7 24 1045 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/acaa4444137c5609f10cc5295954d3c9.pdf 1c004d35dc58cf552853a85a5bd69844 PDF Text Text Love That Puts You Out of Control The Nature of the Love of God Micah 7:19; Luke 15:20 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan September 1, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon The religious people were grumbling at the life and the action of Jesus. They were grumbling because his attitude and his behavior were breaking down the lines that they had drawn that indicated who was "in" and who was "out." His behavior and his attitude embracing all, as the text says, receiving tax collectors and sinners, was distressing to the religious establishment, because they had set up a purity code so that everyone was clear on the rules. Those who were" in" knew they were "in" and those who were "out" knew that they were "out." Those who were "in," even if perhaps with some protestation of great humility, nonetheless were effected with an almost inevitable self-righteous satisfaction, while those who were "out" also received that message and considered themselves "out," unworthy. In the arrangement of that day in which the lines were clear, Jesus' manner of receiving all sorts and conditions of humankind was terribly confusing, and those who were in authority were afraid that there might be those who were "out" who might attempt to come in. And so, in response to this criticism, Jesus told three stories, and in telling these three stories, he was seeking to create a window through which could be seen the amazing love of God. These three stories have as their central thrust the nature of the love of God. Now, as I have said often enough, we have failed to focus on the central thrust of this parable as is indicated by the very name by which it is known - The Parable of The Prodigal Son. It's not a parable about a prodigal son. It is a parable about the love of God. It is a parable in which Jesus portrays a love divine, a love that stands in sharp contrast to all human loves, a love that dumbfounds us and confounds us because it is so strikingly in contrast to the love that we manifest in family and in larger community. It is a love that causes us to catch our breath and wonder if it can be true, and if indeed it is true, a love that certainly makes our human society impossible. Jesus, in this parable, was responding to his critics in order to justify his behavior on the basis of his understanding of God, of the love of God, which, if I understand the story correctly, was his understanding of the nature of reality that at the very heart of things, deep down at the core of things, there is a love © Grand Valley State University   �Love That Puts You Out of Control Richard A. Rhem Page 2   such that it continues to cause us to stand in amazement. It is a love, I would suggest, that puts us out of control. In saying that, what I mean is that it is a love that causes us to loose our grip on the reins. It is a love that finally dissolves that frantic grip on the reins of our life, because if there is anything that threatens us as human beings, it is to be out of control. I don't care if you are wild and wicked like the young one, or stiff and righteous like the older son, there is a commonality that binds them together and, indeed, I believe, is a thread woven through the fabric of the lives of all of us, and that is a desire to be in control. "Don't surprise me." Now, we have not only misnamed that parable, thereby missing the central focus of Jesus' story, the love of the Father, but we have also, in its preaching, focused where Jesus' focus was not. We have focused on that younger son and we have (I'm talking about we preachers. I have been guilty of it in the past and I have heard it preached this way often enough.), we have taken this marvelous story of Jesus about the love of God, and made it a story about this younger son who went off into the far country. Then we made some moralistic applications appealing to youth not to kick over the traces, not to leave home, showing the dangers thereof and the decadence that's at the end of that road. But, then, we come in with our evangelistic appeal saying that the conversion point of the young son is when he came to his senses. Have you ever heard it preached this way? He was in the far country, he came to a deep misery, but thank God he came to himself, he came to his senses. Well, I want to suggest to you that's not a critical point at all, for that young rascal was just as much in control in the far country, in the pigpen as he had been any moment of his life. That young boy woke up to the fact that, while things were boring back home, at least there was a bunkhouse with a bunk and three squares a day, and he analyzed this situation in an ongoing, calculating human fashion and said to himself, "You know, it may be boring there, but I'm very hungry here." And so, simply adding up the pros and cons, coming to take account of things, what does he do? He just sits down and says, "You know, I think it's better at home." So, he goes home. He writes himself a speech, he memorizes it, he rehearses it, and all the time he's still in control, still writing the script, throwing in a little regret and remorse for effect. But, as a matter of fact, in coming to himself, that's precisely what he came to - he came to himself and his ongoing desire to survive and to make it with the reins still well intact in his own hands. The young rascal was still in charge. And it was true of the elder brother, as well. He may have been seething with anger throughout all of the years of his responsible, faithful, diligent service to the father. He may have done it all without joy. He may have grumbled and been resentful underneath, but there's one thing about it - it was safe. He was in control. He was his own person, miserable person that he was. I think that's so characteristic of all of us, isn't it? Isn't maybe our greatest fear that we'll spin off into free fall, that we'll lose control, that we'll lose our grip? Wouldn't we be © Grand Valley State University �Love That Puts You Out of Control Richard A. Rhem Page 3   willing to do almost anything, go almost anywhere, bear almost any burden if at least we could say we are in control? Isn't there something deep in the human person that longs for that kind of autonomy? And again, it doesn't matter where on the spectrum of human personality you fall. I find it in all of us. "Don't surprise me. Let me write the script." Some risk a bit and pay the price. Some play it safe and never play at all. But, depending on the personality type, the commonality is the desire to be in control. I'm suggesting that Jesus confronts us with the love of God that is the only thing that can finally dissolve that tight rein with which we hold our lives in tow. It is love that puts us out of control, and it is love that brings us into an arena of vulnerability where we can relax and rest in the abyss of divine love. Love is the only transforming agent in the world. Threat can keep us in line for a bit. Fear can keep us somewhere down the straight and narrow. There are control mechanisms by which we control one another, our families. The Church has been heavily into control, thereby justifying everything that Freud has ever said about the anger over against the father, the father complex, because the Church has played the role of the stern parent. Control. That's the name of the game. We try to control and we try to stay in control. That word is so common that I wondered where it came from, so I took my big, fat dictionary and looked it up. It comes from the French language, made up of two French words, neither of which I can pronounce. But, it means against the role. And then I was reminded that when I travel through Europe, Germany for example, go across the border or go into a bank or something, one sees this word, Kontrol. And what that means is that you are checked against the role. Guard the borders. Make sure nobody slips through. Check against the role. And we spend so much of our time making sure we measure up against the role that there will be no surprises for us, either. Control, that my life is checked off on the list. Jesus gives us a picture of the love of God that absolutely decimates control, dissolves that frantic effort to hold on that tight grip, allowing us for the first time in our lives, once we taste it, to let go and to rest in the love of God. That's what his critics didn't understand. They had made it very clear who was "in" and who was "out," and those who were "out," as I said, considered themselves "out" and had given up on themselves. And those who were "in" considered themselves "in," never understanding the fact that they could be totally alienated within, homeless at home. Jesus was painting the picture of the love of God, which dissolves those distinctions and transforms. The young rascal came to himself, to his senses in the far country. But, that was not the point of his conversion. It was the beginning of his movement toward home, but he wasn't transformed until he allowed himself to be embraced by the father, whose arms had never been anything but outstretched. © Grand Valley State University �Love That Puts You Out of Control Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Threat can control us. Fear can control us. Reason, less successfully, can control us; but love alone can transform us. That's the love of God, and that is the deepest reality of the cosmos, and that's what Jesus was trying to say as he explained his action of welcoming all comers. It's a powerful story, isn't it? Vivid story. The only drawback is that it's so powerful and so vivid that we begin to think about God as the Divine Parent and we forget that this is a parable and that the father figure is a symbol. God is person but God is more than person. The father symbol must be seen through to the larger reality. Jesus is not talking just about God as a Super-Parent; he's not talking about God as one more person, be that person bigger than life. He is not pointing to God as the CEO of the Universe. Jesus uses the symbol of the person of the father in order that we may see through that symbol to the vast background of reality, to that ground of all being. Jesus is trying to say, "Look! This is the way things really are at the core." What Jesus was trying to convey is the fact that in this brief life that we live, our three-score years and ten, or four-score years, or less or more, in this brief human experience of ours, what we are struggling to learn is what is true all the time - that we have come from love and that we move toward love and that we are, in the meantime, embraced by love. We have come from God and we will move to God and it is to God that we belong. I think what Jesus was trying to say was that what the younger son was seeking "out there" and the elder son missed at home was true for both of them all the time. It was demonstrated in the non-accusing, non-condemning, nonquestioning, warm embrace of the father of the younger. It was expressed by the father to the elder in the words, "My child, you are always with me. All I have is yours." Jesus was saying to the religious leaders of his day, the guardians of institutional religion, "My manner of life, what I am seeking to embody, is a picture of the nature of reality, of the heart of God. And it is true for all, all the time, always, for we have been created by love and we will move into the abyss of love, and, in the meantime, we are loved, because that's the deepest truth, and it's the only truth that can do for us the only thing that God really wants to do for us and that is to transform us into those who catch a glimpse of being loved and love in return. I mentioned last week Henri Nouwen's marvelous meditation on Rembrandt's painting of "The Return of the Prodigal," and how he had, at a point of his life feeling so burned out, longing for home and yearning for the embrace of the father, identified with the younger son, until a friend said to him, "Henri, you are really the elder brother," and he had to say, "I am the elder brother, having done it all right, all my life, and being a little resentful of it." And then sometime later another friend said to him, as he was speaking about that painting that had become such a part of his life, "All your life you've been one of the sons, whether the younger or the elder. Don't you think it's time you moved into the role of the father? All of your life you've been seeking recognition and friends and accomplishments and proper performance - all of your life, Henri, all of your life © Grand Valley State University �Love That Puts You Out of Control Richard A. Rhem Page 5   you have been on a quest. Isn't it time that you simply accept the fact that you are deeply loved in order that you may ask no quarter, but simply love in kind?" We never love supremely, obviously; always partially, often half-heartedly. But, isn't that really what God is about with us? If ever we could sense that the deep underground is nothing but love, and from that we have arisen, and to that we will return, and in that we can rest in the present. Ah! If we could taste it, I do believe we could share it. And if we could taste it, we would be home, we could create home. So, the deepest word of the Gospel is, "My children, come home." © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9ec3172efd9725fe222fdea7c7d2c4d1.mp3 be0f115168b26c07092fd9572e268c37 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 XIV Series Prodigal Son Parable Scripture Text Micah 7:19, Luke 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-0-19960901 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-09-01 Title A name given to the resource Love That Puts You Out of Control Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 September 1, 1996 entitled "Love That Puts You Out of Control", as part of the series "Prodigal Son Parable", on the occasion of Pentecost XIV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Micah 7:19, Luke 15:20. Love at the core of reality Nature of God Prodigal Love Transforming Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4a107a18add49469fa889d93f0b09e9c.pdf da105f13faa7299291aeaab9eb8fe17a PDF Text Text It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Text: Isaiah 40:27; Luke 15:28, 31 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan August 25, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon The parable of the Prodigal Son, as I indicated last week, is misnamed. It is really a story of a father with two sons, and it's not really about the two sons so much as about the father. It is about the incredible, amazing love of the father who is, in the story Jesus told, a symbol for God. This story is about the love of God, and it was told, initially, because there were those of the religious leadership that were grumbling because Jesus was receiving all kinds of people without condition, sitting at table with them, breaking bread with them. He told this story in order to respond to that criticism and that condemnation of his ministry. Last week we focused on the younger son who was a rebel who sought his freedom, or better, his autonomy. And we noted that Jesus just might have been saying it is necessary to separate and to move out in the natural, normal maturation process. But, it's a very perilous move and it can lead to selfdestructive behavior, decadence and despair. But, he told not only of that younger son who left home; he told, also, of the elder brother who stayed home. And just as the younger son in his move from home cut himself off from that whole spiritual legacy that was his and became homeless, so Jesus says in this story, the elder brother living all of his days at home righteously, responsibly, faithfully, seriously, nonetheless was just as homeless as his younger brother. For Jesus was saying that it is possible to be homeless by leaving or by staying, but failing to delight and to bask in the love of God that is the mark of the house of God. The younger son broke the father's heart because he left. The elder brother just as surely broke the father's heart because he stayed without joy. And so, for a bit this morning, having focused on the younger son last week, let's linger with that elder brother a bit because, as I said last week, probably Jesus was not talking about two kinds of persons so much as the two persons that live within us. Is there not the rebel in us whose recklessness can lead to decadence, as well as the diligent, elder brother whose serious obedience is given grudgingly, without joy? Don't we know moments in our lives when we are the one and the other? So, for a time, think with me about that elder brother. © Grand Valley State University   �It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Richard A. Rhem Page 2   The story is a sad story. It's a sad story because it's always a pity to pout at a party, and there was a party going on. There was a celebration. The elder brother coming in from the field hears the sound of singing and dancing and he calls a servant to say, "What's the meaning of this?" I wonder, what do you think? I suspect he knew what was going on, don't you? Don't you suspect he knew the father well enough to suspect that maybe the young rascal came home and all of the joy and celebration was about that? And I wonder if he didn't call the servant to confirm his suspicions in order not to have to go too close and be drawn into the circle of light and celebration. It's a sad story because, hearing the news, we're told that he was angry and he would not go in. He stayed outside the party, paralyzed, as it were, by that anger that welled up within him and erupted, probably surprising him, himself. There he stands. Can you get into his skin? The best way to hear the word of God is to put ourselves in the characters. Have you been there? Have you felt that kind of resentment and anger overcoming you in a moment, so unexpectedly that it absolutely paralyzed you, and you were consumed with a fury and a wrath that even scared you a bit? That's the sad story of the elder brother. I suspect that we've all been there on occasion, because I suspect that there are more elder brothers and sisters in church than younger rebels who have returned. Well, in a congregation like Christ Community, there are some rebels who've returned. But, by and large, we are the folks who stayed home, aren't we? We are the folks who've been serious and responsible and diligent and faithful, while the masses have left, seemingly rather carefree and reckless. Apparently they could not care less about whether the church lives or dies. I mean, we've stayed home, haven't we? We've taken upon ourselves the heavy burden for keeping the church alive, for God's sake. So, I suspect that when I ask you to get inside the skin of the elder brother, probably many of us here have been there a time or two. The elder brother is a type that is found often in church, because the elder brother was a good and righteous and serious and faithful and diligent and responsible person. But the thing that he didn't realize was that underneath, he was also a very angry person, full of resentment. I have a large library and I love books, and one of the most beautiful books in my library is a book by Henri Nouwen, the Dutch Catholic priest. You've probably read some of Nouwen's works; he's written a number of things - contemplative, meditative, about the spiritual life. Very fine writer. This book is called The Return of the Prodigal, and it's bound beautifully, and it is a meditation on his contemplation of Rembrandt's painting of the return of the Prodigal, and there are several colored plates of that painting in various scenes sprinkled throughout the book. That text is Nouwen's encounter with that painting. He tells about a time in his life when he was worn out, he had been carrying on his ministry, he had been teaching and traveling, he had been engaged in Latin America, concerned about the injustices there. He was really burning out and he came to a point when he knew that it was time for him to take a sabbatical or change his © Grand Valley State University �It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Richard A. Rhem Page 3   course or something, and he went into an office and there he saw a poster of this painting of the return of the Prodigal, and something in it drew him and he was drawn to it and struck by it and he saw the embrace of the aged father embracing the son, kneeling, weeping at his feet. Nouwen said, "I saw myself in that return of the younger son. I so yearned and longed for the embrace and the touch of the father. I needed to come home." It was a short time later that he was invited to travel to Russia and he went to St. Petersburg, formerly Leningrad, where in The Hermitage Gallery, is the original of the Rembrandt painting. Through special arrangements he was enabled to spend hours sitting in front of that painting, just contemplating it, seeing himself in the painting, thinking about Rembrandt, thinking about all of the dynamics of that painting, finding in himself that longing to be held by the father and to go home. He did change his career, of course, and he settled in and things began to move for him again and he shared with a friend one day that he identified with that younger son who'd been embraced by the father, and the friend said to him, "Henri, don't you really think that you're the elder brother?" And it took him aback. Then he began to think about it and he began to study the elder brother and think of his own life, and he said, "I had to conclude I was the elder brother." He said, "At the age of six I was already committed to the priesthood. I was the oldest child of the family. All of the expectations of the eldest child were upon me. All of my life I had tried to please; I had tried to measure up. All of my life I had been serious and responsible; I had obeyed my parents; I had obeyed my teachers; I had obeyed my bishops. I had given my whole life to the service of God. And as I thought about myself as the elder brother, I had to admit that there was some subterranean stream in me of resentment and of anger." He said, "I never cut loose, I never kick up my heels, and yet as I thought about my life at that point in my life, I recognized that there was a subtle anger within me and a resentment over against those who had been reckless and careless and seemingly to have gotten away with it. I was resentful about those who could go out and turn the tables upside down and then come back repentant and receive all grace. The more I thought about it, the more I recognized that it was me in that picture, that I was the one, underneath, resentful and angry for all of the diligence and all of the faithful service I had rendered." And Nouwen identified that which is the central characteristic of the elder brother, which is an anger that manifests itself in resentment. And it is a serious disease, and there are few of us who escape it totally, for whether we be the elder child like Nouwen or some other scenario is written over our lives, as a matter of fact, most of us at some time have to own up to having held a pity party, that "poor me" syndrome, the fact that I've tried so hard, I've worked so hard, I've been so faithful, I've been so righteous, and nobody really appreciates it; nobody really appreciates me. Who would ever throw a party for me? So, if there's a party around, I'm going to pout at the party because I'm feeling sorry for myself. © Grand Valley State University �It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Richard A. Rhem Page 4   I think Nouwen put his finger on that besetting sin of good people. It is doing everything right and hating it. It is being absolutely square and resenting it. And it doesn't take simply a child-parent relationship. The elder brother was resentful against the father, but those of us who are parents can pull the same trick on our children. Now, I'm sure there's not a father or a mother here that has ever given even a hint to a son or a daughter that, in light of the sacrifice that we've made for our sons or daughters, one might think that a phone call or a visit might have been in order. I'm sure that there's not a parent here who has ever felt sorry for themselves over against the tremendous job we've done in nurturing and raising and working hard and scraping and sacrificing for our children, and look what we get! And, it doesn't even have to be within the family. It can be among colleagues; it can be among friends. "Look what a friend I've been to so-and-so. Do you think that there's any reciprocity, any appreciation? In fact, as I think about it, nobody really appreciates me and I really do feel sorry for myself, and when somebody's having a good time and celebrating, I'm going to be outside, pouting at the party, because I am so angry." And the problem is no one can do anything for you because the problem's inside. It's a kind of feeling of inadequacy, a lack of self-confidence and self-esteem. And so, it doesn't matter how much affirmation we get. It doesn't matter how many kudos are sent our way. It's because we don't love ourselves and respect ourselves enough and we can't believe anybody else would love and respect us. I think that's sort of what's going on with the elder brother syndrome. I see this in the Church because, again, I think we in the Church tend to be more the elder brother than the younger rebel. I ran into it in 1988 when I wrote that article on the extent of God's grace, and I found that people were really angry to think that perhaps the grace of God was broader than the scope of our human imagination, that maybe the grace of God could embrace even those who were outside our serious, dedicated, diligent, faithful, responsible commitment to the kingdom of God. At that time, a colleague of mine was quoted to me as saying, "If he believed the grace of God was that broad, he would give up the ministry and start selling used cars." We've experienced it recently again, haven't we? The Detroit Free Press headlines said, "If Dick Rhem Is Right, the Heart of the Gospel is Cut Out." That sounds to me an awful lot like those grumbling people who condemned Jesus for breaking bread with those who were outside the acceptable parameters. What is there about the Church? Do we feel put upon because we have stayed home? Do we feel jealous of those who have simply left? Do we resent the fact that we have a commitment to be faithful to the mission of the Church and to the broader kingdom of God? Do we do it, but do we hate it? It's such a pity, because the kingdom of God is about dancing and singing and feasting. It is to be a banquet. It is to be a ball. And it's a pity to pout at a party, but the Christian Church members are not the most spontaneous, joyful people in © Grand Valley State University �It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Richard A. Rhem Page 5   the world, but we should be. So, whether it's in our individual lives or whether it's in our corporate lives, it's a rather sobering thing to size up the elder brother and then see the contours written in our own hearts. But, again, this story isn't about those two boys at all. It's about God. And the thing I think I never really appreciated in this old, old story, although I would have thought that there wasn't another phrase in it that could have passed me by in the many years of my life, but the thing that amazes me is that the love of God is absolutely consistent over against the younger rebel and the older pouter. For, just as God the father runs to meet the youngster who is returning, so the father leaves the party and comes out into the darkness to plead with the elder son, and the word he uses in the Hebrew language does not mean "son," but "my child;" it is the word of affection. The father comes out to this elder son and pleads with him to come and the elder son begins a tirade, listing all of his credentials and all of his responsible actions and behavior, holding up to the father the dissolute life of "this son of yours," whom he doesn't even claim as "my brother." The anger just spews out of him! He can't contain it anymore. The dam bursts! To which the father says, "My child, all I have is yours. You are always with me." No accusation. No condemnation. Not of the younger one. Not of the older one. Just, "Look, look, I love you and I value you, and everything I have is yours." Unconditional love. If it's amazing that over against the younger one, he could let him go and love him still, this is absolutely incredible. I mean, it's not so hard to take a rascal back, is it? Particularly when the kid's weeping at your feet? One can embrace such a youngster. But, this elder brother standing stiffly in his selfrighteous pride, resentful and angry, spewing out to the father all of hurts over all of the years - to love that one? Well, I might have gone out, but I sure would have let him know how disgusted I was with his behavior. And then if he wouldn't have come in, I would have said, "Then stay there and rot!" But, you see? That's the amazing nature of the love of God. Jesus couldn't portray it any more vividly. It's not simply a greater degree of our love. It is a love divine. It is the love of God. And right now I think there's some of you that may feel a kind of constriction in your innards because you know that it is your nature to pout at the party. And I wish I knew how to set you free. I wish I knew how to set your tongue to singing and your feet to dancing, to lead you into the spontaneity of joyful celebration. I know what you need, what you yearn for - it is to be loved, it is to be valued. And I wish for just a moment this morning you could really hear Jesus, really hear the story, really put yourself in the skin of the elder son, acknowledge it, confess it, own it and then let the love of God wash over you. I tell you, it is so transforming, if once you feel it. Friday night Nancy and I were invited to the Sabbath service of the Muskegon Temple where I was invited to give the sermon. In 1984, in Schenectady, that congregation that I served for three months had an annual exchange with the Jewish community in Schenectady and, while I was there, that exchange took © Grand Valley State University �It’s a Pity to Pout at the Party Richard A. Rhem Page 6   place and we went to the Sabbath service in the temple. I have to tell you, I couldn't be free. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to pray. I wasn't even sure if Jesus' name wasn't attached to the prayer, if it was ... I mean, that's where I was. I was thinking about all of these things, and what I want to say to you is that, in that experience, I wasn't present with those people. I was there in body, but I wasn't present with them. Friday night it was quite different, because I know, I have experienced enough now to know those are God's beloved children, and I could rejoice when the candles of the Sabbath were lighted and when the bread was blessed and when the wine was poured. It was such an enriching, warming, human experience. And I could sing. And I could dance. And I could be there. Because, you see, the Kingdom of God is about a love that is so incredible that it far exceeds the measure of our lives, and God would have each one of us know down in our depths that we are valued and loved and hallowed, whether we've kicked up the traces or kept plowing the furrows. Whether we've been wild and decadent, or righteous and resentful - God wants us home. God wants us to know we're loved, and if you could believe that this morning, if you could feel that this morning, it would be wonderful, because it's such a pity to pout at a party! Reference: Henri J. M. Nouwen. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming. Doubleday, 1992. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3244b2d75715702d2c2fa0555c27d47a.mp3 378c350cf56df29a107db7c7d751760f 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 XIII Series Prodigal Son Parable Scripture Text Isaiah 40:27, Luke 15:28, 32 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Henri J. M. Nouwen. The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming, 1992 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-0-19960825 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-08-25 Title A name given to the resource It's a Pity to Pout at the Party Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 25, 1996 entitled "It's a Pity to Pout at the Party", as part of the series "Prodigal Son Parable", on the occasion of Pentecost XIII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 40:27, Luke 15:28, 32. Inclusive Love Transforming Love Unconditional Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9e42196ca7c3dcc96759a710c953a116.pdf 54a09586e19db8459ea6b76f27313c6a PDF Text Text Take Care How You Kick Over the Traces Scripture: Isaiah 1:1-6; Luke 15:11-16 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan August 18, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon We're thinking, in these days, about organized religion, its institutional forms, and last week I noted that it can be an oppressive and de-humanizing force in one's life. Bad religion has destroyed a lot of people. But, we also noted its importance, its critical importance, because religion is that which relates us to that which is beyond us, and puts us in connection, in communion with God. So, it's not a matter of ridding ourselves of religion, but it is a matter of understanding religion's true function and what its true message really is. I clipped an article from yesterday's Grand Rapids Press. The headline says, "Church Attendance Reaches 20-Year Low." It's the research of a certain George Barna who has written a number of things about the contemporary scene, at least over the last decade, maybe two, and in this news report, he tells us that we have perhaps been lulled to sleep by the fact that the percentage of people who attend church has remained rather constant, but to remain constant in a growing population is like feeling good about the fact that I'm still making just as much as I made in 1960. The Church is losing ground and this article says that we are at a 20-year low. His comments about it reveal that all denominations, including conservative Protestants, have grown slower; there's been a very large decline in institutional religion. Young people especially are confused about morals and not familiar with religious tradition, and the global youth culture has become pluralistic and relativistic. I don't think anybody's doing much to help them sort it out. And then the commentator said it's not just a phase they're going through. There's less reason to say they'll come back when they never went in the first place. The reserves of religious tradition are dwindling. I believe that's true, and I believe that the frantic activity of much of the institutional church is an attempt to stem a tide and not very successfully. A few weeks ago in The New York Times Magazine, the magazine that's included in the Sunday edition of the Times, there was a brief article on the Willow Creek Church west of Chicago, which has become such a phenomenon in our day and has spawned so many look-alike congregations called "seeker congregations." It's been a very successful movement. But, the insight of the columnist in this particular magazine article was that the truth is in the packaging. In other words, © Grand Valley State University   �Take Care How You Kick Over Traces Richard A. Rhem Page 2   the success has been a success in marketing, and while marketing is not unimportant, it is not what is ultimately important, for in this little article, a representative of the Willow Creek Church said with some pride, "And we have not changed one article of our belief." And I want to say, "Shame on you." If you think you can take that old core and not re-examine it and bring it to new expression in a new day and in a culture that is radically changing all about us, if you think that you can take that old core and simply dress it up and put it in a shiny package and sell it, the success will be temporary because you have not dealt with the issue in depth. Good religion needs to be very clear about the message it presents and about its function, which is to be an agent, a means, not an end in itself. Good religion is a means to enabling the people to come into communion with God and to experience God in the depths of their being. The message is critical, and what is the message? The message is that God is love. Well, ho-hum, right? Haven't we always heard that God is love? But, I mean God is love in the deepest biblical sense, the most radical sense of love, that which came to expression in Israel in its best understanding. My text says that the "ox knows its owner and the ass its master's crib, but Israel does not know; my people does not consider." This is the portrait of God throughout the whole of Hebrew scriptures, the God Whose hands are always outstretched, the God Who pleads with God's people, the God Who never turns away but always beckons. In this context, a little further along the chapter - "Come, let us reason together, says the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Farther on in that same prophecy: "Come, seek ye the Lord while he may be found. Call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous one his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." Throughout the whole of Israel there was this pleading note of a pleading God with outstretched arms, waiting only to embrace the one who would return, coming to one's senses, coming home. But, of course, the consummate expression of it is in the parable of the Prodigal Son, which is terribly misnamed. It's not a story of a prodigal son; it's not a story of a son at all; it's the story of God, of a father, of an unquenchable love, of an irresistible grace, of a love that is unconditional and irresistible in its appeal to God's children. The context is important. It's the third of three stories. The first is the shepherd who goes after the lost sheep. The second, the woman who searches the house for a lost coin. And then this story of a father who had two sons. Jesus was responding to the criticism of his life and ministry. In the opening of the 15th chapter, those who represented institutional religion in the day of Jesus © Grand Valley State University �Take Care How You Kick Over Traces Richard A. Rhem Page 3   were grumbling. They were grumbling because they said he receives and eats with sinners. And as you've heard me say many times, the mark of Jesus' ministry, the way in which he embodied his message, was in the table fellowship that he practiced. Even for us to break bread together, to sit at a meal together is an expression of intimate friendship. But, in Jesus' day it was especially the case. You did not break bread with that one who was not friend. You did not share a meal with the outcast or the alien or the estranged. And in the temple religion of the day with its code of holiness, it was very clear who was in and who was out. There was a kind of exclusion practiced. And the reason that the temple authorities were grumbling at Jesus was because Jesus went against the conventional wisdom, he went against what everybody else was doing. He opened his heart and he opened his table to all comers. No one was excluded. And that was threatening to the institutional religion of the day, and they grumbled. And so, as Jesus always did, he responded with a story: There was a father who had two sons. There was a younger son who was a rebel who asked for his inheritance early on and who left home and wasted his life, ending up in decadence and despair. And there was an obedient son who followed the letter of the law, but grudgingly so with a kind of inward resentment over against the father that was as painful to the father as was the rebellion of the other. There was a father who had two sons, both of whom broke the father's heart. So, for two or three weeks, let's think about this old story. Maybe you say, "How can you say anything new about that old story?" Well, I wonder myself, but let's try. Let's focus primarily this morning on that younger son. For him to ask for his inheritance and to leave home was a radical request that was unheard of. In his culture, in Jesus' day, what he was really asking for was the death of his father. He was cutting himself loose from his whole legacy, everything that was sacred and holy, everything that was home. For in that day more than our own, a person was identified by a father's house, by the village from which he stemmed. All of his life, that was his identity. His total social security was in belonging to a house and to a village and to a community. That's who he was. And so, the request of this young man was a horrible request that implicated him in the wish for the death of his father. I don't know whether Sigmund Freud ever talked about this parable or not. I've never seen a reference to it, but I think he could have done a lot with it because, according to Freud, the origin of religion is in the wish for the death of the father which then creates guilt which then needs atonement. I don't think Freud had it all right by any means, but I wonder without reading Freud back into Jesus or taking contemporary psychological insights that we do have from the behavioral sciences and reading them into the parable, I wonder if Jesus was not essentially, intuitively, instinctively understanding that there is within us that which would leave home. © Grand Valley State University �Take Care How You Kick Over Traces Richard A. Rhem Page 4   As a matter of fact, I think the two sons are not two different sons; I think the two sons live in all of us, whether it be two sons or two daughters, both reside in the heart of each of us and there is in each of us that which would leave home, that which would rebel, that which would cut loose. And I suspect that Jesus understood that as an observer of human nature and human behavior. He didn't need Freud to tell him about that; he didn't need our modern psychological insights to know that. Truth and illumination were not born in the 20th century. And if we walk around that for a moment, I wonder if Jesus was really condemning that leaving of home altogether because we have learned, have we not, that it's necessary to leave home. Now, in the maturation process of every individual, is it not true that we must go through a process of individuation? Must we not separate? Doesn't every parent want a son or a daughter to move from under their roof and to find that kind of independence that will bring to expression the fullness of that person? I shake my head at how in earlier years I preached this parable and it's still being preached that way all over the church, as though this is the parable of the Prodigal Son and as though it is a warning to young people that there are great dangers in loose living. That is to trivialize this story. As a matter of fact, aimless freedom or autonomy, in this case, can lead to decadence and destruction. There's no question about that. But, that's not what Jesus is talking about. Jesus is talking about that within us that necessarily and normally and naturally must find its own independent expression. And I think what Jesus is saying is that's a very perilous journey. Well, it is a perilous journey, isn't it? Is there a parent among us that doesn't hold their breath when our youth are going through that process? A few weeks ago my elderly sisters came up to visit Nancy after her surgery and one of my sisters is here today, but I talk about my sisters once in a while because they hear the tapes and they feel good just to know that I'm still thinking about them, but my sisters were remarking about what a nice boy I was, what a nice child, and the fact that as a youth I never brought any grief to my parents. The years of adolescence when one ought to be separated, I just sort of lollygagged along and didn't cause any particular concern, to which Nancy responded that she sort of wished that I would have gone through my adolescence when I was with my parents rather than with her. I don't know whether we just go through our adolescence one time. I was comforted hearing one psychologist speak one day who said for the male, adolescence is from 17 to 47. But, as a matter of fact, folks, it is necessary for us to move away from home in order that we can be at home with who we are, and it is a perilous process. My sermon title this morning is, "Be Careful How You Kick Over the Traces," because the pitfalls are many and potential disaster lies around every corner, and there is no parent that has not had sleepless nights over a son or a daughter who was struggling to find themselves. And it isn't just the adolescents. Those of us who are old enough to have children and grandchildren © Grand Valley State University �Take Care How You Kick Over Traces Richard A. Rhem Page 5   know that there is never a time when our children get beyond the pale of our concern and are not the subjects of our prayers. To be human isn't easy, and to find that kind of independent expression of the fullness of our own person - that doesn't come without some struggle and some serious mistakes and often some pain and some dreadful hurt. But, that's really enough about that younger son, because that's not the focus of the story. As I said, the focus of the story is the father. That father in the story is a window that Jesus offers us into the very heart of God, and if good religion is to reflect accurately the nature of God, then it must listen to Jesus in this story, because if the son's request is outrageous, then the father's response is incredible! For, what does he do? He gives him the goods and lets him go. And that is the point at which it is most difficult for us to emulate the behavior of God, this God reflected in this story by Jesus. He loves him and lets him go and stands by the side of the road, trembling, watching and waiting, hoping that this one will return. That is the picture of a love that is unconditional. It is the story of a relationship whose bonds are love with no other strings attached. And even those of us who love our kids find that there are times when we get into a tug of war and a battle of the wills and, love them as we may, our own egos do get involved. There is a power struggle often before parents and child come to reconciliation and peace. But, that's the amazing thing about the biblical nature of God - that God loves and lets go and keeps arms outstretched, waiting for the free and uncoerced return. This is where the Church has failed so miserably and not just the Church, but institutional religion, period. For institutional religion moves into the role of parent, not after the model of God, but after the model of the human parent, the stern, demanding parent, the parent that, if Freud has any truth at all in him, is the parent that we would kill, the parent that we must flee, the parent that we rebel against. The Church becomes the upholder of virtue and of morals, the guardian of society's values; the Church condemns and excludes, draws lines, and to that extent conveys a distorted image of God and sets forth altogether the wrong message, for that message is being rejected en masse! Institutional religion is being left in droves because there is that within the human person that simply will not remain in that position of childhood and servitude and, consequently, God is dishonored through God's own people. I said the message is God is love and you said, "Ho-hum, so what else is new?" That is new, that God is that loving, that love is that unconditional, that love is finally irresistible, that to the rebel, there is finally nothing against which to rebel! There is no barrier that needs to be overcome; there is no seawall against which to break one’s waves, for God stands with arms outstretched and the only thing that can break the rebellion is a love in which there is no fight, and if I read this story accurately at all, that's the amazing news of that which Jesus taught and in his life embodied - that God is love, period. © Grand Valley State University �Take Care How You Kick Over Traces Richard A. Rhem Page 6   How do you fight love? When the son comes home, no questions are asked, no condemnation is offered, just salty tears and arms that embrace. Because all that God is ever about is to bring God's children home. Years and years ago I read an old sermon illustration; it's about as musty as the book in which it now resides. It's about a son who left home with brokenness with his father and went out and got rid of all of the rebellion and came on hard times and sent a letter to his father saying on such and such a day I will pass by the house. If I would be welcome, tie a white handkerchief in the branch of the old apple tree in the front yard. And as he approached the homestead with heart pounding, he saw not a handkerchief tied in the apple tree. He saw hundreds of white handkerchiefs tied to every branch of the apple tree, because finally, all the divine parent wants is for you to come home. I invite you this morning, whether you're young and rebellious or old and crotchety, why don't you come home? Come on home. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/20040fa0f427ae2ec56ac12b2cd6cfe7.mp3 c62eb01261940b58ba78f89dff12a047 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 Prodigal Son Parable Scripture Text Isaiah 1:3, 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-0-19960818 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-08-18 Title A name given to the resource Take Care How You Kick Over the Traces Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 18, 1996 entitled "Take Care How You Kick Over the Traces", as part of the series "Prodigal Son Parable", on the occasion of Pentecost XII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 1:3, Luke 15:13. God is Love Inclusive Grace Nature of Religion Prodigal Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/345c6580f5f4d6192048901e67fe3f0a.pdf d11253dfd9b7a9e2f5eb563ec40e8910 PDF Text Text Religion Can Be a Monkey on Your Back Text: Romans 14:23; Isaiah 46:4 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan August 11, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon It's been suggested to me that there are those of you who keep wondering what's happening in the saga of Christ Community and the Classis of Muskegon - let me just say that on Tuesday evening there is to be a meeting of the Classis of Muskegon, and it would appear that the separation document which has been prepared will be passed. That seems to be the opinion. We're not lighting off the firecrackers yet, but nonetheless it would seem that we should soon be beyond this nightmare of the soul. It looks very favorable for us, and as if all things that we had hoped for would be in place, plus we would be in touch with the national offices of the Reformed Church in the next five years in a continuing conversation, which I think is also a positive thing. You'll probably get the press reports before I could tell you again, but if that is the case, we will have a brief meeting next week following the ten o'clock service. Well, all of that is about religion, and religion can really be rotten. Religion can be a monkey on your back. Religion can be one of the most depressing, dispiriting, draining, oppressive, manipulative, coercive, negative forces in the world. That's quite a confession for a preacher. When I was young and growing up, thinking about becoming a minister, I was worried whether or not God would last, whether or not God could be adequately defended, whether or not people would continue to practice religion. I guess I was worried that I might get to this point in my life and be out of work. But, as a matter of fact, I have come to conclude at this advanced age that the religious human animal is alive and well on Planet Earth and that religion is endemic to the human person, that there is something within the human being that will always make that person reach out in some fashion for something or someone who is beyond, some transcendent realm, some Beyond, some person, force whatever it may be - there is something within us that can only be filled with a connection with something that is beyond us. Here in the Church, we speak of God, and when we speak of God, we speak of the God Whom we've seen in the face of Jesus Christ, the God of Israel, the God of Jesus Christ. © Grand Valley State University   �Religion a Monkey on Your Back Richard A. Rhem Page 2   But, I'm talking about religion more broadly this morning. It's not just the Christian religion; it is religion as a phenomenon that I want to think about with you this morning. I have been thinking about it a lot in these past weeks and months - Religion. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, when he was in the darkness of the Second World War, incarcerated for his conspiracy against the life of Hitler, wrote his Letters and Papers From Prison, in which he plays with that idea a lot and he talks about what form would a religionless Christianity be. He recognized that religious practice can become religiosity, and he recognized that in the modern period, after a couple of hundred years of the development of the human sciences, that God was being edged out of the world, and so he talked about "Man come of age." Now, that statement became almost a model for the post-war decades, but it just shows how contextual our thinking is, mine included. But, any good preaching or any good expression of the word of God needs to be the word for that moment and that context, and so I'm not faulting Bonhoeffer for, in the depths of the darkness of the 20th century, speaking about man coming of age and God being edged out of the world. As a matter of fact, fifty years later, religion is alive and well, and while some of the traditional religious trappings have gone by the way, we find that we live in a day when there is a conservative religious reaction on the one hand and then, on the other hand, there is the New Age manifestation of a spiritual hunger within. A couple of weeks ago I used a few statements which we typed up in the bulletin insert last week - Carl Jüng's statement that in his practice of psychoanalysis there was not a case of people in the last half of their life that he could not trace back to their lack of meaning, and that lack of meaning was the consequence of the failure of any religious mechanism, religious ritual, religious practice, which ritual and practice was the means by which the person is put in touch with that which is beyond. And some of the statements about the youth, the younger generation that have been led into self-destructive behaviors and addictions and even violence because they have no frame of reference, no rooting in a religious tradition that is able to mediate to them that which is beyond them. I'm reminded of Hendrikus Berkhof, my old mentor, who once said, over against the youth of his day a couple of decades ago, that in The Netherlands, in Europe generally, he couldn't talk to that generation about Christian faith because they had absolutely no basis on which to make connection, and he said they're not the prodigals, they are the children of the prodigals, you see? The prodigal son left home and knew that there was a home and there was a father and, as we'll see in the next couple of weeks, he eventually went home. But, if the prodigal has children in the far country, the children don't even know there's a home. So, how do you begin even to engage in that discussion which can lead to a religious practice that is positive and that becomes a means for relating the individual to God, to that which is beyond? Because, if it is true that to be © Grand Valley State University �Religion a Monkey on Your Back Richard A. Rhem Page 3   human is to have a hole in us that can be filled only by God, then we, being human, will be in trouble if we have no place in which to rest our souls, if we have no mechanism, no means, no space, no place, no community in which to experience that connection – not that that connection cannot be and is not sustained and ought not to be sustained in our own personal and private lives, in our moments of solitude and so on. But those moments alone and those moments of solitude, I believe, are cultivated, are experienced only if we have been given some kind of frame of reference and if we are connected with community that corporately comes into the presence and acknowledges that presence - indeed, that worships, that occasionally is lost in wonder, love and praise. So, to begin with, I would simply say that I think religion is a potentially very positive and necessary part of human experience. Have you ever thought of giving it up? Have you ever thought of just chucking it? Have you ever wondered if you will keep at it? Or, have you taken a long sabbatical and maybe you've come back? I think if we think, if we're honest about our human experience and our religious experience, then probably there are those times when you say, "Hmm, Sunday morning again. The Chicago Tribune and a cup of coffee doesn't sound too bad. I mean, to have to shave and shower and show up…." Religion can be burdensome, it can be heavy. The prophet recognized that: Second Isaiah, the one who was prophesying in the sixth century before the Common Era. The reading that I did was a kind of mocking piece - "Bel bows down. Nebo stoops." These were the top gods of the Babylonian pantheon. And Babylon ruled the world - magnificent city of Babylon, the Babylonian Empire, the forces of which came in and decimated Jerusalem and brought the Jews into exile. And in that day it was just the conventional wisdom, the common understanding, that the winners must be in touch with the most powerful gods. And so, these Jews, rather dispirited, away from their own land living as exiles, said, "Well, the gods of Babylon must be it." But, the prophet of Yahweh, the God of Israel, had another vision of things. He could see that Babylon had its day. But, Babylon would soon cease to be, for on the horizon was Persia, and the Jews had all experienced on the New Year's Day celebrations how the Babylonians would take their chief gods and load them on floats and have their own little Coast Guard Festival, you know? The gods would parade through the city and people would bow down and throw flowers - "These are your gods, O Babylon." But now, the enemy's at the gate. Now there's panic in Babylon. Now they run to the temple, grab those statues and haul them out and put them on beasts of burden and sort of balance them precariously as they try to get out of town with their gods. So, the prophet of Israel said, "Look, the gods are going into captivity!" © Grand Valley State University �Religion a Monkey on Your Back Richard A. Rhem Page 4   A little humor there. They're dragging their nose in the dust as they're being dragged along by the oxen and the people are trying to save their gods. Now, that's an irony, isn't it? People have to save their gods. And the prophet says to the Jews that they're going to go home; he's announcing the salvation that God's about to bring. But he can't do it without this little aside, this little mocking picture of the gods of Babylon who cannot save, but need to be saved, who cannot bear, but need to be borne, who are not the God who lifts the burden, but who are gods that become a burden. I'm using that image this morning just to say to you that religion has a shadow side, and that religious practice, which at its best can lift and inspire and heal, can in the expression of its shadow side, become coercive and manipulative and become an end in itself, and it can become a burden, rather than a burdenbearer. We may not do as the prophet went on to say, we may not take some wood and some gold and some precious stones and fashion ourselves an idol and then fall down before it. But, let us not be deceived. Our religious practice also, in the Christian Church and really in all of the religions, can become an end in itself rather than being a mediating agency by which the grace and the peace of God are brought to people. Bad religion is one of the most destructive and potentially dangerous powers in our world, and I would have to say after all of my years of ministry, even though most of my contacts have been with Christian people in the church, I have to say in all honesty to you, I have seen people as damaged by religion as helped by religion. And I run into people all the time who have given up, have given up on the Church and given up on religious practice because of some hurtful, painful experience or some disillusionment with the exercise of religion in its institutional form. And I want us to think about that clearly this morning, because I want us to recognize that if we will be an authentic institution of religion, we must practice it so that its positive power is uplifting and inspiring, helping and healing people and not manipulative and controlling and destructive of the human spirit. You know what I'm talking about this morning? I'm talking about a God, the God of heaven and earth, the God Who is beyond us, the God Who is beyond our wildest dreams or our ability even to contemplate, the God Who has been revealed to us, the God Whose heart we see in the face of Jesus, but the God that we cannot pull down and domesticate in order that we might manage. But, do you see that that's the danger of religion, that we get a human form and a human ritual and the human institution and then we make it absolute? We identify it with the Absolute as though what we have in our religious view and the practices of our religious exercise, are identical with God, God's self, and then we become coercive and manipulative with that religious experience. What I'm trying to say this morning is that we may be incurably, inevitably religious. But, if we fail to see that religion is a human product, and if we absolutize it as though © Grand Valley State University �Religion a Monkey on Your Back Richard A. Rhem Page 5   it's divine, then we become dangerous people, and then our religion becomes something that's oppressive. Where did we ever miss the boat, anyway? Why can't we hear the word of God as it was read this morning, after mocking the gods Bel and Nebo who are being dragged through the dust out of the city in order to be rescued, in order to be saved? Why have we not heard Who God really is? "Listen, O House of Jacob, all the remnant of the House of Israel, who have been borne by me from your birth. I have borne you, carried from the womb, even to your old age, I am God. Even when you turn gray, I will carry you. I will carry. I will save." Five times over, I is repeated - I, I am the One, I will carry, I have made, I will bear, I will carry and will save. You see, religion that is good, that is positive, that is true, is religion that will say to people, "You are loved by God. You are being borne by God. You don't have to rescue God; you don't have to worry about God. You don't have to get panicky and in a frenzy about all of your religious exercise and all of your religious duties, so that sometimes you'd just like to kick it all over, you'd like to leave it all, you get weary of it." Don't we get weary of it? We have to support everything. We have to support the PTA and Easter Seals and the Church! We have to support the youth group and the Worship Center and we've got to keep worship alive. What if I don't come today? What if everybody decided not to come today? There wouldn't be anyone there. Poor Dick would stand on his stool all by himself. All of that heavy duty and obligation, all of that "ought" and "should", all of that "must", all of that musty religion that becomes oppressive and burdensome. I'd give it up, too, if I believed that that's what it was about. But, how do we miss the word of God? "I am He, even when you turn gray, I'll carry you. I made, I bear, I carry, I save." We get so hung up with our religion. Paul had to struggle when he wrote to the Church of Rome. He said, "Some of you keep one day, some of you keep another, some of you eat vegetables, some of you eat tenderloin. For goodness sakes, what does it matter? Why don't you just do what you do out of faith? Why don't you do what you do out of conviction? Why don't you be a person that lives out of your own center rather than by some template that's placed on you? Why don't you live out of faith, out of trust, why don't you be who you are and all the time know that, whether you live, you live unto the Lord, and whether you die, you die unto the Lord. So, whether you live or whether you die, you are the Lord's." Why hasn't the Church let people know that God is the One in Whom they live and move and have their being? Why have we threatened and condemned, judged and cast out? Why haven't we said to people, "Rest in the Lord"? Practice the sacrament of baptism, because in that beautiful moment, we are helped to know © Grand Valley State University �Religion a Monkey on Your Back Richard A. Rhem Page 6   that that child, a gift of God's love, is connected. We're connected. The water isn't magic. Elliot Brown was loved before church this morning as much as he'll be loved after church this morning. Can't we see the value and the beauty and the wonder of this sacrament without us getting into a great panic because some child failed to get baptized? We break bread and we take the cup and we experience in that moment a ritual action because it's filled with tradition and it's history and it becomes for us a moment of connection. But, would I be disconnected if I never took bread and never took cup? I wish we worshiped seven days a week. I'd make about six of them. I love it! I love it! The organ begins. Something happens to me. I need this place; I love this place. But, if I could never worship again, would I be less loved of God? For God's sake, no. Religion, when it becomes duty, when it becomes obligation, when it becomes coercive and manipulative, when it instills guilt and claims it alone can open the door of heaven - then religion has gone awry, then religion is rotten. Then it's a monkey on your back; you ought to take a sabbatical for a while, until you get good and hungry, until you can't stand it any longer. Then you come and eat bread and drink wine and let water flow down, and then, then you relax and you listen to the word of God who says, "From the womb, I have borne you. I will carry you. I will bear you up. I will save." Go out and tell your neighbors how good it is when religion is good, because a lot of them aren't here because they got a taste of it when it was bad. And when it's a monkey on your back, it's a disgrace to the Eternal God Who created us, Who keeps us, and Who will never let us go. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/78cb196dece63d44d34574758e0778d8.mp3 9aef241877ebf5fe31913d060b3fee86 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 Scripture Text Isaiah 46:4, Romans 14:23 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960811 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-08-11 Title A name given to the resource Religion Can Be a Monkey On Your Back Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 11, 1996 entitled "Religion Can Be a Monkey On Your Back", on the occasion of Pentecost XI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 46:4, Romans 14:23. Faithful God Inclsive Love Nature of Religion Spiritual Quest https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f8d9dffd16d55d2e46a79eedfdb6b8b5.pdf a43783504610be0e3930aae802a82ee6 PDF Text Text The God Who Never Gives Up On Us From the series: If God Be For Us… Text: Hosea 11:8-9; Romans 11:32 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan August 4, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon Hosea was a prophet who learned in personal experience the nature of the love of God, for Hosea loved a woman and married her, only to find her eventually falling into prostitution and unfaithfulness. And yet, he loved her. And then he heard the Word of God that said, "Keep on loving her. Reclaim her. Redeem her and take her to yourself." Out of that experience of personal love, he understood the love of God for an erring Israel, a love that would not give up. The great Jewish thinker, Martin Buber, comments on Hosea's experience in these words: That a particular person should be bound to love another particular person in utter concreteness - is there such a thing as this? The word can only be spoken to one who already loves. He loves. He still loves the faithless one. He cannot suppress this love, but he does not want it, for he feels himself degraded by it.... Into this state of soul, God's word descends: Continue loving. Thou art allowed to love her. Thou must love her. Even so do I love Israel. The lesson from the 11th chapter: When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more I called them, the more they went from me. They kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. Yet, it was I who taught Ephraim to walk. I took them up in my arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of compassion, with the bands of love. And I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws. And I bent down to them and fed them. They shall return to the land of Egypt and the Assyrians shall be their king because they have refused to return to me. The sword shall rage against their cities, consume the bars of their gates and devour them in their fortresses. My people are bent on turning away from me, so they are appointed to the yoke and none shall remove it. How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I hand you over, O Israel? How © Grand Valley State University   �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 2   can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute my fierce anger. I will not again destroy Ephraim, for I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst. And I will not come to destroy. The Word of the Lord. The Epistle Lesson, Romans 11, commencing to read with verse 25: Lest you be wise in your own conceits, I want you to understand this mystery, brothers and sisters. A hardening has come upon part of Israel until the full number of the Gentiles come in. And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, "The deliverer will come from Zion; he will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins. As regards the Gospel, they're enemies of God, for your sake. But as regards election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you were once disobedient to God but now have received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now been disobedient in order that by the mercy shown to you, they also may receive mercy. For God has consigned all to disobedience that God may have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are God's judgments, and how inscrutable God's ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been God's counselor? Or who has given the gift to God that he might be repaid? From God and through God and to God are all things. To God be glory forever, Amen. The Word of the Lord. We conclude this morning the series, If God Be For Us..., taken from the 8th chapter of Paul's letter to the Romans and the 31st verse, which is a paragraph between all that Paul had said about the grace of God that appeared in Jesus Christ and that terrible struggle that Paul had with the Jewish people, his brothers and sisters according to the flesh, and their rejection of the grace of God in Christ. If you had asked me about the outline of the Epistle to the Romans, I would have most all of my life told you that, as far as I was concerned, it could have stopped at the end of the 8th chapter. There is no more profound or beautiful statement of the love of God than Paul pens in those words. And I had always assumed that that's where he came to a grand climax. Chapters 9 through 11? Well, that struggle between the Jews, Israel and the Church and Christ - I've never made much of that. Paul's argument is labored, torturous, tedious as he struggles with the mystery of his own people not seeing Jesus as he saw Jesus. And then, of course, there's some good ethical stuff in chapters 12 through 16. But, I wouldn't have minded too much if we lost the last half as long as we had the first eight © Grand Valley State University �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 3   chapters. Give me the eight chapters and give me that final paragraph and that letter comes to a magnificent climax, I had always thought. Then I came across a little book by Krister Stendahl, the New Testament scholar, who will be with us in October. Krister Stendahl has a little, thin book called Paul Among the Jews and the Gentiles, and as I was reading, I came to his assertion that the heart of the Letter to the Romans is chapters 9 through 11, that Paul's struggle with Israel's failure to see Jesus as the Messiah was what that letter is really all about. And therefore, that my grand climax at the end of chapter 8 is rather a critical prelude to the real heart of that Letter to the Romans, for Paul was so distressed by the fact that his brothers and sisters in the flesh did not come to faith in Jesus and see there displayed magnificently the grace of God. I reflected on that and I had to conclude that Krister Stendahl is right; that really is what the letter is all about. And what that last paragraph of the 8th chapter is about is a summation of God's grace in Jesus Christ and the foundation for Paul's confident faith that, in spite of the fact that at the present moment Israel was blind to Jesus, nonetheless God was not done with Israel, that the promises to the fathers and mothers of the faith, that covenant of grace that had bound Israel to God's self, was not to be revoked. That God was of such a nature that God could never give up on Israel. Israel in its present disobedience, Paul says, is beloved for the sake of her forebears. Out of covenant faithfulness to Abraham and Sarah and Isaac and Jacob and all of those who had gone before, God will not now give up God's people. It was the foundation of the love of God, which is expressed so beautifully in that last paragraph of chapter 8. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" As we have noted, it's not really "if", it is an assertion - "Since God is for us," or, as the New English Bible translates it, "Since God is on our side." Not on our side as over against those who are against us. Since God is on the human side, since God is for people, since God is for people as is demonstrated in all that God has done in Jesus Christ, therefore, since God is for us, who can be against us? And then, he goes on to say, who can lay any charge to God's chosen ones? He recites the events of Jesus' life and death and resurrection and enthronement and Jesus' intercession for us, and he says, what then can separate us from the love of Christ? Can all of the things that can go wrong in the world: famine and peril and nakedness and sword - all of the disasters that are possible in the human scene? Can any of that alter that foundational reality of the love of God in Christ? No, he says. No, not anything in our present experience, not anything in the past, not anything in the future, not anything in the heights, not anything in the depths - nothing in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. That I thought was climax. That I find, is prelude, foundation for what he is going to finally conclude in the 11th chapter and the 32nd verse, which is that Jews and Gentiles alike are all consigned to disobedience in order that God may have mercy on all. © Grand Valley State University �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Those chapters are tedious and strained and they are worked out under the supposition that very soon Jesus will come and the end of the age will be brought to pass. Nonetheless, what was deepest down in Paul was the conviction that God would never give up on God's people. He admitted his bafflement that his own people did not see Jesus as Messiah, as he had experienced Jesus. He acknowledged the fact that now they were blind to the Gospel; they were in a state of disobedience. But, was it all over for Israel? Not on your life. I don't think that Paul had figured it out accurately, but he was struggling with it. He didn't really know what God was doing, but of this he was certain - God would not let go of that people. God would not abandon that people. And so, he says, well, maybe it's this way. Maybe the disobedience of the Jewish people has given entree to the grace of God to the Gentiles, and he really speaks to Gentiles here. He warns against arrogance. He reminds them that, in the analogy of an olive tree, if Israel is the natural branch ripped off in a state of disobedience, the Gentile believers are grafted on, but they're grafted on to the pre-existing tree whose roots are Israel. And he reminds them, also, to have a proper humility because, he says, if grace has reached you, then Israel's return will be life from the dead. All Israel will be saved. He had recognized the universal human situation. Earlier in the letter he had said all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, which is another way of saying if anything good is going to happen to people, it will be by the pure grace of God. And now in chapter 11 in verse 32, he sees Jew and Gentile alike, consigned to disobedience in order, he says, that God may have mercy on all. That's the way Paul struggled through in order to make some sense of what to him made no sense at all; that he who saw in the face of Jesus the heart of God, that he who saw in the face of Jesus the revelation of the glory of God, when he presented that story to his own people, they saw it not at all. Could he conclude, therefore, that somehow or other that covenant of grace with the forebears, that long history of God nurturing that people, had come to an end? Paul said, "I can't believe that. I can't believe that God ever gives up on us. I don't know exactly how, and I don't know when, but I believe that, just as all are disobedient, so all will experience the mercy of God." Where did Paul get that kind of an idea? Well, Paul was a Jewish scholar. Paul had sat at the feet of Gamaliel. Paul knew the Hebrew scriptures, and I could go most any place in that old book in order to demonstrate that what Paul was holding forth here for Jew and Gentile was rooted in that Hebrew conception of the love of God. But, let me take you to what may be my favorite story, my favorite prophet, Hosea, whom I said had that poignant experience of loving a woman who proved faithless, and of having the sense of the Word of God coming to him saying, "Love her still; bring her back; claim her for your own. Love her into faithfulness." © Grand Valley State University �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Hosea was an 8th century prophet speaking to the Northern Kingdom in those years before the Assyrian empire came in, conquered Israel and dispersed the ten northern tribes. He was an authentic prophet in the best sense of Hebrew prophecy. Hosea was no pansy. Hosea was a prickly prophet, as are all prophets. He accused Israel of faithlessness, of forgetting the God Who had brought them out of Egypt and through the wilderness and into the Promised Land, Who had healed them and fed them and nurtured them. In tenderest phrases he describes the relationship of God with Israel. "I picked them up. I held them to my cheek. I bound them with bonds of love. But they have forsaken me. They are bent on turning away from me." And he pointed out all that was wrong with the society of those ten northern tribes that would eventuate in the judgment of God, for the Hebrew prophets saw historical events as the movement of the God Who judged and graced, and so he spoke quite directly to that society of which he was a part. If he had been in the United States of America this past week, I think he probably would have taken a jet to Washington. He probably would have stood on the steps of the White House and held a press conference and then moved to the Capitol building and held another press conference, and CNN would have been there. And he would have said, "Nice going, Mr. President. Nice going, members of Congress. You have ended welfare as we have known it. Congratulations. You have dealt with a problem that measures 1% of our national budget. You have done it under the cloak of not wanting people to be spoiled by welfare, and thereby, you have saved enough dollars to build one wing of a Stealth bomber. Congratulations, Mr. President. Congratulations, members of Congress, for you are hailing a new day. You have dealt with the little problems. Now when will you deal with political action committees and the pandering to favored classes and election practices and all of that that is so deleterious to our democratic processes?" And, of course, he would not have taken a jet back to Michigan to run in Ottawa County for anything. (And don't expect me at the door following worship. I'm slipping out the side.) But that's the kind of stuff the prophets did. That's why most of them ended up slain; not many of them died in bed. So, Hosea was no sweet, simpering voice laced with sentimentality. There was none of this kind of superficial love, you know, chirpy "God loves you and I love you, too." There was sweat and blood and tears in Hosea! And he spoke to his people the Word of God, he addressed them in their concrete reality, and, as he was portraying all of their sin and as he reflected what must have been rising in the heart of God, he said, "They'll go back to Egypt; Assyria will be their king; they are bent on turning away from me." And what would be the logical next phrase? "I will give them up!" But, what is the Word of God that the prophet hears? How can I give you up? How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I make you like the cities of Abmah and Zobeiim, the cities of the plain that perished with Sodom and Gomorrah? My heart churns within me. My © Grand Valley State University �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 6   heart grows tender. My compassion warms. I will not give you up, for I am God and not human. In his own experience of a compelling love that he could not deny in spite of the faithlessness of the one loved, Hosea gained a window into the heart of God Who will never give up on us, in spite of the fact that the exercise of justice and even good judgment would simply cut us off. That is Hosea's conception of the unrequited, unconditional, unrelenting love of God that will never give up, never give up on us. Paul, steeped in that tradition, when he struggled with the fact that his own people were blind to the grace that he saw, could nonetheless not bring himself even to begin to think that that blindness would result in a final rejection. And so, I've learned that his statement at the end of the 8th chapter of Romans, "since God is for us," was the prelude to his tortured, labored, tedious argument on behalf of his own people because he did not believe, disobedient that they were, that God would give up on them. For Hosea, it was Israel. For Paul, it was Jews and Gentiles. And Paul thought the end of the age would be very soon, when Israel en masse would move into the grace of Jesus Christ. And that, of course, didn't happen. Paul, along with the whole New Testament, was wrong in that expectation of an imminent end. So, what are we to do? It's 2000 years later, now. Would we see the love of God differently than Hosea and Paul, and would we claim at this point in history that the 30% of the global population that is Christian is the exclusive focus of the love of God? Has God changed? Has God narrowed focus? Has God now crimped God's love to become very particular in the life of the vast human family? If Paul were here today, 2000 years later, he would struggle not only with Israel's immediate rejection of Jesus as Messiah, but with what in the world the Spirit is doing in the world today. He would struggle with the fact that 70% of the world's population does not see the glory of God in the face of Jesus. And yet I suspect that the same kind of fundamental consideration would move him to find a way to suspect that the Spirit of God was blowing in ways that we've not yet dreamed of, for as Jesus said, the Spirit blows where it wills and we know not its whence nor its whither. But we can be sure that the Spirit of God is the Spirit of God whose unquenchable, relentless love Hosea experienced in his own personal experience and applied to Israel, that Paul experienced in regard to Israel and the Gentiles, and it wouldn't be a great feat for him simply to embrace this whole globe and say, "I don't know how. I don't know when, but I believe that God's love is such that God will never give up on anyone." On my way here this morning I saw the billboard of a church. The sermon title was, "Heaven's Gates and Hell's Flames." I suspect the message was a bit different from the one you've just heard. But, let me ask you - Where is the © Grand Valley State University �God Who Never Gives Up On Us Richard A. Rhem Page 7   powerful, persuasive, compelling news? Is it to make you inside feel secure that you are loved and lucky, that you are not outside where the flames of Hell lick? Or, might it better be for us who have experienced the love of God, to go out of here with a body language that is set free by that love and to embrace our brothers and sisters everywhere? And even in their unbelief, to have a spirit over against them such as Paul had over against his own brothers and sisters? Would not the most powerful, compelling evangelistic effort in the world be to let the world in on the magnificence of the Love of God? Is it any wonder that when Paul was all through with his contorted reasoning and strained thinking - is it any wonder that he could not but break out into doxology? Who has searched the mind of God? Source, Guide and Goal of all there is - to God alone be glory!" Worship, lost in wonder, love and praise, in the light of such love. Can we help but respond, "O God, we love you?" © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e552d7e8d0422bc870dd37721d597f6f.mp3 6009d26561288660e4c9bb25391d4c97 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 If God Be For Us Scripture Text Hosea 11:8-9, Romans 11:32 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-0-19960804 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-08-04 Title A name given to the resource The God Who Never Gives Up On Us Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 4, 1996 entitled "The God Who Never Gives Up On Us", as part of the series "If God Be For Us", on the occasion of Pentecost X, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hosea 11:8-9, Romans 11:32. Inclusive Grace Love Nature of God Prophetic Voice https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/57e3660acefce76ec5188e3e273277ba.pdf 59eef9d0972dbeaf21a3e363c68d0d6a PDF Text Text The God We Forsake From the series: If God Be For Us… Text: Jeremiah 2:13 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 28, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon The word of God comes not only from those of ancient time whose words are recorded in the canon of the scriptures; there are contemporary voices, as well, that can set that ancient word in a context. These words, for example, by the wellknown psychoanalyst, Carl Jüng: Among all my patients in the second half of life, that is to say over thirtyfive, there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of these fell ill because he had lost what the religions of every age have given their followers and none of them has really been healed who did not regain his religious outlook. This, of course, has nothing to do with a particular creed or membership of a church. In 1953, Rollo May, a psychotherapist in his book Man's Search for Himself, wrote, The chief problem of people in the middle decade of the 20th century is emptiness. The human being cannot live in the condition of emptiness for very long. If he is not growing toward something, he does not merely stagnate. The pent-up potentialities turn into morbidity and despair and eventually into destructive activities. The experience of emptiness generally comes from people feeling that they are powerless to do anything effective about their lives or the world they live in. Finally, these words from Hans Küng: The whole development, including the problem of addiction, particularly of educated young people for quasi-religious ideologies up to the point of terrorist anarchy is connected in no small degree with a breakdown of religious beliefs and the abandonment of religious rites. And from Jeremiah: © Grand Valley State University   �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 2   The word of the Lord came to me saying, "Go and proclaim in the hearing of Jerusalem, 'Thus says the Lord, I remember the devotion of your youth, your love as a bride, how you followed me in the wilderness in the land not sown. Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of his harvest. All who ate of it became guilty. Evil came upon them, says the Lord. Hear the word of the Lord, O House of Jacob and all the families in the House of Israel. Thus says the Lord.' What wrong did your fathers find in me that they went far from me, and went at their worthlessness and became worthless? They did not say, 'Where is the Lord who brought us up from the land of Egypt, who led us in the wilderness, in a land of deserts and pits, in a land of drought and deep darkness, in a land that none passes through, where no one dwells?' And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things, but when you came in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination. The priest did not say, 'Where is the Lord?' Those who handle the Law did not know me. The rulers transgressed against me. The prophets prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit. Therefore, I still contend with you," says the Lord, "and with your children's children I will contend, for cross to the coast of Cyprus and see your sin to Kedar and examine with care: see if there has been such a thing: Has a nation changed its gods, even though they are no gods? But my people have changed their Glory for that which does not profit. Be appalled, O heavens, at this. Be shocked. Be utterly desolate," says the Lord, "for my people have committed two evils: They have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." The word of the Lord. In a week in which we have continued to witness the salvaging of the horror of TWA Flight 800, and a week which sees the Olympic Games disrupted by a pipe bomb, we are faced as a people with the recognition that we no longer live in fortressed America, separated from all of the disaster that has stalked the world through the ages, from which we have been mercifully spared for so long. We recognize that our world is changing drastically and there is no safe place, and we can rail about it and we can speak negatively about it, we can throw up our hands in despair about it, we can condemn the perpetrators of it, but we will do well to take a moment to ask, "What in the world is going on?" And, "What time is it?" I'm struck with the parallel between our present situation and the time of Jeremiah the Prophet. Walter Brueggemann, in his comments on Jeremiah, says that just as Jeremiah, in 587 BCE, the time when Babylon removed Judah from Jerusalem into exile and Babylon, had been announcing the End of things as they © Grand Valley State University �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 3   had always been - the end of the Temple, the end of the dynasty, the return of Creation to chaos - and every one of these a symbol for a whole complex of social structures and meaning, and Jeremiah was the spokesperson to announce the end. He was saying, in effect, "Folks, it's over." And he was saying, further, that all of the frantic energy that you are expending to shore up these structures, to find some security, and to perpetuate, to preserve that which you've always known, that is not only futile, it is disobedient, because God is in this thing, and we happen to be at a time of dismantling. The prophet of Israel, at its best, was a destabilizer, destabilizing the status quo, announcing the end of things, and the emerging of something on the horizon that was new but could not yet be fully conceived. The prophets were not popular. Jeremiah is spoken of as the weeping prophet, and one time he cursed the day that his mother gave him birth. At another time, he said, "The word of God I will no more speak," only to find that the word of God was like a fire in his bones that he could not contain. And so, he had to announce to a people not so unlike us that their whole religious structure, their whole social arrangement, indeed, the monarchy that had held them together - all of that was coming to an end. And that God was in this thing, and therefore, they should recognize not all of the surface symptoms, but the deep, underlying cause of it all. Chapter two of Jeremiah documents how God had graciously brought them into the Promised Land and established them only to find the people having priests who knew not God, prophets who prophesied not the word of God, people who handled the law who knew not God. God said, "What have I done to you? Has it ever been such? Be appalled, O earth. My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken the fountain of living waters and hewed out for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns that can hold no water." What a vivid image. With all of the lakes around here, we can't begin to appreciate the image in its original context where water signified life so dramatically, and God being offered as the fountain of living water, the very source of life. And the people being seen as forsaking that living water scurrying about with great energy to hew out cisterns, cisterns that were broken and could hold no water. A fatal forsaking, a futile pursuit, a double folly. Jeremiah says to the people of his day, "The problem is we have forsaken God, and all of the rest of the chaos on the present horizon are but symptoms of that deeper, deeper loss." As I was contemplating that, I thought about the contemporary prophets that speak in our day. I read the words of Carl Jüng, who said that all of those who came in with deep neuroses were those who had finally lost the sense of meaning that their religious traditions had mediated to them, that sense of the transcendent. Not talking about a creed, not even talking about a particular religion, but recognizing that there is a spiritual dimension to life, that to which all of the religions would point us, that to which we must be plugged in if we would be fully human and know some measure of human wellbeing. And then, © Grand Valley State University �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 4   thinking about our present situation, where in the words of Hans Küng, commenting on that statement of May, where he says that what we see, particularly among the educated young, is the seeking after pseudo, quasireligious ideologies, but it ending in all kinds of addiction and finally terrorist anarchy. And we think about our world where the danger is not simply from without, but growing from within, and those who have studied the contemporary situation and the human person recognizing there a deep spiritual malady which probably can be expressed no more eloquently than in the words of Jeremiah: "Forsaking the fountain of living waters". Another commentator in the same area spoke about how, when he was used to setting forth all of the problems that he saw, whether it be the gridlock in Congress or potholes in the highways or the infrastructure of society, or the tax system or the welfare system, or the miserable way that we go about electing our politicians - and you could name your own litany of horrors of our contemporary society - and incidentally, these are all the things that the Hebrew prophets addressed – but this particular person said, "When I was naming off those problems that I would see, I was always stopped short when somebody would look at me and say, 'Well, what's your solution?' And he said, I sort of felt deflated and walked away, until I came to realize that it was not my responsibility to find a solution, a new arrangement for every particular problem that I saw about me. But it was enough right now to expose the emptiness, to at least say there is a problem, something is desperately wrong." And then he said to his friend, "We are like those who are singing under the balcony. We are the precursors of a day not yet arrived, but we see that something is happening. We are announcing the end of things," which is precisely what Jeremiah was doing, which is precisely what folks really don't like to hear, which causes us to get into that frantic activity to try to patch it up and hold it together, holding on with a kind of white-knuckled intensity, hoping that the world will stay together long enough at least for us to get through it. I had always hoped that I could get through life without ever turning on a computer, but it's all going so fast now, I don't think that I'm going to be able to make it! But, it's a very normal response for us to say if we can just keep the present structures intact long enough, if I can just get through with my retirement without Social Security going bankrupt, if I can only get through my life without Medicare going to pot, if only we can hold on - you see, it's always that kind of reactive, that sort of fearful response to the fact that things are being chipped away, things are unraveling. Nothing is the same anymore; there's no solidity, there's no security. We live in a world that is blowing up! And those who have observed, not simply just Jeremiah in 587 BCE, but those who have written in the last half of this century, have identified the human problem as a problem of meaninglessness and as one of them has said, ultimately the question of meaning is a question of God. Not a particular creed, not a © Grand Valley State University �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 5   particular religion, but a particular spiritual dimension apart from which the human person is not whole, apart from which the human person becomes neurotic, apart from which human society becomes desperately ill. And so, the image of Jeremiah is not only apropos for that day in Judah's past, but I think very apropos for our day, too, for we can see the symptoms all about us, and the sense of powerlessness, the sense of victimhood. And then the dimensions of the problem and the feeling of helplessness to do anything about it, to make any difference, any dent in it - all of that is characteristic of our day and of many of us. I went to the New York Times Book Review section of last Sunday and found out that the longest running bestsellers have to do with the spiritual dimension. The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck - 662 weeks. In fiction, that kind of "New Agey", interesting story, The Celestine Prophecy - 125 weeks. Embraced By the Light - 96 weeks. And Thomas Moore's Care of the Soul - 131 weeks. Dear God, folks! Our contemporary society is starving, hungry and thirsty and, if we could move back in time about 36 years and I was preaching to you on this text, I would now begin to beat you over the head with it. I would begin to say, "That's your problem. Your life is empty. You have forsaken God." And I would have two or three simple answers for you, all of which would be rather self-serving for myself in this congregation. But, it's very interesting to me that a Marxist, atheist commentator, sociologist, dead a few decades – (Modern atheism is the great critique of religion. If we don't hear the modern atheistic critique of the Church and of religion in general, we will miss the most profound insight into the problem of religion and the Church) – this particular man said, in his latter years, "The problem with the Church is that it has failed in its representation of God to present God as the all-bountiful Creator. It has failed to sense the yearning in the modern person's heart for the holy Other, and rather than presenting God as the all-bountiful Creator, it has rather used its dominance, it has been marked by an exploitation by the darker instincts of the human person to inflict cruelties, crusades, witch hunts, and all of that darker side of institutional religion." This atheist says the problem with us is that, in the face of the hunger of the human heart, we have failed to mediate this all-bountiful Creator, and so I recognize that I, in the past, have been part of that problem, too. Beating people on Sunday, that poor, struggling remnant that still come, decrying their godlessness, rather than all of us recognizing together that that which the world is hungry for, that which our brothers and sisters on the contemporary scene are longing for, whether consciously or unconsciously, is some sense that maybe there is an all-bountiful Creator. © Grand Valley State University �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 6   This is the thing that Paul was so convinced of. That's why I speak of this series about God as, "If God Be With Us," or better translated "Since God is With Us." You see, everything is falling apart and there are lives everywhere that are meaningless, that are empty, and those most profound commentators of the human situation are telling us that that's what it is. That's not from a biblical text; that's from a contemporary analysis - meaninglessness, emptiness. And what do we offer? Well, I hear it all the time in the Church - Let's go back to the good old days. Let's go back home when it was safe. Let's turn back. Folks - you can't turn back. You can't go home. It's only the future we'll be entering into. It is the future uncharted. It is a future that is unfolding with a drama and with a rapidity and with a profound change never yet experienced in the human story! Now, how will you enter the future? Will you enter the future with hope in your heart, deeply trusting the God of the past, knowing that the future will not outrun the God Who beckons us from the future? Ironically, Jeremiah the prophet, who was the destabilizer and the dismantler, was also the great prophet of hope, because Jeremiah the prophet believed in God! Jeremiah believed in the God Who created and Who redeemed and Who sustained and Who would finally bring to consummation. Therefore, Jeremiah could say to the people of his day, "Will you let it go? Will you let the Temple go? Will you let the dynasty go? Will you let the whole social arrangement that's given you security go, and will you find your security the only place it can be, that is in the living God? If you will quench your thirst at the fountain of living waters, you will find, drinking deeply there, that you will be able to deal with all the symptoms out here." That's the task of the Church. The Care of the Soul is not pop psychology and it's not fluff, and Thomas More cannot believe that it has sold so broadly and has hung on so long, because he says to people, there is no quick fix, but would you pause long enough to experience your own depths? Would you listen to what your body is saying? Would you listen to your heart? Would you take time out, take a step back and find out what time it is? And then rest in God? Trust Creation, dare to move with hope into the future?" The God we forsake is not angry with us. The God we forsake pleads with us, "Drink deeply. You are a people with whom I contend, and I will contend with your children's children; I will be there for you; I will never abandon you; I will never give up on you. Return to me in your frantic chase, hewing out cisterns that can hold no water, leading to addictions and to emptiness and weariness in boredom. Come unto me and find rest for your soul. That's the all-bountiful Creator. You may have forsaken the fountain of living waters, but God has not turned the fountain off, and He invites us to embrace our neighbors, as well, and together to drink deeply of living waters and find peace, even in the midst of a world that's © Grand Valley State University �The God We Forsake Richard A. Rhem Page 7   blowing apart, trusting that there is something out there that is emerging, and it will be good, because God would have it so. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0b274fcc250d6e225cb436f8e13fbdf2.mp3 187c12f7d7a512a7b3b799f9ab268900 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 Series If God Be For Us Scripture Text Jeremiah 2:13 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-0-19960728 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-07-28 Title A name given to the resource The God We Forsake Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 28, 1996 entitled "The God We Forsake", as part of the series "If God Be For Us", on the occasion of Pentecost IX, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Jeremiah 2:13. Hope Meaning Nature of God Prophetic Voice Spiritual Quest Trust https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/41b5ccbba30dc99bb95b475b85d48aa6.pdf a8dbd4eb13137d177876b84e2c92dcd1 PDF Text Text The God Who Heals and Gives Us Peace From the series: If God Be For Us… Scripture: Isaiah 57:19; Romans 8:31 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 14, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon We begin today a four-part series on the theme "If God Be For Us ..." Let me introduce the theme with some explanatory remarks. “If” is “Ei” in Greek and is called a conditional particle. It expresses a condition thought of as real or denotes an assumption relating to what has already happened. This is the case in the text of the morning. Paul set forth his understanding of all God had done in Jesus Christ. He deals in Romans 8 with suffering and hope. He points to the Spirit praying through our groanings that defy utterance. He concludes with that declaration of profound trust - God working in all things for our good. Romans 8:31 is one of the greatest statements of trust ever penned and it begins with Paul's words, "What then are we to say to these things?" His answer to his question: If God is for us, who is against us? Thus, my first comment. The "If" points not to uncertainty but to certainty. We could perhaps better translate it "Since." Since God is for us ... This is not a tentative statement; rather, it is an affirmation of deep trust and solid conviction. God is for us, or as the NEB translates, "God is on our side". That particular translation brings me to my second comment. The claim, the conviction that God is on our side is the source of a very great comfort if properly understood and may be the source of a very dangerous arrogance if not understood correctly. Let me address the latter first: Claiming God on our side can be a dangerous arrogance; it misses the point of Paul's claim. The human situation is full of conflict; conflict between nations, ethnic groups, political parties, cultural movements; conflict between individuals. Our present cultural situation has been marked by the descriptive phrase "culture wars." In human conflict situations, it is presumptuous and arrogant to claim God is on our side. God does not take sides in those conflicts; our human perspective may be sincere and even responsible, but it is too much to claim God on our side. © Grand Valley State University   �God Who Heals and Gives Peace Richard A. Rhem Page 2   A story is told of Abraham Lincoln during the tragic days of the Civil War. A Calvinist minister in a time of prayer thanked God that God was on the Union side. Afterward, Lincoln was heard to say the question was not whether God was on the Union side, but, rather, whether the Union was on God's side. When Paul claims God is on our side, he is pointing to something other than God being for one party over another, one nation over another. Rather, Paul is making the great claim that God is for the human family – even broader, that God is for Creation in all of its wonder and complexity. God is for, is on the side of, the wellbeing of Creation. As I indicated above, Paul prefaces this claim with the question, "What then shall we say to these things?" That is, are the things Paul has been pointing to – the whole movement of God's Spirit to effect salvation - salvation which means wholeness – liberation? Liberation from bondage of every sort. Paul was convinced that God was engaged with, involved in, the whole of creation and the human situation in order to effect salvation or wholeness or Shalom. It is clear from this letter to the Romans that Paul saw the whole world in bondage - the Jew, the Gentile - indeed, in this chapter he even speaks of the bondage of creation, but it is also clear that he did not see the present state of things as the final word. There was plenty of trouble. He lists famine, nakedness, peril, sword. We might make a list with different items - ethnic feuds, religious wars, cancer, terrorism, urban decay, youth gang wars. Paul did not put his head in the sand; yet, he was convinced of something else - an ultimate power for the wellbeing of Creation and the liberation of humankind, rooted in the love of God. That is the ground of the claim of our text. God is on our side - the human side, creation's side - because the ultimate reality of the world, of the whole grand scheme of things, is the love of God. Paul saw this demonstrated in the event of Jesus Christ. Jesus, who died the victim of the world's darkness and evil, was raised from the dead, brought into God's very presence and was there praying for us. When it seemed the forces of darkness had carried the day, that the human No to God had prevailed, God said No to our No and Yes to life, to the future, to the final triumph of God. Thus, Paul says, "What can separate us from the love of God?" And he answers, in a word, "nothing." That is the biblical picture - the big picture. God is love. God is for us. That was Israel's faith. The reading from Isaiah 57 comes from what scholars speak of as Third Isaiah. The whole book in the Hebrew Scripture is called Isaiah, but it is generally recognized that there are writings from three hands and three periods 1-39, 40-55, 56-65. The first is from an 8th century prophet Isaiah; the second from a prophet during Judah's Exile in Babylon - the one who assumed the return © Grand Valley State University �God Who Heals and Gives Peace Richard A. Rhem Page 3   of the Exile to Jerusalem; the third a prophet who wrote during the period of the return, around 530 BCE. Things did not turn out the way the Exile prophet had envisioned. There was no restoration of the glory of Jerusalem. Poverty and despair marked the post-exilic period. In that situation, the one we call Third Isaiah called Judah for laxness in religious observance and failure to create a just and compassionate society. God's anger was experienced as God's judgment on that failure. Yet, true to the spirit of Israel's prophets, it was declared that God's anger was but for a moment with the purpose of turning the People back to the Lord. And the prophet speaks these words that form our text: "I have seen their ways, but I will heal them ... Peace, peace to the far and the near, says the Lord". That is always the last word in the story of God's People - I will heal them ... Peace, peace ... This is the deep substructure of the whole biblical drama - A God Who is for us - A God Who heals us - Who gives us peace. That is the nature of God, according to the Scriptures of Israel, according to Paul as he contemplated his faith in God in the light of Jesus - and it is still the picture that sustains us and heals us and gives us peace. Yesterday I attended the Bat Mitzvah of the daughter of Rabbi and Mrs. Alpert at the Muskegon Temple. Eliza, at age 13, went through the rite of passage; she moved into adulthood. For three years her father, the Rabbi, had been preparing her. She read from the Hebrew Torah (beautifully, I must say). She delivered the sermon - a very thoughtful one. She led the worship of that congregation. The Temple was nearly full, a quite amazing statement of community, of love and support. After experiencing that, I do not wonder that the Jewish People have continued a destined people through the millennia. I was not only experiencing the worship, but also reflecting on my theme for this morning - The God Who heals and gives us peace. I was struck by the fact that God's people are always looking for closure, for God to come and bring things to a proper conclusion. Second Isaiah in Babylon's exile cried, "Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem ... A voice cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord ... Get you up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem ... say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God." If you would go through chapters 40-55, you would find some of the most moving passages of the Scripture. Judah will return and the glory will return, for God is coming to redeem and glorify the People of God's Covenant Love. The reality: a small remnant returned. They lived in poverty and despair, disillusioned that the © Grand Valley State University �God Who Heals and Gives Peace Richard A. Rhem Page 4   glory was absent. Along comes third Isaiah. He picks up the stirring words of the earlier prophet, but explains the poor situation as the consequence of Judah's disobedience. Yet, he holds before them the promise of our text: healing, peace. Finally a second Temple is built, but they weep because it has not the glory of the first. They remain for the most part an occupied territory, never realizing the promises of the prophet in exile. Five hundred years later and Jesus is born. Again the ancient world senses it is on the edge of the End. And we have noted in past weeks how that early Jewish Jesus movement waited expectantly for the return of the Son of Man, of the Messiah from heaven. But, it did not happen. Yesterday Eliza Alpert spoke of the Journey and the Dream. She spoke of Israel's founding leader, Moses. He led the People to the borders of the Promised Land, but could not go in. Joshua was the one who finally brought them over. And she pointed to Rabin - a man of war who became a man of peace, but in the midst of the peace process was cut down by an assassin's bullet. And she appealed to her people to do Joshua's work - to take up the peace initiative of the fallen leader. Well, as I said, I was thinking of this long, ancient tradition - this people of whom we, too, are a part, for we were born from Israel's womb. We pray, we long for the consummation of God's purposes in history. The images of Shalom play before our eyes. We read of terror on the street, of the awful conflict fanned into flame again in Northern Ireland, of the excavation of more graves in Bosnia, of terrorism in Saudi Arabia and Moscow and who knows where next. Or we have experience of the word "cancer" spoken over us, or of the failure, the disappointment of one on whom we counted. Or we see starkly our own tragic flaw. And where do we turn? To whom? And for what do the groanings of our inward being long? All of this I contemplated in light of the God spoken of in the text as “the God Who heals and gives us peace.” I experienced that healing and that peace in that Bat Mitzvah service. There was a young woman surrounded by her family, extended family, community of faith. The family was smaller than it might have been because her mother's family suffered great loss in the Holocaust. She spoke of Moses who had a dream, led the journey, but failed to enter the Promised Land. She spoke of Rabin, the warrior become peacemaker, cut down by an assassin's bullet. And she called her people to take up the cause of peace and human freedom. I find that quite remarkable. It would seem that the prophetic images of the new Creation, of the reign of Shalom when lion and lamb lie down together and they do not hurt or destroy in all God's Holy Mountain are not really future states of history, but rather, the ever present judgment on our discord and tragic warring – and not only images of judgment on our present, but also promises of present possibility because God is not so much the future binder up of present wounds as © Grand Valley State University �God Who Heals and Gives Peace Richard A. Rhem Page 5   the present healer and peace giver to those who open their lives to the Spirit to love and to grace. I experienced the healing, the peace of God in that moment. The long story of the ages, the images of Shalom, the longing, the yearning, the repeated failure of history's reality to measure up to the promise - all of that coalesced in the moment of a young woman claiming her place in the line of generations of a people who live lives in dialogue, in communion with the living God. It is quite something, this being human. Many are broken on the rocks of human reality. Dear God, the suffering. Many have become cynical, embittered because the prayer was not answered, the promise not fulfilled. Many are hollow persons, empty and void of meaning or purpose. And the usual posture, I suppose, of the Church has been to condemn those whose hopes have been shattered and whose prayers left hanging in the air. But, when I experience God's love and grace and presence so tangibly as I did yesterday in the faith of a beautiful young person supported by the love of family and community - when I let the words of Paul wash over me, then I know a healing and a peace that nothing can take away. Then I know something of the present Presence of the God Whose ways are past finding out, but Whose healing grace and gracious peace are here and now. It is not out there, dear friend, it is right here. Oh, I do believe there is more but God will take care of that. But, the real possibility is the present possession of a peace that passes human understanding. To experience that peace is to be healed here and now in the midst of bombings and strokes and cancer, and all the tragedy that laces the human story. And this is the care we trust because we trust the loving center of things - the God Who said "Let there be," the God Who says, "I will be with you," Whose Presence we experience in the presence of the other, in the community of faith, the God Who heals us and gives us peace. God knows it is not easy to be a creature, to be human. God knows and God promises “nothing shall ever separate you from my love.” So, then, what shall we say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us! © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/81bb01c687b00ee973e72301c10466d2.mp3 8b98515d34d1223ea3d7a43fce02de93 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 VII Series If God Be For Us Scripture Text Isaiah 57:19, Romans 8:31 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960714 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-07-14 Title A name given to the resource The God Who Heals and Gives Us Peace Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 14, 1996 entitled "The God Who Heals and Gives Us Peace", as part of the series "If God Be For Us", on the occasion of Pentecost VII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 57:19, Romans 8:31. Nature of God Shalom Trust Universal Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d9e80b414bc09e7d781e403d4c70c617.mp3 352d45dc0e0252f79aabdcef50f8518b 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 Independence Day Weekend, Pentecost VI Scripture Text Philippians 2:5, Revelation 15:3 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-0-19960707 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-07-07 Title A name given to the resource The Struggle for Interdependence Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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 7, 1996 entitled "The Struggle for Interdependence", on the occasion of Independence Day Weekend, Pentecost VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Philippians 2:5, Revelation 15:3. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2bea7da39419fbfb0ea6cadbcbdf1140.pdf b3f21e76ca7eca4cd0f86f13e8794639 PDF Text Text The One We Proclaim Text: II Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 16:16 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan June 30, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon This is the 30th of June. On the thirtieth of June, 1960, I was ordained to the Ministry of the Word and Sacraments in this congregation, coming here following my graduation from Western Theological Seminary. I was ordained to the ministry within the Reformed Church in America by the Classis of Muskegon. It was not a Sunday in 1960, but a Thursday evening. And it was hot and the sermon preached by the pastor of my home church in Kalamazoo was very long. My inaugural sermon had as its text the text of this morning - II Corinthians 4:5. It was a text a pastor I much admired had printed on his calling card. I had it printed on my cards, too. And I chose it as the text of my first sermon as an ordained pastor because it summed up concisely my understanding of the pastoral office. Now, thirty-six years later, the same Classis is about to depose me from ordination in the Reformed Church. Since today is the anniversary of my ordination, I thought I would re-visit my inaugural text. Part of the process of preparation for this message was painful; I took out the file of that first sermon and read it. I did recognize one similarity with my present preaching - the sermon was long. But, thank God, there are some things that have changed. I received a card a couple months ago from an old friend from a congregation I served the summer before my ordination year - the summer of 1959. She had read the news reports about me and was quite upset. Her question to me was, "Have you changed?" To that question, I would have to answer, "Yes, thank God. Thirtysix years of serious engagement with the word of God, with human experience, with my own maturation, with history's changing landscape has changed me." To be alive is to change, is it not? Karl Barth, the great Swiss theologian, the greatest of the 20th century, in an introduction to one of his volumes of Dogmatics, addresses the charge that he has changed his theological position. To that he responded, "If it appears I have changed my thinking, it is because I am a pilgrim and I keep moving and as I move, the landscape through which I move changes." © Grand Valley State University   �The One We Proclaim Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Yes, on this anniversary of my ordination thirty-six years ago, I acknowledge I have changed. And if I had taken along the sermon I preached on the text of the morning thirty-six years ago, you would be very happy indeed that I've changed. Not that I should be too hard on myself. I had worked at the sermon responsibly. There was an honest exposition of the text and the application was not inappropriate for one beginning ministry in a congregation. But, as I re-read the sermon yesterday, I reflected on what it was that was missing. And I suppose, not surprisingly, I concluded that there was nothing in the message that really came to grips with the human situation of the congregation; there was no vital connection to human experience. I think I understand that. I would have been typed as a very conservative Christian minister. I had been richly nurtured in the Christian faith and I had applied myself to the study of Scripture and Reformed theology. But I had little knowledge of the human person and very little human experience. That is not a criticism; I was young. One so young has not a very large store of experience from which to speak. I will make a criticism however; it is this: one so young with so little human experience ought not to be so certain he had the answer to the multiple human dilemmas simply because he preached Jesus Christ. I've admitted this fault many times - I had the answers; I simply had not yet learned the questions. And the right answer to the wrong question is always wrong. As I said, I had learned and I preached Reformed theology and I now see that that was why my preaching failed to reach to the heart of the human situation - I was preaching Reformed theology. The problem with that struck me this week when I read a letter from the Muskegon Classis Minister, Rick Veenstra, to the Christian members of the Jewish Christian Dialogue Committee who had written Classis on my behalf. It was not a very gracious letter and lacked class. In it, Veenstra said, "The Reformation tradition is reformed according to the Word of God." The words jumped out at me; I recognized the misunderstanding he expressed. It was the same problem with my early preaching, indeed, with my first sermon to this congregation. Reformed