Speaking Volumes without Speaking Words

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday December 23, 2012, the 4th Sunday of Advent.

Micah 5:2-5a

Psalm 80:1-7

Hebrews 10:5-10

Luke 1:39-45 (46-55)

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen.

Melinda posted a new picture on facebook. It must be a 20 year old picture of the then children of the church performing what I believe is the annual Christmas Pageant. Oh, but to reach out and pinch one and all of those kids on the cheek.

One of my favorite Christmas Pageants was also one of the strangest I’ve ever seen.[1] The older kids had all of the lead roles, Mary, Joseph, the angel who made the announcement of the coming birth of the child. Of course the Christ-child was played by a doll that had been passed down for generations to play the role of Jesus. That’s both wonderful and a little creepy. How can any child be trusted to touch such a precious object?

The youngest children played, say it with me, the shepherds. There are no lines to get wrong. All they have to do is follow the star or the angel and make it to the untouchable doll.

What made this pageant different, or creepy depending on your opinion, was that this pageant had an Elizabeth. The Children’s Choir Director was in costume with the kids in front of the congregation. What made it kind of creepy was this 40-year-old Elizabeth, had a solo. That has always bugged me; an adult had a song in the children’s Christmas pageant.

For my money, the best part of the evening was the youngest child in the play, a little boy who could not and would not stand still. He would fidget and twist and twirl until he finally knocked the plywood sheep down the chancel stairs. Half of the people in the sanctuary were aghast! I was with the other half. I did resist laughing out loud, barely, others did not. The fact that this boy was the Pastor’s grandson made the aghast folks more aghast and the grinners grin wider.

Our gospel reading today needs a little from the beginning of Luke. We need to go back to the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah. Both Levites, Elizabeth was a descendant of Aaron. We learn that Zechariah was selected by lots to offer the incense in the temple of the Lord. When this happened, Zechariah received the word of the Lord prophesying:

 “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John. He will be a joy and delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God. And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The wonder and the glory of the Lord’s blessings were to come upon Zechariah and Elizabeth with only one snag, in Zechariah’s own words, “How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years.” I guess this is preferable compared to the King James which says Elizabeth is “well stricken in years.”

So what do you get for questioning an angel of the Lord? Zechariah is struck mute. He will not be able to speak; he will not be able to tell anybody what has happened “until the appointed time.” I think parents and mischievous children will recognize this conversation. Zechariah asks when he will stop being grounded, the angel answers “when I tell you.”

But this I think is the most important thing that needs to be shared from the story of Zechariah and Elizabeth:

“When his time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. ‘The Lord has done this for me,’ she said. ‘In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.’”

Remember, back in the day not having children was a sign of disgrace and shame. It was a social horror along with the terror of being unprotected by their children in old age.

Our reading picks up about a month after these events when Mary comes to see her cousin Elizabeth. Now we know that Mary is pregnant and we know her son “will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” What we don’t really know from Luke’s gospel is if anybody else knows. Anything! At all!

Other gospel accounts have Joseph getting the news and in his own thoughts deciding to call off the engagement. Luke’s gospel has none of this. From Luke’s account of the gospel the only people who know of Mary’s pregnancy are Mary, Gabriel, God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. That’s it. That puts this visit to Elizabeth in a whole new light, doesn’t it?

Mary hardly says a word, it’s “Ding-dong, Avon calling” and Elizabeth’s son leaps and is filled by the Holy Spirit. Now that’s a fine how-do-ya-do.

With the news Elizabeth rejoices. Her cries are so wonderful and so glorious that our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters use them when seeking intercession. She goes on and on. She is so blessed by not just the presence of her cousin but of her Lord and Savior that she wonders why she is so favored by their visit. She finishes by saying Mary is blessed not for what has happened, but for believing that what the Lord has said will be fulfilled.

Elizabeth offers words of peace, joy, and hope. She reaches out with a glad cry for the wonder and the glory of what is to come. What brings me wonder though isn’t the words that are spoken, but the ones left unspoken.

Let’s begin with Elizabeth’s pregnancy. Zechariah is old but the good news is at least Elizabeth isn’t as old. I love how Zechariah has to explain to the angel why this just isn’t going to work. If there are two things angels do in scripture it’s foretell pregnancy and smite people who need a good smiting. Zechariah gets both while burning the incense in the temple of the Lord. So everything Zechariah does until the angel says so makes him act like the mime in the Little Caesar’s ad.

We all know that not having children in ancient times was more than a social blunder and loss of safety net; it was a mark that you are not blessed by God.[2] In the moment of her pregnancy, even as she is stricken with years, her entire life is changed. She will have a child, a son. The whispers behind her back that she is barren and stricken are gone. She is blessed. In this very act, God speaks without words to bless Zechariah and Elizabeth.

Someone whose words are mysteriously missing in our reading is Mary. Except for a fine how-do-ya-do, she doesn’t say a word. Based on Luke’s gospel her greeting is all she offers until verse 46, the beginning of Mary’s Song, “The Magnificat.”

How can we imagine what Mary was going through? In a day and time when unwed pregnancy doesn’t carry the stigma it once did, there is still the moment I can’t imagine; the moment when the woman shares the news with family, not just the man, but her parents. In our day there is still uncertainty in the sharing, in Mary’s day she would have become an outcast.

Mary’s fiancé might have ended the relationship leaving her without any support. She could not return to her father’s house either. There were no social structures available to help her either. Just imagine the time between when she heard the news from the angel and when she heard Elizabeth’s cries of joy. Her silence speaks volumes.

She may say, “I am the handmaid of the Lord, may your word to me be fulfilled,” but she would have to be super-human not to consider or worry what would become of her if nobody believed her. In fact, her words “may your word to me be fulfilled” must have been an earnest prayer; if the word isn’t fulfilled then she is in big trouble. She keeps all of this to herself, choosing to hurry to her cousin Elizabeth.

