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Foundry is an historic, progressive United Methodist Church that welcomes all, worships passionately, challenges the status quo, & seeks to transform the world.
Episodes
Sunday Nov 06, 2016
Sunday Nov 06, 2016
A homily preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry United Methodist Church November 6, 2016, All Saints Sunday.
Text: Rev. 7:9-17
The vision we have just received from Revelation is of those who remained faithful in the face of persecution—who have lived through and “come out of the great ordeal.” Now they live in the light, love, and care of the Lamb of God, Jesus. This vision is a reflection of what Jesus promises in the Beatitudes: namely that “those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” will enter the kin-dom of heaven— that kin-dom in which the Lamb of God, Jesus, sits on the throne, and in which there is no more hunger…no more getting burned for carrying the light, no more thirst for righteousness—because the Lamb is also the shepherd, guiding the blessed faithful to springs of the water of life. And, as it says so powerfully in verse 17: “and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Friends, through the ages there are many we call saints, official and unofficial, living and dead. These are folks who persevered through trial and tribulation and didn’t lose their faith, who continued to love and hope even in the face of challenge and violence and outright evil. Those who sat down because they were tired…Those who stood up because they were tired…Those who spoke out because they were tired…Those who acted up because they were tired…Because they were tired of 2nd class citizenship, tired of being denied their own humanity, tired of having to hide and pretend and be careful and fearful—even for their very lives. And some were tired of living in a world that not only allowed, but systematically and institutionally fed and approved oppression. Some of these saints we could name—famous ones like Mother Teresa and Sojourner Truth and lesser known ones like Sandra Bland and Greg Dell. Thousands of others are known only to God. Those we could name have done extraordinary things, putting their very lives on the line for the sake of others, for the sake of justice, for the sake of the Gospel. Some have accomplished great feats of thought or ministry that have furthered God’s reign of peace on earth.
Still other saints of God persevered in their faith in different and perhaps more quiet ways. They have hung in there and been willing to do the hard thing for a loved one caught in the snares of addiction. Some have sacrificed much of their own lives to care for mentally or physically ill partners, children, or parents. Some have delivered meals, visited the sick and lonely, shared words of love and comfort with those who truly needed it, offered healing hands and prayers to the suffering, been on-call to fix things for those who needed help, and a myriad other acts of loving service. Some have suffered debilitating illness, persevering with grace and good humor. Some have persevered with dignity and strength in the midst of poverty and neglect. Some saints have spent their lives in prayer. Some saints have prayerfully and lovingly shared not only their lives but their resources, making sacrificial gifts to further God’s kin-dom of peace and love on earth.
In all the forms their lives take, saints, past and present, live their hope and their faith. They act with courage in the face of prejudice and fear and despair and cynicism and apathy and self-interest—those things in human life that can so easily get the better of us. The saints are a testimony to God’s presence and power and love and justice and grace. In the face of all that would do them harm, the saints of God stand firm in their faith and in their hope that God’s future WILL come to pass. It’s not that they never doubt or struggle; but they hold on and ultimately they keep the faith. They not only believe, but act out their faith and Jesus promises that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
On this day, we give thanks for the saints who have gone before and whose example and courage and love inspire and challenge us. We give thanks for the saints of God we have been blessed to know and whom we see no more, for all the ways that they continue to walk with us and give us strength. We give thanks for those around us who stand as living testimonies to the goodness and love and glory of God, whose witness gives us courage and inspiration to stand firm and to persevere with faith, hope, and love. // But we miss the point if we leave here thinking that this day is only about some extraordinary persons. Saints—regular people like you and me—show us that we can follow in their footsteps and live our faith in concrete acts of love and care. We are ALL called to be living testimonies to the God who loves us so much that we are called children of God, sisters and brothers of Jesus who came into the world as the Lamb of God to take away the sins of the world. In the face of the trials and struggles of this world you are called to be a living testimony to the hope that you have been given as a gift in Christ Jesus. The promise is that, as you stand firm in faith, hope, and love, you’ll be in very good company.
Sunday Oct 30, 2016
Sunday Oct 30, 2016
We Worship…
A sermon preached byRev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC, October 30th, 2016,the twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost, Consecration Sunday.
Text: Luke 19:1-10
We worship joyfully. We sing and pray and study with passion and intellect and energy. We arean Easter people, and we are glad.
