ is risen. First of all, Paul claims, if Christ be not risen, the Gospel is null and void and so is your faith. Later he writes, "... your faith has nothing in it." If we reverse Paul's treatment from the negative: If Christ was not raised... to: Now is Christ risen, © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 3   then we can state positively, the Gospel is true; your faith grips the truth, reality. This is of supreme importance. We want to know the truth; we do not want to live under delusion. We say sometimes "the Truth hurts." Sometimes we do block ourselves off from the Truth; we fear the Truth or we stubbornly refuse to recognize the Truth. Yet, most of us, most of the time, really want to know the Truth. Freud claimed religion was an illusion. He and Karl Marx and Ludwig Feuerbach and Friedrich Nietzsche created the foundation of modern atheism. There may not be large numbers of atheists in the world, but there is much practical atheism – people living without any essential reference to God or acknowledgement of Him. The foundations of the Christian Gospel have been penetratingly examined in the past two centuries and there is a great mass of agnosticism. The Church has been on the defensive and not always with the calm confidence in the Truth which is the most persuasive witness. We must always want to know the Truth. We must not duck the issues; we must look at the data, search the evidence and deal with integrity as we bear witness to our faith. What is our claim? Paul sets it out clearly: If Christ is not risen, the Gospel is false, our faith grasps an illusion. What, then, is the positive side? What do we believe to be true if we believe Christ is risen? We believe that God, the Creator and sustainer of the world, is the living God Whose power raises the dead. We believe He is the Sovereign Lord of the world and that beyond the machinations of governments and all forms of organization and human planning, scheming and conspiring, there is at work in history's unraveling a purpose, a purpose of love, a purpose that is moving all things toward re-creation. Christ is risen. He is a sign in the midst of history that God will redeem history. He is a sign in our world that life is stronger than death, that when the power of darkness utilizing the forms and structures of human government and religions have done their best – rather, their worst! – God is still God. His power is not limited, His love is all-embracing, His grace abounding. The Gospel is not null and void. The Gospel is good news pointing to an event, an act of God by which He "signed" the world for final Redemption. Christ is risen; the Gospel is true; our faith grasps reality. © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 4   History looks anything but redeemed, does it not? The American Fleet clusters in the Mediterranean. Terrorists plot to destroy, to maim and to kill. Wherever we look, violence and war threaten to burst forth. What do we conclude? What are the options? No God, no meaning, just human potential - both for evil and for good, and an endless nightmare? That is one possible conclusion. Then, one might despair and give up. Or, one might seek to maintain the upper hand and through power and cleverness avoid disaster but never find peace. Or do we acknowledge the continuing obstinacy of the old world, the continuing state of the world unredeemed with all the hell that that entails, but refuse to see the present state of things as the final state? Do we live by another vision and in the community of faith form an alternative community? And do we look for signs of resurrection in the old world? I happened to catch the NBC interview with Corazon Aquino this week. I was deeply impressed with the sincerity and simplicity of her faith. She was asked about the danger to her life. She responded that she was aware of it, but also that she believed God would enable her to fulfill her mission. And if my mission is fulfilled, she said, then it is all right. Well, what about her husband who returned to the Philippines to engage in a mission, but was gunned down? That did not refute her faith; rather it confirmed her faith. Her husband's death accomplished what it is unlikely his life could have accomplished. He sacrificed his life for the Philippine people and a remarkable, relatively peaceful revolution ensued. Corry Aquino lives in an exceedingly dangerous, corrupt, violent world, but rather than being paralyzed by it, she is set free by faith in God to live and lead with a measure of freedom and peace. When asked if she had a model she admired, she responded that Mother Teresa was a great inspiration to her. And we are bombarded daily with the world's bad news, but we must not forget that Mother Teresa is bringing love and life and healing to the poor and dying in this world. At the Maui Conference I met a psychiatrist named Jerry Jampolsky. This week we received a letter from him saying he was ready to take fifty children to Russia where he is involved in a national TV special on children titled, "A Child Shall Lead Them." He has forty centers around the world for terminally ill children where love and gentleness effect some amazing healings. On what basis does one move from possible paralysis of fear, despair, even cynicism and bitterness to loving service, meaningful involvement in the healing of the wounds of persons and society? © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Are we not freed for loving service on the basis of the truth that this is not all there is? There is more coming and the "more" will be "the more of God." Do we not seek peace, pray for shalom, bring healing because we believe that we are the instruments of the living God Who is bringing in His Kingdom, creating