Then in a true exhibition of “actions speak louder than words,” Mary is heard and the Holy Spirit turns John the Baptist into an acrobat in the womb. In a moment, the prophecy of the angel to Zechariah is realized. The angel’s words “he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born” are fulfilled. With barely a word Elizabeth and her son are filled with the Holy Spirit and what is to come is known.

Mary was all but silent, but Elizabeth’s child heard with the ears of the Spirit. By the work of the Sprit, John tells his mother that everything has changed. As if everything hadn’t changed enough, creation was being renewed, reborn even before John and Jesus are born.

How’s that for speaking volumes without speaking words, creation is being renewed, reborn even before John and Jesus are born. How’s this for words that don’t need to be spoken, by the love of God, through the Triune God, Father, Son, and Spirit, creation continues to be renewed. Yet in this renewal he comes not as a high priest, but as the child of a single mother.

It is in this love that God wants us to welcome the Son into the world. Yes, the power of God could overwhelm all that is wary or evil in the world, but what is God without love but the Tyrant of tyrants? I prefer the King of kings my self! God in Christ holds back on exerting power on us so that we can come, returning in love out of gratitude; not out of cowering in fear. In love that speaks louder than words, God in Jesus calls us not just before we were born, but before He was born. That’s life being made new.

That speaks volumes.

This is the time for the warning: The Christmas Pageant I shared is nothing like the real thing. It wasn’t all clean and scrubbed. It wasn’t all neat and tidy. In truth, it was filthy and rank. Jesus wasn’t born in the wonderfully sterile setting of our crèche. The Holy Family arrived at night. It was cold.[3] Nobody at the inn bothered to make enough space for two more people. They went to the stable, a cave, not a barn like we usually see.

This cave probably wasn’t well ventilated. Sure enough the stable-boy showed up to clear the floor of livestock urine and feces in the mornings, not after dark. Let’s also consider that this stable held ox and camel as well as horse or donkey. The aromas are nothing we could ever have a grip on because we don’t know the time, the place, or the livestock. This is where Emmanuel, God with us, entered our world.

From the womb of a girl who feared for her life, lain in a crevice hewn from rock and lined with straw, this infant-the least powerful member of any society; our Lord came to Earth in the most precarious of ways. This is the message that should speak volumes to us. Christ is Lord, the all powerful God Almighty. Jesus arrives as the weakest amongst us.

This is Micah’s point, showing that the messiah will come from the most humble of origins to rule over Israel. From humble beginnings, “He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace.”

This is what Mary is blessed for believing. She is blessed for believing that in God truly all things are possible. With her very life at stake, she believes she is blessed by the coming child. When she needed reassurance the most, when her life was in the balance, she received the blessing not only of her cousin but of her cousin’s unborn child, another child of the promise. This is not the doll too precious to be touched. This is the Christ who was born to live to die to rise again.

Let the rich and powerful beware, this is the scandal and one of the unspoken lessons of the incarnation: Jesus doesn’t only sympathize with the weak; he came as the weak so that we may know his strength. Not by miracles but by his presence; he is Emmanuel. Come O Come Emmanuel, God with us. Just ask Elizabeth. Without words, Jesus speaks volumes by his presence and the company he keeps.

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[1] True story!

[2] Don’t think this isn’t still true today.

[3] If you want to remind me that the December birth date was named as a point of celebration as a means of evangelism and not necessarily a historical fact I will remind you that in an arid climate the nights get chilly because of the lack of humidity to hold the ambient heat. Even if it wasn’t December, it was chilly.

Who John Is, Who I Am, Who We Are

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday December 11, 2011, the 3rd Sunday in Advent.

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Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11

Psalm 126

1Thessalonians 5:16-24

John 1:6-8, 19-28

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer.  Amen

European cathedrals are some of the greatest pieces of architecture the world has ever known. These grand structures served many functions, more than what we think of when we think of the church. They were part worship center, part social place, and even part government center. Grand and majestic, you could see their splendor from a distance. Built upon hilltops their domes and spires met the pilgrim as if to say “welcome home my good and faithful child.”

Their interiors are just as breathtaking. All I have to do is mention the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and we can imagine what most of us have only seen in pictures. We can all imagine the wondrous works of Michelangelo giving their glory to God Almighty. From the iconic image of God giving Adam life to the prophets and the saints, since its creation during the renaissance the Sistine Chapel has been known as one of the greatest achievements in all of art.

Reading a book about preaching,[1] I learned about a painting behind the altar at the convent of the Antonites in Colmar. The Easter section of the painting features Christ stretched out on the cross, and alongside him Mary the mother of Jesus in the arms of the Apostle John and Mary Magdalene kneeling at his feet. There is also a small lamb holding another cross with the cup beneath its breast. Off to the side of this scene is John the Baptist, dressed in camel hair tied with a leather belt, holding scripture and pointing to Jesus. This is an apt image of the Baptist, the one who points to Christ. This, the author writes, is the essence of preaching: Pointing to Christ.

There is a simplicity in this reading from John’s gospel. John’s is often referred to as the most spiritual of the gospels. There are many miracles and signs found reading John’s gospel that we just don’t find in the others, but this reading isn’t miraculous, nor is it spiritual, it’s just plain and simple.

The scribes ask John who he is. While the New International Version isn’t so forward, many other translations are. The priests and Levites came from Jerusalem to ask John “Who are you?”

John begins by telling them who he isn’t. He isn’t the Christ, he isn’t Elijah, and he isn’t the prophet. (By the way, this vaguely named prophet is probably the prophet from Deuteronomy 18; the prophet who will be raised up from among the Israelites who will speak the Lord’s words.) He doesn’t identify with any of these holy references because these references all have messianic expectations and John has no personal messiah complex. Instead he identifies himself with the words of Isaiah. He is the one calling in the desert “Make straight the way for the Lord.”

This is who John is. John isn’t Jesus. John points to Jesus.

