Whose Water Is It?
Stories
Contents
“Whose Water Is It?” by C. David McKirachan
“Victory of Faith” by Frank Ramirez
Whose Water Is It?
by C. David McKirachan
Acts 10:44-48
Living with God as an active part of our life demands that we actively participate in an ongoing paradox. Some faiths work to cancel this one out, leaning hard on obedience, putting a lid on free will, telling us to ignore reason, demanding a literal interpretation of the Bible, offering a practice built on feel good salvation, you take it from there. Reformed faith nudges us into a cross reference of free will overseen by an omnipotent God, a covenant of law that is undergirded by grace, justification by faith leading us into a self-sacrificing search for justice and reconciliation. Was there something in the water that made Paul and Martin Luther and John Calvin difficult personalities? Make up your minds, will ya?
But the problem didn’t begin with them. They just decided to accept the truth. God is bigger than any binary, simplistic system. Our tradition takes us out into the broad expanses of God’s deep blue sea riding on our little ships constructed with stuff from the land. Out there it’s no fun encountering the rip tides and storms. We tend to bob around, struggle to get anywhere, get wet and stay that way, and have a hard time keeping our lunch down.
But if we are going to affirm that God made us to be thinking animals, with the ability to make choices, to be stupid enough to pollute our home for profit and convenience, ignore the homeless, hit our children, AND carve the Pieta out of a rock, compose the 9th Symphony while deaf, and write Romeo and Juiliete anytime, we’ve got to accept paradox. We’re stupid and glorious. We’re sinful and loved. Get over it. I told you this wasn’t simple.
But if we’ve got this religion stuff, full of laws and heavy suggestions, how are we supposed to deal with the ongoing creative spirit that periodically colors outside the lines? When’s it time to go with the flow? Should we be taking a stand? Yogi Berra can weigh in now: “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” We can’t just sit still pretending that if we ignore the paradox it will resolve itself. We have this thing labeled, ‘being called.’ This horribly difficult situation is an opportunity to let the glory of God be revealed. We’ve got to take the fork.
I feel sorry for Peter. His nickname is a paradox. He’s about as steady as pond scum and they called him Rocky. They should have called him Waffle. Here he is again, caught between. He’s a law guy. Circumcision was his deal. Pork chops weren’t. And here come some Gentiles with the gifts of the Spirit. I can just hear his expletives. Don’t forget he was a fisherman. He thought he was being a good man, standing up for God, doing the right thing. Now what is he supposed to do?
For Paul there would have been no trouble. Paul was an intellectual. He could make a theological argument to justify letting anybody in. Peter grew up in a small town. He was a blue collar guy. This wasn’t easy. But God bless him, he let the Holy Spirit lead him away from tradition and ‘we always did it that way before’ and the ‘Ol’ time religion’ out into the pathless sea, where there are no guard rails or insurance policies.
Peter accepted the reality that God’s power and God’s will was bigger than the law, he accepted that God owned the water that had made him and the other disciples children of God and those disciples had no right or authority to hold that water back from these Gentiles. Welcome to the big blue, Pete.
* * *
Victory of Faith
by Frank Ramirez
1 John 5:1-6
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith (1 John 5:3-4).
It is sometimes forgotten that in the lead-up to the World War I a large proportion of Americans were against that bloody and pointless contest between European powers. Following America’s entrance into the war, however, the conflict was re-mythologized into a Holy War against demonic powers. Members of the three Historic Peace Churches, the Brethren, Mennonite, and Friends, had been led to believe before the war that they would be allowed to serve as noncombatants, or in some form of alternative service. Instead, those who were drafted were persecuted, tortured, and even killed because their faith led them to refuse to take up arms.
Meanwhile their church leaders were confused and largely unprepared to respond against the sudden rage expressed against them by the government and the society at large.
As a result, after the war when those who had been persecuted became church leaders in their own right, they laid the groundwork for a more coherent cooperative plan between government and the peace churches for constructive alternative service.
With the storm clouds of war gathering anew, the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Society of Friends (Quakers) met in Newton Kansas from October 31 through November 2, 1935. Among their goals was to work more closely with the US government before war actually broke out. During the meeting they composed and printed what was called the “Principles of Christian Peace and Patriotism.”
This work bore fruit. Conscientious objectors would still face opposition and accusations that they were cowards. In one case a shipload of doctors who were conscientious objectors volunteering to serve in China was turned around in mid voyage because an influential columnist object to their contributing to the war effort without firing a shot. These doctors, who had learned Chinese, ended up in Puerto Rico instead, where they helped found a hospital that is still in use today.
Conscientious objectors would go on to raise crops, fight fires, work in nursing homes, perform pioneer work as Smoke Jumpers, medical guinea pigs in the now famous Starvation Experiment, among many other endeavors, displayed their heroism during World War II as part of their faith in Jesus.
(Source: Speak Peace: A Daily Reader, edited by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, Brethren Press, 2017, 173)
See On Earth Peace: Discussions on War/Peace Issues Between Friends, Mennonites, Brethren, and European Churches, 1935-1975, ed Donald F. Durnbaugh (Brethren Press 1978)
*****************************************
StoryShare, May 6, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Whose Water Is It?” by C. David McKirachan
“Victory of Faith” by Frank Ramirez
Whose Water Is It?
by C. David McKirachan
Acts 10:44-48
Living with God as an active part of our life demands that we actively participate in an ongoing paradox. Some faiths work to cancel this one out, leaning hard on obedience, putting a lid on free will, telling us to ignore reason, demanding a literal interpretation of the Bible, offering a practice built on feel good salvation, you take it from there. Reformed faith nudges us into a cross reference of free will overseen by an omnipotent God, a covenant of law that is undergirded by grace, justification by faith leading us into a self-sacrificing search for justice and reconciliation. Was there something in the water that made Paul and Martin Luther and John Calvin difficult personalities? Make up your minds, will ya?
