1
12
29
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/716a5bfa173c9ae8e23f4b29481715ac.pdf
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PDF Text
Text
Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
Hope College
Holland, Michigan
September 9, 2015
O God,
in Whom we live and move and have our being,
great cosmic Artist, painting the universe
in hues that take our breath away,
inspiring human art
that enhances and transforms our lives,
we gather to dedicate today The Kruizenga Art Museum,
a gem on this beautiful campus
for the enrichment of the whole college community
and the larger community beyond,
whose space will be filled with masterpieces from around the world,
bringing here a window on artistic expression
from the global community.
As we dedicate this museum, we give thanks
for the vision of Richard and Margaret Kruizenga
and the generosity that has made it possible,
and we celebrate the intention
that beautiful artistic expression
enrich all the disciplines of the college.
We pray your Spirit and grace will rest richly on the college
that values life’s aesthetic dimension –
on administration, on faculty, on the student body –
that there may be a continuing stream of lives enriched by encounter
with some of the world’s great art,
who will make their world more beautiful, more humane,
knowing that all that is true and good and beautiful
flows from Your creative grace.
O God,
Source of all that enriches us on our human journey,
to such high and holy purposes we gather to dedicate this,
The Kruizenga Art Museum.
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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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
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<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a>
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
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Kaufman Interfaith Institute
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Text
Identifier
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KII-01
Coverage
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1981-2014
Format
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audio/mp3
text/pdf
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
Dedication of the Kruizenga Art Museum
Location
The location of the interview
Hope College, Holland, Michigan
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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RA-1-20150909
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2015-09-09
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Text
Title
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Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer
Creator
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Richard A. Rhem
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
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eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 9, 2015 entitled " Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer", on the occasion of Dedication of the Kruizenga Art Museum, at Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Community, Art.
Format
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application/pdf
Art
Community
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/e401f59c1b5e07f75a89362a3755c57a.mp3
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PDF Text
Text
A Circle of Quiet
Sixth sermon in the series: What the Church Has Forgotten, AA Remembers
Text: Isaiah 26:3-4; Psalm 46:10; Romans 12:1-2
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
August 29, 1982
Transcription of the spoken sermon
"Be still, and know that I am God..." Psalm 46:10
"Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he
trusts in Thee. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting
rock." Isaiah 26:3-4
"...present your bodies as a living sacrifice, ...which is your spiritual
worship...be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may prove
what is the will of God..." Romans 12:1-2
Madeleine L'Engle writes,
...often I need to get away completely, if only for a few minutes. My special
place is a small brook in a green glade, a circle of quiet from which there is
no visible sign of human beings. There's a natural stone bridge over the
brook, and I sit there, dangling my legs and looking through the foliage at
the sky reflected in the water, and things slowly come back into
perspective….The brook wanders through a tunnel of foliage, and the birds
sing more sweetly there than anywhere else; or perhaps it is just that when
I am at the brook I have time to be aware of them, and I move slowly into a
kind of peace that is marvelous….If I sit a while, then my impatience,
crossness, frustration, are…annihilated, and my sense of humor returns.
(A Circle of Quiet, p. 4)
She wrote that in a book entitled, A Circle Of Quiet. From that passage she named
the book after it was finished and the title is a happy choice. It describes the book
which, in journal fashion, records Madeleine L'Engle's deepest thoughts and
intuitions, the kind of reflections that come to one who has developed a circle of
quiet in her life.
I borrow the phrase “a circle of quiet” for this message, which deals with the
importance of solitude, meditation and prayer in the nurturing and sustaining
of the new life in Christ, a truly spiritual existence.
© Grand Valley State University
�A Circle of Quiet
Richard A. Rhem
Page 2
Once again, what the Church has forgotten, AA remembers. In the wonderful
logic of the Twelve Step Program for recovering alcoholics, AA recommends a
daily practice of meditation and prayer. I am jumping over steps eight and nine
which have to do with making restitution for whatever wrongs one has done,
where amends can be made without doing further injury, and step ten which
encourages a continued moral inventory such as we have earlier discussed in step
four. I turn now to Step 11, which deals with the discipline of a devotional life:
We sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious
contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of
His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Such a practice is not new to us in the Church. Perhaps it is not fair even to say
that the Church has forgotten it. I think, however, we would not be far wrong if
we said that for most of us in the Church it is a practice not practiced. Here again
perhaps the recovering alcoholic is more fortunate than those of us that do not
share his particular problem. His problem is such that, once having been rescued
from his plight, he knows he can continue on the road to health and wholeness
only by the daily appropriation of the power and peace of God. That is why we
speak of a recovering alcoholic, not a recovered alcoholic. He is never cured; he
lives one day at a time – indeed, moment by moment.
The Power - God, as he understands Him - has set him free from the tragic
slavery that held him bound. But that freedom is nurtured one day at a time and
the secret is a day-by-day conscious cultivation of the power and peace of God.
I hope you know by now that this series is not primarily for recovering alcoholics,
nor is it for the purpose of advertising AA, although I am happy to do so. I have
stressed throughout that the alcoholic is not unique. He has a particular problem
but then, we all do of one sort or another. The Steps of the AA program are
simply borrowed from the Scripture and translated into the language of one
particular group of people. But the steps follow diagnosis and remedy of the
human condition found in the Scripture and they go on to counsel how that new
life must be nurtured and sustained.
What the recovering alcoholic knows to be absolutely essential, too many of us
believe to be optional.
He cannot make it without daily prayer and meditation. None of us can, but
because we don't necessarily fall on our face without it, we think we can get by.
But we are only fooling ourselves, or, I should say, cheating ourselves out of the
richest dimension of human experience - the practice of the presence of God.
Let me suggest to you today that every life needs a circle of quiet. Let me
encourage you to set about developing for yourself the habit of devotion, a time
for solitude, meditation, prayer.
© Grand Valley State University
�A Circle of Quiet
Richard A. Rhem
Page 3
AA provides practical helps for the development of the discipline of devotion.
There are several publications which are very helpful. What I suppose one could
call the AA Bible is a little pocket-sized book entitled Twenty Four Hours A Day.
There is a brief paragraph on some aspect of life, a meditation and a prayer. For
today's date, for example, this is what is written:
We cannot get along without prayer and meditation. On awakening, let us
think about the twenty-four hours ahead. We consider our plans for the
day. Before we begin, we ask God to direct our thinking. Our thought lives
will be placed on a much higher plane when we start the day with prayer
and meditation. We conclude this period of meditation with a prayer that
we will be shown through the day what our next step is to be. The basis of
all our prayer is: Thy will be done in me and through me today. Am I
sincere in my desire to do God's will today?
In another AA publication, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, Step Eleven is
discussed in a very practical way. Recognizing that for many a daily practice of
meditation and prayer may be totally new, simple hints are given as to how to
begin. The suggestion is made that one take the Prayer of St. Francis, "Lord,
make me an instrument of Thy peace..." and let it soak into one's consciousness.
Read it. Read it over. Read it slowly, thinking about every phrase, savoring every
word.
This, of course, is but one example of how devotional material can be used to get
us started. The literature available is immense and the devotional suggestions
many. The aim of all our striving must be the practice of the presence of God, the
developing of conscious contact, communion with God.
For us who would nurture and nourish our spiritual life, our life in Christ, the
greatest source of devotion, the greatest aid we have is the Bible, and the practice
of daily Bible reading is indispensable for one who would have his life conformed
to the image of Christ.
The Old Testament lesson is Psalm 46, one of the most familiar and best loved of
the Psalms, which are the favorite source of devotional reading in Scripture.
Psalm 46 celebrates the safety and security of God's people because of His
presence with them. Perhaps it was written to celebrate the preservation of
Jerusalem from the Assyrian hosts. But the historical situation is not important.
In itself, it breathes of the security that comes to God's people because of His
presence with them.
The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
How many times have not these words brought calm and peace to those in peril,
confusion and fear?
Be still and know that I am God.
© Grand Valley State University
�A Circle of Quiet
Richard A. Rhem
Page 4
What steadiness comes to one who repeats those words and with those words
comes into the conscious presence of God?
The Psalms are full of such comfort and strength and not only the Psalms. I
added another example of the promises of God's words from Isaiah:
Thou dost keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he
trusts in Thee. Trust in the Lord for ever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock.
Isaiah 26:3-4
That statement was inscribed on a plaque and hung in our living room when I
was growing up. It promises precisely what AA knows the recovering alcoholic
needs. It promises what each and every one of us needs. It promises peace to the
mind concentrated on God. It calls us simply to trust in God, the Rock of Ages.
Christian hymnology has taken up texts such as these and enabled us to sing our
faith. Martin Luther's great hymn, "A Mighty Fortress Is Our God" is based on
Psalm 46. Augustus Toplady based the familiar "Rock of Ages" on Isaiah 26:4,
where "everlasting rock" is literally "rock of ages."
Rock of ages, cleft for me, Let me hide myself in Thee.
These two hymns are directly based on words of Scripture and the hymnal is a
great source of Christian devotion, providing much substance for meditation and
prayer.