Social media has allowed us to share our lives with the rest of the world on unprecedented levels. One of the ways I connect with friends and colleagues is using a platform called Twitter. What separates Twitter from other social media sites is that it limits messages to 140 typed characters. Letters, numbers, spaces, punctuation—if you can say it in 140 characters you can say it on Twitter.

Twitter encourages you to describe yourself to the world, again using only a few characters. I describe myself saying, “Child of God, Husband of Marie, Teller of Tales, Fortunate Son.” I know that this isn’t a fleshed out description, but I also figure it’s not bad for 62 characters including spaces.

I am Marie’s husband, this week with Toni (Marie’s mother) visiting that role has been very important.

My entire family is known for stories and story telling so telling tales is one of the ways I describe myself. My older sister occasionally finds people who know my grandmother’s family from California, Missouri. One woman when discovering the family connection said, “So you’re one of those #$&! Hert’s. Well, it’s true and for better or worse I am one of those #$&! Hert’s. We have tales to tell and are willing to tell them.

The church, the denomination, calls me a Teaching Elder. This title has been recently been reclaimed by the church for what we used to call Ministers of the Word and Sacrament. There are many hats worn by pastors, but the one which I am perhaps best equipped to wear is this one, teaching, sharing the word of God with the people of God. When I look at who I am, when I look at what my role is, I move toward the image of John—I point to Christ.

This is important to me. When I talk too much about the denomination I suffer from navel-gazing. When I talk too much about myself I inflict a cult-of-personality on you, which is neither what you deserve nor what God expects. Some of this is necessary, because ministry is always carried out in the context of the community and its people; but if it is not first about God then it is about what Ecclesiastes calls vanity.

Today I began by talking about the great cathedrals of European because one of the pities of the church is that many of these great churches are little more than just buildings today. There is a history of worship and service that has been lost in the thousands of years since the death and resurrection. Many are simple tourist attractions that have little to do with their intended purpose. Christianity in Europe has been taking a beating over the past 100 years.

Where Christianity has thrived in Europe is in the countries we call the Eastern Bloc, the countries where Christianity and Christians were oppressed by the state. In those places the people needed the church; the people needed the community of Christ. In the more affluent places, places where the church seemed to be more of an add-on to life, it is declining.

This isn’t so surprising when you look at the heritage of the faith. In ancient Rome the Hebrews were troublemakers. The Christians were troublemaker’s troublemakers. One group was oppressed by the empire and the other was oppressed by the oppressed. This helps us look at who we are, who the church is today.

The Rev. Bruce Reyes-Chow was the 218^th Moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA)’s General Assembly. Bruce had what he considers the enviable position that the conservative arm of the church thought he was too liberal and the liberal arm of the church didn’t think he wasn’t as liberal as he should be given his position. He considered it an honor that nobody thought of him as “their standard bearer.”[2]

He recently wrote an article called “Dear God, I Would Like My Presbyterian Church (USA) Back.”[3] One of the things he does is articulate what the each of the extreme branches of the church thinks is wrong with the other. He notes that one branch of the church misses the “Father Knows Best” era of American Christianity and in particular the PC(USA) while the other misses the wildly progressive era of change that was a highlight in the 1960’s.

Bruce doesn’t poo-poo the anger that either group feels. He doesn’t brush away their feelings with platitudes. He acknowledges that the church is changing. The body we call the church, the denomination in particular, is changing.

What Bruce points out is that “The Good Ol’ Days” is a trap. The church we identify as “ours” has never been “ours.” The Church of Christ is just that, the Church of Christ. It’s God’s church, it’s not ours. And as long as the church complains and debates the quality of witness it doesn’t have a witness to Christ, but only to itself.

As the church we need to remember in the changing seas of life, some things remain steady. For us, for the church these things include the community bathed in the waters of our baptism. These things include the feeding of the community by the body and blood of Christ, symbolized by good gifts of the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper celebrated together in what we call Holy Communion.

We are called to remember Christ came to save and serve the world and we serve Christ by helping with this mission. We don’t save, but we point to salvation. We point individually as the people of God and we point together as the church of Christ; just the way John did 2,000 years ago.

So this is who John is. This is who I am. This is who we are. We are the people who point to Christ. We point to Christ who is coming. Advent means coming. We don’t do this with messianic expectations of our own. We do this because Jesus is the Messiah, Jesus is the Christ. Today in a sermon preview, the children and youth pointed to Christ in drama and song. Let us take their words and point to Christ in our word and action too.

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[1] Willimon, William, “Conversations with Barth on Preaching.” Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006

[2] Paraphrase from his introduction at a “Moderator Meets the Presbytery” event in Springfield, Missouri.

[3][3] Reyes-Chow, Bruce, “Dear God, I Would Like My Presbyterian Church (USA) Back” http://reyes-chow.com/2011/12/my-presbyterian-church/, retrieved December 9, 2011.

This Day and the Next

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on January 16, 2011, the 2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time.

Isaiah 49:1-7

Psalm 40:1-11

1Corinthians 1:1-9

John 1:29-42

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

Introductions are how we present ourselves to others. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by what we do or where we live. Sometimes we introduce ourselves by who our parents are or where we were born. This piece from John’s gospel begins with many and different kinds of introductions.

On this day, John begins by introducing Jesus to those around him. When Jesus walks past on this day, the Baptist says, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” How’s that for an introduction, you’re walking down the levee and suddenly your cousin, the guy in camel hair, introduces you to everyone within shouting distance, using the words from Exodus. “Here comes the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Using this image, John invokes the purpose of the Paschal lamb, the lamb slaughtered and eaten at the Passover. The lamb whose blood was placed around the doors of the sons and daughters of Israel so the specter of death would pass over their homes. John’s disciples along with the Sadducees, Pharisees, scribes, lawyers and pretty much everyone else at the river would have known exactly what John meant.

