Progressives or “None” Rev. Mark Lenneville
click here to see the videoI Am Done Here Palm Sunday, 14 April 2019
MT 21
Over the past several years I have heard some interesting stories about what
brought you to this church and the progressive church movement. The general theme has been that many of you were involved in mainline congregations and denominations, became disenchanted for a variety of reasons, and decided to take a break. Some wore out, some burned out, and others were thrown out. Some swore they would never return to church. For the most part, many of you were “done”with your previous religious experience and just decided you had had enough. For a variety of reasons, you left the institutional church, whether it was Baptist,Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Episcopalian...you were done. Interestingly, you found your way to this community of faith. For that we are grateful. We believe this church and others like it have a different take on what constitutes having a faith-filled life and how to lead a spiritual life.
Many of you reported that you had stayed with your former church or denomination and its theology much longer than was healthy. Perhaps you wantedto “fix” the church or simply wait for the leader to leave, die or both. Perhaps you recognized that you could no longer rationalize the regressive or repressive theology, and at some point, even this rationalization became intolerable. Perhaps you were drawn to the church leader and discovered that he or she had clay feet. Perhaps you were tired of what seemed like constant conflict over minor stuff. Perhaps you found that the church “majored in the minors” spending way too muchtime and energy on minor things like the flowers on the altar, or the temperature in the sanctuary or whether flags should have been in the chancel, or whether thepastor’s lawn was not mowed at the parsonage... rather than doing the majorstuff... you know...feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison or who were sick, standing with the disenfranchised, advocating for peace and justice, lobbying for release of immigrants and kids along the border, providing healthcare for all people. Perhaps you stayed for the fellowship, relationships and traditions. Perhaps guilt was the reason you stayed and the reason you left.
I get it. Lots of reasons to stay... and lots of reasons to go, BUT at some point you concluded, “I am done here” ... and you moved on. But in the back of your mind, if you are like me, you wondered if there is more to this journey in life that can be enhanced by being in a faith community.
click here to see the videoI Am Done Here Palm Sunday, 14 April 2019
MT 21
Over the past several years I have heard some interesting stories about what
brought you to this church and the progressive church movement. The general theme has been that many of you were involved in mainline congregations and denominations, became disenchanted for a variety of reasons, and decided to take a break. Some wore out, some burned out, and others were thrown out. Some swore they would never return to church. For the most part, many of you were “done”with your previous religious experience and just decided you had had enough. For a variety of reasons, you left the institutional church, whether it was Baptist,Methodist, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Episcopalian...you were done. Interestingly, you found your way to this community of faith. For that we are grateful. We believe this church and others like it have a different take on what constitutes having a faith-filled life and how to lead a spiritual life.
Many of you reported that you had stayed with your former church or denomination and its theology much longer than was healthy. Perhaps you wantedto “fix” the church or simply wait for the leader to leave, die or both. Perhaps you recognized that you could no longer rationalize the regressive or repressive theology, and at some point, even this rationalization became intolerable. Perhaps you were drawn to the church leader and discovered that he or she had clay feet. Perhaps you were tired of what seemed like constant conflict over minor stuff. Perhaps you found that the church “majored in the minors” spending way too muchtime and energy on minor things like the flowers on the altar, or the temperature in the sanctuary or whether flags should have been in the chancel, or whether thepastor’s lawn was not mowed at the parsonage... rather than doing the majorstuff... you know...feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting those in prison or who were sick, standing with the disenfranchised, advocating for peace and justice, lobbying for release of immigrants and kids along the border, providing healthcare for all people. Perhaps you stayed for the fellowship, relationships and traditions. Perhaps guilt was the reason you stayed and the reason you left.
I get it. Lots of reasons to stay... and lots of reasons to go, BUT at some point you concluded, “I am done here” ... and you moved on. But in the back of your mind, if you are like me, you wondered if there is more to this journey in life that can be enhanced by being in a faith community.
You may have been “done” with institutionalized religion and even had entered theranks of the “none”... OR, perhaps....you were simply a Progressive in search of a like-minded community.
Our Wisdom lesson today comes from the Pew Research Center.