newness? If Christ be not risen, says Paul, then we are operating on an illusion. Then dead is dead. Then history is a tale told by an idiot. Then life ends with a whimper. Then weariness and despair will finally prevail. But Christ is risen - therefore, Paul concludes the great discourse, "Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord inasmuch as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." There is a second consequence of the resurrection. Again, Paul states the negative: …if Christ was not raised,… you are still in your old state of sin. The positive affirmation we derive from that claim is that because Christ is risen our sin has been removed. This brings us back to the mystery of the Cross. It is perhaps best simply to bow there wondering at what is revealed – the suffering of Jesus for the sin of the world, the love of God demonstrated in that sacrificial death, the total obedience of Jesus to the Father’s will, enduring the hostility of humankind and entering the darkness of forsakenness. Paul says God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. Peter wrote, He bore our sins in his body on the Tree. Paul wrote, God made him to be sin for us who knew no sin… I do not pretend to understand the crucifixion, but I do see how the fate of Jesus is a parable of what happens once again in our history. Certainly it is more than that and the life and ministry of Jesus stands by itself. Yet the suffering of the righteous, the triumph of evil and wrong is rejected in every generation. There, in a once-for-all event, we see One-for-all enduring the suffering of the world’s sin, the world represented in Israel. In that sense, we were there when they crucified our Lord. If we can see that much, then we are prepared to hear the amazing news of Easter, the good news that God made His move after "it was finished." History crucified him. Nature's verdict was, he is dead. © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 6   God's action reversed the flow of history and nature. God raised him up. God gave him life from the dead. Now in the light of that dramatic reversal, the Good News is that Sin was put away. The Gospel is that now God accepts us in Christ; we are received through Jesus Christ our Lord. His life is our life, His obedience is our obedience, His righteousness our righteousness. Thus the Apostolic mission is one of reconciliation We are ambassadors of Christ – be reconciled to God. There is no longer a barrier of alienation; now we can simply come home. Again, I do not pretend to understand the mystery of Good and Evil, or what great cosmic transformation was effected through the crucifixion of Jesus. But I do believe the truth of the Gospel invitation - Come; come to the Father through Jesus, the Son. There was an ontological shift in Reality through the Cross and Resurrection. The Good News of the Gospel proclaims that it is ontologically impossible to stand as a sinner before God. Do you hear that? Does that make sense? That has not been much understood in the Church. We have kept sin very much alive and most of us crawl around with a pretty good load of guilt on our back. We have been conditioned in the Church to keep our sin ever before us and to guard against the pride of self-righteousness. Well and good. I think the peacock is a magnificent bird but I am put off by its human imitator. A consciousness of sin is a healthy possession, which keeps us mindful of our vulnerability to temptation and our frequent failure to live in love with God and our neighbor. What we have not made clear, however, what has not really filtered down to the inner recesses of our consciousness is that all our sin and all our guilt has already been removed, taken away, put out of the mind and consciousness of God. We have not reckoned with the ontological shift in reality effected by the death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus we never really find the freedom to break loose from our past. We never get unshackled from our failure. We are too introspective, too introverted, too selfpreoccupied. We take ourselves too seriously. There are Christian churches that place so much stress on inward experience, groaning under sin and unworthiness, despairing over proneness to sin that they never get their eyes off © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 7   their own soul's navel to be able to look to God Who has a smile on His face saying, "Why don’t you just come here and let me love you?" Too much fascination with our own sinfulness and unworthiness is not a virtue, but a vice; it is not to be deeply spiritual, but unwholesomely self-centered and it becomes a strange form of human pride. Further, it is a denigration of the Gospel and an affront to the mercy of God as though no power on earth or in heaven could possibly forgive my sins! Hear the Gospel: It is ontologically impossible to stand before God as a sinner. He has removed sin and guilt from the world, from His presence, from existence. I am sure that raises all kinds of questions. There was a very acute thinker who was a member of this congregation who used to argue with me that there was no place for the Prayer of Confession in Christian worship. All that was possible, he maintained, is a prayer of thanksgiving that our sin has been handled. He had a point. I carefully phrase the Prayer of Confession that it not become a wallowing in how awful we are, but a consciousness of our failure in the presence of the greater reality of God's grace. Robert Schuller does not use the Prayer of Confession because he believes it reinforces the sin-guilt-negative self-image. He has a point. For the traditional Church and deeply conditioned Christian people, that reinforcement may