Bi-Vocational Road

“Double Vision”

Preached by Elder Joe Martinoni

 Sunday, July 20, 2014

 At First Presbyterian Church, Rockaway, NJ

 Scripture: Genesis 1:1-2:3 (4^th “Engage” Sunday)

If we examine our prayer of confession from this morning, we can see some common, repeating elements that this prayer contains every Sunday. We acknowledge the goodness of God, and the wonder of His creation. We state that we know God wants only the best for us and from us. We admit however, that we fall short of that vision that God has for us, “missing the mark” as stated by Ray Jones in this morning’s video presentation. We end by asking God to forgive us and to keep on showing us the way. We are reminding ourselves and asking for God’s help in doing the same, to keep the clear vision God had for us from the time of creation foremost in our minds as we live our daily lives.

The Genesis narrative was unique in its time and place, because in ancient Israel there were many competing creation narratives, and they were all polytheistic – creation was forged out of the battle of many Gods who each had a specialty in the act of creation. In the story of God’s act of creation however, God is God and the only God, and God’s creation is made out of pure love and not out of conflict. Everything about this creation story is good. Only in our act of sinning can this creation become broken.

The act of “missing the mark” or falling short – that which is called “sin” – what does it mean when we sin or fall short? Genesis provides a unique account of the relationship between humans and God. Somehow, God decides to makes humans “in our image, according to our likeness.” We stand as the crowning achievement of the creation event. After the creation of humans, God, in his powerful word, blesses them and declares them as good. God is one. God is powerful. And God created us in his image.

This opening passage of our Bible constitutes the essence of good news. From the beginning, God has made us partners in achieving the vision of perfection cast here in Genesis; everything started out as “good”, designed to flourish, as part of the fulfillment of this vision. Sin is when we are no longer satisfied to be partners, but want to be in control. We have a competing vision with that of the divine. Suddenly what is “good” is now “not good enough”, and creation is broken by our own acts of defiance.

But God doesn’t stop creating. God never loses the vision of the original perfect creation – a dream of a perfect world where we glorify the one who created us by living as we were intended. God became one of us for a short time to continue to show us the way and set us on a path for healing this broken world. Healing the world is something we can’t do by ourselves, but only with the help of God become human, in the form of Jesus the Christ. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice to remind us that God loves us and still wants us to be partners in bringing forth this vision of a perfect creation in God’s kingdom come.

Just as the spirit of God breathed on the waters at creation, God’s Holy Spirit lives within each of us, sustains us and inspires us to do better. The Holy Spirit breathes this vision into our consciousness every day that we live. Every time we try to resist the call of the Spirit to this divine vision of perfection, we can cause pain to ourselves and others. We can get things pretty messed up. Is there any hope for us? Yes, there is. What happens when we fall short? We examine what we’ve done, as in our corporate and personal prayers of confession, and we strive to do better. But how do we know when we’ve got it right? When will we achieve the fulfillment of that perfect vision that God so desperately wants for us? I believe it goes beyond simply not doing harm. It goes beyond doing good for others. I believe each of us was made for a uniquely perfect purpose. Will God hit us over the head with a baseball bat if we don’t achieve this perfection? Sometimes in life it can feel like this is happening, but I believe that God will, no matter what, work to use us for the best possible outcome that we can achieve.

One of my favorite definitions of “call” – that which each of us is meant to do – was stated beautifully by Frederick Buechner:  “Neither the hair shirt nor the soft berth will do. The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

Our deep gladness is most realized when we fulfill that most perfect purpose for which God has created each of us. Whenever we have a competing vision to that of God’s, it is almost as if we are experiencing double-vision. We see two images, and it is confusing, and can give us a headache. All we can do is to keep on trying, keep on praying and growing in our faith together. And, maybe someday, we can bring ourselves into focus, where the two visions are aligned, and God rejoices for the achievement of the healing of the world.

I was inspired in part to use this “double-vision” metaphor by the writings of a Rabbi named Shlomo Carlebach (1925-1994) who said, “The world to come is a big movie theater! In one eye you see every moment of your life – your actions, thoughts, desires; your moments of fear and of joy. In your other eye you see every moment of what your life was to be – again, every detail of the totality of who you are. When you see two different movies simultaneously, these are moments of regret, and when you see the same movie with both eyes, these are moments of heaven.”

