“LIVING INTO OUR IDEALS” (7/12/15)
7th Sunday after Pentecost
SCRIPTURES: Excerpts from Declaration of Independence & Mark 6:1-6
KEY CONCEPTS: Living into our spiritual ideals is just as important as our nation’s ideals.
OPENING COMMENTS:
“Let Freedom Span Both East & West” – words by Jacob Trapp
Let freedom span both east & west, & love both south & north, in universal fellowship through- out the
whole wide earth. In beauty, wonder, everywhere, let us communion find; Compassion be the golden
cord close-binding humankind. Beyond all barriers of race of color, caste or creed, Let us make
friendship, human worth, our common faith & deed. Then east & west will meet & share & south shall
build with north, one human commonwealth of good throughout the whole wide earth.
TRANSITION:
On this the Sunday following the 4th of July, may each of us dare to live into the highest ideals of our
country (as heard in today’s first reading) & may we ALSO choose to live into our spiritual ideals.
WILL YOU PRAY WITH ME?
PRAYER:
EXCERPTS FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE & PREAMBLE: (Online reading)
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them with another & to assume among the powers of the earth, the
separate & equal station to which the Laws of Nature & of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect
to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the
separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty & the
pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it &
to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles & organizing its powers in such
form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect (sic) their Safety & Happiness…
(Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)
(The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution)
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defenses promote the general Welfare &
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves & our Posterity, do ordain & establish this Constitution for
the United States of America. (From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution)
TRANSITION:
How many times have we – as a nation – failed to live up to the very ideals written into our founding
documents? And yet, we still have the written witness to move toward those ideals – even when (or
especially when) we fail! But sometimes – like on Thursday, June 25, 2015 (Affordable Care Act)
Friday, June 26, 2015 (Marriage Equality) – we got to see a positive movement TOWARD THESE
IDEALS! It is the same in our spiritual lives. We are daily offered the opportunity to ‘to move closer to
our ideals’ – as individuals!
GOSPEL READING – MARK 6: 1-6:
Today’s Gospel reading, from Mark 6, follows some amazing miracles in Jesus’ ministry (the healing
of the woman with the hemorrhage, stilling the storm & the raising of a dead girl). The book of Mark
recounts – in rapid fire succession – the never ending ministry that is quite successful in this region.
However…..when Jesus heads back to visit His hometown of Nazareth; his neighbors were not
impressed with this young preacher/teacher/healer. Today’s reading is a recount of this encounter.
Jesus’ ideals were not well received in his hometown; although he had been out making a huge
difference in the surrounding region. Jesus’ teachings were rejected & His healing ministry was
rendered ineffective & unwelcome – by the majority of people he’d grown up with in earlier years.
What a disappointment! Can you imagine just how much Jesus probably wanted to go home to see
his mom & siblings – maybe hold a few meetings & heal all of the hometown folks who were ill?
Because don’t we ALL want to go to our hometown & share what we’ve learned out in the
world…to share our giftedness & how God is working in our lives?
GENERAL APPLICATION:
So, our contemporary lessons from today’s reading might include:
¬ ACCEPTANCE & SUCCESS: Some of us have accomplished amazing feats in & with our
lives. The people closest to us (our partners, friends, loved ones, co-workers, etc. – ALL
accept & celebrate our accomplishments…and yet…
¬ HOMETOWN HANG UPS: Some of us are not accepted, honored or celebrated in our
hometowns, in our families of origin for a myriad of reasons/excuses. Some of us are rejected
because of ‘who we love’.
¬ JESUS’ PARALLELS: I wonder if the reason the Gospel writer recorded Jesus’ rejection in
Nazareth was to remind all of us that
(1) Sometimes you can’t go home
(2) Sometimes people are closed minded & blind to who we are/who we have become
(3) Sometimes rejection says more about the other person/people than about us
¬ WHO HAS THE FINAL SAY? Finally, what would have happened if Jesus had only based his
life & ministry on the disastrous rejection of his hometown folks? What if Jesus had not put His
hometown people into perspective?
¬ THE LESSON FOR US: If we only listen to the naysayers of our life, we’ll more than likely
NEVER fulfill the call that God has for us; we’ll never reach for the ideals of Christ & we’ll never
allow God to use us to change this world!
CLOSING:
In closing, living out our God given call – similar to living as a citizen in these United States of
America – calls for not only an individual commitment but also a choice to work independently AND
collectively toward the common good. Living into our ideals mean we must choose to cooperate
where we can, even with people you are different than we are.
THE IDEAL OF DEMOCRACY by Abraham Lincoln (Online):
As labor is the common burden of our race, so the effort of some to shift their share of the burden
onto the shoulders of others is the great, durable, curse of the race. As I would not be a slave, so I
would not be a master. (How about the application of the Golden Rule – as citizens???)
This expresses my idea of democracy. Whatever differs from this, to the extent of the difference is NO
democracy. Our reliance is in our love for liberty; our defense is in the spirit which prizes
liberty as the heritage of ALL people in ALL lands everywhere. Destroy this spirit, & we have
planted the seeds of despotism at our own doors. Those who deny freedom to others deserve it NOT
for themselves, & cannot long retain it. Why should there be a patient confidence in the ultimate
justice of the people? Is there any better or equal hope in the world? Let us have faith that right
makes might, & in that faith, let us, to this end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.
1ST READING FOR SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2015
EXCERPTS FROM THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE & PREAMBLE:
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political
bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the
separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent
respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to
the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed
by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights that among these are Life, Liberty and the
pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men,
deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of
Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it
and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in
such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect (sic) their Safety and Happiness…
(Taken from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)
(The Preamble of the U.S. Constitution)
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,
insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defenses promote the general Welfare, and
secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America. (From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamble_to_the_United_States_Constitution)