<SLIDE ON: Chart>
My bet is that, at some point, you joined the ranks of the people who were“done”... and became an “unaffiliated” person or what has been called a “none.”These are the people who are either atheists, agnostics or folks who do not claim any religious affiliation. This chart shows us that, especially among the younger age groups, nearly 35% of all millennials are now self-described, “nones” orunaffiliated. This is particularly dramatic given that only 9% of the total population, in all age groups, were raised to have no affiliation. You have got toask, “Why?” Why would so many people in all age groups and especially in theyounger age groups now make no claim to a religious affiliation? Why are so many folks, who once were affiliated with a religious group, theology or church, are now“done” and labeled as “nones”?” <SLIDE OFF>
Perhaps the perspective of a former church executive might help. I spent most of my 5 years in executive ministry visiting the 99 Presbyterian Church USA congregations in the upper 2/3s of Arkansas. I preached and taught classes. I lead seminars about church growth and how to attract younger folks to the church and how to build new churches. My core message was always the same.... relevance. The church has to be relevant. It needs to NOT be magical or filled with superstition. It needs to not emphasize a fantastical story or miracles. It needs to be
Our Wisdom lesson today comes from the Pew Research Center.
<SLIDE ON: Chart>
My bet is that, at some point, you joined the ranks of the people who were“done”... and became an “unaffiliated” person or what has been called a “none.”These are the people who are either atheists, agnostics or folks who do not claim any religious affiliation. This chart shows us that, especially among the younger age groups, nearly 35% of all millennials are now self-described, “nones” orunaffiliated. This is particularly dramatic given that only 9% of the total population, in all age groups, were raised to have no affiliation. You have got toask, “Why?” Why would so many people in all age groups and especially in theyounger age groups now make no claim to a religious affiliation? Why are so many folks, who once were affiliated with a religious group, theology or church, are now“done” and labeled as “nones”?” <SLIDE OFF>
Perhaps the perspective of a former church executive might help. I spent most of my 5 years in executive ministry visiting the 99 Presbyterian Church USA congregations in the upper 2/3s of Arkansas. I preached and taught classes. I lead seminars about church growth and how to attract younger folks to the church and how to build new churches. My core message was always the same.... relevance. The church has to be relevant. It needs to NOT be magical or filled with superstition. It needs to not emphasize a fantastical story or miracles. It needs to be
“real,” logical, pragmatic and honest. It has to meet the needs of real modern people, in the age of science and reason, who have real problems and challenges. It has to provide a voice for those with no voice or vote. It has to address actual societal problems and issues, up close and personally... tangibly, concretely. It has to be a prophetic voice in a world increasingly polarized by class, race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and opportunity. My message was a radical message, apparently. It was a tough sell, for sure. For the most part, in the past, churches could rely on belief and not necessarily on practice. Members were told to believe certain dogma and doctrines and if they did, they would be faithful church-goers. Members could hold fast to 2000 years of orthodoxy (IOW, what 51% of people choose to believe) and either totally disregard or simply tip their theological hats to orthopraxy (IOW, action...doing stuff, making a concrete difference, concretely changing the world.)
I called the church to do the radical thing... you know...do what Jesus is purported to have taught.... to reach out and embrace diversity, to challenge people to welcome those who looked and acted differently, to spend time on the margins of society, to actively and intentionally root out oppression, prejudice, corruption, and the rest. IOW, the church needs to be relevant and walk the talk.
AND another part of my message was also always the same.... when the churchceases to be relevant, the result will be a loss of members, a loss of commitment and a loss of its role in society. It would lead to conflict and discouragement. Folks will walk away. People will be “done” and become “nones.” Not Catholic Nuns, but non-affiliated, non-participators... folks who are disengaged in the religious project and the spiritual life.
And friends, this has played out. Just look at the numbers.... 35% of millennialsare in this category and more and more join the ranks each day. The number of folks in all mainline denominations is falling. The mega-churches are increasing,for certain.... not because of what they do to make this world a better place but because they are entertaining and they spout believing over doing.
When I was in Raytown, MO, the largest Southern Baptist congregation in the State was close by...a huge church... thousands attended each of 5 services each Sunday, and yet not a dime was donated to a local food and clothing pantry. Great entertainment. Crappy social justice ministry.
Let me give you another real-life example. When I was a temporary supply pastor of a small rural PCUSA church in Arkansas, each week I felt well received and had
I called the church to do the radical thing... you know...do what Jesus is purported to have taught.... to reach out and embrace diversity, to challenge people to welcome those who looked and acted differently, to spend time on the margins of society, to actively and intentionally root out oppression, prejudice, corruption, and the rest. IOW, the church needs to be relevant and walk the talk.
