Reflections on "the Crosses We Wear: Connected to our Jewish Heritage" Isaiah 61: 1-4

Big topic for the sermon.  If I did it over, I might begin with the social justice idea and see how the rest of the sermon would grow out of that beginning.  After preaching the sermon, I'm still not sure I figured out where I wanted to go with it!  Although it did not make the sermon, I discovered there are several stories Jewish rabbis tell in their sermons that have a corollary story Presbyterian ministers tell in their sermons.  At one point, the sermon included and example or two of such stories.

“The Crosses We Wear:  Connected to Our Jewish Heritage”; November 15, 2020, SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; Isaiah 61: 1-4

Isaiah 61: 1-4 

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me,

    because the Lord has anointed me;

he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,

    to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives,

    and release to the prisoners;

2 

to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor,

    and the day of vengeance of our God;

    to comfort all who mourn;

3 

to provide for those who mourn in Zion—

    to give them a garland instead of ashes,

the oil of gladness instead of mourning,

    the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit.

They will be called oaks of righteousness,

    the planting of the Lord, to display his glory.

4 

They shall build up the ancient ruins,

    they shall raise up the former devastations;

they shall repair the ruined cities,

    the devastations of many generations.

Introduction: The cross I wear today is one of the more recent additions to my cross collection.  

It is a square looking, red cross made up of 5 crosses - four smaller ones on the side and one bigger one in the middle.

This pattern goes back to the 11th century; you can see the design on the uniforms the crusaders wore; Knights of the Holy Sepulchre, The order creates canons as well as knights, with the primary mission to "support the Christian presence in the Holy Land".^[1]

In the early 13th century, the pattern becomes the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Jerusalem, with it came the red color and its name Jerusalem cross.

20th-century Episcopal church service cross ((https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerusalem_cross)

This Jerusalem cross was given to me by the group from St. Andrew that I helped lead on its trip to Israel a few years ago.

When I wear it, I have two very different thoughts - one, it reminds me of relationships that developed as we traveled through the Holy Land.

But, it also reminds me of how our Christian faith lived out in this particular place is connected to our Christian roots in Israel and our Jewish heritage from which Christ and Christianity came.

Reflect this morning on some of our common heritage that connects us as Christians with our Jewish brothers and sisters, and in seeing those connections, see how God might be working in and through us today.

Move 1:  We begin with the affirmation that the God who we worship and serve is the same God whom the Jewish people worship and serve.

a.  The God who called the world into being and breathed the breath of life in Adam and Eve is the same God of Abraham and Sarah is the same God who sent Christ into the world is the same God to whom we turn.

1. “In the beginning was the word and word was with God and the word was God”

2.  The mysterious God in one does not allow us to separate the Triune God, so as we lay claim to Christ, we lay claim to our connectedness with all those who have come before us all the way back to the beginning.

3.  our faith grows out of the faith of our Jewish brothers and sisters who came before us.

b.  As we lay claim to following the same God, we also remember the uniqueness of God.

1. Both faith traditions proclaim the God who is one.

2.  In the world of polytheism in which the Israelites and the early church lived, this was a unique and powerful claim.

3.  In our time, with so many competing interests, worship of idols of our own making, and a growing lack of belief in God, to make this claim calls us back to God.

c. God of covenant.

1. God made covenant with Abraham and Israel and called them to be a light in the world.

2.  We understand our faith in the God we know through Christ to be a covenant, and we recognize the call we have to follow Christ into the world.

3.  Covenant and call - the promise of the God of creation to love us and be faithful as well as the command to go and follow.

We share with our Jewish sisters and brothers belief in the one God of covenant and call.

  

Move 2:  Jesus, whom we know as our Lord and Savior, comes to us from his place and connectedness to his Jewish tradition.

a.  Trace Jesus genealogy and where does it lead?

1.  In Luke, it takes us back to Adam and Eve, the first humans God created.

2.  In the Gospel of Matthew, the genealogy takes us back to Abraham, the father of Israel, the one with God made covenant and called to be a unique people in the world.

3.  Jesus’ genealogy traces back through King David, arguably the greatest leader and king of the Israelites.

4.  Jesus himself was raised as in the Jewish tradition.

5. We who tie our lives of faith to jesus, link ourselves to his heritage as well, a heritage that runs through the Israelites.

b.  In fact, Jesus is born in Bethlehem, the city of David.

1.  Jesus’ life and ministry were lived out in the land of Israel.

2.  One of the powerful parts of traveling to the Holy Land was walking in places where Jesus might have walked.

3.  Or, taking a boat ride across the lake where Jesus might have done so as well, or perhaps the place where Jesus even walked on water.

