| "Strength From Our Religious Heritage” Sermon Delivered By Reverend Richard E. Stetler – November 6, 2011 Centenary United Psalm
78:1-7; Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-18
This morning I want
us to think about our past, particularly some of those
snap shot
moments that occur in our minds from time to time.
We may have no idea why we retained them or why they imprinted
themselves so indelibly into our memories.
They might have taken up residence in our minds because of
impressive words spoken by one of our school teachers.
Some of these memories might have particular significance because
of an experience with our parents. Others
might come from an enormous fear that swept over us when we spoke in
front of an audience for the first time. Some of these
earliest memories were helpful in forming our self-confidence, igniting
our desire to reach for the stars when we established our goals,
learning the value of letting go of our early failures, gravitating
toward disciplines and practices that fascinated us or teaching us that
emotional and physical hurts first begin to heal from the inside.
We have inherited so much from those in our past. All of us began our
journey on the earth in some
garden that our families represent.
Every family has its own culture, a fact that became abundantly
clear to us even when we were children.
There was a time when I went to a friend’s home and saw some
differences immediately. I saw magazines stacked in piles throughout the
living room. There were
coffee stains on the carpet and end tables that had never seen a dust
cloth. I immediately learned
that not everyone’s parents had the same values as mine. We are told by
authorities that most of our values are formed in our families by the
age of six. As we mature, we
are always in the process of refining them.
It has been said that one of the greatest gifts that parents can
give to their children is a lifetime filled with happy memories.
We build on those memories.
Our characters are also formed by a number of unpleasant
experiences. Some of us were
fortunate enough to have parents that set boundaries and they made us do
things we did not want to do. Many years ago I ran
across an interesting point of view that described this growth process
by using an intriguing metaphor.
The author wrote that when he was a young man he had a drug
problem. As it turned out,
his drug problem made him what he is today.
Here is how he described his experience: I had a drug problem
when I was young. I was drug
to church on Sunday mornings.
I was drug to family reunions and community activities in spite
of the weather conditions. I
was drug by my ears when I was disrespectful to people.
I was drug to the woodshed when I was disobedient to my parents,
told a lie or brought home a bad report card.
I was drug to the kitchen sink and had my mouth washed out with
soap if I used profanity. I
was drug outside to pull weeds in Mom’s garden.
I was drug to the homes of countless elderly people and those
recovering from surgery by my parents in order to help repair a broken
clothesline, chop fire wood or mow their lawns.
If my Mom ever found out that I accepted money for doing such
things, she would have drug me back to the woodshed.
Those drugs are still
in my veins and they affect my behavior and attitudes everyday.
I thank God to this very day for my parents who
drugged us. In our Scripture
lesson this morning, Joshua was talking to his people about what many of
them had misplaced in their lives – memories of what God had done among
their ancestors. Joshua was asking them to honor God and serve him
sincerely and faithfully in their decision-making, their attitudes and
their life-styles. Then he offered them
a choice. “Get rid of the
gods your ancestors used to worship in Mesopotamia and in The people responded
by promising that they would serve only the Lord and they began to
remember and recite their history of deliverance from Egypt, the
miracles they experienced during their days of wandering in the
wilderness under Moses’ leadership and how God had kept them safe.
All the people made a commitment to keep God at the center of
their lives. What is happening
today in Bermuda and throughout the world is that the memory of our
spiritual heritage is no longer being rehearsed within families and in
the world’s societies the way it was years ago.
Plus there is not the interest in spiritual and religious
training today as there once was in previous generations.
For the last twenty
years, many churches have been trying to attract younger members by
offering rock music with lyrics that praise God and Jesus, accompanied
by percussion instruments and guitars.
A number of studies during this period have suggested that there
is little correlation between the contemporary or the traditional
worship experiences and the depth of young people’s understanding of
their spiritual journey. These studies are
not being critical of either style of worship services.
They are suggesting that the new packaging of the Christian
experience may not translate into changed lives any better than any
other forms of worship. Why?
External experiences cannot be counted on to change lives.
What changes lives has
always been a decision to do so and remembering that decision every day. This morning, prior
to our receiving communion, we will rehearse once again what happened
when Jesus was alone with his disciples during his last supper together.
We can visually imagine him distributing the bread and cup
saying, “Do this in remembrance of me.”
He did not want his followers to forget his life and teachings. A
link between Joshua and Jesus is that both men were asking their
listeners to remember their heritage. Hundreds of years
ago, Bermuda appeared as a lovely island, sitting like a brilliant gem
in the middle of the Today, ships
routinely come to Transfer this
imagery into our culture.
What happens to human vessels when they approach their future without
signposts, road maps and an understanding that attitude is everything.
Suppose people do not know that the spirit in which they live
communicates to God and the cloud
of witnesses, “This is who I am and this is what I am aspiring to
become.” An increasing number
of people have forgotten the values that were once handed down from
their religious and family heritage.
If they had learned these lessons as children, perhaps more young
people would be more interested in their education and in a career.
Perhaps the gods of
gangs, drugs and guns would not have their allure.
In every culture, there are many
gods that lead their citizens
down blind alleys. If people remembered
their heritage, they would understand that their jobs are a great gift
and a vehicle through which they can give one hundred percent because
this is their moment to be of service to others through their
faithfulness and accountability. If people remembered
their heritage, they would not attempt to manipulate the world’s stock
markets, or develop computer viruses that destroy the helpful, time
saving programs that others have created, or use deceptive scams to
swindle seniors and other unsuspecting citizens out of their life’s
savings. There would be no
identity theft. What we are experiencing today is a modern version of what Joshua faced when he was telling his people that they must make a choice. “Either serve the gods found in every culture we have encountered or serve the one true God who is our Creator.” The people had wandered for years just as many people are doing today. If people had been taught as children and
had their lessons reinforced throughout their formal education that the
purpose for being born was to develop their character strengths and
perfect the spirit by which they lived, our world would be a different
place. God loves everyone
equally. The grace of God is
unshakable and cannot be influenced by anything we do, believe or think.
God’s love has never been an issue for humanity.
The issue for all people is learning to develop and refine the spirit by
which each person lives. When we graduate from this life, the
attitudes that will prove the most useful are the ones that reflect our
loving energy patterns like patience, kindness, helpfulness, and spirits
that reflect happiness, curiosity, creativity, dreaming of possibilities
and using our imaginations.
If we never gave form to these qualities in this life, how will
we navigate in a realm where such qualities literally become our
passport to the next phase of our journey? How many people
today do not realize that many essential ingredients for living
remarkable lives are missing from their inventory of life-skills?
This is why Joshua told his people to remember that when God was
at the center of their ancestors’ life-experiences, they had a means for
defining those experiences so that they provided guidance for their
future. Knowing that we are a son or daughter of
God gives us an identity that no one can take away from us.
All of us are
God’s
children regardless of whether or not people believe or accept that
reality for themselves. When we begin to
radiate the spirit of God, in whatever way we choose to interpret those
loving qualities, our lives take on a new meaning and purpose that
others simply will not have.
This is what people experience when they witness with their testimonies
to having accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior.
They have abandoned their old values that focused their lives on
this world and taken on the new values of spirit.
This is what it means to be born again. Without this new
orientation toward life, countless human vessels are en route toward |