Then John tells the assembly “This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me because he was before me.’” This seems mysterious as introductions go, but no more so than the introduction to the gospel itself, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.”[1]

Separately, these introductions are mystifying, together they explain one another. Since Jesus was in the beginning with God, of course he came before John. And born about six months after the Baptist, Jesus has been since before the beginning. Again, in words the assembly would understand, John introduces Jesus the Messiah to the world.

Then John says something we don’t expect after last week’s reading. “I myself did not know him.” If you are thinking that just last week I said John knew exactly who Jesus was from a Messianic perspective; I did. We read that John did not want to baptize Jesus saying Jesus should baptize him, which implies at least to me that the Baptist knew Jesus is the Messiah.

Maybe you’re remembering that according to Matthew’s gospel John leapt in his mother’s womb at the Messiah’s presence while Jesus was still in utero, well you’re right about that too. So this leads to the question, why does John’s gospel report John saying, “I myself did not know him until the Spirit came and descended on him?” and you’re right, that’s a darn good question.

The quickest answer I have is that’s just one of the differences between Matthew’s and John’s gospels. Sorry, it’s not much but it’s the best answer I have in fewer than fifteen words.

But Matthew’s gospel aside; this is odd because John and Jesus are cousins for crying out loud. Of course they knew each other. But there’s knowing; and there’s knowing. It would make sense that John knew who Jesus was, but as it says in John’s gospel it was only when the Baptist saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove and remain on him, only then did he truly know.

By these sayings; Jesus ranking ahead of John, Jesus coming before John, and John not knowing Jesus, we come to know who the Baptist is. John introduces himself to us. We know that he is not the Messiah, but rather the one who comes before him. John is not God; rather he comes as a witness to testify to the presence of the Son of God. He can do this because he knows first who he is. Not only does John see, he testifies. Not only does John discover, he shares. Not only is John called, he responds. This is how John the Baptist introduces himself on this day.

This introduction is heard as a personal invitation by two of John’s own disciples. When they were introduced, they leave their Rabbi and follow Jesus. And follow they did. They physically got up and pursued Jesus as he made his way from the Jordan.

Next, Jesus turns around seeing two men following him and asks, “What are you looking for?” That’s a loaded question, isn’t it? Does he ask it like he feels uncomfortable with them following? “What are you looking for?” Or maybe he asks them like he all ready knows? “What are you looking for?”

They ask “Teacher, Rabbi, where are you staying?” Then it’s like Jesus looks them in the eye and crooks his finger as he invites them to come and see. No mention is made about what happened that night. What we can imagine is that on this night, this special night when the first two disciples stay with Jesus, they are introduced to a way of life they will share together until their last supper.

But before the three left together, Andrew went to find his brother Simon. Andrew introduces his brother the to revelation that the Messiah has come.

The next day, Andrew brought Simon to Jesus for a proper introduction, but Jesus takes the initiative and makes the introduction instead. “You are Simon son of John. You are to be called Cephas.” Cephas is the Aramaic word for Peter. If you will though, the literal way to translate this name is Rock. In a stunning reversal, Andrew doesn’t introduce Simon to Jesus; Jesus introduces Simon to himself. Jesus knows Peter will be the rock, so the Messiah introduces Simon to Peter, the man he is and the new man in Christ he will become.

John the Baptist introduces himself as the one who testifies about Jesus. John introduces Jesus to the world and to his disciples. John introduces Jesus as the Lamb and who precedes all others. Then Jesus and two of John’s disciples are introduced to each other. The stakes are raised as Jesus introduces them to a taste of what it will be like to be his disciples. But first, Andrew introduces his brother Simon to the fact that the Messiah has come. Finally, marvelously, Jesus introduces himself to Simon and then in an amazing turn Jesus introduces Simon to Peter.

John points the way for everyone to know Jesus. Andrew responds to John’s prompting and tells his brother about the Lamb who will take away the sin of the world. We are fortunate, we have heard these stories. We know the Lamb who is the Christ. We know Simon who became the Rock upon whom the church was built.

Our reading this morning invites us back to a time before we knew, a time when we were like John and Andrew and Simon, not knowing who Jesus really is or what that means for our lives, but aching to know more.

The Reverend Rodger Nishioka tells this story about a member of his church’s youth group and her time of coming to know who Jesus is and who she is too:

Several years ago, when the “What Would Jesus Do?” campaign was at its peak of popularity among young people, I had a conversation with a young high schooler. She had been given a WWJD bracelet; while she was wearing it, she was also troubled by it. After youth group one night, she shared that she was struggling with the concept of the bracelet. I tried to explain that the bracelet is supposed to be a tangible reminder that we are followers of Jesus and that we are to be guided by his actions in every facet of our lives. She assured me that she understood all that. Her problem was that she did not see how it was possible for us even to know what Jesus would actually do in any situation, let alone to do it faithfully. When I tried to explain that we have the Bible and the wider community of believers to help us, she explained in an exasperated tone, “Yeah, but don’t you see? I am not Jesus! I am fully human,[2] but I am not fully divine. I just don’t think it’s fair to even assume that I could imagine what Jesus would do because I am not God.” She had a point.[3]

Reverend Nishioka contends the point is that we are not called to take upon ourselves some kind of Messianic identity for the world. As much as we are to act as Christ’s body in the world, we are not Christ. That job’s taken.

What we are called to be is like the others in this reading. We need to be like the others and marvel in the wonder and mystery of the new thing the Messiah does.

We need to be like John, know the prophecy and see Jesus when he appears. We need to be like the Baptist, and know who Jesus is when we see the Spirit light upon him and stay. We need to be like John and proclaim the name of Jesus to a weary yet hungry world.

We need to be like Andrew; once he is shown the Son of God he follows like a lamb follows its mother. The ewe leads her lamb and provides what it needs to live. We need to be like Andrew, and hear the voice of the one follow and eat the good food of the Lamb of God.

We need to be like Andrew and the unnamed disciple and follow Jesus into a new life of discipleship, even when we have no idea what that may be like. Even in times like in this passage when scripture doesn’t even tell us what their first discipleship experience was like.

