Jarring Words
Hearing words such as prisoner, captive, or slave may sound rather jarring to our modern ears, especially on a weekend when we in this country are gathering to celebrate our freedom, and our declaration of independence from the rule of a King and an Empire. But these are the words designated for us this day. Perhaps some context for these words will help.
Judean Context
We know Zechariah as a prophet but he was also a priest. In the Hebrew tradition he is known for his work to rekindle the peoples hope after their liberation and return from Babylonian exile. His vision of hope was uniquely connected to his insistence that they immediately rebuild the house of God.
While a large portion of the countries ruling elite were in exile in Babylon the temple on Mount Zion continued to lay in ruins ever since its destruction at the hands of the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Enemies from without and apathy from within had brought the religious and political authority centered on the temple mount to a sorry state.
Zechariah understood that the rebuilding of the temple was a necessary precursor to what would be known as the messianic age. Yahweh was about to establish his kingdom. His ancient dwelling place in Zion must be restored to its former glory, so that Yahweh might once again be enthroned among his people and from there achieve his divine purpose for all nations and all peoples.
The night visions described in the first eight chapters of the book of Zechariah, supposedly taking place on a single night sometime in February or March of the year 519 BCE, have as their general theme the reassurance of the people that despite all appearances to the contrary, the messianic age is about to begin.
The eighth and final vision (6:1-8) sees the culmination of the messianic age to be the bringing of peace to the whole world once again, but this time under the control of Yahweh. This new emerging community will find life in obedience to Yahweh and will live in unity with one another. The New Jerusalem will mean peace and prosperity for old and young. Joy and gladness will drive out the memory of past injustices and distress. Yahweh’s people, gathered from near and far, will be joined in Yahweh’s holy city by the Gentiles, who will have been led to know the truth by the faithful witness of the Jews, and together, Jew and Gentile, will share in the blessings of a new golden age.
Unlike other prophetic writers, Zechariah rejects the formalism of the priestly cult and emphasizes instead the individual’s need for personal commitment and obedience. There is an emergent realization that the consummation of God’s purpose cannot consist merely in the destruction of evil but must include the transformation of evil to good. But the culmination of this personal commitment and obedience to Yahweh is Zechariah’s basic vision of a world at peace, with Jew and Gentile gathered together in a worshiping community centered on the Temple.
Yahweh will encircle the temple with his protecting presence, and the messianic king will enter Jerusalem in triumph to inaugurate the reign of peace. The earth is transformed by the rule of Yahweh.
We can find in the prophecy of Zechariah various levels of thought, which characterized a people who saw little outward evidence of the fulfillment of prophetic promises, yet, they remained a people who never relinquished their invincible hope in the vindication of Yahweh and his people.
This is the context behind the words that the Christian witness proclaims to be fulfilled by Jesus of Nazareth:
Lo, your king comes to you;
Triumphant and victorious is he,
Humble and riding on an ass,
On a colt the foal of an ass.
These familiar words seldom read outside of the celebrations of Palm Sunday are imbued with a hope that reaches beyond all understanding or any rational evidence in the world in which people lived in 519 BCE. We understand that Jesus of Nazareth is that humble King who came to reclaim the world as God’s peaceable Kingdom. This faith that God in Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit is about the work of building something new is the stronghold of our hope.
Times they are a changing
So as Christians we believe that we are living in this new age ushered in by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ (messiah). Christ becomes for us the personification of our hope that a new age is emerging in which all of the peoples and nations of this world, indeed all of creation, will live in peace under the reign of God. This is the hope we express when we pray ‘thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
But in order to truly understand the source of our hope we must first recognize some hard truths about our church.
The Constantinian compromise that aligned Christianity with the established political and social institutions of the Roman Empire and all subsequent empires of Western Civilization is long past. Further, the Protestant Reformation is over, it is finished, it is done. The postmodern church is no longer seeking to reform the Church institutions it has inherited.
The sad truth is that the Church of those of us born before 1962 is fast moving into a state of irrelevance for those who have come after us. We can witness this reality in the scarcity of young adults taking active roles in the church today. It is not that this new generation is a faithless generation. It would be a terrible mistake in judgment to think so. Rather, it is a fact that those sometimes called generation x’rs no longer see the traditional institutional church as a valid or authentic expression of their faith.
And, honestly, their judgment upon the church is for the most part valid. We have too long relegated faith to one or two hours of archaic traditions and forms that have become far removed from the every day realities of life in the post modern world. There are just as many, if not more, opportunities to serve the community in real and tangible works of charity, compassion, and justice from organizations outside of the institutional church as there are from within. And the language of moral obligation has been co-opted by corporations seeking to capitalize on the longing of its workers to be a part of something that makes a real and tangible difference in the lives of their neighbors, their communities. And, of course, for the corporation, this makes for good advertising.
For those of us who grew up finding comfort, meaning, and purpose in the church of our youth this is a painful transformation that is leaving many among us feeling lost and exiled from the church we grew up with. And, there are those among us that, no matter what, will not be able to let go of the structures, the forms, the familiar way of doing things as church for some time to come. Change always has its winners and its losers when it comes to issues of position, power, and control. Never the less, it is critically important that we honor these faithful sisters and brothers among us. For they have carried us through joyous and difficult times faithfully. We must find ways to learn from them, for their wisdom and experience are an important treasure for both the church of today and the church of tomorrow. The reality that the church they inherited and served faithfully is quickly going away should never diminish or devalue their sacred service that continues today and into the future.