keep us from grasping the radical message of God's grace – Sin is gone! If Christ be not raised - you are still in your old state of sin, but now is Christ risen; you are free of your sin. Forgiveness, freedom, is an amazing reality. Forgiveness - you are forgiven; does that sink in? Does that not make you want to dance and shout and sing? Say it three times, emphasizing a different word each time: I am forgiven! I am forgiven! I am forgiven! Believe it; live in the freedom of that gracious forgiveness. Trust the ontological shift in Reality. Live in the Ontology of Grace. There is a third consequence of Jesus’ resurrection. If Christ be not risen, © Grand Valley State University �It Is an Easter World! Richard A. Rhem Page 8   it follows also that those who have died within Christ's fellowship are ultimately lost. The positive statement of Paul's argument is that Christ being risen, those who die move through death to fullness of life. Here we have to do with the matter of Christian hope and the comfort of those who bury loved ones. Jesus said, Because I live, you too shall live… Again, he said, I am the resurrection and the life. If a person has faith in me, even though he die, he shall come to life; and no one who is alive and has faith shall ever died. John 11: 25-26 Paul counseled concerned believers in Thessalonians about the death of loved ones. He wrote with great sensitivity: I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, that you sorrow not as those who have no hope... That is the critical point. Death separates. Death creates loss. Death leaves us with deep grief when one long and dearly loved is taken away. Sorrow is only natural. But it is not sorrow without hope. Hope enables us to transcend the loss in the conviction that those we love have moved into life in a greater dimension than we can conceive of and, furthermore, that we will one day be reunited with all those we love in the brightness of God's Eternal Presence. Death is a conquered foe! That is the verdict in light of Jesus' resurrection. Hope is grounded in Jesus' resurrection. That hope fastens on a future in which death, the grave, disease, pain and tears will be no more. Again this is a consequence of the Ontological Shift in Reality. Paul says if we have hope in Christ for this life only we are of all people most to be pitied. Hope in this life is critical, but it is not enough. We need a hope anchored beyond history in the Eternal God. Only then are we free to engage in history's struggle with good courage and sure confidence, only then can we relax and revel in the reality of forgiveness, only then can we bury our dead in the confidence that those we love have fallen asleep in Jesus. Christ is risen! This is an Easter world! Thanks be to God Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Alleluia! Amen. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide III Scripture Text I Corinthians 15:20 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-0-19860413 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-04-13 Title A name given to the resource It is an Easter World Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 13, 1986 entitled "It is an Easter World", on the occasion of Eastertide III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 15:20. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community of Faith Eastertide Eschatology Forgiveness Freedom Hope Resurrection Shalom Sin https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e622183f1e0cd091317afc0bbf39bdf2.mp3 abb62bb54b8c5ad6015d8b2001d3fcdb https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/144bbe34a716e35d9da20af0d9dd2d6f.pdf 7ca02a1137396715bda1969816873676 PDF Text Text The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Text: II Corinthians 5: 17; 6: 2 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Eastertide II, April 6, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun. II Corinthians 5: 17 …The day of Salvation has dawned. II Corinthians 6: 2 May I teach you a rather difficult word, which for most of you would not be part of your ordinary conversation? It is ontology. It is the science of Being. It is a branch of Philosophy, which studies the essence of being or the structure of Reality. It derives from the Greek word for “being,” ousia. Ontology refers to what is: the structure of Reality, the way things are. Now, what has Ontology to do with the Gospel of Eastertide? Very much, indeed. Easter changed the Ontological structure of the Cosmos. With the Resurrection of Jesus, God created a whole new world, a new reality. The Gospel is the announcement of that new world. To "hear" the Gospel is to be introduced into a whole new Ontology. To realize this and to grasp it by faith is to experience The First Day of the Rest of Your Life. Paul had experienced it. Jesus revealed it to him as the Risen Lord in a vision. The whole structure of Reality was changed for Paul. In one of his letters he expressed it this way: When anyone is united to Christ, there is a new world; the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun. For Paul, in Jesus' death and resurrection, the day of salvation has dawned. © Grand Valley State University   �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Let us begin by listening to what the text is teaching us about the way things really are - the reality of our world and thus the reality of our situation. …there is a new world, the old order has gone, and a new order has already begun. As we have moved together through Lent, Holy Week and celebrated Easter Sunday, we have been aware of two worlds, two kingdoms. We heard Paul's story: A man of impeccable credentials, according to human standards of judgment, who says, But all such assets