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Sunday Oct 16, 2016
We Welcome...
Sunday Oct 16, 2016
Sunday Oct 16, 2016
We Welcome…
A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC, October 16, 2016.
Texts: Psalm 119:97-105, Luke 18:1-8
We welcome the hard work of prophecy. Our close proximity to power gives us the chance to speak for the powerless. We are mindful that prophets examine themselves closely before sharing their message with the world.
“What does it mean to welcome the hard work of prophecy?” Back in July I recorded a sermon and interview for the Day1 radio broadcast and that’s one of the questions asked by the host, Peter Wallace. Since then, I have been especially mindful of the fact that people pay attention to what we say about ourselves. Our Core Values are part of Foundry’s witness to the world. The strength of that witness is measured by how much our actions match what we say we value. What we say is that we welcome the hard work of prophecy, that our close proximity to power gives us the chance to speak for the powerless, and that we are mindful that prophets examine themselves closely before sharing their message with the world.
In these words, we as Foundry Church claim the responsibility that comes to us due to our location here at 16th and P Street, NW in our nation’s capital. We do not shirk the responsibility to speak for and stand in solidarity with the marginalized and oppressed. Our commitments around LGBTQ inclusion, ending chronic homelessness, and racial justice and reconciliation are evidence of this. The strategy at Foundry for many years has been to focus on several key initiatives, realizing that focused resources can make larger impact. We do not engage in what Pastor Ben calls “policy by Twitter”—simply reacting to every hot button that pops up. Rather, we make long-term commitments, are determined to go deep in the work of effecting systemic change, and only put ourselves fully “out there” once we know what we are willing to risk and sacrifice for the sake of those with whom we stand. This is part of what it means to do the hard work of prophecy. But the part that I want us to think more about today is this: “We are mindful that prophets examine themselves closely before sharing their message with the world.” What does this mean and how do we do it faithfully?
Prophecy in the Judeo-Christian tradition is grounded in what the Psalmist refers to as God’s word and precepts. That is, prophets in our tradition do not speak and act based on their own perspective or some nebulous idea of right and wrong. Rather, they are guided by the particular vision and teachings of YHWH and, for Christians, the vision and teachings of Jesus. “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” (Ps 119:105) Therefore, if we are to “examine ourselves closely” before sharing our message with the world, the scriptures are where we begin; as Christians, the lens through which we read the Bible is Jesus Christ (not everything in the Bible is Christ-like). The Wesleyan tradition (growing out of our Anglican heritage) teaches that, in addition to scripture, our self-examination and discernment needs to include the writings and wisdom of Christian tradition, the employment of our God-given capacity to think, question, and reason, and the prayerful reflection upon our experience to clarify and enhance what scripture teaches. Scripture, tradition, reason, and experience are all resources for us in the “hard work of prophecy” as we commit to “examine ourselves closely.”
These days—and likely always—these same resources lead persons to reach very different conclusions. This shouldn’t surprise us since, contrary to what some want to suggest, our scriptures and tradition do not comprise a list of dogmatic principles that simply have to be accepted or rejected. Parables, for example, are not “yes or no” questions, but rather stories that do their work on a variety of levels. Is there only one “lesson” to learn from the parable Jesus tells in our Gospel today? A quick, surface-level reading reveals that the short parable and teaching that follows includes an acknowledgment that sometimes it seems our prayers are not being received; it is an assurance that God DOES receive our prayers and will respond; it points slant to the issues of injustice that cause those on the margins (in this case, a widow) to “cry out day and night”; and it presents a call for a response at the end: “And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”— what is that all about?? Our text today is a good example of the ways that the resources we have for discernment and self-examination are multivalent—I have no doubt that any perspective I offer on the parable has counterpoints. This reality leads to very messy and divisive relationships between people and groups whose paths claim to be lit and guided by God’s word but whose paths lead in very different directions. The current state of the United Methodist Church is a prime example.
My dad taught me that when you find yourself facing a challenge the first thing to do is assess what resources you have and what you can actually do to make any kind of helpful response. In this case, what we can’t do is change anyone else. We are called to “examine ourselves closely before sharing our message with the world.”
