Today is Trinity Sunday…we celebrate the three musketeers
that are God three for all and all are one…It is a bit confusing. What makes it more confusing is for some it
is a core theological belief for others …well they believe in God, period.
There is a commentator who shares this about God
“There is a foundation-shaking reality behind our words and
our actions in worship, an utter holiness beneath our feeble attempts to pray
and praise such an awesome God. How do our liturgy and the beauty of our
sanctuaries even begin to touch the hem of such a robe?”[1]
… I wonder how the text speaks to those in our congregation
how do we address this question of being born again? I know for some of us it
may get our hair stand on end for this term alone has and is a weapon used by
other Christian groups to separate themselves from the pack claiming their way
is the only way.
I also wonder how this text is heard by those who are beyond
our walls, those not--or no longer--part of a community of faith does this
trigger in them what it triggers in me? I know people outside of faith communities
experienced God's holiness and God's nearness in other ways and other images.
Indeed, how much is God a part of our everyday thoughts? How much time and
energy have we given to expanding and deepening our understanding of God, our
images of God, our experience of God?
According to Henry G. Brinton, "Our problem today is
not that we grasp too much of God, but that we experience too little of God.
But if we expand our hearts and minds so that we can encounter God in fresh
ways, then we discover a Lord who is extraordinary, not ordinary" [2]
So let us examine Nicodemus who is invited to see God in a
new and different way…
Nicodemus. He was, we are told, a leader in his community.
We do not know much about him.
Maybe he was a lawyer, schooled in the tradition of his
people. If so, he would have been a senior partner in the leading law firm in
Jerusalem, with all the posh perks and a candidate to be a character in a john
Grisham novel.
Likely he was an intellectual, perhaps an academic. If so,
he would have been not only tenured, but a distinguished professor with a
string of publications and an impressive series of academic lectureships. –
Bob?
But then again he could have been a major political leader
in Jerusalem, no doubt, with his own political action committee, and all the
funding at his disposal that he could have wanted.
In another setting he might have been a corporate CEO, well
connected, with access to all levels of power, plus enough stock options to
live carefully close to scandal, but always careful enough to stay clear. He
could teach a few of our leaders today a lesson or two.
There is no evidence, we just don’t know but I wonder what
it would have been like in downtown Jerusalem if he had been a reality star,
successful, a handsome man, with endless promotional enterprises, always
trending the latest looks, always trending on social media maybe with a a big
-time, multiyear contract.
Well we don’t know All that we know is that he is very big,
somebody important. Like all important people, his actions are very public, under
public scrutiny and endlessly reported.
As the story goes, one night this important man went to a
secret rendezvous. H instructed his secretary to get the limo with a
trustworthy driver. You know one who
will keep everything very hush. It might have worked too except he had been
spotted and it was reported that “He came to Jesus at night.” Can’t you just
see it…this big limo pulling up in front of some little mud and straw hut where
Jesus was staying in Jerusalem. Jesus
was there for Passover and in this Gospel, he had literally just cleared the
Temple. Perhaps this is another reason
for the secrecy.
So now we have this dramatic meeting between Nicodemus, and
important man in the Jewish community in Jerusalem and Jesus. Maybe he went to
see Jesus out of curiosity. Perhaps the story of Cana had moved him. Maybe he understood Jesus reaction at the
temple and wanted to learn more. This is put out across that this is a huge
public risk for Nicodemus that he comes in the cover of night…there must be
something more…. Walter Brueggemann says of Nicodemus “he had everything, and
he wondered, ‘Is that all there is? Is there something more? Is there something
different? Am I on the right track?’”[3] Well, what would
that motivation be for such an important man to take such a risk? Brueggemann
says; “it must have been a gnaw about reality.”[4]
Now there is a turn of phrase one doesn’t hear these days a
gnaw about reality! It means that well Life was getting him down. He was greatly
or deeply trouble perhaps even to a point of anguish or despair.
