FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ATLANTA, GEORGIA
Sermon by Rev. Charles D. Black, Associate Pastor,
Community Ministries
July 2, 2006
Scripture: II
Samuel 1:1, 17-27, Psalm 130,
II Corinthians 8:7-15, Mark 5:21-43
We usually see those who have the courage to cry out as
dissidents or discontent that raised a strident plead for their cause. Some of us remember the picture of June
1989 of the tank man during the student uprising near Tiananmen Square blocking
a column of tanks headed east on Beijing’s Chang an Boulevard translated Avenue
of Eternal Peace. Yet, the courage to
cry out which I want to share is much different than the crying out of the
dissident voice, but one whose cry is rooted in the desire to know God and to
seek God’s will for one’s life. It has
to do with spiritual discernment.
A few years ago, our Session with the help of Florida Ellis
and others, covenant to use this approach in our Session meeting. You know in our Session meeting, sometimes
you have those hot button issues and folks would get on those hot button issues
and we would be there for hours. The
meetings aren’t any shorter, they’re still long meetings, but I think the
atmosphere is much more conducive meeting to hearing all of the voices. I think
it’s because of the leadership of George.
We will not vote on anything if we don’t have a majority. If it’s not a majority or it’s a closed
voted, something tells us that we’re not ready to vote on this yet, and that
maybe we need to discern the spirit of God; maybe we need to take more time to
hear and to listen to one another. And
in the course time, other voices can be heard and the meeting is a much more
hospitable meeting; I am glad to report.
Then on Tuesday mornings here at First Presbyterian Church,
every Tuesday morning I’m blessed to lead the staff in discerning where they
have seen or experienced God. We sit
for an hour together and together we talk about where we have discerned the
spirit of the living God. What would
happen if our nation would use such a model?
In discerning the will and the spirit of God, I believe that we would be
a more hospitable nation, for we would allow for voices that are different than
our voices to be heard and to be accepted and appreciated.
In our scripture lesson this morning, there are many
examples that provide us with hope and guidance. We used this little book in our Session meeting, “A Guide To
Spiritual Discernment” compiled by Rueben Job. According to the review: Rueben Job helps us discern the voice of
God. Writing in a spirit similar to the
popular, A Guide To Prayer for All God’s People and A Guide to Prayer for
Ministers and Others Serving. Job includes a basic pattern of spiritual
readings and worship. His selections
include prayers and readings representing many different people of faith.
To hear the dissident voice, the other voices, is very
important. We see David in Second
Samuel. David is grieved over the death
of Saul and Jonathan. We could say that
David had every right to be pleased on hearing about the death of Samuel. He was David’s nemesis. Instead of we see a grieving David who
grieves for Saul and his friend Jonathan.
Grief can help us discern God’s will and direction for our lives. David grieves the death of his defeated comrades
in arms, and perhaps he realizes once and for all that leaders are merely
mortal and not perfect and that’s why he could honor Saul and his numerous
efforts to protect this struggling nation.
On that day when he prayed this prayer of lament, his bitterness
turned from resentment to mourning.
Grief can help us. If we listen
in our grief, to the voice of God, we can hear new voices; voices that will
lead us in the right direction in useful directions that will lead to helping
people see the glory and experience the present of the living God. Do you believe that this morning, that if we
are willing to listen to the different voices and the different opinions, we
are able to hear in a different kind of way?
This whole summer has been dedicated to having a forum every Sunday
morning at nine o’clock, A Call to Understanding. It is a place where you receive information
and begin to discern God’s voice; His call to us ought to help us discern our
relationship with each other; how we ought to respect and appreciate each other
because all of us have different perspectives on the issues of life. We could start the Fourth of July
Celebration a bit early right here if we just start naming and advocating for
those hot button issues, but that’s not the point this morning. The point this morning is to help us and to
lead us in a process that will help us to begin to sit around our dinner tables
at night and not only talk about the baseball game and the football game and
the any kind of game, but begin to talk about where have you seen the presence
of the
Living God and where has it been difficult to discern God’
s presence?
Supposing parents would ask their children that question
and supposing children would ask parents that question, I think that we would
have a different kind of family. Do you
not believe it? If we would begin to
talk about where we have seen the presence, the kindness and the generosity of
God, I think our world would be different and I’m willing to try it, I’m
willing to try it because I know it works.
I know it works. I’ve seen it
work. I’ve seen
it work.