We need to be like Andrew, and introduce the Lord to our brothers and sisters. We need to remember that evangelism begins at home. In the light of danger and insecurity, we need to speak the name of the Lord and announce he is the Messiah, the Anointed, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world, the Son of God.

We need to be like Simon, and become Peter. We need to know who we are and when the Anointed makes us something new, we are to leave the old behind and embrace the new creation in God. And yes, we are bound to be like Peter who never made it easy on himself or his Lord. Yet through his rocky discipleship, he becomes the rock.

We need not only to be available; we need to make ourselves available to those in this world who need to hear the name of the Lord. We need to cry his name from the river and from the rocks. We need to cry the name of the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world to the modern-day Sadducees and Pharisees, the scribes and the experts in the Law. We need to cry his name in our homes with our families. We need to tell the world that may never have heard the name of the Lord who he is and that he makes all things new. Jesus has introduced himself; we need to continue to make the introduction to the world.

The important first step to making the introduction is to listen first as the Lord introduces himself to us in scripture. Then when like Simon Peter, as the Son of God introduces us to ourselves, we are to respond to the new life in Jesus Christ.

Just last week this part of the Body of Christ responded to new life in Christ by ordaining and installing new Elders to the Session. In the Presbyterian Church it is usual that in baptism, confirmation, ordination, and installation; the children of God are referred to by their first names alone. The reason for this is wonderful and glorious. The reason for this introduction is that in the church we share the same last name. We are the children of God and by this miracle of grace the family names we carry are an earthly convention. The Lord does not need them to know whose children we are. We are the Lord’s children, the children of God.

So today, on this day, let us be introduced to Jesus again, sharing the newness and the wonder of the Lord. And on this day and the next, let us listen. Let us follow. And let us share. And in the grace and forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ, let us share signs of God’s peace and wondrous love with one another.

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[1] John 1:1-2, NRSV

[2] Actually, it is my contention that being without sin, Jesus is more human than we are. So as Christ is fully human, because of sin we are not. As important as I believe this point is, today it’s a footnote. For the purposes of this sermon, the point of discipleship this girl makes is more important that the point of theology I am making.

[3] Nishioka, Rodger Y. “Feasting on the Word, Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary.” David L. Bartlett and Barbara Brown Taylor, Editors. Year A, Volume 1. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010, page 262.

Living Wet

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday January 9, 2011, the First Sunday in Ordinary Time also known as "Baptism of the Lord" Sunday.

Isaiah 42:1-9
Psalm 29
Acts 10:34-43
Matthew 3:13-17

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

If you have not seen the Walden Media movie “Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader” in the theater or if you have never read the C. S. Lewis Book, then consider yourself warned: This is a “spoiler alert.” I am going to share an important plot point. Not the most important, but still very important. Now, on with the sermon.

Last week, Marie and I saw “Voyage of the Dawn Treader” at the theater. It was the first time we had seen a movie in the city where we lived in years, and it was great. We sat there with our 3-D glasses, a far cry better from the last two generations of 3-D entertainment I’ve seen, along with a dad, his teen daughter, and her BFF; and we all enjoyed this wonderful movie. My short review: good story, nice effects, good use of the 3-D, but do read the book.

It was a good movie, but it is a far better book.

This book introduces a new character to the Narnia universe, a cousin of the Pevensie children, Eustace Clarence Scrubb. For me, the easiest way to describe this young boy in the first half of the book is to say that Eustace rhymes with useless. While Lewis is more subtle about this in his writing, the screen writers take a ham handed approach as Edmund rhymes, “There once was a boy called Eustace/who read books from the facts that were useless.”[1]

On the voyage, Eustace becomes a dragon on account of his selfishness, his self pity, and his greed. In the movie, the great lion Aslan shatters the dragon skin from Eustace by the power of his mighty voice. The power of his roar, a lion’s words if we want to think about words as acts like we have over the past couple of weeks, separates Eustace from the physical curse of being a dragon.

But that’s not the way that it happens in the book. As for me, the movie’s speech wasn’t terribly memorable. Eustace did describe the power of Aslan, but the images from the book are burned on my psyche, and especially on this Sunday the words from C. S. Lewis’ work are far more important.

Eustace describes his encounter with the great Lion to Edmond. [2] Aslan convinces Eustace to follow him from the valley into the mountains; follow him to the top of the mountain; follow him to a wonderful garden. The garden was unlike any Eustace had never seen before. It was green and lush. It’s trees were full of fruit and flowers. And in the middle of the garden was a well.

Eustace was in considerable pain because a piece of jewelry, a bracelet, was biting into his arm. When he was a boy the bracelet was very loose on his arm, but on his thicker dragon upper arm it was terribly small and very painful. He sensed, he knew that if he could soak his swollen arm in the well it would be healed. But Aslan told him that first he would have to undress, he would have to shed the dragon’s skin. So Eustace began by scratching. His scales began to come off like a fish being cleaned. And as he scratched, he noticed that he was able to take off his entire skin, like peeling a banana.

After a couple of minutes, he was able to step completely out of his skin. He stood next to it, and he was sickened by its sight. He was glad to be rid of the skin and began to enter the spring. That was when he noticed that he was unable to shed the dragon’s skin. There was another layer of skin under the first. And there were more layers under that one. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how many times he peeled a layer of skin, he was not able to rid himself of the dragon’s skin.

After Eustace tries on his own several times, Aslan tells Eustace, “You will have to let me undress you.” Eustace was frightened. He was positive that having the dragon’s skin torn by the claws of the great lion would be excruciating. But his arm hurt so badly that he was willing to take the risk. Eustace laid back and the first cut from Aslan’s claw was so deep that Eustace thought it went to his very heart. The pulling of the dragon’s skin was more painful than anything he had ever felt. After a time, Eustace was able to see the dragon’s skin set aside. It was not like the layers of skin he had taken off. This skin was far thicker, and far greener than what Eustace had been able to remove himself.

