As Jeff mentioned last week, we are between sermon series right now. We recently finished a series on living as a community of Christ. Last week Jeff preached a great sermon on Psalm 25, and next week we’ll begin a series on Galatians.

So I was thinking about it being summer time. And the first thing that came to mind is that summer can be a wonderful time to take a break from our regular routines to do something special.

As you saw and heard from the children earlier today, there was a lot of special stuff going on here this past week with Vacation Bible School in full swing. The kids had a blast while learning about the meaning of loving God and loving one another as they studying 1Corinthians 13. And I just have to tell you…Did you know that they raised about $800 towards helping the Agros Uno community in Honduras to buy peppers? That’s a lot of quarters. Thanks, again and again, to all of the volunteers who helped make it happen. It was a beautiful time.

Summer, I find, is also a good time to do some reflecting – to look back and to look ahead. And last month I went on a trip with 8 people from Bethany that caused me to do some serious reflecting on today’s passage.

Our group went with Suzzanne Lacey-a beloved member of our church-on a Civil Rights Tour of the South. Suzzanne is the founder and Executive Director of Museum Without Walls, whose mission is to help people learn about the future through past incidences of racism and intolerance. This trip partly formed out of our church’s efforts to follow the four directives that our Session decided upon in September of 2003, one of which is “pursue loving relationships across racial barriers...”

Pastor Dan encouraged me to share about the trip with y’all today, which I’m delighted to do. This topic has been a passion of mine for the past 20 years, and it’s been a great source of challenge and joy in my life.

Our tour took us to Montgomery, Alabama, which is considered the birthplace of the Civil Rights Movement. It is where Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. We also spent time in Birmingham, Selma, and Jackson, Mississippi, then ended in Memphis, Tennessee, where we were just a few feet away from the spot on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated.

It was such a great, eye-opening, heart-breaking, inspiring time. I wish everyone at Bethany–indeed, I wish everyone in this whole country–could participate on a trip like this because of the importance of understanding this part of our nation’s history.

We visited numerous Civil Rights institutes and museums. But
even better was the time that we got to spend sitting down with and hearing stories from people who had participated in the movement.

We sat transfixed as we listened to Johnny Carr, a 95-year-old woman who was one of Rosa Parks best friends, tell us about her efforts to work on the Montgomery bus boycott and how she's been the President of the Montgomery Improvement Association for the last 40 or so years. We chuckled as she recalled how one day she and Rosa Parks were sitting next to each other in the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. It was the first time that Martin Luther King Jr. had preached there. One of them leaned over to the others and said, “He’s something, isn’t he?” (Of course, he went on to preach many more times at that church and became a great leader of the Civil Rights Movement.)

I believe I can speak for our whole group in saying that what struck us as we listened to these stories was the tremendous faith that these people had.

• It was their faith that gave them courage to face the evil of racism and injustice head-on.
• It was their faith that kept them from striking back with violence: after four little girls were killed in the bombing of Sixteenth Street Baptist Church, when the police turned fire hoses and dogs on children to keep them from marching, when they were beaten and called all kinds of horrible names.

During the trip we visited and worshiped at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. We ate lunch in that park. And we watched the “Eyes on the Prize” documentary. But there’s something about hearing the stories first-hand that makes such a strong impression…that helps us understand what people were thinking, how people were feeling…

In our devotion times together we went through a few chapters of 2 Corinthians, starting in chapter 3 and culminating in chapter 5, which really captures the essence of this mission of reconciliation–the mission that God has given to each of us.

I invite you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians 5:13-21.

I love this passage because in it Paul gets to the heart of the gospel message-God’s good news to us. The good news we hear here is that it’s all about what God has done, what God has done in Christ.

• It’s about God’s vast love for us.
• It’s about God’s desire to be in an intimate relationship with us and for us to live together as new creations.

The ministry of reconciliation is first and foremost God’s initiative.

I learned a lot about this passage from the late Dr. Samuel Hines, who was the pastor of Third Street Church of God in Washington D.C. The church I served in D.C. shared in a ministry partnership with Third Street Church of God. In the months I had to get to know Dr. Hines before he died, I was amazed by his commitment to pursuing the ministry of reconciliation. It was the overarching theme of his ministry.

e.g.) He and John Perkins traveled together to South Africa to work behind the scenes for the end of apartheid.

Dr. Hines liked to say“Reconciliation is God’s one-item agenda.” In his book, Beyond Rhetoric: Reconciliation as a Way of Life, he says

Reconciliation is the way of the cross – love pressing its way even in the face of death. We must take the path our Savior took. Yet before we can faithfully consider the impact of such a choice, we require a time of preparation. We need to embrace a radical new way of thinking. ...Thinking reconciliation precedes doing reconciliation. We must learn how to comprehend God’s thoughts, because the concept of reconciliation does not originate in our minds. Reconciliation is God’s idea. Therefore, our thoughts must conform to the mind of God.

