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| Spike on our morning hike in Maplewood State Park! |
It is cool and gray here in northwestern Minnesota. I'm working on my second Holy Spirit paper for class, and preparing to leave Pelican Rapids to return to Cannon Falls for a few days coming up. Parents and littlest brother were here this last weekend, and what a blast that ways - days filled with hiking, pumpkin carving, some bourbon, lots of laughing, cooking, and quiet moments. I'll be back in Cannon Falls, as I said, Wednesday through Saturday to attend a Southeastern Minnesota seminary candidacy retreat, and I'm looking forward to reconnecting with classmates away on internship as well as checking in with the bishop and my committee.
Some changes have been cropping up around my seminary timeline, too - I'm up for graduation next December, which bumps up the approval and assignment process to next summer and next fall, respectively, instead of over the course of a normal academic year. I've made some connections and had good conversation with the Bishop of the Alaska Synod, about interest in and assignment to Alaska. So, good things on those fronts.
I had the privilege and joy of leading worship and preaching solo for the first time at Zion on All Saints Sunday. We lit candles in remembrance of those who passed in 2015 from our congregation, and I preached on 1 Kings 12:1-17; 25-29.
Without further ado, here's the sermon from this past Sunday, November 1st.
Sisters and brothers, grace to you and peace from God our Creator and God’s Son Jesus the Christ. Amen.
It was one of the most horrific eras to ever darken the doorstep of our human history – a time of oppression, murder, and deeply held beliefs that clashed. Most of you by now probably know what I’m taking about – the advent and carrying out of what is the Holocaust, which took place from 1939-1945 throughout countries occupied by the Nazi party led by Hitler. Determined to wipe the world of Jewish people and hail the Aryan race. Jewish people were not particularly well liked in Europe, so they were easy scapegoats. Aside from the gas chambers, ovens, mass executions, forced labor, and malnutrition that ran rampant in the concentration camps of Dachau, Auschwitz, and many others, there was another piece of the torturous era in history – the work of Dr. Josef Mengele, a German physician at Auschwitz who did awful, sickening experiments on the people in the camp. He would introduce himself to his children patients as “Uncle Mengele” and offer them candy before beginning his work, with no care for the health or life of the prisoners. He was interested in identical twins, dwarfs, and people with physical abnormalities. Mengele unnecessarily amputated limbs, infected people with typhus, and transfused blood. He injected chemicals into eyes of living patients to change eye colors. After about two weeks, many patients were sent to the gas chambers, regardless. This type of power over others – and the extreme abuse of it – shows the darkest, most evil, most sinful, side of humanity that I think any of us can conjure. Abuse of power, however, is, sadly, nothing unusual. Our text in the Bible speaks to the same abuse of power, the same oppression.
Today we find ourselves landing in the book of 1st Kings, which begins the narrative after the kingdoms split – Israel to the north and Judah to the south, divided over conflicts, wars, and revolts for power. In the midst of this, our text today is concerned with the leadership of Rehoboam, son of Solomon and grandson of King David, and his welding of power over the Israelite people – just like the Nazis over the Jewish people. When the people from the northern kingdom gather at the beginning of Rehoboam’s leadership, they have a simple request: “lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke that he placed on us, and we will serve you.” Flashbacks of not only Solomon’s forced labor but also service in Egypt by their ancestors are running parallel through the Israelite’s minds. Rehoboam consults with both older and younger advisors in determining his answer to their request. The older men think that the workload should be lightened, while the younger men think they need to be treated more harshly. Rehoboam acts harshly and swiftly upon the Israelite people as they gather to hear his verdict: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”, an assertion of power over the Israelites. After hearing these words of condemnation, the people are ultimately distrustful of the heritage and lineage of the kingship placed into motion by God – and sadly, this is nothing new. History is repeating itself – we see this same narrative of aggression and oppression in Solomon – and Rehoboam doesn’t realize his mistake. The Israelite people leave to their tents, and Rehoboam reigns.
We can bring this into our light today. The Holocaust is merely one example. We see this same story lived out today in our society – of people who abuse power to abuse groups of people, and it’s not right. It follows that abuse and discord brings division, not unity, in relationship. Ultimately, I think this story of absolute power asks the question, “Who are we going to serve?” Will we serve God, who intends for the Gospel to be lived out in our lives, or will we serve human ends, which is concerned with power and material and gain for our own means? Will we serve and live in a way that unifies, or divides? Rehoboam, so concerned with his own assumption of power and kingship over the people didn’t stop to consider what would have happened if he had lightened the workload for his people: they would have obeyed and lived peaceably together. They would have been more unified. Selfish interest triumphed over good news for the Israelites; so instead, they were divided – more so than they already were.
The story of Rehoboam and his treatment of the Israelite people is just one example of many in the Bible that show just how messy our very human life is. As always, though, there’s another side of the story, especially when God’s concerned. We can give thanks to God that we can rely on and have hope in God’s promises – that God, despite our human divisions and want for power, will unify us when all things are reconciled – every person and all of creation itself – unto God. When we are made whole, when brokenness and sin persists no more, there will be perfect unity. Today is All Saint’s Sunday, when we remember those who have joined the saints triumphant; when we remember those who have been unified in God’s perfect design. When we celebrate communion in a short while here, we are united with the saints as the whole Body of Christ. Yes, there is division and injustice in this world; plenty of it and more as well; but we can embody unity and justice precisely when we gather here and when we live our lives in the world in response to the Gospel that we are called to. In our world today, it’s hard to see it when people want to rule, when people want to serve the idol of power over nations – but that’s what makes our work, our service, in the Gospel so worth it – to simply be with others despite our differences; to love one another without conditions or demands or submission. To be the hands and feet of Christ in this world with each other and with all the saints above. It’s holy work, my friends, and God has called us. To working through divisions, to breaking down walls, and for serving together in unity and for loving one another for who you are, I say “Thanks be to God”. Amen.
God's peace, my friends -
Dean
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