I have written off because of Christ…. I count everything sheer loss, because all is far outweighed by the gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. …all I care for is to know Christ, to experience the power of his resurrection… Paul ranked ahead of his fellows when judged by the performance principle. But that driven, compulsive need to establish and secure himself yielded no peace. Then he met Jesus. He learned life was not an achievement to be gained, but a gift to be received. He began to live by grace. It was the first day of the rest of his life. We have learned that grace does not free us from responsible commitment, but frees us to love as we have been loved. That is, to love unconditionally. That is the way God loves us. He demonstrated His love to us in that while we were yet enemies Christ died for us. Thus we saw that it is out of the abyss of love that grace flows, embracing us, melting our defenses, overcoming our weakness and our fear, our hostility. But on Palm Sunday we became very much aware that while the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom of love and grace, has taken root in our old world in Jesus, yet the old world rages on refusing to let go. Jesus enters the City defenseless and vulnerable. He is totally free of worldly entanglement because he is wholly God's man. Because he is wholly God's man, he moves into the hostile environment where death awaits him with calm assurance. Unconditional love clashes with the established powers of this world. The High Priest announces the death sentence. Jesus is crucified. On Good Friday it would appear that the way of love is doomed to be crushed out by the way of expediency. And then dawned the Third Day. © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Easter was the first day of the rest of the world. There was an Ontological Shift on Easter. The Creator raised Jesus and created a new world. He re-created the world as far as His relationship with the human family is concerned. The point is, something happened. On Monday morning it was not business as usual. It was an Easter world - a whole new Reality. That is why I bother you with that strange word "Ontology." I want to stress that the world is changed; Reality is changed. The old world continues. We continue to be part of the old scene. But the old world is gone, in reality! This is an Ontological Shift, a shift of cosmic proportions. I have become more aware of this recently. I am aware I have not proclaimed it strongly enough, confidently enough. That is why the Easter message pointed to the God Whose power effects that which is beyond all human potential. Too much of my ministry and my preaching has been within the narrowly prescribed limits of human possibility. Sometimes I think I am only beginning to glimpse the gracious power of the God of unconditional love. We have been too much focused on the human response, not enough on the objective reality of the new creation. Listen again to the text: There is a new world, the old has gone, and a new order has already begun. Do we believe it? Do we live accordingly? Whether we do or not, the Truth remains. Whether we believe it and appropriate it is not the measure of its truth. Our response does not create the new reality and our lack of response does not detract from the reality. So will you hear the word of proclamation? The day of salvation has dawned. I was reading an Easter sermon preached by the great Karl Barth. He went regularly to the Basle prison to preach to the prisoners. He who could command any pulpit in the world chose to preach at the local jail because he said if I preach in the Cathedral, people will come to hear Karl Barth. If I preach at the jail, the prisoners will come to hear the Gospel. He preached on Jesus' words, "Because I live you, too, shall live." To these prisoners he spoke of Jesus who lived for them. In great simplicity he pointed to Jesus living for us and dying for us. And he spoke of the promise: You will live also. And he explained: Yet the significant fact to remember is precisely not an obligation we are invited or urged to fulfill, so that we may, or may not, live. We are not © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 4   merely given a chance; nor is an offer made to us. "You will live also" is a promise. It is an announcement referring to the future, to our future. "You will live also" succeeds the present of, and our presence in, the "I live" like two succeeds one, B succeeds A, the thunder succeeds the lightning ... You are a people whose future issues from my life and hence does not lie in your sin and guilt, but in true righteousness and holiness. Not in sadness, but in joy, not in captivity, but in freedom, not in death, but in life. From your present participation in my life, you may anticipate this and no other future. (Deliverance to the Captives, p. 31F) He goes on to stress that Jesus is not only our future, but also our present. Not the world with its accusations and we with our counter accusations. Not even the well deserved divine wrath against us, let alone our grumbling against God, or our secret thought that there might be no God after all. Therefore, not we ourselves, as we are today or think we are, make up our present. He, Jesus Christ, his life is our present: his Divine life poured out for us, and his human life, our life, lifted up in him. This is what counts. This is what is true and valid. (p. 32) He then stresses that no one must think himself excluded, too insignificant, too sinful, too godless. And then he invites each one there present to join him at the Lord's Table. There in the Bread and Wine is the sign of what he had been saying in the message. Jesus Christ is in our midst, he, the man in whom