The Old Testament texts I offer as examples of what one finds in rich supply in
the Scriptures, great statements that, once imbibed and appropriated, bring
peace and calm to the heart. But I selected the New Testament text as the biblical
parallel to Step Eleven, the call to spiritual worship, which leads to the
transformation of life.
Paul urges,
Therefore my brothers, I implore you by God's mercy to offer your very lives to
him; a living sacrifice, dedicated and fit for his acceptance, the worship offered by
mind and heart. Adopt yourselves no longer to the pattern of this present world,
but let your mind be remade and your whole nature thus transformed. Then you
will be able to discern the will of God, and to know what is good, acceptable, and
perfect. Romans 12:1,2
The Apostle with his "therefore" moves in this great statement of Christian faith
to the practical application of Christian truth in the everyday life of the believer.
He appeals on the basis of all that has been set forth as the foundational truth of
Christian faith for a life wholly offered up to God. The sacrificial system of the old
cultic worship is now superseded. Jesus, the Lamb of God, has been offered over
for all -the perfect sacrifice. No longer do we come with sacrificial offerings as the
token of our lives offered in worship. Rather, as new creations in the Risen Christ,
© Grand Valley State University
�A Circle of Quiet
Richard A. Rhem
Page 5
we offer ourselves in the totality of our lives to God. Our worship is the offering of
our whole being, the worship of mind and heart in the practical affairs of our
every day.
A change has taken place; a transformation. The mind is remade. The whole
nature transformed. Now all of life's energy is focused on learning to know and
do the will of God.
In his paraphrase, Phillips renders Paul's words thus...
Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold, but let God remold
your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God
for you is good, meets all his demands and moves toward the goal of true
maturity.
I submit to you that no statement could better reflect what AA suggests is the goal
of human existence than this word from Paul. Step Eleven counsels prayer and
meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understand Him
and the focus of prayer is the knowledge of His will and the power to carry that
out. Living out God's will for our lives by the power of God is an excellent
statement of maturity, of full human existence.
If one would read the rest of this twelfth chapter as a prelude to every day, one
would find its shaping impact on one's life and this, of course, is the purpose of a
life of prayer and meditation, the purpose of practicing the presence of God.
Let me speak personally for a moment. Over the years I have spoken on the
subject of prayer and spiritual formation. I did so because it is a subject that from
time to time should be addressed in the course of one's preaching. I have tried to
do so honestly, never claiming to have cultivated the art of Christian devotion
with great skill, nor to have achieved great success in the practice of devotion. In
fact, what stands most vividly in my mind about my attempts to speak to this area
of Christian life is that I was most helpful because I admitted my own failure,
neglect and inconsistency in the life of prayer and meditation. After an experience
of regular prayer with a prayer list, a weary morning appointment and a sense of
heavy obligation during my years in seminary, I backed off any kind of regular
devotional practice. I think there was some negative reaction on my part as well
as recognizing, in a more positive vein, that the devotional life cannot flourish
under legalistic constraint. After all, I reasoned, one can pray any time, anywhere.
And it is true. Yet I think it is also true that one does not pray "without ceasing,"
any time, anywhere unless one has some more purposeful, disciplined pursuit of
prayer and meditation.
I have had another barrier to meaningful devotion. I have wrestled with the
theology of prayer and have too much made prayer a matter of the head than the
heart.
© Grand Valley State University
�A Circle of Quiet
Richard A. Rhem
Page 6
Now as I speak to you on the subject of practicing the presence of God, of a circle
of quiet in your life, I can speak of that circle of quiet out of the experience of a
circle of quiet in my own life. I want to share with you what I have found rich and
meaningful. I sense finally in my own life the real joy and richness of a daily
experience of solitude, prayer and meditation.
I simply recommend it to you - not on the basis of legal constraint or religious
duty, but rather as a way to be human, whole, at peace with self, others, the world
and God.
Step Eleven puts the central concern of such prayer and reflection into sharp
focus Show me thy will and give me the power to do it.
There, too, I have battled with God. I have not always wanted to say,
"Nevertheless, Thy will be done." Yet when we really sense the grace of God, the
graciousness of God, then what better can we desire than His will? What better
can we ask than His power? His will fulfilled in our lives through His power. Is
that not life's highest possibility? And that will is made known to us in the circle
of quiet; that power flows through us as we move out of the circle of quiet into the
demands of our ordinary days.
He will speak gently to us all.
Be still and know that I am 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
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<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.
Series
What the Church Has Forgotten, AA Remembers
Scripture Text
Isaiah 26:3-4, Psalm 46:10, Romans 12:1-2
Location
The location of the interview
Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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KII-01_RA-0-19820829
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1982-08-29
Title
A name given to the resource
A Circle of Quiet
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Richard A. Rhem
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Sermons
Relation
A related resource
Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Text
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
application/pdf
Description
An account of the resource
A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 29, 1982 entitled "A Circle of Quiet", as part of the series "What the Church Has Forgotten, AA Remembers", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 26:3-4, Psalm 46:10, Romans 12:1-2.
Alcoholics Anonymous
Meditation
Prayer
Transformation
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/568e3dd8a0c0084268b9babc93bad224.pdf
d6427e543f6d736ebd2d700976dc7099
PDF Text
Text
A Family Christmas Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
Christmas, 2013
O God,
Mystery beyond us,
Mystery within us,
Sacred Presence enveloping our lives
in all that is good and true and beautiful,
we are gathered here in this home
we have loved for over 30 years
as a family first formed forty-one years ago
on Christmas.
We remember the little church,
the tree, the poinsettias, the reception at the Brysons
in their warm and lovely home
and can hardly believe
we have shared forty-one Christmases as a family,
grown from eight to twenty-six –
a family we treasure,
so warm, so caring –
simply Love embodied.
Today we welcome Robbie into the embrace of this family
as he and Sarah dream a future together.
And today Richard is in the circle,
having been given a place in Dan and Susan’s family,
welcomed by Dani, Sarah and Sam.
Gathered here,
we hold in our hearts those absent from us:
Katie, Jonathan and Brenda, Joseph and family.
How blessed we are.
In these moments, O God,
we know that the Christmas story is true.
It goes to the heart
of what is truly human, truly divine –
Love and Joy and Peace,
the Light that scatters the darkness,
a vision of an alternative world
that can find expression in nothing less than
a choir of angels singing,
“Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace.”
�Once a year this annual festival calls us
to stop, to reflect,
to penetrate the mists of our muddled thinking,
so caught up with matters of only passing concern,
to see what is truly ultimate,
what truly matters,
what is finally true –
that vulnerability invites trust,
that humility invites embrace,
that love begets love.
O God,
we worship and adore
in the Presence of the Christmas Babe.
Amen.
�
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
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
A Prayer at a Rhem Family Gathering
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
RA-1-20131225
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2013-12-25
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Title
A name given to the resource
A Family Christmas Prayer
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>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 25, 2013 entitled "A Family Christmas Prayer", on the occasion of A Prayer at a Rhem Family Gathering. Tags: Prayer, Christmas, Family, Presence of God, Love.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Christmas
Family
Love
Prayer
Presence of God
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PDF Text
Text
Advent Eucharist Prayer 1994
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
Advent, December 1994
Transcription of the prepared text
O God, beyond our fathoming –
eternal, infinite,
terms we use to describe what is indescribable,
to express what is inexpressible.
We bow in these moments
conscious that we are in the presence of Mystery,
a Mystery that embraces us
and will always defy our lust to define,
to reduce to manageable terms.
Yet you are a Mystery not all mysterious –
for, eternal though you be,
yet you have taken time for us.
In the beginning you stepped out of eternity’s depths
and called a world into being.
In the fullness of time
you spoke once more
and the Word that wrought our time
became flesh in our midst.
A human face gave shape to the glory of your being
and revealed you full of grace.
And in this Advent Season we celebrate a time
that is not yet, but surely will be –
an end time when your love will gather our tattered times
into the abyss of eternity,
bringing all your children home.
Eternal, you have taken time for us.
We are amazed.
© Grand Valley State University
�Advent Eucharist Prayer 1994
Richard A. Rhem
Infinite God,
you are without form, limitless in your being.
How could we even begin to know you
if you had not appeared in the garments of our finitude –
indeed, in the concreteness of a child?
Standing on the threshold of another Christmas,
we are amazed again.
Who would have expected
that the Infinite would become finite;
that the eternal would become time-bound;
that the Creator would become creature;
indeed – that God should become human
so that one could write –
We declare to you what was from the beginning,
what we have heard,
what we have seen with our eyes,
what we have looked at and touched with our hands –
a child, a human person, a crucified one,
one whom death could not bind.
Infinite God – there you are enfleshed –
and we find it so, still:
in the flesh of another whom we touch –
a newborn’s vulnerability,
a restless youth full of potential,
an old Simeon or Zechariah, an Anna or Elizabeth,
wise with many Christmases,
now severely limited, vulnerable again
yet full of grace.
Ah, dear God, there you are
in the other, the flesh we touch –
the souls with whom we become one –
there you are embodied:
Grace become tangible,
Love concrete.
There you are.
Down through the centuries you have been known
by those who have sought you,
yearned for your grace –
embodied in the flesh of your people.