“We are an Easter people!” Every time we gather for worship, the Easterpromises fuel our joy—promises of hope and new life even in the midst of struggle,disappointment, confusion, pain. Weworship joyfully because we have a living hope in Christ Jesus. Jesus shows us that in life, in death, inlife beyond death, we are not alone. God’s love enfolds us. New life is alwaysavailable. New life is at the heart ofour Gospel story today, a story of a man who climbs a tree. To begin to make the connection, let’s thinkfor a moment about trees—specifically, fruit trees. A healthy fruit tree soaks up nutrientsthrough its roots, receives energy from the sun, and eventually puts forthblossoms that point to the promise of fruit—the promise of new life. In the beginning, young fruits are small and hardand bitter, but through the process of growth and maturation, the fruit becomesfuller, more tender, and saturated with goodness; eventually, each fruitbecomes perfectly what it is to be. Mostfruit becomes food for the hungry, continuing the cycle of life that gives morelife. The fruits’ seeds continue thecycle of growth and creation.
There are some things that candisrupt the health and life of a tree. One of those things is mistletoe. We’ve got a good number of Oklahomanatives here at Foundry who may know that mistletoe is our home state’sofficial flower. Yep. Our official“flower” is a parasite. Mistletoeattaches to a tree and literally sucks the life out of it. Mistletoe reduces growth and can ultimatelykill a tree if heavily infested with the parasite. Oh, and Mistletoe is also poisonous tohumans. This, of course, is the oppositeof a life that gives life. Whereashealthy plants and fruits are living organisms that give life to others,parasites like mistletoe get life by taking it from others. They contribute nothing, they takeeverything.
And that brings me back to the manwho climbed a tree. His name wasZacchaeus. He was a chief tax collectorand was very rich—details that, based on what we know of the time, tell us thatZacchaeus was corrupt and in league with the Roman occupiers. He was not popular in Jericho—he was a thiefand bully and grew rich at the expense of the poor—the crowds called him asinner. He took from others rather thangiving—Zacchaeus was a parasite! Other details we’re given about Zacchaeusinclude that he was short of stature. Iwonder whether Zacchaeus didn’t only look small, but felt small…whether he worriedthat though he had big money, he had a pretty small life. After all, what hadall that wealth gotten him but loneliness and scorn? Maybe he climbed that treeto see Jesus out of some vague sense that Jesus could make a difference. For whatever reason, Zacchaeus was determinedto lay eyes on the man who had been called “a friend of tax collectors andsinners.” (Lk 7:34) Who is thisJesus? Is he really so great? Would he really be my friend?
That day Zacchaeus learned thatJesus was his friend, that Jesus saw more in him than a small man trying tomake himself OK by stealing life from others. That day, by reaching out, speaking his name, coming to live with him,Jesus drew Zacchaeus into a deeper connection to the deep and soul-feedingroots of God’s love. Jesus’ love andfriendship gave new life to Zacchaeus whose yearning was satisfied and whodiscovered that he was not fated to walk the length of his days as a sinner, anoppressor, an outcast, a small man, but rather as a beloved child of God whowas worth more than all the riches in the world. Zacchaeus became more of whohe was that day as he opened his heart and his home to Jesus. Zacchaeus climbedthe tree as a parasite, but came down as fruit. He climbed the tree as a lost and lonely outcast, he came down as the“son of Abraham”—the son of the promise—he was created to be.
On that day Zacchaeus learned, through Jesus’s generosity,that all the riches of his life were worth even more when they wereshared. Salvation happened thatday, not only for this chief tax collector, but also for all those who had beenhurt by the things he had done. I oftenmention Walter Brueggemann’s definition of justice: “Justice is to sort outwhat belongs to whom, and to return it to them.”[i] Zacchaeus did justice. The fruits of Zacchaeus’ new life would feedthe hungry, make reparation for the oppression and destruction of who and whathe had been. Zacchaeus, having receivednew life in Christ, becomes a source of new life for others through his loveand generosity.
Today I invite you to consider theways that your life gives life to others. What about your life encourages, supports, feeds, inspires the lives ofthose around you? How do your actions,your priorities, your time, talent, and financial gifts make a positivedifference in the lives of others? Onthe other hand, are there communities or relationships you take for granted or,worse, suck the life out of? Where do youfind yourself taking a lot and not giving much? Where do you know that you are not acting in a way that is loving,generous, or just? I was recentlychallenged to do a “mission statement” for my life and then to look at the waysthat the use of my resources line up—or don’t—with the things I value most of all. It was illuminating.