God himself has poured out his life for our sake and in whom our life is lifted up to God. Holy Communion is the sign that Jesus Christ is our beginning and we may rise up and walk into the future where we shall live. ... My brothers and sisters, I do not want to oppress or compel any one among you when I add: Shall we not all here present go to the Lord's Table together? Holy Communion is offered to all, as surely as the living Jesus Christ himself is for all, as surely as all of us are not divided in him, but belong together as brothers and sisters, all of us poor sinners, all of us rich through his mercy. (p. 33F) There I see a preacher acting on the Reality of the new world which was born on Easter. We get so bogged down in checking out the human response that we lose sight of the Reality. We forget the Ontology of the New Creation. We wonder if someone has true faith – whether his life is morally pure, whether one understands the contents of the faith. All the things that come subsequently we worry about first and instead of a grand invitation to a new Reality to which we welcome people, we erect all kinds of barriers that discourage and turn away. © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Perhaps rather than keeping this Table of our Lord's here in the antiseptic atmosphere of the sanctuary, we should move it out on the highway and pass out bread and wine to those traveling past. What would happen if, with authentic excitement in the face of the Reality Shift of Easter, we went out and shared the wonderful news of what is really true! Something has happened. The day of Salvation has dawned. Of course, we cannot be unconcerned with the response. The new world has dawned but it is possible to live in the death grip of the old. It is for those who are in Christ that the new world becomes reality in their experience. Therefore in our announcement of the new Reality we point to him. We must tell the story of Jesus, of his life, his death and resurrection. We must invite our neighbors to receive what has been provided and is fully offered. And we must ask ourselves if we who believe in him have really entered into the newness that he has created. Again I must confess that too much of my own concentration and too much of the traditional message of the Church deals with the death and resurrection of Jesus in terms of forgiveness, dealing with the past and too little emphasis is placed on the power of God to change our lives – really change our lives. Too much of my concentration and the concentration of the Church has been on getting the lost snatched from Hell fire and into the safety net of the Church. We want to get people saved!! But what does that mean? For too many of us that has meant out of Hell and into Heaven - no matter in what state and once we get people in, we can relax a bit. Whether we consciously operate this way or not, underneath this has been a powerful motive in the Church's outreach. But it misses the whole point of what we claim to be trying to do – get people "saved." Salvation's root is the same as the root of salve. Salvation is healing. It is to bring the person toward wholeness. God is not interested in making us pious or religious; He would make us human. That is what He created. That is the intention of recreation. The Church Father Ireneaus understood that long ago when he wrote, The Glory of God is a human being fully alive. What is it, then, to be "in Christ?" - Literally it is to be lifted up to God in the Anointed One - the one anointed with Spirit, one full of God. The context of this great text is illuminating. Paul's apostleship was under attack. He is a man sold out to Jesus Christ – making him known, announcing good news, calling all people to the new world now open to them. © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 6   We will all appear before the Judgment seat of Christ. Our lives will be laid open an awesome thought. He senses a divine imperative to carry out his apostleship, his own life an open book. He is simply responding to what has been revealed to him. In verse 14 Paul writes: For the love of Christ leaves us no choice, when once we have reached the conclusion that one man died for all and therefore all mankind has died. His purpose in dying for all was that men, while still in life, should cease to live for themselves, and should live for him who for their sake died and was raised to life. The purpose of Jesus' death and resurrection is to incorporate us in him in the death to the old world and the rising to a whole new order of things. He goes on: With us therefore worldly standards have ceased to count in our estimate of any man; even if once they counted in our understanding of Christ, they do so no longer. Why? The one in Christ is a new creation! The old is gone. The new has come. Well, how does that fall out? What does that mean in the everyday affairs of an ordinary human existence? It means a new understanding - a change of mind. This is the meaning of repentance “Metanoia,” the Greek word, points to a change of mind. Our thinking needs to be straightened out – about God: That we no more resist Him in our weakness and hostility, fearing He will rob us of life, but rather see Him as He is - the loving One Who comes to us in our weakness and hostility with total vulnerability in order simply to embrace us with a mercy that knows no limit, setting us free for the first time to be fully human. about what it means to be fully human: We see it in Jesus, totally open to the Father, totally open to the neighbor, living out the unconditional love of God in covenant human relationship. Is not to be "in Christ" to be filled with the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God? Is it not to live