AND another part of my message was also always the same.... when the churchceases to be relevant, the result will be a loss of members, a loss of commitment and a loss of its role in society. It would lead to conflict and discouragement. Folks will walk away. People will be “done” and become “nones.” Not Catholic Nuns, but non-affiliated, non-participators... folks who are disengaged in the religious project and the spiritual life.
And friends, this has played out. Just look at the numbers.... 35% of millennialsare in this category and more and more join the ranks each day. The number of folks in all mainline denominations is falling. The mega-churches are increasing,for certain.... not because of what they do to make this world a better place but because they are entertaining and they spout believing over doing.
When I was in Raytown, MO, the largest Southern Baptist congregation in the State was close by...a huge church... thousands attended each of 5 services each Sunday, and yet not a dime was donated to a local food and clothing pantry. Great entertainment. Crappy social justice ministry.
Let me give you another real-life example. When I was a temporary supply pastor of a small rural PCUSA church in Arkansas, each week I felt well received and had
a lot of positive feedback about my sermons and leadership within the church. I intentionally stayed within Presbyterian orthodoxy, (right theological thinking, preaching and teaching)... not wandering too far afield. By and large, most of the congregants knew that I was fairly progressive, but I didn’t flaunt it. I was a mainstream Presbyterian. I even made it a personal rule to not preach on culturally controversial topics, after all, I reasoned, I was temporary, didn’t live in thecommunity, and was unable to provide pastoral care when I challenged the sensibilities of this fairly conservative congregation... even though this PCUSA church, in general, is the most liberal church in the area.
One Sunday, my message was on the passage where Jesus made the audacious statement that we are to move from our pews to the streets. We are to love our neighbors, even those with whom we disagree or who are our enemies. I offered a list of neighbors and those with whom a person might disagree... but we are to love them regardless. I challenged the congregants to reach out, become intentional and proactive and love those folks who looked, acted and believed differently. My list included, people of color, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, the homeless, poor, the hungry, dispossessed, those in prison, strangers, immigrants, and gays. On the way out of church, I received lots of affirmation.
However, one elderly man hung back. He waited until almost everyone had left. He approached me, wouldn’t shake my hand, and told me that he would not returnto the church until I stopped “preaching the gay agenda.” Frankly, I was shocked. I had not necessarily singled out LGBTQ folk, nor had I spent any significant time in my message focusing on (what he thought was) the “gay agenda,” (which frankly, I am not sure I even know what that is.) But this is what he had heard. And he was clearly upset and I was caught off-guard. He passed me by, even though I asked him to explain. Apparently, he was done, at least until I was gone or changed my “sinful ways.” He apparently saw no connection between what Jesussaid and what Jesus called him to do... connect with his neighbors and yes, evengay folk, respect them, advocate for them...you know... love them in concrete and intentional ways.... Walk the talk... make the world a better place through serviceto those on the margins.
He was done. BUT one thing that he didn’t know and that was, “I was also done.” For me this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I entered the ranks of the“none.” I gave my 2 week notice.
One Sunday, my message was on the passage where Jesus made the audacious statement that we are to move from our pews to the streets. We are to love our neighbors, even those with whom we disagree or who are our enemies. I offered a list of neighbors and those with whom a person might disagree... but we are to love them regardless. I challenged the congregants to reach out, become intentional and proactive and love those folks who looked, acted and believed differently. My list included, people of color, Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, the homeless, poor, the hungry, dispossessed, those in prison, strangers, immigrants, and gays. On the way out of church, I received lots of affirmation.
However, one elderly man hung back. He waited until almost everyone had left. He approached me, wouldn’t shake my hand, and told me that he would not returnto the church until I stopped “preaching the gay agenda.” Frankly, I was shocked. I had not necessarily singled out LGBTQ folk, nor had I spent any significant time in my message focusing on (what he thought was) the “gay agenda,” (which frankly, I am not sure I even know what that is.) But this is what he had heard. And he was clearly upset and I was caught off-guard. He passed me by, even though I asked him to explain. Apparently, he was done, at least until I was gone or changed my “sinful ways.” He apparently saw no connection between what Jesussaid and what Jesus called him to do... connect with his neighbors and yes, evengay folk, respect them, advocate for them...you know... love them in concrete and intentional ways.... Walk the talk... make the world a better place through serviceto those on the margins.