Each of us here today has comeseeking something…friendship, hope, affirmation, comfort, forgiveness, Jesus. Some of us may have an unnamable yearning,recognizing only that we need something. Some of you may have a hard time believing that you can change, that youcan grow, that you can heal, that you can be better than who you are today. Some may be feeling lost and alone. Some of us may be sitting in this holy place,aware of our smallness and doubting that anything we can do or be or give wouldever really make a positive difference. But whatever the reason, you are here today to receive this good news: YOU ARE A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD. Jesus sees you and calls you by name. Nomatter what you have done, no matter how small or insignificant you feel, nomatter what you have or don’t have, you, like Zacchaeus, are loved by God evenwhen others hate and despise you. You, like Zacchaeus, can choose to receiveChrist and to grow and change. You, like Zacchaeus, can make a difference inthe lives of others through your generosity. We are not created to live as parasites…we are created to live inmutuality, generosity, and love with God and with each other—to be agents ofnew life in the world. Jesus wants tostay at your house today and every day. So let him in with joy! The moreyou do, the mystery of life-giving connection to God’s love will continue itswork of feeding and nurturing and ripening. You will become more full, more tender, more perfectly who you are tobe. And you will become food for thehungry, seeds of love and hope will be scattered among those you encounter,your generosity will not only inspire, but will give life to others. The bonusis that being generous with others feels good and brings new life and joy intoyour own life. Years of clinical studieshave shown that there is a direct correlation between generosity and joy, generosityand peace, generosity and healthy relationships.[ii] Giving makes you healthier and happier!
Today our joy overflows as we havewelcomed little ones into the Christian family through Holy Baptism. Our joy overflows as we celebrate the bountyof God’s friendship, grace, and love that assures hope and new life for eachand every one of us. Our joy overflowsas we receive and consecrate the life-giving pledges that will supportFoundry’s concrete witness in the world in 2017.
Invitation:
· bring up your weekly offering and pledgecard—even if you have already pledged, you can write that on your card and putit in the basket…
· if you are a guest or new to Foundry, we inviteyou to bring forward the info from the welcome folder so that we can reach out andconnect with you soon…
· if you are part of our online worshipingcommunity, we invite you to take this time to click on the “give” tab on thehomepage and scroll to the bottom of the page where it says “Make your 2017pledge online now”—You are an important part of our community.
Thank you for your extraordinarygenerosity!
[i] William Sloane Coffin, Credo, Louisville:WestminsterJohn Knox Press, 2004, p. 63
[ii] A couple of referencesfrom a less than exhaustive search: http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/kindness_makes_you_happy_and_happiness_makes_you_kind/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/01/generosity-health_n_4323727.html
Sunday Oct 23, 2016
Sunday Oct 23, 2016
A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC October 23, 2016.
Text: Luke 16:19-31
We cherish God’s gifts. God blesses us with time, talent, money, opportunity and the Earth we now call home. We strive to be responsible stewards of God’s great bounty.
On the way home from ballet class one day, she started talking about a big idea from the backseat: “I want to help the homeless and I want to help Foundry.” She kept talking about it over several weeks until her parents realized she was determined and that the emerging plan needed to happen. Fliers got made and passed around the neighborhood, posters were crafted, and then a video was filmed to share on social media. That is where I first encountered this big idea. Her sweet face popped up on my FaceBook feed and I clicked on the video arrow: “Hi, my name is Josie, and I’m gonna have a hot cocoa stand tomorrow on Saturday. And I’m doing it for Foundry ID ministry that helps the homeless and you can buy it from 10 in the morning ‘til 12 noon. It’s 50 cents, I hope you can come by.”
Josie is a part of our Foundry family. She is growing up here, being shaped and influenced by each of you and by our life together. She knows that here at Foundry we are committed to care for our poor and unhoused neighbors in a variety of ways, including the ID ministry. And one of our core values is that “We cherish God’s gifts…and strive to be responsible stewards of God’s great bounty.” Josie must have soaked that up as well because she shows us how it’s done: she gives of her time and service with the ID ministry. She saw a need, figured out what resources she had—her time, her cocoa, her parents’ support, her enthusiasm, determination, and great communications skills—and went about making a difference. “I want to help the homeless and I want to help Foundry,” she said. And the result is that her community rallied to the cause in beautiful ways—and today Josie is making an offering of more than $262 to help the homeless through Foundry Church!