As I’ve pondered this over these past months, I became aware of the psychological and sociological research on something called “confirmation bias.” What is confirmation bias? One article lays it out in terms of our misconception and “the truth.” “The Misconception: Your opinions are the result of years of rational, objective analysis. The Truth: Your opinions are the result of years of paying attention to information which confirmed what you believed while ignoring information which challenged your preconceived notions.”[i]
The author shares a number of studies and experiments on confirmation bias, including one on Amazon purchasing trends during the 2008 U.S. presidential election. “People who already supported Obama were the same people buying books which painted him in a positive light. People who already disliked Obama were the ones buying books painting him in a negative light…people weren’t buying books for the information, they were buying them for the confirmation… Half-a-century of research has placed confirmation bias among the most dependable of mental stumbling blocks. Journalists looking to tell a certain story must avoid the tendency to ignore evidence to the contrary; scientists looking to prove a hypothesis must avoid designing experiments with little wiggle room for alternate outcomes.”[ii] Studies suggest that we remember things that support our beliefs and forget what doesn’t. And there’s also something referred to as the “makes sense stopping rule” in which we come up with an answer then work to prove it right instead of testing to see if it is wrong. “When you wonder why something happens or what the truth may be, you stop looking for answers once your presumptions are satisfied…// Punditry is a whole industry built on confirmation bias. Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olbermann, Glenn Beck and Arianna Huffington, Rachel Maddow and Ann Coulter – these people provide fuel for beliefs, they pre-filter the world to match existing world-views. If their filter is like your filter, you love them. If it isn’t, you hate them. Whether or not pundits are telling the truth, or vetting their opinions, or thoroughly researching their topics is all beside the point. You watch them not for information, but for confirmation… Over time, by never seeking the antithetical, through accumulating subscriptions to magazines, stacks of books and hours of television, you can become so confident in your world-view no one could dissuade you…”[iii]
Before a few months ago, I didn’t know the term “confirmation bias” but was certainly familiar with the concept of speaking in an “echo chamber” or “living in a bubble.” So, as I read about confirmation bias, I wasn’t surprised—except for how deeply convicted I felt. After all, just because I don’t listen to the likes of Rush Limbaugh doesn’t mean that I willingly ignore all information that counters my preconceptions, right? I want to believe that my perspectives and stances are rational and tested against the objective resources of scripture, science, and so on. But how have I fallen prey to this tendency to block anything that might truly challenge my world-view? If I—and we—seriously value “the hard work of prophecy” and want to engage in the self-examination required to do that work faithfully, we need to wrestle with this. After all, confirmation bias is driven by our desire to be “right”; but God wants us to be faithful—to be loving, wise, humble, just...
We can’t do anything about how confirmation bias has formed or affected us up until today; we likely can’t wrest ourselves of this tendency completely even once we acknowledge its existence; but, as with any life-limiting practice, the first step toward freedom it admitting we have a problem. We can at least try to resist living in the illusion that “our opinions are the result of years of rational, objective analysis” (and that anyone who disagrees with us is deluded or “evil”). For example, as we wrestle with the challenging issues of our day—things like immigration, Israel-Palestine, poverty, abortion—we can acknowledge those aspects of our position that may be (if we’re honest) little better than convenient rationalizations. To counter the effects of confirmation bias doesn’t require me to start regularly watching what Rev. Alan Storey refers to as “the FOX.” But perhaps it does mean that, if I want to examine myself closely I will intentionally look for and seek to understand (non-sensationalized) perspectives that are truly counter to my own. The goal is not to be converted to some other position necessarily, but rather to be truly open to the experience and perspective of another person or group, to allow myself to be truly challenged.
We cannot make anyone else willing to be open to our experience and perspective. All we have control over is what we are willing to do. At Foundry we are committed to the hard work of prophecy and to examining ourselves closely before sharing our message. What are you willing to do, what are you willing to give, in order to make this happen? When we give financially to Foundry, we not only make possible advocacy and direct service, but we also provide the capacity to increase opportunities to engage in deep study of scripture and the writings of our tradition, to encounter new ideas and perspectives, to connect with one another and learn from each other, and to be involved in the conversations and actions that matter most of all. Using all the resources of discernment available to us—scripture, tradition, reason, and experience—we are committed to identify and take risks on behalf of the people for whom we are called to speak and with whom we are called to stand. And by the grace of God we will listen to, seek to understand, learn from, and have compassion for those whose paths and positions and politics challenge our own. That may be the hardest prophetic work of all…
In the days, weeks, and months ahead as we deal with the fallout of this presidential race, I believe the church generally—and certainly Foundry Church (in every place that we are)—must be willing to do that hard work. It is work grounded in God’s word and precepts. It is the work of compassion, the work of reconciliation, the work of love. And, after all is said and done, that is what “faith on earth” looks like.
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