786 24 26018 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/37c6ce31d56affa51b69cab49417ecdb.mp3 ffcd90a52b1f11f16ac5e0ba312714b0 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4aff2660c7225e86b5abed67a3edceec.pdf 96a7bca886a56236c52f83a45129f7ff PDF Text Text Of Angels, Songs in the Night and Deep Human Intuition New Year’s Eve Luke 2:9, 30; Galatians 4:6 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Christmastide I, December 31, 2000 Transcription of the spoken sermon Well, we've done it again - angels, songs in the night, a Jewish maiden visited by Gabriel, the annunciation of a child to be born, conceived by the Spirit, a woman overshadowed, giving forth a son who was to be called Holy, the Son of God. We have sung the songs again, the beautiful carols. We have experienced the lump in the throat and the catch in our voice, and we have looked at one another and loved one another and had that deep down intuition that after all is said and done, it is true that the final and ultimate reality is love and at the core, at the center of things, is a God who is the source and fountain of love, the ground and goal and guide of all that is. We have seen that all in the flesh of a child. We understand that intuitively. Somehow or other, we grasp it. As we celebrate this holy birth once again, we know the story is true. We know the fairy tale is true. We all love stories, don't we? I told you before that I have such a vivid memory of loving the fairy tales of my childhood. I remember when I must have been four or five years old, I contracted Scarlet Fever and, in the dark ages when I was a child, the house was put under quarantine. There was a sign on the door, warning anyone who would approach. My father and my three sisters had to move out into the garage. What could my mother do? She couldn't leave me a motherless child and so she had to put up with me over a week or ten days. She read me stories, The Gingerbread Man, Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Red Riding Hood, all those stories, and she would get so weary, I know now. She would try, on occasion, to skip a page or two by turning two at a time and I would catch her, of course, because I knew the stories by heart. They were always the same, but they were always wonderful, and they always gave that same impact. Fairy tales are true, you know. They are true deep down about the nature of life. Take a fairy tale and look at some of the favorite childhood tales - they are not all sweetness and light at all. They have violence in them, they have darkness in them, they have dragons, princesses locked up in castle towers and all of that kind of thing. © Grand Valley State University   �O Angels…and Deep Human Intuition Richard A. Rhem Page 2   If you go to Marshall Field's in Chicago right now, you can see the magnificent windows downtown that they always decorate at this season of the year, and who makes the cut this year? Harry Potter. We hear so much discussion about what a wonderful phenomenon this is, that our children are reading again and it is not too unusual to see children going down the hallway in school reading a book. Someone should tell them that the Greek philosopher Demosthenes fell into a pit doing this, but the point is that these stories are wonderful and we all get caught up in stories. But, the stories, you see, are posited on the premise that there is some meaning and purpose, that things mean something, that things fit together, that things go somewhere, and so we love stories because we find ourselves in the stories. "Once upon a time ..." All I have to do is say those words and don't you feel all sorts of warm associations with "Once upon a time?" Or, "It came to pass," and, of course, the wonderful, final line, "They lived happily ever after." Well, you see, that may sound naive, but I am not being silly this morning. The fairy tale and the fact that we love it, the fact that it starts out in some time whenever, and the fact that it ends with people living happily ever after is posited on a whole world and life view. It is a whole sense of reality and that is that things make sense and that finally, ultimately, things will work out and that finally there is a positive purpose at work in the total mix of things. Fairy tales are loved, I believe, because they convey that to us and we love them because, I'm going to suggest, that that touches something deep within us, some deep human intuition, and the Christmas story is certainly an example. The Christmas story is not a fairy tale like the Gingerbread Boy. We're talking about a real, concrete, human birth and a real, concrete moment of history and a particular place among a particular people, but all the accoutrements with which the story is clothed are those marvelous accoutrements of the imagination, the poetic sense, this trying to bring to expression the deepest, deepest truth that came to expression in that child, in that life, in that ministry, and all of those wonderful garments in which the story is cast, of angels and songs in the night, of kneeling shepherds and adoring kings, all of those are retrojected back to that holy birth of that One who in his humanity caused people to kneel and to say, "My God!" There, they said, is the clue to the meaning of the universe. There is a window on the core of reality. There is an insight into the best of human life. And so, they told the story with angels and shepherds and kings, a night sky illumined by a star, and glorious, angelic anthems, and they told it all dressed marvelously in those garments in order to give expression to what was their deepest conviction and that was that what came to expression in the flesh of this one was a projection of that which was at the heart of things, that this one was the embodiment of God, that this one, in flesh, embodied that which was true deep down about the nature of reality. I got a call from my daughter about a television program this past week. It ended up, actually, to be an infomercial, but the reason the call came was that there © Grand Valley State University �O Angels…and Deep Human Intuition Richard A. Rhem Page 3   were a couple of familiar faces that showed up there - Amy Jill Levine, who has been here, you remember Amy Jill, the Jewish scholar, and Dom Crossan, and come to find out, this was a program sold to the network by the Coral Ridge Ministries. When I saw Amy Jill Levine and I saw Dom Crossan and then I saw D. James Kennedy, I knew that either the millennium had come, or there was something operative here, and as a matter of fact, this was a Coral Ridge Ministries effort to tell the story of Christmas, but there was that which I could identify with so completely from my past. There was this anxious effort to prove that it was all true. The scholars selected were some mainline scholars, such as Dom Crossan and Amy Jill Levine and Helmut Koster and others, and it was so interesting to watch how the whole thing was stacked, how their sentences were selected out and used to make a certain point, and then the truth was told. I thought to myself, I could see myself and my past when I so much worried that it really happened in Bethlehem. Or that annual trotting out of the astronomy stories about constellations and whether or not the taxation under Quirinius was really at that particular time, and all of those little details that were so important in order to make it true. I remember those days. It has been a painful journey, to be able to get beyond all of that and to celebrate it as a wonderful story which at its heart has the deepest trust, the deepest intuition, that at the center of reality is the pulsating abyss of love. Ah, you say, Christmas once a year, a naive little story. But, one has to remember that that intuition that spied in this child, grown into adulthood in the person of Jesus Christ, the intuition that saw in him what the story says, was an intuition that arose in the darkest of times. It was brutal, Herod's reign. It was the time of Caesar Augustus. It was a time of tramping Roman legions. It was not a good time. It was not all sweetness and light. For the people to whom he came, he was to be a savior and a deliverer from a life that was tough and rough and pervaded by darkness. So, we have just celebrated the story again with all of its wonder and all of its joy. We could say, well, we can put it away. It's nice story, it’s naive, however, because just this past week six or seven murders in Connecticut in one shot, and six or seven in Philadelphia a day or two ago, and one of the anti-Palestinian, orthodox rabbis shot last night in Jerusalem, and the peace process going nowhere, and the Palestinians being encouraged to step up the fight in order to find somehow or other some freedom, some independence in that seemingly implacable impasse of ancient feud and violence. You may say, "Ah, nice story." I say, Yes, yes, yes. I believe it. I believe it in the face of all the evidence to the contrary and all the evidence to the contrary only convinces me more deeply that the story is true, and I don't know when and I don't know how, but I do know that love is stronger than hate, and light prevails over darkness and I do believe the story is true. Angels, songs in the night, all of the garments of this wonderful, wonderful story, and it meets the deepest human intuition and by God, it is true. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event New Years Eve Scripture Text Luke 2:9, 30, Galatians 4:6 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-0-20001231 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2000-12-31 Title A name given to the resource Of Angels, Songs in the Night and Deep Human Intuition Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 31, 2000 entitled "Of Angels, Songs in the Night and Deep Human Intuition", on the occasion of New Years Eve, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 2:9, 30, Galatians 4:6. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Incarnation Love at the core of reality https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3677632459837cde67b6aec68e4af13f.mp3 72cfe66f9e79d468659c45c320523d88 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/544fc4d429c74315a24e5147864d471b.pdf ab516aea6965835a714cee54383358b8 PDF Text Text Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Epiphany I Scripture: Acts 26:19-32; Matthew 2:1-12 Text: Acts 26:19; Matthew 2:9 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan January 7, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon It is the season of Epiphany and it has become a favorite time of mine. Epiphany is not really a season, although we have often spoken of it as a season here. Epiphany is a festival day, January 6, which of course, was yesterday. In the ancient Church tradition, we are now in that time which is not really a season in the church year. This is the first Sunday after Epiphany and next week will be the second Sunday after Epiphany, and if you want to be technically correct, on the Church calendar, we are in Ordinary days. But, for me, the Festival of Epiphany has become one of my favorite celebrations, I think because of the focus and the theme. The symbol, of course, is the star; the central idea is that of light, the light that has dawned upon us. The doctrinal or theological emphasis is on revelation. I like the word manifestation - God manifest in our midst, God present to us so that we become aware of that presence in the midst of our lives, in the midst of our world. Epiphany is from the Greek language and it means, literally, manifestation, and, of course, it reflects back on that season which is just concluded, the twelve days of Christmas and the celebration of Christmas itself, which is the celebration of the Incarnation, the embodiment of God in the midst of our human history, in the human flesh of Jesus. There is great wisdom in the celebration of the Christian Year. Over the years I have come to appreciate it more and more because it takes me back every year in that annual cycle beginning in the Advent waiting and then the celebration of the birth which is the embodiment of God in our midst. Then we move into those weeks between Epiphany and Lent in which the focus of the Church is on the life and the ministry of Jesus. If I followed the lectionary readings, which large portions of the Church use, every Sunday having assigned scripture passages, today's passage would be the baptism of Jesus, Jesus now on the threshold of his ministry. In these weeks between the celebration of Epiphany and the beginning of Lent, the focus is on Jesus and his life and his teaching and that which came to expression in him, what was experienced in his human journey in the midst of © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 2 our human history. So, it is a good season because it focuses our attention on that which is the center of our faith understanding, that which came to expression in Jesus, the manifestation of God in the life of Jesus Christ. In the older, traditional conception of things, the tradition of the Church, the orthodoxies of the Catholic Church and the Protestant Church, this idea of revelation is very much a past reference. Now, the Church, at its best, knew better, but for all practical purposes, if you have grown up in the Church, if you've listened to sermons world without end, then you know that the emphasis has been on that revelation of God that appeared in Israel and in Jesus, that is told in the words of scripture, so that revelation becomes in our minds, popularly, something that happened in the past of which we have a record, to which we continue to return. Now, the Church, at its best, for example, John Calvin at the time of the Reformation, understood that God continues to reveal God's self, and Karl Barth, in our own century, reached back to Calvin to speak of the three forms of the word: the word in flesh, Jesus, the center; the word in scripture, the word written which in Israel anticipated him and in the New Testament reflected back on him; and then, a third form of the word was the word preached. The Church at its best understood that there was an ongoing revealing of God, an ongoing manifestation of God's truth and light, even as the word was preached in the present, the very dynamic conception of preaching, the very high estimate of preaching. But, for all practical purposes once again, if you have just grown up in an ordinary way in an ordinary church, an ordinary Christian experience, you have probably tended to think about revelation as something that happened in the past. In fact, in the old conception of things, God sent God's son like the divine intruder from another world, another realm into our world, there to be experienced, only then to leave again and return to that place from which he came. That is an old cosmology. That is an old conception of the structure of reality. Let me give you another image. Try this out. I can remember as a kid my mother used to bake bread and I can remember taking the yeast and kneading it into that dough and putting it in a bowl, and putting a towel over it and then setting it on a chair in front of the register so, with the heat, the yeast could do its work and the dough would rise. Let me suggest to you what for me has become a fascinating and exciting new conception of God's manifestation, of God's revealing. Rather than seeing God as dipping into our history, coming in and leaving again, it seems to me what we know about the nature of reality, the nature of the whole cosmic process, the nature of the unfolding of history, that one might better see the manifestation of God as the working of the yeast in the dough, not a light from another realm, but that light that enlightens the totality of things, not from outside, but from within itself, so that manifestation is simply the coming to luminosity of that which is always present within, but here and there comes to © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 3 striking, startling manifestation, so that we look and we say, "Ah! I see! I See!" That is an epiphany experience. It is the sudden grasping or the calm, quiet coming to realization of that which is true, that which is true about the nature of reality, about the nature of God, about the nature of human existence. Epiphany is the celebration of the manifestation of God, and I want to suggest, not a God "out there" somewhere, but a God present with us. The incarnation, the experience of Christmas, the truth of Christmas,is the embodiment of God in the human. It is the presence of God with us, and, for Epiphany 2001, let me suggest to you that we open our eyes to the light that still shines. The word still in the title of the message has the message in one word - still, the light shines. Still, God is manifest, being manifest, present, progressive tense. That's my Epiphany message to you today, and that, for me, is a critical and crucial movement from where once I was and where most of the Church, frankly, still remains and, if there is one thing that I wish I could send you out of here with today, it is that new and fresh awareness of the still shining light and the ongoing manifestation of God in the midst of our human experience, in the midst of our world history, in the midst of the unfolding, cosmic drama of which we are a part of billions and billions of years, an amazing evolving and emerging. Still, the light shines. Still, God is being manifest to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. Still, the Spirit illumines and gives us fresh insight and helps us to bring into perspective the explosion of knowledge all about us in the modern world, so that we live as people on the way, as people on a journey, with the confidence that as we move into the future, the light will shine as it shines now and has shined in our past. You see, that is the very nature of human existence. That is what it means to be people who are caught up in the stream of history. It is not that in the scripture we do not have ancient truth and insight. The scripture is a record of the witness of those who have said, "Aha! I see!" and they recorded that, and it continues to be instructive and informative to us. We still read the Hebrew prophets of the eighth century before the Common Era with great profit. We still go back to the Greek philosophers who address the ultimate questions of life with profundity. Someone has said that the whole of Western philosophy is nothing but a series of footnotes to Plato and Aristotle. We still go back to the Gospels and we study the life of Jesus and the teaching of Jesus, and we gain insight and understanding, wisdom. But, the eighth-century prophets of the Hebrews or even Jesus in the time of Caesar Augustus, or Augustine in the fifth century, or Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, or John Calvin in the 16th century, or the orthodox formulations of Reformed faith, for example, in the 17th century, simply could not give to us what we need today in order to live with understanding, with freedom and with joy because, within the movement of history, there are no absolutes. That is heresy in the Christian Church! Did you hear me? Within the stream of history, there are no absolutes. The Church has claimed all through the centuries that © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 4 this is absolute truth, that absolute truth dawned in Jesus, and I am saying to you, "No! The wonder of Epiphany is that, in the movement of history that defies absolutes and final answers, the light still shines!" It is not that we are without insight. It is not that we are without revelation. It is simply that, in the very nature of historical reality, it is absolutely essential that the light still shines so that our new circumstances are illumined by that same light that came to expression in special luminosity in Jesus, that same light that informed the Hebrew prophets and the Apostles. It is a present experience of the manifestation of God, or it is nothing. That is the nature of our human, historical existence. That is scary. Scary, because we so much want certitude. It is scary because life is frail and fragile, perilous and pocked with pitfalls, and it is so deeply human to want a final solution, an absolute truth, an unalterable prescription for life. And the Church has been happy to accommodate. The Church has exploited the fears of people. It has promised absolute truth and the final answer, but it is a false promise that cannot deliver. For all of the light that has shined through the ages and all of the light that has been concentrated in the face of Jesus Christ, history continues to evolve and new situations call for new application of that truth. You cannot go into the scripture and find the ending or the proposed ending of slavery, for example. It took centuries of the ferment of the Gospel to bring people finally to the conviction that a human being was an end in him or herself, not to be used, enslaved. Oh, the Church has struggled with the Bible, claiming it to be inerrant and infallible, and it is not. And how can it be, for example, when the Church struggles with the position of women in leadership? You can't solve that biblically because it is an ancient book out of an ancient culture with all kinds of different sensitivities and understanding. How can you settle the question of the ordination of women in the Church, for example, by reference to the Bible? Sexual orientation? Why, it's not even in the purview of the scripture. And yet, you hear time and again claims, biblical claims, about sexual orientation, about which the Bible knew nothing. All it knew about was actual sexual practice which could be destructive and abusive. How can you settle that issue by reference to the Bible? You can't. And, unfortunately, the Church has not faced up to that and been honest with the fact that light still shines, that knowledge still breaks forth, that history is movement, that new times demand new answers and new understandings and broader perspectives as the horizon spreads out before us. Scary. Because we'd like to have it clear, simple, and over with, not having to think about it anymore. It is scary. But, it is also liberating. Now, if I can once get that monkey off my back of one final, absolute revelation in the past, then I can engage in my historical journey with confidence and with joy. I can lean into the future knowing that, still, the light shines, that new knowledge brings new information and new perspective, and that the manifestation of God in the midst of this marvelous, fascinating, © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 5 mysterious cosmic journey of which we're a part continues to dawn upon us, and that is really my Epiphany message today. Still, the light shines. That is wonderful, good news. We just went through a beautiful Christmas season here. We have the remnants of it, so to speak, and someone was here on the 24th at all three services, in the morning that marvelous cantata and pageant, the thrilling music and the Christmas story, the quieter candlelight Eucharist service at 9:00 in the evening, and then the traditional Lessons and Carols, the late service. This person, one of the core volunteers of this place then came here on Wednesday (the church had been closed on Monday, Christmas Day and the day following), and this place which had been so regal in its splendor and had reverberated with marvelous music and the mystery of the celebration, now lay in shambles, candlewax all over the pews and the carpets, poinsettia leaves scattered throughout, shepherds’ costumes draped here and there, used candles lying every place, and she came into the office to say, "You know, I was at all three services on Sunday. What a place this is! Each one of the services so different; each one of them so moving, so beautifully executed, seemingly without effort and without a hitch. Then I come in and I see the shambles afterwards and I realize what it takes to do that. Nobody knows how many people put forth how much effort to make that possible," and I said, "Well, that's true. There are a few people that know, however." A few people also said to me, "What are you going to do next year," realizing that this is the last Christmas of John Gregory Bryson, who is so integral to all of that, and with stiff upper lip, I said, "Well, we're going to retire his number and then we're going to do just fine." We're going to do just fine, just as we are after I preach my last Epiphany service. This place is going to be just fine, because we live in the conviction that still the light shines and we don't come to an absolute place, a final word, a resting place that is frozen forever, but we are a people in movement and the thing about this place is that we have learned that, and we are free, and we believe that the best is yet to be, because still the light shines, giving new vision. I ran into my old compatriot, Gord VanHoeven, in Bill's Barber Shop this week, and the two of us got to reminiscing a bit. It's a sign of our age, I think, two old men talking about the past, getting almost sentimental if not senile, and we talked about Gord's 18 years here that he shared with me. We spoke about what a good place this is and has been. A year ago this month the Team gathered with a counselor to think about the transitions that are underway here. This congregation is in transition and it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure that out. One look at the hoary head and visage of your preacher is enough to indicate that there is going to be a change one of these days. As we gathered with the Team a year ago, we started to look at the whole pattern, and within the next three or four months everything unraveled © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 6 and changed. Ron Zoet couldn't get blood out of a turnip, so he thought he'd go after living blood with the American Red Cross. We all began to be pressed about what our timeline was. Peter discovered he was a year younger than he thought he was, found out the year he was really born. Colette decided it was better for her to concentrate on Worship Center and preaching and teaching, and Bob is, of course, in the midst of his internship for a Master's of Social Work, and how will that all work out? And Mr. Bryson, recognizing the many years of service, wanting to have a little more freedom, tells of his imminent departure. Well, in the midst of it all this summer, realizing how much continuity we had, what gifted and dedicated and loyal people we've had, recognizing that we are in this period of transition, one day I looked at Peter and Cynthia Moll with whom I have been working for The Center of Religion and Life, and I said, "Why don't you two come and run the church?" And in September they began and I realize in retrospect that was really the first step of transition, and the governance boards have stepped forward and have owned that process. On Friday of this week the Board of Trustees will go to the Center for Innovation. Don't you love that name? The Center for Innovation where there is a consultant for business and corporations who is going to sit with them and who has agreed as a gift to us to lead us through a discussion of the future. On the 10th of February, all the governance groups will meet with him in an all-day retreat as we look at the whole pattern and the whole picture. I tell you this because you ought to know what's going on in this congregation, the fact that we are in a period of transition. You want to ask me for a date, I'll say two years, five years, seven years, ten years. I don't know. I have no date set. I am determined I am going to make this bear dance one more time, whatever it takes. But, I share this with you because I can do it in an Epiphany celebration in the realization that, still, the light shines and that the future of this place is better than anything we have ever dreamed of, and it is because we have paid a price and struggled and wrestled and have emerged with a kind of freedom and joy that enables us, having faced up to so much that ties traditional Christianity in knots, freeing us to move into the future in creative ways of which we have not even conceived. You see, still the light shines, and we will shape the future rather than just lollygagging along, being shaped by what comes our way. Montgomery Wards is out of business. They tried to reorganize over the last couple of years, the CEO came on the television to say the soft retail market made it impossible. They have to close. I say, "Soft retail market! What you're telling me, sir, is that you were unable to negotiate a world of Wal-Marts and Lowe's and all the rest." The Church is no different. If we're all tied up with some absolute word that happened in the past, nailing us to the mores, insights, sensitivities and knowledge of an ancient culture, we are in trouble, indeed. But, if we have learned that still the light shines, giving vision, then we can believe that the future holds for us wonders, mysteries, and celebrations that we've not yet dreamed of. © Grand Valley State University �Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Richard A. Rhem Page 7 This is no ordinary place. There are ordinary congregations all over the country. This is no ordinary place. You are here because you choose to be here. You are here because of what this place stands for, requires and affirms, and this remnant people, liberated and set free, has the conviction that the future is unfolding in marvelous ways. I can say with Paul, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. In his defense before a Roman governor and a Jewish king, he gave the account of his own story. Don't you realize that Paul saw a light that knocked him off his horse and turned him around 180 degrees? Don't you realize that Paul had to look at everything for which his life's passion was beating and say, "My God! I was wrong!" Don't you see that the quest of the Magi is the symbolic story of that yearning of the human heart for God, that yearning of the human heart for light and for truth, and in that beautiful Christmas story of those wise ones we have the symbol of that which lies deep within us, but we have come to realize that it is not a matter of getting some absolute word or light that dawned in the past, but it is the coming to ourselves of an inward conviction, a deep, deep human intuition so that I can say, "I believe!" That is what is different about this place, and that is why the future is good. Ah! What a place! What a future! What a possibility! God's final word has yet to be spoken. Still, the light shines. Plaster it on your refrigerator. Write it on your cupboards. Sing your children to sleep with it nights. Still, the light shines giving new vision! That's Epiphany and you can say, "Ah, I see! I See!” © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany I Scripture Text Acts 26:19, Matthew 2:9 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-0-20010107 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-01-07 Title A name given to the resource Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 7, 2001 entitled "Still the Light Shines Giving New Vision", on the occasion of Epiphany I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Acts 26:19, Matthew 2:9. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Epiphany Immanence Revelation of the Divine https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/851e663c76667692538effd0b2699f38.mp3 ac8f7a4b1db88c51b53a28b250265708 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/2148821d8c4710ba61a8fc25ab65acb9.pdf 40a26b10a5306a2c735932caa04d19c3 PDF Text Text World-View: Room For God? Spirituality in the Modern World Text: Psalm 16:5-11; Luke 17:20-21 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 4, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon Last week in sunny Naples, Florida, Nancy and I invited a couple of Christ Community members to go to breakfast with us. The breakfast had to be at a later time, because the gentleman had to attend his regular Tuesday morning Bible study group. I get a little nervous when my people get under other tutelage, but what can one do? So we gathered at this lovely restaurant, got settled down, and after giving our order, his wife looked at him and said, “Are you going to ask him the question?” He said, “Oh, yes. The earthquake in India; where was God?” Obviously, it had been a topic of conversation in the Bible study, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it had crossed his mind before the class, just as it has crossed probably all minds who think seriously about such things. Who cannot be moved by the deep tragedy, the devastation that came so quickly into the lives of so many thousands and thousands of people? So there we were, just the four of us, with the question posed. I knew that either I would have to do what pastors usually do and fudge, or I’d have to be honest. So I said to him, “God doesn’t have anything to do with earthquakes.” This was not one of those intense, existential moments, of course. It was a moment in which it was not difficult for me to be candid, and what I said to him was honestly what I believe. If you want to know about earthquakes, you have to go to the geologists and you have to study the formations of the earth and all of that which makes up the cosmic reality, this material universe in which we dwell. You don’t go to the Bible to learn about the why or the wherefore of earthquakes. I smiled to myself, because I had just been reading John Hicks’ The Fifth Dimension, and in the early pages Hicks speaks about the spiritual dimension of our life and of our cosmic reality, and he refers to what has been a classic paradigm of this issue, the earthquake in Lisbon in 1755. I have read references to this earthquake in many, many books, because it is that classic case study of the © Grand Valley State University   �World-View: Room for God? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   relationship of God to human suffering and tragedy. There is a book actually entitled The Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The Lisbon earthquake shattered the optimism of the eighteenth century, for at this time people were operating with an image of God as the sovereign ruler and governor of the universe who controls all things. Suddenly it was necessary for the Church to explain the earthquake’s devastation. And so the Church fathers said that Lisbon was a very wicked city and the earthquake was the consequence of a very angry God. One of the more difficult dimensions of the explanation, however, was the fact that many of the great churches of Lisbon were decimated while a street with a whole row of brothels wasn’t touched. True story. The clergy was left to explain how the churches had become the object of God’s wrath by misusing sacred spaces while God had mercy on those miserable sinners that visited the brothels. Well, I had just read that earthquake story again, and it was so ironic to me that this classic case coming out of the eighteenth century should have confronted me at breakfast. It is an ancient question, but in the whole modern period that has ensued since that eighteenth-century earthquake, with our tremendous knowledge of the natural world and all of the amazing discoveries of the natural sciences, we have not brought our images and conceptions of God into line with our knowledge of the reality of which we are a part. We still use images from ancient cultures. We still tell ancient peoples’ stories and pass them on uncritically, even though they collide with our present knowledge of the world. To re-imagine God is a scary business, of course, and it is an arduous business. But once again, the fact that the earthquake question is still being raised tells me so many of us, so much of the time, operate with a world-view that has not ever been brought into relationship with the knowledge of the world as we have it and as we know it. And so this morning I want to begin a month’s sermons on the subject of Spirituality in the Modern World. By that I mean how one can live a vital, spiritual life here and now in this world, in full light of all that we know. And it will involve re-imagining and calling into question many of the uncritically held presuppositions with which we operate. All this is really a question of world-view. Our world-view, whether consciously or unconsciously held, is the big picture of things: how things are; how everything is—God, the world, and human existence. The world-view is the lens through which we encounter all of reality. Our world-view is the unquestioned, uncritically held assumptions with which we meet everyday experience to carry on our ordinary lives, making our judgments in this mundane, day- to-day world of which we are a part. We all have a world-view. It is not something we have arrived at critically. Most likely it is something that we have inherited or picked up along the way. It is just the way we see things. We take it for granted until someone calls it into question, © Grand Valley State University �World-View: Room for God? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   until perhaps someone wonders where God is with the earthquake, and someone else says, “God doesn’t have anything to do with earthquakes.” And then we say, “Umm, I have to think that over.” My point in dealing with this, let me assure you, is deeply pastoral. My hope is that we live with integrity and with honesty, with freedom and with joy in a vital faith posture that takes account of all of the knowledge available to us about this reality of which we are a part, and when that knowledge is accounted for, one is able to say, “And there’s something more.” Part of the consequence of the Church not keeping up to date with the knowledge available to us, reconciling it with its own faith understanding, is that a conflict between religion and science has developed in the modern world. As so often happens, the Church digs its heels in and becomes defensive out of the threat to its preconceived notions and ideas. On the other side there is a culture dominated by academics, by the scholarly elite that operate very largely with a naturalistic world-view in which there is no room for God. I could give you statement after statement, clear and concise, which indicate that the world-view or the whole of reality of some who are scientific naturalists or materialists is what can be measured or put into a test tube or a mathematical formula. That is all there is and there is nothing more. That has been the dominant world-view of much of the elite intellectual leadership of our twentiethcentury culture in the West. It is the consequence of a breakdown of communication and conversation and an adversarial relationship between those who would be people of faith and those who would follow the scientific method with empirical verification as the only measure of what is true or real. I can remember the day in Europe when it struck me with a special clarity that the real divide in the world was not between the respective religions, but between the religious and the atheist. Many of you know my story. In 1960 I came to this congregation out of seminary as the most orthodox, conservative and evangelical graduate of the class. I had gone through all of my education without learning. Instead, I learned the system. I came to buttress all of the presuppositions with which I began. I used whatever intellectual skill and power I had to reinforce that faith of my childhood Sunday school, catechetical training. Four years here and three years in New Jersey with pastoral situations that didn’t square, that made me uncomfortable, unable to deal honestly and forthrightly with people who were facing life, not in its joy and wonder, but its horror and terror and devastation. It put a crack in the foundation of the system I espoused. And so I left for four years of study in Europe, not so much for a degree as the need to struggle with my own faith understanding. I remember the day I read an essay by Wolfhart Pannenberg, whose theology I was studying. I read it in the heavy, theological, philosophical German, trying to © Grand Valley State University �World-View: Room for God? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   translate that miserable stuff. The essay laid forth the presuppositions and the consequence of atheistic naturalism. It was as if I looked into a deep abyss of darkness. I began to see that the position of naturalistic atheism was a position of faith just as much as an opposing position that posited the creator God whose heart is love. It was a watershed experience for me. I recognized there was a fundamental world-view that was not ascertained by the scientific method, but rather, was a presupposition, a predisposition, a fundamental posturing of the heart. The ultimate divide in the world, I could see, was between those who affirmed God and those who denied that there was anything beyond this material reality of the cosmos of which we are a part. As I said, for me this was a watershed experience. I have struggled ever since to understand my own Christian faith in terms of that fundamental insight, coming finally to see, as you have heard me say many times, that religion is a human construct—our response to the Ultimate, to the real, to the Infinite One. The respective religions may differ from one another, but they are alike in that fundamental predisposition to believe the deep intuition of the human heart, the intuition that there is something more. Our reality is not simply free-floating, a chance occurrence wandering willy-nilly without meaning or purpose. Rather, in the midst of this life that we share together, with all of its wonder and its glory and its miracle; its beauty, its terror, and its horror; its tragedy and its suffering; its joy and its freedom, there is something that cannot be touched, that cannot be put into a mathematical formula or examined in a test tube. For me that fundamental question of world-view is the ultimate divide, and to come to understand that is then to be ready, I believe, to deal honestly with the reality of life as it presents itself to us. It is time for us to heed the voice of our dear friend, Huston Smith. What a fine, remarkable gentleman Huston Smith is, and his just published book, Why Religion Matters, reads as though he were talking to us here (which he did). Huston Smith is a voice no longer in the wilderness, but a significant voice among others that is calling into question the dominant world-view, the view that says there is this cosmic, material reality and nothing more. As he bears witness to his own faith, and as other works call attention to the question of world- view, we realize that we are at a very exciting time in this whole journey of faith and faith understanding. It is a great time to be wrestling with these issues and to come to see that a world-view that has room for God is a world-view that can stand with integrity and honesty in the marketplace of ideas. There are some things I think we have to acknowledge in the Church, and one is that our images of God portray a God too small. J.B. Phillips wrote that book years and years ago. The title itself says it all: Your God Is Too Small. God is not a God of earthquakes. I had thought about the question before it was posed to me, as I am sure you had as you saw the tragedy written across the face of a mother who is praying for her child trapped inside a fallen structure. I would pray, too. It’s the emotional, instinctual response of the human heart. © Grand Valley State University �World-View: Room for God? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   But I know that the finger of God does not hold up the floor, the concrete slab of a story of a flat, to give breathing room to a child. The reality with which we live teaches us that there is a world out there which runs on its way according to its course, according to its forms and structures. We have to grow up and become mature and face the reality of the cosmos without a God who fixes things. That is not to say that prayer is not effective and does not affect things in the material world, the physical body, or whatever. I don’t want to get into that. But I want to say this morning that if we are going to be spiritually alive with a vital faith in the modern world, there are images of God that simply won’t work anymore, and it is high time that people in my position are honest with you about that. We know in this congregation all too recently that cancer grows in saintly persons, and infection rages in the best of us until it kills. And we know that we are all subject to all of the vicissitudes of the human condition. God is not picking one here and letting one off there. That’s not the way it is, and if we are honest with our human experience, we know that. It is time we think together about how we can re-image God in light of all the knowledge we have about the world of which we are a part. Thank God for someone with the credentials of a Huston Smith. He can look at the most erudite scientists in the world and call them to account. He says to them, “When you have said all you can say, when you have told us all you can tell us, you haven’t told us all there is, for there is more.” There is still room for God in a world-view purged of ancient fantasy and honest to today’s knowledge. Yes, we have to let science tell us about our world. But we can still find God here and now in the celebration of life, in its beauty and its terror, in its triumph and in its tragedy, where flowers grow on manure heaps and cancer grows on beautiful bodies, in a world where children are born and baptized, with all of the wonderful potential, and where earthquakes wipe out thousands. You see, that is life, and God doesn’t play favorites, fix things, pull strings, shift gears. God is and God is with us and God is experienced in those “thin places” of our human experience. That deep intuition within us that longs, yea, knows something more. It is the spiritual dimension that is a part of a world-view with room for God. To be able to live honestly before the face of God, in the light of everything we know, and to celebrate and to know joy and freedom—that is to be fully alive, by God. References: Huston Smith. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. HarperCollins, 2001. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany V Series Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture Text Psalm 15:5-ll, Luke 17:20-21 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Huston Smith. Why Religion Matters: The Fate of the Human Spirit in an Age of Disbelief. HarperCollins Publishers, 2001. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20010204 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-02-04 Title A name given to the resource World-view: Room for God? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 4, 2001 entitled "World-view: Room for God?", as part of the series "Spirituality in the Modern World", on the occasion of Epiphany V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 15:5-ll, Luke 17:20-21. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Cosmic Evolution Divine Mystery Supernaturalism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0d82df82783ef72dcde27a39425967bd.mp3 71f3f591546f4c44dd18133e904fdcb1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/011e839c2c66fe66d3525228da4b78ba.pdf c5a060c69fa9fb26fea4450cd7e2c710 PDF Text Text Where in the World is God? From the series: Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture: Isaiah 6:1-8; John 14:8-20 Text: Isaiah 6:1; John 14:8 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 11, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon Some of us were on retreat yesterday and listened to a futurist whose business it is to think about what is coming. He described for us the world of 2010, a world not so far off, and yet a world that, frankly, I can't even begin to comprehend as he speaks about the technological advances that are just over the horizon with artificial intelligence and so forth. I don't know enough to make an intelligent statement about it. It is the kind of a world that is inconceivable and yet, it will be here before we know it. How do you experience God in a world that is developing with emergence that boggles the mind? There is too much to take in. Oh, there are those old images and the old clichés and the platitudes, and I suppose most of us will go to our grave with them. They will be pointers to us, indicators of the reality and the presence of God. And those of us who are in the Church are those who have stayed, but there are multitudes on the outside who have left because their experience and their knowledge of the world made it impossible for them to find the genuine spirituality within the context of ancient symbols and metaphors, stories. And so, it is always a challenge to the Church to think again its faith and, where it can, to revision and re-imagine in order that folk in every emerging age can live with a genuineness of faith, an integrity of human experience, or, as the song says, to "find Jesus in our time." What shape does he take? How does one say God today? How can we experience that presence of the holy and the sacred in the knockabout world of our everyday experience? We live at the far end of the modern period. We live in a time that has been called the post-modern period. The fact that we call it post-modern means that we don't know how to label it, we don't know how to name it, because it is a world that is emerging. Modernity had a very definite character. We speak of the Enlightenment. During that period, the amazing, amazing breakthroughs of the natural sciences, and the success of the natural sciences which have been registered in the technological © Grand Valley State University �Where in the World is God? Richard A. Rhem Page 2 marvels of our day, which a person like me can't even begin to take in when told about them. That dominant scientific outlook has, for many, crowded out the possibility of God. We have lived in an age in which many, particularly in the intellectual establishment of our time, have said that there is nothing but material. The material universe which can be measured and tested and put into a formula. What you can touch is real, and there is reality denied to that which is invisible or spiritual. And so, we have one such as Huston Smith who, with his wonderful credentials, takes on the scientific establishment, and he makes room for God, calling to account those who have ruled out the possibility of Spirit, calling again to the celebration of that spiritual reality. There is room for God in the world, as we noted last week. Huston Smith reaches back to a philosopher born in Britain, but who spent much of his time in this country in the first half of the last century, Alfred North Whitehead, who said there are two great forces in the world, the force of Religion and the force of Science, and these two enterprises each have their respective dogmas and those are simply the crystallization of the best insights that they have formulated in rational propositions. Whitehead pointed out that you can be a dogmatist whether you are a scientist or a religious person. You can deal in obscurantism, denying any light or knowledge from the other side, from either perspective. Huston Smith is calling the scientific establishment in our day to a fresh awareness of the spiritual dimension of life, because, as Whitehead pointed out long ago, that religious experience is also a very real part of being human. We speak of the Sundays after Epiphany. Epiphany means manifestation. Suddenly one "sees" something. And Isaiah had an epiphany, or we might call it a theophany, a manifestation of God. It was in the year that King Uzziah died. Maybe that is a statement like, "It was that November day when John F. Kennedy was shot." Or, "The seventh of December when Pearl Harbor was bombed." I don't know - the year King Uzziah died, was there some political crisis? Was Isaiah a member of the court and was everything suddenly thrown into chaos in that time at the death of the king? It was such a time as that, anyway, that he went into the temple and he said, "I saw the Lord high and lifted up, and the temple was filled with smoke and the pillars shook. I felt myself unworthy and experienced the ministration of angels and heard the voice of God calling me into prophetic ministry." Don't literalize that vision. Being one who was nurtured on that story from childhood, I could see the temple, I could see the smoke and smell the incense. But, that, of course, is to miss the point of it. The point is that there was some kind of a breakthrough in the experience of the prophet in that moment. Suddenly he was overwhelmed with the presence of God. Alfred North Whitehead would say that is experience, that is human experience that has to be taken just as seriously as the substance of some soil that may be analyzed. © Grand Valley State University �Where in the World is God? Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Don't you love Philip's question? "Just show us the father and we'll be satisfied." Have you ever said that? Whether you said it or not, have you thought that? "God, just show me. Would it be so difficult to write in the sky, 'I Am. I exist'? Couldn't you give us some token, some hard evidence?" "Just show us the father and we'll be satisfied," Philip says to Jesus. Jesus says, "How long have you been with me? Still don't get it? If you've seen me, you've seen the father." I suppose that is because Jesus was special, right? I suppose that is because Jesus was the son of God, right? Wrong. What did Jesus mean? I'm not sure Jesus even said that. I'm sure that the author of the Gospel was saying that in the human face, there is God. And in Jesus, the encounter with Jesus, sixty years after, I still remember it, the encounter with Jesus - it was God. Because Jesus was special? I think he was special, special in degree, not other than you are. Special because the luminosity of God shined brighter there, but not because he was other than human. I think what the Gospel writer was trying to say was that we saw God in that human visage, and what the fourth Gospel seems to be saying in that classic statement, "The word became flesh and dwelt among us," is that God is found in the human. Isaiah, in a moment of personal epiphany, is overwhelmed with the presence of God in the solitude of the temple, but John's Gospel suggests that God is found in the human encounter, in the community, in that moment when soul meets soul and there is a melding of two making one, and there, in that relationship of love and grace, one says, "My God!" So, human experience of God is that which has been attested to by the generations. The whole human story is replete with that witness to the reality of the experience of God or the holy or the sacred. If you scratch the veneer of this world as it appears, there is that sense that there is something more, that presence. Here we are. We have emerged. We have emerged in this cosmic process and we didn't make ourselves, and there is something that buoys up this magnificent, awesome reality of which we are a part, and what do you call that? That which shines through now and again, that which becomes apparent here and there, that spiritual reality which suddenly is the vertical presence in a horizontal relationship, what do you call that? God. And so, people like us of the twenty-first century, with all of our toys and all of our gadgets, all of our technology and all of our knowledge of the cosmic reality, still attest to that experience of God. Alfred North Whitehead says you can create a chemical formula in a test tube and have empirically verifiable results, and you have to take that human experience of God seriously, as well. You can't put it in a test tube; you can't measure it. There's no way to verify it. God doesn't write in the sky. And so, it is a faith perception, but it is that spiritual dimension that is in and with and under, that encompasses the totality of our life and our experience. © Grand Valley State University �Where in the World is God? Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Having said that, and wanting to say that clearly, I want to say that from within the Church, it is necessary for us to do some re-imagining and some revisioning of those old faith stories and symbols and metaphors by which all of that has been communicated to us. That is, at least if we would communicate this experience of God beyond the walls of the church. Just think, for example, of the natural world as we know it. We call it cosmology, the cosmos, the totality of things. Think of what we know about it. Fifteen billion years old. At this point I should call forward our resident physicist-astronomer Dr. VanTill, who could tell us about the speed of light and the expanse of the universe and the expanding universe, and the amazing, amazing physical, natural reality of which we, too, are a part. It is awesome. It is mystifying. It causes one to be silent. It can well cause one to worship before the wonder of it all. And then, I think about the Genesis story, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth," and all with a click of the finger, all those things happened. And there's Adam and Eve in a garden of perfection, Paradise, and they are tested and they fail the test and so they are alienated from God. We speak about the fall and it is that fall into sin from which they have to be redeemed, and so we have the whole biblical story. That's not the way it was. We really know that. All natural disaster and all the trouble in the world is not the result of the initial sin, the original sin. There were storms, there was chaos, there was terror long before the human person emerged, and we have emerged, creatures of self-consciousness, awareness. Fifteen billion years of this cosmic, whirling mass of energy. Then, there was a moment when a creature emerges who looks at his hand and then looks at another, becomes conscious, self-conscious, aware. That creature has come, emerged out of the chaotic soup, cosmic juice and stardust, and we have just arrived, relatively speaking. We're still trying to find our way. We really need a new story. We really should write a new Genesis today because the writer was giving expression to his understanding of that human situation and God in the light of the cosmic understanding he had, which was so totally other. We would say so primitive and naive. I know what he was trying to do. That Genesis story is profound. Speaking about the torn tension within the human being, that beckoning toward God, that draw from below, portraying the human dilemma, trying to give expression to all that is rotten to the core, and yet that grace that would transform and redeem. That old story is not at all in terms of what we know about cosmic reality and the emergence of the human and the dawning of consciousness and the coming awareness of Spirit. Someone needs to write a new myth, a new story, which would portray God as not over against us, with that terrible gulf between us because of our sin, but would invite us to a growing consciousness and awareness of that spirit that is within us, that embraces us. We are a part of this cosmic reality, we are the cosmos coming to consciousness, we are the cosmic reality now with voice to praise, with consciousness to realize and to become aware. We are the cosmos reflecting on itself, with God, that Spirit © Grand Valley State University �Where in the World is God? Richard A. Rhem Page 5 that is over and around us and within us, God not "out there," some supernatural being beyond the confines of the universe, as it were, clicking a finger and causing it to be, and then occasionally dipping in here and there. No, but God, that creative Spirit that permeates the whole, God who is closer than our breath. I don't know what the Gospel writer meant when he had Jesus say, "I am in you and you in me. I am in the father and the father is in me. I in you, you in me," but at least there is a hint there of something that we are becoming more and more aware of, and that is that God is as close as our breath. The Spirit of God, the Hebrew word Ruach means both breath and spirit and wind, and so, the enlivening within us and that wind that courses over us become the symbols, the signs of that ever-present God who is our life, not some lawgiver and offended judge ready to damn us. What a bad idea. Would the creator of the heavens and the earth, would the creator of this fantastic cosmic reality with all of its wonder, would this God create a creature, a human creature with consciousness and giftedness to damn? Hell, no. Hell, no. Just thinking about what we know, what has come to us through the human endeavor and greater understanding, broadening understanding, to think again - how can I be with God, knowing what I know? How is God with us, knowing what we know? Does that mean that all that stuff in the Bible about sin and corruption has no part? Of course not. Look in your own heart. Read the daily newspaper. We're animals; we're beasts; we're in a life and death struggle to, somehow or other, keep down the pride, throw out the fear, the hostility, the anger, and let the Spirit more and more control us, so we come more and more into an awareness of that wonder of grace and love that is God. It is just a matter of finding a new way to say it so that we could experience it without some of that old baggage. Just one more thought. We live out of our knowledge of the natural world, and our knowledge of our cultural context which today isn't Western Michigan and it isn't the United States of America. It is a global context, and in a global context where we rub shoulders with people from around the world, and we come to see and to appreciate the spiritual quest, the religious devotion, the multiplicity of practice, then obviously I can no longer speak about "our God." I can no longer think in terms of having some corner on the truth which is denied to all of the rest of humankind. Would God reveal God's self to one little people, leaving the rest in darkness? Don't we know in this world that has become as small as a grapefruit, where we rub shoulders with people of various religious practice, and we experience the seriousness of it and the authentic devotion of it, and the longing quest of it - don't we know that all the great religions of the world are hungering for that one taste, thirsting for that one God who is beyond all of our formulations and structures, for all of our religions are the human structures that we have created by means of which we can see through to that which cannot be seen, but which is as close as our breath? © Grand Valley State University �Where in the World is God? Richard A. Rhem Page 6 Ah, where in the world is God? Where in the world is God? God is in the moment of personal epiphany when the sun sets or, as it did this morning, rises so beautifully in the east. The sun is in the forsythia, forced a bit as it is, I suspect. God is in the human encounter when soul meets and there is a transparency. God is in the intuition of the human heart that there is more and that it is good and that we will be sustained, embraced, kept, and that we can rest in that. God is not some other place. God is with us. Thank God. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Epiphany VI Series Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture Text Isaiah 6:1, John 14:8 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20010211 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-02-11 Title A name given to the resource Where in the World Is God? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 11, 2001 entitled "Where in the World Is God?", as part of the series "Spirituality in the Modern World", on the occasion of Epiphany VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 6:1, John 14:8. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Immanence PostModern Spiritual Dimension of Reality https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/dc250f0727efd04faecddc9f4c4dbe6f.mp3 2d279fd1234638f9256a6c15a2a04505 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/81d999c2d97541ccfd57671c0a08786d.pdf a682acdc1591b9b0cacd976c2e279609 PDF Text Text The Experience of God From the series: Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 139; Mark 1:9-15 Text: Genesis 1:2; Psalm 139:7; Mark 1:10 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 18, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon While I was on vacation, I had time to read the paper. I never bother with it the rest of the year, but there, a cup of coffee and the paper, and Nancy - it is a way to lull away some time. I was reading a couple of papers a day, and in the Sports section there was the talk about the difficultly the Los Angeles Lakers were having, possibly not able to repeat this year the championship because Phil Jackson, the Coach, has a problem. He doesn't have one star, he has two. Any time you have two stars, you have problems, right? You have this hulk of a man called Shaq, who is there because of hulk and some ability, and you have one with incredible athletic ability, Kobe Bryant, and of course, superstars would like to be the center of attention and, consequently, the Lakers' fortunes were not too good at that point. I think they have done a little better since, but I'm not going to hold my breath as to whether or not they repeat, I don't really care. After all, this is Piston territory, although we don't admit it always, but the interesting thing about that disturbance in the Laker lineup was that it reminded me that Phil Jackson, the coach, was a coach with some meditative dimension to him. He had been raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, his parents were both Pentecostal preachers, and one of the worst things that can happen to you when you grow up in a Pentecostal home is if you don't as an adolescent get the "gift," and he never got the "gift." His tongue just kind of laid there and it didn't "take" with Phil and he felt guilty about all of that, but he was a great athlete and he found great success, eventually playing in the NBA himself, and of course, his fame was with the Chicago Bulls. I hate to mention that name in this territory, too, but one has to do what one has to do. Coaching the great Michael Jordan and the Jordanaires, and winning three championships and all of that good stuff. He had a great success record there, and I thought to myself, what is he going to do in Los Angeles? A friend here gave me a book entitled Sacred Hoops, by Phil Jackson, with an Introduction written by then-Senator Bill Bradley. They were both in the NBA together. In Sacred Hoops, Phil Jackson tells his story, and it is a very good read, actually. He tells a bit about his very rigid Christian upbringing, which he has not © Grand Valley State University �The Experience of God Richard A. Rhem Page 2 turned his back on, but to which he has added a touch of Buddhism. He got into a little Zen Buddhism and meditation. He learned how to sit on a cushion and cross his legs and breathe deeply and get mindful. But he was telling that, when he had Michael Jordan on the court, the other players were so enamored with Jordan's moves, that they would just sort of stand there and forget they were part of the team, too. What he had to do was weave them into a team and of course, with an outstanding star like that, that is not so easy, because all of us want to be in the center stage, and how do you create what he said is really a spiritual matter? Teamwork is a spiritual matter. And so, his own spiritual experience, his experience with contemplation, helped him to enable his players to bond together and to become a team and, of course, the success was evident. The word that Phil Jackson used about his own experience as a Christian, nonetheless, weaves some Buddhist meditation into his life. The word that he used was mindfulness. It's a good word. Mindfulness. It so happens that the book I was going to use on Tuesday evenings, John Hick’s The Fifth Dimension, speaks about mindfulness with Hick discussing Buddhism particularly, Hinduism a bit, but particularly Buddhism. Mindfulness, as John Hick says, brings one to total awareness of the moment, when one pauses long enough and, if you want a technique, through the breathing in and breathing out. Seeking to empty the mind of all distractions, one becomes mindful, and this, with practice, can become a way of being; it can pervade more and more of life so that we live in the present moment, not crippled by fears and shame of the past, not paralyzed by anxiety about the future, but being very much alive and alert and aware of the present moment. With practice and the spiritual disciplines, this can become more and more the demeanor of one's life, so that one finds a deeper level of serenity and peacefulness. It's a good word - mindfulness. Being consciously aware, aware of one's self and of one's world in the present moment, being present, here and now, in this moment. As John Hick says, all of the great religions recognized, in our human experience, some form of distortion. We all know it; we can look into our own lives, we can follow the course of our historical circumstances; the newspaper, the television is full of all kinds of this distortion of human life. As Hick says, you in the Western tradition, of which we are a part, know the story. We tell about that, the story of Adam and Eve created in Paradise, perfect, and their rebellion, their disobedience, their fall into sin. Really, in the biblical story and in the traditional Christian explanation of things, everything that is wrong with the world is a consequence of that original sin, that initial misstep, that sin that brings guilt, that brings alienation, that offends God, that creates the gulf between God and the human person, and the need for redemption, the need for the whole redemptive scheme of things in order that that gulf may be bridged and reconciliation may happen. That is the Christian story; it is the Jewish story, more or less, the idea that the distortion of the human situation is the consequence of sin, bringing guilt, bringing alienation. © Grand Valley State University �The Experience of God Richard A. Rhem Page 3 But, as Hick points out, and I am sure we are aware, in the eastern religions, it is not a question of sin and guilt and alienation, but rather, the distortion of life is the consequence of false consciousness. We just don't "see" correctly. We just don't "get it." There is a false consciousness and that false consciousness causes me to live as an egocentric being, causes me to live as one who is threatened by the other, causes me to live greedily and graspingly, causes me to follow the instincts that are in me as an animal that has emerged out of the jungle with survival skills. Those skills that enabled the race to preserve itself are still with us very much, because we may be spiritual beings, but we have not divested ourselves of that animal nature, and so we know ourselves to be creatures who are beckoned upward and dragged downward, and we live in that tension. In the east, the insight, the understanding is that failure to live with awareness and with peace is the consequence of a false consciousness. We don't "see" truly; we don't "see" correctly, we don't get the real picture. We distort it because of our egocentricity and all of that which impinges upon us. So, whether it is the Western Christian-Jewish-lslamic traditions, or the Eastern traditions, one explains it one way and another explains it another way; the fact is that they agree on that dis-ease and that distortion. I really enjoy listening to Boyd Wilson as I am unwinding from my sermons, and it always impresses me, as he presents the other great traditions, how the forms are different, how we do it, how we image it, how we imagine it, and the concepts are different, but it is all the same, really. It is that human situation in a distorted reality. There is that yearning for God, that thirst for the sacred, for the holy, that love of peace and wholeness that seems always to elude us. And so, in one story or another, in one tradition or another, we are dealing very much with the same thing. It does seem to me frankly that, from what we have learned from science about reality, about the natural world, about the universe, our cosmology today which is totally different than the cosmology of the biblical writers, our cosmology really fits a lot better with an eastern insight, because we are emerging. We are a part of the process. Fifteen billion years from "Big Bang," here we are, creatures who have become conscious, and in the Buddhist understanding and in the eastern tradition, it is not that God is "out there," God the creator who is some kind of craftsman or engineer who put this thing together; but rather, God is in the process, the creator- Spirit, the creative spirit, and this process which has come to expression in us so that we are actually the consciousness of the cosmos. With us the cosmos gets a voice, with us the cosmos comes to awareness, and we are able to be aware of and to articulate and name the wonder and the mystery of the whole creation. Here we are and God is in us, because as God is in all reality, with all of the great traditions affirmed, so God is in us. And so, I think, frankly, the eastern traditions have an edge on our western tradition in the fact that they have always looked inside, not outside, for God. The experience of God is within. You don't go beyond, but rather, into the depths of one's own soul and recognize that we are the unique human expressions of God. © Grand Valley State University �The Experience of God Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Now, here, let me tip you off - this is a dangerous statement. This will keep you thinking for a while. Are you ready? Could it be that self-awareness is the experience of God? Could it be that if I really came to the awareness of the depths of my humanness, that I would be contemplating God? The images of God that we have are terribly important for the way we think and the way we behave and how we feel about ourselves. If God is offended