"Miller's Analogy" May 24, 2015

Ezekiel 37:1-14 Acts 2:1-21 We are in that season of the year, identified by School administrators, teachers, parents and students as Standardized Testing. My Sister in Law is a Teacher in the Washington DC Public Schools who describes that of the 9 months of classes, a full month is taken each year for testing to confirm that their students never learned to read, or work math problems, and instead of making time to work on these fundamentals they are required to administer tests that prove they have difficulty taking tests. In 1965, when I was in 2nd Grade, my father shared at dinner one night that test designers often develop a pattern to their questions and answers, so the point is not only finding the answers but finding the patterns. The following day, we were taking one of the early Bubble tests, and after the first 15 questions, I looked at the answer sheet and continued the pattern that had been established finishing the whole exam in 30 minutes instead of 2 ½ hours. A few days later my parents had a meeting with my teacher, the guidance counselors and principal, because I had the highest score in the school, even on material that 6th grade did not teach. So I was made to take another version of the test, and this time to show my work. There used to be a popular standardized exam for Graduate School called the Miller's Analogy, the point of which was to understand your reasoning ability by making analogies between things everyone knows and an abstract word or concept you did not know... King David is to King Lear as Particle Physics is to Blank. The difficulty being that Miller's Exam used as comparisons, Shakespeare and The Bible, as being “what everyone knew,” and today many have no awareness of Shakespeare or Bible, so cannot play the game. And while YouTube Videos can have thousands of Likes, and Videogames have their Heroes and Villains, these are not universally recognized across cultures and time. The reason for raising this, is that our Christian Faith, even the Bible itself rarely defines or explains a concept, an idea, or a principle as in Webster's Dictionary. Even who and what God is, is not explained or defined, instead faith has been taught and understood through metaphor stories. And we have become an unimaginative, literal people, who no longer recognize the teaching of the Bible as in metaphor and analogy, we do not recognize the images as representing anything other than Holy. So when Ezekiel describes being taken to a Valley, we look for the archeological site of where; rather than that the Valley might be his own depression, rather than listening for what this Prophet of God, this representative of humanity, heard God say and what Ezekiel did. When Acts of the Apostles describes the disciples were gathered together and fire appeared above each, we wonder the meaning of the fire, and why? We question the difference between the image of fire and the sound of wind, and the speaking in tongues, routinely ending our reading at, “And some believed they were filled with new wine!” I had a Seminary Professor who was a Jesuit Catholic Priest who used to describe that “Among human beings, especially in the Bible, anytime you have Fire, Candles, Flowers and Wine, you are talking about romance.” The basis of relationship between God and humanity is love! Who is God? God is Creator of everything that is, the source before time and space, the Supreme being. But God is more than an all powerful inventor because God has acted with love like a parent would do. God has been our Warrior, Guardian, Mentor, constant companion for generation after generation. Understanding what we needed, God gave us food and water and breath and freedom, as well as laws for relationship, laws to keep us from harming ourselves or one another, laws to begin to understand the way the world works. Those who were reading the Book of Isaiah together will recall Isaiah's analogy that, as: God is the Gardener who cultivated and planted a vineyard, we are the Grapevine. But instead of producing Grapes for sweet rich wine, the Vine chose to twist and choke itself, growing sour grapes. Predestination in this way is not predetermination of our every question or opportunity, but that like all God's Creations we have a purpose, simply to love God and care for one another. Witnessing our twisting and choking love, like a life partner struggling with being wounded by their spouse, God knows that for our own well being we need and deserve to be put away, yet because of God's love and commitment there has to be redemption. So God is not only Creator and Parent, Protector and Law Giver, but also our liberator, the source of our redemption and reconciliation. After trying repeatedly with all humanity, God, began again as an example for the world, in the family of Abraham. Generations after the nation of Israel had become the greatest most powerful nation on the face of the earth, the people began to act as if faith in God was irrelevant, that everything they needed was within their control to buy, to manufacture, to win. As named by the Psalm, God provided what is needed for everything in Creation, food and water, seasons, and the breath of life. Without breath, we die, it is as simple as that. Try for yourself to control the breath in you, that is God's spirit... One of the standard metaphors for God's Spirit is the wind... remember back to Genesis when the earth was without form and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the Wind brooded over the face of the Waters, we have all witnessed when the