You have given signs of your presence.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 2
�Advent Eucharist Prayer 1994
Richard A. Rhem
A loaf broken, a chalice of wine –
the stuff of creation: grain from the field, fruit of the vine,
these you have impregnated with your life
in order that your people might remember
and find hope renewed.
Eternal God, be known to us at this time.
Infinite God, make your presence tangible
in these common elements.
Breathe through bread and wine –
inspirit them
that we might be inspirited
as we take them,
remembering, hoping
knowing in awesome ecstasy
a timeless moment,
an Infinite Grace.
And then, Spirit of God, enliven us
so that we may know the joy of which angels sang
as never before.
Hear our prayers
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 3
�
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
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Contributor
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Kaufman Interfaith Institute
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Text
Identifier
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KII-01
Coverage
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1981-2014
Format
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audio/mp3
text/pdf
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
Advent
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
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RA-1-19941201
Date
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1994-12-01
Type
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Text
Title
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Advent Eucharist Prayer 1994
Creator
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Richard A. Rhem
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
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eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 1, 1994 entitled "Advent Eucharist Prayer 1994", on the occasion of Advent, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Tags: Advent, Prayer, Eucharist.
Format
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application/pdf
Advent
Eucharist
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a4e714a77be00e7d62b2d8079d98e3a1.pdf
7cb25dccc56b8e54a132fa2ca64043d3
PDF Text
Text
Advent Prayer 2002
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
Advent, December 2002
Transcription of the prepared text
In the serene beauty of this sacred space
let us be still, be attentive, fully conscious, fully aware –
aware of our lives in this world in crisis, in this season of holy symbol,
quite overwhelmed by frenetic activity.
Let us meditate on the wonder, miracle, joy and glory of life –
its mystery, its facile balance, our hopes, our dreams, our fears.
Let us be open to the Mystery of Being –
the Mystery we name God.
O God,
we confess that there is that within us
that wonders about the way you run the cosmos.
We would do it quite differently,
especially at those moments when things unravel,
when some crisis arises on the world scene,
when some evil is perpetrated, some injustice goes unrequited,
some tragedy so painful, some suffering so undeserved comes close to us.
We cry out but our voice is drowned out in the gale;
we try to keep hope alive, to keep trusting,
but the deep darkness leaves us numb.
We raise our voice if not our fist;
our “whys” pour forth in a torrent of anguish.
We would nominate for Supreme Ruler one who would unleash power,
destroy the wrong and establish the right.
We want a strong God because we feel so insecure, so frightened –
frightened that our health will fail,
frightened that a child will meet with an accident,
frightened that a loved one will be torn from us,
frightened that our dreams won’t come true…
© Grand Valley State University
�Advent Prayer 2002
Richard A. Rhem
Then it is that we wish you were the Lord God Almighty,
in total control,
in complete charge of every detail of our lives
and we would appreciate some sign that you are there – in charge.
Yet, O God, we really know that is not the way it is –
no blinding power, no show of force.
We sing, “What child is this…”
and “Why lies he in such mean estate?”
The poet glimpsed your way –
“They all were looking for a King
To slay their foes and lift them high;
Thou cam’st, a little baby thing,
That made a woman cry.”
You are with us in weakness rather than power.
How strange that is –
unsettling, unsatisfying –
until we come to realize that
only thus are you with us with our freedom intact;
only thus can our humanity in your image be real.
Sometimes we forget that and think of the traditional God Almighty
out there – in charge.
Then, when you don’t move in with heavy hand and fix things,
we are troubled.
We are tempted to think you don’t care.
Or, we wonder if some guilt we carry blocks your rescuing effort.
Sometimes we even wonder if you are there at all;
if perhaps we are not simply alone in the universe.
But, then we hear the story again –
a child in a manger –
one whom multitudes followed,
alone praying in agony in a garden,
finally hanging on a Roman cross,
crying into the darkness, “My God, my God, why…”
Then, at least sometimes, a light breaks through –
the god of almighty power to rearrange the world
is not the God we can really believe in –
not power, but presence;
not coercion, but persuasion;
not control, but grace;
not guarantee, but vulnerability.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 2
�Advent Prayer 2002
Richard A. Rhem
Ah, dear God,
such is the mystery.
We never live easily with that;
we never really hear that word once for all;
we need to learn it again and again –
in our weakness, we cry.
In our weakness, our hearts are open;
in our weakness, grace happens
and you are God with us.
In a child,
in a crucified one –
there you are.
In the embrace of another’s wordless presence,
there you are.
Not power to crush our will,
but love that breaks our hearts of stone–
that is Christmas;
that is the final truth.
We can live with that;
with that we can live.
Hear our prayers, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 3
�
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
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
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
RA-1-20021201
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Title
A name given to the resource
Advent Prayer, 2002
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>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 1, 2002 entitled "Advent Prayer, 2002", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Tags: Prayer, Advent.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2002-12-01
Advent
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d72461485d60adb822e8e1408e0235b9.pdf
247a09b7a77a23d27356c0de6eadd39d
PDF Text
Text
All Saints’ Day Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
November 1, 2009
O God,
to You we lift our souls,
to You we lift our hearts.
The Psalmist wrote of the deer panting for streams of living water and saw
himself mirrored in that thirst.
We, too, thirst for You, O Living God,
To know that You are;
To sense Your presence;
To rest in Your grace.
As your people gathered here in this place,
We would be still and know that You are God.
We bring our thanksgiving
In the conscious knowledge that all is grace
The order of creation –
We reset our clocks and watches
To catch a bit more light in the morning,
But Brother Sun and Sister Moon are affected not at all;
Summer and Winter, Springtime and Harvest
In passing parade proclaim Your great faithfulness.
You are a God we can count on,
Keeping this vast cosmos balanced on a razor’s edge,
Just so, just right.
And we breathe;
Planets move in marvelous symphony;
Salmon swim upstream;
Birds migrate to warmer climes;
Trees, so recently so richly garbed
Now poke heavenward bony fingers,
Warning of winter storms gathering,
Their leafy coats of dazzling color
now lying shredded on the ground.
And we sense a certain melancholy, a gentle grieving,
For once again we are rushing headlong toward the end of another year.
© Grand Valley State University
�All Saints’ Day Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
Like sand streaming through our fingers
Is the passing of our lives,
And we seem paralyzed, failing to grasp it.
Where have the years of our lives gone,
O God,
Where have they gone?
And what will become of us?
Ah, Dear God,
Creator, Lover of this world
In all the wonder of its diversity,
There is no shadow of turning in You.
You, the eternal God,
From Whom we have life,
To Whom our life returns,
In You we trust, in You we rest.
All is grace.
We give You thanks through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
For these moments, let us quiet our minds,
Letting go of concerns that burden us,
Regrets that cripple us,
Fears that paralyze us,
Whatever is troubling us.
Let us image that which causes gratitude to rise in us –
The gift and grace of life;
The sources of our joy;
Those persons who make life rich.
Let us call to mind those images which have shaped us –
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life,
Of whom shall I be afraid?
Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden,
And I will give you rest.
Since God is for us, who can be against us?
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,
Nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation
Will be able to separate us from the love of God
In Christ Jesus our Lord.
All will be well, all will be well,
© Grand Valley State University
Page 2
�All Saints’ Day Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
All manner of things will be well.
O God,
Those words rise from our depths so naturally.
O God
It seems that, in moments like these
When we purposefully, intentionally turn to you
When we turn to whomever or whatever you are,
We do so almost with a sigh,
O God.
For we know we are now in the zone of Mystery.
There was something about Jesus when he prayed
That caused the disciples to plead,
Lord, teach us to pray.
We plead, as well,
O, God, teach us to pray.
Once, perhaps, we came as suppliants
To the Royal Throne of the Universe with requests
We must admit on reflection were very self-centered,
Reflecting a very small universe in which
Our hopes and fears loomed very large.
And still there are moments when we flee into your presence
Totally occupied with our own concerns –
Something that threatens us, or
Some experience that crushes us, or
Some potential happening that involves us in a loss
we fear would undo us.
And sometimes it is sheer joy, ecstasy, exhilaration
That bursts forth in a torrent of praise,
Shutting out everything else for the moment.
But, more and more, we look not out there,
But somehow within, into our own depths,
Sensing we are connected deep down, rooted in Being itself,
You being the inexhaustible Source and Ground of all that exists –
The good earth,
The starry heavens,
The oceans’ tides
And ourselves, conscious, aware, groping for some clue
By which to know you, to rest in you,
No longer strangers, but at home in the universe,
At one with all that is.
Sacred Mystery of Being, of our lives,
© Grand Valley State University
Page 3
�All Saints’ Day Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
Page 4
it is so good, so familiar for us gathered here
to be gathered consciously in Your presence.
Such rich memories we share of days gone by.
O God,
how grateful we are for all we have shared,
for all we have experienced together –
grateful for friendship, for mutual trust, mutual caring, support and love.
On this All Saints’ Day we remember those we’ve loved and lost awhile.
We are grateful, O God, for the confidence with which we live and die,
that to live is to live unto the Lord
and to die is to die unto the Lord
and therefore whether we live or whether we die,
we are the Lord’s.