Contrast this story with the one we heard in today’s Gospel. Josie sees suffering and need and chooses to find a way to provide support. The rich man in the parable sees Lazarus suffering and does nothing. And the rich man really was rich! He wore the equivalent of Armani suits, he had daily all-you-can-eat buffets at his own home, he lived in a gated community. This guy didn’t need to set up a cocoa stand to have something to share—even his scraps could have made a difference if he’d used them! Like Josie, the rich man knew something of his religious tradition—he knows Father Abraham by name. But, unlike her, he didn’t pay attention.
It’s not the riches in and of themselves that were the problem for the man in this story—Abraham was rich and he’s right there with poor Lazarus. Rather the problem is that even though he knew the tradition, the constant and consistent prophetic call to care for the poor, to do justice, to feed the hungry and welcome the alien and suffering went unheeded. In life, the man lived a life of privilege and, while we have no sign that he did anything intentionally bad (other than what appears to be selfish hoarding), we do see that he didn’t do anything intentionally good. Think for a moment about what could have been different if the rich man had chosen to do something good. Think about what might have changed in his own life and in the life of Lazarus—and even in the lives of those in the larger community.
Here at Foundry, we cherish God’s gifts. We do that not by hoarding or making idols of the gifts, but by choosing to do something good with the gifts that we have. Our belief is that money and the other resources and bounty of earth are to be honored and used as tools to make justice, create meaningful community, care for the poor and suffering, and to bring more love and beauty into the world. Over these past weeks, we have thought about our core values and the ways that Foundry’s practices and life together reflect those values in concrete ways. In some ways, we have been engaging an extended reflection on “the state of the church” as we have lifted up who we are, what we care about, and how we witness to the world. Today, we affirm that all we are and the good things we do are made possible because you choose to do something good with the gifts that you have—because you share your resources with Foundry. Today we celebrate Josie’s gift and the gifts that you bring as well.
In line with our guiding theme of “witness,” today we’re going to hear from a variety of members of Foundry their thoughts about the state of our church. Pastor Dawn has invited some folks to engage in some conversation with her. We will receive this gift now…
……………………..
[When I arrived at Foundry just over two years ago, much work had been done to develop clarity around our mission and core values. The strategic work of Foundry’s leadership over the past couple of years has been focused on doing things to ensure that we fully and concretely live out our mission and values, to address the “gaps” in our ministries, and to organize both lay and paid staff strategically. We have made significant progress and the work continues. Our witness has been powerful over the course of the past year. Foundry Church has led on issues of justice in our city, nation, and denomination—from ending chronic homelessness to LGBTQ inclusion to racial reconciliation and justice. Foundry is at the table for critical conversations around the future of our denomination and around the potential for more meaningful engagement of faith and politics in this capital city. And we have an ambitious plan for the year ahead—many of the goals are listed in this year’s stewardship booklet.]
All the good things that we do in and through Foundry are possible because you choose to do something good with the gifts that YOU have. Josie’s beautiful example reminds us that each of us can contribute no matter our age or income (or lack thereof). Individual financial gifts are the primary source of funding for our shared life and witness and I want to thank you for your generosity. The trends over the past couple of years are very healthy. Last year, I pointed out the “Revealing Breakdown of Foundry’s Giving Patterns” in the stewardship booklet. This year, that information can be found on page 15. While there is still a large number of folks for whom we have no record of giving, that number is significantly improved from the prior year—by 60 people! During that same period, the number of Foundry folks giving over $6000 rose more than 60% and almost every single “step” on the chart showed an increase. You are literally “stepping up!” Thank you. I know that this year we are all distracted with the presidential election and some have surely been giving resources to political campaigns. In this city, there is always uncertainty and anxiety on the eve of a change in administration. But no matter the outcome of the election, Foundry will continue stand as a beacon of love, reconciliation, justice, radical hospitality, meaning and beauty. We will continue to speak truth to power. We will continue to faithfully use and stretch our resources to do good. For me, it is a joy and privilege to financially support this congregation. After all, my gifts support the spiritual formation of Josie and encourage her generosity and care—my gifts support the lives, formation, and experiences of all those we have heard from today.