In the Epistle lesson for this morning, II Corinthians,
Paul learned the secret of the
generosity of the Church of Macedonia In chapter 8 at verse 5 Paul puts it this
way: “First they gave themselves to the
Lord and to us by the will of God.” I
think discernment comes from giving ourselves totally and completely to
God. Surrendering to God, you will discover
as we read the New Testament, that those who came to Jesus gave themselves
first to God; they found as they met the Savior, they found healing there not
only for themselves, but for their neighbors, friends and for their
community. When David began to lament
and asked all of the people in Israel to lament, they found a new way to live
life because they were hoping for a glorious kingdom; Saul was God’s anointed
even though he had flaws like all of us have flaws; he was still God’s
anointed. David was grief stricken when
he heard the news of the death and defeat of Saul and his beloved friend,
Jonathan.
What about you this morning? As we hear the reports coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan of the
deaths toll. What about you? Today as we prepare ourselves for
celebration, some people will not be celebrating this Fourth of July because
they will be grieving the loss of their sons or daughters or some member of
their family. How many people do you
know who have lost their lives in Iraq?
I don’t know anybody but I do know that mothers stay awake at night
desiring and hoping that their sons and daughters and their husbands and their
brothers and sisters will come home.
Some people will be dealing with grief, heavy grief. It is my prayer and hope that they will be
able to hear the discerning voice and spirit of God, as they will find new life
and new meaning. When we seek
discernment, we see in all things new possibilities, we dream the impossible
dream and we climb the tallest mountains.
That’s what happens.
So Paul says: they first gave themselves to the Lord and to
us by the will of God. I would hope
that when we bring children to be baptized or others that you will find again
your marching orders to be guided and led by the spirit of God. I think baptism is that place where we come
and we surrender ourselves to the Lord, when we give ourselves first to the
Lord. What a wonderful thing to
do. I can remember my own baptism in
Calvary Baptist Church some time ago when I was dunked in the water. I didn’t know the full significance of it
then, but I do believe at 66 years of age I’ve become to realize what it’s
meant. It gave me a new lease on
life. It helped me to see life
differently and I’m so glad and blessed by it.
And so, they gave themselves over to the Lord first. If you want to be generous,
(Come on somebody).
If you want to be generous, if you want to give beyond your deepest
imagination, give yourself over to God and you will find more ways than one to
give yourself away. It’s only in the
giving of ourselves away that we find life and we find hope and we find
encouragement for the journey, faith for the journey. You see I’m hoping that we hear that discerning voice.
There will be many speeches this
week lauding our nation’s diversity.
Even describing our beloved nation as a land of immigrants. Yet, we will return to a policy that locks
out many. Our history is replete with
men and women who came to America, the USA, from other countries whose
contributions helped to make and shape this great nation. I was at the Farmer’s Market the other day
in Dekalb County and I saw all of these internationals and they were busy about
the work in the market. No one was
disturbed. There was peace there. There was harmony there and we were working
together. So, we need to find space and
place for others. I think that’s what
happens in our New Testament story.
Luke has a way of integrating stories. We get two for one when we read Mark. I’m sorry.
When we read Mark we get two for one and so we first see this woman,
this nameless woman who has heard the reports about a savior (Come on
somebody), who has heard the reports about a savior and she had spent all
of her money, according to scripture, and she had given all that she had and
still she was unclean. And one day she
heard the report and she found a way to where Jesus was and she said in her
heart and in her inner spirit “If I can just touch the hem of his garment, I
shall be made whole.” What about you
today? Are you in that crowd? Are you searching? Are you seeking to be made whole? Are you willing to risk reaching out and touching someone who is
different than yourself? And so she did
and all the disciples begin to say, “When Jesus said somebody touch me.” You know you can feel power (Come on
somebody). You can feel the power
of the Lord. You can actually feel it,
it is something else it’s amazing. When
it gets a hold of you it won’t let you go.
You can feel the power of Jesus and so Jesus felt power going out of him
and looked all around him and said “Somebody touch me.” Somebody who was desperate this morning
touched me and he couldn’t find them, and the disciples were vexed. They were vexed. They said, “All of this crowd here and you are asking a stupid
question like that – who touched you.
How in the world are you going to be able to discern?” And the woman,
the scripture says knowing what happened to her, knowing what happened to her
came and told Jesus the whole story.
And so, can’t you see this synagogue ruler standing there, this unclean
woman had touched Jesus? His daughter
is at the throws of death and then the crowd comes from his house and says,
“Why do you trouble the teacher? Why do
you bother the teacher? Your daughter
is already dead.” And Jesus says to his
weary father and parent, “Believe, believe.”