We are grateful, O great Mystery of life,
that we have been graced with a fundamental trust
that this cosmic dance into which our lives are woven
is not a tale told by an idiot full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,
but a universe whose grain is love,
whose end is life and light,
a cosmos exploding before our eyes
with marvels our forbears would not believe
and we can hardly begin to comprehend.
O God
Our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Grant us joy and peace as in You
We live and move and have our being,
Confident we will never walk alone.
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard A. Rhem Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Religion
Interfaith worship
Sermons
Sound Recordings
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Rhem, Richard A.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Kaufman Interfaith Institute
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
KII-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1981-2014
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
text/pdf
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
All Saints Day
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
RA-1-20091101
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Title
A name given to the resource
All Saints Day Prayer
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>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on November 1, 2009 entitled "All Saints Day Prayer", on the occasion of All Saints Day. Tags: Community of Faith, All Saints' Day, prayer.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2009-11-01
All Saints' Day
Community of Faith
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d2a0555ae20a27e7427909c66572243a.pdf
569e1f12a53533ab14b35b5842a4f43b
PDF Text
Text
An Anniversary Prayer
Prayer offered by Richard A. Rhem
at the 50th Anniversary Celebration
of Glenn and Arlene Yoas
December 13, 2013
Oh God, Eternal One,
in whom we live and move and have our being,
in the midst of this happy celebration
we pause consciously to experience and to acknowledge your presence,
present to us.
We do so naturally at life’s critical junctures,
life’s moments awash with meaning –
those moments that cause our hearts to sing or to break,
our minds to be radiant with light and illumination
or numb in somber darkness.
We pause; we are still.
We are present to you who are present to us –
the presence of Mystery in whom and before whom
our lives are played out.
In the quietness of this moment,
we pause to give thanks for the fifty years of life together
shared by Glenn and Arlene –
for their love and faithfulness,
for the richness of their experiences,
for the model they are
of strength and steadiness,
of faith and devotion.
We celebrate their years as lovers, partners, friends,
and we give you thanks that, as children, grandchildren and friends,
we can share these moments with them.
Memories wash over us of special times and seasons.
The film of fifty years flashes through our minds –
times when we laughed until the tears
washed over our cheeks;
times when the struggle was intense,
and the goal far off;
times when dreams came true,
© Grand Valley State University
�Anniversary Prayer
Richard A. Rhem
Page 2
and times when dreams were shattered;
times when joy burst the soul,
and times when grief filled the heart;
times of health and strength;
times when health seemed threatened and the future put in question.
Oh God,
we remember with laughter and with tears,
and we own it all,
the whole long, wonderful, fragile, perilous, beautiful journey.
For it is the tapestry of two lives lived well,
lived fully, authentically, before your face –
a tapestry with entwining threads
of all the colors of the rainbow:
brighter and more somber tones, light and shadow.
And through it all your presence, your faithfulness,
even your presence in absence.
We give you thanks, O God, for your grace
that has enabled them to be all they are,
and we seek your benediction upon them
as they move beyond this significant landmark.
Fill their future years with the richness of harvest,
enabling them to savor the fruits
of their love and labor.
Favor them with good health and even new adventure.
Surround them with the loving care of their children,
the happy exuberance of their grandchildren,
and embrace of the circle of their friends.
May your mercy be experienced with every breaking dawn
and peace mantle them with every golden sunset.
And as they gaze on the grandeur of the night’s starry heaven,
may they know themselves enwrapped together
in the Mystery of the abyss of your steadfast love.
With gratitude we gather around these tables,
acknowledging the gifts of bread and wine.
And in the midst of this joyous feast,
we remember the one who broke bread and poured the cup,
and has become for us the Bread of Life, the Wine of New Creation,
the one whose birth we celebrate in this beautiful season
of Advent and Christmas –
Jesus Christ our Lord.
© 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>
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
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Kaufman Interfaith Institute
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English
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KII-01
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1981-2014
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A prayer at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of the Yoas
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Grand Haven, Michigan
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RA-1-20131213
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2013-12-13
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Text
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Anniversary Prayer
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Richard A. Rhem
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eng
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Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 13, 2013 entitled "Anniversary Prayer ", on the occasion of A prayer at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of the Yoas, at Grand Haven, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Anniversary, Life Journey.
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application/pdf
Anniversary
Life Journey
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8c4ecc4496fec1db38950243de26b4ab.pdf
f0bec0d38a39383cae10d02bee823065
PDF Text
Text
Autumn Prayer, 1982
For Artists and Creators
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
October 10, 1982
Transcription of the spoken sermon
O God whose love of beauty has written beauty
into the very fabric of nature,
we offer you the praise of our lips,
the gratitude of our hearts
for all that we experience
in these nostalgic Autumn days:
The ravishing beauty of the woods,
dressed in a splendid many-colored coat;
the brilliant sunsets surrounded by dark clouds,
stippled with flecks of gold;
the crisp freshness of the first breath of morning;
the mellow warmth of an autumn afternoon;
pumpkins and cornstalks; apples and cider;
football and marching bands.
And with all the sights and sounds and smells of these days,
amidst a schedule too full,
the gentle grieving that another Summer is gone;
the sense of slight foreboding
that another Winter is coming,
that another year is well nigh past,
Father, we give you thanks that, in the changing seasons of our lives,
you do constant remain;
that in the rapid passage of our days,
you change not.
Your mercy is new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
Today, Father, we are especially mindful of and deeply grateful for
the sound of music,
© Grand Valley State University
�Autumn Prayer, 1982
Richard A. Rhem
for the elevation of our spirits
through all forms of artistic expression:
for human voice and the sound of instruments,
for oil and canvas and the artist’s touch that creates beauty,
for poets who paint with words
and writers whose words are sharper than a two-edged sword,
laying bare the human soul.
For all rich gifts of creativity
and for all whose gifts are offered to you
as a sacrifice of praise and adoration,
we give you thanks,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 2
�
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Title
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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
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Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Religion
Interfaith worship
Sermons
Sound Recordings
Creator
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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
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Contributor
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Kaufman Interfaith Institute
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Text
Identifier
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KII-01
Coverage
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1981-2014
Format
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audio/mp3
text/pdf
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Location
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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/.
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RA-1-19821010
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1982-10-10
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Text
Title
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Autumn Prayer for Artists and Creators 1982
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Grand Valley State University
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Richard A. Rhem
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
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eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 10, 1982 entitled "Autumn Prayer for Artists and Creators 1982", at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Tags: Prayer, Creators.
Format
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application/pdf
Creators
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/6f3ac4624ef7903bcf74df8cc7ebda25.mp3
383eccdaf8f29ca33da240fc9e946558
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/185ea116476724e6281225ad0b24f03f.pdf
9f7bebc6c38294ed1da1505c7bcc13b1
PDF Text
Text
Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
From the sermon series: The Mystery of God’s Sovereign Grace
Text: Nehemiah 1:11; Nehemiah 2:5
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
September 6, 1987
Transcription of the spoken sermon
History is the arena of human decision and action. We speak of some persons as
history-makers; their leadership, decisions, actions have moved the course of
history along and shaped the future.
Who are the candidates for such designation? Each would have a different list.
Every period of history would suggest different names. But, whoever is
mentioned, we know intuitively that we are speaking of persons who grasped the
situation, responded with a plan and acted decisively. The persons themselves
were conscious of facing options, making decisions, and acting, sometimes with
tremendous struggle – yet acting and thereby determining the course of human
events.
For example, early in the Second World War, the British secured a machine that
gave them access to the German code machine called Heydrich-Enigma. British
intelligence was thus able to gain access to Hitler's plans before they were
executed. In November 1940, a message was decoded which indicated that the
city of Coventry in England was to be bombed. Hitler was determined to
devastate non-military targets in an attempt to crush civilian resistance. Within
minutes of the order issued, Churchill had it in his hands. If he evacuated the city,
he would reveal his knowledge of the German code; if he did not, thousands of
civilians would be killed, or suffer. He kept the knowledge to himself. On
November 14, the Germans struck. The raid was so devastating that Berlin
boasted that every town in England would be "Coventryized." The sacrifice of
Coventry guarded the secret of access to the German intelligence, which, it is
claimed not without warrant, was what turned the tide of the war in Europe.
Perhaps more than what happened on the battlefield, it was the secret war of
intelligence that tipped the scale of victory for the Allies.
But think of the terror of decision that rested on Churchill. He had to decide; he
had to act; and he did - in great anguish.
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 2
But in this series of messages we have been pointing to another level of intention
and action, a transcendent dimension - indeed, the involvement of the sovereign,
gracious God.
To speak of God in connection with history and human willing, deciding and
acting is in no way to take away from the genuineness of the human agent.
Queen Esther risked her life in pleading with the King on behalf of the
Jewish people.
Joseph utilized his every human gift and endowment in administering the
Egyptian economy in preparation for the period of famine.
Churchill's act was Churchill's act.
But, human history is not one-dimensional. There is a sovereign and gracious
God Who is working His purposes out in and through, in spite of us at times, and
sometimes against the will and decision and action of the human agent.