It continues…

Until we can think God’s thoughts, we will struggle uselessly in our attempts to act as God would act in a given situation. The reconciler recognizes and believes that reconciliation is God’s one-item agenda. Reconciliation begins between God and human beings, through the atonement of Jesus Christ, and then is channeled through us to each other by the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Many reconciling projects are only of brief duration because the doers cannot think in God’s terms. (p.3)

So what are God’s thoughts? We find in scripture that God desires oneness. Not sameness, but oneness of heart and spirit with God and with each other.

As we know from the news that we keep hearing day-in and day-out, we have a long way to go in this world before our minds are all in tune with the mind of God. There’s a huge need in this world for reconciliation. It seems it's easier for many to lob verbal attacks (even bombs) at each other than to take the risk and do the hard work of understanding where each other is coming from and trying to work together.

So how do we go about the ministry of reconciliation?

I believe we have to recognize that there is a great need for reconciliation.

It sounds obvious, but I think that often we don't recognize the extent of our separation from God. Our passage calls us to start with ourselves: In verse 15 it says,

And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view.

What is implied is that if we’re not dying to ourselves (as Christ did), then there is a need for reconciliation. When we live for ourselves, the divide between us and God grows. When we live for Jesus, that divide closes.

In our culture I would venture to say that our minds are not conditioned to think about dying to ourselves. We are often most aware of what we need to be comfortable. We find ourselves in places that are not much of a stretch for us.

But is this what God wants? For us to be separated from each other?

In the example of race issues, it’s very common to see people from similar backgrounds hanging out together. A lot of times it happens subconsciously. We end up living in neighborhoods with people who look like us, like to eat the same things, talk the same way, share the same values… where there’s a comfortable understanding of each other. When this happens it’s easy to not even be aware of the divides-the chasms of understanding between us, the fears that keep us from reaching out to each other.

But again, is this what God wants for his world? I believe God wants so much more for us.

So recognizing the need for reconciliation usually starts with recognizing the ways we are living for ourselves that cause divisions –

• It means recognizing that we don’t always view each other as new creations (in the verse Paul is particularly talking of those who are in Christ who are the new creations).
• It means recognizing that our minds often drift towards the stereotypes our society perpetuates. We make assumptions…which is not exactly having the mind of Christ/God.

Our passage calls us to start with our own minds and hearts-to be reconciled to God and work on having the mind of Christ.

So we start with ourselves. Then there’s the challenge of being of the same mind and heart (of God) with everyone else. (Which we know is an ongoing mission.)

Just recently I was at a presbytery meeting, and we were voting on whether or not to establish a Task Force against racism. A man stood up and said that he didn't think we needed it; that it would cause more problems. Nobody said anything, and the meeting moved quickly on. And afterwards I thought-instead of judging him (because I didn’t agree with his statement)-it would've been good for me to engage him in conversation in order to understand where he's coming from and to share where I'm coming from. It's a long road, but in my experience I have been very encouraged by the small steps taken by people to listen to each other’s perspectives and learn together, and by the ways God surprises us in the process. It really helps to know and understand each other’s stories.

If Suzanne Lacey were here right now, I’d invite her to come up and share with you about a trip she took right after ours with a group of students from Mercer Island High School and Rainier Beach High School. It was a powerful time. She said that after several days of awkwardness, the students really started reaching out to each other. And by the end of the trip, these new relationships…these new understandings, these new friendships… had formed that would just make you cry if you heard them. It was a beautiful example of steps being taken in the ministry of reconciliation.

The ministry of reconciliation starts here (point to head)– examining our thoughts, how our minds have been conditioned, holding our thoughts up to the thoughts of God which we find in Scripture, and doing our best to understand the thoughts and experiences of others . It's hard work, but the pay-offs are precious relationships.

Along with recognizing the need for reconciliation, we must really believe that there is a bridge that crosses the divide.

In my mind as I think about the divide, I have this picture a big gap – and, depending on the situation – that gap can seem like a fiery pit, a cold crevasse, or a murky marsh. And they represent the sin that has caused the divide, separating us from God and from each other.

If you can imagine that gap in your mind, imagine Christ in the middle of it all...Jesus is there. Jesus has been there (since dying on the cross) to give us the power to surmount the pain, the bitterness, the awkwardness. If we can imagine this, then we can realize that there is a bridge over this called reconciliation.

Now sadly, some people will never want reconciliation. But for those who do and who put their faith in Jesus, we can believe that no pit is too deep, no field is too wide, no obstacle is too high or wide. This is the hope we have.

Right after our trip, my brother-in-law gave me a book to read that he uses in his high school history classes to help the students understand what happened not very long ago-less then 50 years ago. The book was written by Melba Patillo Beals, one of the 9 black students who integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957-58. The book is called Warriors Don’t Cry. It is what Melba’s grandmother would tell her as she faced the daily attacks of the white students and parents of that school. Once I started it, I could hardly put it down. Just as much as I was absolutely amazed at the fierce hatred people had for this beautiful 15-year-old girl, I was also amazed by the strength of her faith and that of her family.

