Readings: Acts 17:21-31, Psalm 67 & “West Wind” by Mary Oliver (see below)

About six years ago I was standing in line at a downtown Starbucks and ran into a man I had met a few times at various and sundry political gatherings when I was working for the ACLU of Oregon. John & I exchanged greetings and engaged in the usual sort of niceties that are expected in conversations between people who are essentially strangers. One of the topics that’s usually covered in such moments is the subject of employment, so naturally, John asked me how it was going at the ACLU. I paused, hesitated a bit, then told him, “I'm a minister now, with a church.”

At those words, John physically recoiled and with scorn practically dripping from his lips, he sneered, “You don’t really believe all that crap do you?”

I was absolutely stunned – not so much by his question as by his contempt. Fortunately, my coffee was ready. Stammering something like, “Well, yeah. Most of it anyway,” I grabbed my cup of coffee & bolted out the door. It was a horrible experience.

I don’t know as how I’ve ever felt such a mixture of emotions before or since. I felt humiliated, angry, embarrassed, disrespected, surprised, belittled, verbally assaulted, and somehow afraid & ashamed. I had no idea what to say to that man. I could no more respond to him in that moment than I could fly to the moon — and it made me so mad! – although I didn’t know who to be mad at: him for being such a jerk or me for being so unable to respond, so incapable of defending my faith.

After all, I had been to seminary! I would have thought I would be able to handle an ambush like that – if not with a brilliant theological discourse, than certainly with a well-placed clever word or two. I felt pretty stupid – which of course is probably how he wanted me to feel. So when I read the story of Paul in the Acts of the Apostles today, I can’t help but be impressed.

Paul was in the city of Athens – the intellectual capital of the ancient world. The city was named after the Greek goddess of wisdom who was believed to have sprung full grown from the head of Zeus. Athens had been the home to those great philosophers Socrates & Plato; and the playwrights Aeschylus, Aristophanes, and Sophocles produced the finest works of Greek theater there. Athens was of such legendary academic and artistic status that when the Romans came in, out of respect, they declared it a free city within the empire, so that the Areopagus (their city council) could continue to govern the city and get this – they didn’t have to pay Roman taxes! In the money-hungry Roman empire, that was unheard of!

Beyond its philosophical and intellectual prowess, Athens was also known for its interest in all things religious, which of course, was fascinating to the apostle Paul. Throughout the city, Paul saw evidence of the Athenians’ piety. He had seen the gleaming temples raised to Zeus and Athena, Apollo and Poseidon. He walked in amazement through the Parthenon and the Acropolis, checking out the countless temples and altars and statues of gold, silver, & polished marble.

So thoroughly attentive were the Athenians, that in addition to erecting monuments to all the gods & goddesses they could think of, they constructed one “To an Unknown God” just in case they had overlooked some minor deity who would be insulted by the monumental slight and be inclined to wreak vengeance upon the city. All matters of religion were thoroughly thought out, talked over, deliberated and debated. New ideas were received enthusiastically and subjected to exacting philosophical and rhetorical scrutiny. It was a perfect venue for our friend Paul.

Fresh from being thrown out of Antioch and Thessalonica for preaching the gospel, the apostle Paul was all warmed up and ready to engage the Athenians in good conversation about the God he believed in and about Jesus the Christ, who he had experienced in his vision on the road to Damascus.

I have to tell you that the speech that Susie read this morning is so darn good, so rhetorically perfect, I just have to shake my head and give it up for Paul. Granted, it’s Luke’s rendition of Paul’s speech, so I have to give him some props too. But the speech sounds so much like Paul’s letters that I’m convinced that it’s pretty much just how Paul would have said it.

You know, I’ve used some form of the word ‘rhetoric’ a couple of times now and I think it’s time that I explain it a bit. In this day & age, ‘rhetoric’ is often used as a synonym for something akin to ‘propaganda’. But that’s not what it used to be. Rhetoric is defined as “the art of effective expression and the persuasive use of language.”[i] Back in Paul’s day (and in public education’s not too distant past), cultured men and women studied rhetoric so that they could debate the issues of their day and make a compelling case for their opinion. Paul most certainly had studied rhetoric in addition to the Talmudic debating style of scholasticism in his rabbinical instruction. As my mama used to say, he could talk the apples from the trees and honey from the bees, and make them think you were doing them a favor. He was good. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Paul was truly a brilliant rhetorician.