in the conscious flow of God's life, His energy, His grace, seeing ourselves not as buckets to get filled but as channels to let flow through us the Divine life? To be "in Christ" is to live consciously in the Kingdom of God, knowing one is no longer bound to live according to the Kingdom of this world. It is to be done with © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Page 7   the old way of doing things - the tit for tat world of vengeance, retaliation and vindictiveness. It is to be done with the world of selfish indulgence, of selfasserting, of defensiveness and the strenuous compulsion to justify oneself. It was reported on national news last evening that a millionaire died and left her two million to a few friends and casual acquaintances. She left this word with her will. "To my children I leave nothing. I want them to receive in my death what they gave me in my life." Think of it! Think of dying with that kind of bitterness. You say maybe the kids deserved it. Maybe they did. That that is the old world. According to the canons of the old world, God should leave us in our self-constructed hells. He could write a similar note: "I leave you in your death what you created in your life - Hell." But He showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. I feel sorry for the poor woman. I'm sorry her children neglected her. Perhaps she could not change them, but she could have changed her mind, her attitude. She could have let love fill her, driving out the anger and vindication. How? By looking to Jesus. By understanding God's love, by receiving it and then letting it fill her heart. Think of standing before Jesus when one's last act was an act of retaliation and bitter resentment. Will Jesus' eyes flash with fire? No, they will be wet with tears. Will he say, "Go to Hell"? No, he will say, "My child, my child!" And what will the dear woman respond? "They got theirs! I’m finally happy!"? No, but rather, "O my God, what have I done?" Think of it, friend. The day of healing has dawned. This is not just Pollyanna talk. Christ is risen! There has been an ontological shift in Reality. A new world is here, the old is done away with. You don't have to live according to the canons of the old world, filled with brokenness, pain, hate, resentment. Look to Jesus. Know that God raised him from the dead, thereby creating a whole new possibility. He died - one for all, once for all. He arose - one for all, once for all. God's Spirit filled him, the Anointed One, the Christ. Now the Risen Jesus pours out that same Spirit on all flesh - so we shall celebrate on Pentecost. Let go. Open up; entrust your life to the Risen Lord who brings you into the presence of the Father and gives you the Spirit by which you can be freed from the old, brought into the new. Be healed by the love and grace and power of God Who needs from you simply the word "Come into my heart, Come into my heart, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus. Come in today, come in to stay. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus." He will! And it will be the First Day of the Rest of Your Life! Amen. © Grand Valley State University �The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Richard A. Rhem Reference: Karl Barth. Deliverance to the Captives. First published 1961. © Grand Valley State University Page 8   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide II Scripture Text II Corinthians 5:17, 6:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Karl Barth. Deliverance to the Captives, 1961. 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-0-19860406 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-04-06 Title A name given to the resource The First Day of the Rest of Your Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 6, 1986 entitled "The First Day of the Rest of Your Life", on the occasion of Eastertide II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 5:17, 6:2. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Eastertide Grace Inclusive Resurrection Salvation Transformation Unconditional Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f9ce7c572241b7040fd027fb7b8e4c66.mp3 079039116b91b3fc1dfa28c32061c813 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 Romans 4:17, 21 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References W.H. Auden: For the Time Being 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-0-19860330 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-30 Title A name given to the resource Easter Faith: Beyond All Human Potential 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 30, 1986 entitled "Easter Faith: Beyond All Human Potential", on the occasion of Easter Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Romans 4:17, 21. 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/72a942df054a28e84e4789bf1f10ae02.mp3 38782c4a8a77b9233cf73683956dc50d 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 Maundy Thurs. Scripture Text John 13:30 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19860327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-27 Title A name given to the resource Night 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 27, 1986 entitled "Night", on the occasion of Maundy Thurs., at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 13:30. 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/1ff886c4530d68864ba5f987ae6f7c6f.mp3 6053859dae36a270778c11ca1090b6af Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Palm Sunday Scripture Text John 11:50 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-0-19860323 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-23 Title A name given to the resource The Clash of Two Kingdoms 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 23, 1986 entitled "The Clash of Two Kingdoms", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 11:50. 