The God I Choose to Serve

Proper 16B; Joshua 24:15; John 6:67-68; St. Paul’s, Smithfield, 8/23/2015

Jim Melnyk: “The God I Choose to Serve”

I've owned this particular Bible for a little over 26 years now – more than a quarter of a century. It was a gift. It even has my name inscribed on the front cover. The inside inscription reads: “Presented to James Stanley Melnyk by the Prayer Book and Tract Society in Upper South Carolina on the occasion of his ordination to the Diaconate on June 10, 1989 in Trinity Cathedral, Columbia, South Carolina.” It is signed, William A. Beckham, Bishop of Upper South Carolina.

This particular Bible has hardly ever been used. Even before it was given to me on that special day, the Episcopal Church had begun a shift from this translation – The Revised Standard Version – to a newer translation – aptly named The New Revised Standard Version. The NRSV – as most folks call it – was introduced as my last year in seminary was coming to a close.  

It incorporated many of the shifts in translation that our seminary professors had been pointing to throughout our studies – and it is still the Bible of choice in most Episcopal Churches.

Even as I received this wonderful gift, the world's understanding of what its authors and editors were trying to proclaim had shifted. Our understanding of God had shifted. The ways in which we looked at God through the pages of Scripture had taken on new life – and not for the first time in the history of faith. In the years between 1952, when this version was first published, and 1989, when the NRSV was introduced, there were twenty-six other English translations of the Bible produced.

There were also another twenty-five translations and revisions of the New Testament alone. New understandings – new scholarship – newly discovered documents – along with new insights into history, culture, language and faith brought about changes in how the Bible would be read.

And you may have noticed that people tend to have their favorite – even solely authoritative – version of the Bible. Many Bible-belt believers will say the King James Version is the only real. But then we must ask, “Is that the version first published in 1611 – or one of the many revisions of that version?” I dare say that most versions of the King James Bible we come across today, whether in a home, a motel drawer, a pew or on a bookstore shelf are quite different from the problematic version first read in the 17th century.  And contrary to some popular belief, Jesus did not use the King James Version!

Now bear with me – I'm going somewhere with this – I promise. Before I was given this Bible those many years ago I had to take a vow – it can be found on page 538 of the BCP. I promised to be loyal to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as the Episcopal Church has received them. Then I said, “I solemnly declare that I do believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God, and to contain all things necessary to salvation….” Can you see where I'm going? The translations don't all agree! Even some of the stories in the same translation don't agree with each other! Our stances on doctrine, as a denomination, don't always agree! Did I have my fingers crossed back then? Have I crossed them each time I've renewed my ordination vows over the years? No. I can answer “No” because of what I believe about Scripture – what I believe about my vows and what they mean – and because of the God whom I choose to serve.

I believe this Bible – the Bible – is a gift from God and God's people which points to the wonder and grace of God. Too many people seem to see this book as God. It is not. It points to, and reveals, the One we call God, and that’s why we have this time on Sunday mornings, or study this book in Sunday School or our Monday Night Study Group – it gives us a chance to wrestle with the text – to use the gift of reason God has given us to interpret and understand – to remember that for us as Christians the true Word of God is Jesus.

Joshua told the people of Israel “choose this day whom you will serve!” When the twelve, struggling with what they are hearing about bread from heaven, are asked by Jesus, “will you also leave me?” Simon Peter says, “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life.”  We don’t read these stories in isolation from their contexts – we read them with an expectation that like Joshua and the Israelites, and like the twelve who followed Jesus – we have to decide just who it is we choose to follow.

The God I choose to follow is revealed to me in the pages of Holy Scripture – in the words and images of both the Hebrew and Christian texts. But the God I choose to follow is not constrained by, or held hostage within, these texts! The God I choose to follow has spoken to humanity not just in days of old – and not just through the pages of Scripture. The God I choose to follow has spoken through people of faith throughout the ages – and not just people of Christian faith. Everything I need to know to find my home in God can be found in the stories, the songs, the poetry, and the history of this book – but there's so much more to understand and know about God that awakens my heart and draws me ever closer to my Creator.

The God I choose to follow – the God whom I choose to serve – is not constrained by these pages – if that were so, if God were to be constrained by these pages – what kind of God would that be?

And so, in response to Joshua, and in solidarity with Simon Peter, I want to share with you this morning something of the God whom I choose to follow.

I choose to follow a God who creates life out of death. A God who declares the goodness of creation – a God who looks upon this human family, even in all our brokenness, and says, “It is very good.”

I choose to follow a God, who looks upon human suffering –who looks upon slavery and oppression – who looks upon hatred and bigotry – and says, “Let my people go!” I choose a God who would look upon the slaughter of the faithful and the innocent by groups like ISIS, carried out in God's name, and weep with horror at the cruelty of that act. 

I follow a God who is so much more than the witness we have in Genesis, where whole tribes of people are put to the ban – presented as burnt offerings.  As our understanding of God has unfolded we begin to understand a God who would see such acts as an abomination! I choose a God who would wail and rage at hearing the psalmist proclaim to the Babylonians, “Happy shall he be who takes your little ones, and dashes them against the rock!” (137:9) Just because a war-like people understood God in this way 3,000 years ago – does that mean we should be bound to that same vision – just because it's in this book?

The God I worship, follow, and serve is the One who says, “Let light shine in the darkness,” who says, “Behold I am doing a new thing.” I follow a God who, in the person of Jesus, says, “Come to me all you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” My God is the God who says, “Peace be with you, my peace I leave with you” – who says “Love your neighbor as yourself” – who says “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” 

I choose a God who takes from my chest a heart of stone and places within me a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26) – a God who “brings good news to the oppressed, binds up the brokenhearted, proclaims liberty to the captives, and release to prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1 paraphrased). My God is a God who weeps with us when we hurt, and rejoices with us when we find love – love that honors and affirms those whom we love. Not a God of anger and death – not a God of indifference and poverty – not a God of separation, isolation, and ridicule, but rather a God of life – a God of grace – a God of hope – and a God of promise!

Does that mean I don't take this book seriously? No. But I read it with an open heart and, hopefully, with a discerning spirit. As the pages of Scripture unfold I see an understanding of God unfolding as well – and I see my understanding of God being transformed.

There are instances in these pages where God is more cantankerous; more hotheaded, heavy-handed, and mean-spirited then any of us can be on our worst day.  Is that God – or is it just humanity trying to see God through a dirty lens?

The Psalmist writes “But you are always the same, and your years will never end” (Psalm 102:27).  And I’ve come to understand that over the years God has not changed – but I have – we have – millennia of people before us – have changed.  Or at least I hope so!

Joshua says to his people, “Choose this day whom you will serve.” Today I say to God and God's people, “Here I stand!” Like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who fifty-two years ago this coming Friday, said “I have a dream,” I, too, have a dream – a dream that some day we will find a way to make the love of God real for this broken world. I have a dream that separation and alienation will cease to have a place in our houses of prayer and the halls of our society. I have a dream that one day people of different faiths across this world will stand hand-in-hand and celebrate together the love of God and the power of God to make all things new. I choose the God of love – I choose the God life. Amen.