His skin being removed, Eustace felt raw. Aslan came to him and lifted him (which was also pretty painful since he had just lost his skin) and tossed him into the well. It stung for a time, but quickly the pain was gone and he felt refreshed. His arm was healed. In fact, he had been restored. Eustace was no longer a dragon, he as a boy again. And while Eustace could not remember how, he had been dressed in new clothes by Aslan and was taken near the camp of the rest of the crew of the Dawn Treader.

When Eustace returned to the camp, there was great joy and celebration. They shared a wonderful breakfast and shared great stories about the island, and about Aslan. The way I like to look at this story, it is as if Eustace receives the baptism of Aslan. His old skin is shed and he is made anew in the waters of Aslan’s well. It is only when he lives wet, in relationship with the lion, that Eustace quits being, well, useless.

John says “I need to be baptized by you,” then he asks Jesus, “do you come to me?” John knows his role. Matthew 3:11 John clearly tells the Pharisees and the Sadducees, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” So John knows that he is not the one, he is the one who makes his path straight. John knows Jesus doesn’t need his baptism, he needs Jesus’.

But in a word, Jesus let John know he needed John’s baptism and everything was right in creation. John knew Jesus’ words were the answer to his question, the words that overcome all objection. “It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” This is when John allowed the drama to unfold the way it had been ordained.

“It is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.” Righteousness, in a word, in a moment, John knew what this meant, so what does it mean to us?

Our reading from Isaiah reminds us that the Lord calls the prophet in righteousness. The Lord has given him to the people as a light to the nations so that he might open the eyes that are blind, bring out the prisoners from the dungeon and release from prison those who sit in darkness. The Lord gave Isaiah to the world to show us that the former things have come to pass, and the new things the Lord now declares will be shared with the prophet before he shares them with the rest of the world.

The Lord tells Isaiah the former things have come to pass, and Isaiah will be told of the new things now declared before they spring forth. These are not the sort of things that one would tell a causal acquaintance, someone on the street. There was a relationship, [3] a relationship between the Lord and the prophet, an intimacy I can scarcely imagine. I imagine John was experiencing this same intimacy with the Lord Jesus in the waters of the Jordan.

John knew that righteousness exists in relationship. John knew as the readers of this gospel knew in the first century that righteousness only exists in relationship. In the language of our gospel reading, in ancient Greek, righteousness can only exist in relationship.

And there is more to this righteousness.

The obvious question that comes from this reading from Matthew is why in the world Jesus would need a baptism for repentance of sin? He is without sin, so of course he didn’t. But in presenting himself for baptism, Jesus emphasizes doing what is right. The action which he fulfills in this moment and will continue to fulfill throughout his life on earth is what he was supposed to do, what he had to do.[4] While remaining fully divine, Jesus empties himself of all Godly status and privilege; accepting life on earth as a human being; human life to the point of facing life’s death, even death upon the cross.

He wasn’t forced to do these things. But being Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, integrity demanded he could do nothing else.

Jesus could have come to the river to establish righteousness, but that is not what he had come to do, not in this moment in time. When John consented to Jesus’ coming to the river, Jesus was immersed into the waters of the Jordan. When he arose from the waters, Jesus saw the heavens open. He saw the Spirit of God descending on him like a dove and lighting upon him. And then a voice was heard from heaven.

Hear the words of the psalmist who wrote:

The voice of the LORD is over the waters;

the God of glory thunders,

the LORD, is upon the mighty waters.

The voice of the LORD is a powerful voice;

the voice of the LORD is a voice of splendor.[5]

As our gospel reading comes to an end, the voice of the Lord is heard over the waters, a voice of power and full of splendor. The voice which thunders over the mighty waters tells all who are assembled,[6] “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

In due time, Jesus would give the world a new righteousness, a new relationship with the Lord open to all of us, not just the prophets of the Old Testament. But this was not the reason he came to the river. Jesus had come to the river to do the right thing. He came to accept the baptism of John, creating a with him relationship available to all who seek it.[7]. And in his obedience to righteousness he did what was pleasing to God, receiving the anointing of the Holy Spirit, hearing the glorious voice of the Lord.

This is as far as I got by Saturday afternoon. Then I checked facebook and when I did I found out about the shooting in Tucson. I read about a mad man who took more than a dozen shots into a crowd at a political event, killing six including Federal Judge John Roll and a nine year-old girl, wounding twelve including U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

It seems that in times like these, when chaos looks like it is going to swallow us all, that people come to church seeking answers, seeking a word from the Lord. Today I speak about righteousness that comes through relationship. I speak of a man who takes a baptism that is not his, but he takes it on behalf of all of us. He accepts the baptism of water to stand with us in the waters of the church. He has chosen to live wet in the waters of our baptism, a baptism he does not need, but chooses to accept.

It’s funny how many of those images will return around Easter time. Then he will take what should be assigned to us again. Then he will accept a punishment that we deserve, not him. And he will do it on our behalf.

Today, we come to the font, accepting three new members into this community, a community established in the waters of his baptism and in ours. Today we will come to the font and ordain and install new leaders, Elders into this part of the Body of Christ. One of these Elders has served the congregation and the Session faithfully. The other has served the congregation faithfully and begins serving in a new ministry today.

Today we will come to the table to celebrate the Lord’s Supper sharing the Bread of Heaven, the Body of Christ broken for us and the Cup of Salvation, the Blood of Christ shed for us.

In our reading today, through the Baptism of the Lord, we are again called to remember our own baptism. Our baptism is a bath, a tomb, a womb. Our baptism is a gift which identifies us with the community Jesus calls into existence every day. A community he founded and a community he joined in the waters of his baptism, done through righteousness which is a gift freely offered which we freely desire.[8] In the waters of the baptism we share together, we live a wonderfully wet life.