has become a noun or an adjective, as in "Reformed theology." But in its origin in the 16th century, when it is operating according to the originating vision, it is a verb. The genius of the 16th century Reformation of the Church was that the Church was re-formed according to the word of God and always being re-formed. As soon as one claims a Reformed theology, the renewal is over. The burst of spiritual vision and energy has again been mastered and managed and packaged. Now there is a new system rather than a biblical faith that is being redefined, newly translated and bringing illumination to the ongoing human story. © Grand Valley State University �The One We Proclaim Richard A. Rhem Page 3   In a word, I came here thirty-six years ago with a packaged theology to preach and teach. I had a system of doctrine to inculcate into this congregation quite apart from the fact that it was 1960 or quite apart from the particular people who made up this congregation. Have I changed? Yes, indeed; thank God! Changed in my understanding of the place of theological formulation - seeing it now, not as a closed system of truths, a set of propositions to be assented to, but as a living, moving interpretation of human experience from the perspective of faith in the God revealed in Scripture. But, in another sense, I've not changed. I take my text of thirty-six years ago and set it before you this morning - Paul's words which I appropriate still for a statement of my ministry. For we proclaim not ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord and ourselves your servants for Jesus' sake. (II Corinthians 4:5) Christ Jesus or Messiah Jesus - that is, Jesus the one anointed with Spirit, is the One I proclaim. How much more I believe in him now than then. Then he was Savior; my almost total concentration was on his death for sin, removing our guilt, opening up the possibility of heaven for those who professed his name. But now I stand in awe of his life. Now I see in him such openness to people, so full of grace. Now I see him as the window into the heart of God. His life challenges me. I sense his claim on my life - how I live here and now. Then I thought he came to die; now I believe he came to live and to call his people to such living. Then I saw him as God/human - other than I; now I see him as my flesh and blood brother who calls me and inspires me to follow in his steps. I love him more. He moves me more. I believe in him and I believe God brought him out of death into God's Presence. Christ Jesus is Lord, says Paul. Lord - as opposed to Caesar as Lord. Jesus is Lord - relativizing all my allegiances, political, economic, social. Jesus is Lord. He is the one I proclaim because I believe, as Paul went on to say, that God, the Creator, the one who said, Let light shine out of darkness, has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. In other words, I believe Jesus was the embodiment of God in human flesh. Why did Paul make this clear declaration? Because some had come into this Corinthian congregation which he had founded and criticized him and accused him of unfaithful proclamation of the Gospel. The Second Letter to the Corinthians is probably an amalgam of several letters, but it is obvious Paul's apostleship was under fire. Note how chapter 3 begins: Are we beginning to commend ourselves again: Surely we do not need, as some do, letters of recommendation ... © Grand Valley State University �The One We Proclaim Richard A. Rhem Page 4   And in 2:17, he writes, For we are not peddlers of God's word like so many; but in Christ we speak as persons sent from God and standing in God's presence. In 4:2, he asserts, We have renounced the shameful things that one hides; we refuse to practice cunning or falsify God's word; but by the open statement of the truth we commend ourselves to the conscience of everyone in the sight of God. What was going on? It is difficult to determine exactly the circumstances, but it may well have been that Paul's breakthrough vision - that God was embracing the Gentiles by grace through faith, not requiring that they follow the Mosaic ritual law - was seen by his opponents as heretical. Therefore, they came into the congregation and stirred up trouble creating tension between Paul and some of the people. That brings me back to the weakness of my inaugural sermon on this text - I had a theological understanding of Jesus Christ but I had no sense of the question Bonhoeffer asked in his Letters and Papers from Prison: The thing that keeps coming back to me is, what is Christianity, and indeed what is Christ, for us today? It is that question that drives my ministry after all these years. I proclaim not another - the one I proclaim is Jesus Christ - The word made flesh in whose face we see into the heart of God. But to put flesh and blood on that proclamation, to say more than the name, to say what it means for our lives here and now - that is the challenge of preaching. To say some meaningful, helpful word to people trying to negotiate this baffling, frightening, fascinating world - that is the task. To connect Jesus Christ to present human experience: that is the calling of the preacher. Let me extend to you the grace of God as Jesus revealed it by assuring you, whoever you are, whatever your history, whatever your present circumstance, God's grace already embraces you, you are valued, you are loved. And if that reality ever breaks fully over you, your life will change and little by little by the Spirit of God you will take on the likeness of Jesus and in your life image him who is the image of God. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/065ff71aba70dc3afb889d8e75e5e946.mp3 7d0dd98c38715ff9082ef23650349658 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 V Scripture Text II Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 16:16 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960630 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-06-30 Title A name given to the resource The One We Proclaim Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 30, 1996 entitled "The One We Proclaim", on the occasion of Pentecost V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 4:5, Matthew 16:16. Grace of God Nature of Religion Re-imagining the Faith Reformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b35ae2a734846dca0ba82378c27b6129.pdf d3a19ae6f1f308645b2cf474f3617572 PDF Text Text A Love Letter Scripture: Philippians 1:1-18 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan June 23, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon Paul's Letter to the Philippians is perhaps his most serene letter. It is a letter filled with gratitude and deep emotion, the affection that he felt for that congregation. It was obviously his favorite congregation; they had a very special relationship. He wrote this letter from prison, probably in Rome, and having had time to reflect and to sort things out, he wanted them to know how it was with him, and in the course of the letter he expressed this very deep, affectionate relationship he had with this congregation. Some have called it an Epistle of Joy; some speak of it as a Prison Epistle, but I would like to call it this morning a love letter. It's a love letter from Paul to the Church of Philippi, and I use it as an occasion to send you a love letter today. On the 19th of May, when you as a congregation voted to determine our future, I tried to keep my integrity by pointing out that the issue was not to be determined on the basis of a historic relationship to a denomination, nor on the basis of a personal relationship to a pastor, that the issue was larger than that. That the issue had to do with the nature of community, the nature of this community. And it would not have been appropriate for me to preach this morning's sermon then, because that larger issue needed to be set forth and you had to express yourselves. But, having expressed yourselves so clearly, let me this morning come back to say the relationship between pastors and people is not unimportant. In fact, it is absolutely critical for the free flow of God's Spirit and the fruitfulness of the Gospel in the lives of God's people. The relationship between pastors and people is a very critical relationship and has everything to do with whether or not the blessing of God will rest on a work. And so, this morning I want to speak to that. And I want to use Paul's love letter as a love letter to you, and I'm going to begin where he began when he says, "I thank my God on every remembrance of you." There he is in prison, having time to think. And when he thinks of Philippi, those people gathered there through his founding ministry, that people who had continued over the years to minister to him, he said to them, "I thank my God on every remembrance of you." Paul was quite clear on a number of occasions in his various epistles that he understood his ministry as a gift of God. He was very clear that this was not something that he had chosen himself or that somehow or other rested upon him, © Grand Valley State University   �A Love Letter Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Paul, or his particular gifts. No, Paul was gifted with ministry. Throughout all of his struggles he never lost sight of the fact that it was God Who had called him, and he felt a tremendous sense of gratitude to be so chosen. But he also knew that he couldn't carry on ministry alone. He was totally dependent on the shared ministry with the people. And so, when he thinks of Philippi, he says: "I thank my God in every remembrance of you, for your sharing, your partnership in the Gospel from the first day until now." Paul was one of those people who was blessed with being able to follow his passion. And I can identify with Paul on that. How fortunate a person is when one is following in one's profession or vocation the passion of one's life, when what one does, one would have to do in order to be true to oneself. Paul, well, Paul probably should have had some psychoanalysis. They would probably have come up with the fact that he was dealing with some deep, dark secret of his past or that he was a workaholic, or that he was too single-focused, or whatever. Paul had a lot of warts and, as I've often said, I don't know if I'd like him as my roommate. And I guess I'd have to confess the same. I could put it colloquially, as Nancy does, and just say, "Well, you're a little sick." But, it is a fortunate thing when one does what one would have to do anyway. When one is able to do in one's work that which is the bliss of one's life. So, when Paul thinks of that and thinks of how the Philippian congregation has been partnering with him through the years in the Gospel, he simply expresses his gratitude, obviously with deep affection. He says, "Thank you. Thank you for enabling me to fulfill my calling and sharing with me this ministry of the Gospel." That is a very, very great gift, and I have spent, out of the last 36 years, 29 of them here. Wonderful years. And you must know that not every pastor has had that kind of experience. Do you know how much pain there is out in the Church? How much brokenness there is between pastor and people? An old, old friend of mine with two years to go was asked by his congregation to leave just a couple months ago. Can you imagine what it would be to feel one called of Christ to give one's whole self to Christ in the ministry of the Church over all one's years and to come to that point and to have a people say, "We don't value that ministry anymore. Please leave. You have two years to go; we'll pay you for one." So, I don't take for granted what we've shared together. I thank God for it. It is a wonderful gift. In fact, it's rare. And Paul says, "Thank you." And he says, "The source of my confidence is the thing that we have done together, a good work that was begun by God and will be brought to completion by God." Paul again, not only always understood that his ministry was a gift from God, but also that he was engaged in that in which God had been the beginning and God would be the end, and God would sustain in the meantime. I am confident of this very thing - that God Who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ. © Grand Valley State University �A Love Letter Richard A. Rhem Page 3   The day of Jesus Christ. That is, the end of the age. Paul was proclaiming that Gospel throughout the ancient empire because he believed that at any moment the heavens would open and the Son of man would appear. It didn't happen that way, but that wasn't the point. Paul simply said that which I think we can appropriate for ourselves - God began it, God will end it - whenever the end is. In the meantime, God will sustain it. It is a good work and we can trust God for it. I am confident of this very thing- confident from a couple of Latin words, the prefix con and the word fides, with faith. "I labor with faith." We can with faith be certain that that which has begun will be brought to completion by the God Who will be with us in the meantime. This good work is of God. We had a good preacher here last week. Stimulating and inspiring message. And then he went off with us, as you know, with the Team and a few others, for a couple of days of theological reflection. And when I introduced him on Monday morning, I said, "You know, when someone calls and asks me to do something two months, three months, six months down the road, and I say, 'Yes, I'll do that. I'll go there,' and then it comes to the time, you pack your bags and you say, 'Why did I say Yes?'" And Dr. Hall said, "I said to my wife, 'Do you think I could still get out of this? Where is Spring Lake? Who are these people, anyway? Why did I say Yes?'" Well, he was a wonderful man in our midst, and in his second presentation on the last day, he said, "I must say to you what I can very seldom say - I have received more than I have given. I would give anything if my own four children, now grown, had been exposed to a community like this." And in the last Communion, the tears streaked down his cheeks, and Jim VanHoeven, Gord's brother, took him and Dr. Ernest Campbell to the airport, and Jim told me later this week that the three of them spoke together about you, about this community. They represent involvement and engagement with the Church international and, Jim said, the three of them said to each other, "We do not know of another place like Christ Community." Douglas Hall said, "What you have here is unique." I share that with you because otherwise, how are you to know? That is an unsolicited testimonial from those who have wide exposure and have come here and have sensed you, and they simply confirm what Paul said about Philippi. That this is a good work. God began it. God will bring it to completion. God will sustain it in the meantime. I am confident of this - with faith that's liberating, that sets one free to give oneself, that sets one free to relax. Part of our human problem, all of us, not just ministers of the Gospel, all of us, is that we suffer from that too-self-important complex, that old indispensability complex. Every once in a while I have to face it myself, "You know, this isn't your work, finally. This is God's work." I have to remember the story of the old English bishop lying awake on his bed, wide-eyed in the middle of the night, worrying about all the cares of the Church and all the troubles of the world and it was as if © Grand Valley State University �A Love Letter Richard A. Rhem Page 4   he heard the voice of God saying, "You can go to sleep now, Bishop. I can handle it." Thank God, God can handle it, and I can relax a bit. It need not be a burden; it need not be a monkey on our back. God calls us to be confident and to laugh and to delight and to give ourselves freely, because, finally, it is not our cleverness. Thank God it's not our dedication. It has nothing to do with our perfection. It is simply the fact that God has gifted us with a good work and God will see it through. Thank God. It doesn't mean it's always easy. It wasn't easy for Paul, either. He wasn't blowing bubbles under a clear blue sky. He was in prison. He was in prison for God's sake. Go on in the first chapter and you will find that he's contemplating the outcome of his trial in the imperial court, will he live or will he die? It's not even clear what he would prefer. "It's probably good for me to remain and keep working with you but, on the other hand, to depart and to be with Christ - I'm sort of torn." So, he's not writing to us out of some ivory tower. He's writing to us at a point in his life when his life is at stake, and he says to them, "Look, I want you to know that the thing that happened to me has turned out for the increased spread of the Gospel." Isn't that an irony? "The thing that's happened to me" - Paul is no victim; Paul is no self-pity party pooper - Paul is simply saying, "Look, what has happened to me has resulted in the increase of the Gospel. Why, the whole imperial guard has heard my story." (He must have had some freedom, maybe house arrest. Talked to his captors, told them about Jesus, some of them perhaps believed.) And then he says, "Some of the brothers and sisters who never opened their peeper before are starting to talk about Jesus. With new boldness, they're speaking the Gospel." At the last Elders' Meeting I had to smile at one who took the back of the bulletin, our Identity Statement, and said, "I clipped that out and I put it in my Franklin Planner. And now, when I'm talking with people, I pull it out and say, 'Look, read this.'" She said, "I'm not that kind of a person. You know, God forbid that I should witness for Jesus. God forbid that I should ever pass out a tract. Here, I find myself saying, 'Look, read this!'" New boldness, new freedom, something to say. Paul said, "This thing that has happened to me, why it's led to telling the story to the whole imperial guard, it has led to brothers and sisters speaking boldly the name of Jesus." "Oh," he said, "there are a few who aren't too unhappy that I'm in prison. They're preaching, too, out of a sense of selfish ambition in rivalry with me." But then, there's this amazing statement - "So what? So what? Some are preaching Christ out of love for Christ. Some are preaching Christ with something less than noble motivation. So what, then?" Isn't that a great question? Isn't that a great question not only for Paul in prison but for all of us in so many circumstances of our lives, when we are at the point of where the ego might be bruised a little or we might lose the argument, or we © Grand Valley State University �A Love Letter Richard A. Rhem Page 5   might be shown up or this or that, or not make the point? Isn't it a great question to say, "So what, then?" Most of our life we get all exercised about things that are not of ultimate importance, anyway. The posture of grace of the Apostle is a great posture to emulate, and his secret was obvious - passionate, single-focused, heart drenched with gratitude, spirit bathed in love. This man said, "You can't hurt me. Anyway, all I really care about is that Christ be proclaimed and exulted. So whether by those that love me or those that love me less - so what? What's the big deal? Christ is preached. I rejoice!" Wouldn't we all be a lot better off if in all the circumstances of life we could take ourselves a little less seriously? We could say with Paul, "But, what then? But, what then?" Ah, Paul should be reason enough for us to know that it's not always easy in the Church. The team was given a copy of this book of prayers and meditations of someone who has gathered them, particularly for people in ministry. I heard these words and I had so wished that I had written them. How baffling you are, O Church. And yet how I love you. How you have made me suffer, and yet how much I owe you. I should like to see you destroyed, and yet I need your presence. You have given me so much scandal, and yet you have made me understand sanctity. I have seen nothing in the world more devoted to obscurity, more compromised, more faults. And I've touched nothing more pure, more generous, more beautiful. How often I have wanted to shut the doors of my soul in your face. And how often I have prayed to die in the safety of your arms. No, I can't free myself from you, because I am you, although not completely. And where should I go? I wish I had said that, in terms of the larger Church, but I need not say that in terms of you. Thank God it has been different here and we, in this experience together, have been bonded with love, more acute in our understanding, more intentional in our action. And so, we can say it's been a bit rough. But what has happened is resulting in the increase of the Gospel, and what has happened - so what? Let me be very clear this morning. Thank you. I love you very much. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d85bd4cc242030157278ab9efad7857.mp3 29d15fea999e1124d9c9368b188e5df8 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 Philippians 1:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960623 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-06-23 Title A name given to the resource A Love Letter Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 23, 1996 entitled "A Love Letter", on the occasion of Pentecost IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Philippians 1:2. Grace of God Gratitude Nature of Community of Faith Trust https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2212db21cbfd8d3675754ce9c8afafc3.mp3 ccf1c6c7312b782cbaefda8be30e7807 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 II Series I Do Believe Scripture Text Acts 10:34-35, Luke 4:27 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960609 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-06-09 Title A name given to the resource God Has a Grander Scheme Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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 9, 1996 entitled "God Has a Grander Scheme", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Pentecost II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 10:34-35, Luke 4:27. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a2c95b324aa87274759ecff83283c5c7.pdf a3d41a836b1e01de3bfbc6116b62c57e PDF Text Text In the Holy Spirit: Butterflies Are Free From the series: I Do Believe Scripture: Exodus 34:29-35, II Corinthians 3:1-4:2 Text: II Corinthians 3:17 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Pentecost, May 26, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon Butterflies are free. I do believe in the Holy Spirit, and I believe that the Spirit is the Spirit of God, the Spirit of freedom. For Pentecost 1996, for Christ Community Church, the butterfly is an appropriate symbol. It's an ancient symbol in the Church for the resurrection because of the transformation, the metamorphosis that it goes through from the caterpillar, the cocoon, to the butterfly - this magnificent little creature that goes aloft and catches the wind beneath its wings. As I thought of Pentecost 1996, Christ Community and a whole new world before us, I thought of the butterfly, a symbol of resurrection, the butterfly that soars with the wind beneath its wings, linking Easter and Pentecost and launching us into the future with great faith, unafraid. We celebrate Pentecost as one of the historical festival days of the Church and, if you only had Luke, you would think that this thing just unwound, progressed rather naturally and smoothly. There was Israel and there was Jesus. Death, Resurrection, Ascension, Pentecost, Christian mission, world mission - all of it very smooth, just moving along according to the plan and purpose of God. Wrong! For one thing, if we had only John's Gospel, we'd celebrate Easter and Ascension and Pentecost all on the same day. That's all John knows. He speaks about it all in one package. But, Luke began to see that the early return of Jesus just wasn't very early. Nothing was happening, as we have noted recently. That Messiah who was crucified and raised and brought into the presence of God did not return, and Luke began to see a historical perspective. So, in his Gospel and in the Book of Acts, he gives us the story of Jesus, his death and his resurrection, and the Gospel ends with Jesus being taken out of their sight. The Book of Acts begins with Jesus moving into the clouds, and in Acts, Chapter 2, the day of Pentecost. Well, the day of Pentecost was a feast day, a Jewish feast day fifty days after Passover, fifty days, then, after our Easter. If we just take Luke's scheme, it looks like it developed very naturally. The time of progression during that 40-day period, Jesus verifying his resurrection, his living reality, leaving their midst, and then the power of the Holy Spirit. That's Luke's nice, smooth, historical scheme. © Grand Valley State University   �In the Spirit Butterflies are Free Richard A. Rhem Page 2   But, it wasn't that easy, folks. First thing, note that the feast of Pentecost and the ecstatic experience of those first followers of Jesus was a holy Jewish event. It was about the God of Israel; it was the Spirit of the God of Israel - these were Jewish followers of Jesus gathered on a Jewish festival day. Their ecstatic explosion of power was totally within the context of the Jewish people. Jesus never intended to found a world religion. The Christian Church was not in the purview of Jesus. It was a call to Israel to be faithful to the God of Israel and to renew itself according to the call of Jesus, but not a new movement, so to speak, but rather, a renewal of that old movement. However, it soon became a conflict situation. Initially there was great growth among Jewish people. There was a Jewish Jesus Movement. However, when Jesus didn't come back, there were Jews who were scratching their heads and saying, "You know, I wonder whether we should leave all of our great traditions." Then in 70 A.D. the Temple is destroyed and now there is the Jewish Jesus Movement and there is the Rabbinic Jewish Movement - which movement will emerge as the ongoing, continuing Jewish identity? Well, we know from John's Gospel that the Rabbinic Jewish Movement came into the ascendency, so that to say that Jesus was the Messiah was to be put out of the synagogue. And since Jesus hadn't returned and, at the threat of being put out, many said, "Maybe we'd better stay with what is familiar and what is our spiritual home." But there was another factor operative. There was a Jew named Paul who had a vision of the resurrected Christ and a sense of being called to bring the Gospel to the nations, to the Gentiles. And Paul was powerfully persuasive and very successful. One of the ironies of this whole development was that it was the very success of Paul and the Gentile mission that dried up the movement of Jews to Jesus, because, if the Jews had joined the Pauline church, they would have lost their distinctive Jewishness. The threat in the 20th century, Jewish people tell us, is assimilation through intermarriage. But there was an earlier threat in the first century. If the Jews had followed the Jesus Movement according to the Pauline conception, there would be no distinctive Judaism today, and would not our world be diminished without that rich ingredient of the Jewish people? But, Paul was successful and, therefore, there was a conflict situation in that early Church. You've got to remember our Gospels were all written after the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Our Gospels arose in a conflict situation. They were pleading with Jews to follow Jesus; they were presenting Jesus as the Messiah, the answer, the Promised One, and they were showing Jesus was the Messiah from citing the old scriptures, the Hebrew Scriptures. But, there was Paul out among the nations, the Gentiles, and he was gaining a great many converts. And now you have a situation where there are Jews who follow Jesus but want to remain distinctively Jews. For example, James, the brother of Jesus - he was the leader of the Jerusalem Church, and there are those who think that Luke wrote the Book of Acts in order to play down the tension between James and Paul. Whoever said © Grand Valley State University �In the Spirit Butterflies are Free Richard A. Rhem Page 3   the Christian Church was kind of a sunny, sweet, sentimental, sickly, kind, loving bunch? It never has been. There has been conflict and tension, and it was sharp between Paul and James. James was a Jew, an observant Jew. James followed Jesus, believed he was the Messiah, and James believed that that message should be taken to the whole world. But he wanted the whole world to be like he was - an observant Jew following Jesus. Paul, too, was an observant Jew. But, Paul had another idea. Paul did not want to exclude Israel from the grace of God. There are all kinds of statements in Paul's writings that indicate that it never entered his mind that God was done with Israel. Paul didn't want to exclude Israel, but Paul wanted to include the Gentiles, the nations. And he felt that it was his calling to bring the story of Jesus to the nations. And in so doing, he had to decide - what do I do in Thessalonica or Corinth or Ephesus or Rome when somebody says, "I believe Jesus is the Messiah. I would like to become a member of the movement; I'd like to be baptized." What does Paul do? Does he say to him, "Believe. Be baptized. The grace of God embraces you"? Or, does he say, "Believe. Be baptized. Be circumcised. Follow the food laws, the whole Mosaic Law; be an observant Jew"? Now, that's not exaggerating the situation, folks. Don't you see it? That's what James would have said. He would have gone throughout all of the world telling the story of Jesus, inviting all of the world to come to join the Jesus movement, but James would have expected that the Gentile become a part of the whole Jewish religious way. Paul - and this is Paul's radicality (a lot of things I don't like about Paul, but I like this about Paul) – Paul could see that the Jewish religious system, its ceremonies, its rituals, its code of laws, its Torah, its way of life, he could see all of that as both being from God and not being absolutely necessary. He could see all of that as being provisional for a time, but he could also see that that was a human container and that the Spirit of God could create new containers. And so, the radicality of Paul, the brilliance of Paul was that Paul understood that God could embrace people beyond Israel as they were without putting them into the religious structures that had become Israel's way. That was a brilliant insight. It caused conflict. It put him at odds with James. He got into arguments in every congregation he founded. In the reading from Corinthians, for example, he is defending his ministry. He said, "I don't need letters of recommendation. You, my people, are my letter of recommendation." (You see, he took a lesson from me; or maybe I learned that from him, I don't know. Probably so.) He said, "Look, Corinth, people transformed by grace, people with gifts of the Spirit, this lively, vital, charismatic community - I don't need a letter of recommendation. You are my letter of recommendation. Because you are a letter of Christ written by the Spirit on the fleshly table of the heart. Something new