He was done. BUT one thing that he didn’t know and that was, “I was also done.” For me this was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I entered the ranks of the“none.” I gave my 2 week notice.
I had preached well over 1500 sermons in my 25 years in active ministry andtaught at least that many classes... nearly ALL of which were on the Gospels, where I emphasized Jesus’ message of love, peace, mercy, kindness, acceptance, tolerance, and justice and his repeated admonition to actually do something to help improve the lives of people. I wondered if these messages had fallen on deaf ears.In each sermon I called people to action... to move from the pews to the street. I called people to make what they believed... tangible, concrete, transformative... ina word, relevant. Needless to say, I was discouraged by my encounter with this elderly fellow and I was also “done.”
<SLIDE ON: Sisyphus>
I felt like Sisyphus, the corrupt king of Corinth, who because of his hubris and arrogance was punished by having to push a bolder to the top of a hill, only to have it roll back to the bottom. This activity was to be repeated, over and over, for eternity. <SLIDE OFF>
So when this elderly gentleman told me that he wasn’t coming back and that myagenda was antithetical to his own, and what he thought the Christian message was all about, I entered the ranks of the “none.” I vowed to never to darken the door of a church again. At least this is what I thought at the time.
<SLIDE ON: Sisyphus>
I felt like Sisyphus, the corrupt king of Corinth, who because of his hubris and arrogance was punished by having to push a bolder to the top of a hill, only to have it roll back to the bottom. This activity was to be repeated, over and over, for eternity. <SLIDE OFF>
So when this elderly gentleman told me that he wasn’t coming back and that myagenda was antithetical to his own, and what he thought the Christian message was all about, I entered the ranks of the “none.” I vowed to never to darken the door of a church again. At least this is what I thought at the time.
<SLIDE ON: Holy Week>
As many of you know, this is the beginning of Holy Week in the Christian church.
<SLIDE OFF>
SLIDE ON:Palm Sunday>
<SLIDE OFF>
SLIDE ON:Palm Sunday>
Today is Palm Sunday. Across the globe, today in the Western Christian church,folk are celebrating Jesus’ “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem. Today is the
beginning of the week that starts with excitement and ends with death and despair.
<SLIDE OFF>
<SLIDE ON: Easter Egg>
<SLIDE OFF>
<SLIDE ON: Easter Egg>
A new week starts next Sunday with the “Hunt” (this has an interesting history to be preached at some other time) <SLIDE OFF>
<SLIDE ON: Resurrection>
and resurrection of Jesus. <SLIDE OFF>
For most of us, we have waved palm fawns, attended daily prayer vigils, participated in a solemn Seder meal or Tenebrae Service of darkness on Maundy Thursday and/or went to a community a Good Friday service, stripped all the symbols out of the church. Some even prayed their way through Saturday in a cold dark sanctuary.
If the truth be known... if taken seriously, this is a tough week for Christians because they rehearse the tragic story of excitement morphing to despair. It is also tough because this week puts relevance, or the lack of relevance, into the forefront of Christian church-going folk’s minds. IF people are actually paying attention, they must conclude that, although this is an interesting story that we tell in sermons, skits, concerts, music, studies and the like... the energy that is spentduring this Holy Week is probably antithetical to what Jesus would have wanted. For those really paying attention, they are left with the question, “So what?” How did rehearsing this story and navigating the various Holy Week events, make any real difference in the lives of the poor, oppressed, dispossessed, and marginalized. Who was fed, clothed, visited? Who was liberated from oppression or lifted out of destitution? Did life get any better for the bulk of humanity by rehearsing and participating in waving some palm fawns, eating a Jewish meal recalling the flight
For most of us, we have waved palm fawns, attended daily prayer vigils, participated in a solemn Seder meal or Tenebrae Service of darkness on Maundy Thursday and/or went to a community a Good Friday service, stripped all the symbols out of the church. Some even prayed their way through Saturday in a cold dark sanctuary.