Esther's foster father, Mordecai, said,
If you remain silent at such a time as this, relief and deliverance for the
Jews will appear from another quarter. Esther 4:14
Joseph said to his fearful, pleading brothers:
Do not be afraid… You planned to do me harm; but God planned to bring
good out of it… Genesis 50:19-20
Such a conviction is at the heart of biblical faith. The events of history move along
a dual track. The purpose of the eternal God is being effected and will finally be
realized in and through the decisions and actions of human history.
This series title begins with the word "Mystery." Again it must be emphasized:
what we are attempting to point to is a mystery; it is not open to human
observation, nor is it susceptible to human verification; it is an affirmation of
faith; it reflects a fundamental trust in God, in God's sovereignty, in God's
gracious purpose to redeem that will not fail.
That purpose is revealed in God's election of Israel; it is revealed most fully in the
life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; it is witnessed to in the Scriptures of
the Old and New Testament; it has always been at the heart of the faith of the
people of God. Theologians have argued and debated the question of the will and
purpose of God and the relationship of God's will to human will and action.
Abstractly one can only affirm the sovereignty of God's purpose at the expense of
human freedom or, conversely, affirm the genuineness of human freedom at the
expense of God's sovereignty.
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 3
The Bible is not an abstract book of theology; it is the story of God's saving
purposing intertwining with human willing and acting – human willing
sometimes in revolt and rebellion, sometimes in obedience and commitment, but
always genuinely human willing and acting. The Bible is a story - a narrative
made up of many stories of happenings over wide centuries. The stories reveal
what human reason and the canons of logic can never clarify - We purpose, plan
and act; God purposes, plans and acts, and the latter is effected through the
former.
If there is this two-level development operative throughout history's course,
where is the connection? Let me suggest that the connection lies in the prayer
and commitment of the person who is available to God.
It must be recognized that God's will and purpose meets resistance and
opposition, sometimes outright rebellion. I must clarify further that everything
that happens in history is not the will of God. There is so much so obviously
contrary to that will. Therefore, I have said several times that God's purpose is
effected through us, in spite of us, without us, against us.
All that is true. Still, God's purpose marches on. He will create a new heaven and
a new earth. He will redeem His people. He will save!
But let us focus in this message on how God's purpose is effected through the
human agent who is available to God to be the instrument of His purpose. And
my contention in this message is that it is prayer that links heaven and earth; it is
prayer that creates the opening for the thread of God's purpose to be woven into
the tapestry of our lives.
Perhaps you will respond that I have taken on a large enough task to relate the
Divine and human will, the plan of God and human planning without now
bringing in the mystery of prayer. One mystery is quite enough; why confuse
matters further?
I respond that it is not my purpose to dissolve the mystery - as if I could; rather, it
is to point to the mystery. And further, to point to the mystery not by reasoned
argument, but rather by using the biblical method - telling a story.
The story today centers in Nehemiah. It is told in the Old Testament book that
bears his name. Nehemiah was a layman. In the period after the Exile, he became
the Governor of Jerusalem and with single-minded determination led the
inhabitants of Jerusalem in a great effort that rebuilt the city of Jerusalem and
restored good order and spiritual vitality to the people.
In 587 the Babylonian Empire under the famous Nebuchadnezzar finally
destroyed the city of Jerusalem, taking people into exile for a second time and
this time burning the city, destroying the Temple and the walls, leaving the city in
shambles. In the rise and fall of Empires, Babylon arose to dominance. The
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 4
Persian King, Cyrus, overcame Babylon in 539. This was an important
development because the Persians proved a benevolent power supportive of the
religions of the empire. Cyrus promulgated an edict that the Jews in exile could
return to Jerusalem. The prophet, Second Isaiah, saw Cyrus as an instrument in
the hand of God - even called him a shepherd of Israel.
He is my shepherd and shall fulfill my purposes. (Isaiah 44:28a)
And again:
Thus says the Lord to his anointed (messiah), to Cyrus, whose right hand
I have grasped… (45:1)
Some Jews, fired by the vision of the dawning Kingdom portrayed by Second
Isaiah, returned to Jerusalem but not all, by far, for many of the exiles had
prospered well in Babylon. Cyrus issued another decree that the house of God in
Jerusalem should be rebuilt and the Temple vessels returned.
Between 538 and 522 B.C., when Darius came to the Persian throne, a good
number of Jews returned to Jerusalem. Fired by a vision for the restoration of the
former glory of Jerusalem, the returned exiles found it was no easy matter to
rehabilitate the city. The population was mixed, the Samaritans to the North
having filtered down and intermarried. The returnees were a threat to what had
become the new order, dismal though it was. There is always resistance to
disturbing the status quo, even when it is nothing to speak of.
But the work began. In the second year of their return, the foundation of the
second Temple was laid. But soon opposition arose. The Samaritan governor
refused permission for the work to continue. Friction developed between the
people who had remained whom the exiles considered impure because of their
mixed marriage and unauthorized worship practices, and the returned exiles who
had a great zeal to set up a new community uncompromised by the lax practices
of the past.
The work of rebuilding remained in abeyance from the time of its cessation until
the second year of Darius - the year 520 B.C. Then the prophets Haggai and
Zechariah carried on a crusade, which stirred the people to action anew.
Opposition surfaced again, but a new decree from Darius set the work in motion
again and he even gave royal support and financing.
In 515 B.C., the second Temple was completed. But something must have
happened to dampen the ardor of the returned community because not much
further progress was made in rebuilding the city. The community was poor;
leadership seemed to be lacking and there was not the will or vitality to move
forward. Poverty of means and poverty of spirit seemed to characterize the
Jerusalem community.
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 5
That brings the story up to the time of Nehemiah. Nehemiah had done well in
exile. He had risen to prominence in the Persian court, being the cupbearer of the
King, a position of great trust. He tasted the wine before the King to ensure that
some palace plotter had not poisoned it. He was located in the empirical city of
Susa and was visited by his brother, Hanani, who came from Jerusalem.
Nehemiah asked his brother about the state of affairs in Jerusalem and was told
about the sorry estate of the people and the city itself. He heard a report of the
trouble and reproach that had fallen on the people of God, how the walls were
still broken down and the gate yet in ruins. Hearing the report, Nehemiah says,
I sat down and wept.
Then he prayed, confessing the sin of the people, acknowledging their shortcomings and unfaithfulness and that their miserable condition was brought on by
themselves. Yet he reminded God of His covenant faithfulness and then prayed,
Grant me good success this day, and put it into this man’s heart (the
King’s heart) to show me kindness.
One day, appearing before the King, his unhappiness and distress must have been
obvious and the King asked him what was wrong. He shared his grief at the
terrible conditions in Jerusalem and the King responded, "What are you asking of
me?"
This was the moment, the opening Nehemiah had been looking for. Nehemiah
says,
I prayed to the God of heaven, and then I answered…send me to Judah, to
the city…so that I may rebuild it.
The King responds favorably. He sends not only Nehemiah, but also a royal
escort and the authority to do what was on his heart. This was probably in the
year 445 B.C.
The story reads like a thriller. In spite of opposition, threat and peril, Nehemiah
rebuilt the walls, installed gates and restored the security and dignity of the city,
and in chapter 6:15 we read the task was accomplished in 52 days. That seems
almost impossible. The historian Josephus says it took two years and four
months. No matter. A monumental accomplishment was achieved.
And he did more than build the walls. He became governor and brought renewal
to the whole community life and worship.
Nehemiah offered superb leadership. He had great strength of character and
clarity of vision. His soul was fired by a religious passion for the wellbeing of the
people of God and he threw himself into the task with vigor modeling out in his
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 6
own person, his attitude and action, his total commitment to the purpose of God,
which fired his soul.
Nehemiah was a person of deep religious commitment and faith. His first act
upon hearing of the disgrace into which Jerusalem had fallen, was to pray. He
prayed for success. He prayed before answering the King. He prayed when the
opposition threatened to shut down the work (4:4-5), and in a beautiful balance
of prayer and action, we read,
So we prayed to our God, and posted a guard day and night against
them. (4:9)
Ejaculatory prayer punctuates the narrative (5:19, 6:9, 14, 13:14, 31). It is obvious
that he was a truly devout person totally caught up in executing the mission he
sensed was his and totally dependent for success on the power of God. One
commentary summarizes this man thus:
He combined in his person the qualities of firmness, love of and zeal for
God, land, and people, and a fierce dedication to the proposition that his
was the only way to achieve immediate ends to which he committed
himself ... (Ezra-Nehemiah, Anchor Bible, p. LXXXIII)
The story of Nehemiah is a thrilling tale of a person captivated by a vision, driven
by a burning passion, totally committed to the purpose of God. Nehemiah was
available to God to be an instrument of his purpose and totally dependent upon
God to bring success to his careful planning and energetic action. Nehemiah is a
model of how prayer links heaven and earth, Divine purpose and human agent in
the carrying out of the sovereign, gracious purpose of God to establish His
Kingdom.
Reflecting on that story there are several important lessons to be learned about
our theme: first, it must be obvious that the ministry of Nehemiah could only
flow from a vision of the plan and purpose of God. Nehemiah was a Jew of the
Exilic community long separated from Jerusalem if, in fact, he had ever been
there, but he was not separated from the vision that has always characterized
Israel at its best: its calling to be the concrete demonstration of God's Kingdom
within history, its calling to be a light to the nations, a model of human society
living under the gracious rule of its redeeming God.