has happened." © Grand Valley State University �In the Spirit Butterflies are Free Richard A. Rhem Page 4   And then he realizes that there are those who are shaking their head, "No. No, this is not sufficient. These Gentile believers of Jesus are not yet adequate. They are not yet full-fledged people of God; they are not yet Jews, observant." So, he said, "Look, you remember when Moses went up on the mountain and got the Law, the Ten Commandments, and he came down and his face was all aglow? He put a veil over his face so that people wouldn't see the glory fade away." Now, it doesn't say that in Exodus. All it says is he put a veil over his face in order that people might not be afraid of that shine, that glow. But, probably somewhere along the way there was a Jewish Rabbi scholar who made some comment about maybe Moses put his veil over his face so they wouldn't see when the face didn't shine as much - that doesn't matter. It's pretty clear what's operating here. Paul says Moses got the Law from God, the only God there is. He got the Law, the true Law; he got the true Word. He came down from that mountain and his face was shining because he had been in the presence of God who is Light. Then he says he put the veil over his face because that shine was only skin-deep and it started to fade, and Moses thought, "If they see the glory fade from my face, they'll think the glory is fading from the Law," so he put a veil over. And then Paul says, "You know, that reminds me. That's exactly what's happening to my Jewish brothers and sisters today. They read their own scripture, they read Moses and it's like they got a veil over their face. They read it and they don't understand it. They read it and they don't believe it. They read it and they can't see it. Hardened hearts, dull minds, veil over their face. Why don't they read it? Why don't they see it? How can they be so dull? Moses was of God. Moses' light was of God. That truth was truth, indeed, but it was partial, it was a lesser splendor, it was a step on the way but it wasn't the absolute and the end of all." Paul says, "Don't you see that with Jesus, God has done a new thing? With Jesus there is a brightness and a fullness and a splendor and a glory such as Moses never, ever conceived of! Don't you see that Moses got light from God, reflected in skin-deep glow, but we, beholding Jesus, not beholding Torah, we beholding Jesus are transformed into Jesus' likeness from one degree of glory into another? Don't you see that what we have in Jesus is so much more?" Well, James said, "No. Not really." James said, "Paul, if you have your way, there will no longer be a distinctive Jewish tradition. If you have your way, there will be no ongoing, distinctive, observant Jewish people. I agree with you about Jesus; I agree with you that God was in Jesus, all of that. But, I don't agree with you that it is enough simply to be graced by God through Jesus without all of Moses." Paul said, "You're blind." © Grand Valley State University �In the Spirit Butterflies are Free Richard A. Rhem Page 5   And James said, "You're radical." Paul said, "What must I do?" And James said, "You're out of here." You see, who was right and who was wrong? Is it really an issue of right and wrong? Is it necessary that I say that Paul was right and therefore God was done with Israel and the Christian Church becomes the New Israel and supersedes Israel? You know what that kind of thinking leads to? That has led to the triumphalism of the Christian Church; it has led to anti-Semitism; it has led to the Holocaust; it has led to pride that has divided the world and has made the world a hostile place – that kind of spirit. Why can't I just say, "Paul, you had a vision. Paul, through you the God of Israel was brought to the nations. Bless you, Paul! Paul, you could see that human religious structures, human religious rituals, humanly systematic formulated doctrines are necessary and important and useful, but provisional and temporary and never absolute." Why can't I just say, "Paul, bless you for that freedom. Bless you for seeing that new times demand new human containers," without having to say to you somehow or other, "If you don't follow me, James, you're out. And James, James, could you bless Paul? Could you be content to say, 'I'm the guardian and the caretaker of a true and ancient and precious tradition. Bless you, Paul. Take its wonder and glory and truth, and if you insist, its greater glory, and bring it to the world. Because Paul, when you talk about Jesus, you're talking about the Jesus of the God of Israel. Paul, when you talk about the Spirit, you're talking about the Spirit of the God of Israel. Consequently, Paul, we are not competitors. We are in the same business, for God's sake!'" Paul - thank God he saw the relative, provisional, historically conditioned, partial adequacy of every human structure, liturgy, doctrine, and he saw the Spirit of God as always out ahead, blowing where it will, shattering forms, creating new containers, and embracing an ever-greater circle of the children of God. The likes of us who, as he says a bit later in the fourth chapter, have seen the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus. But the likes of James who saw the glory of God in the Torah found his fulfillment in walking the way of Moses. Well, I would have been on Paul's team. I think I like James better, but I would have been on Paul's team. Paul's kind of radical; revolutionary people are not always the kind you want to invite to dinner. It's a lot more comfortable with the caretakers and the guardians. But some people are called to probe the frontiers, to find the new containers and to praise God in ways not yet conceived of. Not a new God. Not a novel idea. Continuity with the old, but tradition as the instrument of continuity and change, because in our present human existence there is no absolute, no absolute certainty. © Grand Valley State University �In the Spirit Butterflies are Free Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Dear friends, there's risk, but there's also wonder - the wonder of a freedom, the freedom of the Spirit of God. Paul says, where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Butterflies are free. And so are we. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bcce1d4d3f4f23f0677da23a27431ba3.mp3 faaf7e46b097cf5569189cd1a9dea28c 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 Series I Do Believe Scripture Text II Corinthians 3:17 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-0-19960526 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-05-26 Title A name given to the resource In the Holy Spirit: Butterflies Are Free Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 26, 1996 entitled "In the Holy Spirit: Butterflies Are Free", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Pentecost, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 3:17. Pentecost Re-imagining the Faith Resurrection Spirit of God https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ef15f719614c57aae3ddfffe196e7a17.pdf 6afd88b5d8505c24ee27a7b109a4c5c1 PDF Text Text The Holy Catholic Church From the series: I Do Believe Text: Mark 11:28; Ephesians 4:4 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan May 19, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon Today we celebrated the sacrament of Baptism in the name of the Triune God: The Father - God as ground and source of all that is; Jesus Christ - the human face of God in which we have seen love and grace; The Spirit - the operative presence of the Living God here and now, with us. Baptized in the name of the Living God - signed by water as belonging to the people of God, the community of the Covenant of Grace. There is no mention of the Reformed Church in America, no mention of Christ Community Church. No, Baptism is the sacrament of belonging to the People of God, not an institution nor any organizational arrangement of those people. Baptized in the name of the Living God - not in the name of the servant of Word and sacrament - not in my name. The Church is not a personality cult. The celebrant is but a servant of God, of God's Word of grace, of the signs and seals of grace. This morning's baptisms give me occasion to say that but, had there been no sacrament this morning, I would have made this point in any case, because today this congregation will gather, not only in this setting of worship, but also, later, in its organizational form as a congregation. And this is as critical a moment as this congregation has faced in its 126 years, for it will have to decide who it is and what it will be. On the threshold of that decision, I want to be very clear: what is at stake is our sense of what shape God's grace takes in this world. What is at stake is our understanding of the Gospel of God's grace, the interpretation of the scriptures and the translation of the Gospel in our historical context so that it makes a connection between the revelation of God and present human experience. © Grand Valley State University   �The Holy Catholic Church Richard A. Rhem Page 2   At issue is our understanding of how our present human situation is addressed by the Word of the Living God. In making that point, I am challenging two possible bases for how you might decide to cast your vote First of all, you ought not to vote No because you attribute too much importance to the Reformed Church in America, as though the RCA is synonymous with the Holy Catholic Church. The RCA is an organization, a human structure. To say that is not to denigrate the RCA; it is simply to recognize that denominations are human organizational structures and, to be honest, they are more a witness to the sinfulness of the Church than to the spirituality of the Church. Most of them have ethnic roots or they have arisen out of doctrinal conflict. The proliferation that resulted from the rending of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century has been a tragic witness to human cussedness. Yet, the Spirit works in and through them nonetheless. There are affectional family ties and long-time relationships that draw one. I recognize that and I do not belittle that. But, acknowledging that, I must say that what is at stake today transcends those human, positive, emotional bonds. Secondly, you ought not to vote Yes simply to support me, your pastor. The Church of Jesus Christ is not a personality cult. You must not vote on the basis of a human leader. Let me be clear; the literally hundreds of letters, cards, and phone calls, your personal words of love and support, have moved me greatly and touched me deeply. Without that strong sense of your affection and affirmation I do not know how I could have gotten through these past months. Your decision today, however, must not be to follow a human leader. Your decision must be based on your understanding of the grace of God and the concrete form of that grace in human community. In the negotiation meetings between the Classis of Muskegon and our negotiating team, there was, I believe, a defining moment. I was not present; I have not been a part of that process; it is not my place. But I was told that, at the second meeting, one of our people made a statement that put the issue in its true perspective. The person was John Van Eenenaam. John and Marianne and family have been with us for twenty-five years. Before that, they were in Reformed congregations - in fact, their baptisms occurred in these respective Reformed congregations. And John's name - is there a more difficult Dutch name to master, either in its spelling or its pronunciation? Further, John stems from Zeeland! Those are true Dutch Reformed roots, or should I say, bulbs! John said to the Classis people, "If something happened to Dick Rhem, we would look for someone to replace him who is like him, who would lead us into the realization of our Mission Statement." © Grand Valley State University �The Holy Catholic Church Richard A. Rhem Page 3   When I heard that, my heart leaped. That made it clear to all who had ears to hear that what is at issue here is not Dick Rhem. Rather, what is at issue is that message that I have proclaimed and the incarnation of that message in this concrete community. Not the Reformed Church as an organization; not Dick Rhem as a human leader; rather, the message that has shaped us and formed us as the community that we are. Having said that, I do not deny that Spirit needs form and the Church will always take on some concrete form. And the Spirit does call, anoint, and equip human leaders. The organized churches and the human leaders - that is all we have, warts and all. But, we must never confuse a form of organization nor a human leader with the thing in itself - the Holy Catholic Church which is the People of God living in covenant with the God of all mercy. I do believe the Holy Catholic Church. That is, that God's Spirit gathers a community of persons who experience God's grace revealed in Jesus Christ. In all of its ups and downs, its finest moments and its terrible betrayals, there is an ongoing community of people indwelt by God's Spirit, forgiven by God's grace and called to worship and to witness to the God Who is Creator of all and Lover of all, Whose Spirit is moving all things toward the consummation of God's eternal purposes. In the history of that people there have been critical junctures. Certainly we believe such was the case when the Word became flesh. In the traditional role of prophet, Jesus called the People of God to be faithful to their own tradition. That meant radical revision, repentance and renewal and that does not happen without sharp resistance. In Mark's Gospel, Jesus comes but once to Jerusalem. He will take his message of the Kingdom to the religious center of the nation, there to challenge the religious authorities with his call to renewal. His radical action in the temple, driving out the moneychangers as our text has it, was a symbolic prophetic action that called in question the whole Temple system which Marcus Borg describes as "The politics of holiness" in contrast to that quite different understanding of Jesus which Borg calls "The politics of compassion." I read this Gospel lesson, however, not to reflect on the meaning of Jesus' action, but rather to show how such prophetic action raises the question of authority. And they said, ‘By what authority are you doing these things? Who gave you this authority to do them?’ (Mark 11:28) Here we meet the same two factors to which I referred earlier - the organizational structure and the human leaders. © Grand Valley State University �The Holy Catholic Church Richard A. Rhem Page 4   The organizational structure is the form the Spirit takes in concrete human society - political structures, economic structures, religious structures. Over and over again in the respective arenas of human culture, movements are born and gather momentum and experience dynamic growth. Then they level off; they seek a form by which the movement's insights or policy or beliefs can be perpetuated and regularized. Usually the movement begins with the vision of a person or small group but, once the vision becomes institutionalized, caretakers take over - guardians of the system. And then the originating vision is lost in the routine of the system and the caretakers try to find ways to keep the institution going and even try to convince themselves and the people that there is still fire burning somewhere. Enter the prophetic voice uncovering the hollowness of the institutional forms and calling for re-visioning and renewal. But that is threatening to the caretakers; they have a vested interest in maintaining the forms and structures in place. And so, they take on the visionary. The question is quite in order - By what authority? And that is where the battle rages again and again in all dimensions of human society: the organizational personnel charged to keep the institution alive and growing and the prophetic visionary who sees the tradition has hardened and lost its connection to human experience as that continues to develop, and calls for revision and renewal. The organizational people have a responsibility to preserve and perpetuate institutional forms; the prophetic visionary loves that which the forms were created to embody and pass along - the original fire, the burning truth which gets domesticated and calcified with the movement of time, and thus he challenges the forms in order to set free the Spirit. The Temple authorities ask, "Who gives you authority to do these things?" It is the classic clash of institutional form and visionary prophetic challenge and the question is: By what authority? Jesus responded by putting a question to his interrogators: "John's baptism; was it from God or of human origin?" You see, Jesus was not the first to be challenged for making a prophetic protest. John the Baptist had preached fire and judgment on the banks of the Jordan and Jerusalem had streamed out to hear him. There was a Baptist movement parallel to Jesus' early movement. So, Jesus put the question of authority back in the lap of the religious leaders because the question was the same, but it took the focus © Grand Valley State University �The Holy Catholic Church Richard A. Rhem Page 5   off Jesus and put it on John and that created a quandary for the Temple authorities because, if they said John's message was from God, Jesus would ask, "Why then did you not believe his message?," but if they said John's message was of human origin, they feared the people because the people had felt the power of God in John's prophetic preaching. Human society in all aspects of its culture must again and again decide between the established structure and organization and the prophetic voice challenging and calling to new vision. It is seldom simple, never black and white. But the human story is one of Spirit finding form, form conveying Spirit, form growing rigid, imprisoning Spirit and Spirit breaking the form to find new freedom - in the arena of politics, of education, of religion. And the people have to choose - the organizational form or the new vision created by a human leader. The choice should not be made because one absolutizes an institution, nor because one idolizes a person. I do believe the Holy Catholic Church. I do not believe in the Church; I believe the Church - that is, that reality of a gathered people of God called by the Spirit, embraced by grace to worship and to serve the Living God. Over the centuries it has had many forms and experienced many prophetic challenges. It has been terribly corrupt and marvelously renewed. And the people must choose - they ask, "By what authority?" The answer lies in another question - Is this of God, or of human origin? Let me put the question to the Muskegon Classis - Is God's grace evident here in the lives of people transformed, of people touched by grace, healed and experiencing new life? Is there evidence here of worship full of wonder, of devotion to God expressed through commitment to people and compassionate care one of another? Are children nurtured in God's love and youth challenged to follow the way of Jesus? If the answer is Yes, then is this of God or of human origin? If of God, then, I ask, why are we being troubled? If the answer is of human origin, then they must answer to you - as fine and beautiful a community of people as one is likely to find anywhere. I rest my case with you, my people. If what I see in you is not an authentic expression of God's grace effecting human transformation, then I've got it all wrong. But if an honest examination of this community does bear out that this is a community of God's people, then I have nothing more to say. They ask me, "By what authority?" or "Is your theology right?", or however the question is phrased. © Grand Valley State University �The Holy Catholic Church Richard A. Rhem Page 6   I respond, "Is this Christ Community of God or of human origin? You tell me." I believe the Holy Catholic Church - not in, rather, I believe the Church; I believe God will have as God has had, a people, transformed by Grace, constituting a concrete community of compassion. Always, at all times, in all places. I do believe that. I do believe the Church is here in this place. I believe the Church here is and will be: catholic - that is, really one, universal; evangelical - that is, a community of Good News, of Grace; reformed - that is, being always in process, always reforming. I do believe - the Holy Catholic Church, and I believe it comes to concrete expression here. We are the Church! © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d3435d1e8e6e2d6c4ccf1d4487e86de7.mp3 f7c55143d4c5cc6b69c015d4ab1ea058 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 VII Series I Do Believe Scripture Text Mark 11:28, Ephesians 4:4 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-0-19960519 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-05-19 Title A name given to the resource The Holy Catholic Church Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 19, 1996 entitled "The Holy Catholic Church", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Eastertide VII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Mark 11:28, Ephesians 4:4. Authority Community of Faith Grace of God Nature of God Prophetic Voice https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9d230bdb3c49f127e57cf6bd1d53fd11.pdf 329f9640ac96f80332a5615ef03abd46 PDF Text Text Where Love Is, There Is Family From the series: I Do Believe Text: I Corinthians 13:8, John 11:1 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Mother’s Day, May 12, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon This is Mother's Day. It is not a Christian festival day. Purists condemn the practice of celebrating Mother's Day in worship. And it can be put down rather sharply by those who claim it is only a cynical commercial effort pandering to human sentimentality. However, one ought to know the power of the institution before one puts it in the dust bin of history. Mother's Day is big. And rightly so, if celebrated with perspective. Who of us will ever make it up to our mothers? And is not that intimate connection one of life's most wonderful bonds? And, so - Here's to Mothers! Thank you! God bless and keep you! It is not only the threat of our sentimentality that might give cause to celebrating Mother's Day in worship, however. A more serious matter has to do with the fact that Mother's Day is often portrayed in the context of parents and children in the ideal family all smiles and happiness. And for so many, that is not the situation, and, if that ideal is associated with God's blessing, one may impose not only the sadness that one's situation is not ideal but a load of guilt for not measuring up. It is perhaps this latter situation more than any other that always causes me to think carefully about the message for this day. And I have a wonderful word today - one that is good news for all of us and each of us - it is this: Where Love is, There is Family. I do believe in the possibility of human community whose bond fundamentally transcends blood ties and is relationship rooted in love and respect and shared vision. In other words, Mother's Day gives me an opportunity to point to the critical importance of human community and the manner in which human community fosters healthy, mature persons, on the one hand, and on the other, how healthy, mature human persons form family. © Grand Valley State University   �Where Love is, There is Family Richard A. Rhem Page 2   While our biological family is key and certainly, in the purview of this message, you will see that I use “family” as designation for a bonded human community, be it a small circle of friends or a faith community such as Christ Community. I do believe, where Love is, there is family. In our day, "Family Values" has become politicized and the phrase a slogan appropriated by the more conservative sectors of society to push their sociopolitical agenda. It is interesting, therefore, to realize that the New Testament does not provide much material to support the Family Values folk. We have noted more than once here that Jesus comes off as hardly a model child. I could have chosen to read Mark 3:31ff - the context in which Jesus' mother and brothers come to bring Jesus home because the word on the street is that he is mad. To that request to return home, Jesus says, pointing to those gathered around him, Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:34-35) I chose another Gospel reading, however, to illustrate concretely the contention of this message, that where love is, there is family. The paragraphs opening John 11 and 12 describe the home of Mary, Martha and Lazarus at Bethany, just outside Jerusalem. This would seem to have been Jesus' "home," Jesus' "family" to the extent he had one. In the 11th chapter, Mary and Martha send a message to Jesus that their brother Lazarus is ill. The illness is apparently obviously serious for them to send for Jesus. In the 12th chapter, it is another journey to Jerusalem, this his last. He comes to Bethany and Martha served a dinner, celebrating the life of Lazarus. At dinner, Mary anoints Jesus' feet with costly perfume, which irritates Judas, who criticizes the waste, commenting the money would better be given to the poor. Jesus defends the action of extravagant love. I am not treating in this message the narratives per se - the raising of Lazarus or the criticism of Judas. Rather, I point you to a family - Mary, Martha and Lazarus. They obviously were family through blood ties. But, love dwelled there; they were family in a more fundamental sense. And this was a family where Jesus found a home; they were family to Jesus. There was clearly tension between Jesus and his biological family. They were anxious about him, probably embarrassed by him. Everyone was talking about him. They were uneasy about that. People thought him off the deep end. That reflected poorly on the family. © Grand Valley State University �Where Love is, There is Family Richard A. Rhem Page 3   I can identify with that. My name is a four-letter word. But, it is misspelled as often as spelled correctly. Half the time it comes out Rehm. My dear aunt in Kalamazoo always breathes a little easier when the Kalamazoo Gazette gets it wrong. Not so in Bethany. The door was always open; the welcome mat was out for Jesus in the family of Mary, Martha and Lazarus. When the sisters send for Jesus, they say, "Lord, he whom you love is ill." And the Gospel writer tells us, "... Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus ..." In the 12th chapter, the dinner party, Mary performs an act of extravagant love. She breaks a year's wages of perfume over Jesus' feet. Love does extravagant things not weighing the practicality of the deed. That is love and where love is, there is family. Happy the person whose biological family is such a center of love, respect and shared values and vision. But, in all honesty, is that not somewhat rare? Have we not often found that an even deeper bonding occurs where, in our maturity, we find our soul mate or soul mates - that circle, that community where we have found love and acceptance for the persons we are at core? The biological family is so critical for our formation and we must be committed to the shaping of healthy families because family so critically shapes us. But part of the maturation process must be a process of individuation whereby we move out of the biological family. A few years ago The Atlantic Monthly published an article entitled "Chronic Anxiety and Defining the Self." It was an introduction to family systems theory, which, unlike psychoanalysis, which derives from Freud's paradigm focusing on the individual, focuses instead on the structure of interlocking relationships in which a person is involved. Not a person as an autonomous psychological entity (Freud), but a person enmeshed in a "family system." The insight of this analysis of family systems theory that speaks to my concern today is the recognition that a mature human person who begins in a biological family - a totally dependent being, must through stages of development move toward emotional separation from dependency on family of origin. The psychological term is differentiation and, according to family systems theory, there is an instinctually rooted life force, which propels a person to grow into an emotionally separate individual. Family systems theory also assumes an instinctually rooted life force that moves toward togetherness, keeping members of a family emotionally connected and operating in interaction with each other. © Grand Valley State University �Where Love is, There is Family Richard A. Rhem Page 4   The reason I refer to family systems theory is simply to point out that healthy families will seek to enable the developing child to be not only connected emotionally but differentiated as an individual, able to establish his or her independent self-identity. As we focus on the family today, that is a very important insight and it should be the goal of a healthy family. Too often we see dependency lasting too long and sometimes there is parental pressure that fosters that dependency. I run into that lingering parental control most often in regard to the Church. I have often related the amusing story of the woman who had joined CCC from another denomination in the 70's when there was eruption of newness all about and something exciting happening most every week. She asked me one Sunday, "What's happening next Sunday?" I replied, "Nothing special." She said, "Oh good, my mother is coming." Over the years I have witnessed it over and over again - with many of you here - a certain nervousness about how parents will receive the news that their grown, adult children are joining Christ Community that has for twenty-five years been on the cutting edge. I do understand that. I, too, am a parent. But, I am also clearly aware of my responsibility to cut loose my children so that they can in their independence and maturity choose their spiritual path. In The Atlantic Monthly article to which I referred, there is an excellent description of the person who has achieved a strong degree of emotional independence and a strong sense of self-identity. He begins growing away from his parents in infancy and becomes an "inner-directed" adult. While always sure of his beliefs and convictions, he is not dogmatic or fixed in his thinking. Capable of hearing and evaluating the viewpoints of others, he can discard old beliefs in favor of new ones. He can listen without reacting and can communicate without antagonizing others. He is secure within himself and his functioning is not affected by praise or criticism. He can respect the identity of another without becoming critical or emotionally involved in trying to modify that person's life course. (The Atlantic Monthly, 9/1988) To produce such daughters and sons should be our goal as parents. The description is an ideal and we all fall short at many points, but an ideal helps us to examine how clear we are in the execution of our task and how well we are doing. © Grand Valley State University �Where Love is, There is Family Richard A. Rhem Page 5   I cannot reflect on the emotional health of the family without making the application to the family of faith as well, for it seems to me that the ideal of a congregation is very similar to that of the family. Some years ago, James Fowler wrote a book, Stages of Faith, in which he described the stages of faith development, much as Eric Erickson described the developmental stages of learning and Kohlberg the stages of moral development. I was struck at the time by Fowler's contention that many congregations and many pastoral leaders program in the stultifying of spiritual maturation in order to keep the people in a state of arrested development. By short-circuiting the spiritual development, such ecclesiastical leadership breeds dependency in the flock and thereby more easily controls the people. This, of course, is tragic, but it is obviously a widespread practice of religious institutions. It should be clear that such practice militates against the forming of spiritually mature persons who have a spiritual/moral identity that is really their own. Just as in the biological family it is critical to foster the development of emotional independence, that is, to aid and abet the process of differentiation, so in faith families the goal should be to form persons with their own spiritual center who take responsibility for their spiritual growth and development. That is a hallmark of Christ Community; for twenty-five years we have been emerging as a faith community with a special image. For a number of years now we have used the phrase "An Alternative to Church as Usual." That such a phrase is more than a slogan without substance has been vividly demonstrated in these last months. In 1971, the congregation then gathered demonstrated a kind of boldness and liberal spirit in that it changed its name from the First Reformed Church to Christ Community. We declared our allegiance to the Reformed tradition and had not the slightest thought of ever leaving the RCA. We did, however, recognize that the name "Reformed" had become a label and that the rising generation would less and less be impressed with labels. We saw the need to create a new image and the name Christ Community gave us an identity to live into. We foresaw, too, that a growing ecumenical trend could best be captured by a name that invited a broad spectrum of confessional groups to become part of the blending of traditions that would enrich each and enhance the whole expression of Christian Faith. This congregation saw the future and moved toward it in 1971 and we have been moving toward it ever since. © Grand Valley State University �Where Love is, There is Family Richard A. Rhem Page 6   There has never been any intention of moving out of denominational affiliation but, in reality, we have created a new community here which has had little engagement with the Reformed Church, except through my own considerable involvement with the RCA at the national level. For some, long ties with the Reformed Church in America are important and the thought of separation is painful. That is understandable and it is regrettable that a choice is being forced on us. For I suspect the majority, the move out of one's "family of origin" was taken when you joined Christ Community. This congregation is composed of persons who have had the spiritual maturity and strength to leave their spiritual home and affiliate with a local community that manifested the spiritual vision and values that reflected their own. I do believe that that is healthy - a sign of maturity, of strong spiritual identity. For, finally, whether we think of our biological family, or our faith family, our goal should be the forming of emotionally independent, mature persons with a strong self-identity, and that involves both differentiation and connection. Mature, fulfilling, satisfying humane existence demands both independence and community and the only really healthy commitment to community comes from one who has realized a measure of independence. Then commitment is willed and engaged in freely with joy. No formal structure - biological family, ecclesiastical institution - can provide that; it is achieved through development of mature self-identity. Where that is the case - where persons have such mature self-identity, beautiful community is a possibility - in family, in faith family, for where love is - there is family. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5a15559e089838e8b959de7df50affd.mp3 8224a38390526328e92ab9cac389f035 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 Mothers_ Day, Eastertide VI Series I Do Believe Scripture Text I Corinthians 13:8, John 11:1 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-0-19960512 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-05-12 Title A name given to the resource Where Love Dwells, There Is Family Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 12, 1996 entitled "Where Love Dwells, There Is Family", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Mothers_ Day, Eastertide VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 13:8, John 11:1. Community of Grace Love Mother's Day Open Mind Warm Heart https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/1bf1c79658d6ba608868598417f756cb.pdf 3eef5df377a2b0b8579943795fe11f9b PDF Text Text Our Little Systems Have Their Day… Text: John 4:21-24; Acts 7:51 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan May 5, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon "Our little systems have their day, They have their day and cease to be, They are but broken lights of Thee, And Thou, O Lord, art more than they." It was my first appointment with Professor Dr. Hendrikus Berkhof in Leiden, The Netherlands. His study, every wall bookshelves from floor to ceiling, was in his home at 18 Julianalaan, Oestgeest, a suburb of Leiden. A drape separated the study from the next room. On the drape was pinned a sheet of paper with the lines of Tennyson [quoted above]. I had come to determine if I should pursue my studies with Professor Berkhof at Leiden and to determine if he would be my mentor. My question was answered immediately as I read those words. I do not remember encountering the words before. Perhaps I had sung them as we so often sing our hymns - without the words registering. I do not know. But I know that the moment I read them in that place at that time, the words leapt out at me. It was an epiphany moment. I was about to embark on a serious graduate study in systematic theology - the discipline that seeks to bring coherence to the whole biblical tradition. I had from a child wrestled with theological ideas and enigmas. My major in college was philosophy, in seminary Systematics. For some reason I had always been fascinated with, perhaps obsessed with, the knowledge of God, the systematic theological understanding of God in my own Reformed tradition. I had been preaching for seven years, four here and three in New Jersey. Those seven years of pastoral experience had challenged the neat and well-defined theological system I brought with me from seminary; I had learned that there was human experience that did not fit with my system. My European educational venture was not so much to secure a degree that would open for me the academic world, as it was an existential quest for understanding. I needed to go back to the foundations. I needed a new foundation for my preaching and my pastoral ministry. © Grand Valley State University   �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 2   My little system had reached its limits. I'm certain it was my own deeply felt need that caused my heart to beat more rapidly as the words of Tennyson met my eye and found lodgment in my soul. That was a moment of recognition - my little system had had its day. But there was more - and even now I can hardly sing the words without emotion rising within me - They are but broken lights of Thee and Thou, O Lord, art more than they. That was the realization that washed as a great wave of grace over me - Thou, O Lord, art more than they. My little system may be in trouble but I am not in trouble. The poem turns to prayer , to direct address - Thou, O Lord, art beyond all our frail human attempts to define Thee, to capture Thee. Thou, O Lord, art more than they! If Professor Berkhof, an eminent scholar of international reputation pinned such lines to the drape of his study lined with books, chuck full of "little systems," then this was the mentor I needed. The rest of the story most of you know. For four years I studied with him. Returning here, this congregation graciously invited me once again to become their pastor, understanding I would complete my dissertation. But things began to happen. Renewal, explosive growth - there was little time to get back to writing. After two years, Professor Berkhof wrote, "I no longer expect you to complete your dissertation. Theology is for the building of the Church and God has called you to do the greater work." He was a wise and great teacher. He gave me my freedom and affirmed my work. And as you know, he and Mrs. Berkhof became in subsequent years our dearest friends. He preached here in 1978, the first service held in this sanctuary, and we had Tennyson's words printed in calligraphy, matted and framed and presented it to him. It hung over his desk and, in March, when I visited Mrs. Berkhof, I took a photograph of the framed words as I was picking out books for myself from his library. I share this autobiographical sketch with you today because Christ Community is at a crossroads and, in some sense, I think we are where we are because of the personal history I've just related - My recognition of the need for a sounder basis for my ministry; Tennyson's lines as I encountered Professor Berkhof ; my formation under his tutelage; his deep faith, warm and generous heart, open, searching mind. All of that mixed with my own personal circumstances and the experience of God's grace through the love and acceptance of this congregation, set the stage for the past quarter century. Christ Community as we are now constituted is the © Grand Valley State University �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 3   fruit of my encounter with one who was the embodiment of Tennyson's poetic expression of the limitedness of all human formulations and the limitlessness of the one eternal God for Whom all our gropings strive. Now all that has been for these past twenty-five years is being challenged. This week you received in the mail a resolution for the separation of Christ Community from the Reformed Church in America. The congregation would not have to leave, but the Muskegon Classis is forcing me to leave because of my theological views. Therefore, you are faced with a choice of remaining in the RCA without me or leaving with me. The vote will be two weeks from today, May 19. Thus, I have today, next Sunday and the 19th in which to preach with this critical matter pending. I cannot act as though nothing is happening. Yet, for me, worship is sacred and preaching the most sacred trust that is mine. I have endeavored never to use the pulpit for promotion of the institution or for personal gain. How, then, can I use these Lord's Days such that God is honored, the Word is preached authentically, and you, the people, are spiritually nourished? I have concluded that this is possible only if I am open and honest with you. If I tell you honestly that this ministry and this congregation is my life and I pray that you will stay in solidarity with me. And, further, let me say that my messages will be an attempt to set forth why I am so bold as to seek your solidarity. I am the reason Christ Community has been placed at the crossroads. I am your leader. Frankly, at times I tremble at that, but I cannot now abdicate my leadership role. It was never my intention that we should leave the denomination but, faced with this situation, I believe Christ Community has a significant calling to fulfill and that there is a great work for us to do. Being thus honest with you, you will have to hear me critically, judging what you hear in terms of my own personal investment in our future. I do believe. That is the Eastertide theme, a theme for our present circumstance in which I wanted to affirm the faith we share - the great Christian convictions by which we live That the end is life, That the news is too good not to share, That good religion opens the mind and warms the heart. And now today - a mid-course correction. Our little systems have their day... Let me put that in other words, words that capture the heart and spirit of what it means to be Reformed - © Grand Valley State University �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 4   I do believe that the Church needs to be re-formed by the Word of God and always being reformed. I believe this is true of the manner in which the Church is governed, the ways in which the Church worships, and the understanding by which the Church professes her faith. It is the latter issue that is before us - our understanding of the faith. Thus, my message today will make the claim that the theological tradition of the Church needs ongoing revision so that there is available to each generation a fresh translation of the Gospel. We are not speaking of a new Gospel; rather, a fresh expression of the one Gospel of the grace of God that we have experienced through Jesus Christ our Lord, the same Gospel that Jesus proclaimed, that St. Paul preached, that has come to new expression again and again down through 2,000 years so that each generation, each historical period hears itself addressed by the Living God and is able to experience the immediacy of that address in its own context and situation. Let me point you to the Lessons from John and Acts, both familiar narratives the one, the encounter of Jesus and the Samaritan woman; the other, Stephen's speech before the Jewish High Council. The conversation of Jesus and the woman of Samaria recorded in John 4 is rich and could occupy our attention for several messages. I will limit myself to a few comments that illustrate the claim of this message that the faith tradition grows and develops and must come to ever-new expression. Let me remind you that the writer of the Gospel is in such a new situation writing for a Jewish Christian community probably situated in a center of Hellenistic culture - maybe at Ephesus. He is encouraging them to hold on to their faith in Jesus as the Messiah. It is 85-95 C.E. The expected end of the Age has not come. Jewish tradition and identity is being determined by the Rabbinic/Pharisaic Party. There is now in the synagogue liturgy a benediction against heretics and to claim Jesus as Messiah is heresy, as determined by the established Jewish authority. It is now obvious that Israel will go on its way not recognizing Jesus as God's promised one. The community for whom this Gospel is written is experiencing a crisis of faith. The writer tells the story of Jesus, not simply to teach history but, rather, to enable the community some 60 years later, through remembering, to experience in their own situation the presence of God Whose presence was experienced in the Word made flesh. The conversation with the Samaritan woman brings out the newness created by God's embodiment in Jesus. The woman senses Jesus is a prophet. She raises the critical question that separated the Jews and the Samaritans. They were sharp © Grand Valley State University �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 5   antagonists. The Samaritans' worship center was Mt. Gerizim. The Jews' worship center was Jerusalem. Who was right? Jesus answers that in the newness created by his presence - that is, God's presence in Jesus - both geographical locations were being transcended. Not here or there. Rather, in spirit and truth. Jesus does not say neither place of worship had served its purpose in the past, but he is pointing to a new reality. The time has come when the true worshiper will worship God in spirit and truth. God is Spirit. No place, no creedal formula, no sacred text, no ritual form can capture God Who is Spirit. The one who would worship God must worship in spirit and truth - that is, according to the nature and character of God - the nature and character now revealed in the Word made flesh - that Word made flesh was there speaking to the woman. In his action he was revealing a God of limitless embrace beyond the limited understanding of the Jerusalem Cult or the Samaritan Cult. The God present in the Word made flesh was in the very action of Jesus breaking down barriers: He was speaking with a Samaritan -something a Jew would not do. He was speaking with a woman - something a Jewish man would not do. He was breaking down ethnic and gender walls as he spoke. Now think of John's community - being thrust out of their spiritual home - out of the Synagogue whose true home had been the Temple at Jerusalem. John is, in effect, saying, so you are put out, you feel abandoned, homeless? Not so. That all changed in the coming of Jesus. Those historical particularities - Jerusalem, Gerizim, the Synagogue at Ephesus or wherever, have no claim on God. God is Spirit and thus Present beyond any human institutional forms or geographical locations. That was Stephen's claim, as well. His speech to the Jewish High Council was a sharply adversarial recounting of Israel's history. He was arrested for his preaching of Jesus as God's promised Messiah. He was charged with denigrating the Torah and the Temple and Jewish ritual. Luke records his defense, the longest speech in the Book of Acts and thus, in Luke's view, a critical piece. Luke's intention in Acts is to play down the tension between Paul's Gentile mission and the Jewish Christian movement headed by James. In the story of Stephen we have a Hellenistic Jew arguing with the authorities of Hellenistic Judaism, that is, the Judaism of the Jews living in the broader Hellenistic culture. The tension is the same that John's community is struggling with. © Grand Valley State University �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Stephen gives an extended treatment of Israel's history showing that there was always conflict. The authorities claim to follow Moses but Stephen shows that Moses was rejected by Israel in his day. Finally he comes to the building of the Temple and then, quoting from II Chronicles 2:6, Psalm 11:2, and Isaiah 66:1-2, demonstrates from the Hebrew Scriptures that it was always recognized that God cannot be contained in a building made with hands and, by inference, we can say that Stephen was arguing against any historical, human form or structure to encapsulate the Living God. He then bitterly charges his opponents with replicating the sin of Israel throughout the generations. "You are forever opposing the Holy Spirit..." Remember this is not a Christian against a Jew. This is an intra-Jewish conflict. And Stephen's bitter words must be heard as coming from one who will be martyred for his faith, representing a small, persecuted movement of Jesus Jews. If we would hear this text in our own situation two millennia later, we must recognize that the Christian Church is now a world-dominant religious institution. We must remember that the charge against Stephen was actually innovation. The Establishment was putting down the challenge to its structures and forms. The concrete historical established religious institution was resisting the Jesus Jewish movement. Stephen claimed such resistance was opposing the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the God Who would not be captured and contained in human containers, be they Torah or Temple or religious authorities. Stephen was simply giving expression to the claim Jesus made to the Samaritan woman Not here, Not there, But in Spirit and Truth, for God is Spirit transcending all human historical creeds and institutional forms. Religious institutions have throughout the centuries lost the sense of the Spirit's freedom and thus, over and over again, the religions have been embroiled in conflict, and the charge of heresy has been leveled, often issuing in violence and even Holy War Jesus was crucified. Stephen was stoned. Jesus prayed, Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing. Stephen prayed, Lord Jesus, receive my Spirit. Lord, do not hold this sin against them. © Grand Valley State University �Our Little Systems Have Their Day…Richard A. Rhem Page 7   If you choose to go with me it will not be my intention to win an argument, to be proven right, to prove others wrong. It will be to follow Jesus' way, open to the Spirit to find new and creative ways to embody the grace of God and create here an ongoing community of compassion. The RCA cannot remove my ordination without a formal charge and trial. But no one wins in such a contest. Sometimes religious institutions must simply be left to go their way. For some of you, that is painful. Long identification with the Reformed Church has been meaningful and separation is cause for grieving. I am aware of that and I never wanted that to happen. But, faced with the alternative of leaving or denying the larger vision that I do believe is of God's Spirit, I have no choice. I do believe in what the community embodies. I do believe I have personally been faithful to the tradition that has shaped me - seeking a revision of our faith understanding in light of ongoing human and historical development. I do believe God's Spirit creates a newness and beckons God's people to an ongoing adventure of embodying and mediating God's grace in concrete community. Finally, I do believe we can trust the experience we have shared together - for it is my deepest desire that it be true of us as it was of the Samaritan village who heard the woman's witness. They said to the woman, "It is no longer what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the Savior of the world." I dare invite you to follow me, not simply because of my word, but because I know from your own witness that here in this wonderful, probing, searching place you have experienced the Presence of God and known God's grace embodied in this people. And as I said to the Classis of Muskegon - If you would test my theology, read my people! I am eager to see what wonders the Spirit has yet in store for us. Our little systems have their day, They have their day and cease to be, They are but broken lights of Thee, And Thou, O Lord, art more than they. © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a6b44af302cb884c62fc9ae7b0fc6c66.mp3 0783da1c92a26484fe014e06a6bf2d1c 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 Series I Do Believe Scripture Text Acts 7:51, John 4:21-24 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960505 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-05-05 Title A name given to the resource Our Little Systems Have Their Day Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 5, 1996 entitled "Our Little Systems Have Their Day", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Eastertide V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 7:51, John 4:21-24. Community of Compassion Inclusive Grace Presence of God Spirit https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e26fb6cd3f26cdf468303ee9913f691d.pdf 6fad45b0921610a2ff29537fad06614f PDF Text Text The Good News is Too Good Not to Tell From the series: I Do Believe Text: Isaiah 49:6, John 9:5, 25 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Eastertide, April 21, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon During the season of Lent, it became almost spooky to me each week that I would take up the text and the theme that I had determined in early January, because it seemed as though I might have picked it precisely that week for the situation through which I was living. There was really no connection, humanly speaking, between the text and the theme selected and the situation of my own life, and your life, too. But that is not true during Eastertide, because it was while I was in the middle of the cauldron that I was having to determine the text and the theme for the Eastertide series. And so, this series is reflective of our situation. And the thing that came to me was the fact that, with all of the sound bytes and press coverage, Christ Community and myself personally have been characterized by what we do not believe more often than by what we believe. And that really is quite unfair, because we do believe some things. And so, I thought it would be good for us to hear some of the great affirmations of our faith lifted up in this Eastertide season, and I entitled the series, therefore, I Do Believe. I do believe, certainly as a personal witness, but not simply myself isolated from you. I use the first person pronoun because I want to speak about personal conviction. And finally, all of us have a core of beliefs that we believe passionately with all our heart. And then, I do believe, the emphasis there indicating that belief is held with passion. I believe. I do believe! A personal, passionate conviction of faith - these things that are more than just a body of beliefs to which one can point, to which one assents intellectually. No – out of the core of one's being – these things, these things I passionately believe: last week, that "The End is Life." And this week, that the News of the Grace of God in Jesus Christ Is Too Good Not to Share. You see, institutional religion, when it gets regularized, always runs into the problem that there is a certain body of doctrine or belief that defines an institution or a religion. You could write a book about what Christians believe and © Grand Valley State University   �News Too Good Not to Share Richard A. Rhem Page 2   you could go through the various creedal statements and so forth. You could write a book about the essence of Judaism or whatever. There does come to be a sort of corpus of belief, a body of belief that is identified with a certain movement or religion. And when that religion gets established and regularized, then it becomes identified with that body of beliefs and it takes people into itself, whether or not there is that personal, passionate conviction. Now, don't kid me. There are some things that belong to the Christian creed about which you've never been passionate. But, there are other things that you believe so strongly, you'd die for it. We all have that, don't we? It's on the basis, probably, of our nurture or of our experience, but we all have a kind of selective, personal creed to which we passionately confess. And, the problem with institutional religion is that sometimes the defined body of belief no longer connects with human experience. Or, to say it another way, someone has an experience which is undeniable, but it can't be slotted into that body of belief. And so, there comes to be a tension between what one has experienced and knows to be true and what one is supposed to believe or confess because one belongs to this group or to that group. And, this particular message, The News Is Too Good Not To Share, comes from the fact that it is claimed (I'll just speak personally) that what I believe cuts the heart out of the evangelical faith. Now, you've read that. You've heard that. "If Dick Rhem is right, then the heart of the evangelical faith is lost." Well, let's walk around that for a moment. I do not think one making such a statement has thought very deeply about that claim. What does the claim mean? I take it to mean that, if I have an experience of God – of grace, of peace, of healing, of joy and delight full of hope that has come to me as I have looked to Jesus, and through Jesus have experienced the love of God – as wonderful as that might be, as life-transforming as that might have been for me, there is no reason to share it, to point to its source, to speak of the blessing my life has received, unless such experience comes exclusively through Jesus Christ and no other way; and further, unless those without the blessing of grace through Jesus are eternally lost, there is no reason to proclaim the Gospel of God's grace as it has been manifested in Jesus. In other words, unless my way is the only way, my truth the only truth, there will be no reason to witness to it, no motivation to tell others. I doubt those condemning my views have really thought about what they are maintaining. Is not such an attitude suspect; does it not at least hint that I want my claim to grace to be a source of pride: Look at what I have, or, I have the only truth? Not only subtle pride but triumphalism - one of the worst faults of the Christian Church. It is so difficult not to become proud and domineering when one possesses exclusive truth, or power or authority. © Grand Valley State University �News Too Good Not to Share Richard A. Rhem Page 3   No. The experience of God's grace in Jesus is transforming quite apart from the question of its exclusivity. I maintain The News is Too Good Not to Tell. Have we not experienced something of the goodness and the grace of God that we find ourselves spontaneously wanting to share the good news? If you get a bargain, don't you tell everybody about it? If you pull some coup in your life, don't you tell everybody about it? The only good thing I was always told I couldn't share was when I caught a fish. When I was a little kid, I'd go with my Dad and catch a fish. And I'd squeal. He'd say, "Be still. Before long, they'll all be pulling up their anchors and coming over here." Another rule of my father - if you catch it on a cricket, if somebody asks you, tell him it was a worm. Now, when you're fishing, you've got to keep good news to yourself. But, that's about the only area in life. Otherwise, if you've got a good experience, if you have a joy, a delight, if something's turned you on, if it's set your tongue to singing and your feet to dancing, don't you spontaneously tell everybody about it? Don't you want to share it? Isn't the news too good not to share? Now, I would claim, with personal and passionate conviction, that the grace of God that we have experienced in Jesus Christ is such a wonderful experience and the life and community in the Christian community – where there is compassion and mercy and love, where there is embrace, where there is worship before the majesty and the mystery of God, where there is this wonderful ethereal experience full of Alleluias and Hallelujahs and all of the wonder of our life together, where there is that personal solitude in moments of contemplation where I know that I am at peace with God, where I have experienced the grace of God to such an extent that I know that there is nothing in all of creation that could ever separate me from the love of God, where I live with my family and my children and my grandchildren; when I think about all that is mine and all of that which I have received because of the nurture, because of the tradition, that is mine that has shaped me, when I think of all of that, then I think – Good Grief! Isn't that news too good not to tell? Of course, I'm going to tell that good news! How can I help but express it? But, people are funny. This isn't a Protestant or a Catholic problem or a Jewish problem. It's a human problem. It is somehow or other a desire to gain power and to control, to define who is in and who is out, that has been a great disrupter of religious experience down through the centuries. For example, the story of the man born