When the people of the city council invited him to speak about his God there in the town square, Paul constructed his argument magnificently. Did you hear what he did? He starts off by affirming the piety of his audience. “Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way.” He lets them know that he respects them. Then he grabs hold of the Altar to an Unknown God and uses it as the springboard into his testimony. Making use of some arguments from both Stoic and Epicurean philosophy, Paul carefully – and courteously – builds his case.

He demonstrates both respect for their culture as well as his nimble intellect by citing a couple of their own poets. “God is the One in whom we live and move and have our being” and “We too are God's children” sound like verses that could have been lifted from the gospels. Paul doesn’t demand that the Athenians accept his conclusions about God, he simply meets them on their own theological and philosophical turf, honoring them as earnest seekers of God. Never a harsh word. Never an insulting assumption. Just thoughtful, respectful, and compelling discourse, knowing that that was what he was all he was there to do.

Now, for the last could of months, I’ve been leading a class here at Bridgeport called Leadership from the Heart. It’s being a pretty interesting time. Although our last session was a tough one. It was about the dreaded E Word – evangelism. Otherwise known as ‘sharing your faith’. Sharing your faith, of course, presumes that you know what it is you believe. Truth to tell, for most of us, our faith is a lot like that old definition of art: I can’t define it, but I know it when I see it. Which is a rather sad state of affairs.

Religious conservatives rarely have that problem. They have successfully boiled their beliefs down to some very brass tacks. As I’m sure you know, some conservative Christian politicians then push their brass tacks into every issue they can find – and by doing so they have somehow managed to claim the moral high ground in America. Countless surveys report that they are seen to be more religious and more moral than their liberal counterparts. That is simply not true, of course, but when they throw those brass tacks all over the road, it’s hard for others not to miss the point.

Folks of the more progressive persuasion don’t really like the brass tack approach. We resist simplistic approaches to most every subject because rarely is anything all that simple. Nuance abounds, shades of grey fill the areas between black and white. Issues aren’t so much about ideas as they are intrinsically and essentially about people, and viewed from that perspective, simplicity can’t hold up. But in our attempts to honor complexity, we fail to grasp the simple truths that we can proclaim.

Just look at the psalm today. What faith statements do you see in Psalm 67? [people respond…]

This psalm has a beautifully simple message: God loves us. God is with us. God cherishes justice. That’s what the people of Israel believed. It’s what they sang and shouted for all the world to hear. And it’s what I believe, too: God loves us, God is with us, God cherishes justice.

It’s not exactly the paradigm of brilliant Greek rhetoric, but it’s pretty darn compelling, don’t you think?

Now, when I think about that conversation in Starbucks six years ago, I wish I had another chance at it, because now, I have something to say to John. Something real, something clear, something even he could hear.

But more than that, I think I now understand what John was really asking me that day. I don’t think he was asking me to defend all the creeds and formal teaching of The Church, whatever that is. I think in his own rather gruff way, he really was asking me what I believe. And I think he was asking me because he had no idea what he believed. Which brings me to the Mary Oliver poem we read today.

When I first read “West Wind”, I was hooked by what I heard as the voice of God. “You are young. So you know everything.” Ain’t that the truth? “You leap into the boat and begin rowing. But listen to me.”

Listen to me. We’ve heard God’s instructions to listen before: On the mountain where Jesus was transfigured, for one.

God says ‘stop rowing and pay attention for a moment, because as enthusiastic as you are, you have no idea what you’re doing or which direction you should be going. Now pay attention. It’s really very simple: you are to be rowing toward the sounds of God in the world. Sure, life without love, life without God, is possible, but it’s not worth a bent penny, or a scuffed shoe.’ Pay attention.

The poet says that when you hear the churning sounds of God, even though it’s ‘a mile away and still out of sight,’ don’t hesitate: row towards it. Row for your life towards it.