So, Nicodemus enters this shadowy room, no lights, only an
oil lamp. In the best of all pastoral
sense …Jesus waits. Nicodemus hesitates, he knows once he starts to ask
questions he just might get answers. So, he starts off safe; “I have heard
about you. I have heard about your water-to-wine miracle, but I have also heard
about your teaching. I have the impression, good sir, that what you are doing
is very odd and very special. I just wondered about it, because what you do
sounds to me like the presence of God. We Jewish scholars of tradition know
that God alone can do such things. Can you help me here?”[5]
It is almost as if Nicodemus is seeking and affirmation of what he holds to be
true…you know the old I believe this is what is happening right ok good.
But Jesus can see deeper.
Jesus knows that Nicodemus is seeking more than affirmation. He can sense the yearning within Nicodemus
and gets past his resume, gets past his superficial acknowledgements and aims
straight for his deeper questions. That
deeper sense of there is something more to this life that is gnawing at
Nicodemus’ heart. Jesu looks at him, Jesus looks in him, with a deep spiritual
seeing and says; “You got to start over! You’ve go to be reborn. You need to be
made anew. Born again! Born form above!
You must become vulnerable and innocent and see the world with a sense of
wonder and awe as through the eyes of a child. You need to forget the earthly
things that bind you. Your job, your trophies, your diplomas, your money, and
your reputation. You must let all that go. Get it out of your head so that you
may see the wonder that is the gift of God. You see me do miracles. I do them,
because I have given up self. I have
given up that centeredness that is tied to this existence and connected my life
to God in such a way that my power comes to me through me from God because of
my emptiness. This is how it works with me and God and this is the invitation
to you as well. Start over in vulnerability and innocence and awe and wonder.
The way you are living now cuts you off, your sureness, your arrogant security
keeps you from all the gifts of life for which you so much yearn.”
There is a long pause.
Jesus waits. Nicodemus’ face gets
kind of screwed up as he thinks this over.
“This is not possible”, Nicodemus exclaims!” What he says is being
biologically born again is impossible but what he is actually thinking is …you,
you, Jesus are asking too much; I cannot give it all up. What he feels is a
cold sense of alienation and impotence, a wish for newness, but afraid of what
it all means. He says thinking biologically, but wondering socially “How can
that be?” The question sounds like a conclusion: it could not be …could it?
Almost as if he is reading his mind Jesus says again “You
have to start over.” Nicodemus, confused, sits in silence waiting for more from
Jesus. In spiritual direction I have a practice that when some one says
something simple and sweet I, will say nothing but wait, wait for the more to
come. Nicodemus waits, and Jesus goes on using Hebrew… “It’s like the wind. You
cannot make it blow; but when it does blow, you cannot stop it.”
Jesus was splaying with words. Jesus knew that Nicodemus would understand
that the Hebrew word for wind and spirit were one in the same, ruah:
“you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So,
it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (v.8)
Nicodemus is just more confused than ever. Then in the midst of his confusion Jesus
says…Well The only one who has access to this is me. I am the one who comes
from God and I, the son of man, will be lifted up (v14).
“The phrase, ‘Lifted up’, in the fourth Gospel, means lifted
up on the cross, made high in elevation by crucifixion. (I would argue it means
dot be lifted high through resurrection via crucifixion). The spirit is the
power of God that enables us to contradict the world and the world’s expectations,
and to sign on for the innocence and vulnerability and dependence…and freedom
…that had not been, someone free for God’s way in the world, someone not
captive to the pressures and demands and dictions of the world , someone called
by God to be their true self, powered by the wind, dazzled by the (resurrected)
one, as innocent as one born…again.”[6]
People do not see it, but this is a perfect text for Trinity
Sunday. Jesus addresses the Spirit,
Himself and God. And the midst of the concept of Trinity that scholars and
theologians try to explain and create doctrine about ...we stand with
Nicodemus!
We stand with Nicodemus in our confusion about it all. We stand in our need to get past this…Past this
world that is so broken, the world cries for love every day and so we…we stand
with Nicodemus with his question is this all there is …. we try and try and yet
there is always more and where do we turn where are we called….