blind. What a marvelous story it is. Remember, now, that the one who put this Gospel together was writing for a specific community just as concretely © Grand Valley State University �News Too Good Not to Share Richard A. Rhem Page 4   as this sermon is prepared for you. This sermon is not for any other congregation. This sermon is for you. This preacher has you on his heart. This preacher has you in his head! This preacher can't say a word without you being the focus. No different with this fourth Gospel. And now we're in the last decade of the first century, as I mentioned last week. It's been sixty-some years since Jesus died and rose again. The Jesus Jews, the Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah, are finding it more and more difficult to hold on in faith. They were expecting him to return. Jesus thought it would soon be over. Paul thought it would soon be over. They all thought it would soon be over, and it wasn't soon over. Nothing was happening. Now, about 60 years later, these are Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah. But, something had happened about 20 years prior; the Temple had been destroyed by Rome. The cultic center of Jerusalem was no more. What would Judaism of the future look like? Would it be the Jews who believed Jesus was the Messiah who would come to the ascendency? They were a strong movement. Or, would it be the Rabbis, the teachers of the Law, the scribes, the Pharisees? Well, as a matter of fact, it became that branch of Judaism that consolidated power, that gave to the Judaism of the future its identity, that determined what it was to be a Jew. That group. And what happens in a group like that? Again, it's not a Jewish problem, although this was an intra-Jewish squabble. It's not a Jewish problem; it's a human problem. If I get in control, it feels good. And I like to consolidate my power, and so I like to draw the lines so that I determine who is in and who is out. And, as the Rabbinic Jewish movement emerged as the ascendant Jewish party, it defined Judaism, and when you define, you define who is in and who is out. Three times in this Gospel the words "put out of the synagogue" are used. Specifically in the lesson I read a moment ago, when the Pharisees come to the parents to verify that this, indeed, was their son and he was, yes, indeed, born blind, they say, "What happened?" The father was all ready to give the answer and his wife yanked at his sleeve and said, "Don't say anything, already!" She got him aside and said, "If you acknowledge that Jesus did this, then it's the same as saying that Jesus is the Messiah and if you confess Jesus as the Messiah, we're out of the synagogue, and where do we go for potlucks on Friday night? So, be still, already." So, he said, "He's of age. Ask him. I should know? I don't know. Ask him." Of course, they knew, but they weren't stupid. What's going on there? It's obvious what's going on there. They do not confess what they believe because the consequence would be they'd lose the only spiritual home they'd ever known, the synagogue, their observant Jewish status. So, the Pharisees have to go back to the gentleman with whom they had spoken earlier. Earlier he was a little fuzzy about © Grand Valley State University �News Too Good Not to Share Richard A. Rhem Page 5   things. He had said, "I don't know where he's from. His name is Jesus. He put clay on my eyes and I see." They said that's impossible. "I don't know, he put clay on my eyes and I see." Well, what do you think he is? "Well, he's a prophet." The Pharisees then go to the parents, but now the parents put them off, and now they're back with him again, and they say, "Tell us now, under oath, give God glory. Under oath, tell us what happened." He said, "I already told you. You want to hear it again? You want to be his disciple?" Then they got nasty. The Greek word behind that revile is a nasty word. They began to abuse them. Now, they're really angry. They're not looking at this gentleman who now has sight, who had been blind, whose experience cannot fit into their preconceived idea of what is true. They can't step back a moment and, face-to-face with a blind man seeing, they cannot say in the light of that experience, let's go back and read our tradition again. Rather, they get angry because now it's a control problem, it's a power issue, it's who has authority. And so, they revile him and they say, "You follow Jesus, but we follow Moses!" He just looks at them and says, "I don't know. I only know one thing - I was blind and now I see." They cast him out. Because when you have a tradition or a set of beliefs, a paradigm of understanding, and then you have concrete human experience, and when you cannot put the two together any longer, and you are in authority and in power supervising the established and received paradigm, the last thing in the world that you will allow is the experience that says your paradigm doesn't work anymore. So, they cast him out. John's little community of Jews that believed Jesus was the Messiah - they were starting to give up, they were starting to lose faith; Jesus didn't come, and authoritative voices were saying they were wrong. They saw the possibility of being alienated from their spiritual roots and tradition. They were starting to waver. And so, this preacher in the community says "I want to write a story of Jesus for you, because I want you to know that what's happening to you 60 years down the line isn't any different than what happened to Jesus." If you'll go to John 16, you will find Jesus saying they will put you out of the synagogue. John writes the story of Jesus in light of that little community just as © Grand Valley State University �News Too Good Not to Share Richard A. Rhem Page 6   much as I'm crafting this sermon in light of this community, and John is saying to that community of people who believed that Jesus is the Messiah, "Jesus is the Messiah. I've gathered these things together; I've written this story. I could have gathered other things; I could have put in other details. I put these things together, I painted this picture in order that you might believe that Jesus is the Messiah and, believing, have life in his name! I'm telling you the story of Jesus again because you're about to let it go! You're about to be hammered into submission! Don't you do it! Don't you forget Jesus! This was the Word of God made flesh; this was the embodiment of the love of God in human flesh! This one, this one is the Way! This one is the Truth! This one is the Life! This One is the way to God! Don't you let go of Jesus! Don't you let go of Jesus for anybody! Don't you deny your experience! We were blind and now we see! Jesus is the Light of the world! Now, don't you give up!" That news was too good not to tell, and I want to say that my favorite meetings in all the year are the three or four or five Elders' Meetings we have around here, because I look into your faces, I've seen most of you come through, one time or another, I've heard your stories, I've seen your tears, I've heard your voice crack. I've seen you throw your head back and laugh. I've heard you tell about the grace of God. I've heard you tell about the love of God that's touched you in this community. I've heard your singing; I've seen your dancing. I have lived with you long enough to know that there is some reality here, there is some joy here, there is some goodness here, there is some truth here. I know this - there's good news here and it's too good not to tell! There was a time in my experience when I was blind, but now I see. There was a time in my experience when my religion was a burden, but now it's a joy. There was a time in my life when it weighed me down, but it has set me free. There is a grace of God, a wonder of the love of God, there is a concreteness of a community of compassion – My God, people, the news is simply too good not to tell! Do we have a story? DO WE HAVE A STORY! © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/fd5bfb3717cb1079d4d29f3ae96983bb.mp3 02dd049e56b50d743c3430438e8fc178 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 Series I Do Believe Scripture Text Isaiah 49:6, John 9:5, 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-0-19960421 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-04-21 Title A name given to the resource The News Is Too Good Not To Tell Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 21, 1996 entitled "The News Is Too Good Not To Tell", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Eastertide III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 49:6, John 9:5, 25. Community Compassion Followers of Jesus Grace Revelation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aaa0fe0f9142ece5bfe261eba7642f62.pdf 59f78d775817a05bb92ecbb93d9d96ac PDF Text Text The End Is Life From the sermon series: I Do Believe Text: Psalm 16:11, I Corinthians 15:20, John 14:19 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Eastertide, April 14, 1996 Transcription of the spoken sermon The season of Eastertide is a great time to preach, and the series that begins this morning is the affirmation, "I Do Believe." When I say I do believe, I don't mean to exclude you, but I mean to point to the fact that faith, if it is to be anything at all, needs to be personal and passionate. This is not to deny that there is a Christian faith, a body of doctrine, a content to the faith, so that one could say or write a book, "What Christians Believe," "What Jews Believe," and so on. Certainly that's true. But, the problem with institutional religion, the problem with routinization, the problem with the regularization, the problem with the second generation and the third and the fourth and the one-thousandth and so forth, the problem with that is that I begin to point to a body of truth and say, "I believe that. I assent to that." But, that's different than when one says, "I do believe." I believe, that is, it's personal. And I do believe. That is, it's passionate. In this Eastertide season, I'm going to say some of the great things that I believe and you believe. They'll be rooted in the tradition; they'll come out of the scripture. But, they're more than just an overview of what Christians believe. These are personal, passionate convictions of faith, the first of it being, "The End Is Life." "The end is life." This was the great affirmation of Paul, who gives us the first written documentation of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In his letter to the Corinthians, he deals with several problems in the Church, but there is also the problem of those who deny the resurrection of Jesus, and so, to them, Paul addressed this rather complicated and tortuous argument that's found in the 15th chapter of his letter. And in the 20th verse, he makes the strong affirmation, "Now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that shall rise." For it was the resurrection of Jesus Christ that was the catalyst for the whole Jesus Movement that issued ultimately into the Christian Church. It was the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God raising Jesus from the dead, that gave God's "Yes" to that life, to that way, to the truth that came embodied in Jesus that launched the whole movement of which we are a part. And so, this morning we begin with those things that we believe with conviction and with passion, and it is © Grand Valley State University   �The End Is Life Richard A. Rhem Page 2   that, in the end it is life, and it is life because of the one who said, "Because I live, you, too, shall live." Paul fully expected, I believe, along with Jesus and that whole early community of followers, that they were on the edge of the End. Paul says that Jesus was the first fruits of them that shall rise. Paul was a good Jew, familiar with the terminology of Israel, all of the Hebrew scriptures. There was always the offering of the first fruits, a token of gratitude to God and an acknowledgment that God was the giver of all and to God all belonged, so Israel would waive the first fruits. But, the first fruits were literally that. They were the first fruits, the first grapes ripened, the first wheat that ripened. The first that could be harvested was offered to God. In the wake of that, all of the rest of it followed. And that's what they believed. It was widespread in that time. They felt they were on the edge of the End, that Jesus was God's anointed one who was ushering in those events that would issue in the Kingdom of God. For a little time heaven received this one who was crucified and raised by the power of God, but this one would return after subjecting all things, every opposition to God's rule, and he would render the Kingdom to God and God would be all in all. That was the scheme of things that filled the mind and heart of the Apostle. The only problem is, it didn't happen. Nothing happened. The heavens didn't open; Jesus didn't return; the Kingdom of God was not established. All they got was persecution and suffering. In fact, in the second letter of Peter you will find that there were those skeptics who were saying, "Where is the day of his appearing? It seems that it's business as usual. Same old death and dying," to which the writer of that letter says, "Ah, but a thousand years are but as a day with the Lord, so just be patient." The great crisis for that early movement was the fact that the king did not appear. And so, move along about 60 years to the city of Ephesus or maybe Alexandria where there's a Christian community, or rather a Jewish community of those who believe that Jesus was the Messiah. That whole early movement was a Jewish movement of people who believed that Jesus was God's anointed one, crucified and raised by the power of God, and they were waiting for God to bring in the fullness of the Kingdom and the Shalom that the prophets had promised. Paul, of course, was the missionary to the Gentiles and there soon became a Gentile element in the Church, but the community of the fourth Gospel, the Gospel of John, was a largely Jewish community that believed that Jesus was the Messiah. And so, the years had passed, the decades passed, and Jesus didn't come back and there were those who were beginning to falter in their faith and there were those who were sifting back into their regular Jewish expression of faith. Not that they ever gave up the synagogue or the temple. Not that they ever gave up their Jewishness. But something did happen in 70 A.D. that changed everything. In 70 A.D. the Roman legions came in and they leveled Jerusalem and burned the Temple. Mark's Gospel was written on the supposition that this was the sign that © Grand Valley State University �The End Is Life Richard A. Rhem Page 3   the End would certainly come now. Now things were beginning to happen. But nothing did happen, except that this was a time of turmoil in the Jewish Church. For, what would be the nature of Israel, of Jewish faith, now that the Temple was gone? Obviously, the priestly party was out of business. There was a widespread dispersal. There was a very strong Jewish Jesus Movement; there was the possibility that that Jewish Jesus Movement might emerge as the classic expression of Judaism in a new key. There was also the Pharisaic Rabbinic Movement, the teachers of Torah. And, as a matter of fact, what did happen after 70 A.D. is that, in the struggle for power and control and in the attempt to find a new identity, it was precisely that Rabbinic, Pharisaic model of Jewish faith that emerged victorious. Now what's going to happen? Well, there's a struggle for power. There are those who are part of the strong and vital movement of Jesus Jews. And there is this other increasingly stronger movement of Rabbinic Judaism that does not believe that Jesus was the Messiah, and that movement, coming to the ascendency in those decades immediately following the destruction of the Temple, eventually muscled out of the synagogue the Jesus people. When you read the Gospel of John, you'll find that there is a very strong adversarial expression between Jesus and the Jews. There are passages of the Gospel of John that ought not to be read in Christian worship without some word of explanation, because they are so harsh, so condemnatory. We've come to see that the reason they're so harsh and condemnatory is that this little Jewish Jesus Movement was in a struggle for its life over against an emerging Rabbinic Judaism. About the year 90 A.D., into the liturgy of the synagogue, there was actually inserted a benediction against heretics. That's the kind of thing that was going on. When you read John's Gospel and those harsh statements against the Jews, that's not Christianity against Judaism, that's not Gentiles against Jews, that's an intra-Jewish squabble and there's nothing that gets so mean as an intra-family squabble. And this Jewish Jesus Movement, through this benediction against heretics, was being crowded out of the synagogue. The emerging, powerful Rabbinic Judaism was drawing the lines and defining who was in, and this little band of Jews that believed Jesus was the Messiah and that were waiting for him to return were being crowded out of the only spiritual home they had ever known. They had never given up going to synagogue; they had never given up reciting the Psalter; they had never given up believing in the God of Israel, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David. It's the only God they knew. It was the God to whom Jesus had pointed them. It was the God of Creation and the God of the Consummation. Now the stronger party was saying, "Hey you, you believe Jesus was the Messiah? You're out of here." Well, what happens to a people in a situation like that? You have to remember how vulnerable they were. They had been holding their breath for Jesus to come. Nothing was happening. Every day and every week and every month and every year and every decade was a nail in © Grand Valley State University �The End Is Life Richard A. Rhem Page 4   their coffin. And there were those who were saying maybe we were wrong. Maybe Jesus was just another pretender to Messianic claims. There were those whose knees were weak and faith was faltering who simply gave up on Jesus and went back into their Jewishness. But there were others. In all of those communities scattered throughout the empire, there were others who said, "No. No, we know that Jesus was the Messiah." And probably at Ephesus or at Alexandria somewhere, there was a person who said, "I do believe. I do believe. I don't know how to put it together; I don't know about the calendar, this unfolding of this drama of history, but I do believe this - I do believe that the God of Israel was embodied in the person of Jesus to an extent that I have never, never before felt the nearness and the mercy and the love of that God. I do believe." And so this preacher or teacher in this little minority persecuted community of Jews following Jesus taught and he preached and they remembered all of the stories, the oral tradition that had been passed along. Remember, now, for decades it was not a literate society, it was an oral society. They told the stories over and over and over again, and they taught and they preached, and eventually those who studied carefully this Gospel of John, about five layers - the oral tradition and then the gathering of the teaching and the preaching and then perhaps the writing of a document and the finessing of a document and a final literary form that we have in our scripture - it was a very normal and natural process and it was because there was someone who said, "I do believe! I believe in spite of the fact that the time is rolling on and nothing seems to be happening. I don't know about that, but this I know - the Word became flesh and in Jesus the truth that had come through Moses took on a splendor, a grace that I had never known before." So, this preacher this teacher, this passionate believer takes this little community of people and he writes the story for them. He doesn't write a history for them so that they'll know what happened back there as an end in itself. He refers back to what happens there because he wants them to believe now, here and now, to hold on, to continue to see in the face of Jesus into the heart of God. So, we come to that 14th chapter and he says, "Let not your hearts be troubled." Were their hearts troubled? You bet they were. Same old world of death and dying and darkness and unrighteousness and injustice. Where was the Kingdom of God? Where was the Shalom promised? This evangelist, this preacher says to this community, "Let me remind you of Jesus. Jesus said, 'Let not your heart be troubled.'” That word troubled in Greek is tarasso. It's used three times previously in the Gospel of John, always to describe Jesus' agitation of spirit. One time when he's at the grave of Lazarus and he sees Mary weeping and he feels the power of death in human experience and we read, "Jesus wept. His soul was troubled." And then there was a time when Phillip brought those Greeks who wanted to see Jesus and it triggered something in him. He knew the hour. "Now is the hour," he said. "And now is my soul troubled. What shall I say, 'Father, © Grand Valley State University �The End Is Life Richard A. Rhem Page 5   deliver me from this hour?' But for this hour came I forth. Father, glorify Your name." And then he gathered his disciples in that last supper and he looked over at Judas and he thought about all of the darkness in that heart and once again he was face to face with the power of death and he said, "Now is my soul troubled." This preacher in Ephesus in the year 90 or 95 A.D. is telling this story now of that last gathering, and we hear Jesus say, "Don't let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God. Believe in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it weren't so, I would have told you. I'm going to prepare a place for you." The whole Gospel of John has the indwelling of Jesus in God and God in Jesus, and Jesus is saying to that intimate circle around him now, in these moving moments when he's going to depart from them, he's saying to them, "You'll be all right. I am going to the Father and I am preparing a place for you. You know where I am going." Thomas says, "We don't know where you're going. How can we know the way?" Jesus said, "I am the way. I'm the truth. I'm the life." There's an interesting citation from a Palestinian Targum of an earlier time which uses that same combination of way and life in connection with the Torah. The first five books of the Old Testament, the Hebrew scriptures, we call the Torah. The Torah we sometimes call the Law, but that's a bad name for it. Torah meant way of life. And in this citation in the Palestinian Targum it says that the study of the Torah bears fruits which show the way to life. That's not incidental. This was part and parcel of Israel's faith. They believed that God in holy scripture had shown them the way to life. It was the truth. Now, this preacher-evangelist in Ephesus to these faltering followers of Jesus, 60-some years after the event, says to them in the words that he hears echoing from that earlier day, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe. Believe in God. Believe in me. Because the way of life, the true way of life was embodied in Jesus, in this one, in me, and there is no way to God, not God in general, but God as Father, God as revealed in Jesus - there's no way to such a God other than that way of Jesus, that way of Jesus which is a true way which gives life." And so, the evangelist puts in the mouth of Jesus those very words which were the expression of that first community and a community decades later still saying, "Jesus is it!" Something happened in Jesus. I don't why the End hasn't come. I don't know why the Kingdom hasn't dawned, but I know this - that in the human flesh of that one was the embodiment of God. I don't know when the End is coming, but I know when I look in the face of Jesus, I see into the heart of God. There is no other way. There is no other truth. Believe. Don't let go. Don't give up. Don't let your heart be troubled. Believe in God. Believe in Jesus, Jesus who is the window into the heart of the Eternal." Phillip says, " Jesus, could you show us the father?" Jesus said, "How long have I been with you? You still don't get it? When you've seen me, you've seen the Father." That little community, some of whom were drifting back off into their old faith patterns, and some of whom were still feeling the sting of being ostracized from © Grand Valley State University �The End Is Life Richard A. Rhem Page 6   the synagogue, and all of them wondering when the End would come - they heard the evangelist, they listened to the preacher, they believed in God, they believed in Jesus who was the embodiment of God, who was crucified and who was raised by the power of God and who inexplicably, surprisingly, marvelously was tangibly present when they gathered together, when they broke bread, poured out a cup, when they sang praises, and when in the solitude of their own soul they called to the God of Israel Who had come close to them in Jesus Christ their Lord. How do I know that happened? Because we're still doing it. We are the people who look to the risen Jesus and we see the power and grace of God. We're the people, 2000 years later, who are still looking through Jesus and with Thomas saying, "My Lord, and my God." We are the people who are a people of hope because we follow the One who said "Because I live, you, too, shall live." We are the people with personal, passionate conviction and belief that the end is life! © Grand Valley State University � https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0e7622bfc34eaaeb5fde751207cc456d.mp3 596926109aaa082b54f4be90b031e752 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide II Series I Do Believe Scripture Text Psalm 16:11, I Cor 15:20, John 14:19 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960414 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-04-14 Title A name given to the resource The End is Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Sound 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 14, 1996 entitled "The End is Life", as part of the series "I Do Believe", on the occasion of Eastertide II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 16:11, I Cor 15:20, John 14:19. Belief Eastertide Life Resurrection Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6e3d3adf6af1dafce8f17ec7de1082c7.mp3 b6d4e2f5a03f1e194d6b84316c7e7a99 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 Series The Will of God in Human Action Scripture Text Matthew 28:10, Romans 8:31 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960407 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-04-07 Title A name given to the resource You Need Never Be Afraid: God Is For You Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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 7, 1996 entitled "You Need Never Be Afraid: God Is For You", as part of the series "The Will of God in Human Action", on the occasion of Easter Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Matthew 28:10, Romans 8:31. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3fa35df07781984b10a55da087a1fc1.mp3 a359d5b91f71185f0adc4fc4564662e5 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 Series Series The Will of God in Human Action 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-0-19960331 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-31 Title A name given to the resource Completion - No Higher Prize Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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 31, 1996 entitled "Completion - No Higher Prize", as part of the series "The Will of God in Human Action", on the occasion of Lent Series, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2692d28df168d80fe27f67ddb8ca2f55.mp3 389e04650c9bb0d017dd3b0203741a30 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Midweek Lent Series The Experience of God Scripture Text Psalm 88, Matthew 27:32-50 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-0-19960327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-27 Title A name given to the resource Sometimes No Light Breaks Through Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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, 1996 entitled "Sometimes No Light Breaks Through", as part of the series "The Experience of God", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 88, Matthew 27:32-50. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7258c2165eeee01621e626f3d0a27383.mp3 4e031a7574177cae344187f8a4995954 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent V Series The Will of God in Human Action Scripture Text Psalm 40:8, Matthew 26:43 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960324 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-24 Title A name given to the resource Struggling To Be True Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University 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 24, 1996 entitled "Struggling To Be True", as part of the series "The Will of God in Human Action", on the occasion of Lent V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 40:8, Matthew 26:43. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e1fe90401cbbce0a4d000c06a38d31fb.mp3 26d1c6fc3bd79a671b722dd1773df992 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Midweek Lent Series The Experience of God Scripture Text John 10:7-18 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-0-19960320 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-20 Title A name given to the resource Secure Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 20, 1996 entitled "Secure", as part of the series "The Experience of God", on the occasion of Midweek Lent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 10:7-18. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/63cb81c049a6c05b61af13f658ac0323.mp3 e392a4ad70bb111c1fbd278d4c1fc325 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 Will of God in Human Action Scripture Text Psalm 137:9, Luke 23:34 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-0-19960317 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-17 Title A name given to the resource Secure Enough to Forgive Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 17, 1996 entitled "Secure Enough to Forgive", as part of the series "The Will of God in Human Action", on the occasion of Lent IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 137:9, Luke 23:34. https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f6df3f8ca17634b5742973db959b7bca.mp3 a1f8604b50179033e0248e2efa5a4fea Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent II Series The Will of God in Human Action Scripture Text Luke 4:12 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19960303 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-03-03 Title A name given to the resource The Struggle to Discern the Will of God Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 3, 1996 entitled "The Struggle to Discern the Will of God", as part of the series "The Will of God in Human Action", on the occasion of Lent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 4:12.