"Unless Someone Guide Me" May 6, 2012

John 15:1-8 Acts 8: 26-40 When you read the Bible, do we listen to the story, entertained by the characters and plot, or do we read the Bible looking for ways to process our circumstance and condition in life? When you read the Bible...You do find time regularly to read the Bible, don't you? This is not a guilt trip. There is no attendance requirement regarding worship, there is no financial tax levied for paying offerings, we want believers to want to come to worship as each have needs, to give as we are able. However, as human creature, just as we need to breathe, just as we need eat and drink, so also we each have a spiritual need to reflect on life seeking if not understanding at least empathy to know we are not alone. Our lives are far too busy, too scheduled. Yesterday, I listened to several, who described that after a busy week caring for others, doing our jobs, were at a Breakfast at 8:45 to listen to Martha's witness as a woman who had survived Civil War in Sudan and immigrating to America. What I found especially poignant was her reflection on how for all the years of survival, years of living as a refugee, years of making your way into a new world and new culture, for many there had been denial of feelings and repression of self, which for many survivors had led to depression and anger, guilt and loss of identity. I listened and watched, as these same people who had come so early, left to attend a funeral, then left that funeral to attend a Memorial for another friend, and left that for other engagements of our days. We each have a human spiritual need for sabbath. Not necessarily adhering to a law of staying put from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday, or from the chiming of the bell at 9:30 Sunday morning until the preacher drops their hand at the Benediction, but time to reflect, and regular space in our lives to pray. Call it meditation, call it Tai Chi, call it your devotional time, “decompression to prevent depression”, your “Me-time”, your time walking the dog or going for a run, not going golfing to compete, to socialize or to perfect pour game but maybe standing at the Tee and walking a whole bucket full of balls. We each need regular opportunities to pour out all we have taken in. We happen to exist in one of the most incredible places in all the world, our lives are richly blessed, yet we are so busy, running from crisis to crisis, adhering to our schedules, being at the right place at the right time, we fail to notice who we are, what we are becoming, where we are, and just how blessed we are. We are refugees running from ourselves. We have adopted an attitude of survival of living from day to day, because to consider more might overwhelm us. I in no way want to minimize the horrors others have endured. We have not had to live with the terror of being afraid where you step, or what you touch blowing up. We routinely take off our shoes to ride on airplanes, rather than running away from the sound of planes for fear of being shot or bombed, let alone the idea of taking off our shoes because the ground beneath us is “holy”. But denial of self and repression of feelings in order to survive, these have become the norm throughout the world. We pray and read the Scriptures, in order to listen to ourselves, to listen for God, to know that there is something, and someone more grand and larger than ourselves, allowing our lives to be redeemed. The passage from Acts is about one who is reading the Bible to try to redeem their circumstance, to try to understand. Where so often the Bible deals with a beggar, three lepers, a boy with convulsions, who are difficult for us to identify with, this passage is about a person with great responsibilities and great stresses. The identification of this person as needing healing is that they have had to give up family for their career, they have been humiliated and subjugated, yet have worked and dedicated their lives to service which has given them certain authority and reputation and title. What is implied is not a racial separation, by identification as an Ethiopian Eunuch, but this is one from the farthest corners of the earth, who has come seeking wisdom in Israel. To be a Eunuch, a Priest of the Candace means that before puberty this child had been chosen to serve others. This child was designated as one who would serve women, and live among women of prestige and wealth. To ensure that this child had no thoughts of himself, no desire for women, no ability to reproduce, he was CASTRATED before ever becoming a man. Not only had this one lived life in service to others. All their life they would have been teased and tormented, flirted with knowing that no longer was he able to respond as a man. From far distant lands, this Eunuch of Ethiopia had heard of the mighty acts of God, was intrigued and wanted to worship to believe. As one of great power and authority, this one had the ability to travel, to come to Israel,... but once again having been castrated, not only could he never be circumcised in order to convert to Judaism, according to the Books of Deuteronomy and Leviticus being a eunuch he could not be allowed into the Temple as one unclean. Yet, according to the Book of Isaiah, all things are possible. According to Isaiah, even the eunuchs are welcome at the Mountain of God. So this eunuch wonders, which is true? When the Bible seems to disagree, which do we believe Deuteronomy and Leviticus, or Isaiah? How do we know what to believe? Do we just make it up for ourselves? Do we seek answers that make us feel better, or is there truth? Suddenly, there was Phillip. This is a wonderful story. Imagine being in Washington DC or Manhattan, a foreign dignitary is riding in the back seats of his limousine or SUV, it is a beautiful morning like this so the windows are rolled down, and the dignitary is reading allowed. Researching this, it seems our routine of quietly reading to ourselves only began about a 150 years ago. That throughout the Ancient world, even up until the mid 1800s, people who could read, read aloud. This only became a problem when more and more people learned to read, and their reading became a distraction to one another. SO this Limousine is driving down Columbus Circle or Riverside Drive, with the windows open as the dignitary is reading aloud, when someone comes running up alongside the car, and asks “Do you understand what you are reading?” And the door opens and allows the person on the street to climb in. The response of the Dignitary is not to be insulted, not to take offense. But instead to respond, “How can I understand without someone to explain?” Often I hear people describe that “I tried reading the Bible once.” Like trying to read War and Peace. While just as thick and complicated, this is not a novel to digest and take to Book Club. Instead, to read a chapter, or a story, and pause to examine, to apply to wonder about. In this case, Phillip validates this one as a child of God. Yesterday following the Memorial, someone who was a lifelong Catholic commented, the Preacher described Chuck and Marg would invite people to come with them to worship... wonder why they never invited us? Immediately someone extends a welcome that they could convert. At which we stopped together, and said, there is no need for conversion, in this house of God, at this table, You are welcome. It is like the Eunuch asking Phillip, so there is water here, is there reason why I may not be baptized? When as clergy we are trained at Seminary, we are taught the rules of Ordination. Regarding Baptism there are few restrictions, but they are significant. A person is baptized only once in their lifetime, and we baptize into the church into the living community of faith, so it is not necessary to baptize the dead. Yet every minister I know has some story about stretching the boundaries, often it is knowing the baby had died in-utero and as the baby is born, before the chord is cut, the minister baptizes, because it is what the family needs. My favorite story was of an 80 year woman in the church who came to me saying my daughter needs help. When I was pregnant with her 60 odd years ago,I was taken to the hospital because they could not find the baby's heartbeat. The priest was called, who administered last rights, yet two days later the baby was born healthy and strong. Subsequently the priest refused to baptize her because he had already done so, in anointing my belly. All she wants is to be able to receive communion with her family, but she cannot do so having not been baptized. At which point we remembered the story of the Eunuch, and the pastoral question “Here is water, can she not be made whole, can she not be baptized?”