As for yesterday’s shooting, I have no new word. I have no new insight. I have no new wisdom. What I have, the only thing I ever always have, is the promise of the Lord our God. The only thing I really have to say about this is that as we are called to live in righteousness, in relationship with Jesus Christ. And as in the life of Christ, sometimes we live wet in the waters of our baptism; and in other more horrific times it is in the blood of the cross.

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[1] “Narnia, Voyage of the Dawn Treader” http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0980970/quotes, retrieved January 5, 2011.

[2] Lewis, C. S., Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The. Harper Trophy: New York, 1952, 1980, pages 113-117.

[3] Kittel, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, volume II, page 195.

[4] Ibid, page 198.

[5] This version of the Psalm is found in the Presbyterian Church Book of Worship.

[6] Not all scholars agree that the assembly heard the words of the Lord. But because Matthew’s gospel says, “This is my Son” instead of “You are my Son,” I am inclined to side with the scholars that say everyone heard the words. On the other side, I believe only Jesus saw the Spirit come based on the pronouns used in Matthew’s gospel, “…the heavens open to him and he saw the Spirit…”

[7] Kittel, ibid, page 198.

[8] ibid

Go and Tell What You Hear and See

This sermon was heard at the First Presbyterian Church in Marshall, Texas on Sunday December 12, 2010, the 3rd Sunday of Advent.

Isaiah 35:1-10
Psalm 146:5-10
James 5:7-10

Matthew 11:2-11

May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable to you, O Lord, our rock and our redeemer. Amen

As we read last week, John had promised everyone who had come to the Jordan that while he was there to baptize with water for repentance; after him will come one who is more powerful than he, whose sandals he is not fit to carry. He who follows will baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

Then in the verse that immediately follows last week’s gospel selection we read, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.” John recognized who Jesus was. Matthew’s gospel tells us that John would have prevented Jesus from being baptized by him saying, “I need to be baptized by you.” Jesus recognized who John was too. He said, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”

They recognized one another. The story of the Baptism of Jesus ends with a voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

John knew who Jesus was, but by the time of our reading this morning, Jesus wasn’t doing the things John had expected the Christ to do. Jesus wasn’t doing the Messianic stuff, the Holy Spirit and fire he had expected, he had prophesied, wasn’t coming. Where’s the brimstone when you need it?

Of course, John’s expectations of a Messiah who would come with fire weren’t his own creation. There was a long history of prophets who had prophesied the coming of the Messiah with fire. Our reading from Isaiah promised God will come with vengeance and with terrible recompense. Isaiah promised divine retribution coming to destroy the enemies of God. Now we’re talking about the Holy Spirit and fire with a vengeance.

The conventional wisdom of the day was that the Messiah would come to free the nation from its oppression by conquerors. Freedom from Rome, freedom from Babylon, freedom from Egypt; the Jews expected a military and political leader who would free them from the traditional shackles of the world and restore the Kingdom of God on earth.

But with everything The Baptist knew, knowing Jesus is the Christ, what Jesus was doing didn’t meet his expectations for the acts of the Messiah. He knew Jesus was the answer, but where’s the fire? Where’s the vengeance? Where’s the terrible recompense? Where’s the divine retribution? Where is the destruction of the enemies? John’s in prison. He isn’t long for this world, and I am guessing he is feeling the pressure of prophecy and the weight of the cosmos upon him, so he sends his disciples to ask. “Are you the one who is to come? Or are we to wait for another?”

Jesus answers John’s disciples. “Go and tell John what you see and hear.” He tells them don’t ask me, see for yourself and tell your master, your Rabbi; tell John what you see.

So, what has happened since Jesus has been baptized?

According to the New Interpreter’s Bible, in the narrative of the book of Matthew, Jesus performs twenty distinct miracles with additional miracles only mentioned in summaries.[1] This is more than any other gospel.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus cleanses the man whose skin is blemished, curing his leprosy. He heals Peter’s mother-in-law from her ailment. He heals the paralytic declaring that his sins are forgiven; then asking the Pharisees who declare this blasphemy which is easier to say, “your sins are forgiven” or “stand up and walk?”

He heals the man with the withered hand and gives sight to the blind on at least two occasions. While not found in Matthew’s gospel, there is a story of Jesus healing a deaf man in Mark’s gospel. On the flip side of this miracle, Matthew reports the story of a man who cannot speak becoming able to express himself in voice after he is exorcised of demons.

In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus performs two exorcisms and eight healings. He also performs three more healings that are also exorcisms. There are two miracles at sea and in three stories the needs of people are miraculously met. In life and in death; raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead and cursing a fig tree to its death rounds out the table of miracles.

In his own more concise words to John’s disciples, “The blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

In just these few words, Jesus invites John’s disciples to remember what was written in Psalm 146, the Psalm we used as our call to worship this morning, “The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord!”

In one simple sentence, Jesus reminds John’s disciples of the miracles and blessings he has shared in the name of Holy God, to give glory to God. In one simple sentence, Jesus points to the Father, who points back to the Son.

Jesus tells them exactly who he is. And if he isn’t what they expected, that wasn’t his concern. Jesus says that if his actions don’t pony up to their expectations about what the Messiah should do, they should take another look at their expectations.

Jesus is exactly who he is, he is exactly who he says he is, and he isn’t Lord of creation to meet others expectations or desires. Like John and his disciples, we all have an idea of who God is, but that may not be who God is at all. So how do we find out who God is? We do just what John did, he asked. So we ask.

But we must beware of the questions we ask and how we ask. To get good answers first we need to ask good questions. In Douglas Adams’ hilarious novel “The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” it is discovered that the ultimate answer to life, the universe, and everything is… 42. Oh, it’s the right answer, it was later discovered that they didn’t ask a very good question. The question wasn’t good enough to reach a meaningful answer.