Nehemiah was a son of the covenant. He trusted the promises to Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob. He believed that God had a special destiny for this people and that in
Abraham's seed all nations would be blessed.
That's the reason for his deep anguish when he heard of the despair and disgrace
in which Jerusalem was lying. It was that deep sense of calling to the redeeming
purpose of God that created the grief of his soul at hearing that Jerusalem - City
of God - was in such a state of destitution.
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 7
The point I want to stress is that it was precisely that vision of what God was
about in the world that created in Nehemiah first the anguish, but then the
burning desire to do something about the tragedy of this people chosen to be the
instrument of God's saving purpose. Rather than sitting on his hands, shrugging
his shoulders, letting things go on from bad to worse, the vision of the Kingdom
drove him to respond, to make himself available to God as an instrument for the
effecting of His purpose.
Nothing of significance happens apart from a vision, a dream. There are many
dreams; there are many good and worthy dreams - some are purely personal,
some may be essentially selfish, some may embrace loved family, some may
involve a community or larger segment of society, some the nation.
But there is one dream that transcends them all, that takes us out of ourselves
and saves us from boredom and meaninglessness - it is the dream of God's saving
reign; it is to be caught up in that great purpose of the sovereign and gracious
God to bring health, healing and salvation to the whole earth for all earth's
children.
From whence does it come? How is one captivated by such a vision?
It cannot be self-generated; we cannot whip ourselves into a froth and
manufacture passion out of our own soul. But we can open our minds, our
inspirations to the vision of the Kingdom and just maybe God will put it in our
hearts to yield ourselves to be the instrument of His purpose.
That brings me to a second observation - such a vision lodged in our hearts will
drive us to prayer. That seems as natural as breathing. Who has ever caught a
glimpse of the cosmic sweep of God's purpose and then set out in his own
strength to bring it about?
Nehemiah did not rush headlong into frantic action. He heard the report and he
wept. He was overcome with deep anguish. Before he made his report to the King
for permission to go to Jerusalem to rebuild it, there elapsed a period of four
months. It was a time for prayer, meditation and waiting upon the Lord. If it was
to be God's mission, it could only be nurtured in communion with God and God
must take the initiative, create the opening. And God did!
Prayer - communion with God must be the normal, intuitive response of one who
senses the vision and begins to feel the calling. Only then will the situation ripen
and clarity be achieved. It is God Who must open the doors for service for the one
who would be available to Him.
Nehemiah's deep concern was registered on his face. The King sensed something
going on in the life of his servant. His question provided the opening and
Nehemiah's preparation in prayer readied him to take the opportunity to make
his request. That must always be the process by which we move from vision to
© Grand Valley State University
�Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Richard A. Rhem
Page 8
action. Prayer links heaven and earth and puts God's servant in the way of
serving.
But, thirdly, Nehemiah moved on then to exercise his best administrative gifts.
He was accompanied by a royal escort, supplied with royal undergirding and he
came to Jerusalem. But not with fanfare. He came and remained silent and
hidden for three days while he took the situation in. He toured the ruins in the
dark of night getting the feel of the situation. He planned his course wisely and
carefully and only then called the citizenry together and unfolded his plan.
In all of this, of course, he did not cease to pray; but he did not pray and then
leave matters to happen as they might. He was praying as he planned and
planning as he prayed.
And finally he committed himself totally and without reservation to the effecting
of the planning, poignantly aware that his was the decision to become involved,
to make himself available, to be at God's disposal. He could have shrugged it off.
What he was committing to was to be the instrument to effect God's plan, a plan
that would finally prevail through him or without him.
Did that recognition cut the nerve of his commitment? Did that knowledge sap
his creative energy? No! On the contrary, God's plan became the foundation of
his planning; God's sovereign purpose became the engine that drove his best
efforts and galvanized his creative imagination. Finally, he could be totally
committed and totally relaxed.
His was the task; he chose it. But all is grace; all is of God.
And if that collides in our rational faculties, it nonetheless rests easily in our
depths because intuitively we know we are free and responsible – history-makers;
but we "know" as well that all is of God, Whose sovereign, gracious purpose will
prevail.
Heaven and earth are wonderfully linked in prayer and commitment as one
opens one's life to become the instrument of God's purpose. And one day the
tapestry of history will include the tapestry of our personal histories, and woven
through it all will be the thread of the purpose of God and that thread will spell
"Grace."
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Richard A. Rhem Collection
Description
An account of the resource
Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar.
Subject
The topic of the resource
Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Religion
Interfaith worship
Sermons
Sound Recordings
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Rhem, Richard A.
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
<a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Kaufman Interfaith Institute
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Sound
Text
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
KII-01
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1981-2014
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
text/pdf
Sound
A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds.
Event
Pentecost XIV
Series
The Mystery of God's Sovereign Grace
Scripture Text
Nehemiah 1:11, 2:5
Location
The location of the interview
Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI
Dublin Core
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Identifier
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KII-01_RA-0-19870906
Date
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1987-09-06
Title
A name given to the resource
Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God
Creator
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Richard A. Rhem
Publisher
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Subject
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Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Sermons
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Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/
Language
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eng
Type
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Sound
Text
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application/pdf
Description
An account of the resource
A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 6, 1987 entitled "Commitment and Prayer in the Purpose of God", as part of the series "The Mystery of God's Sovereign Grace", on the occasion of Pentecost XIV, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Nehemiah 1:11, 2:5.
God's Sovereign Grace
Hebrew Scriptures
Mystery
Prayer
Salvation
Vision
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d7d7c981e89e8a6dbdfdbb435bc730c6.pdf
2d4b216d79808e83945ce0dc69caa108
PDF Text
Text
God of Many Names,
A Prayer by Richard A. Rhem
Interfaith Leadership Dinner
Kaufman Interfaith Institute
Grand Valley State University
Grand Rapids, Michigan
April 27, 2015
God of many names,
gathered into one,
in your love we sense our oneness.
Having traveled our respective paths,
which we honor,
we find we have arrived here together
in one place –
not only physical space –
but oneness of vision, oneness of spirit,
embraced together in the freedom of grace
and the wonder of love.
We are grateful for this movement that gathers us,
for those whose vision is being realized,
for those whose faithful leadership challenges us
to new frontiers of faith and service,
and especially for the lives of those honored this evening,
who have embodied the beauty
of being as one in your presence.
As we gather around tables spread,
we know your grace
as we look into each other’s face
and sense a bit of heaven on earth.
O God of many names,
receive our thanksgiving.
© 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/.
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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
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Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives.
Contributor
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Kaufman Interfaith Institute
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
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English
Type
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Sound
Text
Identifier
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KII-01
Coverage
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1981-2014
Format
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audio/mp3
text/pdf
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
Interfaith Leadership Dinner Kaufman Interfaith Institute
Location
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GVSU, Grand Rapids, Michigan
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Identifier
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RA-1-20150427
Date
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2015-04-27
Type
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Text
Title
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God of Many Names
Creator
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Richard A. Rhem
Rights
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<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Language
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eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 27, 2015 entitled "God of Many Names", on the occasion of Interfaith Leadership Dinner Kaufman Interfaith Institute, at GVSU, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Interfaith.
Format
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application/pdf
Interfaith
Prayer
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/61af7d42a1f4b893095dc29ee880acce.pdf
78528034b9b5ddda3491689a1528b2ef
PDF Text
Text
How Can I Pray?
From the series: Can I Honestly Believe?
Text: Genesis 32:24; Psalm 139:23; Luke 11:1
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
July 26, 1998
Transcription of the spoken sermon
I had thought that I had entitled the message today, "Can I Pray?" and I thought
all I had to say was, "Surely. The offering will be received and let’s go to the
beach." But then I realized that it was, "How Can I Pray?" and that puts a little
different light on it, and as I speak this morning about prayer, I want to say this:
To speak about prayer is to speak about the most intimate devotional relationship
of one’s life, and one ought to do it with great sensitivity. Preaching about prayer
is not praying. Preaching about prayer is taking a step back and thinking about
prayer, and that’s a far cry from the act itself, the devotion itself. I want to say this
morning in regard to this subject, and it’s always true about every subject, that no
one can answer such a question for you. Only you know if you can pray. No tyrant
in a political role can deny you that, that inner sanctum of the person that is holy
ground and, thank God, no one can control that inward being. And in this
relationship, no preacher can tell you, either.
You may say to me, "Well, we look to you for guidance."
That’s fair enough. I’ll think in your presence. I’ll think out loud, and as I think
out loud, I hope you’re thinking silently so that we’re having a real conversation.
But I’m not an authority figure and I refuse to be that for you. If you see me as an
authority figure, I want to say to you, grow up. Get off on your own. I cannot bear
the weight of your soul. I’m going to do the best I can and honestly struggle with
the questions that I think are very, very important, critical questions in the living
of our lives and in our relationship to that Ultimate Mystery that is God. But,
don’t take me seriously. Don’t believe what I say just because I say it. Listen to
what I say. Argue with what I say. Debate me. You’re grown people, and the
church too long has fostered a kind of dependency and kept people in a state of
immaturity, as though if the minister said it, it’s so. Well, it’s just not so,
especially if this minister says it.