I give more than a tithe (10%) of my net income to Foundry and am increasing the amount each year to work toward a tithe of the gross income. I never have to worry that this commitment is going to waste since I have a front-row seat for all the good that is being done and the lives being touched and transformed through our witness. I can’t wait to see what we will accomplish together through our giving this year. We cherish God’s gifts…and we do that through how we choose to share them. If you ever need help remembering that, just ask Josie.
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.
Sunday Oct 09, 2016
Sunday Oct 09, 2016
We Serve…
A sermon preached by Rev. Ginger E. Gaines-Cirelli at Foundry UMC, October 9, 2016.
Texts: Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Luke 17:11-19
We serve God by serving others. We remember the second of Christ’s greatest commandments is to love each other. We make personal commitments to working with people in our neighborhood and around the world.
“In pain today.” That was the subject line of an email I received this week from a member of our Foundry family. “In pain today.” These simple words struck me at a deep place as new reports of the devastation and death toll in Haiti continued to roll in in waves; as fresh news of Christian exclusion and violence to LGBTQ people emerged both within our denomination and from other places like Intervarsity Fellowship; as a participant in the “God and Guns 2016” conference in New York City, listening to the pain-filled stories of survivors of gun violence; as I was again confronted by the intersections of race, poverty, and death by guns; as I caught up on the news I’d missed on Friday during the conference to discover indefensible misogyny and sexual violence being defended and rationalized and normalized for the sake of—what?—winning an election? And then, yesterday, I arrived at Penn Station with a little breathing room to catch my train home only to receive a report that “there is a body on the tracks”…no further story or explanation except that there was a fatality—and so for a couple of hours I settled into a spot on the floor to ponder the words, “In pain today.”
Every day, both near to us and far away, people are in pain. Among the presenters at Friday’s conference was Rev. Alan Storey, South African Methodist pastor and prophet who confessed to us saying, “I numb myself just to keep sane.” That resonated with me. Perhaps it does with some of you, too.
We may need to numb ourselves sometimes in the face of so much tragedy, injustice, and pain. But we need to guard against allowing the numbness to devolve into apathy or despair. We are the people of God, called to be witnesses to God’s extravagant love and mercy in the world. Our particular witness as Foundry Church, the story we tell and seek to embody, is a critically important counter-narrative to what is espoused by some who claim the name “Christian.” There are those who preach that to be Christian is to think you know the very mind of God, that God punishes people through natural disasters and acts of violence, that women should be subservient to men, that “God ‘n country” is one word, that serving God requires exclusion and hate. Alternatively, Foundry affirms that we serve God by serving each other. We are clear in our core values: all people are children of God and should be treated that way; people who feel excluded elsewhere are welcomed and integral to our shared life. When we say “We serve God by serving each other,” the “each other” we serve is not just those who claim Foundry as their faith community. The “each other” we serve is not just those who believe what we believe or vote like we vote or live like we live or love like we love. Our call is to serve each and every other there is! Because every “other” is beloved of God. Every “other” experiences pain. Every “other” has the capacity to more fully know and reflect the divine image that is the birthright and goal of all humankind. We ground this core value of service in Jesus’ teaching that part of the greatest commandment is to love our neighbor. Jesus showed us what that looks like in practice. It is messy and it is political and beautiful and transforming and confrontational; Jesus shows us that loving our neighbor means to lay down our lives for the other. Death and resurrection is always part of the story.
Today we read the prophet Jeremiah who says, “seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” I must confess that when I think of this verse of scripture, I often think about my own call to seek the welfare of this city. And certainly that is part of my calling—it is part of our calling. But these words of Jeremiah are not directed to me or to anyone with power and privilege and stability—they are not words telling us with all the power and resources to go and help those poor people in the city. Jeremiah’s words were spoken TO the exiles who were deported when Babylon occupied Judah for the first time (597 BC). Jeremiah is speaking to the poor, the immigrants, to those who had lost their homes and livelihoods, who had been driven out of their country by violence. Several implications come to mind that guide us in our call to serve each other. First, the assumption in this text is that the exiles (those forced from their homes and countries by violence) have gifts to offer that will contribute to the welfare of the place where they make their home. That is not a small detail in our current cultural and political climate. How much of our current rhetoric speaks of what “those people” (immigrants, the poor, LGBTQ people) take away from “us?” But this text suggests just the opposite.