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/26d5c464febce8bb0f61d51eaab82f39.mp3 a254f791cea9e06c4ed86de2bbd96234 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 The Way to Life Scripture Text Hosea 11:8-9, Romans 5:8 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19860316 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-16 Title A name given to the resource The Love That Overcomes Estrangement 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 16, 1986 entitled "The Love That Overcomes Estrangement", as part of the series "The Way to Life", on the occasion of Passion Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hosea 11:8-9, Romans 5:8. 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/8a45108a7936544c09d211098e24f523.mp3 1f9059873a3baf0f843136c83ec5c727 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 The Way to Life Scripture Text Galatians 5:13, John 10:15, 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-0-19860309 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-09 Title A name given to the resource The Freedom That Issues in Commitment 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 9, 1986 entitled "The Freedom That Issues in Commitment", as part of the series "The Way to Life", on the occasion of Lent IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Galatians 5:13, John 10:15, 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/c60d76570f483ad109b8c0eaa2f0ed83.mp3 186ce5fbef6cd95bf0dc0746e89c1525 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/250b88562b0abfbfcf85c71c2766aa29.pdf e0bb52769d7bb906428e19d7fa348a95 PDF Text Text Life Turned Upside Right From the Lenten sermon series: The Way to Life Text: Philippians 3: 10-11 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Lent III, March 2, 1986 Transcription of the spoken sermon All I care for is to know Christ. To experience the power of his resurrection, and to share his sufferings, in growing conformity with his death… Philippians 3:10-11 Revolution or Transformation in human life or historical institutions is often described as things being turned upside down. But something that is turned upside down would seem to be other than in its native, true position or situation. Therefore, this message is entitled "Life Turned Upside Right" because, while we point to a radical transformation of human personality - specifically the Transformation of the Apostle Paul, we are pointing to a new human condition which is not contrary to nature, but rather the restoration of human nature according to the intention of Creation. Therefore, I point you this morning to the call to human transformation, which is really a call to realize God's intention for us, that we live not out of our own resources, but wholly out of His grace. Paul expresses the goal of his life following his encounter with Jesus Christ and finding his life turned upside right as caring only …to know Christ. To experience the power of his resurrection, and to share his sufferings, in growing conformity with his death, if only I may finally arrive at the resurrection from the dead. The Apostle stands as the great example of radical conversion in the New Testament. Sometimes that very fact creates a distance from many of us who have grown up, nurtured in the faith from our earliest years. We have never known that wrenching from death to life, from darkness to light. We have grown up within the covenant of Grace of which our baptism is a sign; we have never known a time when we did not know about God, a time of not knowing Him, and © Grand Valley State University   �Life Turned Upside Right Richard A. Rhem Page 2   we have never known a time when we did not in some fashion trust in God. How, then, can the experience of a Paul be relevant for us within the nurture of the Church? Let us reflect on that for a moment. Was Paul's situation so different from ours? Is he really an example of radical conversion from darkness to light, from death to life, and thus without instruction for the Church situation? Certainly there was radical change; certainly there was deep existential encounter; certainly there was the sense of moving from darkness to light, from death to life. But in what context did that radical transformation occur? Was it not precisely within the context of the Covenant of Grace? Was it not precisely within the context of the community of faith? Did Paul find in the face of Jesus some new God? Not at all. Did Paul move from atheism or agnosticism or blasé indifference to faith and zeal? Not at all. What, then, was the radical change? How, then, was life turned upside right? If it was not from world to Church, from non-belief to faith, from indifference to commitment, wherein lay the transformation? The Scripture passage gives a clear answer: The radical change was the movement from securing one's life by one's own efforts, to finding one's life secured by the grace of God. The radical change was from doing, to trusting. The radical change was from living by the "performance principle," to living by the Grace principle. In my wrestling with this familiar testimony of the Apostle, I was suddenly struck with the total relevance of Paul's experience for us, for the People of God in the Church. This is a message precisely for us who are religious, who know the truth and live within the community of faith. Is it not precisely we in the Church who need to be converted? Is it not we who must be called again from all self-securing performance and all reliance on our fine accomplishments or religious activity, even zeal for the Kingdom and reminded that life is gift and