As I speak a bit about prayer this morning, I am conscious that there are those of
you out there who are farther along in the school of prayer than I ever will be.
And there are those of you who have a deeper experience of prayer than I’ve ever
© Grand Valley State University
�How Can I Pray?
Richard A. Rhem
Page 2
had and, when I speak about prayer this morning, I will be seeking to clarify
some questions. I’ve long since known that my greatest contribution to the
human race would not be to provide answers, but rather, to help people clarify
the questions, because what good would it do if I said to you, "Cease praying, it
makes no sense." Would you stop? Or, if I said, "Oh, indeed, it makes a lot of
sense." Would you start or keep on doing it? I wanted to say that this morning
about this particular message about prayer, but I want to say it generally. Don’t
believe everything I say. Just engage with me in some thoughtful reflection.
That’s my responsibility. And you carry yours, as well.
So, how can I pray? Well, the context for the question is the series that we’re in
and that series began with my talking about religion, in which I made the claim
that religion is a human, creative, imaginative construct. Religion is a human
phenomenon. Whatever in-breaking of mystery, whatever experience and
encounter of the sacred and the holy, whatever that may be, and whatever may be
behind that, the human family has responded to that sense of awe before mystery
with the construction of religious systems, things that are believed, modes of
worship, manner of living. Basically, that’s what human religion is. That’s what
our Christian tradition is - a set of beliefs, a manner of worship, a mode of living.
And, if that is true, then I suggested to you that it is time we worked on the image
of God. Again, not because I say so, but because generally as a part of the whole
western culture of which we are a part, the theistic idea of God has been called in
question. Maybe not by you and, if not by you, then for goodness sakes, you can
leave right now. You don’t need to listen any further. But there are a lot of our
contemporaries who are having difficulty with the theistic conception of God,
which is a conception of God which has marked the whole western tradition, that
is the God of our hymns, of our prayers, of our liturgies, of our everyday, common
thinking about God. When we talk about calling in question the theistic
conception of God, that is, a God "out there," a Supreme monarch, ruling,
directing, employing invasive processes once in a while, a God episodic in that
God dips in here and there and, what would appear from the human point of
view, capriciously, arbitrarily, monkeys in this point and dabbles in that point,
but a God supreme, omniscient, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-powerful - that
conception of God that I grew up with in Sunday School, that I for many years
preached from the pulpit - that God, that conception of God is in trouble.
Now, if religion is a human construct, that doesn’t mean that God is in trouble. It
means that a conception of God has been called into question. And if that
conception is not a problem for you, you have no problem whatsoever with what
I’m going to be saying. But, if it is a problem for you, then, you see, if God is not
that enthroned monarch out there somewhere, then that’s where this question of
prayer comes in. Then what does prayer mean? If God is not a larger-than-life
supernatural parent in the sky, then what does it mean to pray? That’s the
question.
© Grand Valley State University
�How Can I Pray?
Richard A. Rhem
Page 3
I cited in your liturgy the section from Marcus Borg’s book, The God We Never
Knew. I like Marcus Borg because, when I meet him, when I talk with him, when
I read his writings, I feel he’s a person who has had a spiritual experience. Marcus
Borg speaks a language or in a tone quality that resonates with me. And yet, he
thinks about it. He’s thought about it very deeply and he acknowledges that the
old image of God made it impossible for him any longer to pray; he could not
pray to that God "out there" enthroned in the heavens, controlling things on
earth. He needed a new image of God, and so he was working at that. So, he says,
"I couldn’t operate with that old image." At that point many of our
contemporaries have ceased to pray.
You realize that; that’s why many have simply dropped out of the spiritual
endeavor at all, because that didn’t make sense, so one just gives it up.
Marcus Borg is unwilling simply to give it up. He says, "How can I image God,
then, so that prayer becomes a continuingly meaningful experience for me?" And
he is clearer at what he cannot conceive of than how it works. I like a person who
says, "I don’t know how it works. I can’t explain it." But, he says, "I know this that old thing doesn’t work. For example, in relationship to the Holocaust, if God
controls human history and the Holocaust happens, then God is a devil."
It’s time for the pulpit to do some plain speaking. How long have we hidden
behind the idea of mystery, or, God simply doesn’t reveal God’s decrees, or
someday we’ll understand. That’s ridiculous. If God could stop the Holocaust and
God didn’t stop the Holocaust, then something’s wrong with God. That kind of
God I can’t believe in. I can’t worship. Marcus Borg is quite right. Let’s get honest
about it. Obviously, that is not the kind of God that we really worship, a God
Who’s pulling strings here and there. That just doesn’t work. He says I still make
requests, but it seems to be the natural way for me to care for another, and when
I pray, it’s my attending to my relationship to God.
Well, the theologian that probably popularized in common understanding across
the church and beyond this whole idea of a God "out there" that was out of style
was John A. T. Robinson, the Anglican Bishop, and in his little book published in
1963, Honest to God, which created such a stir, obviously if he began saying that
image of God out there enthroned beyond the universe doesn’t work for me, then
obviously he has to deal with this question of prayer, and so he, too, on the cover
of your liturgy says, "What is, then, intercession?" Can we have even a nonreligious idea of prayer? Well, he struggles to say, when I care for another with an
ultimate concern, isn’t that the heart of intercession? In other words, if I open
myself up to another person, if I care about that person, if the compassion flows
out of me to another, if there is an ultimate concern in that relationship, then is
not in that relationship the presence of another? Is that not to involve God in the
relationship, or is that not what it means to have God in a relationship? And if
that does make some sense, I think it probably is what the writer of first John was
saying in the fourth chapter, when he says the one who loves abides in God and
© Grand Valley State University
�How Can I Pray?
Richard A. Rhem
Page 4
God abides in that one. In the horizontal relationship there is the experience of
that other dimension full of awe. And if that is the case in a human relationship,
person-to-person, might it not be true also in that relationship one has to
oneself?
Now, I don’t know about this, but I’ve been thinking about the story of Jacob
wrestling with the angel, or with a man. It’s an old, old tale of patriarchs. Jacob’s
been a cheat and a deceiver and a manipulator. Now he’s on the threshold of
facing his brother and it’s as though the film of his life runs before him and he
wrestles all night. I don’t think there was anybody out there. I think Jacob was
wrestling with Jacob, don’t you? Jacob had a relationship to Jacob. There is a
self-consciousness about us. That’s what marks us as human beings. We jump out
of our skin and look at our self. We survey our life; we examine our self, our
motives, our reactions. We look over the story of our life; we get out of ourselves
and look at ourselves. There is also a relationship between myself and me, and is
not that perhaps what it means to wrestle with God? Is that just a mumbling
monologue within my own psyche, or is that precisely the area? Is there a kind of
objectivization of myself, where I am able to see myself, and in that seeing myself,
see myself not off in some dark corner, but conscious that my life is an open book,
and before some objective reality greater than myself, I stand either in integrity
or without integrity, either in wholeness or in brokenness, either with some sense
of serenity or total disarray. And is that not to pray?
The Psalmist was aware that he didn’t make himself. The Psalmist was aware that
there is something rather than nothing. The Psalmist, in beautiful poetic fashion,
marvels before the wonder of the whole of reality into which his little life is laced.
And then, something of that human rises in him, that hostility, the anger, and all
of a sudden he becomes self-conscious and says, "Search me, O God," which is
that searching more than my own coming to awareness of myself in the presence
of a mystery that is greater than myself. What could be more effective in regard to
prayer than just that?
Well, it’s easier to say what doesn’t seem to work than to come to understand
what does work. We have poets who are struggling to say it in a new way, the
universe that Marcus Borg or John A. T. Robinson couldn’t come to terms with in
terms of the old image of prayers expressed marvelously well by an English
scientist, Richard Dawkins. He is at the other end of the spectrum from a Marcus
Borg or a Robinson; he is a reductionist who believes that everything is simply
electronic charges and energy and so on. He says, "If the universe were just
electrons and selfish genes, meaningless tragedies like the crashing of a bus are
exactly what we should expect, along with equally meaningless good fortune,
such a universe would be neither evil nor good in intention. It would manifest no
intentions of any kind. In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic
replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky,
and you won’t find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice."
© Grand Valley State University
�How Can I Pray?
Richard A. Rhem
Page 5
Don’t you love it? I love smart. That’s smart. That’s clear. That’s a hard-headed,
honest statement. No religious, foggy mumbo-jumbo. And Richard Dawkins is
not a demon. He would stand here and he could pile evidence upon evidence
upon evidence to support this conclusion. There is nothing. Nobody. No mind, no
purpose, nothing’s going anywhere, it’s all a chance kind of a thing popping off
here and there, and where it will go, who will go. You can choose that with
reasonably good data, or you can find others who will say, "That doesn’t say
enough for me. I choose to believe that there is operative something more in the
whole cosmic process into which I have come, have emerged into consciousness."
And some of those others are poets who are trying to say it in a new way.