4. And for Jesus, those places were the places where his ancestors had lived out their faith in God.

5. I remember walking through one area where the passageway rose and fell, and in doing so we walked where archaeologists have found layers of civilization built on top of each other.  Each layer dug up revealed the previous generation that had lived in that place.

6.   there is a compelling and powerful sense of connectedness in being in the places where Jesus lived and died; in recognizing that as we connect with  Christ, we connect with the history of God’s people leading up to Christ and the history of God’s people since the coming of Christ.

Move 2:  WE are also reminded that we are connected to Jesus and the Jewish tradition by Christ’s own emphasis on justice and concern for the poor.

a.  familiar passage from Isaiah.

1.  A powerful message of God’s concern for the poor and the oppressed, God’s call for social justice.

2. We hear these words and recognize God’s desire for the Israelites to be people who cared for the widows and the orphans and the strangers in their midst.

3. The prophet Isaiah ensures that God’s people hear God’s concern.

b.  Those words are also proclaimed by Jesus.

1.  We remember in the Gospel of Luke, we have the dramatic scene of Jesus standing up in his home synagogue as he begin she ministry.

1.  Jesus reads the first two verses we red in the Isaiah passage at this moment.

2.  And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. 21 Then he began to say to them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” 

3.  Jesus, the Son of God, arrives with a powerful claim - the God who cares about the poor and the oppressed has sent Jesus himself to live out that concern.

4.  A claim that God’s people had heard for generations.

5.  a claim on us as we follow Christ into the world to show God’s concern for the poor and the oppressed.

6. a claim that binds Jews and Christians together.

Move 5:  we also share with our Jewish sisters and brothers our call to be people of hope as we wait.

a.  The Presbyterian Church in 1987 published a paper entitled, A Theological Understanding of the Relationship Between Christians and Jews.

1.  We affirm that Jews and Christians are partners in waiting. Christians see in Christ the redemption not yet fully in the world, and Jews await the messianic redemption. Christians and Jews together await the final manifestation of God’s promise of the peaceable kingdom. (1987 Presbyterian church, USA published a paper and commended it for study entitled: A Theological Understanding of the Relationship Between Christians and Jews (https://www.pcusa.org/site_media/media/uploads/_resolutions/christians-jews.pdf)

2.  Advent will be here soon.  We know Advent and its call for us to be people who wait in hope for the God who came in Christ to come again.

3. We share that hope in God with our Jewish brothers and sisters.

4. Admittedly, as Christians we have a different vantage point because we know Jesus as the Messiah.

5. But we are connected in our hope in God who will come again and restore God’s kingdom once and for all.

b.  As we share that hope in God to act decisively in the future, we share a common worldview.

1. A shared belief that God is not done.

2. A shared belief that what we see in the present moment is not the final answer, but that God is at work doing a new thing.

3. A shared belief that God calls us to be at work now as we join with God in ushering a new kingdom.

Move 4:  We struggle in our time to live out our connectedness wiht our Jewish heritage.

a. In some ways, what we hold in common also reveals the points of separation.

1.   Despite our common history, the Christian claim of Jesus as Messiah creates separates us from Jewish understandings of who Christ is and their expectation of the Messiah still to come.

2.  History of place that leads to Jerusalem being claimed as the home of Jews, Christians, and Muslims.

2. Or the history of modern-day Israel - created in the 20th century both because of the history of the place and also because of the need for the Jewish people to have a home.

3. We also see how issues of justice shape our relationship with the Jewish people and Israel.

4.  In fact, the Presbyterian Church, USA finds itself divided over how is God’s justice lived out in the Holy Land around Israeli and Palestinian issues.

5.  1. Anti-Semitism continues to be at work in our world.

6. Even as we point to our common heritage and our belief in the same God, there are many differences as well.

b. But, our hope is the God with whom we find our common ground.

1.  The God who continues to do a new thing.

2.  a God whose promises to Israel and to the followers of Christ will be fulfilled. 

3. A God in whom we share a history and a future.

conclusion:  I wear the Jerusalem cross now as a reminder of our shared history and as a sign of our shared hope.

Amen.

Reflections on "The Crosses We Wear: Family" Genesis 50: 15-21; I Corinthians 1: 10-17

We returned to the "Crosses We Wear" preaching series after a four-week interruption for stewardship.  When I laid out the preaching series in August, I did not purposely pick this week for this topic, but it turned out to be a good week for a sermon (at least from my perspective) about division on the Sunday after the election.  

