Ex. 19.1-8a; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10.8 Rev. Tiare L. Mathison, Pastor & Soul-Tender
“You have seen what I did to your enemies. I bore you on eagles’ wings as I am your Mother - I brought you to Myself. Now, obey My Voice, Hear My Voice, Listen to My Voice...Keep My Covenant, My Promise, obey My Laws. You are My Treasure - A Priestly Nation. All of you - women, men, slaves, free, old, young, gay, straight, married, single, divorced, widowed, Black, Brown, White. Royalty for Me, Your God.” The people, with one voice: “Everything that God has spoken we will do.”
Let’s raise our Ebenezer right here. Place our stones in a big pile. For God promised, delivered, repaired, restored and offered peace. Even after the Israelites murmured as the Biblical Scholars call it. Deficient water, little food and Big, Tall, opponents. 3 months after the Exodus they reach Mt. Sinai, also known as Mt. Horeb in other texts. They will be here the better part of two years, as Moses goes up and down the mountain a number of times for the establishment of the community built on the Law. Recorded in Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers. In this moment, the people respond with obedience and hope. Hallelujah. They have been elected. Oh dear.
The Doctrine of Election. Far out of favor in our day of inclusion and welcome. But it may be we need a deeper understanding of what God is calling the people to be, in hopes we might understand more deeply who God wants us to be in this 3rd decade of the 21st century. As Black People die at the hands of the police, who are supposed to serve and protect all the people. Our first pandemic. White supremacy. And now another, with Covid-19. Public health is in our purview as we mask up to protect one another, a priestly act of holiness.
“We have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, move and have our being... For while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” We did not do this, God did. Christ’s sacrifice is necessary. We were not simply people, good people who needed a little help to get by. We were people who needed to be saved. We were people who did not deserve the gift He gives, eternal life. We have been chosen, elected, to receive this gift. Christ’s work is done, but ours is not. It is a slow, lifelong process of God, who challenges, corrects, demands and, woos, us, even into obedience. It is not a status marker that makes us owners of God. A trap the ancient Israelites fell into—as Walter Bruggermann, Old Testament scholar suggests: “Monotheism led to monoethnism’ the one God is only for Israel.” Unquote Because election is in God’s hands, we have no idea what God is doing. How God might be electing others outside our camp. What I can tell you without reservation is, God, in Jesus Christ, found me and saved me.
And I believe, founded and saved WPC. For the second step of election is to build community. This is a bit of a bird walk, but I want to take a moment to thank you for being you. In all the ways you are friendly, open, willing to change, adapt, and celebrate the presence of Christ among us. On behalf of Seattle Presbytery, I am working with a session and a church in deep conflict right now. I come away from those meetings so incredibly grateful to be your pastor. Anyway...
More than 100 years have gone into building this community and God is not done yet shaping us into a priestly nation. For this is the true understanding of the word nation in Scripture. It is not based on ethnicity rather on a communal yes: “Everything God has spoken we will do.” And honestly, it is a bulwark against what we are dealing with today in our country.
Some White Christians, since the beginning of the United States, including Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and others, owned slaves, wrote the constitution that counted Black men as 3/5ths human, not Black Women nor children and did nothing to relieve their oppression or economic exploitation. Rather they exploited their property. For instance, Thomas Jefferson had at least 6 children with his so-called slave wife, Sally Hemings. Say her name.
It was slave patrols that built the foundation for our modern day police practices. So when you hear the words, Defund the Police, know it is not about an individual police officer, rather a racist system that asks police to do the unthinkable: protect White people and white owned property against everyone else. Police are trained to see non-white people as ‘the enemy’ like when you are in the midst of the battle of a war. Like the war on drugs. Without seeing the structures that bind communities of color from flourishing.
Many White Christians were and are members of the KU Klux Clan and other fraternal orders that count whiteness as the pinnacle of God’s creation. Many of those are also police officers. This entanglement of theology, politics, and economics, has to be brought up among us white Christians, for we have been given a golden opportunity to turn around and go the other way. Metanoia, repent. I know what I am saying is uncomfortable and some might say, “This is a rant, not a sermon.” I hope not.
I do believe to be formed into a nation for God, not the United States nation, rather the repairers of the breach nation, the priestly and royal priesthood that obeys God’s voice nation, the compassionate merciful forgiving, justice seeking nation of the people of God, we have to examine the deep roots of white supremacy and how Christian faith has been highjacked. And we must do the hard work of looking in the mirror to discover how we have benefited from the White privilege that is systemic in white supremacy. This is long-haul work.
Laura, Denise and I had the privilege of participating in the silent protest on Friday, called for and organized by Black Lives Matter - King County. As I call it, it was a communal prayer of lament. They asked us to mourn the loss of so many lives. 60,000 people walked off their jobs, out of their comfortable homes, to stand 6 feet apart, with masks to pray and march in the rain against the way things have always been, with a small glimmer of hope that change is goin to come.
“Then Jesus went about, with compassion, everywhere, to proclaim the good news of the kingdom. It’s here now, He says. His heart broken open for the people who had no leader, no shepherd. They are so lost. He commanded the disciples, to get up and get going and get out there. “The harvest is plenty, the workers few. Go, now, do.”
Do you hear Jesus’ voice? What is it you are called to do right now in His Name? Pray deeply, march in protests, write letters, sign petitions, call Congress, interfere in racist comments and actions among your families, friends, co-workers, grocery store, even on the bus, when we get back on the bus. Trust Black People when they say, “This happened to me, again, and again, and again.” They have no reason to lie. Recognize their existential reality is rooted in fear for themselves, their children and their communities. Think about the long term health consequences of living in constant fear. Listen like Jesus does. Carefully, thoughtfully, with deep concentration and compassion. Sit at their feet and be quiet. Just listen. And love.
For you practical minded, support Black owned businesses, there are lists on the Internet. Put your money into it - find a Black owned bank and open an account. When you order books online, find Black owned bookstores. Join Black support organizations, like the NAACP or Not This Time, an org committed to reducing police violence against POC. Give more to Campbell Farm, Carman and all need our help. Why? To be obedient through Christ to God, by the Holy Spirit, at work in you every living breath you have. You are called to this time. We are called to this time, to be God’s royal priesthood, a holy nation. Amen