This concept doesn’t apply only to each of us as individuals, each aspiring to claim our own perfect call to fulfill God’s purpose. It applies to the church as well. When we went through the New Beginnings process over two years ago, we collectively came to the conclusion that we couldn’t fully realize God’s vision for us as a church without growing deeper in our faith. Since then, I believe we have come very far. Our New Beginnings assessment also presented two stories – two alternate visions of our future. One of those visions was a story of death and the other was a story of new life. The story is not done being written yet, but I can tell you that we are now in the middle of a year three that didn’t exist in the story of death. With God’s help and our reliance on God, we too can experience an intersection of the world’s greatest need and our deep gladness when we fulfill God’s vision for us as a congregation.

We won’t heal the whole world by ourselves. We won’t even begin to heal the pain in the community around us by ourselves. But with God’s help and a clear vision of God’s vision for us, we can achieve something which will bring God joy. We can bring the news of life to others – we can share our faith in confidence, and help to heal the world.

We all depend upon disciples and gospel writers to bear witness to the news that brings life. And Jesus has empowered that witness. So, whether it is Mary, the first evangelist, telling the disciples about the risen Jesus that first Easter morning, Peter joyfully telling Thomas what happened to them when he was absent or me, standing before you here in Rockaway in 2014, we all have been given the message and the power to invite people into the reign of God. God made us with minds that can think and reason. We have to decide for ourselves every day what it is we believe and what it is we will do. What is really at the heart of the matter is whether our actions testify to the truths we confess, whether our lives line up with our beliefs. The truth is not simply something we think or believe, it is something we do. In the end, let those of us suffering from double-vision, be of one mind and one spirit with our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen and Amen.

Preached by Elder Joe Martinoni

Moderator, Presbytery of Newton

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Old Greenwich Presbyterian Church

Scripture: Genesis 12:1-2; Deuteronomy 26:5-9; Jeremiah 29:10-14; Luke 24:13-35

Here it is, the third day since the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. There is some very excited talk around about an empty tomb and an angelic appearance, but all that our friends see when they go there is the empty tomb. Cleopas and his unnamed companion have pretty much had it and they are heading either home or at least to someplace else they can stay for the night that is not in Jerusalem. They may not have been part of Jesus’ inner circle, but were certainly close enough to the Nazarene to have observed his miracles and heard him preach, as well as witness what was done to him by the Jewish and Roman authorities. They are not faithless or ignorant of the teachings of Jesus, but the third day has dawned and they see no sign of Him. So they are going about their business – returning to “real life”, and wrestling with all of these concepts as they travel down what would only be called a “road” in the most generous of contexts today.  They are making their way down a very shale-like landscape, picking their way carefully downhill the 7 miles toward the village of Emmaus, when they encounter, but do not recognize, the risen Christ, assuming him to be a fellow traveller. Jesus can clearly see that they are concerned and gives them a 1^st century version of “what’s up with you guys?” They’re shocked at his ignorance and probably asked him something to the effect of “have you been hiding in a cave for the last few days?”. Jesus rebukes them and immediately begins revealing the Word of God to them – opening all the scriptures related to the Messiah and putting them in context of the events of that week.  I can just imagine the scene, take a few steps, engage in some conversation, move along some more – the day wears on as they go.  By the time they finally reach Emmaus, they urge him to stay with them a bit longer; to share the evening meal with them. When he finally agrees to stay with them and performs the familiar ritual of breaking the bread, their eyes are allowed to recognize him and he simply vanishes.  They are so excited, so filled with the fire of the Spirit, that they retrace their steps in the dark in record time, back up the challenging hill to Jerusalem, where they can’t wait to share the news with the 11 disciples and those gathered with them.