“The Crosses We Wear:  Family” Stewardship series; November 8, 2020, SAPC, Denton; Dr. Richard B. Culp; Genesis 50: 15-21; I Corinthians 1: 10-17

Genesis 50: 15-21:  Realizing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong that we did to him?” 16 So they approached[b] Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this instruction before he died, 17 ‘Say to Joseph: I beg you, forgive the crime of your brothers and the wrong they did in harming you.’ Now therefore please forgive the crime of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also wept,[c] fell down before him, and said, “We are here as your slaves.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid! Am I in the place of God? 20 Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today. 21 So have no fear; I myself will provide for you and your little ones.” In this way he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

Introduction:  Or preaching returns to the “Crosses  We Wear” series for the next few weeks before Advent arrives.

This week I am wearing a cross I do not wear very often, in part because it is fairly small and always seems to get turned around.

It is the Presbyterian seal cross.  

In my previous presbytery, it served as the moderator’s cross.  when you were elected Moderator, you received this cross and wore it when you moderated the presbytery meetings.

I wore it during my time as moderator, and now I wear it on Sundays when we ordain and install elders, or if I am part of an ordination or installation service in the presbytery, or on any Sunday I am feeling particularly Presbyterian!

There is much to preach about the Presbyterian seal:  The official seal of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) was adopted in 1985.  At first glance, it looks like a cross.  But, it is intended to capture some of the important emphases of the Reformed tradition. 

The cross represents the incarnate love of God in Jesus Christ, and his passion and resurrection.  Because of its association with Presbyterian history, the Celtic cross was chosen.

The Bible -  The two center lines of the cross represent an open book… the role of Scripture as a means of knowing God’s word.

The Dove forms the uppermost section… the shape of a descending dove.  A symbol of the Holy Spirit, …also symbolizes Christ’s baptism by John and the peace and wholeness which his death and resurrection bring to a broken world.

The Pulpit - Beneath the image of the book is the suggestion of a lectern or pulpit, which captures the important role of preaching in the history of Presbyterian worship.

The Flames - a symbol of revelation in the Old Testament when God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, and a reminder of Pentecost when the holy spirit swept through the people and empowered them with the gift of language so they could share the gospel throughout the world.

Cross forms a triangle, the traditional symbol of the Trinity also suggests the nature of Presbyterian government, with its concern for balance and order, dividing authority between clergy and elders and among different governing bodies.

the fish in the shape of the descending dove, one can discern the form of a fish, an early-Christian sign for Christ, recalling his ministry to those who hunger.

The Font/Chalice In the lower central part of the image of the cross one can find a baptismal font or a communion chalice (cup) both images of the sacraments … an ongoing sign and symbol of God’s presence with us and working through us (this discussion of the Presbyterian seal came from the following web-site: http://www.springbranchpres.org/whats-the-meaning-of-the-presbyterian-logo/)          

Lots of themes from the Presbyterian seal, but as I reflected on this moderator’s cross, it reminded me our Presbyterian heritage and our continual pattern of being divided, while still trying to be united in Christ.

So join me this morning as we reflect on themes of division and unity.

Move 1:  Division seems to be part of who we are, part of our human experience.

a.  Often for the wrong reasons.

1. Almost as soon as God creates, humans begin dividing themselves.

2. For example, sin divides Cain and Abel.

3.  Hagar and Sarah going from a close working relationship to Hagar being cast out.

4.  Jacob and Esau - division among brothers that last for years.

b.  Or the Joseph story we read this morning.

1. Although we read the tail-end of the Joseph story and their coming together, we remember how it began -  a family divided.

2.  Brothers, driven by jealousy, throwing Joseph out, literally.

3.  it was worth betraying a brother to get him out of their lives.

c. Or we read Paul’s letter to the Corinthians and discover how the early church quickly moved to choosing sides and finding divisions among themselves.

1.  Instead of announcing to the world their unity in Christ, they shout for all to hear, “I belong to Paul,” or “I belong to Cephas,” or “I belong to Apollos.”

2.  Division has led to quarrels.

3. It threatens the message of the gospel.

d.  We know a thing or two about division in our time;  about people choosing sides.

1.  we who are bound together in Christ see the divisions, sometimes proclaiming the divisions to make sure people know we are not connected, or do not believe, or are not like those others.

2.  Being divided as a people seems to pass on from generation to generation.

e.  We might also note that sometimes divisions are good.

1.  Give us identity.

2.  Allow for specific tasks -  Israel segregated from the rest of the world and called to be a light for all nations.

3. Allows us to find our own affinity groups.

4.  Claiming our differences as we join with others who are claiming their differences can allow us to grow in who we are. 

f. I sometimes look at Christianity with all it faith expressions and denominations and see both the good and bad of being divided.

