SERMON SUNDAY NOVEMBER 8 POST ELECTION SERVICE 2020.
PASTOR: Let us all pray:
All: God let your justice and fairness
flow like a river that never runs dry
PASTOR: Today is a time for hope and prayer…
We pray for the democratic acceptance of whatever the election result was and will be. We pray that there will be no violence because of this election but only peaceful protests and constructive conversations. We pray that relationships fractured by politics will be reconciled. We pray for patience and wisdom.
All: God let your justice and fairness
flow like a river that never runs dry
We pray for the kindness to reach out to neighbors who did not vote like me. We pray that all will try to reach across the aisle. We pray that whoever sits in the highest seat in the nation will do everything within his power to fight COVID-19 and return America’s citizens to good health. We pray that we will start an honest, humble and dignified conversation about race, injustice and respect. We pray for the wisdom to believe in our unity even and especially when we are divided.
Let God’s kingdom of justice and fairness reach from sea to sea, across all the earth.
All: God let your justice and fairness
flow like a river that never runs dry. AMEN.
1. READNG: Wisdom1,1-2
Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth,
think of the Lord in goodness and seek him with sincerity of heart;
2 because he is found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him.
2. REEADING: Wisdom 7.24-30
For wisdom is more mobile than any motion;
because of her pureness she pervades and penetrates all things. 25 For she is a breath of the power of God, and a pure emanation of the glory of the Almighty; therefore, nothing defiled gains entrance into her. 26 For she is a reflection of eternal light, a spotless mirror of the working of God, and an image of his goodness.
27 Although she is but one, she can do all things,
and while remaining in herself, she renews all things; in every generation she passes into holy souls and makes them friends of God, and prophets;
28 for God loves nothing so much as the person who lives with wisdom. 29 She is more beautiful than the sun and excels every constellation of the stars. Compared with the light she is found to be superior, 30 for it is succeeded by the night, but against wisdom evil does not prevail.
SERMON AND GOSPEL: MATTHEW 25.1-13
The Parable of the Ten Bridesmaids
25 “Then the kingdom of heaven will be like this. Ten bridesmaids took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 When the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, all of them became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a shout, ‘Look! Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those bridesmaids[c] got up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise replied, ‘No! there will not be enough for you and for us; you had better go to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 And while they went to buy it, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went with him into the wedding banquet; and the door was shut. 11 Later the other bridesmaids came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he replied, ‘Truly I tell you, I do not know you.’ 13 Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
SERMON:
Accordingly, to the Danish America Museum’s website the 3 of the most influential Danes through history are: The Danish Fairytale Writer H.C. Andersen 1805-1875, the Danish author Karen Blixen 1885 – 1962 and the Danish Philosopher Soren Kierkegaard 1813-1855.
Soren Kierkegaard was indeed a highly intelligent man, maybe even a genius. He was a learned man and had an exceptional mind and his thoughts and books became the founding articles of modern existentialism.
But even if Soren Kierkegaard was a highly intelligent man, he did not always make wise decisions. Though he was engaged to a lovely woman whom he deeply loved, he ended the relationship because he believed he was called to search the hidden side of life. And he lived a short life without the commitment and the comfort of love and marriage. It might not have been the wisest decision.
In biblical wisdom literature, the opposite of a wise person is called a fool. The book of Proverbs in the Old Testament is filled with explanations of the differences in character, behavior and consequences of a life based on wisdom or one based on folly or foolishness.
“A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”
“The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise.”
The Wise king Salomon concludes that a foolish person is self-centered, arrogant and controlled by his of her own emotions. A fool is unable to accept corrections from others and refuses to accept responsibility for the consequences of decisions, but instead blames others or God. The result is a lifestyle based on self-ordained concepts of right and wrong and restless repletion of mistakes and strife.
Being a fool or being wise, is at the center of todays Gospel in the parable about the 10 bridesmaids. 5 of the bridesmaids were foolish as they were not prepared and ready. The other 5 bridesmaids were prepared and ready, so they went with the groom as he came and the doors to the wedding banquet was closed.
“Keep awake therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
How timely this parable of Jesus seems in the wake of the Election last Tuesday. How timely this parable of Jesus reminding us about the importance of living foolishly or wisely. Not because I think that half of the voters were foolish and the other half wise. Even if my own personal opinions give me a personal reference of wisdom and foolishness, that has nothing to do with the timely reminder of today.
After this election, after a very contested, divided and not very civil or dignified campaign, - we need to choose how we proceed and how we enter to the banquets of the future. Foolishly or wisely.
Let me step back a bit, to last week, pre-election time… and I was taking a break from the endless political broadcast and division on TV, social media. So, I went to “Samtalekur” Conversation-Meeting or Conversation Parlor. A wonderful 1-hour conversation about the importance of conversation. The conversation was among 3 incredibly wise Danish men: Danish Author Tor Nortranders, Danish professor in Psychology Svend Brinkmann and Danish anthropologist and director of the National Museum of Denmark Rune Willerslev.