Second, God’s people—in this case, those in exile—are encouraged to seek not just their own welfare in a new place, but also the welfare of their enemies (those who had done them the greatest harm!); for in the welfare of their enemies’ home and community they find their own. This speaks to the interconnectedness of the human family. All the lines we want to draw to keep us from caring for, serving, and loving others—lines of country, gender, culture, politics, race, religion—are not of God. Yes, there are real differences among the human family and there are those who have done us real harm, but we belong to each other! Jesus echoes this teaching when he says we are to love our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Mt 5:44, Lk 6:28). This doesn’t mean that we don’t challenge and fight against actions or policies that do harm, or that we are to overlook greed, injustice, and fear-mongering. Rather, we are called to love our enemies enough to call them out for the ways that they betray their own human dignity through acts of injustice or violence, the ways they distort the image of God by their greed and cruelty. Jesus never minced words with the agents of religious, political, or social injustice. But he never sought to destroy them. The neighbors we are called to love and serve include our enemies.
Another implication for us today from Jeremiah is that, for any here today who are not living in poverty, who are not immigrants, refugees, those dispossessed of home, family, or livelihood due to violence, our duty first and foremost is (as one of the presenters said on Friday) to “close our proximity to pain.” Like Jesus who draws near to those who were feared and shunned by others—for example, the lepers in our Gospel text—our role is to stand in solidarity, to draw close to those who are struggling, who are suffering, who are in pain and to honor the gifts that they are and the gifts that they bring by concretely supporting them…because we belong to each other, because we are family, because our welfares are bound up together.
A recap: First, humble yourself and welcome the stranger. Second, serve your enemies as well as your friends—and that might be through challenging them. Third, be in solidarity, be in real relationship, be on the frontlines with those who are in pain and the victims of exclusion and violence. The welfare of our city, our nation, our world hangs in the balance.
How do we concretely respond to the pain and need that is all around us? I want you to understand today that, insofar as you contribute to Foundry Church (through prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness), you are responding. Together we are serving God through serving others. One way we do this is through being who we are and looking like we look! Another is through the counter-narrative we offer in the world—a narrative of God’s radical hospitality and inclusion, of God’s steadfast love and mercy for all people, a narrative of faith that is relational and personal, that is intellectually rigorous and open to mystery, that is lived out in both personal piety and social justice, that is fueled from start to finish by God’s grace. This in itself is a powerful way that we serve!!
Our witness is also powerfully manifest through our cooking and feeding missions, through our English as a Second Language program, and through our Imago Dei (I.D.) ministry—one of only two in the city that helps the poor and unhoused obtain government IDs and birth certificates. Foundry sent more than 30 people to Portland to build relationships and advocate for full-inclusion of LGBTQ people at General Conference—and Foundry remains absolute in our commitment to welcoming all people and practicing marriage equality. Our Advent and Lenten Justice series help us explore concrete responses to issues such as solitary confinement, gun violence, and environmental justice. Foundry folks serve across the city during our annual Great Days of Service—and this past spring more than 350 volunteers joined together for a Foundry-inspired Greater Washington District meal packing event to feed hungry people on the other side of the world. Foundry actively partners with organizations in DC to end chronic homelessness (like Pathways to Housing whose offices reside in our building) and, this past March hosted a standing-room-only Housing For All Rally in which our own Pastor Ben spoke some serious truth to our Mayor and other city officials in attendance. We have cultivated relationships with Brighter Day UMC in Anacostia and Metropolitan UMC in the Sandtown neighborhood in Baltimore to support initiatives of these communities where poverty and racial inequity do harm. Our Scholar in Residence program this year has challenged us to go deeper into the conversation and discernment around our action for racial justice and, growing out of that, the Racial Justice Ministry Team has clarified its goal: Awareness Raising. Active Dialogue. Action. Books to Prisons, grief support, Prayer and Care Ministries, pastoral counseling, and more…all of these things are among the concrete ways that we serve as Foundry.
“In pain today…” This reality can feel overwhelming and like we can’t make any difference. But you can and do make a difference by your support of Foundry Church. We serve through our prayers. We serve through our presence with one another in worship, study, and fellowship. We serve through our financial gifts. We serve through hands-on ministry and mission. We serve through our witness as bearers of the good news of God’s love for all people.
Our core value of service includes these words: “We make personal commitments to working with people in our neighborhood and around the world.” What personal commitment are you willing to make for the welfare of the world?