And then he moves with haste to the house where the professional
mourners had taken spot and begin to mourn the child and Jesus says to the
crowd that’s gathered that day. “ This
child is not dead. She’s only asleep,”
and he pushes others out and he brings in the immediate family and those who
were with him and they go into the room, they go into the room, and he touched
the little girl and the little girl lives, and he tells them to give her
something to eat.
What I think Mark wants us to see
this story as a whole. We often see it
in segments or fragments. We see the
woman or we see the ruler. I often see
us. We either see rich folk or we see
poor folks, but if you come any day of the week to your church, you will find
that there are rich folk and poor folk together. Scripture says here that the rich ruler who had made a good
Presbyterian because he was one who loved decency and order. He kept order in the synagogue. He didn’t participate in the service but he
kept order. We know about that don’t
we. Don’t get rowdy in this place (Come on somebody) – going to get
rowdy, but seeing, even seeing only named people or nameless people, important
people or invisible people, young people or old people, haves and
have-nots. Mark makes it clear as
crystal God’s love is for the nameless and the named of the world. It’s for this generation and generations to
come. It’s for the haves and the
have-nots. It’s for the young. It’s for the old. It’s for the clean and the not so clean.
I’m grieved for my church and my nation because I love
them. When my church or my nation fails
to live out the meaning of its creed, I’m grieved deeply. I think that we can view the gospel lesson
that Jesus gives us, that Jesus’ love and presence provides healing and making
space and place for others. And you
know what? That’s probably my
storyline. That’s probably the line I
live my life by.
Forty-Six years ago, a preacher by the name of Rev. Black
came to Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri and went into the President’s
Office, Dr. Davison, and said, “You know Charlie Black works here as a
janitor. He doesn’t need to be working
here as a janitor. I know he needs
money but he needs to be a student.”
Prestigious college – and here the President calls me into his
office. I thought my job was at stake
but he had a deeper vision for me. He
said, “You can keep your job but I want you to start next semester to begin to
study here at Westminster College,” and do you know in five years I had completed
that degree. But you know it took some
time, it took some decision-making by the Board of Trustees and by the
teachers, to accept me. I don’t know if
you know Westminster College? It’s
Missouri – Fulton, Missouri. It used to
be the only male college west of the Mississippi and it was a prestigious
college. It’s where people sent their
brightest sons to and I had the opportunity to be a student there.
The discerning, the spirit of God tells me that Baptist
preacher opened up those doors, and so I found a place and a space. Nineteen years ago, I came to this
church. It wasn’t an easy decision for
this body, for this church. I was
coming from the Mission Board and thanks to Charlie Cunningham and Norris
Hogans and others and A. B. Padgett who worked with me and brought me as a
candidate for the Associate Pastor of Community Ministry, it was the hand of
God. It was a tough decision for me and
it was a tough decision for you but I hope and pray that somewhere along the
way God has introduced us to each other and that we have found a hospitality
that nobody can describe or forge, nineteen years ago. And so that’s why today I’m here at First
Presbyterian Church and that’s why I keep on trying with Mary Joe and others to
make space and place for the women in our shelter.
I want to read to you a card that we received from Cynthia
K. Taylor. To: All Church Staff,
Volunteers and Roommates I wish to convey my deepest appreciation for your
help, love and support that brought me to this point in life – graduation (she
graduated from a trade school).
Gratitude is said to be a form that extends from one part to another and
that’s about the best way I can describe how I feel now. Thanks for everything, Cynthia Taylor.
Now as a young boy in a Baptist church, I had the privilege
of singing in the youth choir. And
there was a gentleman in our church named Mr. Troy Bradford who would take a
group of us to choir rehearsal. I was in the youth choir; he had a deep, deep
voice and he liked this song.
Rev. Black singing. Tis the Old ship of Zion, Tis the Old
Ship of Zion, get on board, get on board, it has landed many a thousand, it has
landed many a thousand, it has landed many a thousand And there’s room for many
more.
I think the challenge that faces you and I in this 21st
century is that we are going to have to make more room in the boat because
there are some people who are caught in dangerous waters and they’ve been
waiting to get on board. There are more
women and children on the streets of Atlanta because of a lack of shelter and
I’m hoping and praying that somehow and some way we will find a way to be
hospitable to women and children who no longer have a home. It has landed my dear mother; it is landed
my dear mother and there’s room for many more. Do you know who the captain
is? Jesus is the captain of this ship
and he welcomes us all. He welcomes us
all.
And so, we need to make space and place for a whole bunch of people and that’s going to make us quite nervous, but if we will take the time to discern where God is leading us, who knows what might happen. Who know what might happen. But God will be glorified and our nation and our world will be a world at peace. Can you imagine it? In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.