by my sin and my guilt and alienated from me, if God is a lawgiver and judge, then I may well feel in the universe like Phil Jackson felt in his own family home when he didn't get the "gift," not measuring up. Falling short. Unworthy. But, if, on the other hand, I am the universe come to consciousness, or another way of saying, if I am that sacred coming to awareness, if I am the human expression of the eternal god, then I am a part of the whole. Then there is no separation or alienation. I may still get myself into all of the rotten mess into which humanity can get itself, but it will be a consequence of false consciousness, not that God is angry with me, but that I have failed to see who I am. The wonder, the mystery of being the self expression of God, and that perception of things can make a huge difference in how I feel about myself and about God and about the whole of reality. All of these things are in all of the great traditions and certainly what I am suggesting is a little bit radical. It isn't often said quite that blatantly and bluntly, that self-consciousness is really God-consciousness, that self-awareness is awareness of the divine within, but it is in our tradition - "The Spirit of God brooded over the deep," in the creation story, or of hovering over the deep, brooding, creating. Psalm 139 - is there anything more beautiful than that? Isn't it a powerful expression of the experience of God, the God who is closer than our breath? "Thou hast searched me, O God, and known me. Where can I flee from thy presence? Night and day are the same to you. You formed me in my mother's womb. I am wonderfully and mysteriously made." And then the anger at those on the other side, "Why don't you slay them," only to come back to that moment of awareness to say, "Search me, O God. Know my heart." Beautiful! Powerful! So, it's in there, even though the imagery both in Genesis and the Psalmist is still that image of God "out there," or a kind of supernatural theism; nonetheless, the sense of intimacy is there, the presence when God is there. But, what about Jesus? Jesus coming to his baptism, joining the John the Baptist movement? Of course, if Jesus is the divine intruder, the second person of the Trinity, dipping down here to do the job for us, to get us fixed up with God again, then you can see his baptism as something other, but we have come to think about Jesus in the genuine, authentic humanity in which I believe he is portrayed, Jesus in the social context of his day, Jesus living in a time when there was exploitation, when there was oppression, when the heel of Imperial Rome © Grand Valley State University �The Experience of God Richard A. Rhem Page 5 was wringing all of the life out of the peasant class, when the cities were expanding and commercialism was expanding, and people were suffering in hopelessness and helplessness. It was in that kind of a context that Jesus came on the scene and joined John the Baptist, who was a rabid apocalyptic who said, "This is so dark and this is so black, God must soon come to damn the wicked and vindicate the righteousness." Jesus identified with John, not in a vacuum but, in a real historical, social, economic situation, Jesus identified with that movement. Interestingly, as he is driven off into the wilderness, we're told in the gospel story, he struggles in the wilderness with the evil one; he wrestles. What did he wrestle with? "Who am I? Who is God? What am I about? What is my calling, what is my mission? Is John right? I don't feel right with John." And he leaves the wilderness temptation and the power of the Holy Spirit and what does he proclaim, doom and gloom about to happen? No, he proclaims the good news, the year of the Lord's favor, and he is able to communicate with those people who had not a prayer that they were people of dignity, they were human, they were people of worth, they were children of God, they were children of the covenant, and they flocked to him because he gave them some reason to live, some meaning. He was a prophet, but he had that word for that moment, and they knew it was true. He gave people again the sense of human dignity and worth. Filled with the spirit. What was he? He was God-aware, he was self-aware. He taught them to see God in the lilies of the field and the sparrows. He taught them that God is as close as their breath. With that, one would have thought that Jesus might have been a Buddhist. The experience of God is always so difficult to nail down. I got a call in the middle of last evening from my old friend, Bud Ridder, who has preached for us here. He said, "What are you preaching on tomorrow?" I said, "Oh, God." I told him it's not easy trying to preach out of a whole new paradigm. I could make it so much easier for myself. He said, "Oh, I know." I said, "You know, I got so desperate a moment ago that I actually sat with my eyes closed and checked out my breathing for at least two minutes." You see, I'm really the worst one in the world to be talking about this because it has never worked for me. I've never had a decent prayer life. I can't meditate. I want to talk ideas. I want to keep it on an intellectual level. So, I'm the worst one in the world to try to be telling you about this, and I stumble and stammer because there is something here. If Jesus were to come today, what would he say to us? I wonder if, once again, he'd be the one with the word that connected because the time was right. I wonder if he would suggest to us that rolling blackouts in California are a sign of things to come. I wonder if he might say, "You know those rolling blackouts in California? What you really need to do is just generate more energy. Just find oil wherever it is. It doesn't matter where it is, whether it's in a nice, natural environment or not, just get the energy going, keep the industry going to keep the © Grand Valley State University �The Experience of God Richard A. Rhem Page 6 consumption going, because haven't you learned from your television set that you really are consumers? The television stations that are owned by the producers who push the goods to make us think that we will be less than human if we don't have it all?" Jesus would probably say, "Just find more energy. Rape the earth." Now, it's true that only a small percentage of earth's children are profiting by that and most of earth's children are living in poverty and hunger, and it's also true that, if you keep going at that rate, you're going to devastate the natural environment, but what the hell? You'll be dead." That's probably what Jesus would say, eh? We'd certainly hear something different from him, wouldn't we? We'd have to kill him again. You bet we would. I don't imagine that Ralph Nader is of the stature of Jeremiah or Isaiah, but it was interesting to me how the political parties, Republican and Democrat both, aligned with the fact that he was the enemy. I mean, he disrupts things. Life is good when it's in the hands of the power brokers of the age. Then they can play us. Then they can make us puppets and we just kind of go along with the flow. Here's a guy who has the audacity to ruin an election. Well, what's all that got to do with anything? It has a lot to do with the experience of God. I think Jesus would have something to say to us and I think some day someone will come with a word. Look what happened in India with Gandhi, that little Indian man. He talked about non- violent resistance and catalyzed a whole people. Sometime, when the time is right, and the right words spoken, things change. Unfortunately, however, most of us good people are so invested in the present that even when we begin to see it, we fight it. Now, I'm a part of that problem because if Cisco, Oracle, Intel, Microsoft, Exxon, Mobil, Sony, Motorola, and Compaq do not do well, you're going to have an aging preacher and his wife on your hands. You're going to have to take care of us. We're invested, folks. You see, I'm not pointing any fingers. It's just something to think about. The experience of God comes in moments of self-awareness, when I realize that it is not my game, but I am a part of some wonderful, mysterious whole, that my life is bound into the bundle of life, and that God is present, the God of the beginning, the God of the end, and the God who is with us in the meantime, and if I can ever see, by God, I will see, and it will be God in me. References: John Hick. The Fifth Dimension:An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm. Oneworld Publications, 1999. Phil Jackson. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. Hyperion, 1995. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent I Series Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture Text Genesis 1:2, Psalm 139:7, Mark 1:10 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Phil Jackson. Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior. Hyperion, 1995. John Hick. The Fifth Dimension: An Exploration of the Spiritual Realm. Oneworld Pub., 1999. 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-0-20010218 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-02-18 Title A name given to the resource The Experience of God Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 18, 2001 entitled "The Experience of God", as part of the series "Spirituality in the Modern World", on the occasion of Lent I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 1:2, Psalm 139:7, Mark 1:10. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Awareness Consciousness Presence of God https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7958e7a6ca51346bb2fff2c42d3ea585.mp3 c0433d3e75fee5169f7adad372f0a31c 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 Spirituality in the Modern World Scripture Text Romans 5:18 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-0-20010225 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-02-25 Title A name given to the resource Living Within a True Myth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 25, 2001 entitled "Living Within a True Myth", as part of the series "Spirituality in the Modern World", on the occasion of Lent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Romans 5:18. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/612243fc01c057a507b0a0c43fb164ae.mp3 cd262b702058db4246312cdb684f3afe 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 A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story Scripture Text Genesis 3:7, Matthew 9:36 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-0-20010311 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-03-11 Title A name given to the resource The Human Dilemma Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 11, 2001 entitled "The Human Dilemma", as part of the series "A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story", on the occasion of Lent IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 3:7, Matthew 9:36. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f95ee11e55ec3ffa2d96d092211d351a.mp3 e1d25acf08967a6f99316386a0bfb7d1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/533eb73fdac64b2d4dbf4df34b56c9a8.pdf 4c918a1a3cacc55e71cf229571fd3d0d PDF Text Text Do We Need God to be Good? From the series: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Story Text: Luke 6:36; Romans 12:2 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Lent, March 18, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon I have a question this morning that I invite you to consider with me. It is a genuine question, not some rhetorical question, not a question for which I have an answer. It is an honest question about which I invite you to think: Do we need God to be good? The question came to me a month or so ago. The Lakeshore Ethnic Diversity Alliance sponsored a diversity summit at Hope College involving hundreds of people from this area. It was a very significant event, a day spent looking in the face of racism primarily, but at all forms of exclusionary behavior that hurt and wound and divide. The keynote speaker that morning was Dr. Greg Williams, the author of a book, Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He was Black, which narrates his life, his experience. It is a most extraordinary story. There were many of you from Christ Community there, and others I am sure, became aware of the event through news stories. I won’t try to give you the whole story of Greg Williams except to say that he grew up in Alexandria, Virginia, in some affluence as a white son in a white family. But the family broke up. The father was an alcoholic, the mother fled because of abuse, and at ten years of age Greg found himself with his younger brother and father on a bus headed for Muncie, Indiana, which was the birth home of his father and his mother. In the midst of the journey, the father told the boys, “In Virginia you were white. In Muncie you will be black.” The shock could hardly be taken in. They came to Muncie where Greg’s father, who had passed for white in Virginia, was identified clearly with the black community. Since the father had lost everything, the three made their way to an aunt’s place, and here’s an address for you: 601 Railroad Street. Being white, Greg was not accepted by the black community, and being black in Muncie, was not accepted in the white community. © Grand Valley State University   �Do We Need God to be Good? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Greg told his story with great grace and passion, a most moving story, indeed. He told of the incredible pain of a little white boy discovering he was black and of having his whole world turned upside down. He was exceptionally bright, industrious, and hardworking. Eventually, he and his brother were taken in by a wonderful black lady who had no bloodlines to them at all, but simply provided home, safety and security, as well as encouragement. To make a long story short, and it is a long, tortuous story, Greg Williams graduated from high school, from college, earned a master’s, a Ph.D., and graduated from law school. Presently he is the dean of the Law School of Ohio State University. What a remarkable story! It is one thing to read it in the book, but quite another thing to hear the story from the person who lived it. As I drove from Holland to Spring Lake along the highway that day lost in thought, having been deeply moved, the question of this morning arose in my mind: Do I need God to be good? What went through my mind was the fact that I was so horrified once again with the pain that we inflict on one another. I felt so inwardly devastated by the reality of racism that confronted me with such power and potency that morning. I thought about the question from last Sunday’s sermon: What’s the matter with us? What’s wrong with us? Then I thought to myself, as a Christian leader, a preacher and a theologian, do I need God in order to call myself and you to be good, to be good in the sense of goodness that contrasts to the ugliness that is so much a part of the human landscape? Do I need to call in God as some external, supernatural being, a lawgiver who holds us accountable, a lawgiver who restrains our behavior, a lawgiver who models another way of being? Do I need God in order to be convinced of that or in order to persuade others? Because what I was thinking, what I was feeling was that I, myself, ought to know enough to be good, that is, to be a moral, decent, civil, human, and humane being. I know in my depths what goodness is and I know enough to be good without having some external support or some external law code or manual of behavior. I am a self-conscious, free and responsible person. Why do I need God to be good? Why can’t I simply be good, because I would be good for goodness’ sake? Is it not enough for me to see that, to experience that, to be moved at a deep level? Is that not enough to transform my consciousness and to shape my life? Do I need God to be good? To be sure, that is how God has been used. That is how the religions, the great religions have imaged God. God is the supernatural, external being communicating laws to the universe. This is the way it was in Israel, of course. Israel was a nation of people structured by laws which were claimed by scriptures to be God-given. With its moral code, the Ten Commandments, but also with all the civil legislation and ceremonial © Grand Valley State University �Do We Need God to be Good? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   law, Israel was a nation of law. They had a manual, a code of divine revelation, and we as a Christian Church took that over. In the gospel reading this morning Jesus set forth that impossible ethic. Did it strike you as I read it again—that impossible ethic to which Jesus calls us? To love our enemies and finally concluding the paragraph with, “Be compassionate as your father is compassionate.” Over and over again the Israelites heard the word, “Be holy, for I am holy.” Jesus said, “Be compassionate as your father is compassionate.” That is the way that the great religious traditions have communicated the imperative to goodness. The apostle Paul said in the twelfth chapter of Romans, the great chapter, almost as difficult as the Sermon on the Mount to follow, “Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is the perfect will of God.” And then in a very particular fashion he calls us to graciousness, to generosity, to humility, to integrity, to love—again an impossible ethic. That is the way God has been used in the great religious traditions. Negatively put, God is the law-giver and the law enforcer, and if you break the law, there is hell to pay. Positively stated, God is the moral example. God is the exemplar of that which is good. Therefore, follow God. The religious traditions have arranged a way by which ordinary humankind, obviously unable to live up to such high demands, can find a way of atonement and of reconciliation through priestly mediation, and it seems to me that in our great religious traditions, that is pretty much the way we have come to settle in. We co-exist with the evil, the pain, the anguish, the brokenness, the pain we inflict and the pain inflicted upon us. We co-exist with it almost easily because we recognize our own brokenness. We plead for mercy, and we go on our way in a kind of co-existence with a world replete with hurt and pain and violence, of which racism, or exclusivism of any sort, are simply the outward symptoms. But do we need that kind of external reinforcement or threat or promise? Might it not be possible for me as a human being, having come to self-consciousness and awareness, being a responsible and relatively free individual, to decide and to determine to be good? For example, what if God “out there” doesn’t exist? What if that traditional religious image of God, that biblical image of God as the supernatural creator/law-giver, doesn’t exist? Would it make any difference in the way we live? At the beginning of the twentieth century, Nietzsche, in the light of the whole modern development, the development of modern atheism, cried out those famous words: “God is dead, and we have killed him, and now everything is permitted.” Nietzsche saw the collapse of the whole western European moral structure, and went mad. Dostoevsky, in what arguably may be one of the © Grand Valley State University �Do We Need God to be Good? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   greatest novels ever written, The Brothers Karamazov, has a minor character say, “If God does not exist, there is no virtue. Virtue is useless.” Would you agree with that? Do you need God to guarantee value, virtue? What if that God “out there,” that superhuman being, that human being writ large, what if that God doesn’t exist? How would it affect your conduct? Are you good because of God? Do you need that kind of God to be good? In the eighteenth century, Immanuel Kant, who was identified with that great movement of the human spirit, the Enlightenment, was convinced that the human species had come to a hinge point in history, a new level of consciousness: Auf Klärung, the German phrase “enlightenment.” Kant was convinced of the rationality of the human being. He thought that, being free and responsible, the human being would no longer need that external demand, but could selfconsciously and self-critically determine to act morally. Of course, then came the twentieth century, the most bloody and violent century on record. So we can say, “Well, Kant, it isn’t true after all that there is a kind of movement of the human race out of adolescence and into maturity, into adulthood.” That was his claim, that the adolescence of the human race was over and we were moving into another level. But what if the thing that Kant saw is a thing that doesn’t happen overnight, not even in a century or two? What if we are in the midst of a process, a process which has been underway for fifteen billion years? What if the whole process of nature that has brought us to the present moment, what if that whole cosmic process has issued a moment like this, where individuals like us can sit together, considering such a question? What if that process is reflective of that within the process itself which has moved us to this present point and, as Kant saw, we can come consciously to understand? We know so much about our world through scientific investigation, but have only scratched the surface. Nonetheless, I suppose, we have knowledge, and we come self-consciously to the appreciation of the wonder of life, the marvel of the world. This morning I looked out as the sun came up. It caught the ice floes on the lake, and they glistened like a thousand swans. Then, as I was driving across Little Pigeon Creek, that same sun caught two swimming swans in all of their white radiance. One catches one’s breath at the wonder of it all; even in the frigid March, the pussy willow begins again to bud. What if, after fifteen billion years, after the torturous process of the evolutionary, biological, historical development of which we are the product, what if we are the meaning of it all? What if we are beginning to see that invitation to be good without external application of law or threat or promise, but goodness for goodness’ sake? © Grand Valley State University �Do We Need God to be Good? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   “Ah,” you say, “you’re a dreamer.” Yes, I’m a dreamer. There have always been prophets and poets and philosophers and theologians and middling preachers such as myself who have dreamed of another possibility. Certainly Isaiah did in that marvelous sixty-fifth chapter where he talks about the lion and the lamb lying down together and no one hurting or destroying in all God’s holy mountain. And the classic Christian conception of heaven—what is it but the recognition that everything that we know and experience here is only a shadow of what should be, could be, ought to be? Finally, beyond the ambiguities of history in all of its pain and all of its anguish and all of its brokenness and all of its violence, that vision of heaven, that perfect state, that kingdom of God—those are biblical images that emanate from the depths of the human being that knows something other than has ever been. But what if we’ve come to a point where we no longer looked for that external God to intervene and to bring it to consummation? Certainly that was Isaiah’s hope. That was Jesus’ hope. What if we have come to see that God is not “out there,” ready to snap the finger and shape things up, but rather, God is coming to expression in the human? What if it’s our play? What if it’s our move? If God “out there” doesn’t exist, then might there be a spirit within us that is beckoning us to be good for goodness’ sake? Then might we see the function of our religious life as the creation, the recognition of meaning, of living with wonder? What if in this Lenten journey we might come to a fresh awareness, a new understanding, a deeper appreciation and an overwhelming sense of gratitude? In that case, we could fall to our knees and say, “O God!” For what is God but that which is trying to come to expression, to create paradise, heaven on earth, community? Then I wouldn’t need God to be good. God would be good through me. Then the world would be changed and we would live with reverence and awe in the milieu of love and the bonds of community. Then, just then, maybe God would be God. References: Gregory H. Williams. Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black. Plume/Penguin Books, 1996. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent V Series A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story Scripture Text Luke 6:36, Romans 12:2 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Gregory H. Williams. Life on the Color Line: The True Story of a White Boy Who Discovered He Was Black. Penguin, 1996. 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-0-20010318 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-03-18 Title A name given to the resource Do We Need God To Be Good? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 18, 2001 entitled "Do We Need God To Be Good?", as part of the series "A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story", on the occasion of Lent V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 6:36, Romans 12:2. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Compassion Inclusive Lent https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c3831fb62ddceec8eadb2592873beb45.mp3 df24ef8042e65cc5f89ac94879b4866d 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 Lenten Service Series Stations on the Way to Freedom Scripture Text Hosea 11:8, 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-0-20010321 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-03-21 Title A name given to the resource Compassion Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 21, 2001 entitled "Compassion", as part of the series "Stations on the Way to Freedom", on the occasion of Midweek Lenten Service, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hosea 11:8, Luke 23:34. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4e45c9d6cf729d16a94f74af77b517d3.mp3 570a3740a4ca052156a500a0d1e57219 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ee5f744a69a6ec13217c7e1b4c9a68e3.pdf 18c0328ed1ab9b89b32528e38cef1602 PDF Text Text Why Jesus? From the series: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Story Text: II Corinthians 4:6; John 1:15 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan March 25, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon My exposure to people of other faiths is minimal. Of those I have had, the relationships with the Jewish community have been the most meaningful, and I have been enriched through the work of the West Shore Committee for JewishChristian Dialogue. I have found Rabbi Alpert in Muskegon a princely man; Rabbi David Hartman from Jerusalem, who has been with us several times, so intoxicated with God, so full of the Spirit; Rabbi Yitz Greenberg, again a gentle scholar, devout and genuine. I have known fewer Muslim folk, but there, too, far from the TV image of the Islamic terrorists, I found sincerity and a deep hunger for God. I’ve never really known Buddhists, but in our world today you can’t help but be exposed to that in the media or through reading—a wonderful transformation of the human being through the path of dying to self and living in another consciousness. Those experiences with people of other faiths have been enriching to me in recent years, whereas once they would have been very threatening. I was already open for them, I suppose, through the recognition of that universality of God’s grace, and I was beginning to see how God revealed God’s self and offered grace, not only through my own religious tradition, but through other traditions that were authentic ways and experiences of God. In 1990 I sat in the magnificent cathedral in Chartres, outside of Paris. There was an Englishman who had lived there for many, many years and gave lectures. Malcolm Miller was his name, and he knew every nook and cranny, every stone. He pointed out something that I had not been aware of before, that the cathedral once was like the community library. People didn’t read; they didn’t have the printed page. But those stained glass windows told stories, and they became the means of teaching through which people learned and were moved by the biblical story. You can go through the cathedral and follow the biblical story from Creation to Consummation in stained glass. © Grand Valley State University   �Why Jesus? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   As I sat in the Chartres cathedral, I could not help notice how the stained glass windows were diverse in the stories they told. And as I thought about it, I came to realize a parable of sorts. Suppose you came to church every Sunday and picked the same pew. You would only see one set of windows and only part of the story. So perhaps this cathedral is a parable of the respective religious traditions. What if the Christians were gathered in the nave, and they saw the light streaming through the windows there, while the Muslims were in the transept and looked at another set of windows. The Jewish people in the choir would be looking through that magnificent rose window, and the Buddhists off in the other transept would see something else. You get the picture. It struck me that what made all of the windows luminous with teaching and meaning was a common source of light. Such a simple idea! But for me it was a parable, and it became a means by which I could move easily into that pluralism in which I live and move and have my being; that pluralism that recognizes in the great religious traditions of the world, the one eternal God manifest in light and conveying grace. For me this idea was so liberating, so freeing. Of course, I’ve met a lot of other people for whom this is a very threatening idea. If their truth is not the only truth, somehow or another their truth is diminished. I don’t understand that. For me it was the most liberating idea, because I could look at the other, the one who is different from me, and not see them as alien, not see them as a candidate for conversion or worse, a child of hell. I could see a fellow pilgrim, someone whose own pilgrimage could enrich mine through the nuances of that spirituality, and I, as well, might be able to be a means of grace to another. For me it was a liberating idea. But if that is indeed the case, and I do believe it is, then the question this morning is, “Why Jesus?” Why all the fuss about Jesus? Why do I want Jesus to walk with me? Why, in this Lenten season, do we rehearse again the stories of the passion as we move toward Holy Week? Why Jesus? Why in our prayers and our hymns and our liturgies, why is there such a concentration on Jesus? Why Jesus? Well, let me suggest why Jesus this morning. The apostle Paul in his Letter to the Corinthians, that second letter, makes a beautiful, concise statement, for he says: “We preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants, for Jesus’ sake, for the God who said let light shine out of darkness.” In other words, the Creator God has shined in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. Why Jesus? Because we believe God is revealed there. We have seen, as I like to say, in the face of Jesus into the heart of God. Jesus is the embodiment of God. What we see there is reflective of the nature of God. So why Jesus? Because that Mystery that is God must somehow or other come into sharp focus for us, must come into some tangibility, and Paul says that to look into the face of Jesus is to get a clue as to the heart of God. © Grand Valley State University �Why Jesus? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   John, I think even more profoundly in the first chapter of his Gospel, says much the same thing. Paul was the first to write in the fifteen or twenty years or so after Jesus, but John wrote near the end of the century. The Gospel of John is a more philosophical, more thoughtful portrait of Jesus, because Jesus didn’t come, you know. The kingdom didn’t come, the heavens weren’t opened, everything didn’t come to consummation. The preaching of John the Baptist was not realized, and that apocalyptic hope seemed to come to nothing. And so, if it didn’t happen the way they were anticipating it would happen, what did this Jesus encounter mean, after all? I love the way John’s Gospel has it. “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God. And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only son of the father.” Oh, the law came through Moses, to be sure, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. There was, in other words, as Paul said, an unveiling, a revealing. But even more, there was that embodiment, there was that flesh; the Mystery took on human form and dimension. John says that which was in the beginning took human shape before our eyes. I like the translation of that first verse, “In the beginning was the divine intention.” The Greek word can bear that meaning. In the beginning was the divine intention, and that divine intention eventuated in a human being, so that the profound revelation of God is seen in the human. John, the writer of that Gospel, was operating with his own cosmology, but what he said translates so beautifully into what we know about our universe: fifteen billion years ago a Big Bang; a cooling of the elements; the planetary system; the emergence of life; eventually conscious life; and a self-conscious human being. Then 2000 years ago there came a human being that made people say, “That’s it! There it is. That’s a clue to what God is. That is an indication of what we are called to be.” John’s testimony was that divine intention from the beginning. Whether for John that was 4,000 years prior, whether for him there was the three-decker universe with heaven above and hell below, it doesn’t matter. His cosmology was incidental. What he was saying is that in the beginning there was an intention, an intention that unfolded, a dramatic cosmic story that eventuated in the human and in a human, Jesus. For John that was the realization, the manifestation, the human statement of the divine intention. The scientists in our day love to discuss and argue whether or not the universe was made for humankind. There are those who describe the anthropic principle which says that all of the fine balances, all of the things that have happened over these fifteen billion years eventuated in just the right setting, environment, © Grand Valley State University �Why Jesus? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   possibility toward life and for human life. And there are others who say it was willy-nilly, just an accident. Well, you can make your choice; pay your money and make your choice. It doesn’t matter, really, because here we are and we are looking to Jesus as the highest and the best, the realization of the intention of God. But I like to think of that divine intention being pervaded throughout by that serendipitous creativity of the Creator God. I like to think that all of the emerging, evolving biological, historical development, all of that, is the consequence of the lure of love, the Spirit that knows no coercion, but only persuasion, that beckons this process on to the point at which there was a human being. And in the midst of humanity there was a certain Jesus and they said, “My God, that’s it!” This understanding of Jesus is different than the understanding with which I began my life and my ministry. For me, Jesus in the tradition was that one who was with God in the life of the Trinity, who as the second person of the Trinity, came from outside and assumed our human nature, died for our sin, was resurrected and left again. He was a divine intruder, if you will, one who came as the gift of God to be the sin-bearer of the world in order that there might be forgiveness and reconciliation. That’s not how I understand Jesus, obviously, in what I have been saying to you this morning. I understand Jesus not as one who has come from the outside, from another realm. I understand Jesus as one who emerged in the process through the Creator Spirit, who became the embodiment of the divine intention, and whose life is the clue to God’s purpose and meaning for human life as a whole. How do I make that shift? Certainly that old conception comes from the New Testament, there’s no question about that. How do I make that shift from an outsider divine coming in, bearing our sin and moving out again? I make it by understanding Jesus in the historical context in which he lived. This is where all of the historical Jesus research is so fruitful, because it shows us a concrete human being in his historical, social, political, and economic context. It shows us a human being who responded to his context, one who looked at the society of his day and saw the exploitation of imperial Rome and the collaboration of his own leadership of his people. Jesus saw the destitution, the hurt, the pain, the poverty, the despair, the powerlessness, and the voicelessness of the multitudes. He looked at them and saw them as sheep without a shepherd, harassed and tossed about. And somehow or other Jesus was able to communicate to them their dignity as the children of God, to remind them of the covenant of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Jesus was able to call forth their humanity once again. Jesus also saw the power structures, the power brokers of his day. It was clear to him how the people were being used and abused, how the leaders kept forgetting that they were the servants of the people, not the masters of the people, not the © Grand Valley State University �Why Jesus? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   exploiters of the people. Jesus spoke truth to power. He went to the very center of the nation; the Temple of Jerusalem, and brought his word, his good news about another kingdom, an alternative way of being, and they killed him violently. And there, in that life, in that one, I see the realization of God’s intention. A couple of weeks ago I raised the question, “What’s wrong with us?” What’s wrong with us? We live by animal instincts, that old survival instinct that we took with us from the jungle. And I then asked, “Do we need God to be good?” Can’t we see it? Can’t we understand how we destroy ourselves, destroy our planet, destroy society? Can’t we see it? We’re responsible, we have knowledge, we have relative freedom. Do we need God as some threat beyond us, some lawgiver from beyond? Don’t we see it in our own lives and in our society and our day? What’s wrong with us? It is that we are not like Jesus? And what I see in Jesus is the only hope for the transformation of the world. Am I a dreamer? Of course, I’m a dreamer. What do I see in Jesus? I see peaceful non-resistance. I see righteousness incarnate. I see the truth spoken with integrity. I see self-sacrifice. I see a willingness to stand in one’s truth, even at the cost of death. I see one (and here I believe he is the incarnation of God) who meets evil with forgiveness and with grace. I see one who meets hatred with love. “Love your enemies,” he said. I see one who gives us an impossible ethic in the Sermon on the Mount, concluding in Luke’s version: “Be ye therefore compassionate as your father in heaven is compassionate.” I see Jesus. Why Jesus? Because Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. No one will come to the experience of communion in the father’s bosom without that spirit of © Grand Valley State University �Why Jesus? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Jesus, that grace of Jesus, that truth of Jesus, that integrity of Jesus, that fearlessness of Jesus, that freedom of Jesus, that magnificence of Jesus. It was April 15, 1984, Palm Sunday in this place. The title of the sermon was, “Jesus, You Are Really Somebody.” I had come through my own torturous journey to see Jesus in all of his humanity rather than that second person of the Trinity, that divine savior, that one who came, as the true God, the true man, two natures with all of that Christological structure. I had begun to see Jesus in all of his humanity and I was so impressed. It struck me that all along I really had seen a Dietrich Bonhoeffer, for example, as far more impressive than Jesus. Dietrich Bonhoeffer moved me. The story of his martyrdom moved me. Why didn’t Jesus move me? Because Jesus was from the outside; Jesus lacked full humanity. Then, when I began to see Jesus in his humanity, I had to say, “Jesus, you are really somebody!” I had to begin to translate all of the symbolism, because all of our prayers and liturgical forms, our hymns, our anthems are full of the Jesus in that other conceptuality. I still must do that. I understand it as poetry, but when I survey the wondrous cross on which the prince of glory died, I see there a place of violence, where one who died gave expression to the divine intention from all eternity. I want Jesus to walk with me. And when I see that cross and contemplate that life, then I know that such love, such strength, such grandeur of person reflective of the heart of the eternal God demands my soul, my life, my all. It’s the only hope we have. Lord, I want to be like Jesus. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent VI Series A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story Scripture Text II Corinthians 4:6, John 1:15 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-0-20010325 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-03-25 Title A name given to the resource Why Jesus? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 25, 2001 entitled "Why Jesus?", as part of the series "A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story", on the occasion of Lent VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: II Corinthians 4:6, John 1:15. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Intention Inclusiveness Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d1d6c8ca5069cc3da2af762098c60f85.mp3 5b7bf376fa1e80c5526ed5aa9116670b 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 Lenten Service Series Stations on the Way to Freedom Scripture Text Hebrews 5:7, John 12:27 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-0-20010328 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-03-28 Title A name given to the resource Courage Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 28, 2001 entitled "Courage", as part of the series "Stations on the Way to Freedom", on the occasion of Midweek Lenten Service, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hebrews 5:7, John 12:27. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/def162161fe27a1dc681145cc8dafb92.mp3 cde503a930ecf9232eba43d0bd7408c1 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/971a257de3fb3c1912de448ea945dd5a.pdf b0ece7d82e0d947660870ee98501eb3f PDF Text Text Will We Ever Learn? From the series: A Fresh Look At An Ancient Story Text: Zechariah 9:9-10; Psalm 33:10-22; Luke 19:28-48 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Palm Sunday, April 8, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon This is my thirty-first consecutive Palm Sunday in this pulpit. It has been interesting to leaf through my past Palm Sunday sermon themes and texts. Luke 19, beginning with verse 41, has been my favorite. It occurred to me that you could trace my own evolution, my own emerging understanding of Jesus simply by tracing the Palm Sunday themes and texts over the years. Starting out in the early 1970s, there was the emphasis on Palm Sunday of the parade and the party. There was a subject, for example, “The Exhilaration of Celebration.” There was the emphasis on Jesus as the king, the rightful king coming to his rightful place, the agonizing king, the king who came in judgment, wet with tears. I remember that there was also just a little bit of “Schuleresque” in those early Palm Sundays, where we had learned that worship is celebration, that Palm Sunday was a great day to pull out all the stops, and it was fun. Looking back I also saw where that began to change for me in the early 1980s. I began to see Jesus more in terms of his humanity, more in terms of his prophetic role. I began to appreciate the magnificence of the life and the ministry of Jesus as he spoke truth to power, as he addressed the political, social, and economic movers and shakers on behalf of the poor and the marginalized ones. I began to see how strong, how true he was. Then I preached in 1984 “Jesus, You’re Really Somebody.” I continued to probe the theme of grace, the breadth of God’s grace, and I began to see that the idea of the atoning death of Jesus was not something that I could really adhere to any longer. If Jesus came from outer space into our space to die for our sin and to open up heaven for us, then Jesus, indeed, was the only way for salvation. But as I began to see that God’s revealing and God’s grace was of greater extent than just the Christian family, then I began to wonder about that centrality of the atonement. I knew that the atonement necessitated an exclusive gospel. But, if not a savior who died for our sins to make us suitable for heaven, what was Jesus about? I really had to find a whole new paradigm in which to understand him. © Grand Valley State University   �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   It wasn’t until 1993 that I braved the elements and expressed myself clearly: Jesus did not die for our sins, but because of our sins. It was the established, entrenched, worldly powers in all of their forms that conspired to bring him to death violently. And it has been that way ever since as we have continued to probe Jesus in his full humanity. He spoke truth to power, bringing upon himself the wrath of the best and the brightest, the establishment of church and state bringing him to death violently. As a little side note, it is also true that during those days of Palm Sunday celebration in the 1970s, our growth was going off the charts. When I began to sober up a bit and to see some of the superficiality of that and some of the other dimensions of Jesus, our growth leveled off. And when I began to see Jesus as I see him today, everything went downhill. I suspect if you give me another decade I could preach this place empty. But here we are again, another Palm Sunday, another entrance into Holy Week, another serious engagement with Jesus. We have one more time to remember, to reflect and to try to understand what it means to follow Jesus and what he was about, what brought him to death. I found myself over the years often addressing the current events of the day—the Balkan War, the Gulf War, one or another political, international crisis. It always seemed there was something for Palm Sunday that made Jesus’ life and ministry relevant to the current situation. I find it the same today. Let’s just for a few moments imagine Jesus parading into Washington, D.C. Let’s just imagine that Jesus comes up Pennsylvania Avenue, stops at the White House before going on to Congress. What do you think Jesus would have to say today? After all, to celebrate Palm Sunday is to remember the past, but only in order that it may impact the present, in order that we might be more faithful disciples of the one whose name we bear. And so, let’s just imagine for a little bit: Jesus in Washington D.C. All week long I could not help but think about Jesus and the United States and China in their standoff. What would Jesus say? What would Jesus counsel about how to end that standoff and to bring the people home and to move on? What do you think? Well, as I was conscious of this all week, I have been conscious of my reactions. I was conscious of every television newscast, because the media shapes our opinions and whether it is our media or their media, let us not be naive here. I am not talking about Americans or Chinese; I am talking about human beings. And media does shape what we think. I began to consider that international problem in terms of Hung and Elsie Liang, who are here this morning. I think if there was a vote on the loveliest, most gracious, loving, beautiful people in our community, Elsie and Hung Liang would © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   win, hands down. They’re Chinese. Now I know they left China before the Red Plague, but they’re Chinese. So I began to think about this international problem in terms of two concrete people, trying to personalize it rather than allowing the media to demonize the other side. Why would we fear this nation if it has people in it like Hung and Elsie? What do they really think over there, anyway? I went to Samuel Huntington’s The Clash of Civilizations. He is a Harvard expert in international affairs, and this book is highly respected. I remembered that he was saying that in the future, in our global situation, the conflict will be between civilizational groups; the West, the Orthodox, the Chinese, the Muslims, and so on. He has about nine of them. So I went back and I picked up the book again and looked at the little discussion on China. I found that in the late 1980s and 1990s, the relationship between the U.S. and China deteriorated. An inter-governmental document, a Chinese document, said, “We should point out that since becoming the sole superpower, the U.S. has been grasping wildly for a new hegemonism and power politics, and also that its strength is in relative decline and that there are limits to what it can do.” In 1995 the president of China spoke about Western hostility. “Western hostile forces have not for a moment abandoned their plot to westernize and to divide our country.” Also in 1995 there was a broad consensus among Chinese scholars and leaders that the U.S. was trying to divide China territorially, subvert it politically, contain it strategically, and frustrate it economically. Samuel Huntington says, “... and there is good evidence for all of those claims.” So, might decent Chinese people in leadership be scared to death, or irritated at surveillance flights? Have they not a right to be concerned about our supposed negotiations with Taiwan about advanced weaponry? This is an international game and it is a dangerous game, and we’re one of the players. In fact, I saw the young Chinese who were interviewed on the street, and who I think really are very open to America. So many of them want to come here and do come here. But they said the U.S. is such a bully; it throws its weight around. Another said, “Why can’t the United States see us as a friend instead of a competitor? Why the hostility?” I know the situation is complex. I know there are good people doing their best to end this standoff. I know I am naive and uninformed, but I also know that I am a human being with a moral intuitive sense, and some common sense, and I want to know why such a standoff has to be marked by such diplomatic duplicity on both sides, the demonizing of the other side. Is it so difficult to say, “This whole world of which we are a part has a shadow side to it, and we play into it, and we are strategically trying to contain you because we’re number one and any time you are number one, you are threatened to death about who is going to come on your tail”? © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   You can live in a gated community and you can get your security forces out, but when you are on top of the heap, you don’t sleep well. Would it be so difficult to say to the Chinese, “We’re in this thing together and it’s not good, and we’re sorry”? I suppose that is naive, but it is just a suggestion from a simple preacher, and I think the thing could be over. Jesus in Washington. He might stop by the White House and he might say to President Bush, “Why did you just scrap the Kyoto Treaty?” A special in Time magazine dated April 9 says, “Except for nuclear war or a collision with an asteroid, no force has more potential to damage our planet’s web of life than global warming. It’s a serious issue, the White House admits, but nonetheless, George W. Bush has decided to abandon the 1997 Kyoto Treaty to combat climate change, an agreement the U.S. signed but the new President believes is fatally flawed. His dismissal last week of almost nine years of international negotiations sparked protests around the world and a face-to-face disagreement with German Chancellor Schroeder.” This special Time report studies this whole issue, and in the course of the discussion about global warming, says ten years ago the data was fuzzy. We had no hard proof of global warming. But at the present time, the data is pretty certain that there is such a phenomenon as global warming and that it will have deleterious effects unless it is curbed. Why isn’t anything done about it? This paragraph reveals the reasons: Members of both major political parties recognize that global warming is a longterm problem that carries little short-term political risk. In other words, if in the year 2050, disaster strikes, it’s not going to impact anybody presently in Congress. By the time their inaction causes big trouble, many decades from now, they will be long gone. But, if they foul up the economy, they will be sent home next election day. When it comes to the environment in general, the president must answer charges that his campaign sales pitch was little more than bait and switch. Almost immediately upon taking office, the soothing candidate who made it a point to sound so many green themes on the stump began to govern much more like the oil patch president Conservatives hoped he would be.” That is from Time magazine. In the same issue, the Congress is detailed. Campaign financing: will it work, will it make any difference, will it do any good? The question is this: if the bill becomes law, will it truly disinfect our politics? The end of Clinton’s presidency and the launch of Bush’s were a parable for reformers, between the pardons for Democratic fat cats and the environmental policy clout of big business. But like a virus, political money has a way of mutating so that it spreads in any environment. © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   If Jesus came to Washington today, I suppose he might have something to say about this planet, this creation, and the fact that we are playing fast and loose and political people are bowing to the pressure of power and wealth and entrenched, established corporate leadership. Corporate leadership. What would Jesus say about that? Michael Harrington is kind of a gadfly, prophetic type, and he is a bit on the left, and yet he got attacked from the left. Now if you’re attacked from the right and the left, you must be doing something right. He was worried about the growing collectivism of our economic systems. The Communist system, of course, is state planned collectivism, but it’s not only the state that can plan the economy. He suggests that the trend under modern capitalism was toward a top-down command model, bureaucratic collectivism in which huge oligopolies administered prices, controlled the politics of investment, bought off the political system, and defined cultural taste and values while obtaining protection and support from the state. Harrington says it is not a good thing that under modern capitalism, effective control over investment, credit, and social planning is increasingly vested in the hands of un-elected elites who hold their own class interest and who valorize their own class-determined notions of the public good. Then there is this Catholic nun—you always have to doubt Catholic nuns. They’re usually bleeding heart liberals and they’re very, very idealistic and of no practical good, really. But Joan Chittister is a rather thoughtful one who talks about the 25 largest multi-national corporations that have annual GNPs that exceed the annual GNP of the United States and Western Europe combined. She asks, concerned about the environment, “What is good for the company? What promotes profit? What enhances technology? Stirs us? Drives us, blinds us? Whatever it takes to double the dollar—the squalor of the people, the loss of the rainforest, the weight of the smog, the clogging of waterways and the appropriation of resources—we leave to the generations to follow with never even a grace to blush. It is patriarchy waged in mortal battle for power, profit, and personal supremacy. It is a global male game of ruthless proportions called having dominion and survival of the fittest.” Well, that’s what you’d expect from such a source. If Jesus came to Washington, or if he came to Wall Street, or if he came to the Church in Greece, an Orthodox country where one of the Greek clerics says there will be bloodshed if the pope comes to visit, don’t you think Jesus might have something to say? So Church, corporate America, Congress, the presidency—I have enough in this sermon to offend everybody. If I didn’t get your favorite, just stay tuned. My point is this, dear friends. It was addressing these kinds of things that brought Jesus to violent death. If Jesus had died as a savior of the world for the © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   forgiveness of our sins and we could have pursued that in a personal piety, no one would care. If Jesus had simply said, “Look, I’m dying as a savior figure for sin, and Jerusalem, you can stay just as you are. Rome stay just as you are,” he would not have been killed. He would have died in his bed. But you see, on Palm Sunday he entered the city and confronted power with truth, prophetic truth, because he knew what we know, and that is that society becomes structured, develops structures. It needs them. We cannot live without social structures. We need political structures and economic structures; we need institutional forms. That is the only way we can operate with one another. A society needs order, it needs law, it needs custom. But what happens is that a society is organized like a pyramid, and over time, power comes to the top and that power is usually in terms of wealth. Wealth controls the political leaders, and what is bought and paid for is the maintenance of the status quo, which is good for business and which keeps everything on an even keel. It was true in Jesus’ day. Imperial Rome was an occupying power. The leaders of the Jewish people were collaborating for their own prestige and position and also trying to protect their holy place. Let us not fail to see that there was some genuine concern on the part of Caiaphas. But the system was wrong. There were people, masses of people who were being cast off their land, who didn’t have enough to eat, who were poor and suffering. It was a domination system and Jesus knew that it was contrary to that covenant understanding from the Hebrew scriptures, the tradition that was his. He spoke in the name of that tradition. He spoke where it made a difference. And they killed him. But the situation was not unique. That is the way it always is. It is true today. It is a pyramid, and our political system is bought and paid for. Campaign finance? My goodness, there are all kinds of senators who voted for it who really didn’t want it, because how does it operate other than through money? Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, in his cynicism, tried to get an amendment passed which would make it unconstitutional so the courts could throw it away, and it is still not passed. It has to go to the House where it may be killed so it never comes to the floor, because our politicians don’t want campaign finance, because that is the way they have gotten where they are. That is the system. Would Jesus have anything to say about that? He’d have something to say about how we’re dealing with the poor and the disenfranchised. He would have something to say about health care and he would have something to say about the fact that an inheritance tax is not a death tax, and probably if you have that much money, you don’t have to keep it anyway. Jesus would follow the money and he would speak a word, and it is the way society always is organized. Sometimes a poet comes along and sees it and sings it, but you can ignore poets. You can ignore Joan Chittister; she’s just a Catholic nun, a kind of a rebel. And then a prophet sees it and a prophet declares it and finds the problem. So you kill the prophet. © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 7   Do you think that Jesus didn’t know what he was up against? This isn’t a bad Palm Sunday text, either: Woe you Pharisees, scribes, hypocrites, you leaders of the people, for you build tombs to the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous and you say, “If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in the shedding of the blood of the prophets.” Thus you testify against yourself that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors. You snakes, you brood of vipers, how can you escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore, I send you prophets, sages and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, some of whom you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town so that upon you may come all the righteous bloodshed from Abel to the blood of Zechariah, Son of Berachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar. Truly I tell you all this will come upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it, how often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not, and your house is left to you desolate. I don’t know who it would be, but somebody in Washington would see that this prophet, and this poet, would be done away with. It might be the Pentagon. Maybe the National Security Office. Maybe the Congress itself. It could be a conspiracy cooked up in Wall Street. Who knows. But somebody would do away with him in our world today. Because nothing has changed. There is still a concentration of wealth and power, prestige and position. The only difficulty with that is, when you get there, you really have to build gates high and engage security forces, because you are going to be looking over your shoulder, because you are not at ease. You cannot rest. It is like the U.S. seeing China coming on its tail. I think that Jesus, when he said those words in Matthew which I just quoted, was angry. But ultimately, Jesus was not angry. It was anguish, because he was a son of Israel and he knew the Psalmist who said the war-horse is a vain hope for victory. The king is not saved by his army. Power finally will not do it. He knew Zechariah. He knew the vision of the prophets about the day that a peaceable king would come and do away with all the weapons of war. And if he had come into Washington today, he would have known one of the great crises of our world today, of the whole globe, is a question of global warming, and he would know about the concentration of wealth and power, and he would have to say something about it. He would probably say something about the pyramid shape of our society, and he would be worried about those lower layers. Jesus wept. Anger begets anger. Hostility begets hostility. But compassion and anguish sometimes call people up short. Dear God, what a Palm Sunday it would © Grand Valley State University �Will We Ever Learn? Richard A. Rhem Page 8   be if some of you movers and shakers, you who are the elite of the earth, would say, “What in the world can we do to follow Jesus?” I began Lent by saying, “What’s the matter with us?” I followed up with the question, “Do we need God to be good?” There is a little twist that is different this Palm Sunday, because in the light of where I have been moving, I thought one time that somehow or other that messianic dream of shalom would be affected by God coming in and making it all right. The more I think about it, the more I think God has said, “It’s in your hands. What are you going to do about it? I have sent you my son. You have a paradigm; you have a model. You know. You know.” Jesus weeps while we procrastinate and our world is in jeopardy. That is really what Palm Sunday is all about. A people wanted a parade. Parades are good. Celebrations are exhilarating. But if Jesus walked into Washington today, he wouldn’t have much more than a week to live. So, my question is: Will we ever learn? © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Palm Sunday Series A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story, Scripture Text Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 33:10-22, Luke 19:28-48 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20010408 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-04-08 Title A name given to the resource Will We Ever Learn? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 8, 2001 entitled "Will We Ever Learn?", as part of the series "A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story,", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Zechariah 9:9-10, Psalm 33:10-22, Luke 19:28-48. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Non-violence Prophetic Voice Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/71b83f6eaeb1ae8301e6c7b77fdb9748.mp3 11f3bf19630c10fe0a38a71de3bef9a6 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Maundy Thursday Scripture Text Mark 14: 22-25, 32-36 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-0-20010412 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-04-12 Title A name given to the resource The Moment of Truth Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 12, 2001 entitled "The Moment of Truth", on the occasion of Maundy Thursday. Scripture references: Mark 14: 22-25, 32-36. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d290e3065969f639e0e25345392efa3.mp3 ef8e482e89dfb86b40b915451cc940c7 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/107627a179fd06af9600318274593c77.pdf 2a9dfd7335104df8006013a6b49c9f7f PDF Text Text An Invitation to Life From the series: A Fresh Look at an Ancient Story Scripture: Psalm 16:5-11; I Peter 1:3-9,19-29; John 5:1-9 Text: John 5:24 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon There is a lot available to you today and tonight on Easter and Jesus - television specials and programs, one dealing with the face of Christ. Apparently there is an archeologist that has studied Jewish skulls going back through all the diggings, a couple of thousand of them, and then a medical artist whose specialty is putting flesh to bone, and now there is another head of Jesus to compete with Salman's "Head of Christ," which is so famous in our experience. Last year the National Catholic Reporter had a contest for the image of Jesus for the Third Millennium, and the winner was a woman by the name of Janet MacKenzie who painted an African American woman, and, of course, that caused a little bit of stir among the faithful. But her point, of course, was Jesus as the liberator in that image, and what was being conveyed was that there are still those who need to be freed, liberated. So, there is going to be this long special about images of Christ tonight. There is another one, 'The Face of Christ in Art," and in all of these it is interesting that we should be concerned about it, if we are, because as I reflected on it in terms of Easter this morning, I was struck by the fact that the important thing is not what Jesus looked like, but that he was, indeed, human. That is the critical matter. I say that in the light of our understanding of the reality of which we are a part. A cosmic process that they tell us has been going on for some 15 billion years, perhaps, and that that cosmic process with all of the complexity and all of the fascination of that development should issue in creatures like us, human beings, human beings who are conscious and aware, who give the universe a voice, creatures who are able to reflect on that whole process, and to wonder at it, that among those human beings there should have been one Jesus, the Christ. Now, that is amazing. If you want to speak of miracle, that is a miracle, that this process has eventuated in the human and that, among the humans, there should have been one Jesus. That is the wonder of it all and that is the critical matter, © Grand Valley State University �An Invitation to Life Richard A. Rhem Page 2 not what he looked like, but that he was genuinely bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. You might have already seen this weekend another television special that is created by the Coral Ridge Ministries. I have made reference to it an earlier time when I saw it, perhaps around the Christmas season, about who is this real Jesus. This is produced by D. James Kennedy, and if you would catch that you will see that the concern about what Jesus looked like is not evident at all. There is no concern. But there is a concern and that is the factuality of the resurrection, that Jesus who was crucified, as a matter of fact, walked out of the tomb. This word “fact” comes through often. The point is, of course, in this evangelical understanding of the Easter miracle, that it was Jesus who died as the sin-bearer for the world, who was raised by God as an indication that that sin offering was accepted, and, if you would watch that video, it will conclude with the Sinner's Prayer where you will acknowledge that you are a sinner, that you believe that Christ died for your sin, and that you ask for forgiveness and claim the promise, then, of heaven. That, of course, is the old, traditional conception of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. So, you can see that tonight, too, and that still speaks to millions and millions of people. I was reminded of the fact that when I went to Europe in 1967 the resurrection was the hot topic. There had been 100 years of European scholarship in which no one hardly dared speak about the resurrection. There was still the impact of the Enlightenment and miracle was not one of the possibilities, and so certainly no one dared speak about the resurrection of Jesus. But, about the time I got there, there was a whole class of students who were the students of the great Barth and Bultmann, and they were beginning to think again and speak again about the resurrection, and that the New Testament really could not be understood apart from the resurrection, and their emphasis, what they had hold of, was not like the Coral Ridge video– Jesus dying for sin and being raised again– but rather, Jesus being raised in the midst of history as the illuminator of history, and I can remember how powerful that was at the time. A theologian named Moltmann spoke about the theology of hope, and there was this whole emphasis on the resurrection of Jesus as the sign of the future consummation and all of the promises of God would be realized, and the kingdom of God would come fully into view. That was an important moment for me, frankly, personally, that resurrection in the midst of history. In fact, I came back to this congregation in 1971 under false pretenses. They thought I was the same one that left in 1964 but, anyway, the one thing that I did say to them early on was "Give me Jesus and the resurrection, and the rest is negotiable." As I have been thinking about Easter 2001 and this morning, I realize that my conception of things continues to grow, my sense of God, my appreciation for Jesus, and my sense of what the whole cosmic drama is about, so that it is not that sin offering and it is not even the fact that in the midst of history there is a sign of history's ultimate culmination. As I thought about it, the important thing © Grand Valley State University �An Invitation to Life Richard A. Rhem Page 3 for me is that life of Jesus, as I said a moment ago, that in the course of this cosmic process, out of this tapestry of swirling energy there should have arisen, not only a human being, but one like Jesus. And as I thought about it, I realized that Easter at one time for me meant the solution to the problem of death, and the resurrection of Jesus was to be celebrated because it signed the conquering of death. But, that isn't nearly so important for me today. What is really important is that life, that life that was lived in the midst of our history, that life that confronted power with truth, that spoke truth to power, that spoke against all systems of domination and oppression, that life that revealed the heart of God full of mercy and compassion, that spoke for justice and equity. Jesus, that magnificent life - that is the important thing: that he died trusting God, of course, but that he lived out a vision, the vision of what he believed was the divine intention. That is the amazing thing to me today. And then, as I thought about that, the question came: "Well, then, what is Easter?" Easter is what happened when his followers had the same experience I did. After the disappointment of his death, the fear and their fading into the woodwork, they began to come together again, and they said, "My God! He's still with us. He's alive. He's alive with God, and he is present with us." What they began to see was that what he was is what God is, and they knew that what he was, which is what God is, can never finally be defeated, can never finally be executed, can never finally be rubbed out. For one way or another, in one form or another, what Jesus was was a reflection of the divine intention. It was a reflection of that love and that mystery at the heart of things, and you can crucify it, you can execute it, you can try to put it away, you can stamp it out only so long, and it rises again. What he was is what God is, the divine Lover, the divine Intention, the Sacred at the center of things that will not be defeated, that will not finally be overcome. That is why we live with an indomitable hope. That is why we have this annual celebration, this affirmation of faith that all the wonder and the beauty and the truth, the integrity and the magnificence of that one life can never be overcome, never be defeated, never finally be put out, for the light will shine in the darkness and continue to shine, and finally, no matter how dark the abyss, life will return and Jesus is an invitation to life. You can get all of the images in the scripture, you can get the Coral Ridge image, you can get the Hope and History image, and even in John's gospel there is that paragraph back to back, the word of Jesus that gives life to the dead, some of them the living dead. And in the next paragraph, the dead in the tomb. It is all there, all of the images are there, all of the scenarios are there. But, for me, on this Easter, I celebrate Easter because of the life of Jesus and what he was is what God is, and that is why I follow him. Not because he died, but because he lived, and when I come to this table, I take bread and cup in order that I may be in solidarity with him and, taking bread and cup, I receive that promise that, to the end of the age, he will be with me. The lure of love at the heart of things came to expression in one Jesus. Now, there's a life and an invitation to true living. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Easter Sunday Series A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story, Scripture Text John 5:24 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-0-20010415 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-04-15 Title A name given to the resource An Invitation to Life Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 15, 2001 entitled "An Invitation to Life", as part of the series "A Fresh Look At an Ancient Story, ", on the occasion of Easter Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 5:24. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Intention Love Resurrection Sacred https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c062828c05461539cdb9dafe3b5074e3.mp3 507fa4a7ea2e4a365802043d5cfab969 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d43757fdd130d16af9258f78f7247004.pdf 3237d13538c0d3afcc7853f603ad2d59 PDF Text Text The Rise of Easter Faith From the series: Credo Text: I Corinthians 15:8; Acts 26:13 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan April 22, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon For some reason or other (I suppose it is my age), I am beginning to reflect back over the way that I have come, and Easter brings me back to my European experience. I was very, very fortunate that, after seven years of pastoral ministry, I was able to take four years for study and reflection in the European setting. I had come here in 1960 and I had all the answers, and after seven years of pastoral experience, I began to learn what the questions were, and for the first time in my life I wanted really to know, I wanted to understand as best I could, wherever it might lead me or leave me. That European experience was precious, and it has continued to bear fruit in my life ever since. When I got there in the late 60s, the theme was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Everybody was talking about it; the scholarly world was abuzz with talk about the resurrection. There had not been much talk of resurrection for over one hundred years. The leadership of theological investigation was pretty much centered in Germany, Holland, England, and the Continent, and the impact of the Enlightenment had sent shockwaves through the Church and its academic establishment– that Enlightenment of the 18th century, the birth of critical thinking when our knowledge of the world exploded, when we entered what has been called the Age of Reason. One could do one of two things if one was a believing person in the light of that Enlightenment - one could either run for shelter in orthodox creed, batten down the hatches, build the walls high and refuse to allow the critical thinking and the knowledge that was coming to light to have any bearing on one's faith, or one could try to take it in and then see what kind of adjustment to faith or what kind of new understanding of Christian tradition might be forthcoming. I grew up and was nurtured in a tradition which shut itself against critical thinking, critical rationality. There was a great liberal establishment that sought to come to terms with the new knowledge that was coming to the fore, trying to understand the Gospel in light of that new knowledge. That liberal establishment, in my experience was the enemy, very threatening. They had given up on God and the Gospel. But, when I got to Europe, there was a point of sufficient maturity © Grand Valley State University �The Rise of Easter Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 2 whereby I began to see that those who were trying to interpret the Gospel in light of emerging knowledge, were not enemies of the faith but, rather, were trying desperately to give testimony to the faith in an entirely new world situation, an entirely new world view. I came to see that, as a matter of fact, that is what every generation must do, because the world keeps changing, the situation changes, and so new knowledge coming to light calls for a new translation or a revisioning of the faith in light of the reality which everybody is living. There was a phrase I learned at that time, the climate of opinion, and I came to understand for the first time how every period and every epoch has a climate of opinion. It is that overwhelming sense of what is; it is that unquestioned view of reality which is conscious or unconscious, but shared generally, and I came to see that the great liberal attempt to articulate the Gospel was really an heroic attempt to speak the grace of God in a totally changed situation, and that these people were not to be scorned but to be respected and listened to, and valued for that attempt to move the Gospel into another key. It was not that in the rise of critical rationality we were becoming more intelligent than our forebears or those who formulated the early creeds or wrote the Gospels. I was thinking about that last evening. We still go back and read Plato and Aristotle. We still converse with Socrates and the Golden Age of Greek philosophical development. Five hundred years before Jesus Christ the Greeks were wrestling with ultimate human questions about the meaning of life and the human experience, and we still study them today. We still read with profit those discussions. I got a depressing thought when I realized that 500 years from now, no one is going to be looking at my sermons. So, you get my point. It is not that suddenly we have become so brilliant in contrast to those earlier generations who were benighted. We probably have lost a dimension of depth which they possessed. But, as a matter of fact, the world has changed. Just the knowledge of the world in which we live has changed, the nature of our human experience has changed, the nature of the human person comes to light, the whole of reality breaks open in a new and fresh way, and now what does it mean to believe in Jesus Christ? Such discussions had been going on in Europe. There was a great New Testament scholar, Rudolf Bultmann, who had a project of demythologizing the Gospels. He said if you turn a switch and the light goes on, if you turn a dial and you hear voices from the ether waves (and what would he say about the Internet), that experience of modernity demands of us some fresh understanding of the meaning of the Gospel, and so he suggested a program of demythologizing the stories of the Gospel. At the time I arrived, his students were around, as well as the students of Karl Barth, and about that time they were investigating again the centrality of the resurrection to the Gospel story, and it was becoming evident that you couldn't understand the New Testament witness without the resurrection. It was absolutely central. It was the resurrection that had created everything else, and so, there were attempts to explain and to understand the meaning of resurrection in those New Testament documents, particularly in the Gospels, and it was quite an enterprise. Understand that I was going over to © Grand Valley State University �The Rise of Easter Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Europe ready to learn but still scared to death I would go home with nothing to preach. There was a contention at the time that Easter was the rise of faith in the hearts and minds of the disciples. Jesus didn't arise in terms of a body coming out of a tomb, but Jesus arose in the understanding of the disciples. That was rather threatening to me; I was trying to find somebody who was looking for at least a faint footprint of God's action in the sands of time. Have you ever been there? Have you ever said to God, "If You'd just give me something tangible to hold unto?" I desperately wanted to believe. I desperately wanted to preach good news, but I didn't know if I could, and that possibility of resurrection being the rise of faith in the minds and hearts of the disciples looked like a possibility, although it wasn't quite enough for me. But, I think I heard myself last Sunday on Easter Sunday suggest that very thing - that Easter was the rise of faith in the minds and hearts of that intimate circle around Jesus who were crushed in his crucifixion, but who came to realize in their community together that what he was could never die, and so they shouted, The Lord has risen!" Now, what happened, I don't know. I did read I Corinthians 15 in which Paul deals not with a corpse coming out of a tomb, but with a vision of the living Christ. I even went to my Greek Bible and I made sure that the word he used in that second paragraph of I Corinthians 15 is the same word throughout. He says that "Jesus appeared to Peter, to Cephas, he appeared unto James, he appeared to the twelve, he appeared to 500 at one time and many of whom are still alive, and finally, as one born at the wrong time, he appeared also to me." That is the clue, of course. "He appeared also to me," and the same word is used, the same seeming substance as to the appearance to Peter and James and to the twelve and to the 500. We know when he appeared to Paul, according to Paul's own testimony. In the Book of Acts going on the way to Damascus to rub out any sign of the followers of the Way, he is confronted with a light and a voice and he's knocked off his horse and his life is transformed, inwardly transformed, turned around, according to his own expression. And so, apparently, it wasn't necessary to have an Easter experience. It wasn't necessary to have an Easter experience by touching a corpse revived. It could happen inwardly in the imagination, in the mind, in the heart, in the being. It could happen in a visionary manner of one sort or another. In fact, if you would go on in that 15th chapter, you would find Paul trying so hard to figure out what in the world was going on. He talks about the physical body and then he talks about the spiritual body. Well, what is a spiritual body? Whatever it is, Paul contrasts the physical body, the flesh, with that spiritual body, and he goes on in another place in that same chapter to say, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven." Obviously, he was saying it is not Jesus come back in flesh and blood that is present, that is appearing, that is experienced. © Grand Valley State University �The Rise of Easter Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Probably my favorite Easter story is the story of the Emmaus Road: two companions making their way from Jerusalem to Emmaus, and another joins them along the way. They don't recognize him and, to make a long story short, they invite him to come because it is nearing eventide, to break bread with them and he comes into their home and instead of being their guest, he acts as the host. He blesses the bread, breaks it and gives it to them, and they say, "My God!" and he is gone. What kind of an experience is that? It is an experience of a presence, of a spirit, of a reality, experienced in conversation, in communion, at table, breaking bread. It is the experience of a presence, so they speak of a burning heart and suddenly their eyes are opened and, of course, when their eyes are opened to recognize him, he's not there because that is not the point. Now, if you go on to the next paragraph, Luke is a bit nervous about the fact that we might get the impression that that is all there is and that is enough, and so he has them coming to the disciples that same night and he sits down with them and they look at him horrified and he says, "What's the matter? I'm not a ghost. Anybody got a boiled fish?" Well, that really runs counter to that earlier experience. I am sure Luke, the Gospel writer, is trying to say, "Look, this wasn't an hallucination. This was not just an illusory, momentary experience. This thing is real. Jesus lives. The God-presence that was present with us in Jesus is present with us still. He can still create a burning heart. Across the table, bread broken, something happens between us." In various ways, some contradictory, those gospel writers are trying to say that the one who was crucified is still present in conversation, in community, in the breaking of bread, God with us, Spirit with us, that which was present when we were with Jesus did not die, crucified though he was, for we are still the community of the burning heart, for we experience the reality in the presence from God. What was the result? Credo. In Latin and Greek, it means "I believe." Credo, the first word of the Apostles Creed, the first word of the Nicene Creed. Credo. Credo in God. I believe in God. That was the consequence of the Easter experience, of the Easter faith. The Church went on to confess its faith. It did it in its own conceptuality, in its own world and life view, it did it in the only language and understanding available to it. But, it was trying to say there was something real here. I believe in God. What God? God the Creator. What God? The God of whom Jesus spoke. What God? © Grand Valley State University �The Rise of Easter Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 5 The God whose Spirit is here in the midst of us. They said, "I believe." For us, belief has become a difficult thing because we think post-Enlightenment, post-scientific method, post-empiricism. We think that belief has to do with the things that we can verify scientifically, and there is a lot that we cannot verify scientifically, and so belief comes into trouble. But, in its origin, initially, in the study of "to believe," it was "to love." In German, Beleven. The beloved. The creed also originally meant not that which I believe intellectually, but that which I give my heart to, that in which my heart rests. This is the trust of my life. I believe. I rest. I trust beyond anything that I intellectually can take apart or empirically verify. It is the tone quality of my life. It is who I am. I believe because I have experienced that which is beyond fathoming, and I continue to experience it now and again with another in conversation, in community, in the breaking of bread, with a companion along the way, the one who comes to dinner. Last Tuesday night, Rabbi Sandy Sasso was here and I had the privilege of being at the table with her and breaking bread with her. She is the author of those marvelous children's books, and she was the guest of our Worship Center and some other supporting groups. A lovely person, a wonderful human being, this woman Jewish Rabbi who writes children's books about God. Nancy and I, after her wonderful lecture, bought one hundred dollars' worth of books for all the grandchildren. On the next morning, I took those up to my loft and I read them and I cried. One of them entitled, In Between, tells about a village where there are no streets, with rocks and weeds, and most of the houses have no windows. Only two houses have windows, and the man and the woman who have each a window in their house, are commissioned by this village, stumbling around, stammering, to go out and to search whether or not there is a God. And so, she goes and climbs the highest mountain and reaches for the clouds and searches in the depths of the ocean. He goes across the desert, around the world. Each of them in search of God finally come back together. Neither of them has found God. She touches his sunburned arm and he wraps his blanket around her, and they return to the village where everything is the same, except they begin to build windows in all of the houses. The villagers say to them, "Did you find God in the desert?" "No." In the mountains?" "No." "In the ocean?" "No." © Grand Valley State University �The Rise of Easter Faith Richard A. Rhem Page 6 "See? We told you there is not God." "Oh," they said, "we found God." "Where, then, is God?" They looked at each other and they said, "God is in-between." Now, if you can't cry at that, then you need to pray for eyes to see and ears to hear and a heart to understand, because, my God, I believe. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide I Series Credo Scripture Text Luke 24:31, I Cor. 15:8, Acts 26:13 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-0-20010422 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-04-22 Title A name given to the resource The Rise of Easter Faith Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 22, 2001 entitled "The Rise of Easter Faith", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Eastertide I, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 24:31, I Cor. 15:8, Acts 26:13. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Nature of God Resurrection Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8d14dc85e456c6a400ad46fef4e0e964.mp3 0cacdcb75f985cace882993f76aac345 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5fae365219acf9e96959d3ac9b07171a.pdf 626e817bd13d079dd8a54305f0448edd PDF Text Text Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden From the Eastertide series: Credo Scripture: Genesis 1:1-5, 31; John 1:1-5 Text: Genesis 1:1, 31; John 1:3 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Earth Day, April 29, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon In the wake of Easter, the disciples found that the crucified was with them still and the overwhelming sense of the presence of Jesus, the spirit of Jesus, convinced them that what he stood for, what he embodied, what he was, could never die, could never be destroyed, and so in the wake of Easter, it is that the Christian tradition arose. Credo, I believe. Credo, in the Greek and Latin language, the verb and the subject being expressed in that particular form, I believe. Not that I believe this, that and the other thing, but I believe in God. I believe in that which was embodied in Jesus. I believe in that which I experienced in Jesus as being ultimately true. Credo. I believe in God. What God? Well, the God of Israel, of course, the one eternal and true God, the God who created heaven and earth. What God? Well, the God we have seen in the face of Jesus, the God with a nature and character that came to expression in Jesus, the word made flesh. What God? Well, the God that we sense present with us still, present in the spirit, the spirit of Jesus, the God who gives us the burning heart still in conversation, in community, in the breaking of bread. Credo. I believe, I trust. Not I believe a lot of things, but I trust in that God as the bedrock of my life, the source and ground of all being, believe, in the original sense of that word and its old English meaning, to belove, to cast one's heart upon. I trust in God. The fundamental posture of my life is one of confident trust in God. © Grand Valley State University �Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Richard A. Rhem Page 2 Thus, Christian faith was born in the wake of the crucified and risen one, and the ongoing experience of his presence with those who became his immediate followers. That Christian tradition which was born at Easter, was a tradition that stood in continuity with that Jewish womb from which it emerged. That continuity with the face of Israel meant, of course, that the God embodied in Jesus was the God of creation. There was an intentional purpose to connect the God of Jesus with the God of Israel, for as the Hebrew scriptures began, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," so in the Gospel of John, as one example, we have "In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God," trying to say, as a matter of fact, we don't believe in some other God. We believe in the God of our forebears, we believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We believe in the creator of the heavens and the earth. This God we believe is revealed, embodied in the flesh of Jesus, for the word that was in the beginning in the fullness of time became flesh and dwelt among us, this God embodied in Jesus, present with us still. What God? God the Creator. What God? The God revealed in the face of Jesus. What God? The God ... don't you experience the burning heart even as we speak? Thus, we have the Trinitarian format of the Apostles Creed, for example. "I believe in God the father, I believe in Jesus Christ his only son, I believe in the Holy Spirit." The Trinitarian form of the Apostles Creed is simply the setting forth of the experience that they had of God, of God revealed in Jesus, of God experienced in the Holy Spirit. Gradually, little by little, things came into focus. Three hundred and twenty-five years after Jesus, the Council of Nicea met, and the Nicene Creed is still used in the Church. Credo. I believe. The Apostles Creed coming together in its form as we know it some centuries later, but still, these are very early beginnings. Credo. I believe in God. Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. This morning is Earth Day and what a glorious Earth Day it is, and on this Earth Day as we continue our series, "Credo," I believe, I want to think about creation, for the God whom we confess, the God whom we have experienced in Jesus, the God who is present with us in the Spirit, is the God, we say, who created the heavens and the earth. In that Genesis account we have Israel's testimony of faith that creation, the cosmos, the physical reality of which we are a part, the tapestry into which we are woven, is not just an accident. It is not just a chance unraveling © Grand Valley State University �Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Richard A. Rhem Page 3 of whatever, but is the result of an intention that God created the heavens and the earth, and that creation at the end of the account, and the verse that I failed to read, verse 31, says, "God looked at all that was made and behold, it was very good." An affirmation of creation. An affirmation of the natural world. That is not an insignificant fact, for there are great spiritual traditions that do not understand the natural world, the physical world in that positive sense. There are great spiritual traditions with great spiritual insights that see, rather, matter as evil. They see a dualism of life in darkness and the darkness and the evil being carried in matter, and salvation for such a tradition is not the resurrection of the body, but it is, rather, the deliverance from the prison house of the body. It is a spiritual kind of existence, to be set free from the body, to be set free from matter. So, when the Genesis creation account says that God said it was very good, it is not insignificant, and the implications of that are great. I'm not going to draw them out this morning. That is not my intention. But, I want to say that the faith of Israel that saw creation as the creation of God in a very positive light has impacted us in a very positive sense in terms of our understanding of the body and nature. Of course, as you go on in that first chapter of Genesis, we have, as well, this word to the human pair, the human person that was created, "Be fruitful, multiply, and subdue the earth." That word was also a word intended very positively. It is a word of human dignity, calling the human being into co-creatorship with God, to become an agent in the unfolding of creation. But, that biblical word that comes at the end of the creation story has been a word that has been criticized rather severely in recent years in terms of the environmental crisis and the ecological crisis that we are experiencing in our world today. I can remember when I first read a critique of Genesis 1 as one of the sources of the environmental crisis. This goes back a good number of years, and I still remember it was in a book review, and the book took the Jewish scriptures and Christian scriptures to task for that mandate at the end of chapter one that said “subdue the earth,” and it said that that created a domination model that gave license to the human creature to exploit the earth. I can remember when I read that and I remember my resistance to it. I was resistant to it because it went contrary to everything I had ever been taught or my whole understanding of that first chapter of Genesis. I had understood that first chapter of Genesis was lifting up the human being, as I said, as some agent of creation and as a matter of fact, saying here it is. Develop it. Not exploit it, to be sure, but develop it. Utilize it, use its resources, become a co-creator with God. And when I first read that as a criticism, I was not at all ready to receive it. I was not really fully cognizant of the crisis into which our physical universe and our planet had come. I wasn't really terribly concerned about it because, after all, I was a minister of the Gospel and I was concerned about the souls of my people and I didn't have a lot of time to worry about the © Grand Valley State University �Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Richard A. Rhem Page 4 earth. That was the day of my rather conservative past when I would have thought to celebrate Earth Day on a Sunday would have been sacrilege, in which I would have gone out and gotten those young people out cleaning up the environment and brought them into church! Good grief! You don't let them get away from hearing a good sermon by cleaning up papers and bottles out in the environment! Liberals would do that. Let the godless do that. We worship because we're concerned about spiritual things. I can remember this old article from Newsweek, which says, "In the major religions of the West, the world of nature from planets to plankton has little theological significance. As peoples of the Book, Jews, Christians, Muslims, look primarily to sacred text for God's revelation. The enveloping universe may offer evidence of divine wisdom and power, but it plays no part in the essential drama of mankind's sin and salvation. What matters is human redemption, not divine creation." Amen and amen. That is what I was about. I was about getting people saved. I was about getting people spiritually right with God. I had very little concern, very little understanding of any kind of spiritual obligation to be worried about the good earth. Of course, God created it. Of course, God said it was good, so let's use it. And then let's get on with this matter of sin and salvation. I am confessing to you that that is where I was. I honestly can remember when I first saw that critique, I wasn't ready to receive it. But I recognize now that the critique is legitimate. It is not that you cannot interpret the first chapter of Genesis in a positive sense, and the word that probably puts the best face on it is the word stewardship, and there has been a good deal made in recent years to put a positive spin on the biblical revelation to say that we are called to be stewards of the earth, shepherds of the earth, to care for the earth. I do believe that is a legitimate interpretation of "be fruitful, multiply and subdue the earth." But, the fact remains that "subdue the earth" created a domination model which did give license for the development of the created order by the human creature which very easily slides into the exploitation of the good earth by the ingenious and clever human creature. So here we are today celebrating an Earth Day in our worship, acknowledging that our environment is in crisis and our planet is in crisis, and that it becomes a spiritual concern, a concern to find a better model than the biblical model. Perhaps instead of a domination model in the words of "subdue the earth," would it not be better for us to think in terms of a sacramental model? Sacraments in the Church are the use of physical, material means for the conveying of spiritual meaning of the sacred. In the first service, we conclude with the breaking of bread and pouring of the cup, and the fruit of the vine and the grain of the field into a loaf become the mediators, the vehicle by which we receive the grace of God. In the waters of baptism, that natural element becomes a vehicle of grace. We use the physical. The physical, we know, can be the agent of conveying the spiritual, © Grand Valley State University �Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Richard A. Rhem Page 5 and I would suggest that a conception of the universe in sacramental terms would remind us that permeating the structure of reality is the Creator Spirit, and that the creation itself, when we have eyes to see it, can become the vehicle of the holy and the sacred. Rather than an exploitation or a domination model, a sacramental model will enable us to behold the wonders of our world and to say, "Oh, my God!" That, I think, would be a great step forward from where we have been traditionally and I must confess that it is for me a relatively new and fresh understanding. Yet, as I have come to see that there is something much bigger and broader than sin and salvation, as I have come to see the whole of creation with eyes of wonder as the mediator of the sacred, that world has become far more precious to me. I know it can happen. Because of the constant harassment of one of my children, I began again this week to walk, and I feel rather good about that. People say to me, "Don't you feel good when you're done?" and I say, "No, I don't. I feel tired." But, you know, one does what one ought to do, and so I was walking yesterday on one of my favorite treks south of where we live and there is this ancient, gnarled tree. Its trunk is huge, and it has these huge branches low down so that a child can catch them and climb up through that trunk system, and it soars in the sky. Yesterday, as I was coming back, the sun caught the buds about to burst into leaf, and I looked at that gnarled, old trunk that has seen so many seasons and I said to myself, "You old devil, you're going to do it again, aren't you?" The next time through there will be a leafy canopy that will give shade from the sun's rays and that tree will be regaled again in all of its wonder and all of its glory. Coming in this morning, I checked as I always do, Little Pigeon Creek, and Mrs. Beautiful White Swan is faithfully on her nest, as Mr. Swan glides about as most irresponsible males do. As I look at that, I see wonder. It is beautiful. It is exhilarating. Then I think of the tragedy it would be to lose the awesomeness of the earth. What we have to do is recognize that we have come to a point of development with our great capabilities as human creatures, with our scientific knowledge and our technological breakthroughs, where we can move beyond sustainable development, which seems to me is some kind of an ideal. We have come to a point where we can develop such that the resources of nature are outstripped without the time or the ability for nature to regenerate itself. We have come to such a degree of insight and knowledge and control that we can actually alter significant natural cycles. Ancient, primitive peoples lived in the rhythm of nature. In the First Axial Period, one of the most significant periods in the history of humankind, 800 to 200 before Christ, all the great religions of the world that we know today were formed. It was a time of the self-consciousness of the human being, the moving out of that tribal identity and that moving away from the cycles of nature, the cycles of the earth, the fertility cycles, and all of the development that we know, particularly in the West, is the consequence of that movement, back a few centuries before Jesus Christ. In the rise of that consciousness that allowed us to step out of nature and © Grand Valley State University �Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Richard A. Rhem Page 6 to become an agent over against nature, the one thing that we did lose, for all that we have gained, is that sense of connectedness in the web of being, in the chain of being, and, if there is one thing that is incumbent upon us to recapture, it is that sense of being woven into this awesome creation. You see, the biblical writer had no sense of 15 billion years of evolutionary bio-historical development. But, here we are, and we can see it, we can test it, we know about it. Tragically, in issues like this, there become frenzied prophets who with great panic make claims that cannot be verified, and then on the other side there are vested interests that want to hear nothing about it, whether there be hell to pay or not. And so, we get this impasse of opposing views. It is so necessary for us to get beyond that rhetoric to decent, civil, human conversation in order that we may preserve this good earth and realize the divine intention. I was thinking last evening about what it might take for the whole human family to become aware and aroused to tend the garden of the earth. I was remembering as a lad the Second World War. We were just ordinary people. I remember our old '41 Oldsmobile had on the right- hand corner a card that was an "A" card. That meant three gallons of gas a week. That meant we could go to the evening service, the morning service, midweek service, and get groceries on Saturday, and that was it. The rest of the time that car sat there. We didn't have any gas. We didn't have a lot of meat, either, because it took red tokens and I still don't like oleomargarine because it is what I had to use instead of butter. I remember as a lad the Second World War and those rather severe limitations. And yet, you know, there was no question about it, no sacrifice was too great. There was no grumbling about it. We were concerned only for those who were serving their country in the war zones. We were concerned only for the preservation of our freedom. We were concerned only for the dignity and the honor of this nation, for democracy, liberty, freedom, and all of those values that had made us a great people. No sacrifice was too great. I was thinking that as a lad I grew up near the bank of the Kalamazoo River. My father was a superintendent of Hercules Powder Company which used to be Papermakers Chemical. There were a lot of chemicals, folks. I used to go over there as a little brat and bother the maintenance person who used to have to take carloads of what they called "satin white." We took them way out into the back property and dumped them on the banks of the Kalamazoo River. As a child growing up next to the river, the river held no fascination for me. It was a stinking mud hole. I wonder now why it took so long to come to awareness of the wonder of a tree, of the majesty of a river, of the marvel of God's creation. I wonder. What will it take? Now, for sure, I want whoever does anything to do it such that it won't impinge on my pension funds. That's probably the issue, isn't it? But, what will it take before we have eyes again to see this good earth, God's gift? Let us tend the garden. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Earth Day, Eastertide II Series Credo Scripture Text Genesis 1:1, 31, John 1:3 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-0-20010429 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-04-29 Title A name given to the resource Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 29, 2001 entitled "Creation Emerging: Tending the Garden", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Earth Day, Eastertide II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 1:1, 31, John 1:3. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Intention Earth Day Trinitarian Nature of Religion https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/49d0e80abcfa7c811db222e4b44009ea.mp3 1b2ac37108e45b7254ad9bb2196c19c8 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/402cc7b8ccdea3c44aca8e2697c62413.pdf 1aa40eae3aa44c6fe01e02686bcd952c PDF Text Text The Human Face of God From the Eastertide series: Credo Text: John 1:18; Colossians 1:19 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan May 6, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon The only explanation for the existence of the Christian Church, the Christian religious tradition, is the conviction that the one who was crucified lives. It didn't happen all at once, but gradually. Those who were intimately connected with Jesus were convinced that he was alive still and they experienced his ongoing presence. Jesus was a Jew. Those who followed him were Jews. The earliest Jesus movement was Jewish. The thing that eventually caused the break off and the formation of a new, of another, religious tradition was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The conviction that this one, who had embodied God in their estimation, this one in whose face they had seen the heart of God, this one of whom they spoke in terms of incarnation – they were convinced, ultimately, that such a life, that such a human existence could not simply be violently ended, entombed and forgotten. And so, eventually, out of that conviction about Easter, about the ongoing presence of Jesus in the Spirit, the Christian community was formed. They gave witness to that in various ways and we have those in the New Testament. We have Paul, for example, the earliest written witness to the ongoing life of Jesus through his visionary experience. Luke tells us that delightful story about the two on the road to Emmaus who were joined by a third whom they did not recognize until, as their host at table, he broke bread and their eyes were opened, they saw him. Luke goes on in the next paragraph to add that, discussing those things on Easter eve, suddenly Jesus was in the midst of them and they were terrified and afraid. He said, "Please, just give me something to eat and calm down." There were various ways in which that reality was witnessed to. There is a great diversity. But, through it all, there is this conviction that the crucified lived and was present with them still, in conversation, in community, in the breaking of bread. It took a long time before that Jesus movement became a Christian movement and gave itself a clear, creedal definition. Before it did that, it had moved from that environment, that context of Israel into the culture and the language of the © Grand Valley State University �The Human Face of God Richard A. Rhem Page 2 Greek world, the empire. When eventually that faith was carefully defined and refined as it found expression, for example, in the Nicene Creed, 325 CE, and the creed from Chalcedon, 451 CE, what came to creedal expression was reflective of the biblical statements, but more so. John had said, "In the beginning was the word," or the divine intention, and that intention became enfleshed, took on human form in our midst, and no one has ever seen God, but this one reflected God as a son reflects a father. In the Letter to the Colossians written by Paul, perhaps, or a Pauline school, there is that claim that in Jesus all of the fullness of God dwells bodily. The creeds, Nicene and Chalcedon, did not say a lot more than that, but they said that philosophically. They said that very clearly, and the picture was that there was one who came from another realm into our realm, embodying in human form God from another realm, from outside, who, after doing his work, returned to that other realm, so that we live, as it were, in an alien realm. Not only are we alienated, but we are in a natural realm which is not the realm of the Spirit, God existing outside of this order. One of the great Church fathers, Bishop of Alexandria, Athanasius, who carried on a furious controversy over the natures of Christ, affirming the deity of Christ, put it this way: Jesus became human, or God became human that we humans might become divine. God became human that we humans might become divine. With all due respect to this great bishop of the Church, let me suggest another angle. What if God became human in order that we might become human? What if to be human is divine? What if this Jesus around which all this centers, what if this Jesus did not come in from the outside, but emerged in the process? What if this process of billions of years eventuated in a creature that began to be human, that began to be conscious until, in the fullness of time at the right time, there was this one Jesus upon whom they looked and said, "My God ! That's it!" What if the incarnation which we point to in Jesus did not really hinge on Jesus, but on the human? What if the revelation was that God is in the human? What if to be human is to be divine? You young people on your way - what if what God is really about for you is not to make you divine, not to make you some bloodless, blameless, flawless paragon of divinity, but flesh and blood human beings? This preposterous statement in the first chapter of Colossians, that all of the fullness of the Godhead was crammed into him bodily, what does that mean? Doesn't it mean that humanity is a container for divinity? And wouldn't it be possible if what God is about for us is not to make us divine, but to make us human, not to rescue us from this natural order, but to make us at home in this natural order? To be human. Oh, we are not human, you know. Now and again we are human, humane. Now and again we glimpse it. We have moments, but for the most part, the old animal nature takes over, that long clawing out of the jungle. Just put me in a corner, just raise my fear level and my humanity is drained away in a moment. I wonder if the © Grand Valley State University �The Human Face of God Richard A. Rhem Page 3 divine intent in the revelation in Jesus was not to say to us God is calling us to be human, and to be human - would that not be divine? Now, it may sound a little convoluted, but I am on to something. Do you hear me? Might not the divine intention for us be, not that we become divine as the old Church father contended, but rather that we become human? Ah, if we can become human we could revel in a spring day like this, we could take in the blossoms, we could listen to the cantata of the birds, we could look into the face of a child, we could touch each other with love and melt. That is to be human. On a larger scale, I was thinking this week, there was a proposal that our defenses ought to be altered and, of course, our defenses will need to be altered in a different kind of a world, a world no longer determined by the Cold War when the East and the West had certain kinds of defenses; and the administration is saying that that has to be updated, and certainly that is a valid point. But, as I listened to the discussion about this missile defense system from outer space, the claim is that the technology really isn't there yet. And then, some of my cynicism arose a bit and I thought, "But, it will be good for the defense industry." Then I had another thought. It's a silly thought. It gives witness to my impossible naiveté, but I thought, because I am thinking about God's intention for us to be human, what if this great nation of ours with all of its resources and all of its power should go to these rogue nations? Now that the whole game is changed around and we don't have this impasse of East and West, we have these rogue nations here and there that could well launch a missile. What if we went to them with all of our power and all of our resources and said to them, "What is it that you really need? What is it that you really desire? What is it about us that is so offensive? And what could we do to help you realize your dreams?" Ah, now you know I have entered senility. But, I think about it and I think why wouldn't that be worth a try? I know there are evil people in the world, a Saddam Hussein, a Gaddafi, the Taliban, I know that. But, what makes people ugly? What brings out the worst in people? And are not those, our "enemies," demonized in our minds? What would happen? I was thinking, we change our defense system now, we aim at these rogue nations, we find a way to keep the world at bay, we find a way to keep our thumb on the world. But, what would happen if we, with all of our power and all of our strength, should try to create a different kind of feel in the world? What if we really went and said to people, "Tell us your dreams and let us see if we can help you realize them." The billions of dollars that we will be using to put a missile defense system in place over the next decade just possibly could be invested in human community that might not necessitate a new defense system. Now, that is really stupid: But, I wonder if the call of God is not to become divine, but to become human. And if we could become human, would that not be divine, for in him all of the fullness of the Godhead dwelt bodily, and why not in you? Take bread and cup as a sign of your solidarity with the one who calls you not to be © Grand Valley State University �The Human Face of God Richard A. Rhem Page 4 blameless and flawless, but to be real, to be human. That would cause one to cry, "My God!" © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Eastertide III Series Credo Scripture Text John 1:18, Colossians 1:19 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-0-20010506 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-05-06 Title A name given to the resource The Human Face of God Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 6, 2001 entitled "The Human Face of God", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Eastertide III, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 1:18, Colossians 1:19. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Intention Incarnation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cf9cd3376e11e88fef005f28f7993ac2.mp3 3c800e4bd579ac9d7447a5a96c97f313 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/91f33c033bbde245f69a8e32e7ebc109.pdf 4d9eab9a9ffc5707f575daa5b84f0b8c PDF Text Text Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? From the Eastertide series: Credo Text Luke 1:35; Mark 3:21; Acts 1:14 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan May 13, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon On this Mothers' Day, a day in which we celebrate the Christian family, the human family, I thought it would be well to tie the two together with the Eastertide series on "Credo, I Believe." I tried to say last week that the mystery of the Christian story, the Christian revelation is that, when God is revealed supremely, God is revealed in the human, and that the human becomes the container or the agent of the divine. Not that we are human; we are only on the way to being human. We are beckoned by the Spirit to transcend that which we've yet known. But, in our midst, there was this one about whom they said, "Now, that's it," and we are beckoned to fulfill our humanity because to be human thus would be to be divine. The Apostles’ Creed, the most common creed that we share, is very clear about the fact that the Christian drama is rooted in history: “…conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, crucified, dead, buried." The drama that we celebrate in the Christian tradition is rooted solidly in history, and of course, that word that became flesh had a mother and, in order to get at what I want to deal with this morning, I raise the question of Mary - was she mother of God, or a Jewish mother? The Church, of course, defined her as the mother of God in the development of the creedal tradition. The Council of Ephesus, in 431 CE, declared Mary to be Theotokos, a Greek word meaning God bearer. From that point it was the orthodox Christian teaching about Mary who was the mother of God. There was a great debate and controversy, much conflict over those early centuries. It was not until 451 in the Council of Chalcedon that we had the phrase, "true God, true man," and then not much was done with that. That was about where it remained until the 19th century when critical studies began to look at those Christian origins. If Jesus was human, the Church claimed, Jesus was also God, and so that made Mary a God bearer, or the mother of God. It is interesting that, in Roman Catholic piety to this day, Mary is the center of much devotion. It was 1864 when the Pope decreed that Mary was immaculately conceived herself, thus she was a perfect instrument for bringing forth this word made flesh. It was as recent as 1950 that another papal decree declared Mary had been bodily © Grand Valley State University �Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? Richard A. Rhem Page 2 assumed into heaven. As some have said, Mary has been defined as the ideal woman. Now, the feminist movement has challenged that because that ideal woman was defined by males, by an all-male Church, and the Mary, in that ethereal image created by the Church, is submissive, obedient, chaste, hardly a Jewish mother. But, when you read the scriptures, you get another picture. Oh, to be sure, she is visited by an angel in Luke's story, and in Matthew, as well. Scholars generally feel that those birth narratives have been added to the beginning of both Gospels. But, in any case, what they were trying to say is what other ancient peoples said about other ancient heroes, that this one was special, that this one was from God. I don't know if they thought about it literally or not. Certainly, symbolically it was true. But, if they did think about it literally, then one wonders about this passage in the third chapter of Mark's Gospel. Jesus is about his ministry and the word on the street is that he comes home and is out of his mind, he is mad. His mother and his brothers go out to bring him home because of the rumors that are being spread about him. As I read the Gospel accounts of Mary, I choose to see her as a Jewish mother. I want you to know that I called Rabbi Alan Alpert in order to ask him about whether or not it was okay to talk about a Jewish mother because it is a stereotype, of course. Fortunately, Alan wasn't home, but I talked to Anna, his lovely wife, who is a Jewish mother, and she gave me permission to talk about a Jewish mother. She said, as long as you intend it honorably, and I assured her I intend it honorably. I see Mary as a model, as a Jewish mother, as a human mother, as a parent who yearned for her child. I see her in all of her humanness which gives us encouragement and can make her a model for our devotion – not some ethereal image of a bloodless feminine, but rather, this woman who bore this child for whom she cared, and she nurtured him, followed him, pursued him, and was hurt by him. Mary, a Jewish mother, on Mothers' Day, a mother who was an example of that bonding, that wonderful, beautiful, human bonding of parent and child. I like Mary as a model because she tells me that, with all of the potential beauty and wonder of the human family, of human ties that bind, of the bonding in family community, that human community in the family is not always easy. It is potentially also painful and brings with it potential brokenness. Now, wouldn't it be wonderful if we all had perfect families? If there were perfect parents raising perfect children? But, it simply isn't so. If we could have twoparent families raising the children, a recent University of Chicago study says, all would be better. Well, of course, it would. But, thank God, we are not left in hopelessness or despair. We have the picture of a Mary and it wasn't easy for Mary to raise Jesus. We have those little signals in the Gospel, the song of Simeon, for example, taking the baby in his arms at the circumcision of Jesus, and saying to Mary, "A sword will go © Grand Valley State University �Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? Richard A. Rhem Page 3 through your heart." Well, what parent is there that doesn't know, now and again, a sword piercing their heart? Or, the second chapter where Luke tells us that story of Jesus left behind in Jerusalem where he says, "Don't you know I have to be about my father's business?" And Mary, hurt, confused, pondering these things in her heart. One wonders, if Gabriel had really stood on her shoulder and whispered in her ear, why she didn't just smile at all of this. No, she was a Jewish mother who went through it just like you go through it, and following this one was not an easy task. She stood at the foot of his cross. She saw him in anguish crucified. And the pieta is an image that is imprinted upon our minds as this mother holds her crucified son. I like Mary as a model because she tells me that, whatever the ideal may be, whatever sociological studies they tell us, whatever the Church may advocate, the human situation is messy. It can be very painful. There is woundedness and we have to make do oftentimes with less than ideal situations and relationships. And so, we see Mary as a sign of hope because she also tells us that to raise a child is to fight cultural conformity. The word on the street was that Jesus was out of his mind. She yielded to the pressure. She went after him. She wanted to bring him home. It's not easy to raise a creative, free spirit. There is such community pressure. There is such cultural conformity demanded of us. Do your kids play soccer? Do they march in the band? Do they play sports at school? Do they sing in the choir? Do they do a hundred and one other things that are organized for them to do? Are you choosing what your children do? Are you making the decisions, or are you going along with what everybody else is doing? Are you signing up your kids for some things that really in your heart you feel you hadn't ought to sign them up for so that you give them some time just to be kids? But then, what if they fall behind the neighborhood kids? I mean, it’s not easy, folks, is it? Raising children is not easy. There is a tremendous pressure in the community and in the culture and parents need to stand apart and ask, "Am I simply being swept along with the tide, or am I deciding, am I determining how my child will be shaped and that with which my child will be shaped?" It's not easy. Mary felt the pressure. She wanted to bring him home. It is not easy to raise a free spirit and let it go. I read the little passage from Acts because, after the resurrection and the ascension, Luke tells us there that the disciples gathered in the upper room with some of the women, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, was there, and his brothers. That tells me that, even where there is brokenness and woundedness and confusion and misunderstanding, there is always the potential, the possibility for reconciliation. Mary was able to pray with that early community that was the consequence of this one, her son, who had embarrassed her and who had hurt her. She was able to pray with James, his brother, who became the pillar of that Jerusalem Church. © Grand Valley State University �Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? Richard A. Rhem Page 4 That is another whole sermon, but how interesting it is that James became the pillar of the conservative Jerusalem Church. It took a Paul to have a vision, a grander vision of bringing this ministry to the whole world. Maybe James could not grow to be able to break out of his Jewishness, but he grew enough to see in his brother somebody special, and he became a leader of that movement in the home community. I like the fact that, in this story we have also a pointer to that larger community that transcends the blood family. Honor and thanksgiving to God for the blood ties that bind us. But, Jesus had to say to his mother, or said to the crowd that kept his mother from him, "Who is my mother? Who are my brothers and sisters? Those that do the will of God." Thereby Jesus was saying that there is something thicker than blood. It is that faith vision that binds a community together. It is that larger community that calls us, that enables us to fly, to soar, that inspires us and calls the best out of us, the transcending of the family in a larger human community. But, thank God for those who are able, within the family, the intimate ties of family, together to experience that larger community of faith. This congregation has been blessed this morning. At the 8:30 service, two granddaughters of Marv and Thelma Bottema came to affirm their faith, Thelma diagnosed with cancer. They have always been a beautiful family, Marv and Thelma, with five children always in and out of that house at Leonard and Pruin. There's a lot of living in that house. And then the next generation comes along. Then Thelma is diagnosed with a very serious cancer, and what happens? I see the intensity of the bonding. I see children dropping in all the time, and I see the grandchildren coming around. I see Julie and Susan saying, "For Mothers' Day, we would like to affirm our faith and we're going to try to get Grandma there." And she was here this morning. I see the granddaughters coming at 8:30 and kneeling here at the rail with Marv and Thelma, Gramps and Grandma. Thelma knelt with her granddaughters at this table, from the kitchen table to the Lord's table. I'll tell you what, that's powerful and that's beautiful and that's just so moving. I have been with the Stille family, too, in all kinds of situations. Hattie, whom we baptize today, is named after one by whose grave I stood as the family shoveled in the dirt in that earthy acknowledgment of the reality of death. I've been there marriages, baptisms, and housewarmings, and I know them as models of the deepest and the best of that bonding in family that is celebrated in the larger family, and I want to tell you, it doesn't get any better than that. We are invited in our families to the deepest, most meaningful human experience, and we come here in ritual and rite to celebrate it in the larger community. I want you to know that, as the human drama was wrought out in human flesh, the drama of salvation, God is in the human, God is in-between us, and the experience of love, one for the other, is the experience of God. © Grand Valley State University �Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? Richard A. Rhem Page 5 A young couple stood here yesterday and wrote their own vows and spoke them to each other, and in deep emotion expressed their love in discovery, and I could say to them, "You don't know anything yet, for having fallen in love and now beginning to work at being in love, you will discover between you the love of God." For if we don't know the love of God in the other, we'll know not the love of God at all. In my favorite Broadway musical, "Les Miserables," Cozette sings to the dying Jean Valjean, "To love another person is to see the face of God." © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Mothers' Day, Eastertide IV Series Credo Scripture Text Luke 1:35, Mark 3:21, Acts 1:14 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-20010513 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-05-13 Title A name given to the resource Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 13, 2001 entitled "Mary: Mother of God or Jewish Mother?", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Mothers' Day, Eastertide IV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 1:35, Mark 3:21, Acts 1:14. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Community of Faith Mothers' Day https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/aff6c726f136e2037728519bf982c190.pdf 9d7378dde17fa39019450ecd075b79f9 PDF Text Text Crucified Violence in History Memorial Day Weekend Psalm 33:12; John 11:49 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan May 27, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon This past week, we had to bury Nancy's brother, Larry Dornbos. On Monday, as we gathered at the Presbyterian Church in Grand Haven in the lounge to receive friends, there was more than one collage, there were other mementos that were very sensitively arranged, which represented the life of Larry. Two things were very prominent; one was, of course, Larry was a fisherman loving the outdoors, but the other was a reminder that he was a World War II veteran. Being 76 years of age, he was at that prime time for that great war. And, as I looked over the collage and saw his picture, I was reminded of today being Memorial Day, thinking about this service of worship in which we would remember those who served their country, and indeed paid that supreme sacrifice. Thinking about that, memories came to my mind, and then I had another realization and that is that the memories that come to my mind will not come to the minds of people who are much younger than I am. I experienced the second world war as a child, but old enough to feel something of what the nation was going through. I was six years old, and going to a Sunday evening service in Kalamazoo on December 7, 1941, when the attack on Pearl Harbor, the battle of which is being celebrated in what's supposed to be a blockbuster film this weekend, was announced. I was nine years old, and remember celebrating V-E Day and V-J Day. I had two brothers-in-law who served in the European theatre. As I was thinking about that, I thought how many are there out there who will remember if I say that my brothers-in-law were in the Battle of the Bulge, that terrible, terrible European experience. My sisters were part of that spirit of the nation and, against the wise counsel of my father, they foolishly married boys that were going off to service. And wouldn't a parent say, "Is that wise to do? Couldn't you wait?" Of course, they couldn't wait. I was thinking about some of the names of battles and some of the famous places, and remembering my old grandmother reading the newspaper and saying, "They've got Rommel on the run." I can remember the tension. I felt some of the fear because we had loved ones over there. I remember the flag with the stars hanging in the sanctuary of my home church in Kalamazoo, and the stars that © Grand Valley State University �Crucified! Violence in History Richard A. Rhem Page 2 hung in the windows of the neighborhood. I can remember it was a time of genuine threat. It was also, I suppose, ironically, one of the best times in terms of the nation and its spirit, and its unity. Sir Kenneth Clark – who has done a wonderful video series on civilization some years ago now for the BBC, also printed in a book – makes a statement which I looked for but couldn't find quickly. He's almost hesitant to say that times of war, as you trace the history of civilization, have been times when the best and the noblest have been elicited from the human spirit, ironic though that is. But, at Larry's funeral before those collages, I began to think about all those memories, and then as I said began to realize there are a few with white hair and a few of us without any hair, who are the only ones who probably can be triggered by that type of thing. A good friend of mine gave me the book, Flags of Our Fathers. It's the story of the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima, the six marines that finally got to the top of the mountain and raised that flag. There was a photograph which captured that event. It's maybe the most famous photograph in the world. If you go to Washington, D.C., you'll see a monument with that re-enacted. One of the six died in the 90s, and his son wrote a story, Flags of Our Fathers, and he tells the story about how he never heard from his father anything about that event. Even though his father was a war hero who had been one of those six captured on film, the picture never hung in their home. He told how people would call for interviews and his father would always say, "Tell them I'm on a fishing trip." He would never speak of that event. His son would probe him on occasion, as would other children of the family, but he wouldn't talk. All he would say is, “The real heroes were the ones that didn't come back.” Even though he had been thus honored, he couldn't speak of it. When he died in, I think, 1993 they found in a closet hidden in an office, three cardboard boxes with mementos, in which they learned that their father had received the Navy Cross which I think is the second highest badge of honor one can receive. The family never knew it and, out of the mementos, his son found letters which caused him to begin to trace the story of the other six. Three died in action, two others died of broken hearts and alcoholism. His father was the only one of the six that survived to live a relatively normal life. Anyway, James Bradley tells the story of his father, John. As I read that, I realized that those who have experienced war in its depth and in its horror do not speak of it. I have a person that I know speaks of his World War II experience continually. He never got out of the country, but the ones that were there have been so deeply impacted by it, that they don't speak easily of it. Just recently there's been the story, the uncovering of the incident of Vietnam with former Senator Bob Kerry. Somebody, I suppose, a journalist, a writer, who knows - digging into this stuff, causing Senator Kerry to speak after all these years of that Navy Seal operation. Evidence again of the horror of war, of its insanity, of its dehumanizing, of its destruction of the human soul and spirit. © Grand Valley State University �Crucified! Violence in History Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Well, what got all this going was a photograph in the collage of Larry, a handsome young man, which he sent home from Burma where he served as a kid. There he was in this photo, and I looked at him and I've known this, we've all known this, but it just struck me - he was a child. He was a beautiful young boy. And what I suppose impacted me doubly was the fact that he was the age of my oldest grandchild. I thought to myself, dear God, we send our children to fight our wars. We send our children into that insanity. We expose our children to that horror, to that human devastation. The book Flags of Our Fathers was dedicated to the father of John Bradley, and to the mothers who gave their sons. In that dedicatory page, there's a statement from, I suppose, a Japanese woman: "Mothers should negotiate between nations." The mothers of the fighting countries would agree. Stop this killing now. Stop it now. Indeed, we should send the mothers to the negotiating table because I cannot believe, in spite of the fact that I can remember, I cannot believe that we send our children off to war. So, as I was thinking about that and thinking about today, I remembered that two or three weeks ago when the President suggested that the whole world situation has changed, and that the old kinds of defenses won't work any more, that it's no use having all of our missiles aimed at Russia or China, but that the real threat to our world today are those few rogue nations, and that what we need is a missile defense system in space, I remember in the sermon suggesting that maybe rather than finding a more sophisticated defense system, that this might be the time, seeing that we are overwhelmingly powerful on the world scene today, for our President and our Secretary of State to go to the rogue nations and to sit down with them and to say, "What do you need?" "What are your dreams?" "What drives you?" And, "Can we help you to become a part of a human community?" I said that, admitting that it was a silly idea. Admitting that I don't understand international politics. Admitting that it's a very complex situation. But, I said it out of my own intuition, out of my own deep human spirit. I said, "Why can't we change the feel of the global situation? Why can't we initiate and inaugurate something that might have a positive effect on the lives of the human family?" Well you know several of you went out the door and suggested that it was a good idea. I get all kinds of stuff at the door, "Wonderful sermon." "You were marvelous this morning." "I was deeply moved ." "I could have just as well slept in this morning." "You had nothing to say, what a preposterous idea." All of that, then sometimes you know, when you really nice people want to say something but there's nothing nice to say, you just sort of stand there and stammer. But, there are times when I say something, and I know that it registered, that you have said, too, "You know, that's true. Why can't we do something like that?" I know that that is highly impractical, that it is idealistic, and I suppose hopelessly romantic. You don't vote for a president that would do that kind of © Grand Valley State University �Crucified! Violence in History Richard A. Rhem Page 4 thing. You don't vote for some one like me for president. I don't know if I would vote for me. It's scary. It's scary, isn't it? You vote for people like Caiaphas. Caiaphas, the high priest. Two people went down in infamy at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. Pontius Pilate actually made it into our most popular creed - "suffered under Pontius Pilate." But, Caiaphas, not making it into the creed nonetheless has a name that is identified with infamy, for he was the High Priest at the time when Jesus was crucified. Caiaphas was a wily politician. In that situation, the religious and political leaders, were all wrapped up into one person, and Caiaphas was it. Obviously, Judah was an occupied nation. The Roman legions were at the ready. The best they could hope for was to collaborate with the Roman power in such a way that they could carry on some modicum of their Jewish life. Caiaphas was a leader, the high priest, leader of the Sanhedrin. The Sadducean party was the ruling party. I think Caiaphas would have been a fellow you would enjoy having at a dinner conversation. He was pragmatic. He was a realist. Jesus was causing quite a stir. And that final miracle had really caused a ripple of anxiety in the ruling circles. There was a bit of panic. They were frenzied. What are we going to do? What are we going to do? Caiaphas demonstrated why he was a high priest, not only in a priestly family; leadership rises to the top often. This man, fulfilling the role that was expected of him said, "Look, this is a no brainer. It's better that one man die than that the nation perish. If we let this go on, the Romans are going to come in here and they're going to destroy our holy place, our temple, and they're going to destroy the nation. If we let this man go on, the Romans are going to come in here and there's going to be a lot of blood that's going to flow in the streets. Obviously, you have to do away with him." In history, that's the way it is. And pragmatic politicians who are responsible and reasonable have to do things that are often unsavory, things that they don't want to do, things they can't put their heart into; it's never a clean-cut situation. On the one hand there is the nation, there is the temple, there's this grand tradition. On the other hand, I'm also the high priest and I've got it fairly well right now. I would rather not have the Romans here, but the Romans being here, I'm still getting along quite well, thank you very much, in my collaborative role. I'm just reminded of a lady I roomed with in the Netherlands, an older lady who told me that, when the Netherlands was liberated in the Hague, the neighbors went and got the collaborators - the ones who had worked with the Nazis - shaved their heads, and marched them down the middle of the street. Collaborators are not well liked, but what do you do if you are a leader like Caiaphas? You call it the Caiaphas principle, I suppose. It's a principle in which real politic continues to take place. It's a kind of reasoning that leads to spending billions of dollars for a missile defense system. What are we to do? What are we to do? I do realize the depth of darkness and evil that is present in the world. I do realize that human nature is such that it's going © Grand Valley State University �Crucified! Violence in History Richard A. Rhem Page 5 to be a long, long time before there's something like the peaceable kingdom. But I wonder if we aren't at a point in history where we have to say, we can't any longer do business as usual. I wonder if we don't have to call into question reasonable and responsible people who want to lead us in ways that are business as usual. I wonder if the globe hasn't become so small that the world has become a neighborhood, if we are not too tightly bound with one another, if it isn't time for us to think of some other way. How would we think? Well wouldn't we think of Jesus? The church calendar on Thursday was Ascension Day, forty days after Easter. We run from the darkness of Good Friday, the crucifixion, to Easter Sunday and the brightness, because we would prefer resurrection, of course. Then, forty days later to see him ascended at the throne of power of the universe to know that King Jesus is on the throne ruling. Of course, in that early story as they understood it, as they communicated it, they expected his imminent return in power and great glory, to judge the nations. Those who followed King Jesus, even though they had seen him crucified, believed that, somehow or other, ultimately there would be the triumph, there would be the kingdom and the power and the glory! It's been 2,000 years, and I don't think that King Jesus is going to come back and make it all right. I don't see any evidence that God has ever done something that intrusive way. It seems to me that God has done all that God can do, and that is to put into our midst a flesh and blood model. The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and he spoke of the compassion and the goodness of God. He lived for justice. He reached out to the lame and the leper, and he challenged the Caiaphas principle. He challenged all the institutional forms of structures that make society possible, but become ends in themselves and become oppressive. And, in thus challenging them, he became a threat to them and he spoke his truth, and held his ground, and didn't flinch, knowing surely that his end would be violent death. I don't think that God can do more than God has done. And I don't think we ought to live with that illusion that, somehow or other, when it all gets really dark on earth, the heavens will open and the Son of Man will come and the nations will be judged. The nations will be judged, they'll be judged by the righteousness and the justice with which they live. And what, concretely, does Jesus embody? I see it nowhere more eloquently spoken than that word at the cross when he is being crucified when he says, "Father forgive them, they don't know what they are doing." They knew what they were doing. They knew good and well what they were doing. They were perpetuating the status quo. They were preserving what was, even though it wasn't ideal. They were holding on to their world, to their privilege, to their position. They were keeping the wolves at bay. They were trying to hold on, to preserve, to perpetuate power and privilege. They knew what they were doing. © Grand Valley State University �Crucified! Violence in History Richard A. Rhem Page 6 But, they didn't know what they were doing, because what they were doing was futile. There's only one thing that will finally work and make a difference, and that is when humankind learns to say, "Dear God, forgive them. Dear God, awaken them. Dear God, through my own self-sacrifice, raise some beacon of love and grace that will turn hostility and hatred and violence into embrace and inclusion and community." The Psalmist knew it long ago: an army cannot save, a war horse is a vain hope for victory. Isn't it ironic that as we speak the Caiaphas principle is operative in Israel once again? What will happen there? Will Sharon finally have enough? Will the old warrior in him rise up and say, "Destroy them." But, you can't destroy them. In 1976, I saw immigrant camps filled with those who hadn't been there in 1948, but were born subsequently and were already refugees at the point of their birth. Now there's another whole generation, so what if you wipe out a million or two? Look at the Balkans where they still feud over some battle back in the 13th century. Animals remember and lust for revenge. There's only one thing - only one thing – that changes them and that is the love and the grace lived out by Jesus. It's a scary business. It's a scary business, and it's our only hope. God help us. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Memorial Day Weekend, Eastertide VI Series Credo Scripture Text Psalm 33:5-17, John 11:45-53, Luke 23:32-34 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-0-20010527 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-05-27 Title A name given to the resource Crucified! Violence in History Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 27, 2001 entitled "Crucified! Violence in History", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Memorial Day Weekend, Eastertide VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 33:5-17, John 11:45-53, Luke 23:32-34. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Global Community Non-violence https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/804d5784ce4832dc35b9b065627365b0.mp3 3d3e09307a76a88ce6dfa63e8468d1bc https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/885ec2dd43d0a4f02b6a3446723d8822.pdf c4f46a25e2a3df2c2bb3fe3aa641e832 PDF Text Text As Intimate As Breathing From the series: Credo Acts 2:1-4; John 14:15-20 Text: John 14:17 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Pentecost, June 3, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon On this Pentecost, I want to say that God is as intimate as your breathing; that is, God is in you and you are in God, and that is good news. You don't have to look elsewhere, "out there," "up there," you don't have to wonder. You can be assured God is in you and God will be with you always. I don't watch television. I should, because it is a good connector to contemporary culture and one who preaches as I do ought to get his nose out of the theology books once in a while and see what people are thinking about. But, I understand that the dramatic series, "West Wing," in its finale, had some serious theology about it. Or, so the reporter in the Grand Rapids Press said in yesterday's edition, and, as I read that, I recognized that I probably had missed something to which I should have been attuned. The "West Wing" drama series is a fictionalized White House setting with a President, Jed Bartlett, who is apparently a very religious, deeply Christian man, and he is having one of those days, one of those days which we all have once in a while, although for a President, I suppose there are a few more dimensions to it. Hostages have been taken at the embassy in Haiti, a tropical storm is bearing down on Washington D.C., he's on his way to the funeral of his secretary who was killed in an accident, hit by a drunken driver, he has just revealed that he has Multiple Sclerosis after eight years of denying it. It's just not a good day for the President. He goes to the National Cathedral for the funeral and after the funeral, he asks that the doors be sealed because this man who was seriously Christian has some things to say to God. He becomes very much like one of those Old Testament prophets who rails against heaven. He cries out against God. All of these actions that are going on, he says to God, "Are those the actions of a caring God? Of a just God? Of a benevolent God? A wise God? Well, to hell with your punishments! I've served you, I've proclaimed your word and done your work and now to hell with your punishments, to hell with you!" He curses God. Because it is the season's finale and that is not a nice way to end a season, the secretary who has been killed appears in angelic form to say to him, "Come now. © Grand Valley State University �As Intimate as Breathing Richard A. Rhem Page 2 You know God doesn't cause cars to crash." And he begins to remember all the work there is yet to be done and, like the Old Testament prophets, he gets up and gets back at it. The journalist calls it "Serious Theology on Prime Time TV." Well, true. The railing against God - as I said, that has good, particularly Old Testament precedent. The shaking of the fist at heaven, the outpouring of an anguished heart or an angry heart - who has not been there? Who has not done it? And God can take it, as it were. I mean, it is not a problem with God, but it is a way that we humans react in the midst of our misery and our tragedy. There seems to be something almost endemic in us that, in the midst of that kind of crisis, causes us to cry out, shake our fist at heaven, to plead, cajole, whatever. And yet, that is an image of God that really won't wash anymore. Our knowledge and our human experience today tell us that that ancient conception of a God "out there" who is running the universe won't work anymore. I think the emotional response probably written into our genetic code – probably out of the early dawn of what it was to be human, confronted with the mysteries and the tragedies that are a part of the human scene – still find utterance in that kind of call and prime time TV 2001. And yet, I have to say that presentation on "West Wing" is very much of the biblical view, isn't it? It is a supernaturalistic view of things. There is this realm, this world, this universe, and there is another where God dwells. There is the ongoing drama of nature and there is one above nature who controls nature and intrudes into nature. On this Pentecost Sunday we would have to say in the Gospel of John, Jesus is the word made flesh who comes from the father and who returns to the father and who promises, "I will not leave you orphaned, I will come to you, I will send another advocate or spirit to be with you." So, "West Wing" is not only consonant with something that is intuitive in the human being, but also reflected in the biblical story. Too bad we can't believe it anymore. Because it is really counter to everything we know about the way things work, about our world, the cosmic drama, about the human being. There was something comforting about it, something "up there" in control. Somebody pulling the strings, working the gears, interrupting the process on occasion. But, I suppose the angel visitant at the end of the drama on "West Wing" which not only gave the season finale a softer touch and a bit of hope, a little sentimentalism and a little romanticism (don't we all love angels?) was also an admission, once we think about it, we know better. God doesn't cause cars to crash. We're on our own. There was a time, because I was nurtured in that biblical story, as were all of you, when I thought in terms of a natural realm and a supernatural realm, but I know now that that just doesn't work, that the God, whatever God may be, will be experienced and known in that total phenomenon of which we are a part called nature. And in terms of that ancient cosmology, I now must move to that which © Grand Valley State University �As Intimate as Breathing Richard A. Rhem Page 3 we understand, and that is that there was a moment, some 15 billion years ago when all of matter and energy was concentrated into one infinitely small point. I can't understand that. I'm only telling you what I have heard. But, I think that is the best scientific understanding of things today, that everything that is, this total universal system, all of the galaxies, all of the stars and the planets, the earth, the trees, the oceans, the mountains, and you and I are all the consequence of that which was all in a point in a moment. And that explosion in that infinite time past is still expanding so that this drama of which we are a part is underway. Someone has said if you would compress those 15 billion years into one year, the appearance of the human being would be in the last minute or two. I can't take that in. But, when I think about God in cosmos, God and human being, then it seems to me that that scientific picture is a picture which would indicate that the whole of reality must somehow or other be permeated by that divine presence, that sacred, that holy, call it God if you will. Not out beyond it somewhere, but within it. God as intimate as breathing. Even though the Bible is solidly supernatural and the day of Pentecost is an invasion from beyond, nonetheless, there are little hints in the biblical story itself. For the word becomes flesh and dwells among us so that God is in the human celebrated at Christmas. And Pentecost is a celebration of the presence of the Spirit of God and the breath of God within us, and John's Gospel you well know, "I am in the father and the father in me, and you in me." How do you intellectually understand that mysterious language? Isn't it a stammering attempt to hint at the fact that God is not "out there," but in here? You know, Graduates, if I were in your spot, if I had your youthful energy, your razor- sharp minds and all of your years, you know what I'd do? I wouldn't go to seminary. There is hardly a seminary alive that isn't still teaching that old biblical, supernaturalistic understanding of God. If I were you and I wanted to pursue God passionately, I would become an astronomer, a physicist. I'd study cosmology, because for years I have known and always said I should write a dissertation on the fact, which can be traced, of a shift in cosmological understanding, the nature of the universe. A shift there is reflected eventually in a shift in theological understanding. It can be traced down through the eons of the Christian story - change the conception of the universe, of the cosmos, of nature, and eventually, well, it takes the Church a long time, but eventually what we come to know impacts how we image what we believe. And so, let me tell you the good news - God is not against you. And to be spiritual is not to swim against the tide. But, rather, it is to move with the grain of the universe, for what is coming to expression, what is emerging in this drama of billions of years is Spirit. Think of it. An explosion 15 billion years ago, the cooling of that soupy chaos, the coming into formation of the stars and galaxies, eventually life, conscious life, conscious life that - here we are, reflecting on it all! It's amazing! How many generations before us could have some vista of 15 billion years of a drama that is still occurring as we speak, and within us? © Grand Valley State University �As Intimate as Breathing Richard A. Rhem Page 4 And then, this conscious life developing a spiritual dimension, a dimension of spirit, breath, which is the enlivening of the whole by the God who is not "out there" somewhere grinding the gears of the universe, but the God who is to be sensed in the stillness, in our very breathing. God present to us, in us. Thank God. Someone has said it so beautifully, speaking of you, "Offspring of the stars, children of earth, we are great mothering nature's soul-space. Her heart and vocal cords, and her willingness if we consent to it, to be spirited, to be the vessel of the holy one." God is not "out there." God is in here, and you are a vessel of the holy one, full of spirit and our task together is to make this world civil, decent, full of love and grace. God, as intimate as breathing. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Pentecost Series Credo Scripture Text John 14:17 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-0-20010603 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-06-03 Title A name given to the resource As Intimate As Breathing Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on June 3, 2001 entitled "As Intimate As Breathing", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Pentecost, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: John 14:17. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Divine Presence Grain of the Universe Immanence https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/30db5f5527bdf39d8c4e7c5abd7b969d.mp3 f7a34b77f95ef5abee11133a048ff316 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0dbd9535eb61558d01e66b856fbef738.pdf 51edce6bc5c270f126da16f207518762 PDF Text Text God: The Feeling That Remains Where the Concept Fails From the series: Credo A Celebration of the Music of the Church and Thirty Years of John G. Bryson As Director of Music and Fine Arts Isaiah 6:1; Revelation 1:17 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Trinity Sunday, June 10, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon It was a number of months ago that I chose this Sunday on which to celebrate the life and the ministry of John Gregory Bryson and to share together in community the finale of his tenure with us. I did it intentionally because this, on the church calendar, is Trinity Sunday, and we have gone 'round the cycle once again, moving from Advent through Christmas to Epiphany, Lent, Holy Week, Easter, Eastertide, Ascension, Pentecost, and then this Lord's Day which is celebrated in the larger Church as Trinity Sunday, a Sunday in which we celebrate that God who is the deep Mystery, the Guide and Ground, the Source of all that is, from which all flows, that Mystery that is God revealed to us in the incarnation of the Word in the face of Jesus Christ, present to us and with us and in us in the Holy Spirit - God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit - one God blessed forever. That is the theme and the focus of this day, Trinity Sunday. It is a proper day in which to focus on the worship of the Church, and this community, the life that we have shared together for over a quarter of a century, almost three decades, as a worshiping community in word, in sacrament, in music and artistic expression, worshiping that deep Mystery of our lives revealed to us in Jesus, present to us in the Spirit. I chose Trinity Sunday because our Director of Music and Fine Arts, whose final appearance in that position is today, has been drunk with God from a child. God has been the passion of his life. It was my privilege some years ago to visit his boyhood home. He wasn't there and so his mother let me in on all the secrets. She took me from the basement to the attic, and in the basement there, undisturbed, like the room of a deceased mate in which nothing is touched, there was still the little pulpit and the dossal cloth and the school desks that were the pews, and the little organ. Some children play ball. Some children play school, but Greg played church. And, fortunately, he found playmates that would sit obediently in the pews as he led worship. Now, you see, I tell you the truth - he has been intoxicated with God and God has been the passion of his life from the very early years, and thus it is Trinity Sunday in © Grand Valley State University �The Feeling that Remains Where the Concept Fails Richard A. Rhem Page 2 which our worship, moving through the drama of redemption as we have it in its historic story and the scriptures, comes to its culmination, this God who is the one whom we worship and acknowledge as the Source and the Ground, the Guide and the Goal of all that is. Greg's passion for God, coupled with natural endowments of artistic giftedness, found expression in artistic expression. It is the aesthetic dimension of life in which that passion finds its fascination and its beautiful expression. Thus, throughout all of his life, he has been drawn to worship very naturally, because of who he is, because of the giftedness with which he was graced, because of that passion that could find expression only in the worship of that ultimate mystery, indeed, the eternal God. In the early years when Greg was with me, I didn't fully appreciate that aesthetic dimension which is so critical for worship that elevates the soul and the spirit. I, too, was a child warped from the womb. I just about matched him in oddness, for as a child I would bring a little notebook to church and I would note in that small notebook the text of the sermon and the three points, for in my childhood experience, the sermon always had three points. I think it's probably an adolescent rebellion that I am always certain that my sermons have no point at all. But, I would come home and at Sunday dinner, to the great pleasure of my father, would recite the text and the three points, my three older sisters, never being able to match me at that point. But, you see, as a child it was likewise, an intoxication with God, for me, not in aesthetic expression but, rather, in rational understanding. I shudder to think of the times that, even as an adolescent, I wrestled with questions of predestination and free will, reading the facts and mysteries of the Christian Faith by one of the fine theologians of our tradition, always trying to understand, always trying to figure it out, for I was steeped in that Reformed tradition of Dutch pietism which sought always rationally to explicate the faith. Mine was an intellectual quest, even as a child, a quest for understanding. And that which was sought so diligently was the literal and absolute truth. And then there was a moment in my experience when a light went on. I was at a seminar at McCormick Seminary in Chicago in the mid-70s and it was a seminar at this Presbyterian school on the Apostles' Creed, and they invited a Lutheran theologian, a great old scholar, Joseph Sittler, and in his address on one of the aspects of the creed, he made a statement as an aside, but for me, it was not an aside, it became luminous, flooding my whole being with light, for he said, "You know, you Presbyterians, you always come at it through the head, whereas the Catholic tradition comes at it through pageantry, through color, through touch and smell, through all of the fabric of that rich worship experience of the Catholic tradition." In that moment I knew that I had been on one track, it was the track I learned from the Heidelberg catechism. There is a question and answer in that catechism which says, "Why will not God have God's people taught by pictures and images?" And the answer is, "Because God will have God's people taught by © Grand Valley State University �The Feeling that Remains Where the Concept Fails Richard A. Rhem Page 3 the lively preaching of the word." And that had been my whole tradition. That had been my whole experience. There had been none of the aesthetic, none of the artistic. It had been a word-centered, rationally, intellectually delivered systematic presentation of the faith, whereas, as Sittler spoke of the richness of the Catholic mass, entering a cathedral, a Catholic church is like entering a warm womb, and suddenly I saw that there was no need to choose between the lively preaching or the richness of the pageantry, the symbolic artistic expression of the faith, and it was from that moment on that I began consciously working intentionally with Mr. Bryson in the creation of a tapestry of worship that used all of the artistic expression available while not discounting the articulation of faith in preaching. That's been the story of over a quarter of a century of worship at Christ Community. But, I had to learn that my intellectual quest was not enough. I had to learn the statement which I quote as the title of this meditation from a German theologian, Rudolf Otto, who says in another throwaway line, "The feeling that remains where the concept fails." The feeling that remains where the concept fails. So much of my earlier experience was in terms of concepts, seeking to bring understanding, rational understanding, seeking intellectually to grapple with God, and I had to come to understand that God will not be intellectually managed. It is impossible to come to the fullness of the experience of the mystery of the sacred and the holy in rational categories. Finally the concept fails. Finally one hits a brick wall. Finally one hits the ceiling. There is nothing more to say. There is nothing more to think. But, when the concept fails, there is a feeling, there is a sense. It is the sense of a presence. It is the experience of the sacred. It is the recognition of a mystery that transcends us and undergirds us, overshadows us and calls us to awe and to wonder. The feeling that remains where the concept fails. In the pulpit ministry and in my preaching, I can bring you only to a certain threshold and then it has been our gift over all these many years to have another God-intoxicated, passionate minister who has been able to lift us and to elevate us into the very presence of the Holy. Not to downgrade in any regard that intellectual quest, only to recognize its limits and to recognize, as well, that it is in the community of worship that the concept fails and the feeling comes to us in that numinous awareness of the otherness of God. The mystery of God manifest in the face of Jesus, present to us and within us in the breathing, the wind, the spirit of God - it is that tapestry of articulation woven into the fabric of aesthetic appreciation, artistic expression that has brought us, week after week, into the experience of the Holy so that, leaving, the concept fades, but the feeling remains and we know we have been in the presence of God, to do so in community, in community where we come together to be reminded of who we are. Friday evening the choir and pastors gathered with the Bryson family for a toast and a roast, and the Parlour was beautiful and we had a wonderful evening and I was so deeply moved at the memories of all these many years, and I realized © Grand Valley State University �The Feeling that Remains Where the Concept Fails Richard A. Rhem Page 4 again the gift it is to be part of community, to have those long, deep bonding relationships, to belong to a family, to a community that is bound together in those ultimate commitments that have been melded into one, in-depth experiences of exhilaration and ecstasy, the community where we celebrate life and we have done it again so recently with so many tears. Mother's Day, a grandmother, fighting cancer, seeing her granddaughters kneel here affirming their faith. Confirmation, young people kneeling here with pastors' and parents' hands upon them, launching them into their life journey. Baccalaureate with the graduates receiving a rose and knowing that they have here a place, a home, always, again being launched into the grand adventure of life. Moments to remember. Moments that move us deeply so that when the concept fails, the feeling remains. You see, the concept is not unimportant, but it is so very limited. Someone gave me a statement the other day, "All of our religions are but the ossified remains of former prophetic and ecstatic visions." That is true, for our religions, in all of their structures and all of their systems, are but human constructions which are stammering attempts to give expression to that ultimate Mystery that will always defy the concept, but a Mystery present to us as we gather so that as we disperse, a feeling remains and we know we have been in the presence of God. So, we gather as a community to remember who we are and whose we are, to celebrate our common life together and to be challenged to go out into this world to humanize it in the name of the God whose mystery was revealed to us in the humanness of Jesus. Ah, dear friends, we have been a gifted people, richly blessed, blessed in that the concept in all of its limitedness has been lifted beyond the intellectual appropriation to the existential experience, and there has been no one so responsible for that as my partner and my dear friend, your Director of Music and Fine Arts, John Gregory Bryson. To him, thank you. And to God be the glory. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Celebration of 30 years of John Bryson as Director of Music and Fine Arts, Trinity Sunday, Pentecost II Series Credo Scripture Text Isaiah 6:1, Revelation 1:17 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-0-20010610 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-06-10 Title A name given to the resource God: The Feeling That Remains Where the Concept Fails Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on June 10, 2001 entitled "God: The Feeling That Remains Where the Concept Fails", as part of the series "Credo", on the occasion of Celebration of 30 years of John Bryson as Director of Music and Fine Arts, Trinity Sunday, Pentecost II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 6:1, Revelation 1:17. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Experience of the sacred Liturgy Trinity Sunday https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/399363ae2404cd7828c457618c3b4b22.mp3 21cdd946ab3ab078b9706cc54a6babb3 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c61e97f5ba0f734293f7fd82bbf26929.pdf fb6ed5a498c67bbe37fc3f0181c4b108 PDF Text Text Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Independence Day Weekend, Pentecost V Readings from our Past: Psalm 33:10-17; Matthew 5:38-48 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 1, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon About eighteen months ago, at the turn of the millennium, I pointed to a book that had impressed me with its insight about our present human situation in terms of the international global situation. Samuel T. Huntington with a lot of experience in international affairs had written a book, The Clash of Civilizations, which concludes with this paragraph: In the 1950s, Lester Pearson warned that humans were moving into an age when different civilizations will have to learn to live side by side in peaceful interchange, learning from each other, studying each other's history and ideals and art and culture, mutually enriching each other's lives. The alternative in this over crowded little world is misunderstanding, tension, clash and catastrophe. The futures of both peace and civilization depend upon understanding and cooperation among the political, spiritual, and intellectual leaders of the world's major civilizations. In the clash of civilizations, Europe and America will hang together or hang separately. In the greater clash, the global real clash between civilization and barbarism, the world's great civilizations with their rich accomplishments in religion, art, literature, philosophy, science, technology, morality and compassion, will also hang together or hang separately. In the emerging era, clashes of civilizations are the greatest threat to world peace and an international order based on civilizations is the surest safeguard against world war. The human story is a fascinating story and, as in this week once again we celebrate the independence of our nation, I thought it might be well for us to think of our nation and our Western civilization in terms of its unique values which have come to us at great cost and great sacrifice. We have, I think, a growing awareness or raised consciousness of the sacrifice and the cost of that which we enjoy together and so easily take for granted. Nancy and I, two or three weeks ago, went to see the film, Pearl Harbor, which is justifiably criticized for making a big buck on a love story and perhaps trivializing © Grand Valley State University �Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Richard A. Rhem Page 2 the event itself, according to those who were there. It seems to me that is probably a justified criticism and yet, once again, that film calls to mind that Day of Infamy, and the terrible cost that has been paid even in the last century for the freedoms and the liberties that we enjoy. Perhaps the anchor of NBC, Tom Brokaw, in his book, The Greatest Generation, in his continuing effort to bring those voices forward, has also given us a certain new awareness of that which it has cost in the past in order to preserve and to protect that which we have as a people. And so it seems to me that it is good for us, on an occasion like this, to reflect on where we are in the world, who we are in the world, and that which is incumbent upon us in order to preserve and to perpetuate the values that have been so richly enjoyed by us as a people. In his book, The Clash of Civilizations. Huntington tells the story of the past century and those great wars that were waged. There was the First World War, for example, and President Wilson committed us to that war with a suggestion that it would be a war to end all wars, and, of course, it was not, but rather it birthed Fascism and Communism and the retreat of Democracy which had been gaining ground in the century past. And then there was the Second World War and, toward its close and the close of his life, Franklin Delano Roosevelt began to speak of the United Nations and the creation of an organization of peace loving nations that would come together in the universal organization, and that would ensure a structure of permanent peace. And, of course, after the euphoria died down, we recognized before long that we were engaged in a Cold War which for decades had us teetering on the edge of disaster in a balance of terror. I remember well the euphoria that came in the wake of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. There we thought finally we had won the battle. There was a State Department official, Francis Fukayama, who wrote a very widely discussed essay entitled, “The End of History," in which he suggested that the West had won, that the values of freedom and democracy and free enterprise and all of that which marks our life had finally been demonstrated to be superior and that it was just a matter of time before the whole world embraced those particular values and marks of Western civilization. Fukayama went so far as to suggest that the future of history would be boring. And we know what happened to the euphoria of the fall of the Berlin Wall, for it opened up ancient wounds, the Balkans, ethnic cleansing, that terrible slaughter and massacre that went on, brought to us once again with greater clarity through the turning over of Milosevic to the world court to be tried on crimes against humanity. In the last decade plus we have seen the rise of militant fundamentalisms and religion, creating violence and horror. We have seen massacres and racial genocide, and we have recognized that the global body politic is wounded, indeed. Then President Bush had spoken of a new world order, but it was not to be, and so here we are. © Grand Valley State University �Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Richard A. Rhem Page 3 Samuel Huntington suggests that it was a foolish optimism that ever believed that there could be a universal civilization, that what we are faced with and what we have to recognize is rather a diversity of civilizations, perhaps seven or eight civilizational groupings which are tied by blood and language and religion, which have a deep identity that transcends national boundaries, that represent ancient bonding of human families. It is Huntington's contention that the only way to security and to peace in this global world of ours is through the acceptance of that diversity, the recognition of it, even the celebration of it, simply to come to the realization that it will not be the West and the rest, or the West as the best, but rather, in the respective civilizational groupings, each having its own integrity, there will have to be a way of coming to understanding, of mutual respect, of the investigation of the history, the culture, the art, the philosophy, and the religious faith of the respective groups in order that there might be a living together in human community with that diversity acknowledged and recognized and celebrated. This seems to me to make a lot of sense and the other point that he makes (apropos for us on this week in which we celebrate our independence) is that we ought to renew those values that have made us what we are, that we ought to renew and recommit ourselves to that which is uniquely Western, that which was born in Europe and has been lived out and embodied here in such a fruitful way individual liberty, political democracy, human rights, the rule of law, that pluralism and that Christian rootage which has flowered in Western civilization. Certainly we don't want our civilization to be closed against others but, according to Huntington, there has been a naiveté about the possibility of multi-culturalism within a given civilization. Multi-culturalism within a civilization attempts to make that civilization the world, and it is not. Just as a mono-culturalism would attempt to make the whole world like one's own civilization, and that brings conflict, and that won't work, either. To recognize the diversity of civilization, but to recommit oneself to one's own values, to recognize anew that which has given us birth, that which is at the foundation of that freedom and liberty and humane existence, the civility that has marked our civilization at its best would seem to be the path of wisdom. As I think about the biblical story, we read Psalm 33 and its insight is that we will not live and survive by military might. That has been practiced and that has been our practice and, as the most powerful nation on earth, we have often been told that we must continue to be strong in order to preserve peace. There have been instances in the past where, thank God, we had the strength to turn away the aggressor and the tyrant. But we ought to recognize the wisdom of that Old Testament poet in that finally what we are all after, global security and peace, will not be secured by superior military might. A king is not saved by his armies, said the Psalmist, and the war horse is a vain hope for victory. Finally, you cannot arm yourself, you cannot have strength enough to repel every enemy and to remove every danger. We have to find it in some other way. Peace does not lie through military power, and if I move to that famous and disturbing Sermon on the © Grand Valley State University �Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Richard A. Rhem Page 4 Mount, I hear Jesus talking about the law of retaliation, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, and I recognize that there was a time when an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth was a code of justice. What it says is that the penalty ought to meet the crime. An eye for an eye, not a life for an eye. It's a tooth for a tooth, not a life for a tooth. That was a step forward in human understanding. But, Jesus goes beyond that. In the very, very disturbing moral imperative, Jesus suggests turning the other cheek, going the extra mile. And then, in the most radical of all suggestions, to love our enemies, for he says if you like the people who like you, big deal. If you love the people who love you, big deal. Everybody does that. It's natural to do that. It is human to do that. But, to love your enemies? That’s divine. For he points to the God whose sun shines on the just and the unjust and the God whose rain waters the gardens of the good and the evil. The God of Jesus was a God of non-discrimination and humanity, in Jesus' image of things, is rooted in God, so that there is a common ground of humanity. God is the eternal ground and source and, therefore, because of that common ground and source, there is a common humanity and, consequently, all humanity deserves to be treated humanely and it is incumbent upon human beings to be humane, one to another without discrimination and without exclusion. Well, I don't know what to do with Jesus' words. Some in the history of interpretation have said that's not for now, that's for when Jesus comes again and establishes a kingdom on earth. That’s a future ethic. Well, nice going, but it won't work. In all honesty, whether you want to take Jesus seriously or not, whether you think he was on to something or not, what we can't do is say he was talking about some future age in the Sermon on the Mount. That was immediate. That is here and now. Others have said that's fine on an individual basis, but you can't do it in the corporate. Well, maybe it won't work, but I think that's what Jesus intended. I think that is what he was saying. I don't quite know what to do with it. I think it would be helpful if, before we argued with it, we listened to it. If, before we reject it out of hand as some ridiculous kind of counsel, we let it seep into the pores of our being. We let that ethic simply be with us for a bit because, if it would saturate our being and seep into the pores of our nature, it would have to have some kind of effect on our spirit and on our attitude. And finally, the human problem is a problem of attitude and spirit, and Jesus was suggesting that there is a common humanity that demands a universal humaneness and acceptance. Positively, we have to accept the civilizational diversity and even celebrate it. We should renew our own values and recognize the roots from which they have sprung, and celebrate them and preserve them, as well. And then, we ought to find those areas where the civilizational groupings overlap in common values, common, shared human values for justice and for © Grand Valley State University �Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Richard A. Rhem Page 5 truth and compassion, rejecting murder, deceit, tyranny, torture and oppression, because if one takes those civilizational groupings at their best there is a shared value, there is a shared morality, a shared ethical sense which can be distilled and which each respective civilizational group committing itself to would make for the kind of security and peace and well-being that is necessary for our world that has come to a crossroads because of the tremendous power, because of the tremendous technological capacity, because of the fact that we have everything at hand to destroy the whole human experiment if we don't learn to live with justice and peace, one with another. Certainly, the Christian church has not been a good example. I was just rereading again the book that I'll be using in July by Richard Rubenstein, When Jesus Became God, the conflict in the 4th century in trying to establish the orthodox Christological formulation. After a century and more of bloody conflict, an edict of the Roman Empire established orthodox Nicene Christology and, when that was established, a group of Christians began to burn synagogues and pagan temples and massacre people, and the emperor as a responsible ruler demanded that they make restitution and that the leaders be punished, and the great and highly esteemed Bishop Ambrose of Milan said to the emperor, "Why should God's people be punished for destroying the heretics and the pagans? If you don't rescind your rule to punish, I will not serve you Holy Communion," and the emperor relented. I suppose I tell you that little story because I started out where Ambrose was – not quite so violent, thank God – but with that kind of exclusionary attitude that ignorantly and arrogantly said, "This is it and this is true and only this is true." And then, by the miracle of grace and the Holy Spirit, those blinders began to fall off and I began to see the light and the grace in others and, rather than closing myself off and rejecting, began to open up and embrace and found a vitality and a joy and a celebration of life such as I never knew in that cramped and crimped orthodoxy that was wringing all of the joy of life out of me. I suggest that has happened to this community, as well, where we have learned the broadness of God's mercy, we have learned the freedom of throwing open our arms and embracing all and excluding none, and we have learned that breaking down the barriers that divide is the way to humanity, to grace and joy and blessing. So I would suggest that, as a civilizational group, as a nation, there is possibility for us. There is possibility for the world. It may yet be a long way off. We'll have a good many battles yet to wage. But, finally, with an attitude and a spirit that has at least heard the word of Jesus, has recognized how it cuts against the grain of the human animal, but is indeed the voice of the Spirit, little by little we might move toward that day when we will not exclude the other, but rather, find ourselves celebrating that family of which we are a part, in harmony with the other families of the globe, and there would be peace on earth. © Grand Valley State University �Beyond Nation, Ethnicity and Creed Richard A. Rhem Page 6 References: Samuel P. Huntington. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Touchstone, 1997. Richard E. Rubenstein. When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome. Harcourt Inc., 1999. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Independence Day Weekend, Pentecost V Scripture Text Psalm 33:10-17, Matthew 5:38-48 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Samuel P. Huntington. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Touchstone, 1997. Richard E. Rubenstein. When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity during the Last Days of Rome. Harcourt,Inc., 1999. 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-0-20010701 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-07-01 Title A name given to the resource Beyond National, Ethnicity and Creed Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 1, 2001 entitled "Beyond National, Ethnicity and Creed", on the occasion of Independence Day Weekend, Pentecost V, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Psalm 33:10-17, Matthew 5:38-48. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Diversity Global Community Inclusivism Non-violence https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d9377009a2d8f113feac321a91f3ddc5.mp3 502606dc0e7c9d2550fbc88be14e3309 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/09ef6059d68b37c6db634e4c1aa19272.pdf fea165154707bc31dbc4e418e02f504f PDF Text Text The Freedom to Embrace Pentecost VI Hosea 11:1-9; Romans 11:25-36; Luke 23:32-34 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan July 8, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon Some two or three years ago, more or less, on a broadcast by Paul Harvey, he read an "Impatient Letter From God." I shared it with you a while back, but it says so well with some humor what I want to say this morning that I'm going to share a few paragraphs again: From: God To: My Children on Earth Re: Idiotic Religious Rivalries My Dear Children (and believe me, that’s all of you), I consider myself a pretty patient guy. I mean, look at the Grand Canyon. It took millions of years to get it right. And about evolution? Boy, nothing is slower than designing that whole Darwinian thing to take place, cell by cell, and gene by gene. I've been patient through your fashions, civilizations, wars and schemes, and the countless ways you take Me for granted until you get yourselves into big trouble again and again. But, I want to let you know about some of the things that are starting to tick Me off. First of all, your religious rivalries are driving Me up a wall. Enough already! Let’s get one thing straight These are Your religions, not Mine. I'm the whole enchilada; I'm beyond them all. Every one of your religions claims there's only one of Me (which, by the way, is absolutely true). But in the very next breath, each religion claims it's My favorite one. And each claims its bible was written personally by Me, and that all the other bibles are man-made. Oh, Me. How do I even begin to put a stop to such complicated nonsense? Okay, listen up now. I'm your Father AND Mother, and I don't play favorites among My children. Also, I hate to break it to you, but I don't write. My longhand is awful, and I've always been more of a "doer" © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 2 anyway. So ALL of your books, including those bibles, were written by men and women. They were inspired, remarkable people, but they also made mistakes here and there. I made sure of that, so that you would never trust a written word more than your own living heart. You see, one human being to ME — even a bum on the street — is worth more than all the Holy books in the world. That's just the kind of guy I am. My Spirit is not a historical thing; it’s alive right here, right now, as fresh as your next breath. Holy books and religious rites are sacred and powerful, but not more so than the least of you. They were only meant to steer you in the right direction, not to keep you arguing with each other, and certainly not to keep you from trusting your own personal connection with Me. Which brings Me to My next point about your nonsense. You act like I need you and your religions to stick up for Me or "win souls" for My sake. Please don't do Me any favors. I can stand quite well on My own, thank you. I don't need you to defend Me, and I don't need constant credit. I just want you to be good to each other. And another thing: I don't get all worked up over money or politics, so stop dragging My name into your dramas. For example, I swear to Me that I never threatened Oral Roberts. I never rode in any of Rajneesh's Rolls Royces. I never told Pat Robertson to run for president, and I've never EVER had a conversation with Jim Baker, Jerry Falwell, or Jimmy Swaggart! Of course, come Judgment Day, I certainly intend to ... The thing is, I want you to stop thinking of religion as some sort of loyalty pledge to Me. The true purpose of your religions is so that YOU can become more aware of ME, not the other way around. Believe Me, I know you already. I know what’s in each of your hearts, and I love you with no strings attached. Lighten up and enjoy Me. That’s what religion is best for. It was on a spring-like Lenten Wednesday evening this past season that the meditation which I offered seemed to connect with a number of people, because in that meditation I explained how I had become such a flaming liberal and arch heretic, that it was really a process over many, many years. There were a number of people who said to me, “You know, you really ought to do that on Sunday morning.” I don't generally do that kind of thing and yet, when it continued to surface now and then, I thought finally, “Okay, let’s do that.” Last week we talked about the freedom of the nation and the privilege we enjoy as a free people, but today I want to talk about that which personally has given me the greatest freedom of my life: the freedom to embrace the other without qualms, without feeling awkward or clumsy, without defensiveness or tentativeness or distancing or alienation, just simply to open my heart and my © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 3 arms to embrace the other. And it didn't come easily because I was nurtured in a very strong tradition, the Protestant tradition, the Reformed tradition, Calvinism as expressed in Dutch Reformed piety that had a pinch of mysticism about it, deeply traditioned in that old Reformed faith that had a very great gulf built between those who were the children of God and those who were not, those who were saved and those who were lost, those who were chosen by God and those who were damned by God. The eternal election of grace is something that I grew up with. After seven years of pastoral experience, the first four which were right here, my little system was showing signs of wear; it was beginning to crack, because you know the human situation isn't always clean and neat. It's often very messy. It doesn't fit all the categories. There is not always a rule or a prescription for every human situation. Suddenly we are confronted with something that, "Where do we go to find the answer to this?" After seven years of pastoral experience, I really needed a new beginning. I needed to look again. My European experience of four years was an existential quest much more than an academic quest. It was for me to find a Gospel I could preach honestly with authenticity, because I was running into some walls that I couldn't get over. So, I went to Europe and there met my dear Professor Berkhof who had invited me to visit him when I came and see whether or not we might work out something. I went to see him, and on his drape was pinned that little scrap of paper that had the words of Tennyson, "Our little systems have their day, they have their day and cease to be. They are but broken light of Thee, and Thou, O Lord, art more than they." I said to myself, "I think I've found my man." This was exactly what I needed because, if there's anything I had, it was a little system. If you didn't grow up as I did in Dutch Reformed piety and theology, you're not even going to be able to understand what I'm going to talk about now, because you have to have been born with this thing to have any comprehension of it at all, to take it in at all. But I grew up on that national Dutch flower, the tulip. Now, most of the world, in order to trace its heritage, seeks its roots. Dutch people seek their bulbs, and the bulb blossoms into a tulip, and the five petals of the tulip are five propositions of Christian faith understanding as it was given to me: TULIP, an acrostic for five significant points of doctrine. The T stands for total depravity, which simply means that being human, you're a dirty rotter. Being human, you're guilty as sin. Being human, you're a fallen creature. Being human, you're lost. So, what is God going to do about it? God is going to unconditionally choose or elect some. Not all. And it’s unconditional. This is something deep in God, deep in eternity. It has nothing to do with a person's righteousness or lack thereof, a person's response or lack thereof. It is an unconditional election. A part of the © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 4 human race, only a part. Some are saved, some are lost. The U stands for unconditional election. Those who are totally depraved and unconditionally elected, it is for them that Christ died. Limited atonement, the L. Well, there's a sense in which Christ died for the world, but not seriously; Christ died for the elect. Limited atonement. And, of course, being totally depraved as you are, and unconditionally elected as you are, and having had Christ die for you, then you will be irresistibly drawn by grace. There's no way you can get out of it. You can kick and scream and howl, but God will get you. Irrestible grace, the I in TULIP. And you who are totally depraved and unconditionally elected for whom Christ died as a limited atonement, who have been irresistibly drawn by God's grace, will be preserved unto all eternity. The preservation of the saints, the P. There you have it Once you get in the little scheme, you can't get out of it. It is totally, logically coherent. If you start it, you have to end up where it ends up. TULIP. "Our little systems have their day, they have their day and cease to be..." My little system was running on fumes. In my study, I began to probe the nature of God's grace, really the nature of God and the extent of that grace. I was nervous about the fact that some people from the foundations of the world were chosen in Christ, and other people simply were damned. They were the reprobates. They didn't have a chance. Of course, we made our own choice to fall in Adam. You were there, weren't you? But, having made that choice in Adam, there was no way to get out of it, and if we were not chosen by God, curtains. That was not sitting easily with me and so, as I came back here in 1971 and in subsequent years, I was dancing all around those subjects. I was probing, testing, preaching and teaching in a time of experimentation, to which most of you were subjected and about which you were very gracious, indeed. Then in 1985, the church constituted a theological journal and I was invited to be on the Board of Editors and, becoming one of the editors, I had to begin to write. For me, that was a great opportunity, because I had to begin to put down clearly some of the stuff I had been thinking about. You know, in preaching one can be fuzzy. Old Dr. Harry Jellema years ago came one summer Sunday and, as he left, he winked at me. He always would say something in Dutch to me and light up his pipe. But this time he winked at me and said, “Studied ambiguity is the secret of success.” He knew where I was fussing around. Most people didn't. They just sang, “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” and went out of here happy as a bird. © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 5 But, now I had to begin to write, and that’s in black and white and that’s public. The Board of Editors said to me, because we were talking about these things together, “Why don't you write on the extent of grace, the covenant of grace?” I said I would and I began to do some research for that, and one of the great aids that came to me was from that wonderful house organ of the Christian Reformed Church known for its piety and its orthodoxy and its ecclesiastical, political analysis, The Banner, in a guest editorial which is entitled, “Who is Saved?” I said, “Ah, this is it. Now I’ll know. Who is saved?” The writer is a brilliant mind who writes exceedingly well and, with great lucidity, he set forth the wonders of a universal grace - all saved. He made it so appealing, but then he said, but it won't wash. No, he said, God must decide who is saved and God must save them. In Calvinist orthodoxy, God wants to save everybody: I Timothy 2:4, "And God can save everybody." God arranged for the death of Christ to radiate sufficient power for the salvation of all. God also orders the Gospel preached to all. But, at the end of the day, God abandons some. God wants everybody saved, but never intends to save all. God wants everybody saved, but doesn't plan on it. The reprobate are heartbreakingly, finally, disastrously lost. God could save them, but he doesn't, and nobody knows why. Probably none of us needs reminding that this is a painful scheme. The awfulness of it comes home to us when we look at the spiritual rebellion of a son or daughter. Could it possibly be that God has never intended to save this precious person? Well, I put the magazine down and read no further, because that was a scheme painful, indeed. It was too painful for me. It was one of those moments, one of those transforming moments when suddenly you see everything. You see something differently. You know. You know that that is not true. You know that system has a terrible distortion in it, and so suddenly it is like shackles fall off and one begins to think again. Now, imagine it. This is a very lucid, clear, unambiguous presentation of Reformed Calvinism, and if you are consistent with that system, you might have a son or a daughter who’s kicking over the traces, sowing their wild oats in a state of rebellion, turning their back on you, heedless of your pleas, and you would have to contemplate the possibility that God never intended to save them. I had to say I don't believe that. I cannot believe that. That is not any God that I could worship. Of course, being deeply imbedded in the tradition which claimed to find its source in the scriptures, I had to go back to the scriptures. It's really interesting. It is the same old book, but when one puts on different glasses, one sees things one never saw before. For example, that beautiful passage in Hosea, chapter 11, where God talks about how tenderly he tended to Israel as a child and Israel rebelled, and God says, “Okay. My wrath is on you. You're going to be destroyed.” And then God says, “How can I give you up? My compassion warms within me. I © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 6 will not destroy Ephnam, for I am God, not human.” That God, you see, a God of passionate, fierce love and grace and mercy that would not give up. Or, Paul struggling with that question of Israel, “Why, Why did Israel reject Jesus?” Paul had seen it – Paul, this Jewish Pharisee, this blue blood rabbi – he saw in Jesus this one whose grace had broken the bounds of Israel and flown to the whole world and he wanted to take it to the whole world, but his own brothers and sisters didn't see it. He said, “I would that I could be accursed if only they would see it. They have a zeal for God, but not according to righteousness. What’s going on?” Well, I [Paul] think what's going on is that Israel's rejection is so that the Gospel goes to the Gentiles. And then eventually the Gentiles, receiving the grace of God, will cause envy in Israel and then – then all of Israel will be saved. God has consigned all to disobedience according that God may have mercy on all. Hosea 11:32. I said, “Oh, Paul? You're getting close to a universal conception of grace. Or a conception of universal grace.” And, of course, it has to do with the nature of God, and where do we see the nature of God more clearly than in the face of Jesus? And when you see him on the cross, the victim of the violence and the bigotry and the prejudice, the hatred of the human family, what does he do? Does he respond in kind? No. He says, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." He sees through, he penetrates through their ignorance, through their defensiveness, through their hostility; he sees through them to something deeper. He says, “Father, forgive them. They just don't understand.” That's a picture of God, that kind of grace, that kind of mercy. Now, you see, God didn't drop those words out of heaven, but this was the deepest intuition of Hosea's heart, this is what Hosea sensed God must be like. This is Paul's insight. He was wrong about the timetable of God's redemptive scheme. He was wrong about a lot of things, but he saw something about the grace of God and that to which he witnessed. This word of Jesus - there wasn't any court recorder there. There wasn't any microphone on the cross. What Jesus had been, what he had embodied, how he had impacted them caused them to write this word, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they do," because that is reflective of who Jesus was. And Jesus is reflective of who God is. So, little by little, I became more and more certain. I knew, not only that that theological system was broken and that I had to free myself of it while continuing to listen to it and respect it, but I knew that the news was better than ever I had dreamed and I found a freedom within, a freedom to embrace. I found a new joy. I found that I could open up to people. I found that I wasn't awkward anymore. My body language didn't reflect the fact that I had to keep you at arm's length until you step over this line and become one with me. I didn't have to get anybody to step over any line. All I had to do was to be the embodiment and the witness of © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 7 a grace of God that embraces us before ever anyone heard our borning cry. What a relief. What a freedom. What a joy. As I was preparing that Lenten message, there was on my desk an article from Sports Illustrated which I never read, but somebody had found an article that they thought was probably good for me to read, and I thought to myself I don't have time to read this today. It's a long article. But, I made the mistake to read the first page, and then it was page two and three and four, and this amazing story of a black basketball coach who was a Catholic, in Berlin, Ohio, in the very midst of this Mennonite Amish country. The Amish are the conservative ones; they have horse and buggy. The Mennonites are the liberal ones; they have trucks. But, they're all very much of a piece. Wonderful people, strong community. Into that community comes a black Catholic basketball coach. I can't go into the whole story, but they resisted; he turned the other cheek. His presence was transforming. It's a wonderful, amazing story of how one individual, embodying a marvelous kind of grace and charisma, became a transforming angel in the midst of a whole community. Best of all, he brought trophies and big championships to Berlin, Ohio. Then, at age 48, a malignant brain tumor was found, and he died. In his death vigil they came, surrounding his bed day and night. They came, past alumni who had gone across the country; the whole community was there day and night at his side. The whole community was thrown into a terrible grief at its loss. This black Catholic in Mennonite country was buried in St. Peter's Catholic Church in Millersburg, a few miles away, because, of course, there were no Catholic churches in Mennonite country, just like there are no black people. No Catholics, no blacks. A black Catholic now is being buried in a village far away and everybody goes, former players, present players, Mennonites, Amish, black Baptists who were his relatives, white Catholics who were part of his congregation - the whole congregation was full for his funeral. The article concludes that at the funeral, just before Communion, Father Ron Aubrey gazed across St. Peter's, Coach's Catholic church. The priest knew that what he wanted to do wasn't allowed and that he could get into trouble. But, he knew Coach, too, so he did it. Invited everyone to come up to receive the holy wafer. Steve Mullet glanced at his wife in her simple clothing and veil. "Why not?" she whispered. After all, the service wasn't the bizarre ritual they had been led to believe it was. Wasn't all that different from their own. Still, Steve hesitated. He glanced at Willy Mast. "Would Coach want us to?" "You got it, Bubs," said Willy. So, they rose and joined all the black Baptists and white Catholics pouring toward the altar. All the basketball players, all the Mennonites, young and old, busting laws left and right, busting straight into the kingdom of heaven. Isn't that wonderful? I know about that. I know about that freedom to embrace, no longer having to worry that it’s up to me to do God's work. Just to be able to witness to an amazing grace that is broad enough to cover the whole human © Grand Valley State University �The Freedom to Embrace Richard A. Rhem Page 8 family and that will finally bring us all home. Ah, that's really to live - by grace, by George. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Pentecost VI Scripture Text Hosea 11:1-9, Romans 11:25-36, Luke 23:32-34 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-0-20010708 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-07-08 Title A name given to the resource The Freedom to Embrace Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 8, 2001 entitled "The Freedom to Embrace", on the occasion of Pentecost VI, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Hosea 11:1-9, Romans 11:25-36, Luke 23:32-34. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Compassion Exclusivism Nature of God https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/66689638c038fb05a52b2e36d75c1817.mp3 0bd179ec5d0198bc427eae15caf5f41d https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/4ed37bf385612b275fd264f70df0ff75.pdf d68adf7d0542ab08d569b7996888c2fd PDF Text Text The Gift of Life; The Life of Grace Text: Luke 15 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Pentecost VIII, July 22, 2001 Transcription of the spoken sermon Life is a gift. The Psalmist knew that. The old, familiar 100th Psalm says we are the creatures of God's hand, God has made us, not we ourselves. Life is given. We are the recipients of that miracle, and a miracle it is, really. A sperm and an ovum unite and there potentially is a human being. The human genome project is mapping out the genetic mysteries of the human being and it is far beyond my understanding, but, in any case, when we think of life, when we think of birth, we say it is a miracle, and it is a miracle in the best sense of the word, for miracle is not some event that goes contrary to the processes of nature, but rather, it is that wonderful, awesome consequence of nature itself when it is functioning according to its intention. Life is a gift and life is a miracle. It is almost impossible these days for a pastor to make a hospital call on a new mother, but it used to be one of my favorite calls to make. Today, by the time we hear of the birth, the mother is out of the hospital, hopefully with a baby in tow. But, formerly, there were a few days of grace and it was always marvelous to make that call. There were tears and there was joy, such a wonderful experience. My favorite text was Psalm 34, verse three, which must have been in Mary's mind when she sang The Magnificat, "O magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt God's name together," because in the face of the gift of life, in the face of a birth, we know we are in the face of a wonderful miracle. I think that when my own children were born, I was somewhat in a fog, not fully aware, lacking wisdom and experience to stand in adequate awe. I wonder if it may be that God gives us children before we are wise enough and have experience enough fully to appreciate the awesomeness of it. Perhaps when we get that experience and wisdom, we'd be so scared, we wouldn't have them in the first place. As grandparents, at least we have a second chance to enter into that with our own children if God is gracious to us. I can remember as though it were yesterday four years ago this past Friday. Nancy was entertaining some of her friends on our deck. They were having a luncheon, as I remember, and she received a call from her son-in-law that our daughter was on her way to the delivery room, and with uncharacteristic irresponsibility, she left her guests at lunch. They could continue to eat if they © Grand Valley State University   �The Gift of Life; The Life of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 2   would. They could clean up if they were helpful, but she wouldn't care. She was on her way to the hospital. And so it is - the gift of life. Life is a gift, and when we stand in its presence, we know miracle. It would be wonderful, we often say, if we could only keep them little. Not really, of course. And yet, they do grow up, and in order to become adults, they have to go through adolescence and then there comes that moment when we have to let go, when we have done all we can do, when we have prayed for them and nurtured them and shaped them and formed them as best we can, given as much wise counsel as we can. But, with fear and trepidation, there comes that moment when we have to let go. Then it is that life becomes a choice. It becomes a choice for them. What will they do with this miracle of life that is offered as gift? In the story that Jesus told which is called the Story of the Prodigal Son, it could well be called the story of a father's unrelenting love. But, interestingly, in the very beginning of the story we learn that when the young son came and asked for his inheritance, lacking all propriety and wisdom, the father let him go. There was wisdom in that. All of us, I suppose, at one time or another have cajoled, we have pled, we have bribed, perhaps. But, we know that there is a limit. There is a time to let go. Then the choice belongs to those who have grown up under our sheltering wings, for it is time for them to try their own wings. The younger son wanted his inheritance and he took off, and Jesus said he squandered his property on dissolute living. Just what the details of that were is totally unimportant. The fact is that he just thought it would be a party forever. He didn't realize that there could be a turndown in the stock market. Suddenly he found himself in dire straits. Well, you know the story well. A significant little phrase has it that "he came to himself." He came to himself. He had made a choice and it was a rather disastrous choice. But, all of us have the privilege of one or two of those. Thank God he came to himself, and he began to calculate a bit and then he said, "I will arise and go to my father," because what he really wanted was a bunk and breakfast. Or, maybe a bunk and three square meals. We get to the bottom of the heap sometimes and we get desperate and we need the common, ordinary things. He was remembering the parents' home, its civility and its dignity and its adequate provision, and so he arose and went to his father without any sense at all that there was not a day since he had left that the father's heart had not been wrenched and that the father had not looked longingly down the road if perchance he might see some indication of a returning boy. Well, he wasn't home yet. He wasn't even totally changed and transformed at this point. He was still calculating a bit He was still figuring how he could make it on his own with a little help. And so, he had a well-crafted speech that he was going to give to his father. He had memorized that speech and said it over and over all © Grand Valley State University �The Gift of Life; The Life of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 3   the way from the far country, only to be interrupted by the father's running to him, embracing him, kissing him, the father's heart breaking over him, and the father's love breaking his heart And then, finally, he was home, for he had had an experience of an overwhelming grace. No more calculation. No more selfjustification. No more rationalization. Just home in the father's arms. Rembrandt has captured it magnificently in oil on canvas, 'The Return of the Prodigal." He was home. Grace transformed him. But, it isn't only the far country that beckons those who come to years of responsibility and have to choose. There are those who dwell in the far country, even though it's only the back forty, those who never leave home, but have never been home. Those who are responsible and faithful and dependable who never kick over the traces or kick up their heels. Those who are righteous to a fault. In the parable, the elder brother who was such a person, coming in from the fields, hears the music and dancing and catches a whiff of the fatted calf roasting on the spit, and like the eruption of Mt Etna, all of his anger and resentment and hostility break forth. He had been faithful and responsible every day of his life, and he had hated every minute of it. He had not followed his younger brother's example, maybe because he lacked imagination or courage or whatever. But the reason that we cannot applaud him for his faithfulness and his righteousness is his self-righteousness, and the fact that there was no joy or spontaneity in his life. What he did, he did as onerous duty and heavy responsibility, and the resentment continued to build up until the moment of the party, of the joy, of the spontaneous bursting forth of life watered richly with grace. And then, in total alienation, he left the home, the home of which he had never really been a part. Life is a gift, and then becomes a choice. We have to remember why Jesus told this story. Luke tells us in the opening of the 15th chapter that it was because he was receiving criticism because of his table fellowship, because of the people with whom he consorted, because he was open to ail sorts and conditions of humankind, because he didn't make distinctions between clean and unclean, righteous and unrighteous, godly and godless. And he didn't do that because Jesus saw more deeply into the human soul than most of us. Jesus saw the turmoil there; Jesus saw the hurt and the pain, he saw the fear and the wonder there, and he knew that all of the negativity sometimes takes over a human soul, a reaction, a very clear response to a multitude of life experiences. But Jesus never lost sight of the fact, as he looked into the depths of every human being, that there was a child of God, and so, with open arms, with an open invitation to the table, with an embrace, with a spirit and an attitude that was totally opposite of any kind of exclusion or ruling out, Jesus was able, as the father in the parable, to transform human beings, to give them an image of God as the God full of grace who creates every new possibility. Here we are this morning, gathered in community in worship. What an interesting story it would be if all of our tales could be told. Some of us have been © Grand Valley State University �The Gift of Life; The Life of Grace Richard A. Rhem Page 4   here forever and some of us have returned somewhat recently. Some of us are full of grace and some of us are still not sure, and the message this morning is that grace creates the possibility for new beginnings, for new possibilities. There is always the opportunity to choose again and to be born and to be born again, for finally, the only thing that God desires for us is that we come home and that we rest in the grace symbolized in the arms of the father as we are washed with tears and made clean. If only we would come home, we would learn to sing, to sing a simple song. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Pentecost VIII Scripture Text Luke 15 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-0-20010722 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2001-07-22 Title A name given to the resource The Gift of Life, The Life of Grace Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 22, 2001 entitled "The Gift of Life, The Life of Grace", on the occasion of Pentecost VIII. Scripture references: Luke 15. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Inclusive Life Miracle Pentecost Prodigal Love Transforming Grace