wind ripples the surface, when the sun and moon sparkle like a million diamonds. The wind, the Spirit, is The breath of God. So what metaphor is provided Ezekiel, of the people of God being without faith? We are like a Valley of Dead Bones, so thoroughly dead, the marrow has become dry. Yet all that is necessary is to pray. To name the need for God, and the Spirit comes, bone joins to bone, sinew and flesh appear, and life is restored, resurrected and new. The ultimate redeemer of our relationship with God, was for God to become human. What an awesome act of love and commitment. God became vulnerable, became mortal, became one with us, and died for our salvation. The other evening, someone candidly stated what many of us feel: I understand God being God, and about Jesus being the Savior, that is what the whole of the Old Testament and Gospels are about, but I never really understood why The Holy Spirit? Stated differently, we know God to be the Creator, the Law Giver, the God of Exodus and the Promised Land. We know God was in Jesus. But what is the relationship between God and the Spirit, Jesus and the Spirit, what does the Spirit do for us? Having heard the Story of Pentecost many times over our lives, and read just a moment ago, let us name and explain the metaphors and analogies. It was Pentecost, which remember that Easter took place at the Jewish Passover, so one of the seasonal markers for Days of Feasting and Worship was 50 days after Passover when our ancestors celebrated coming into the Promised Land. On the 50th day after Passover, 50th day in Greek is “Pentecost,” pilgrims from around the world would have came to Jerusalem to celebrate fulfillment of God's Promise. There were people of faith from every known part of the world, who had come to Jerusalem, to the mount of God. But the point of each one hearing in their own dialect, was not a Rosetta Stone for translation, but that through the Disciples the Spirit spoke to every heart. When the disciples were all together, the most important event in their lives had been the Last Supper in the Upper Room. So even 50 days later, where would the disciples gather together to worship, to share their faith and concerns, their hopes and dreams? The Upper Room. Fire has often been compared to passion, to excitement, to life. But also, throughout the last 100 years when someone is described as having a Bright New Idea, we envision a lightbulb above their head. But as the disciples were in the room 1900 years before Edison ever created the lightbulb, a symbol for light, for a brilliant idea, was FIRE divided and resting upon each. The part the disciples had ignored, their brilliant light, was Jesus did not teach inside, but out in the world. Faith is not about Worship on Sunday morning in a Sanctuary, but daily life and metaphors of faith out in life! When suddenly they heard a sound, like the rush of a mighty wind. Recall when Elijah had been afraid of Jezebel he ran to the mountain of God, to the Cave where Moses had been hidden by the Hand of God to witness God's glory, and Elijah wanted proof of God. Elijah saw the fire, but God was not in the fire. Elijah heard the sound of Wind, but God was not in the wind. For the disciples, following the resurrection, on this 50th day, God IS in the Wind! This is proof of the existence of God. Now let me ask you, when did God Create Time and Space, Light balancing Darkness, Promised Land balancing the Waters of Chaos? When? Long, long ago. Is God still able to create? Yes, but the world is pretty full. Jesus was a human man, part of the importance of Jesus sacrifice for us, is that he was a real historic, human person, who lived and died and rose again. When did Jesus live? And where is Jesus today? On the 40th day after the resurrection, we celebrated the Ascension to Heaven. So how do we know God in our lives today? Is it as Creator? Possibly. Is it as Warrior fighting against Pharaohs and Emperors? Perhaps. Is it when we wander in the wilderness, on mountaintops and crossing streams, when we walk alone and wrestle with our thoughts knowing we are not alone? Yes. Do we know God through Jesus Christ? IF not, the Church has done a poor job sharing the Gospel and Christian message. BUT Jesus died and was redeemed and ascended to Heaven. SO how do we recognize God today? I believe it is when we speak and act in ways that others wonder where this is coming from. When compassion and wisdom are greater than an individual would do on their own. And this is not drunkenness, or mental illness, but the Holy Spirit speaking through us. Dreaming new dreams, casting visions for how we could act in faith. This week, I charge you to come up with One Metaphor, one Analogy, one simple illustration of God being in your life, and I promise you the Spirit will blow your mind. However, the events of Pentecost do not end with accusations of drunkenness, or Peter confessing his and our faith. The 2nd chapter of Acts ends: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; and they sold their possessions and goods and distributed them to all. And day by day, praying and worshipping God, breaking bread in their homes, living thankful lives, praising God and having found favor with one another, the Lord added to their number.” So how do you interpret? All the people were bringing their stock portfolios, their IRAs and Deeds, trusting that the Community of Faith with God, could do what no one could do by themselves. Pentecost, the Gift of the Holy Spirit is not so much about a Whom, as a different reality for us, a new and resurrected way of life.