Deuteronomy 11.18-21, 26-28                                                                             Carol A. Solovitz

Psalm 31.1-5, 19-24                                                                                               Pentecost 2A

Romans 1.16-17, 3.22b-28                                                                                    May 29, 2005

Matthew 7.21-29

 

 

I Am Not Ashamed

               

 

          Dear Fellow Disciples of Jesus Christ, may the grace and peace of our Lord and Savior be with you today. 

Sometimes, I think of the things we have lost in our desire to separate ourselves from our parent religions, things that are authentic statements of faith and can help us remember God’s promises and our callings.  For instance, think about what happened while Martin Luther was hiding in the Wartburg Castle for fear of his life.  He continued to open the faith to others as he translated the New Testament into German.  However, back in Wittenberg, the pastor was so intent on removing Catholic influences that he had the statues and stained glass windows of the Stadtkirche – the Town Church - removed and destroyed.  When Luther returned and learned about these actions, he mourned that the people had lost some of the most powerful illustrations of God’s Word.  He called them beautiful sermons.  Today, the church again has stained glass and some memorial statues in it.

In some Jewish households, you might find an item called a mezuzah – “a small parchment scroll inscribed with Deuteronomy 6.4-9 and 11.13-21 and the name ‘Shaddai’ and placed in a case fixed to the doorpost by some Jewish families as a sign and reminder of their faith.”  Often, as family members leave or enter the house, they kiss their fingers and touch this little plaque on the doorpost.  Another item, used in prayer, is the phylactery.  This is a little box with a tiny scroll of the same scripture passages.  It has ribbons attached to it so it can be wrapped onto a person’s forehead or arm during prayer.  These items of faith take seriously the teachings of Moses that “You shall put these words of mine in your heart and soul, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and fix them as an emblem on your forehead.  Teach them to your children, talking about them when you are at home, and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates…”  In other words, nurture your faith in God and do not be ashamed of it.

Sometimes, it is difficult to tell the difference between the things that enhance our faith and that get in the way of it.  Often, they are one and the same.  For instance, a stained glass window can illustrate a Bible story in a colorful, vivid way, so that our faith is deepened when we study it.  But when a stained glass window itself becomes the focus of worship, it is no longer a help to faith, but is a hindrance and an idol.  A mezuzah or phylactery or rosary can give a false sense of security and lead to a lazy faith, assuming they are all we need for a right relationship with God, so that faith does not become active in love.

Jesus said to his disciples, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.”  And what is the will of the Father?  Jesus also told them, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them…”  These people “will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” and not on sand.   Their faith will withstand the storms of life, the pounding of the elements that would destroy a faith without a firm foundation.

Since I returned from Germany, the Holy Land of Protestantism, only a week ago, I figured that you would expect me to talk about it.  I will not disappoint you.  Besides the privilege of preaching and leading 6 worship services in the churches and chapel of Lutherstadt Wittenberg, I also had many opportunities to get acquainted with the local people.  Our Thursday evenings were spent at a restaurant with visitors and townsfolk who wanted to converse in English.  They were delightful, fascinating evenings.  Some of the people had lived through the Hitler years in Europe; most had experienced life under communism and the Russian presence in East Germany; and now all were relishing the freedom of life in a democracy.  Even though the Nazis controlled the churches and the communists tried to take away their faith, most of them now enjoy the privilege of worshiping openly again.  In the years of oppression, they worshiped in secret.  Their faith was strong and remains strong today, but they told of being persecuted for their involvement with the church.

One man told me that he was not chosen to attend “gymnasium” – high school – because he was too active in the church.  After the Peaceful Revolution of 1989 and the fall of the wall that divided East and West Europe, he went to school again to study languages.  He could speak English, French, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Polish, and several other languages.  However, under communism, he had been willing to work at back-breaking labor rather than denounce his faith for the privilege of getting more schooling.  He was not ashamed of his faith.

Margrete is a woman long retired from teaching school, but she is very active and faithful in her many relationships.  She and her husband, Dankwart, now travel all over the world.  For years, though, she was followed by Russian soldiers wherever she went.  They entered her classrooms and listened to her lessons to find a reason to arrest her for crimes against the state.  Whenever she felt it was safe, she spoke openly about her Christian faith.  She participated in the nonviolent marches of the Peaceful Revolution, and she encouraged border guards and the Stasi (State Security Guard) and others to defy the communists.  She was not ashamed of her faith and the message it compelled her to speak and live.

I visited the Nicolaikirche – the Church of St. Nicolas - in Leipzig, where every Monday for most of 1989, people gathered in the church and the square outside to pray and march for peace.  It was the birthplace of the Peaceful Revolution.  The Russian soldiers and the Stasi attended the services and marches so they could stop illegal activities and arrest those involved; instead, they heard the Gospel, and many were converted.  They refused to arrest, punish, or shoot.  They were not ashamed of the Gospel, and many became instrumental in the peace movement.

All of these examples, as well as all of our scripture readings for today, point to people who take their faith seriously.  They do not see their church or synagogue as a club or a fancy meeting place.  No, their faith has a stronger foundation.  They hear the words of God and act on them.  They are wise; they have houses built on rock and not on sand.  Because they know the “power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile,” they are not ashamed.  They do not take for granted their faith and the privilege of worshiping freely.  They are our teachers, as they live out the message that was given in the Bible by Moses, Jesus, and Paul.  Let us listen to them, learn from them, and act in Jesus’ name to do the will of our Lord.

Let us pray: Lord, speak to us. May your words become our strong foundation of faith, so that we may pray and act in your name, without shame or fear.  Amen