And, as from time eternal, there are plenty of zealots seeking to stop the emergence of a new church, proclaiming the new emergent church to be heretical, unfaithful, and unchristian. It is important that we hear those critics who speak in love that we might learn from them and better understand the differences that reconciliation and peace require of us. The church in whatever form it emerges must reach out to those of our brothers and sisters who mourn this end times with compassion and charity.
Return to your stronghold, O prisoners of hope
But change is happening, and it is happening now. But friends, do not despair. Lift up your hearts sisters and brothers for we are living in exciting times. It is not every generation that gets to go about the rebuilding of the church. Let us remember the vision of Zechariah. It is time to step out of the ruins of those outward forces that have sought to destroy the house of God. It is time to awaken from our apathy and reclaim the vision of a still speaking God who commands peace of the nations, who is at work transforming evil into good, and re-establishing a time when all of creation co-exists in mutual sustainable praise to the life God created. This is the stronghold of our faith. Let us return to our stronghold, as prisoners of hope.
So what might this new house of God look like?
While there are many possibilities I think this list I have borrowed from a recent “Darkwood Blog” by Eric Elnes http://www.onfaithonline.tv/darkwoodbrew/the-inaugural-wild-goose-festival-recovering-something-lost/ provides us with a good initial summery:
(1) Christians are letting go of the notion that their particular faith is the only legitimate one on the planet, even as they fully embrace the Christian path as their own. They understand that God is greater than our imagination can comprehend and thus may speak within other faiths.
(2) Christians are letting go of literal and inerrant interpretations of their sacred texts. They are embracing a more ancient, prayerful, non-literal approach to these same texts, and finding new sacred texts as well.
(3) Christians are letting go of the notion that people of faith are called to dominate nature. They are embracing a more organic understanding of human relationship with the earth.
(4) Christians are letting go of empty worship conventions and creeds. They are embracing more diverse, creative, engaging approaches, often making strong use of the arts.
(5) Christians are letting go of a narrow definition of appropriate sexual orientation and gender identity. They are embracing with increasing confidence an understanding that affirms the dignity and worth of all people.
(6) Christians are letting go of an understanding that people of faith should only interest themselves in the “spiritual” well being of people. They are embracing a more holistic understanding that physical and spiritual well-being are related.
(7) Christians are letting go of the desire to impose their particular vision of faith on the wider society. They are embracing the notion that their purpose is to make themselves more faithful adherents of their vision of faith.
(8) Christians are letting go of the old rivalries between “liberal, moderate, and conservative” branches of their faith. They are embracing a faith that transcends these very definitions.
(9) Christians are letting go of notions of the afterlife that are dominated by judgment of “unbelievers.” They are embracing an understanding that God never gives up on any of us, even after we die, and that all people are loved far more than we can comprehend.
(10) Christians are letting go of the notion that faith and science are incompatible. They are embracing the notion that faith and science can serve as allies in the pursuit of truth, and that God values our minds as well as our hearts.
(11) Christians are letting go of the notion that one’s work and one’s spiritual path are unrelated. They are embracing an understanding that rest and recreation, prayer and reflection, are as important as work, and that our work is a “calling” and expression of what some call our “sweet spot.”
(12) Christians are letting go of old hierarchies that privilege religious leaders over laypeople. They are embracing an understanding that all people have a mission and purpose in life in response to the Spirit’s call. It’s no longer about who wears the robes but who lives the life.
While none of us have any way of knowing what the church will look like by the end of our appointed life span. We can say with confidence that it will look much different than it does today. But, let us not despair. Instead, let’s get excited, let hope captivate us. It is time to rebuild God’s house.
Community of Hope
Now we come to a time when we must say goodbye. Wednesday, Cathy and I will be loading a Uhaul truck with all of our belongings that will fit. We are on our way to Conway, Arkansas to do our part in this new creation. We are in the midst of planting a new church in Conway we have named Community of Hope. It will be based in large part on the radical hospitality and inclusive love we have experienced here at First Central. But we will also be incorporating some of the current ideas and forms coming out of the Progressive and Emergent Church communities. We will be sharing this exploration with those who choose to physically gather with us in Conway, and with those who gather by way of our Internet presence, what it means to be a part of this new church God is creating in this new post modern age. For those of you interested you can find the community of hope on Facebook www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_150555224991585&ap=1. You are welcome to follow along as passive observers, or if you feel so led, to join as an active participant in this new mission by way of the Internet.
Cathy and I will remain members of First Central. The Church Council has voted to extend to me an indefinite leave of absence. This means that my call to ministry remains with you, and my standing as an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ continues to be held by the Living Waters Association, of the Nebraska Conference.
But please know this truth, that it is more than membership and standing that you hold. You hold in sacred trust our hearts, our love, and our gratitude for having allowed us to be your friends in this life we share together as First Central. Leaving this church is the single most difficult decision that Cathy and I have ever had to make. We look forward to returning from time to time to visit Cathy’s family in Council Bluffs and to visit and worship with you here. We also look forward to continuing our participation in the life of this church through the new technologies of email, Facebook, and twitter.
So with affection and gratitude let me simply say,
May the Peace of Christ be with you and sustain you, no matter what God has in store for you, O prisoners of hope!
May the Peace of Christ be with you and sustain you, no matter what God has in store for you, O prisoners of hope!
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To the glory of God, and the people of First Central Congregational United Church of Christ, Omaha, Nebraska. Delivered during morning worship on Sunday, July 3, 2011. First Reading: Romans 7;13-25a. Second Reading: Zechariah 9:9-12a.