I chose several Old Testament scriptures today, to illustrate small snapshots of the story of the faith journey of the people of God. The stories briefly highlight what is a recurring theme of loss, wandering, revelation and redemption. From God’s initial covenant with Abram; when he set him on his path, leaving behind all that he knew to make his way through hardships in a foreign land, Abraham was given the knowledge and promise of the one true God.  Fast-forward to the nation of Israel, remembering their Aramean ancestor and the shared continuing journey of liberation from Egypt, wandering in the wilderness and entering the land of promise. During this journey, they learned that they were not slaves and that they were God’s people.  Then, on to Jeremiah and the despair of the forced exile to Babylon. From this journey, they learned that God did not live in a temple, but in the communities that worshiped Him and that he wanted good things for them.  All of these journeys, among others that can’t be recounted here, begin with loss, meet hardship and sorrow, and reveal the presence of God, who then provides redemption.

Two months ago, I had the pleasure of participating in Johnsonburg’s Lenten Retreat – “Encountering God in the Wilderness”. As one of our meditation exercises, we were asked to sketch, trace or craft a shape or symbol. We were also to express our thoughts in writing about the way in which we envisioned encountering God with respect to our chosen shape or symbol. I chose to etch the classic labyrinth shown on the cover of your bulletins, and then wrote the following meditation within it, “To walk the labyrinth is to walk the path or the journey of your life. Sometimes, it is tempting to step over one of the lines in what seems like a more direct way, a shortcut, but that cheats one of the experiences of that part of the journey which is not travelled. During those times when we turn back, as we continue to follow the path it may seem like we are going backwards, when we are actually continuing on the journey.  Even a journey back from the center or goal provides a different perspective to the path, perhaps revealing something previously unseen. Upon exiting, we can choose to walk the path again, perceiving the journey differently yet again, through the eyes of experience.  Or, we can go in search of a different path, perhaps one more complex or even a simpler one, which is in itself a journey.  God calls us to travel the path. God calls us to encounter the risen Christ on the path and to continue, our hearts on fire with His living Word.”

This certainly applies to my personal journey.  Here before you stands a man, who 15 years ago was a C&E Roman Catholic.  My idea of communion was Sunday brunch.  My idea of spiritual reflection was the “moment of Zen” during the last minute of the CBS Sunday Morning show. However, with many wonderful companions and guides along the way, I’m an elder, an Inquirer, God willing someday a minister, and right now ending my term as Presbytery Moderator (of course I have many of you wonderful, crazy people to blame for that one).

The archetypical story of the journey also applies to us, here, now, in this body of Christ which we call Newton Presbytery.  Even when we worship, we repeat the journey.  We come in downtrodden and in confession.  The Word is then opened to us. We celebrate the feast of the Lord’s supper, welcome the risen Christ to our presence and we leave on fire with the Spirit, ready to spread that fire outside these doors. In Luke’s story, once Jesus breaks the bread and his companions recognize him, he vanishes. I believe He was passing the torch, so to speak.  He commanded them to live his teachings by example, to disciple everyone, spread his Word and share the revelation of the risen Christ in the breaking of the bread – in community.  But the church Jesus wants us to be is a travelling church, both literally and metaphorically.  It is the journey itself which provides the blessing.  We are searching even now for our meaning and place in the world as a body of Christ. Our Presbytery mission is, “To be a faithful and fruitful demonstration of the gospel of Jesus Christ in Northwest New Jersey, Newton Presbytery challenges disciples, equips its congregations and proclaims the gospel in word and deed.” We will continue to be met with loss, uncertainty and fear – things are changing, membership is down, money is tight, and who will we find to continue the work; to share the load?  But we have also encountered revelations about ourselves.  We have already re-discovered a passion for shared mission in our churches.  We have seen new birth come out of old decay.  And I promise you, if we are faithful on our journey, if we meet and recognize the risen Christ on our path, there will be redemption.  I can’t promise what form it will take, but that is also part of the journey.

What does travelling mercies mean anyway? We say it every time we find out that someone is going to be taking a trip.  Practically it means, be safe, enjoy, become enriched by the journey, return safely. To you I say, be tender with others along the way – this journey can be painful. Take it easy on each other, but even more so, take it easy on yourselves. Not every path will yield success, but it will produce revelation and sometimes a new path.