If the truth be known... if taken seriously, this is a tough week for Christians because they rehearse the tragic story of excitement morphing to despair. It is also tough because this week puts relevance, or the lack of relevance, into the forefront of Christian church-going folk’s minds. IF people are actually paying attention, they must conclude that, although this is an interesting story that we tell in sermons, skits, concerts, music, studies and the like... the energy that is spentduring this Holy Week is probably antithetical to what Jesus would have wanted. For those really paying attention, they are left with the question, “So what?” How did rehearsing this story and navigating the various Holy Week events, make any real difference in the lives of the poor, oppressed, dispossessed, and marginalized. Who was fed, clothed, visited? Who was liberated from oppression or lifted out of destitution? Did life get any better for the bulk of humanity by rehearsing and participating in waving some palm fawns, eating a Jewish meal recalling the flight
from Egypt, participating in a Tenebrae service of darkness or a Good Friday prayer vigil or service reminding us of our overwhelming sinfulness? Was the world made a better place during this week? Was there less corruption in government, churches and businesses? Did peace erupt? Were people’s livesimproved?
Tack onto this downer of a week of irrelevance, (and if you are like me when I was in the mainline church,) I got up early Sunday morning for a sunrise service, sangthe Handel’s Messiah.... beautiful and glorious 18th century music that still gives me goose bumps. AND led three worship services later in the day, went home and collapsed. The alarm went off Monday morning to alert me that I needed to dive back into the cesspool of our culture and society which had not changed one bit because of the things we did in the previous week. People were still hungry, kids were still locked in cages, the wealthy still exacted a pound or more of flesh from workers, women were still terrorized, underpaid and marginalized, gay folk remained in hiding or were still being bullied, people were still murdered by people who sanctified the 2nd amendment to the point of absurdity, wars still raged and innocent folks still died, injustice was still ubiquitous, corruption lit up the front pages of the media, the lying and spinning continued. All of this energy during and around this Holy Week and the Sunday following it... only highlighted the irrelevance of it all. I suppose that you are hearing the Cynical Mark... a Mark who had entered the ranks of the “none and done.”
I think that it is interesting that, and in reflection, Jesus was also “done” and thiswas his week to show that he was moving away from the institutional church. He had preached and taught for 3 years and he possibly felt like Sisyphus who was involved in a futile endeavor.... so he turned over the money changer tables, called the religious leaders hypocrites by calling out the leaders of the church no less than a 1⁄2 dozen times, challenged the religious institutions at least twice. He even cursed a fig tree, symbolic of Judaism in general. He was really an unhappycamper and he was “done” with the institutional church that had lost its way bybecoming irrelevant... a church that was not addressing the needs of real people inreal situations.
Tack onto this downer of a week of irrelevance, (and if you are like me when I was in the mainline church,) I got up early Sunday morning for a sunrise service, sangthe Handel’s Messiah.... beautiful and glorious 18th century music that still gives me goose bumps. AND led three worship services later in the day, went home and collapsed. The alarm went off Monday morning to alert me that I needed to dive back into the cesspool of our culture and society which had not changed one bit because of the things we did in the previous week. People were still hungry, kids were still locked in cages, the wealthy still exacted a pound or more of flesh from workers, women were still terrorized, underpaid and marginalized, gay folk remained in hiding or were still being bullied, people were still murdered by people who sanctified the 2nd amendment to the point of absurdity, wars still raged and innocent folks still died, injustice was still ubiquitous, corruption lit up the front pages of the media, the lying and spinning continued. All of this energy during and around this Holy Week and the Sunday following it... only highlighted the irrelevance of it all. I suppose that you are hearing the Cynical Mark... a Mark who had entered the ranks of the “none and done.”
I think that it is interesting that, and in reflection, Jesus was also “done” and thiswas his week to show that he was moving away from the institutional church. He had preached and taught for 3 years and he possibly felt like Sisyphus who was involved in a futile endeavor.... so he turned over the money changer tables, called the religious leaders hypocrites by calling out the leaders of the church no less than a 1⁄2 dozen times, challenged the religious institutions at least twice. He even cursed a fig tree, symbolic of Judaism in general. He was really an unhappycamper and he was “done” with the institutional church that had lost its way bybecoming irrelevant... a church that was not addressing the needs of real people inreal situations.