“Wait for the wind that will blow you to freedom;
and watch for the one lifted up in our midst.”[7]
Now that secret meeting is over. Nicodemus gets back into his limo, but he is
not the same man as when he stepped out. Who could be after a meeting with
Jesus. Nicodemus knows there is work to
be done. If we follow the limo we might
see it stop by a beggar on the street and instead of just tossing some coins
out a window we see the passenger get out and walk into a local tavern with the
man as they sit, talk and order a meal. Through out the meal he had these odd
words running through his head.
For God so loved the world that he gave his only son so that
one who believes in him may have eternal life. (v.16)
Nicodemus understands that this is not easy mantra but an
invitation, and invitation to be reborn, innocent, vulnerable, open to the movement
of the wind, with his heart moving towards the unseen, towards the
resurrection. The world seemed open now,
the way he saw the world was completely contradicted by this new way of being. As he took some water to share with his
new-found friend he could not help but wonder if, as he poured, it might turn
to wine. He wondered if in the bread they shared, there might be new life. He
was awe struck as an innocent child seeing the world anew as for the first time
with all of its possibilities.
So we stand with Nicodemus in this wonder of trinity. In this wonder of God emptied into a man who
walked and experienced all of life as fully as possible. A man who was crucified as a common criminal
and yet was lifted high in the resurrection as the glorified Christ. Who sent the spirit, the comforter which is
in this room as we speak. Stirring our
hearts and our minds towards new birth and new ways of being.
It is a calling into relationship with God the creator,
Jesus the Christ and the holy spirit.
That is the trinity, but it is funny because the trinity doesn’t work
without us. We have been invited into this sacred dance. This spiritual whirlwind if you will, we are
caught up in the dance.
It is through this dance that we are fed spiritually and
challenged to grow. We are called to
share the news of this spirit that God loves oyu. No matter who you are, rich man, educated
woman, beautifully transgendered person or something in between. It just
doesn’t matter.
This is a radically strange and beautiful thing to be
Christian. To be born of spirit and
water.
The water being the physical outward sign that we are part
of something, a community. A nice neat
package we are the united church of Christ Petaluma. I have my membership. It doesn’t matter if I got my membership in
the Baptist church or the catholic all counts we proclaim one baptism.
Then comes the born of spirit part. The born of spirit part is the
challenge. For it is the spirit who
troubles the water. It moves us outside of these walls. It calls us to do so much more than just
Sunday. It calls us out to participate and share the good news. The Good news
that you are loved.
One of the things we do is we have the basket in the back
for hat Gloves scarves. I would like to see,
Just how many hats and scarves we can make over the summer. Now I use the knitting loom which is easy to
use, and I would be happy to teach anyone who is interested in donating some
time and yarn to make hats and scarves.
I know we can knit sox as well, but I haven’t learned that one yet.
The dinner for six are going and through that we get to
learn of each other’s stories. We minister to each other through deep listening
and shared food. I am wondering this is just a thought for exploration. Can we
do a community supper or lunch maybe once a month that is for our communities
here and friends and neighbors. 3
congregations, one meal free to anyone who wishes to come? This literally just
came to me as I am writing this.
There is a habitat build coming in this fall. There are the
cots birdhouses that I am sure Heidi would be grateful for some help with. These are all ways that the spirit move sin
and around and through this congregation towards the community around us.
I pray that the spirit is moving each and everyone of oyu
towards something new. Perhaps it is
just something new for yourself like seeking a spiritual director, maybe
joining the book group, or the dinner for six.
I pray that the spirit puts something on your heart that you
may see a need and we as a community can help fill it. Look around oyu r
neighborhood, your town, where is god calling us as a congregation to make a
change? Where is the spirit leading this
congregation as the loving presence of God to make a difference?
As the old song goes the spirit is a moving all over all
over this land
[1] http://www.ucc.org/worship_samuel_sermon_seeds_may_27_2018
[2]
Ditto
[3] Brueggemann,
Walter. The Collected Sermons of Walter Brueggemann. Louisville, KY:
Westminster John Knox Press, 2011. 284-287
[4]
Ditto, 285
[5]
Ditto
[6]
Brueggemann, 286
[7]
Brueggemann, 287