Paul, who had his own roadside revelation on the way to Damascus, wrote in 1^st Thessalonians 5:11-18, “Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing. But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labor among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

May we always encounter the risen Christ in our journey together. Amen and amen.

Preached by Elder Joe Martinoni

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Panther Valley Ecumenical Church

Scripture: Romans 8:1-11; Mathew 13:1-9, 18-23

In the four gospels of the New Testament, Jesus shared a total of 30 parables. Six general parables, including the two foundations, the lamp under the bushel and the workers in the vineyard; Nine eschatological parables (the end of days), including the ten virgins, the tares, the rich fool and the great banquet; three parables about prayer, including the Pharisee and the publican, and the friend at night; Three parables about love and forgiveness, the unforgiving servant and the good Samaritan; three parables of loss and redemption: the lost sheep, the lost coin and the Prodigal son, and finally six parables of the Kingdom of Heaven: hearing, seeking and growing; the mustard seed, the hidden treasure and today’s parable, the sower. The parable of the sower is unique in that Jesus goes on to directly describe to those listening exactly what he was sharing in the parable and what each component of the story meant. By this explanation, Jesus helps us to understand the importance and significance of all the other parables. It would be hard to find someone who has not made reference to one of these parables by way of metaphor in everyday life. By simply referring to a parable or one of their characters, we speak volumes about a situation or a person. The squeaky wheel gets the grease can refer to the friend pounding on the door at midnight. Come in out of the dark speaks to the banquet.  Don’t hide your light under a bushel, be a good Samaritan – these references carry the weight of the meaning and teaching behind the original parables. I am about to share a relevant story from the world of science fiction – the TV series “Star Trek: the Next Generation.” The story which unfolds here will illustrate the true power of parables, but only if we have knowledge of the parable to which we are referring. Sometime we have to live the story together first in order to share it with others.

The Star Trek episode reveals the story of Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. Since these names will be unfamiliar to all but the most devoted fans here, I’ll continue. The Enterprise makes contact with a Tamarian ship in orbit around a planet called El-Adrel. They contact each other and though the universal translator can translate their words, the Tamarians speak in cryptic phrases that baffle the Enterprise crew. Likewise, the Tamarians cannot understand Picard’s straightforward talk. Frustrated by their failure at communication, the Tamarian captain, Dathon, has himself and Picard transported to the planet’s surface, and the Tamarian ship emits something called a scattering field which prevents the Enterprise from beaming their own captain back on board. On the surface, Dathon utters the cryptic phrase “Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra” and tosses Picard one of two daggers which he is carrying. Picard mistakes this as a challenge to a duel and refuses, but then realizes that there is also a hostile predator in the area which is stalking them both. The two fight the beast together, but Dathon is mortally wounded.

On the Enterprise, some members of the crew work on a way to disable the Tamarian’s scattering field in order to beam up Picard, while others work on deciphering the Tamarian language. They deduce that the Tamarian language is entirely based on metaphors from Tamarian folklore. They learn that Darmok was a hunter and Tanagra is an island, but nothing else. Without knowing the stories behind the metaphors, the Tamarian language remains indecipherable.

Bak on the planet, while tending to Dathon’s wounds, Picard deduces that Darmok and Jalad were two warriors who met on an island called Tanagra, and had to cooperate to defeat a dangerous beast dwelling there, becoming friends in the process. Dathon had tried to recreate this event between him and Picard on El-Adrel, hoping that their shared adversity would forge a friendship where words had failed. Picard then recounts for Dathon the Epic of Gilgamesh, a human story that parallels that of Darmok and Jalad’s. Shortly thereafter, Dathon succumbs to his wounds and dies.

Back in orbit, the Enterprise fires on the Tamarian ship, disabling the scattering field, and beams up Picard. Picard uses his newfound knowledge of Tamarian metaphors to communicate with the Tamarians and end the ensuing battle. Picard mourns Dathon, who sacrificed his life to open relations between their two cultures. The Tamarian commander then speaks a new phrase, “Dathon and Picard at El-Adrel.” This new story has now entered the lexicon of the Tamaraians, signifying the event during which the two races came to understand each other at the expense of one of their lives, beginning a time of mutual commerce and friendship between the two races. As they departed, Picard’s shares a concluding comment with his command crew, “Now the door is open between our peoples. That commitment meant more to him [Dathon] than his own life.”