<SLIDE ON: Obama>
I sort of have a vision of Jesus doing what President Obama did in his last White House Correspondents' Dinner speech. (Of course, our current POTUS refused to go to this event this week, but that is another story for later. I wish he was done!) When Obama was done, at the end of this speech, he dropped his mic, threw his papers in the air and walked off to uproarious applause. <SLIDE OFF>
Suffice it to say, Jesus was done and Jesus willingly went to his death. The story is always portrayed as Jesus earthly mission was over. Clearly Jesus demonstrated an utter frustration with the religious leaders not translating his words into relevantaction that made a difference in people’s lives.
But notice. Jesus still hangs in there. He does not remain a “none” for very long...depending on what version you read...2 or three days later... the story goes that he is back at it.
Perhaps Jesus wasn’t really done but actually the first REAL Progressive!
In my own journey.... and my guess is that for many of you...., your journey didn’t end when you came to the conclusion that you were “done” with the church and when you entered the ranks of the “none.” Deep down and underneath the hurt, or realization what the institutional church had become for you, you were actually a true Progressive. Yes, I took a break from church and the religious life. Yes, I
Suffice it to say, Jesus was done and Jesus willingly went to his death. The story is always portrayed as Jesus earthly mission was over. Clearly Jesus demonstrated an utter frustration with the religious leaders not translating his words into relevantaction that made a difference in people’s lives.
But notice. Jesus still hangs in there. He does not remain a “none” for very long...depending on what version you read...2 or three days later... the story goes that he is back at it.
Perhaps Jesus wasn’t really done but actually the first REAL Progressive!
In my own journey.... and my guess is that for many of you...., your journey didn’t end when you came to the conclusion that you were “done” with the church and when you entered the ranks of the “none.” Deep down and underneath the hurt, or realization what the institutional church had become for you, you were actually a true Progressive. Yes, I took a break from church and the religious life. Yes, I
vowed to never return to church, especially in a leadership role. I said that I was done with the lack of relevancy and the overt and conscious hypocrisy. I was done with church because it had ceased to be relevant, did not embrace diversity, continued its support of subtle and overt violence against women, minorities, LGBTQ folk, wasn’t active in being a prophetic voice, failed to reach beyond itswalls and into the streets, and didn’t love its neighbors or those who are unique or different.
Some friends invited me to this church and I saw and heard something different than what I had experienced in other mainline churches. I saw behavior that mirrored what was said, I heard messages that were relevant... you know...Progressive. I saw people who are embraced because they are different. They are not shunned or bullied or shamed. I saw people on a journey who were not really“done.” In fact, they were very much engaged, alive, active, and reaching out inrelevancy.... outside the walls, during the week, in public and private ways... that reached into the community and beyond.
Food, shoes, blankets, sundry items for the homeless, protesting at and confronting leaders at their offices, writing letters and making phone calls to local and national officials, taking trips to natural disaster areas and providing on-site hope and comfort at Standing Rock, reaching out to the Internet community with relevant messages, writing books and articles that encouraged action, discussing and staying current on hot-button social and cultural issues.... these are just a few aspects of this vibrant, relevant and Progressive ministry. This is what I preached about for 25 years and found very few groups willing to make this level of investment and commitment towards making this world a better, more lovingplace... which, BTW, I think was Jesus core message.
For me and for many of you, when the Muller report came out, I was REALLY angry and frustrated. I was ashamed to be an American and discouraged that the one institution I felt was above the politics and actually lived by the notion of“justice being blind” had failed us. Trump and his minions had even corrupted thispillar institution of our democracy and way of life. I was “done.” I decided to turnoff the news and close my FaceBook and Twitter accounts. I told myself that I would even stop listening to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and not vote. I was depressed.
Some friends invited me to this church and I saw and heard something different than what I had experienced in other mainline churches. I saw behavior that mirrored what was said, I heard messages that were relevant... you know...Progressive. I saw people who are embraced because they are different. They are not shunned or bullied or shamed. I saw people on a journey who were not really“done.” In fact, they were very much engaged, alive, active, and reaching out inrelevancy.... outside the walls, during the week, in public and private ways... that reached into the community and beyond.
Food, shoes, blankets, sundry items for the homeless, protesting at and confronting leaders at their offices, writing letters and making phone calls to local and national officials, taking trips to natural disaster areas and providing on-site hope and comfort at Standing Rock, reaching out to the Internet community with relevant messages, writing books and articles that encouraged action, discussing and staying current on hot-button social and cultural issues.... these are just a few aspects of this vibrant, relevant and Progressive ministry. This is what I preached about for 25 years and found very few groups willing to make this level of investment and commitment towards making this world a better, more lovingplace... which, BTW, I think was Jesus core message.