Yet we are fortunate, one of the joys of our questioning is that we have the source of the answers. Scripture is the word of God. Its authority is in the fact that the Bible is the authoritative historical witness to Christ. It is the testimony of those who actually saw and witnessed to the saving acts of God in history.[2] The Bible is worthy to be called Holy Scripture because it conveys, mirrors, or reflects what is authentic and valid about God and God’s works.[3]

Of course we have to beware, there are lessons that are easy to take that are incomplete, or not really there at all.

Yesterday, protesters from the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas were on the picket lines again. According to their own website, “The humble servants of God at WBC have picketed 44,729 times - preaching on the mean streets of 814 Cities - including in all 50 States (plus Canada and Iraq) - commanding all men to fear God, and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment is come!”[4]

On a side note, for everyone who wants to spend time expressing rage and furious anger against these “humble servants,” according to their web site, they have lost and will lose exactly zero “nanoseconds of sleep” over anyone’s “opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings.”[5] (emphasis theirs)

Westboro Baptist first made national headlines in 1998 for picketing the funeral of Matthew Shepherd, a University of Wyoming student who was brutally beaten and murdered. During the trial of his accused and convicted killers, witnesses stated that Shepherd was targeted because he was homosexual.

The congregation graduated to constant headlines in 2005 after declaring its intention to picket the memorial service of Carrie French in Boise, Idaho. At the age of nineteen, French was killed on June 5, 2005 in Kirkuk, Iraq where she served as an ammunition specialist with the 116^th Brigade Combat Team’s 145^th Support Battalion.

The Reverend Fred Phelps, Senior was once quoted saying, “Our attitude toward what’s happening with the war is [that] the Lord is punishing this evil nation for abandoning all moral imperatives that are worth a dime.”[6]

Yesterday members of the Westboro Church went to Raleigh, North Carolina to protest the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards because of her tolerance for gays. Their hope was to promote “awareness of the dangers of homosexuality”[7] and condemn her for “spewing blasphemy.”[8]

Now, here’s why I share this: In his own way, Reverend Phelps has asked a question and prayed for guidance. He sees something wrong with his community, and asks what can be done to redeem the situation. The answer he has received is that it’s just plain too late for America and he’s going to get the word out because time is short. He and the people of the Westboro Baptist Church have chosen to picket churches, funerals, football games, and rock concerts as the way to share the word that God’s hard rain is falling.

Rev. Phelps is telling the world and our nation in particular are going to hell in a hand basket, literally. In this way, he has joined in with what Jesus has commanded the disciples of John, they are going and telling what they see and hear. Frankly, this is what prophets do.

The Psalmist wrote, “The Lord sets the prisoners free; the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.” My guess though is that the people of Westboro are heavy on the ruin of the wicked.

As for me, I don’t agree with his interpretation of scripture. I will say nothing about the sincerity of their convictions; instead I think they have asked their questions poorly and got 42 for an answer.

Of course, in their own words, they won’t lose any sleep over my “opinions and feeeeellllliiiiiings.”[9]

This week my Facebook profile has been ablaze with no shortage of people who hope that the folks from Westboro get a sore throat, forcing them to be quiet. Some have suggested they would like to picket Rev. Phelps’ funeral with signs that are far from complementary. As for me, I would like to see a funeral sign that says, “God is love and God loves… even Rev. Phelps.”

As for me, I believe we live in a nation that is a shining light among the nations of the world. Do I believe that our nation is all that it can be? Do I believe that we have reached the apex of our ability to follow God? No, surely I believe that sin is real in this world, in both individuals and in the governments we create.

Yet I have faith, I believe that no one and nothing is beyond God’s redeeming work done in Jesus Christ. I believe that as long as there is life in Christ, the miracles of the Lord are still real. I believe we are a Psalm 146 nation following the Lord lifting up those who are bowed down and loving the righteous. We are a nation that watches over the strangers and upholds the orphan and the widow. And we are a nation that will truly bring the wicked to ruin.

I believe this because it is what I have seen and what I have heard. It is what I have found in scripture. It is what I have seen on the faces of the people, people whose lives reflect the light of God. I find it in individuals in the military. I see it in teachers. I even see it in a handful of politicians. It is what I hear in the voices of those who sing God’s praises and cry for God’s justice. I believe this because it is what I have seen and what I have heard; and it is what I must go and tell.

John’s disciples asked if Jesus was the one. Like only Jesus can, he says, “Yes I am, just look around and see the Kingdom of God blossoming around you. It may not be what you expected to see, but it is what my Father expects me to do.” Fred Phelps sees wrath, I see grace and redemption. We are both called to share what we have heard and seen. And by this, may no one take offence at the Lord our God.

John’s disciples left to spread the Good News of Jesus. We need to ask: Who are you, O Lord? Where are you at work in this world? What are you doing? How shall we share what we have seen and what we have heard?

Advent is upon us. Let us share this, the good news that Jesus is coming. As for me, I am excited. So now, let us spread the Good News of our God who reigns now and for all generations.

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[1] “The New Interpreter’s Bible,” Leander E. Keck, Convener. Vol. VIII. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995, p 241-244.

[2] Authority of Scripture, Richardson, Alan, “Interpreters’ Dictionary of the Bible.” 21st Printing 1992. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1962

[3] Authority of Scripture, Barr, J. “Interpreters’ Dictionary of the Bible—Supplemental Volume.” 13th Printing 1996. Abingdon Press: Nashville, 1976.

[4] http://www.godhatesfags.com/picketlocations.html, retrieved December 11, 2010.

[5] http://www.godhatesfags.com/index.html, retrieved December 11, 2010.

[6] Oxley, Chuck. “His church was bombed, and now he protests funerals of the war dead.” Seattlep.com. Retrieved October 5, 2006.

[7] http://www.carynews.com/2010/12/11/v-print/24444/westboro-baptist-protest-sparks.html, retrieved December 11, 2010.

[8] WBC Press Release found at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/09/elizabeth-edwards-funeral-westboro-baptist-church_n_794333.html, retrieved December 11, 2010.

[9] Ibid. http://www.godhatesfags.com/index.html, retrieved December 11, 2010.