Do you think this story is too much of a stretch? Let’s say I run into a dear old friend and want to let him know that I missed him, he’s been out of touch too long and I’m happy to see him back. Many of us would use a reference to one of the most popular parable’s of Jesus. Let me show you something [I use my smart-phone to Google translate spoken German to English: “Der verlorene sohn kehrt” – “The Prodigal Son Returns”]. That was pretty effective, but what if you didn’t know who on earth this Prodigal son was? What possible meaning could it have for you? Thanks to Jesus’ ministry and his fondness for sharing parables, we do know, and my friend grasps the full meaning of my very short statement.

Just as Dathon gave his life to reconcile the two civilizations to each other, Christ became human, suffered with us and shared these parables in order to reconcile the human race to God the Creator. Jesus knew his time on Earth would end with his cruel punishment and death on a cross. God in the person of Jesus took on the weakness of our condition, shedding all the glory and power of being God, just to make sure that we “got it”. Everything Jesus did was a teaching moment. He also preached to many , healed the sick, freed those imprisoned by demons and even raised people from the dead, all as teaching moments, because he never let what he did pass without having something to say about it. Jesus gave his life so that we could truly understand how much God loved us, how much God wants us with him and how God wants us to love each other while we are here. Although we have these scriptures available us in writing, it is through the power of parable and by living the word of God that we can spread this good news to others. In our hearing, may it be so. Amen!

Star Trek: The Next Generation, “Darmok” – Episode 502, original air date September 30, 1991, Paramount Pictures

TNG Episode Commentary – Memory-Alpha.org Star Trek Wiki

Images were copied from en-Wikipedia.org and combined into a collage using Google Picasa

Preached by Joe Martinoni

July 3, 2011

Lower Valley Presbyterian Church

Scripture: Matthew 11:16-19, 25 -30

Today’s scripture lesson takes place immediately after John the Baptist has sent word to Jesus, asking him if he is the messiah. Jesus answers with a list of the wonders he has performed, as noted in Isaiah with respect to the messiah. After the messengers have left, Jesus is now being pretty harsh with his audience. Referring to “this generation” is something akin to saying “these people today”. The references to playing the flute and wailing relate to children play-acting weddings and funerals. In this society, it was the men’s job to celebrate at weddings and it was the women’s job to mourn at funerals. He is pretty much telling them that they don’t know what they want. They consider John the Baptist, who ate bugs and wore a hair shirt to be possessed by a demon. They considered Jesus, who drank and ate with sinners, to be a drunkard and a glutton with a bad reputation. “This generation” as he refers to them, finds excuses to take offense at both John and Jesus and to therefore ignore the call of both. They are as little children in the marketplace who cannot decide whether they want to play wedding games or funeral games and end up playing neither. Jesus also levels some harsh condemnations at some of the cities that both he and John had ministered to in the verses not included in today’s lectionary. He tells them that there was none greater than John the Baptist in preparing the way for the Lord before he came. He tells them that each of them has the opportunity to help bring about the kingdom of heaven even more so than did John, but they squander their chances by turning aside from the messages of both men.

Such a message sounds like foolishness to the “wisest” amongst the audience – the priestly leadership and scholars. When Jesus refers to the infants, to whom God has delivered this wisdom, he is referring to those most vulnerable in the society of first century Judea. The outcasts, the poor, the ill, the tax collectors – all of the sinners. All of those ostracized by the ruling class and prevented from participating in community life by the “wisest” in society – those interpreting the laws of Moses. It is these, the most vulnerable of society, who have been living under the burden of the yoke which is the Law as interpreted by the “wise.”

