I was not satisfied with this sermon. It did not give concrete examples that might have been helpful (or might have upset people!). I was also reflecting on a phrase with several words with significant implications. I could have done a whole sermon on justice or peace. I liked the human fulfillment comments in the sermon.
“What a World” Amos 5: 21-24; Mark 16:12-20 ; SAPC, Denton; August 14, 2022; Richard B. Culp
Amos 5: 21-24 21I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. 22Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the offerings of well-being of your fatted animals I will not look upon. 23Take away from me the noise of your songs; I will not listen to the melody of your harps. 24But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.
Introduction: ”working in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment," (G-1.0304, Book of Order);
No small or simple task.
it has been hard this week to get my arms around this topic. As you hear the sermon, imagine it bigger and more expansive than I describe. If you do not feel pushed, imagine how it might push you.
Move 1: this expectation of members and all of us as disciples of Christ reminds us that the call to ministry is big and aspirational.
a. What a world in which we live!
1. So many possibilities and opportunities.
2. So many challenges and complications.
3. this is the world to which Jesus sends the disciples before he ascends to heaven.
4. this is the world to which God sends us.
5. Engaging this world requires thinking in global terms, in big ways to deal with all that is before us.
b. when we answer the call to work in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment," we are talking about high expectations and big changes.
1. It means looking beyond the readily apparent things that need our immediate attention and seeing how the whole system might need to be changed
2. the prophet Amos takes on the whole structure that the Israelites had put into place.
3. The Israelites had their system:
festivals to celebrate and remember;
offerings to make before God;
worship of God.
4. i have no doubt that as the Israelite leadership reflected on the systems they had in place, they would have been pleased.
4. The prophet Amos, however, sees it differently. He sees that their system has become full of injustice and keeps the people from being in right relationship with one another.
5. Amos announces the need for change - not just a little change, but a radical change that upends their whole way of doing things.
5. Like Amos, we are called to take on the establishment, to redo the systems that need to be changed so all God’s people can live fully.
c. Since Amos is talking about justice, let’s reflect for a moment about justice.
1. I read an article recently in which the author is comparing charity to justice.
He writes: “Charity is commendable; everyone should be charitable. But justice aims to create a social order in which, if individuals choose not to be charitable, people still don't go hungry, unschooled or sick without care.
Charity depends on the vicissitudes of whim and personal wealth; justice depends on commitment instead of circumstance.
faith-based charity provides crumbs from the table; faith-based justice offers a place at the table.” Bill Moyers
2. Or think about the challenges Our Daily Bread faces:
Our Daily Bread provides meals every day for those who are hungry and provides shelter for those who are homeless.
Clearly, feeding the hungry and providing shelter are things Jesus calls us to do.
But, there is also the need to change the systems in place to reshape the world so that the issues that lead to people going hungry and being homeless are addressed.
3. It is not an either/or situation as in we either feed people or work to change the system.
3. Our calling as disciples of christ demands both/and - both providing band-aids for the needs that arise and working to change the systems so that all can thrive.
Move 2: Working in the world for peace, justice, freedom and human fulfillment is a return to whom God created us to be.
a. I think that’s why the phrase “human fulfillment” is used.
1. Not to set a goal that we want everyone satisfied, but to recognize our need for all of us to be the persons God calls us to be.
2. again, using the area of justice.
b. As I was reflecting on this, I was reminded of the words of Gary Haugen, CEO and founder of IJM (International Justice Mission)
He writes in his book Good News About Injustice that
fundamentally, justice has to do with the exercise of power […] conversely, injustice occurs when power is misused to take from others what God has given them, namely their life, dignity, liberty, or the fruits of their love and labour. Injustice is the strong using force and deceit to take from the weak.
In other words, injustice is about taking away from people everything that God created them to have: the Genesis narrative bestows human beings with dignity due to their image-bearer status, it gives them liberty within the garden, it gives them rest from their work, and it shows us that ‘it is not good for man to be alone’. Injustice occurs when power is misused to take from others what God has given them in creation. (https://www.psephizo.com/life-ministry/why-does-embracing-justice-matter/; Ian Paul)
1. The Garden of Eden was a place of right relationship between God and humans and humans with each other.
2. In fact, in the beautiful image of creation in which Adam’s rib is used to create Eve, we see right relationship between humans as being like one. each seeing the other as intimately connected.
3. so the call to reshape our world means creating systems that allow us to be in right relationship with one another.
finding ways to allow each of us to be who God called us to be.
Move 3: How do we reshape our world? In part, by keeping the vision before us and stepping out toward it.
a. We read in the Gospel of Mark his version of the Great Commission.
1. Jesus mentions what going into the world on his behalf might look like.
2. Actually, a vision of some strange and challenging things that are going to happen.
3. But it gave the disciples a concrete goal.
4. I read recently about a psychologist who when he worked with people who wanted to make changes in their world would ask them to imagine the world they wanted. what did it look like?
then, he would ask them, “how would you live in that world? How would you treat others?”
then, he would say, “live that way now.” “Live that way now.” (found in a sermon preached by Dr. John M McCoy, St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, October 4, 1981).
b. the reason we lay out the ministry of members in our Book of Order is to put before us the vision for who we are ad how we are called to act as followers of Christ.
1. In some ways, saying we should work “in the world for peace, justice, freedom, and human fulfillment,” seems, well so big, so hard to imagine, that it is easy to just gloss over.
2. But, those words hold forth a vision for how we live in right relationship with God and one another.
3. those words stand before us, calling us to aspire and dream to change the world.
Conclusion:
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