For me and for many of you, when the Muller report came out, I was REALLY angry and frustrated. I was ashamed to be an American and discouraged that the one institution I felt was above the politics and actually lived by the notion of“justice being blind” had failed us. Trump and his minions had even corrupted thispillar institution of our democracy and way of life. I was “done.” I decided to turnoff the news and close my FaceBook and Twitter accounts. I told myself that I would even stop listening to Rachel Maddow on MSNBC and not vote. I was depressed.
So for a few weeks I sat. I was immobilized. AND if a poll was taken during thosetwo weeks, I would have registered as a “none.” I was “done”... and I wasn’tgoing back.
But the reality was, I really wasn’t “done.” After all, I am a Progressive. I hadn’tdropped out, never to appear again in a voting booth. Just like when I was “done” with the church and all of its dysfunction, and for a while, I was a “none,” I have entered back into the mix this time as a Progressive seeking and hopefully living into a Progressive religious and cultural experience. Just like with my church experience, I have looked at myself in the mirror and concluded that the religious journey is so very important, often very difficult, disappointing, and frustrating. So is the cultural fight in which we are currently engaged. I was reminded of this quote by Jacob Riis:
<SLIDE ON: Riis Quote>
But the reality was, I really wasn’t “done.” After all, I am a Progressive. I hadn’tdropped out, never to appear again in a voting booth. Just like when I was “done” with the church and all of its dysfunction, and for a while, I was a “none,” I have entered back into the mix this time as a Progressive seeking and hopefully living into a Progressive religious and cultural experience. Just like with my church experience, I have looked at myself in the mirror and concluded that the religious journey is so very important, often very difficult, disappointing, and frustrating. So is the cultural fight in which we are currently engaged. I was reminded of this quote by Jacob Riis:
<SLIDE ON: Riis Quote>
Look at a stone cutter hammering away at his rock, perhaps a hundred times without as much as a crack showing in it. Yet at the hundred-and-first blow it will split in two, and I know it was not the last blow that did it, but all that had gone before. <SLIDE OFF>
The stone we are chipping away at is legislative, executive and judicial...governmental and organizational corruption. It is systemic inequity...economic,racial, gender, sexual orientation, and political inequity. The stone we must work
The stone we are chipping away at is legislative, executive and judicial...governmental and organizational corruption. It is systemic inequity...economic,racial, gender, sexual orientation, and political inequity. The stone we must work
to break up is a system favoring the rich, racists, wealthy, whites, males, and thepowerful...the upper .05%. The stone we are chipping away at is ignorance and denial of science and scholarship. The stone we are chipping away at is basic care for the poor, immigrants, children, women, the sick and the disabled. The stone we are chipping away at is fake news, alternative truth, and lies. The stone that we must chip away at is isolationism, nationalism, selfishness, greed and exploitation of people and our planet. We MUST stay in the fight. We must NOT become a“none.”
This is also the agenda of the Progressive Church. This is the agenda of people who long for a faith life that is relevant, real, concrete and tangible. It is the life of a person who genuinely cares about this world, freedom, justice, fairness, and equality. This is the agenda of people who are on a journey of faith and relevance. Yes, there are times when we must take a break, get our bearings back, and get recharged. BUT we must NEVER give up. We must keep chipping away.
<SLIDE ON: Coburn Quote>
This is also the agenda of the Progressive Church. This is the agenda of people who long for a faith life that is relevant, real, concrete and tangible. It is the life of a person who genuinely cares about this world, freedom, justice, fairness, and equality. This is the agenda of people who are on a journey of faith and relevance. Yes, there are times when we must take a break, get our bearings back, and get recharged. BUT we must NEVER give up. We must keep chipping away.
<SLIDE ON: Coburn Quote>
Bruce Cockburn in 1991 penned a song titled "Lovers in a Dangerous Time"... where it says... “gotta kick at the darkness 'til it bleeds daylight.” This is our theme... the Progressive theme... and what makes this church relevant! It is also what makes our social and political action relevant.
Our job is to make what we say and do, relevant. Our job is to keep chipping away. Our job is to keep kicking at the darkness until it bleeds light. <SLIDE OFF>
