Sermon: Something in Common

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Something in Common

By Al Bunis

March 7, 2010

[ Audio (mp3, 5.4Mb) ]

ristian denominations often create mottos…sort of market-tested sayings…that are meant to rally the troops…and to appeal to outsiders. But to be perfectly frank, I usually find these sorts of mottos pretty boring and generic.

And so you might be surprised to know that I'm going to begin this sermon with a series of mottos from my denomination…the United Church of Christ…which is, of course, one of Christ Church's two denominations.

But for me…these UCC mottos…they feel a little bit different …so let me read them to you…and you can draw your own conclusion:

"We are a church of the Extravagant Welcome that is Open and Affirming and Accessible to all."

"We emphasize freedom and yet are both united and uniting.”

"We listen to a God who is still speaking and believe that there is yet more light to break through from God's Holy Word."

"We work for justice and peace through a multi-cultural and multi-racial church."

"We are a priesthood of all members who believe in testimonies of faith, not tests of faith."

And lastly: “In essentials unity, in non-essentials diversity, in all things Charity."

So what we have in these mottos is a description of a church that welcomes all…a church that focuses on what we have in common, rather than what has kept us apart…that sees God's revelation as ongoing rather than having been frozen in ancient time…a church that doesn't just tolerate…but instead celebrates difference. This sounds kind of like Christ Church to me.

What I especially like about these mottos…is the implicit humility…the implicit admission that we don't have all the answers…the implicit emphasis that we need to listen not only to God…but also to each other.

When we step back…all these mottos, in one way or another, speak to an ironic mix of unity and diversity…the idea of doing what is necessary to stay together despite differences…which is especially challenging in a shrinking world where getting along seems increasingly difficult…so difficult as to seem downright unrealistic…even idealistic.

And yet to me, this open-minded mentality seems so necessary in our shrinking world. No, it's not idealistic…instead, I think this open-minded mentality as a realistic example…even a blueprint…of what people need to do to get along in our shrinking world.

These mottos grow directly out of the UCC's history. We hear a lot about denominations splintering off in a huff over one issue or another…but we don't hear much about denominations coming together…about denominations who's core identity is tied up in bringing difference together.

And while the UCC's history is complicated, we can boil it down to a merger of four different denominations…all with very deep roots…and distinct traditions:

The UCC's best known predecessor denomination is the Congregational Church…which is the church of the Pilgrims…and the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

The other 3 denominations are less well known to many of us in the northeast…but all became strongholds in the colonial frontier states and the further west early-American burgeoning states…especially in the 19th century.

- The German Reformed Church, with classically reformed roots…grew out of the wave of immigrants from Germany.
- The German Evangelical denomination…also began as a church of mostly German immigrants…with Pietistic roots.
- And finally, the ultra-simply-named Christians. The Christians were one of the very few truly American-born denominations…they celebrated a back-to-basics simplicity that is evident in its name.

And while these mergers were partly driven by a desire to create a critical mass…this was the first successful amalgamation of its kind…pretty radical within Christianity…this was an agreement to become one…to reconcile differences….to compromise in order to come together.

And yet this idea of fostering “unity and diversity”…while I think we can probably agree that it's a quintessential American ideal…the tougher question is whether it's a Christian ideal?

Given the history of Christianity…one has to wonder. In fact, if you Google the words: “Christianity and Compromise”…the overwhelming response is a series of websites that exhort Christians not to compromise.

And yet, at the risk of challenging the almighty Internet...this ideal of “unity and diversity”…I'd argue that it is so embedded in the fabric of Christianity…that it's actually easy to miss.

Let's start with something as basic to Christianity as Paul's words in this morning's reading. In Christ there is no longer Jew nor Greek, slave nor free…male nor female. Paul is saying that we are simply to be one in Christ…and that our differences shouldn't matter.

And in our reading from John…Jesus' exhortation “that they may all be one”. This isn't a precise formulation for belief…it's simply encouragement to move together in Christ.

And even more basic….there are, of course, four Gospels in the Bible…four sometimes very different perspectives on Jesus…together in one Bible. And this is just one of many, many examples in the Bible where multiple perspectives stand side-by-side.

And also quite basic…the concept of the Trinity. While some find the Trinity confusing…I find it to be a wonderful description of the way I envision God…God who is our parent and creator…God who's been in our shoes and knows what it's like to be one of us…and finally God who is here in spirit to comfort us and motivate us. I love this vision of a God who is one and yet encompasses such diversity…a wonderful example for humanity.