You see, the spewing and fretting noises that John was making that day were really the sounds of a human heart searching for God. But youngster that I was, I all I could see were the sharp rocks, and I got scared & rowed the other way!

I think now that what I was supposed to do was head right into the rapids – and dare to tell him what I believe — that God is love, that God is with us, and that God cherishes justice — and because of that, I have to do certain things in my life — like praise God: thank God from whom all blessings flow, and be active in a community that treasures one another and holds one another accountable, and do the work I can do to bring more justice, more love and more joy into the world — because that’s what God is about. Which is exactly what Jesus was here to live – and teach us and show us.

My friends, we simply must learn how to talk about our faith. We have to be able to articulate our beliefs, not just because it will make a difference in the civic and political worlds, but because there are a lot of folks out there who really want to know that there is more to Christianity than those pointy brass tacks of our more conservative brothers & sisters. They want to hear the Good News of the Gospel.

When Paul got to Athens, he heard the rush of God in the rapids and he moved toward it. He stated his case thoughtfully and clearly and he didn’t try to beat his beliefs into the heads of his listeners. He preached the Good News, and that was enough.

Like the people of Athens, the people of our day are also seeking, grasping for the One who is not really far way from any of us, and they need to hear our stories. We may not be as seemingly eloquent as Paul, but don’t let that bother you. After all, what was compelling in Athens, won’t fly here in Stumptown anyway. The most compelling statement of faith is your own. You do know what you believe. “God loves us. God is with us. Justice matters.”

Don’t ever be afraid to row towards the sound of the rushing water. It’s just God working in the rapids, and no matter what you think, you’re never in that boat alone. Speak your truth, hold your ground… and believe the Good News of the Gospel – You are loved unconditionally by God. Amen.

---

May 1, 2005 Readings

Acts 17:21-31

While Paul was waiting in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. Some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also debated with him. Some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities." (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)

So they invited him to the council of the Areopagus and asked him, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means." All the Athenians and the foreigners living there loved talking about and listening to the latest ideas whenever they could.

Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, "Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, 'To an unknown god.' Now what you worship in ignorance, I intend to make known to you.

"The God who made the world and everything in it, ruler of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands, nor is served by human hands, as if in need of anything. God is the one who gives to all mortals life and breath and all things. From one ancestor God made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live. God did this so that human beings would seek, reach out for and perhaps find the One who is not really far from any of us – the One in whom we live and move and have our being. As one of your own poets has said, 'We too are God's children.'

"If we are in fact children of God, then it's inexcusable to think that the Divine Nature is like an image of gold, silver or stone – an image formed by the art and thought of mortals. God, who overlooked such ignorance in the past, now commands all people everywhere to reform their lives. For a day has been set when the whole world will be judged with justice. And this judge, who is a human being, has already been appointed. God has given proof of all this by raising this judge from the dead."

When they heard about the resurrection of the death, some sneered, while others said, "We must hear you on this topic some other time." At that, Paul left the council. A few women and men joined Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris and a few others.

Psalm 67 — A song of praise

Oh God, show us kindness and bless us,
and make your face smile on us!
For then the earth will acknowledge your ways,
and all the nations will know of your power to save.
Let the peoples praise you, O God,
let all the peoples praise you!
Let the nations shout and sing for joy,
for you dispense true justice to the world –
you guide the nations of the earth!
Let all the peoples shout and sing for joy,
let all the peoples praise you!
The land has given its harvest:
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God bless us, and may God be revered
even to the ends of the earth!

 

The Other Reading — West Wind by Mary Oliver  

You are young. So you know everything.
You leap into the boat and begin rowing.
But listen to me.
Without fanfare, without embarrassment, without any doubt.
I talk directly to your soul. Listen to me.
Lift the oars from the water, let your arms rest
and your heart, and heart's little intelligence, and listen to me.
There is life without love.
It is not worth a bent penny, or a scuffed shoe.
It is not worth the body of a dog nine days unburied.
When you hear, a mile away and still out of sight,
the churn of water
as it begins to swirl and roil, fretting around
the sharp rocks - when you hear that unmistakable
pounding - when you feel the mist on your mouth
and sense ahead the embattlement, the long falls
plunging and steaming - then row, row for your life
towards it.