Did you catch the hymns this morning? You did, didn’t you? You were grumbling,
I could see. Well, you can complain to Betty VanTil because she passed along to
me that opening hymn a long time ago. "Praise God Whose Providential
Awkwardness." Have you ever thought of providence being awkward? Well, take
one look at the world. This God of ours is not very handy. Wouldn’t you think that
God could do a better job of putting things together? Praise God whose
providential awkwardness defies our human scrutiny, whose wisdom looks like
foolishness, whose purposes seem cloaked in mystery. And I love the fact that he
says, "Praise God for what we fail to comprehend, for silence. Praise God for the
fact that we are not God. Praise for the fact that our arrogance is often reduced to
silence, where we would better stand in awe, not knowing. And praise God Who
gives us restless hearts and minds, Who still is both our Source and Resting
Place."
Now, that’s an image I can live with. I like that. The Source, Resting Place. The
poet is trying to figure out how to say something in a manner which honors the
data of which we are aware, of our world, which is so vastly different than the
data out of which the old system was constructed.
The next hymn was written by W. H. Vanstone, an Anglican clergyman who wrote
a book about God, who also could not believe in this God of omnipotence and
omniscience and all of the omnis and all of the aura that we ascribe to the God
that we want to be there, to be in control so we don’t have to take responsibility
for our own lives. Vanstone says, no, He’s not that way. God is not that way. God
is an abyss of love that is continually giving of itself in an anguishing, agonizing
way to bring forth. You can meditate on this hymn for the rest of the week. "Open
are the gifts of God, gifts of love to mind and sense;" ... that’s obvious, he says.
"Hidden is love’s agony, love’s endeavor, love’s expense. Love that gives, gives
evermore, gives with zeal, with eager hands, spares not, keeps not, all out-pours,
ventures all, its all expands. Drained is love in making full, bound in setting
others free, poor in making many rich, weak in giving power to be." And finally,
here’s God, "no monarch he, throned in easy state to reign; here is God, whose
arms of love, aching, spent, the world sustain."
The poets are working at it, and you’re going to have to work at it, too.
© Grand Valley State University
�How Can I Pray?
Richard A. Rhem
Page 6
How can I pray? Well, begin by simply stopping long enough to be aware,
attentive, in communion with your own soul. And, in communion with one’s own
soul, there may appear to be that other dimension, call it what you will. But, you
see, prayer is the language of the soul. Prayer is the utterance of the heart. Prayer
is that expression to which we must give expression, lest we burst. And so, how
can you pray? Just be human, I think. And we’ll keep thinking about it.
But, can you pray? Surely.
References:
Marcus Borg. The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a More
Authentic Contemporary Faith. HarperOne, 1998.
John A.T. Robinson. Honest to God. Westminster John Knox Press, 1963; 40th
Anniversary edition, 2003.
© Grand Valley State University
�
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/770333117ad98975276b289f7960db9b.mp3
c270693a2a4aeed1095ebd03cafb3f4d
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
Series
Can I Honestly Believe?
Scripture Text
Genesis 32:24, Psalm 139:23, Luke 11:1
Location
The location of the interview
Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI
References
John A. T. Robinson, Honest to God, 1963
2003
Marcus J. Borg, The God We Never Knew: Beyond Dogmatic Religion to a MoreAuthentic Contemporary Faith, 1998.
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-0-19980726
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1998-07-26
Title
A name given to the resource
How Can I Pray?
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Richard A. Rhem
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Grand Valley State University
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
<a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a>
Subject
The topic of the resource
Clergy--Michigan
Reformed Church in America
Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.)
Sermons
Relation
A related resource
Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Sound
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
audio/mp3
application/pdf
Description
An account of the resource
A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 26, 1998 entitled "How Can I Pray?", as part of the series "Can I Honestly Believe?", on the occasion of Pentecost VIII, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Genesis 32:24, Psalm 139:23, Luke 11:1.
Natue of God
Prayer
Religion as a Human Construct
-
https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3fd5e9c187ca04d03cd880dd3dea5bee.pdf
7e9eb7601c441e6c39767e4ebb7947a9
PDF Text
Text
Morning Prayer in June
Richard A. Rhem
Christ Community Church
Spring Lake, Michigan
June 22, 2003
Transcription of the written prayer
For these moments, let us quiet our minds,
letting go of concerns that burden us, regrets that cripple us,
fears that paralyze us, whatever is troubling us.
Let us image that which causes gratitude to rise in us
-the gift and grace of life; the sources of our joy;
those persons who make life rich.
Let us call to mind those images which have shaped us:
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
Come unto me, all you who are weary and heavy laden,
and I will give you rest.
Since God is for us, who can be against us?
Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation will be able
to separate us from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
All will be well, all will be well.
All manner of things will be well.
Oh, God.
Those words rise from our depths so naturally –
Oh, God...
It seems that, in moments like these
when we purposefully, intentionally turn to you,
when we turn to whomever or whatever you are, we do so almost with a sigh,
- Oh, God –
for we know we are now in the zone of Mystery.
There was something about Jesus when he prayed
© Grand Valley State University
�Morning Prayer in June
Richard A. Rhem
Page 2
that caused the disciples to plead,
Lord, teach us to pray.
We plead, as well,
Oh, God, teach us to pray.
Once, perhaps, we came as suppliants to the Royal Throne of the universe
with requests we must admit on reflection were very self-centered,
reflecting a very small universe in which our hopes and fears loomed very large.
And still there are moments when we flee into your Presence,
totally occupied with our own concerns –
something that threatens us,
or some experience that crushes us,
or some potential happening that involves us
in a loss we fear would undo us.
Saturate our faith and devotion with worldliness,
that we may love the world –
with sensitivity, with awareness, with openness and candor,
with care borne of insight into the world's agony,
with hope borne of the realization of the world's wonder and potential.
Before the world's chaos, pain and anguish,
give us the wisdom to be silent before we speak;
to identify with and immerse ourselves before we offer remedies
too easy, too facile, too self-serving.
Give us insight and sensitivity
to discern that ominous thunder of the shaking of the foundations,
to recognize the recurrent corruptions of power that we see all around us.
Enable us to see beneath the skin of the world its heaving passion,
its loveliness and its horror;
a world that is a ridiculous mixture of good and evil,
of beautiful tenderness and unspeakable brutality.
A world where flowers bloom on manure heaps,
and deadly cancer grows on a beautiful, young body;
a world under the dominion of death,
natural, yet often so unexpected, so violent, so absurd!
Ah, dear God, this is the real world,
the only world we have
with its dreams of Eden and its portents of Armageddon.
O God, as you love the world, we would love it too.
Teach us how to live in it, how to speak to it, how to love it.
Let us sense the truth of Jesus' word:
That it is in losing our lives that we will find life,
In serving that we will be fulfilled.
© Grand Valley State University
�Morning Prayer in June
Richard A. Rhem
Page 3
Creator Spirit, brood over this community of faith,
this Christ Community.
Keep us steady; keep us strong, keep our spirits open, our hearts tender,
our whole being full of grace.
Sometimes we wonder, sometimes we waver,
sometimes we want to run, to be done with it all.
But, where would that leave us? Where would we run? To whom would we turn?
So, good and gracious God,
gather us in, hold us close, steel our purpose.
Give us joy in the journey and undying trust in your purpose for us.
And sometimes it is sheer joy, ecstasy, exhilaration
that bursts forth in a torrent of praise,
shutting out everything else for the moment.
But, more and more, we look not out there,
but somehow within, into our own depths,
sensing we are connected deep down, rooted in Being itself,
You being the inexhaustible Source and Ground of all that exists the good earth,
the starry heavens,
the ocean's tides
and ourselves, conscious, aware,
groping for some clue by which to know you, to rest in you,
no longer strangers, but at home in the universe, at one with all that is.
Oh, God.
In that address is a deep fundamental trust
in the face of so much in our world that is not well.
We wonder, we imagine an alternative world,
where human frustration, hopelessness and despair
that breed violence and destruction
are recognized
and their causes dealt with.
Spirit of God,
save us from the illusion that a new world order will be born
out of a wealth of resources and sheer military might.
Save us from the pitfall of believing we can simply overpower
and cover our vulnerability
without an honest facing of the world's festering soul.
Before your face, Eternal Spirit,
give us some balance, some perspective
as we wrestle with this complex and dangerous world.
© Grand Valley State University
�Morning Prayer in June
Richard A. Rhem
Oh God,
this is the real world, the only world we have.
We celebrate it; we anguish over it.
Holy Presence, we are present here that vision may be renewed,
hope restored,
and courage found to be agents of reconciliation,
bringing peace, justice and compassion,
walking in the steps of that Exemplar
of what He called the Kingdom of God.
Amen.
© Grand Valley State University
Page 4
�
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
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Event
Pentecost II
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
RA-1-20030622
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Text
Title
A name given to the resource
Morning Prayer
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>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Description
An account of the resource
Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on June 22, 2003 entitled "Morning Prayer", on the occasion of Pentecost II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Tags: Prayer, Community, Presence, Mystery, Faith, Awareness, Trust, Global Community.
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2003-06-22
Awareness
Community
Faith
Global Community
Mystery
Prayer
Presence
Trust