But the problem didn’t begin with them. They just decided to accept the truth. God is bigger than any binary, simplistic system. Our tradition takes us out into the broad expanses of God’s deep blue sea riding on our little ships constructed with stuff from the land. Out there it’s no fun encountering the rip tides and storms. We tend to bob around, struggle to get anywhere, get wet and stay that way, and have a hard time keeping our lunch down.
But if we are going to affirm that God made us to be thinking animals, with the ability to make choices, to be stupid enough to pollute our home for profit and convenience, ignore the homeless, hit our children, AND carve the Pieta out of a rock, compose the 9th Symphony while deaf, and write Romeo and Juiliete anytime, we’ve got to accept paradox. We’re stupid and glorious. We’re sinful and loved. Get over it. I told you this wasn’t simple.
But if we’ve got this religion stuff, full of laws and heavy suggestions, how are we supposed to deal with the ongoing creative spirit that periodically colors outside the lines? When’s it time to go with the flow? Should we be taking a stand? Yogi Berra can weigh in now: “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” We can’t just sit still pretending that if we ignore the paradox it will resolve itself. We have this thing labeled, ‘being called.’ This horribly difficult situation is an opportunity to let the glory of God be revealed. We’ve got to take the fork.
I feel sorry for Peter. His nickname is a paradox. He’s about as steady as pond scum and they called him Rocky. They should have called him Waffle. Here he is again, caught between. He’s a law guy. Circumcision was his deal. Pork chops weren’t. And here come some Gentiles with the gifts of the Spirit. I can just hear his expletives. Don’t forget he was a fisherman. He thought he was being a good man, standing up for God, doing the right thing. Now what is he supposed to do?
For Paul there would have been no trouble. Paul was an intellectual. He could make a theological argument to justify letting anybody in. Peter grew up in a small town. He was a blue collar guy. This wasn’t easy. But God bless him, he let the Holy Spirit lead him away from tradition and ‘we always did it that way before’ and the ‘Ol’ time religion’ out into the pathless sea, where there are no guard rails or insurance policies.
Peter accepted the reality that God’s power and God’s will was bigger than the law, he accepted that God owned the water that had made him and the other disciples children of God and those disciples had no right or authority to hold that water back from these Gentiles. Welcome to the big blue, Pete.
* * *
Victory of Faith
by Frank Ramirez
1 John 5:1-6
For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith (1 John 5:3-4).
It is sometimes forgotten that in the lead-up to the World War I a large proportion of Americans were against that bloody and pointless contest between European powers. Following America’s entrance into the war, however, the conflict was re-mythologized into a Holy War against demonic powers. Members of the three Historic Peace Churches, the Brethren, Mennonite, and Friends, had been led to believe before the war that they would be allowed to serve as noncombatants, or in some form of alternative service. Instead, those who were drafted were persecuted, tortured, and even killed because their faith led them to refuse to take up arms.
Meanwhile their church leaders were confused and largely unprepared to respond against the sudden rage expressed against them by the government and the society at large.
As a result, after the war when those who had been persecuted became church leaders in their own right, they laid the groundwork for a more coherent cooperative plan between government and the peace churches for constructive alternative service.
With the storm clouds of war gathering anew, the Church of the Brethren, Mennonites, and Society of Friends (Quakers) met in Newton Kansas from October 31 through November 2, 1935. Among their goals was to work more closely with the US government before war actually broke out. During the meeting they composed and printed what was called the “Principles of Christian Peace and Patriotism.”
Our peace principles are rooted in Christ and his word.
Through Jesus Christ, who lived among men as the incarnation of the God of love, we become partakers of the spirit and character of our Lord, and thereby are constrained to love all men, even our enemies.
Christ has led us to see the value of human life and personalities, and the possibilities in all men, who by spiritual rebirth from above may become sons of God.
The spirit of sacrificial service, long, and goodwill promotes the highest well-being and development of men and society, whereas the spirit of hatred, ill will, and fear destroys, as has been demonstrated repeatedly in human experience.
Since good alone can overcome evil, the use of violence must be abandoned.
War is sin. It is the complete denial of the Christian spirit of love and all that Christ stands for. It is wrong in spirit and method, and destructive in results. Therefore, we cannot support or engage in any war or conflict between nations, classes, or groups.
Our supreme allegiance is to God. We cannot violate it by a lesser loyalty,m but we are determined to follow Christ in all things. In this determination we believe we are serving the best interests of our country, and are truly loyal to our nation.
Under God we commit ourselves to set forth in the true way of life this statement of position and assume the obligations and sacrifices attending its practice.
This work bore fruit. Conscientious objectors would still face opposition and accusations that they were cowards. In one case a shipload of doctors who were conscientious objectors volunteering to serve in China was turned around in mid voyage because an influential columnist object to their contributing to the war effort without firing a shot. These doctors, who had learned Chinese, ended up in Puerto Rico instead, where they helped found a hospital that is still in use today.
Conscientious objectors would go on to raise crops, fight fires, work in nursing homes, perform pioneer work as Smoke Jumpers, medical guinea pigs in the now famous Starvation Experiment, among many other endeavors, displayed their heroism during World War II as part of their faith in Jesus.
(Source: Speak Peace: A Daily Reader, edited by Cheryl Brumbaugh-Cayford, Brethren Press, 2017, 173)
See On Earth Peace: Discussions on War/Peace Issues Between Friends, Mennonites, Brethren, and European Churches, 1935-1975, ed Donald F. Durnbaugh (Brethren Press 1978)
*****************************************
StoryShare, May 6, 2018, issue.
Copyright 2018 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