I was going to read a portion of this book to you, but since we’re running short on time, I’ll just hold it up and tell you that Warriors Don’t Cry is a wonderful story of a girl and her family and the faith that carried them through an incredibly difficult time. Their faith helped not only that community to move ahead in race relations but has also helped schools across the country. But we still have a long way to go.

I know that in my high school experience, out of 1600 students I think there were 4 African Americans–one being Elvin Hayes Jr., son of a famous basketball player. And I just had no clue about race relations. So I’m so thankful that when I was in college I was encouraged to go to an Urbana Mission conference, where I was encouraged to find a place-an opportunity–to be in a cross-cultural setting. This eventually led me to spend a summer in Mendenhall, Mississippi…an eye-opening and inspiring time.

A lot of joy can come from stepping into the divide...amidst the challenges.

So to quickly review:

• We’ve got to recognize that there is a divide.
• We’ve got to believe Jesus is in the midst of the divide to provide a bridge of power and healing.
• And lastly, we need to recognize our part in God’s bigger mission.

We’ve been given:

…the gift of life,

…the gift of forgiveness from our sins

…the security that even though we can’t guarantee that all will be reconciled in our lifetimes, we will one day experience true healing for all of eternity. The old will passed away. Everything will be seen through a new lens.

And our scripture makes it plain that along with giving us these gifts, God has given us the responsibility of carrying on the ministry of reconciliation.

“All this is from God , who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation... entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. So we are ambassadors for Christ...” - 2 Corinthians 5:18f

Working towards reconciliation means not getting mired in the past, or bogged down where we are, but moving towards what could be.

Are you bored with your current position or “title” in life?

How about embracing the call to be an ambassador for Christ?

God has given you power and authority to work for justice in his name.

Throughout our trip, we heard many powerful stories from 40-50 years ago of people literally crossing bridges to pursue freedom. We also heard from several people who are pursuing justice today. So that you can hear not just my stories but those of others, I’m going to invite Tim Burgess who was on our trip to share a story that impacted him.

Tim shares...

Jerry Mitchell is a reporter for the Clarion Ledger Newspaper in Jackson, Mississippi. He began his journalistic career as a courthouse reporter. As he was doing his job, he found the sealed records of a state organization called the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission. This was the commission that was charged with the responsibility of maintaining segregation and promoting white supremacy. He got access to some of these records and he discovered that the state of Mississippi had interfered with the trial of a man named Sam Bowers who was tried twice for murder. It resulted in a hung jury both times.

Jerry started interviewing witnesses and digging and he eventually met Sam Bowers and had several interviews with him. He told us that the motivation for his work is his Christian faith. And he described a time when he was sitting with Sam Bowers and he pushed his own Bible across the table. He told Sam Bowers, “Show me the verses that prove this racist message that you keep talking about.” (Sam Bowers was the imperial wizard of the Mississippi Ku Klux Klan.) Eventually Sam Bowers – because of the reporting and work of Jerry Mitchell– was tried again and convicted for the murder of a young voting rights worker.

Jerry also told us about Bobby Cherry. We had been at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church and had seen where the 4 girls had died. Just a couple of years ago, because of Jerry’s reporting, Bobby Cherry was convicted of the murder of those young girls.

Because of Jerry’s work, because of his commitment as a journalist, because of his Christian faith, because of the work of the FBI and others, 29 cases have been reopened in the South involving murder and arson and bombing. There have been 27 arrests and 22 convictions. Jerry told us that he thinks 3 or 4 more murders will be solved before the end of 2006.

As we were sitting there listening to Jerry Mitchell, I thought of that quote from Edmund Burke – a British statesman – who said,

All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.

And we heard the stories of Rosa Park’s friend. We know about Dr. King. We know about Jerry Mitchell now…and how one or two individuals can really have dramatic power for change and effects in their community. May we have the courage to stand against evil and to seek justice and reconciliation as well.

The power of one...what can happen when we put our minds to pursuing justice.

Of course we’re not all going to be Jerry Mitchells and Martin Luther King Jrs. But we all have a role to play. There were so many people who played a part–from making sandwiches for the marchers, to providing a place to sleep for the freedom riders... We all have our place to play in the ministry of reconciliation. And it’s not all about race. There are many, many different areas needing reconciliation. But this issue of race is a great example of where we need to be working.

We can begin in our neighborhoods and the schools where our kids attend to cross divides and work on relationships. It might simply start with smiling at someone and asking how their day has been.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if in the next year God helped us take a big step with a church from a primarily different ethnic background who wanted to work on this issue of racial reconciliation? We can all be praying for that.

What if we got together regularly to pray for what could be, to be in Bible studies with people from another church, to read and discuss books, to do service projects...?

By this time next year, I wonder what we will be able to say about how we have progressed on our session’s directive to “pursue loving relationships across racial barriers...”

Our last stop on the tour was to meet with Rev. Billy Kyles, who was with Dr. King during his last moments before he was shot. When we asked him what message he wanted us to convey to others, he said:

Tell the people the dream is still alive.

As ambassadors of Christ, may we all help keep the dream alive.