And lastly, if I had to distill the goal of Christianity down to a single word…one word…it would be “reconciliation”…reconciliation between humanity and God…and with one another. Scripture repeatedly tells us that this idea of reconciliation…that it is precisely what Jesus' life and death were all about.

So yes…I'd argue that this idea of “diversity and unity”…I'd argue that it's a very Christian concept…even if Christians don't always see it that way.

I'm guessing many of you remember the movie Field of Dreams. It's a movie that holds a special place in my heart.

In the movie, Kevin Costner plays a farmer from Iowa named Ray Kinsella who is driven by a mysterious voice to plow under his corn fields…at financial peril to his family…he turns the corn field into a baseball diamond.

That voice is memorable…it repetitively whispers…”if you build it, he will come”….and then the voice eventually switches to “ease his pain”.

And so Kinsella does indeed build it…and Shoeless Joe Jackson shows up…that infamous old-time baseball player…he shows up with all his buddies who were banned from baseball for gambling…the famous Black Sox scandal from 1919…they show up as young men in their uniforms…and they play on that field of dreams like kids.

But it turns out that easing Shoeless Joe's pain isn't enough…so Kinsella is mysteriously led to other characters to bring them back to his ball field…first a reclusive author in the model of JD Salinger who turns out to love baseball…and then an obscure minor leaguer from bygone years who gave up his career to be a Dr. The field becomes like a magnet drawing people back…and finally, Ray's own father shows up…his father who also had brief stint in the minor leagues.

One of the reasons I love this movie so much is that I love baseball diamonds…and I also love making baseball fields…miniature ones that is…which I used to do as a kid with freshly cut mulch from my parent's lawn. It was a labor of love that I have actually recreated as an adult…making an updated version with my own kids.

But there's another reason I love this movie. It's something in the movie that speaks to all fathers…really to all parents. You see Costner's character, Ray Kinsella…he never got along with his Dad. Ray was rebellious…he left home as soon as he could…and never reconciled with his father.

But this field enabled him to reconnect with a father who had long since passed. His Dad shows up as a young man in his minor league uniform…and the movie ends as father and son toss baseball back and forth.

You see, Ray and his Dad may not have gotten along…we aren't told the full extent of their tensions…but it's clear they didn't have much in common…except for one thing…they both loved baseball. This Field of Dreams eased their pain…both Ray's and his Dad's…by enabling them to celebrate together what they had in common…despite their disagreements….reconciliation by sharing a common love.

I'll never forget something my college age son, Gregory, said to me last summer. We were sitting on the porch…we had the music cranked up…the neighbors couldn't have been too happy….I'm pretty sure it was one of our absolute favorites…Key to the Highway by Derek and the Dominoes. Gregory turns to me and says…he says that what we were doing at that moment…just hanging out…listening and talking about our music…the music that we both love so much…that it's this that makes him so happy.

It really is very simple…the lesson of this movie…the lesson that my son reminded me of…that we need to celebrate what we have in common. Whether it's fathers and sons….mothers and daughters…husbands and wives…you name the combination….even Americans…and church members…and Christians…

It's a wonderful lesson. If people are going to be happy together…if we want to be reconciled with each other…we need to lift up what we have in common…or to quote the Christ Church website…”we emphasize what binds us together today over what may have separated us in the past”.

You'll notice that my son didn't say he was happiest when I'm lecturing him…no he only talked about our common bond.

And I think it's the same way with so many other aspects of life…and faith. When we seek out common bonds, it makes the other stuff easier to reconcile. It makes our differences less threatening…less important. In fact, I'd argue that once we find a common bond…we become more interested in the other aspects of the person…even the differences.

You know those UCC mottos that I read to you earlier…I neglected to read you a pretty important one. It's a simple one….the simplest one actually. But it's one that despite differences, I think Christians around the world might be able to admit we have in common…it's something that the very name of Christ Church tells us we have in common.

The motto simply reads: “We belong to Christ”. What better way to sum up a denomination who's name simply tells us that we are a United Church OF Christ…united in our common pursuit of what it means to belong to Christ.

And so this morning…as we gather together around the table of fellowship…as we gather together to share this common meal…in remembrance and celebration of Christ…as we gather together as part of this wonderful family we call Christ Church…enjoying both our common bond and our God-given differences…

Yes…as we closely gather around this table to celebrate communion in the unique Christ Church way…just remember this: “no matter who you are or where you are on life's journey…you are welcome at this table”. Amen.