3 good friends, but also 3 good friends who had their differences and opinions, but most importantly had a deep respect for each other and were able to have a dignified respectful conversation.
Again, and again during their conversation they commented on the ongoing political debate and coming election in US, - and stated that the problem was that the conversations had stopped. And the conversations are the very fabrics of not only healthy good friendships and family relations, - but even more the very fabric and foundation of Democracy.
When and if the conversation, the mutual respect and trust cease, democracy is threatened.
When the conversations, the respectful exchanges of opinions, views and differences, stops, the very fabric of society and democracy, decency and civility ends…. Unfortunately, we have witnessed that over the last couple of years and especially during the electoral campaign. No conversation over the political aisle, no conversation between the republican uncle and the democratic niece, no conversation between oppositional opinions. Instead there has been heated shouting debates, division in families, terrible one side communication on Social Media…. Etc. etc.
We might think that we have conversations and exchanges of views like never before with our constant Social Media, but the truth is that the true meaningful constructive and honest conversation are best face to face … or as the 3 wise men in conversations stated : good conversations could be at a hotel, at a graveyard, at a bar, over dinner or in the darkness of confession and despair.
And now…. We must choose how we wisely can move on and into 2021.
2020 has been an Annus Horribilis: Worldwide Pandemic, racial unrest, political divide, raging wildfires and economical downfall for many.
We are still in the middle of all of this – and we need to talk. We need to start having conversations again. Committed, compassionate and constructive conversations.
In 1969, Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge released the single ‘Worst That Could Happen”—it went gold. It is a ballad about how distressing it is to find out that your former girlfriend is getting married to someone, who apparently is a much better catch than you were. The psychological angst is caught in the recurring chorus:
Maybe it is the best thing
Maybe it is the best thing for you
But it is the worst that could happen to me
Tuesday was Election Day and no matter the outcome, millions of people are going to be singing the refrain of “Worst that could happen.” for the foreseeable future. For the one who lost their hopes once the results were confirmed, many would probably y say” maybe it is the best thing or you, but it’s the words that could happened to me. “
“What’s the worst that could happen?” As noted above, just about every voter could provide a detailed answer to each of these questions today. What each of us is afraid of is that the person we voted for might lose. Simple as that.
But when there are winners and losers in the moment of election, the moment we proceed into ordinary times again post lections, there are no winners or losers, there are neighbors, colleagues, family members, friends and congregants. And we must deal with one another. And we must talk to one another. We are going to be committed participating citizens in a democratic republic such as ours. Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose. But after that we must be wise and participate.
Or as VANCE MORGAN wrote in a column on Patheos, a non-denominational, non-partisan online media company providing information and commentary from various religious and nonreligious perspectives. An online site that I could imagine that late Soren Kierkegaard would have engaged in :
But the real work for all of us presents itself daily, not just once every two or four years. We have all painted ourselves so effectively into our respective corners with our fears that the middle of the room, where the work almost always gets done, is largely unoccupied. “The worst that could happen” would be for that to continue, no matter who wins this election.
Or as Proverb said: “The way of the fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. “
The only wise thing to do is to try to start conversations. To keep avoiding or giving up conversations are as foolish can be.
We would all rather be on the winning side. But that is not democracy. Democracy thrives only if we work hard to win while recognizing that each of us will take regular turns at being losers. Whether it works or not will depend on what we do next, regardless of how the election turns out.
The 10 bridesmaids had to prepare themselves for the coming of the groom and the wedding banquet.
We as the divided we might be we as disappointed we might be, we as angry we might be needed to move on and be ready. To dare to have conversation. To dare to build bridges. To dare to cross the aisle. To dare to be part of our democracy.
“The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays.” ― Soren Kierkegaard
So, let us pray:
Loving and Transforming Grace,
Source of creation and compassion -- Be with us now.
As a nation and as individuals we have endured the hard night of election and division, and now it is time for us to look inward, to each other, to all fonts of wisdom, for guidance.
Some have experienced moments of rejoicing
And some may be in deep mourning.
God, we ask; Where do we go next?
How do we mend the wounds of this nation?
How do we become united once more?
On this day –on all days going forward,
let us look to ourselves, into each other’s eyes, to the skies,
as we recognize that we must find ways to join as never before, if we are to build the future we dream of.
Divided, we will surely fail.
Separated, we face defeat.
But together -- summoning up those angels Lincoln spoke of long ago,
We may yet redeem our country’s greatest hope –one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
To give birth, again, to the dream.
Let us join now in silent prayer and contemplation.
Let us move into the coming days in conversation, compassion and change.