1.  our different denominations allow us to find a place where the way they worship or work together as a church, or interpret the Bible fits with how we do it.

2.  a gift that we can find a place that fits who we are to live out our calling.

3.  but all our denominations in the Christian tradition also point to our human sinfulness, our inability to hear Christ’s call to be one.

4. so we live in that tension — called to be one; continually being divided.

Move 2:  IN the midst of our division, we see God at work.

a.  To be clear, our dividedness does not keep God from being at work, nor does it remove us God’s call to be part of that work of overcoming our divisions.

b. Look again at the Joseph story.

1.  Through their divided family, God works to save Israel.

2. Israel faces famine in their land.  Egypt has plenty of food stood.  Egypt’s leader is their brother - the one they had sold off to get rid of years ago.

3.  Joseph’s brothers fear what might happen to them as they face their brother whom they cut out of the family.

3.  the survival of God’s people stands in the balance.

4.  Joseph not only extends grace to his family and saves Israel, but he announces that God has been at work in their broken relationships. 

b. Or, look at Paul’s letter to the Corinthians.

1.  The letter that begins with Paul pointing out the division will give way to the beautiful thirteenth chapter on love that we so often lift up.

2.  The early church, caught up in its divisions, has the hope of becoming a community that shares love with each other.

3. they can dare to hope that love will overcome their divisions because God is at work in their midst. 

4.  "During a British conference on comparative religions, experts from around the world debated what, if any, belief was unique to the Christian faith. They began eliminating possibilities. Incarnation? Other religions had different versions of gods appearing in human form. Resurrection? Again, other religions had accounts of return from death. The debate went on for some time until C.S. Lewis wandered into the room. 'What's the rumpus about?' he asked and heard in reply that his colleagues were discussing Christianity's unique contribution among world religions. Lewis responded, "Oh, that's easy. It's grace." (Philip Yancey in "What's So Amazing About Grace?”)

5.  The God of grace who saved Israel by Joseph’s gracious acts is still at work in our midst.

6. The God of grace who pointed the early church toward love is still at work in our midst.

Move 3:  Back to the Presbyterian Church and a moderator’s cross - the cross the Moderator of Presbyterian Church, USA wears during her or his tenure.

Although it is called the Moderator’s cross, it is actually three crosses riveted together.

In 1948 the Rev. Dr. H. Ray Anderson, pastor of Fourth Presbyterian  Church, Chicago, bought two silver Celtic crosses on the Scottish island  of Iona.  Later that year,  Anderson presented one of the crosses to the  Rev. Dr. Jesse H. Baird, moderator of the 160th General Assembly of the  Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (one of the two northern Presbyterian denominations)

The next year, during the 89th General  Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S., the southern Presbyterian denomination, he presented the second cross to the Rev. Dr. W.E. Price following Price's election as moderator of that Assembly. 

 

  Soon after, the Rev. Frederick W. Ingle, a minister of the P.C.U.S.,  purchased a similar Celtic cross while visiting Iona and sent it to Dr.  Anderson for presentation, in 1953, to the newly-elected moderator of the  United Presbyterian Church in North America, Samuel C. Weir (the other Northern Presbyterian denomination)

Three major Presbyterian denominations in the United States, divided by their differences, whose moderators now wore separate crosses.

 

in 1958, the Presbyterian Church, U.S.A. and the United Presbyterian Church in North America came together to form the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America.  A moderator’s cross was created that had the two crosses riveted together.  The two crosses, now one, became a symbol of Presbyterian unity, or at least a partial fulfillment of the dream of unity among Presbyterians.

 

Anderson's full dream became reality in Atlanta in 1983 when the cross worn by moderators of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S. and the now single cross, formerly two, were riveted together.  Cheers and applause erupted as more than 5,000 people watched the moderator of the northern Presbyterian church and the moderator of the southern presbyterian church place a chain from which hung the united crosses around the neck of the Rev. Dr. J. Randolph Taylor, first moderator of the newly reunited Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). (https://archive.wfn.org/1997/06/msg00182.html; the Moderator’s Cross, by Nancy Rodman)

Three crosses became one.

And then the commissioners took to the streets to sing and march as they announced to the world that in that particular moment, no matter how fleeting, unity had overcome division.

Conclusion: We know our history as God’s people.  

Divide and unite. Never quite satisfied. Never quite living fully into the image of God.

In fact, today as Presbyterians in the United States we may see division more clearly than most days.  If not as a denomination, then certainly as a people who share our common heritage as Americans.

and in moves God, calling us to claim our unity in Christ; calling us to move with grace from being divided to being united.

Amen.