all is of sheer grace? Is it not ourselves, serious, diligent, faithful, who need more than others to be pointed to grace as our only hope and salvation? Paul's God was the God of Israel; the God of Israel was the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul's Bible was the Torah, the Old Testament which pointed to the way of life. Paul's community was the Covenant Community, Israel, of which the Church is the continuation. All that was true of Paul was positive. Listen to his own recitation of who he was and the seriousness with which he lived. …If any other man thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of © Grand Valley State University �Life Turned Upside Right Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law a Pharisee, as to zeal a persecutor of the church, blameless. Philippians 3: 4b-6 Was that all bad? No. On the contrary, that was all good; it spoke of both high privilege and conscientious responsibility. What, then, was the fatal flaw of the old Paul? Simply that all of that which he cited was the ground of his confidence; his righteousness was a self-righteousness; the principle of his life was the performance principle. He sought to secure his existence, to secure his life, his acceptance with God and his reputation with his neighbors by his racial lineage, his religious affiliation, his record of service and diligence of dedication. Paul simply trusted in Paul. But not really. We are never finished when we are doing it ourselves; there is always one more thing to do, one more base to cover, a little more exertion to expend. And then there is also always the fear that somewhere, sometime we might slip, we might fall, we might lose our grip, grow weary, cynical or indifferent and, if it all depends on our performance, where will that leave us? Legal rectitude and zeal - that was it for Paul. The Greeks, he writes in another place, seek after wisdom - a rational explanation of reality into which they can fit their existence and in which they can find themselves within the structure of reality. And there are other possibilities Hedonism, perhaps - just living for pleasure, keeping the engines of our being fired up with one titillating experience after another - and so on. But Paul's life was turned upside right - radically, that is, the very core of his being was transformed. He moved, not to a new God, a new People; he moved to a new basis upon which to place his life - God's grace - apart from his background, affiliations or performance. Listen to his own statement: But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as refuse, in order that I may gain Christ… Philippians 3: 7-9 That is a radical conversion. But not as we often think of radical conversion as turning from atheism or agnosticism to God; from the world to the Church; from non-religious practice to serious religious practice; from disobedience to obedience. No. This radical conversion happened within the being of a person serious about God, religious in practice, and totally dedicated to religious service. © Grand Valley State University �Life Turned Upside Right Richard A. Rhem Page 4   It was a movement from trusting self-securing endeavor to trusting only the gracious God. It was a movement from seeking to justify one's existence to resting in the justification which is gift. It was a movement from compulsive drivenness that can never find peace, to rest and peace that frees one to live with vitality. It was a movement from humorless heaviness to joy and lightness of spirit. But is not such a view of radical grace rather dangerous? Might it not lead to presumption, slackness, carelessness, frivolity? Let us simply note its effect on the Apostle. …that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death… Philippians 3:10 Power, courage to suffer for Jesus' sake, conformity finally to the death Jesus died in obedience to God's will for the sake of the world, all in the hope of final resurrection, life in his light forever. Let me bring Paul's witness to our present situation - have you met Jesus and heard him say cease from all self-securing activity, which stems from insecurity and creates hostility? "Rest in me." Lent is a time to learn again obedience. Obedience is faith - resting in the gracious God. In the posture, life is turned upside right. Amen. © 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 III Series The Way to Life Scripture Text Philippians 3:10-11 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-0-19860302 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-03-02 Title A name given to the resource Life Turned Upside Right 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 2, 1986 entitled "Life Turned Upside Right", as part of the series "The Way to Life", on the occasion of Lent III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Philippians 3:10-11. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community of Faith Covenant of Grace Divine Intention Lent Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7a67759bbfe127b9366858cd6eb41267.mp3 3670714f2dc4dd1c4fe300011aa1693c 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 IV Series Response to Gorbachev's Disarming Proposal Scripture Text No Scripture texts listed 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-0-19860202 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1986-02-02 Title A name given to the resource A Nation at Its Best 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 2, 1986 entitled "A Nation at Its Best", as part of the series "Response to Gorbachev's Disarming Proposal", on the occasion of Epiphany IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: No Scripture texts listed. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives