1 24 4 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3dd9e643e68ea95d326ed36a65d0d723.mp3 3bc157e5a0f715ab4ceb77b218d90d86 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/a52f42e8873b3d9af324a3df8f34f918.pdf e96d403f1c1efb63544a1b9f922b2546 PDF Text Text Authentication From the Lenten sermon series: The Servant of the Lord Text: Isaiah 53: 11; I Corinthians 15: 22-28 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Easter Sunday, April 3, 1988 Transcription of the spoken sermon After all his pains he shall be bathed in light, after his disgrace he shall be fully vindicated; so shall he my servant vindicate many, ... himself bearing the penalty of their guilt. Isaiah 53:11 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. ... He must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet...that God may be everything to everyone. I Corinthians 75:22-28 God raised Jesus from the dead. That is the great truth we celebrate on Easter. Jesus died. That is the somber reality marked in this sanctuary and around the world on Friday. As Jesus was hanging suspended between heaven and earth, they cruelly mocked him – the soldiers, the religious authorities, even those condemned with him. Did he trust in God? They taunted, let God rescue him… Matthew 27:43 How that must have wrenched him. His whole life, his whole message was posited on trust in God. Where was God, the God Whom he addressed intimately as “Abba, Father”? Is it any wonder that that terrible cry of dereliction found expression in his awful agony, “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?” He trusted in God; let God deliver him now... But there was no deliverance; Jesus breathed his last. Jesus died. Unless that black reality has seeped into the pores of our being, Easter will fail to appear in all its radical reality. Only the horrid darkness of Golgotha can adequately set the stage for the brightness, joy and wonder of Easter's dawn. The taunters at crucifixion were not without profound insight. They knew everything hinged on God’s intervention on behalf of His Servant. If heaven © Grand Valley State University   �Authentication Richard A. Rhem Page 2   remained relentless and Jesus really died, then put to death as well was all he claimed to be, all he claimed was true, the way he claimed to be God’s way. Those who conspired to put him to death knew instinctively that if there was no move from heaven, no action from God, they had won the day. “He trusts in God; let God deliver him now.” Quite right. That was the issue. If we are right - in agreement with the Gospel writers - that Jesus found his identity, the model of his ministry in the Servant Songs of Second Isaiah, then he must not have been surprised at the opposition he met in the days of his ministry. In the third of the songs, Isaiah 50:4-9, the Servant says, I offered my back to the lash and let my beard be plucked from my chin; I did not hide, my face from spitting and insult; Opposition and suffering must have come as no surprise. But the Servant was certain of the Lord's strong support. ... but the Lord God stands by to help me; therefore no insult can wound me. I have set my face like a flint... Beyond the suffering and persecution there was the promise of God's support and the clear call ... to be my salvation to earth’s fartherest bounds. Isaiah 49:6 And so, on the model of the servant, Jesus carried on a ministry of bringing Salvation, a ministry of healing executed with compassion in gentleness. ... not breaking a bruised reed, not snuffing out a smoldering wick. Isaiah 42:3 All of that must have passed before his mind's eye as he felt death closing in as the tormenters reminded him that the issue at stake was whether his trust in God would be vindicated; whether he, the Servant of the Lord, would be vindicated. O God, where are you now in my hour of desperate need? Yet, there was more that must have been going on in the mind and heart of Jesus, ravished with pain, alone in his anguish. If he found his identity and destiny in the Servant Songs, then he knew well the, to us, familiar 53rd chapter of Isaiah. We have referred to it in this series twice, noting the Lamb led to the slaughter, the innocent one bearing the transgression of his people. The Servant dies. ... he was cut off from the world of living men; stricken to death for my people’s transgression. He was assigned a grave with the wicked, a burial place, among the refuse of mankind. Isaiah 53:8-9 © Grand Valley State University �Authentication Richard A. Rhem Page 3   The Servant died. Jesus knew he was precipitating a crisis in Jerusalem. He must have sensed the inevitability of death. The institution of the Last Supper certainly indicates that. The Servant died. Jesus was dying, but the taunts must have been sharp spears thrusting into his heart. He trusts in God. Let God rescue him. But God made no move; heaven was silent. The evil designs of threatened religion and political leaders simply unfolded with no sign of intervention. But still there is more; the Servant of Isaiah 53 dies, but the Servant is also vindicated; the Servant's life and ministry is also authenticated. At the conclusion of the report of the Servant's vicarious suffering, bearing the transgressions of his people, we read: Yet the Lord took thought for his tortured Servant and healed him … so shall he enjoy long life and see his children’s children, and in his hand the Lord’s cause shall prosper. After all his pains he shall be bathed in light, after his disgrace he shall be fully vindicated. Isaiah 53:10-11 Jesus was dying. That could not have been a surprise to him. But, where was the vindication spoken of? This, of course, was Jesus’ supreme test; would he hold on trusting through his last breath? This claim of vindication and authentication in the fourth Servant Song is amazing. There was as yet in Israel no knowledge of resurrection, no understanding of a rising from the dead. Yet here we have an idea set forth of which there was no experience and no general expectation. The Servant dies on behalf of his people; God vindicates His Servant and the Servant is satisfied, content, that his mission is accomplished and his triumph is secured. This message is entitled “Authentication.” I contemplated using the term “vindication,” which appears in the text (Isaiah 53:11 NEB). However, that term has taken on a nuance with which I would not like God's raising of Jesus to be associated. It carries the meaning “to clear from censure, criticism, suspicion, or doubt, by means of demonstration; to justify or uphold by evidence or argument,” all of which properly applies to the significance of Jesus' resurrection. Yet it also conjures up images of vindication as avenging or revenge. © Grand Valley State University �Authentication Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Therefore, I have chosen the word “Authentication.” It is defined as “to invest with authority, to give legal validity to, to establish the title to credibility of a statement, or of a reputed fact.” It carries the idea of authorization, genuineness. It is this that God accomplished in raising Jesus from the dead. Easter is God's mighty “Yes” to Jesus, to the way of life he portrayed, the salvation he offered, the God to whom he pointed. Resurrection was for Jesus authentication. With real insight, the crucifiers taunted: He trusts in God; Let God rescue him now. God did; not before the mission was accomplished; but, miracle of miracles, when he had really died, God raised him from the dead. Resurrection is Jesus' authentication. So what? To answer that, we will move from the promise of vindication, life out of death, in Isaiah, beyond the narration of the event in the Gospel, to the consequence of resurrection in the Epistle. Paul's classic discussion of the reality of resurrection – Jesus’ and ours - in I Corinthians 15 makes the simple, straightforward claim: ... The truth is, Christ was raised to life. (vs. 20) He then draws the consequence: As in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be brought to life. Paul envisions an unfolding drama - the story goes on from Easter. Christ, the first fruits, and afterward, at his coming, those who belong to Christ. Israel gathered the first-ripened grain and offered it to the Lord - a sign that the whole harvest was God's. Using that figure, Paul sees Jesus' resurrection as the first instance of a general resurrection to follow at his coming - an event Paul thought was near. At his coming, history would come to its End. Paul understood Jesus to be reigning even as he, Paul, was writing. Jesus was overcoming all opposition to God's rule. When completed, he would overcome the last enemy, death. Then he would yield up the Kingdom to God and God would become all in all, or, “everything to everyone.” Thus, in the resurrection, God authenticated His Servant Jesus and established a whole new order, an order Scripture speaks of as the new age, the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom Jesus had claimed was arriving in his ministry. Jesus was authenticated: his claim authenticated. His resurrection was a sign that everything was new; a whole new world was born. © Grand Valley State University �Authentication Richard A. Rhem Page 5   We are already participating in that new order. We have passed from darkness to light, from death to life. Once, by nature, we were “in Adam,” subject to death. Now, by grace, we are “in Christ,” recipients of life. The old order did its best to defeat the gracious, saving purpose of God. Adam's race of which by nature we are all a part, crucified the Servant of the Lord. But God raised him up. In his death he bore the transgressions of his people, he justified the many whose sin he bore. In his resurrection he gives life to his people. Because Jesus lives, there is a whole new reality. The Kingdom of God, God's rule, acknowledged now by the Church, but one day every knee will bow, every tongue confess: Jesus is Lord. Because Jesus lives, we believe every obstacle and all opposition to God's desire and design to save will be overcome. Grace will triumph over all the forms and structures of evil, of darkness, of injustice, of sin and death. He trusted in God; let God deliver him - God did. And because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future, and life is worth the living just because he lives! © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Easter Sunday Series The Servant of the Lord Scripture Text I Corinthians 15:22-28 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19880403 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-04-03 Title A name given to the resource Authentication Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 3, 1988 entitled "Authentication", as part of the series "The Servant of the Lord", on the occasion of Easter Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: I Corinthians 15:22-28. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Easter Resurrection Salvation Servant of the Lord Suffering Trust https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f5a57ebbea652f0e7dc1fb080b3fc5cd.mp3 675a02ad24568f37286deb06886c338a https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d15f48b0bc53626dfa0850942b6726b6.pdf b0cb1d9b1d84a8463bab80acd52611d4 PDF Text Text Crisis From the Lenten sermon series: The Servant of the Lord Text: Isaiah 53:12; Luke 19:42-44 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Palm Sunday, March 27, 1988 Transcription of the spoken sermon ... he exposed himself to face death. Isaiah 53:12 If only you had known, on this great day, the way that leads to peace! But no; it is hidden from your sight ... you did not recognize God’s moment when it came. Luke. 19:42-44 “Crisis” is a word that strikes fear into our hearts. We do our best to avoid a crisis. We speak of life in turmoil as “one crisis after another.” Crisis is a word that fills the heart with anxiety and calls up images of fear – an accident scene, the emergency room, the family waiting room next to the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital, broken relationships, disaster, political upheaval – and the list goes on. From crisis on a personal level to crisis of cosmic proportions, it seems our world reels from crisis to crisis. But on reflection, the real meaning of crisis is not synonymous with danger nor need it be associated exclusively with feelings of dread. Our English word “crisis” is derived from the Greek “Krisis” coming from the verb to decide. The crisis point is the time of decision. In the case of a disease it is the turning point when a change takes place - either for recovery or for death. In the case of any historical progression or series of events, the crisis is the decisive moment when events will take one direction or another, depending on the decision made, the response to the moment. My point is simply that crisis can be seen in a positive light just as well as in a negative light. Crisis viewed only in terms of danger misses the equally true presence of opportunity. Although I have not got the documentation, I remember reading somewhere that in written Chinese, the character for danger and for opportunity is the same. Thus, this insight is reflected in various languages revealing the reality of our historical existence – at history's critical junctures, at the critical junctures of a nation's history, an institution's existence, an individual's life, decision is demanded and, depending on the decision made, the consequence will be judgment or grace, peace or destruction, life or death. © Grand Valley State University   �Crisis Richard A. Rhem Page 2   In this Lenten series, our focus is on Jesus, the Servant of the Lord. We began with the declaration of John the Baptist, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world,” words recorded by John in his Gospel which recalled the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, the innocent one who bore the sins of his people. We noted that John the Baptist hoped Jesus would destroy sin and wickedness, bringing judgment on the world. John the Baptist hoped Jesus was the one who was to come – the return of the fiery Elijah calling down the wrath of God from heaven. Jesus, however, found his identity rather in the Servant of Isaiah – the one who brings salvation to earth's fartherest bounds, who is light to the nations, who does not crush the broken reed or snuff out the smoldering wick. He set his face steadfastly toward Jerusalem, just as the Servant in Isaiah 50:7 set his face “like a flint.” His identity clear, he carried out his mission with deliberate intentionality. If we go back to the second message in the series, the focus on Jesus' identity and intentionality, we find in the text in Luke 9:15 Jesus setting his face resolutely toward Jerusalem. Luke uses the framework of a journey toward Jerusalem to tell a large part of the story of Jesus. He begins this long section with these words: As the time approached when he was to be taken up to heaven, he set his face resolutely toward Jerusalem. We can trace references to Jerusalem throughout the subsequent chapters (13:22, 31-35; 17:11, 18:31, 19:11, 28, 41). The lesson for today, Palm Sunday, finds Jesus entering the city amid the acclaim of his disciples and, as he catches sight of the city from the heights of Olivet, Luke records that he wept and uttered a lament filled with pathos: If only you had known, on this great day, the way that leads to peace! But no; it is hidden from your sight. ... you did not recognize God's moment when it came. This was God's moment for Jerusalem. God visited Jerusalem in the person and the ministry of Jesus. Luke's account of Palm Sunday is carefully detailed to fit his purpose in writing the Gospel. Jesus comes a King, but a King of peace. Did you notice that there are no palms or branches in Luke's account? Palm branches occur in John's Gospel. They were associated with nationalistic celebrations and John is portraying this misconstrual of many who hailed Jesus as a national deliverer. But Luke makes it clear that Jesus comes not as a political Messiah. In John's Gospel the acclamation is to “The King of Israel,” but Luke says only “King”, omitting the reference to the Nation. © Grand Valley State University �Crisis Richard A. Rhem Page 3   This is a King with a difference; this is a peaceable King who comes humbly as the Servant of the Lord, precipitating a crisis to be sure, but not a crisis of national liberation, but rather a crisis of peace or destruction. There is a great debate among New Testament scholars as to whether Jesus understood himself as the Messiah or not. The Messianic consciousness of Jesus has been argued back and forth for decades. I wonder if the answer does not lie in the fact that Jesus avoided the Messianic designation because he knew that in the mind of the people it was so heavily freighted with political and nationalistic association that it was unusable for his purpose. He resisted all efforts to make him a King - one who would supply bread (John 6) and overthrow the occupying power. Rather, he adopted the model of the Servant of the Lord who willingly bore the transgressions of his people, thus bringing peace. The crisis for Jesus occurred early in his ministry when he struggled in the wilderness. He chose the path of obedience and suffering. He set his face resolutely, like a flint, toward Jerusalem and now arriving there knows full well he will be rejected and being rejected will die, but in the rejection Jerusalem will bring upon itself disaster. For Jesus, the crisis faced, the decision of obedience and faithfulness resulted in death – but finally in resurrection. For Jerusalem, the crisis faced, the decision of rejection resulted in terrible destruction. Luke spoke of God's moment - literally the time of visitation. Time in the Greek is Kairos - time understood in terms of its content - filled time, time filled with significance. Not “Chronos” - the idea of time as duration, the succession of moments. There are those moments within the succession of moments, the flow of time which are critical, crisis moments - filled with danger and opportunity. How we respond, how we decide at such moments determines our destiny. History is a tale of judgment and grace because it is a flow of moments punctuated by Kairos times - moments of crisis. God's purposes will be fulfilled, but the part we play is determined by the response we make. We are always caught in the tension between the way of the world and the way of Jesus. The way of the world seems so real. The way of Jesus seems so futile - indeed, it leads to crucifixion. But the paradox is that the apparent conquest of worldly ways ends in death and destruction and the way of Jesus leads through death to resurrection. © Grand Valley State University �Crisis Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Today we remember Jerusalem's crisis. Today we know that we, too, stand in crisis: To preserve our life, or to lose it for the sake of the Gospel. To play it safe, to secure ourselves, to operate with worldly wisdom, or to trust God and follow Jesus in the ways of peace. Our world is full of crises: The Israeli-Palestinian conflict reminds us so starkly of Jesus' words and weeping. Northern Ireland, South Africa, Central America. Christ Community - called anew to total commitment to the ministry of grace, healing and care. And each of us - to find our peace in Jesus. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Palm Sunday Series The Servant of the Lord Scripture Text Luke 19:42,44 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19880327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-03-27 Title A name given to the resource Crisis Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 27, 1988 entitled "Crisis", as part of the series "The Servant of the Lord", on the occasion of Palm Sunday, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Luke 19:42,44. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Palm Sunday Peace Servant of the Lord Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f6b20f8812b51cedcc703687634c6cf2.mp3 4bd4070364c700f127f11952bde5fb65 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bde6deaf0369883bfdcdc9c1be14a791.pdf cde64639b4bc58a4ced72752f5b1a57a PDF Text Text Identity and Intentionality From the Lenten sermon series: The Servant of the Lord Text: Isaiah 50:7; Luke 9:51 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan February 28, 1988 Transcription of the spoken sermon I have set my face like a flint... Isaiah 50:7 ... he set his face to go to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 Tomorrow I give my first lecture to The Introduction to Preaching class. At some time during the term, I will address the matter of telling sermons. I will not use today’s title as an example of how to do it. If you come to worship on the basis of the title of the message, you would not likely have come this morning. “Identity and Intentionality.” Doesn’t sound very promising, does it? I grant you it is about as prosaic as one could get. My only justification for my title is that it points to precisely what I want to set before you: That as God’s People we must be clear about our identity and intentional in the execution of our ministry. Identity: Who we are. Intentionality: The deliberateness with which we do what we are called to do. Let me set this message in the context of Lent/Eastertide, 1988. The Lenten focus, Part I of this series of messages, is “The Servant of the Lord.” We are examining the vocation of the Servant in Isaiah 40-55 and the fulfilling of that vocation in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus who adopted the Servant motif as the model for his ministry. Jesus understood himself to be the Servant of the Lord. Jesus calls us to be a Servant People. By understanding the Servant concept in Isaiah and how Jesus lived it out, we will be instructed and inspired to realize our © Grand Valley State University   �Identity and Intentionality Richard A. Rhem Page 2   calling to be The Lord’s Servant community and to do so with self-conscious awareness and intentional resolution. That is our purpose. Should I be successful in that purpose, then the on-going development of the Christ Community story will follow as a matter of course, then our response will be, not to a charismatic leader, not to a finely-tuned campaign of manipulation, but to the Word of God. Let us begin then with the portrait of the Servant as it comes to expression in the third of the four Servant Songs in Isaiah 40-55. The Old Testament text is Isaiah 50:4-9. The Servant describes his calling, the opposition he encounters, the confidence he has in God Who called him and then gives us this vivid image: I have set my face like a flint The servant of Isaiah had a clear sense of identity; he was convinced that he was called of God to speak to God’s people in Babylon a word of forgiveness and imminent salvation from their experience of exile. Remember, this is the prophet whose opening words are. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and tell her this, that she has fulfilled her term of bondage, that her penalty is paid. This is the prophet to whom a voice said, “Cry!” In the third Servant Song which is our present focus, the Servant says, “The Lord God has given me the tongue of a teacher.” He goes on to tell how God has sharpened his hearing so that he might learn the word to speak to God’s people. He encountered opposition; he suffered scorn and mocking. Yet he remained confident: ... The Lord God stands by to help me; therefore no insult can wound me. I have set my face like a flint. The Servant was a messenger of God’s salvation and with that clearly before him, he resolutely determined to carry out his task. I have set my face like a flint. That is a wonderful image. It speaks of one who has sense of identity and a certainty about what one is called to be and do and who looks neither to the right nor the left, but with single-minded determination pursues a course straight for the goal. If you want to understand it in contemporary terms, contrast that image with the presidential hopefuls - Republican and Democratic alike, who in Iowa sang the © Grand Valley State University �Identity and Intentionality Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Iowa fight song, in New Hampshire sang a New England tune, and are articulating with studied ambiguity their Southern strategy in preparation for Super Tuesday. Hardly flint-like; closer to a waxed nose profile. When Luke told the story of Jesus, he borrowed the image of Isaiah to describe the resolution of Jesus as he set out for the final confrontation in Jerusalem. In our New Testament text, we read, As the time approached when he was to be taken up to heaven, he (Jesus) set his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. (9:51) Luke sets his Gospel from 9:51 to 19:44 in the context of the journey to Jerusalem. We know that the Gospels are not biographies of Jesus, and the Gospel writers were not giving a chronological account of successive days and weeks in the life of Jesus. The Gospels are faith statements, theological documents, deliberately composed to portray who Jesus was and what he came to do. And so the journey to Jerusalem in Luke is not so much a geographical concern as it is Luke’s way of telling the way of Jesus and inviting others to join in and follow that way. But we know there was a time in Jesus’ ministry when he deliberately set out for Jerusalem with the intention of bringing his message of the Kingdom to final confrontation with the Jewish established religious institution. What Luke conveys with this introductory word is the flint-like resolution with which Jesus pursued his course. Like the Servant in Isaiah to whom Jesus looked as his own model, Jesus knew himself claimed and called by God to bring salvation to the world. Like the Servant he met opposition, but he did not waver. He had a strong sense of identity; with deliberate intentionality he moved toward the goal. All of this is wrapped up in that little phrase, ... he set his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. Self-aware, intentional, he set out to fulfill the will of God for his life. Luke sets the ministry of Jesus in the context of the way to Jerusalem and writes his Gospel as an invitation to all who read to follow Jesus on the way. It is an invitation to us who are once again on Lenten pilgrimage to Jerusalem, to Holy Week, to crucifixion and resurrection. As we contemplate our identity as the People of God, followers of Jesus Christ, we too must test the resoluteness of our intention. Nowhere does Jesus call people to discipleship under false pretense. In the immediate context of Jesus’ own setting out, Luke gives us some clues as to the nature of that discipleship. We learn at once that the mission to which we are called involves neither coercion nor angry reaction. © Grand Valley State University �Identity and Intentionality Richard A. Rhem Page 4   To go from Galilee to Jerusalem involved going through Samaria, and the relations between Jews and Samaritans were strained, to say the least. Most Jews would circumvent Samaria going by way of the Jordan East Bank. But Jesus sent his disciples ahead to make arrangements to go through Samaria. This was a sign of his care, a token of friendship, but the Samaritans wanted nothing to do with him since he was on his way to Jerusalem. They rejected his approach. James and John were furious. They wanted to call down fire from heaven on the Samaritans like Elijah had done. But Jesus rebuked them and they went to another place. It is interesting that John the Baptist, too, had wanted Jesus to be a second Elijah, but Jesus chose rather the Servant of Israel as his model. The Servant accepted his suffering voluntarily, trusting his cause to God Whom he believed would vindicate him. As followers of Jesus there will be an honest approach, invitation, offer of the Gospel, but never coercion. The Gospel is offered, the invitation is given, but there must be no force-feeding. And never is angry reaction in order. We call down no fire from heaven on those who reject the message, who spurn the offer of the Gospel. If there is, we have too much of ourselves, too much of our own ego invested. As they proceed on the way, an enthusiastic candidate for the Kingdom comes and says, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus says, “You will? Do you really know what you are saying? Foxes have holes and birds their nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” This is not an isolated instance. Jesus always cautioned, “Count the cost,” for he never apologized for the self-sacrifice expected of the Christian. Jesus met another person and invited him to follow. He said, “Yes, but let me bury my father first.” Now, it’s unlikely that his father had died; he was saying I have obligations to family first; then I will follow. Jesus’ response was, “Leave the dead bury the dead; you must announce the Kingdom.” And then there was one who said he wanted to follow but first return home and say farewell to his family, to which Jesus responded, “No one who sets his hand to the plough and then keeps looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.” In the citing of these examples immediately after portraying Jesus with his face set resolutely towards Jerusalem, Luke is saying clearly that the call to follow Jesus involves a clear identity and a resolute intentionality. Identity - The Servant of the Lord called by God to hear his word and speak his word - to proclaim the Kingdom, to announce God’s great salvation. © Grand Valley State University �Identity and Intentionality Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Intentionality -To be resolute, having counted the cost, willing to sacrifice, willing to give God’s program priority, willing to give it undivided attention. Let’s bring it right down to Christ Community and let’s think first of all of the ministry we share together - We are People of God; we are followers of Jesus Christ. We have heard the good news, the Gospel of grace, and we have experienced that grace, receiving the word of forgiveness, knowing ourselves taken up into the love of God. Seventeen years ago we renamed ourselves - we took the name Christ Community as a statement of the identity we would seek to realize, defining the kind of community we desired to become - a community of Christ’s people graced and mediating the unconditional grace of God to all who sought healing and wholeness. In many wonderful ways that identity has been realized. In self-conscious awareness we have opened our arms to all without question or condition. We have been and we increasingly are a place where all sorts and conditions of persons come and find refuge, support, acceptance, forgiveness and love. The only qualification necessary is a hunger, a thirst, a sense of need. The only question asked - Do you receive the grace of God through Jesus Christ our Lord? We are an ecumenical community with a broad spectrum of confessional and religious backgrounds represented. We are a diverse community; every place on the continuum of discipleship is represented in this large community - and all are loved and affirmed. What we are we are, not because of traditional structures, denominational affiliates, ethnic background; what we are we are selfconsciously; we have chosen to be the kind of community we have become. Now the question confronts us anew: Will we with resolute intention broaden, deepen and expand this community? Will we keep the story going and growing? Let me suggest that we need always to do two things: We need, first of all, to be open to all people, no questions asked, no conditions demanded. We must always be giving our life away. This must always be a place where one can come with nothing to offer, nothing to give; a place where one can enter gingerly, remain anonymous, simply be. Secondly, there must always be some who will hear Jesus’ invitation to discipleship and respond joyfully making sacrifice, giving the building of this community and the larger community of Christ top priority and undivided attention. That brings me to the personal application of this message. Let me ask you: Do you have that sense of identity as a member of this body that is the result of an © Grand Valley State University �Identity and Intentionality Richard A. Rhem Page 6   experience of grace and then the desire to share, to mediate that grace? Do you choose to be identified with an open, gracious community of God’s people? Further: Have you come to the point of intentional resolution to total commitment to the building and ongoing development of this community? Do not think I identify the Kingdom with Christ Community. We participate in the Kingdom of God but are not synonymous with it. Nor do I think one’s commitment to Christ Community is the only way to give first place to God’s will and purpose in one’s life. I do, however, believe God is in this community. I do believe grace is mediated here. The Spirit is moving here, the Gospel is proclaimed and lives are transformed here, and I believe this is one concrete arena in which to live out one’s discipleship. Many are doing just that. Over the years there has been a core that has borne the heat of the day, shouldered the load, made it all possible. Sometimes one deeply involved would say to me, “Why are there not more?” I always smile and reply, “It only takes a few.” No one is coerced into discipleship. There must never be angry reaction when rejection is experienced. And not everyone is at the point of total commitment. But, there are always those who are ready to make that move. In these weeks there will be special opportunity to enter a new level of discipleship and ministry. It is an exciting time and the joy and rewards are great. An Old Testament prophet knew himself to be claimed by God, called to be God’s servant, even to suffer voluntarily on behalf of others. Confident God would support him, he set his face like a flint. Jesus knew himself to be the Servant of the Lord. He knew the inevitability of what lay before him, but he did not flinch; he set his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. Identity. Intentionality. Jesus invites us to discipleship, to create here a place of grace, with self-conscious intention. Let us commit ourselves anew to our ministry. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Sound A resource primarily intended to be heard. Examples include a music playback file format, an audio compact disc, and recorded speech or sounds. Event Lent II Series The Servant of the Lord Scripture Text Isaiah 50:7, Luke 9:51 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19880228 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1988-02-28 Title A name given to the resource Identity and Intentionality Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on February 28, 1988 entitled "Identity and Intentionality", as part of the series "The Servant of the Lord", on the occasion of Lent II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 50:7, Luke 9:51. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Ecumenical Lent Servant of the Lord Servant Songs Unconditional Grace Way of Jesus https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/73bcbcff0c694e4a78d76b3685075f55.mp3 ea0ace3691c9cc1427f1a05b10d188ea https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7a10edce973ae95b1a87853834f0bf3c.pdf 2ae4a2b011edb36d54983b4229ea6326 PDF Text Text How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Text: Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:32, 34-35 Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Epiphany, January 18, 1987 Transcription of the spoken sermon …I will make you a light to the nations, to be my salvation to earth’s fartherest bounds. Isaiah 49:6 …a light that will be a revelation to the heathen… Luke 2:32 …This child is destined to be a sign which men reject…many in Israel will stand or fall because of him…the secret thoughts of many will be laid bare. Luke 2:3435 How do you respond when Truth dawns upon you? That is the question posed by the title of the message. The question needs some explaining. "When Truth dawns upon you," already says something about my understanding of how we come to a knowledge of Truth – insight into the deepest levels of Truth, the Truth about our identity and destiny, about the world and history, about God as a "given." It is given in a moment of unveiling when Truth shows itself. The deepest Truth is Truth of revelation. This is not to disparage or denigrate patient experimentation, exploration and research; it is only to affirm that the secret of deepest mysteries of life, of the world and God are not at the conclusion of a mathematical computation nor a logical syllogism; rather, in a flash of insight, the Truth shows itself. Thus, I ask about Truth dawning. I ask also about response to Truth; how do we respond to the Truth that shows itself, manifests itself? Do we yield to it, allowing ourselves to be changed by it? Do we resist it? Deny it? Close ourselves against it? The question arises in this season of Epiphany. God is manifest in our world; we have seen the light of revelation of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. © Grand Valley State University   �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   The Prophet understood that God would bring the light of truth to the world. He understood that Israel had been the "place" of revelation and also that it was Israel's role to be the Servant of the Lord to bring light to the nations. The universalism present already in the call of Abraham would be effected – through the Servant of the Lord – Israel and, specifically, one who would arise from Israel. Reflect for a moment. Advent - Coming. The Lord's coming. The Prophet sensed the Kingdom was dawning in the release of the Exiles. Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people. You who bring Zion good news, up with you to the mountaintop; …cry to the cities of Judah, your God is here. Last week we heard that beautiful word from Isaiah 42: Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight. …He will not break a bruised reed, or snuff out a smouldering wick…I have formed you, and appointed you to be a light to all peoples, a beacon for the nations… The Old Testament Lesson repeats the Servant's calling — I will make you a light to the nations, to be my salvation to earth’s fartherest bound. Israel lived in expectation of One who would come, who would bring salvation to the nation and to the nations. Christmas - the birth of the Promised One - a Saviour; good news of a great joy to all people. The Light shines in the darkness for the Word becomes flesh, full of grace and Truth. Epiphany - unveiling, manifestation, revelation; Light has come into the world. Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." Now, the question is how will we respond? The Gospels tell us that the presence of the Light elicits a double reaction: some receive the light with joy and find salvation; some resist the light and miss God's gracious gift. Already in the Nativity stories we are forewarned that the response to this child will be mixed. Matthew recorded that as we saw last week; the wise men stopped at Herod's Court to inquire where the child was born whose star they had seen. Herod's © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   response was not joy that the Earth had received the gift of a child who would be a King. Rather, he searched for the child to destroy it and, failing to find it, slaughtered all male children two years old and under. Hostility already at the beginning! The Wise Men worshiped; Herod murdered. Luke gives us a shadow of foreboding at the beginning, as well. Old Simeon, a devout and trusting servant of God, was waiting for that dramatic movement through which God would redeem His people and bring light to the world. As the child was brought to the Temple, the Spirit nudged old Simeon. He took the child in his arms and uttered those familiar and beautiful words. Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace … for mine eyes have seen thy salvation … a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to thy people Israel. A beautiful response, indeed. Simeon had prayed and waited and one day, holding the child, the truth dawned on him. He embraced the child and embraced the Truth. But Simeon had more to say; he went on to say, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is spoken against … that the thoughts out of many hearts may be revealed. A sign spoken against, a sign of contradiction. This child would elicit a double response: some would fall, some rise. Epiphany is a season that reminds us that God is manifest in the world -that He came to us in Jesus Christ, whose birth we celebrated so recently and whose passion and death we will be all too soon remembering. Epiphany is a bridge period in which we recognize the presence in our world of Truth and light and move from the joyful celebration of its dawning to the awful remembrance when we did our best to douse the light by killing the one in whom it dawned. It is that sobering reality that we confront in this message. We are always placed before the choice to walk in the light or to choose the darkness. I have a book on my desk entitled, Jesus, Inspiring and Disturbing Presence. We have been celebrating the inspiring side of the equation, the joy, the hope, the love that came to us in Jesus. But, there is the other side – the call to decision, the call to repentance, the call to die to self and follow Jesus in the life of service and sacrifice. © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Jesus is not an interesting figure of the past; he is very much the present, living Lord. In the Atlantic Monthly of December, 1986, there is a lengthy essay entitled, "Who Do Men Say That I Am?" It is a superb summary of the understanding of Jesus through the centuries. David Tracy, theologian at the University of Chicago, is quoted as saying that more has been written about Jesus in the last twenty years than in the previous two thousand. "Jesus is very much a figure of discussion and controversy in our present world and the followers of Jesus to the extent that they are true to what came to expression in him will be at the center of controversy in the world." He is absolutely right. Our world is not through with Jesus. It is very easy for us to slip into a mode of thinking that Jesus is a figure of the past. Christmas with all of the beautiful pageantry, and all the sentimentality that arises in our hearts, sometimes veils from our eyes the reality of the living Jesus, the living Lord in our world today. And, as a matter of fact, Jesus Christ continues to be the linchpin of history, and the very center of our world. John said of him, “The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never overcome it.” But the darkness has never ceased trying to overcome it. Matthew tipped us off in the very beginning, just like Luke. He told about the worship of the Magi. And in that he saw the coming of the Gentiles to the light of Christ, but in the course of that narrative, he recorded the stop in Herod’s Court, and Herod’s fear and paranoia and Herod’s slaughter of the innocent children. In an effort to wipe out this child whose birth was announced with a star. So, at the very beginning of the gospel, there were already foreshadowings of that which is to come. We are warned by both Matthew and Luke in the very nativity stories that this child will be a source of contradiction in the world: that there is something in Jesus that will cut against the grain of this world, that there is something in Jesus that will encounter us and confront us and judge us, that there is something in Jesus that will call us to die in order to be made new and to follow him as his disciple. It is not all sweetness and light! There is violence, there is darkness, there is the hostility against the light already in the gospel narrative of his birth. And so I ask you this morning, on this second Sunday of Epiphany, the light that shines in our world: How do you respond when truth dawns upon you? What difference does it make in your life that Jesus has come? What difference does it make in your living, that you claim to be a disciple of Jesus Christ? How are you different? What decisions do you make and what transformation has occurred because you follow Jesus? That’s the question of Epiphany. For it is one thing to celebrate the presence of the Light and it is another thing to ask ourselves how seriously we walk in the Light. Our world is not done with Jesus Christ. And, as those who claim him as Savior and have pledged to follow him as Lord, let me ask you. How do you respond when light dawns on you? Well, let me ask it this way. When is the last time you © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   had a new thought? When is the last time you found yourself confronted with an insight that challenged a long-held conviction? How long has it been since in the presence of Jesus Christ or contemplating who he is and what his word says, that you have changed an opinion, that you have altered an attitude, that you have found your lifestyle modified by the fact that the light has dawned upon us? Our world is not yet done with Jesus Christ. And it is one thing to believe in Him; it is another to follow Him! It is one thing to have a kind of intellectual assent to the fact that he lived and died and maybe rose again. It is another thing to have him be the pattern of our living and to pattern our living in the light of who he was and what he calls us to be. Our world is not yet done with Jesus Christ. He is still the center and he is still full of controversy and he is still full of contradiction. If we have not found our lives contradicted by Jesus, we can be sure that we have not heard the gospel. We have a way in this twentieth century, in this affluent America, in this Christian church, we have a way of domesticating the gospel, of taking the sharpness off the corners, and of trivializing the message. We forget the radicality of the things that Jesus stood for. It is not easy to be a twentieth-century American and to follow Jesus. Much easier, I believe, to have been a peasant in Palestine, much easier to follow Jesus if one is disinvested, disenfranchised, if one is oppressed, if one has no vested interest in anything, if one has no place to go but up. Then it is not hard to forsake everything and follow Jesus. But how does one follow Jesus when one is a member of western civilization, of American culture, of the most affluent society the world has ever known? The most educated, the most sophisticated, the most resourceful, technically and scientifically most advanced? What does one do in a society like this when one is called to follow Jesus? What does one do when one is confronted by Jesus and contradicted by Jesus, when that contradiction and confrontation run against the grain of everything that is American value, that is western value, that is Christian value. The moment there is a nation, it becomes institutional. The moment there’s a church, it becomes institutional. The moment there is any kind of structuring in society, we get institutionalization and as soon as there is institutionalization we all have our vested interests and in maintaining the status quo. It’s true of our government. And we ought not be too hard on our leaders. They are people just like us. And what are they trying to do? They’re trying to do the same thing that Herod was trying to do. In the Pentagon and the Reagan Administration: messing around with Iran and Iraq, meddling around in South America, fiddling around in South Africa – what are we trying to do? We are trying to maintain the balance of power; we are trying to preserve the edge of power; we are trying to preserve the place of preeminence. And after all, isn’t that why we elect our officials: in order to keep the American way of life, in order to keep the economy booming, in order to keep the military strong enough so that we’ll be invulnerable to attack? What do we expect of our leaders if not that? Do we not charge our President with the necessity of enforcing the Constitution? © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   And it’s not only in the state; it’s in the church as well. As soon as the church becomes an institution, then we are more concerned about the perpetuation and the preservation of the institution than we are the questions of truth or obedience. And that comes right down to the local level and comes right down to the local congregation and it comes right down to Christ Community Church. And do we make our response in terms of what is a responsible obedience to following Jesus or do we make our decision in terms of what is good and enhancing for the institution? And it comes, of course, right down into our personal lives. Not so much what we believe, but the extent to which our belief alters the way we live. There is a structure of belief which we all have and profess and then there is an operational level of belief – that upon which we function. And we function most of the time in terms of self-interest, in terms of vested interest. In terms of our own wellbeing and our own welfare. And that’s human and that’s natural, but every once in a while we need to step back and say, Jesus: sign of contradiction. Jesus: sign spoken against. Jesus, what does it mean to follow you today in America in 1987, in Grand Haven in Spring Lake, in comfortable western Michigan, where nature smiles for seven miles. What does it mean, Jesus, what difference does it make because I belong to you? In all of my relationships, all of my business, all of my pleasure, light has dawned upon the world. How do we respond to the fact that Light has dawned? The world is not done with Jesus. More has been written in the last 20 years than in the previous 2000. Jesus is still very much living Lord and he proclaimed a kingdom and has a salvation to bring to earth’s fartherest bounds. The church is not to be some little backwater ghetto. It is not simply to be a cozy little community of people who are weak and who still need God in order to get by. The church is that revolutionary group gathered around that revolutionary person whose radicality in the midst of human society got him crucified. Tomorrow Martin Luther King’s birthday was celebrated. I repent that while he was leading the civil rights movement, I did not pray for him. I think I was rather irritated by him. When he spoke out against the VietnamWar, when it was unpatriotic to do so, I’m sorry I was not prophetic enough to understand and to lend my voice. And when I read his sermons and speeches I know that they were inspired by Jesus, who was always against the oppressor and always to set the oppressed free. Last year the Catholic bishops came out with a paper on nuclear disarmament. You may agree or you may disagree with their conclusions, if you follow Jesus, you can not question that church leaders – all Christians – have an imperative to address themselves to an issue which has brought the whole human race, for which God intends salvation, into jeopardy. This year the bishops come out with a paper on economic policy. You may think they’re wild; you may think they’re in left field; you may question their conclusions, but you may not question that the church of Jesus Christ and those who lead in Jesus’ name have a right and a responsibility to address the economy in order to ensure that there is some measure of justice in this world. Jesus was revolutionary – not in terms of the zealots who wanted © Grand Valley State University �How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns on You? Richard A. Rhem Page 7   simply to throw off the Roman yoke, and who would have come in with their own regime which would have been just as oppressive – but Jesus was revolutionary in that he stood against everything that seems to drive the human spirit. Jesus was the one who said if you want to live then you must die. Jesus was the one who said love your enemies, pray for your enemies, pray for those who despitefully use you. Funny man, funny man! Strange person! He is like a knot that will not be dissolved in the middle of the human family. And those who follow him may not be simply a comfortable community who use God for their own tranquility. Those who follow Jesus are called to be a community of people who are as radical and as revolutionary, who can never adopt any political platform, who can never be at ease with any creed or confession, who can never give absolute loyalty to any state or to any church because they are a people who will give ultimate allegiance to God alone, following Jesus. No matter what the price. Can you remember the last time in the presence of Jesus you ever changed your mind? Has a prejudice ever melted away? Has an opinion ever been altered? Has a conviction ever been changed because you held it up in the light of his face and felt judged and repented and experienced the liberation, the freedom that is the consequence of the Truth? I’m afraid for most of us our religion is a cultural matter. For most of us God is one to be used and religion is for comfort. I have a book on my desk that says, Jesus: Inspiring and Disturbing Presence. Oh, inspiring to be sure, inspiring to be sure – and disturbing. Because to follow him, to be faced with a decision and to ask what would Jesus do, is a very radical thing to do. I don’t do it very well. I repent and pray that I may follow him. Let us pray. Lord Jesus you said you came into the world not to condemn the world but that the world through you might be saved. Then the gospel record goes on to say that this is the condemnation: that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light. God forgive us. And enable us by your grace to rise up and follow the light where ever it may lead, following in the master’s steps, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we pray. 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 Epiphany II Scripture Text Isaiah 49:6, Luke 2:32, 34-35 Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01_RA-0-19870118 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1987-01-18 Title A name given to the resource How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns On You? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Sermons Relation A related resource Richard A. Rhem - An Archive of Sermons, Prayers, Talks and Stories: http://richardrhem.org/ Language A language of the resource eng Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 application/pdf Description An account of the resource A sermon given by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 18, 1987 entitled "How Do You Respond When Truth Dawns On You?", on the occasion of Epiphany II, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Scripture references: Isaiah 49:6, Luke 2:32, 34-35. Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Lemmen Library and Archives Epiphany Followers of Jesus Light Radical Truth of Jesus Revelation Servant of the Lord Universal Grace