Jesus offers rest for the weary and downtrodden. He had come to cut through the red tape; to set the living word of God in the hearts of the people. He came to provide all of humanity with the independence which we know as free will. The liberty his message provided was based on not throwing out the law, but on fulfilling it. If we believe in His message, that by loving God and loving our neighbor we fulfill the greatest commandment, then we are free from keeping a record of the blots and checkmarks of the letter of the law. When he says that his yoke is easy and his burden is light, he is providing the true rest and peace that can only be found by justification through God, not by the judgment of men. And, even though we are independent, free to make our own choices, the other half of the great commandment makes us by definition inter-dependent. We need to rely upon each other, love each other, to ease the suffering of the human existence here on Earth. Does this mean that everything will be perfect if we follow the great commandment? Will we be spared suffering, pain, illness, injustice and oppression? The answer is no. Most bad things that happen to us are events over which we have no control. Although what we can do today to ease suffering and cure disease and infirmity would seem like miracles to inhabitants of the first century, would they not?

It is not easy to preach this message when we know that people will suffer no matter how much we love them or how much we pray. The assurance of rest and peace holds little comfort to anyone living through pain, suffering or loss. Why can’t God just fix it if He really wants us to be happy? I am sure all of us have wondered or continue to wonder that very thing. I was wondering, what if God really did try to make life easy for us; tried to make us as happy as possible? What would that look like and what would it make of us?

My research led me to a science fiction book written by Isaac Asimov in 1955 titled “The End of Eternity”, a narrative of humans trying to fulfill what they believes to be God’s wishes for humanity. Without getting into too much detail, in a fictional future, we invent the ability to go outside of time and to travel along the events of our planet’s timeline at will. The word “eternal” means outside of or apart from time. Therefore the place created by this temporal invention is given the name “Eternity” and those people who inhabit it are known as the eternals. They do not live forever in biological years, but since they live and exist outside of time, to those of us living in normal time they seem immortal. Since they have access to all of future history, referred to as “up-when”, they begin observing events in the future and become determined to make humanity as a species as happy and contented as possible. This society of eternals develops a caste system based on the skillsets of the denizens of Eternity. They have observers, analysts and agents. Those who record the smallest details, make recommendations for change and actually make changes to human history. This is not a far cry from Pharisees, Scribes and Priests! The best part for them is that they are immune to any changes they cause as they observe what happens from within eternity.

As they become better at what they do, they become more distant from the true human condition, even to the point of suppressing normal human emotions. They do however, encounter several major mysteries. One, over the millions of years they are able to observe, humans do not seem to be evolving or changing much at all. Two, after 1.5 million years, humans don’t even exist on Earth. Finally, there is a period of time in the distant future to which they have no access. They can travel “up-when” to that era, but can neither observe nor enter normal time in that era. To make a long story short, the inaccessible centuries are inhabited by evolved humans who have even further perfected the study of time and are able to determine that man’s continual efforts to make humanity happy and safe have removed any desire on humanity’s part to extend beyond the boundaries of their existence. After a while, they just simply gave up and ceased to exist. This group of evolved humans, working through one of the agents of eternity, are able to prevent the discovery of time travel from ever occurring, thereby allowing us to progress as a people, living through both tragedies and victories as a race.

It is because God loves us that He has given us the independence to make our own choices. When Jesus came to us, he showed that our true freedom lay in choosing to follow God’s great commandment, and not being bound by the oppressive yolk of the establishment that humans had built upon God’s law. In living the law of God, loving God and loving our neighbor, we truly bring the kingdom of God, the great Shalom, to earth. We share each other’s pain and suffering and ease each other’s burdens. Let those who have ears hear! The punishment comes not because of anything we do, but because we don’t join in the celebration. The Spirit moves among us!  Get on board, little children! Open your eyes. Open your hearts. The New Age is now. The promised land is wherever you are. Turn, grasp, embrace, serve — live differently — and Jesus of Nazareth will meet you on the dance floor, at the banquet table, in the board room, in the halls of Congress — anywhere that justice is being done, bonds are being loosed, strangers are being embraced and the hungry are being fed. And, when we acquiesce to take on this yoke, the yoke of this gentle Savior, where we expect a burden, we find an easy load. Thanks be to God! Amen!

Commentary on WorkingPreacher.org by The Rev. Elisabeth Johnson (ELCA), Watertown, MN

Commentary on Out in Scripture – God – Confounding Expectations

THE END OF ETERNITY Copyright © 1955 by the Estate of Isaac Asimov.