This was preached during the summer at the Presbyterian church right around the corner from my own. The guest preacher used to be associate dean of religious life and of the chapel at Princeton University. I am sure ya'll will enjoy it.
Pray for revival, seriously.
*************************
The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville
SARVA DHARMA SAMA NATVA
1 Peter 2:4-10, John 14:1-14
Wow, it's such a pleasure and an honor for me to be here among you, to be blessed by this worship--by that music--to see so many colleagues and friends from former lives and from this life, now. To count on Catherine and Jeff and Will and neighbors and friends. Disciples of Jesus together.
Well, here's a week in the religious life at The Lawrenceville School--a week from last fall:
On Sunday evening, Greg Jones, a Baptist preacher and our Hallelujah Chaplain--tall, dark, regal--preaches a sermon called Standing on Tiptoes. And he has our students standing on their tiptoes looking for God's love that is coming their way and he has the students singing and clapping and swaying in praise--in praise of that loving God.
On Monday evening students come into the Chapel, slip off their shoes, and quietly take their places on Zen cushions. Phil Jordan, the Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department who spent four years living in a Zen Monastery, leads the ZaZen, or sitting mediation. We begin with a chant, and then chimes. Incense is lit. We bow to one another, focus and breathe.
Wednesday morning at 7:30: students come for Holy Communion from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer--some sleepy eyed and still in their pajamas, some showered and ready for the day. We break the bread and take the cup.
Wednesday evening is the Hindu puja--a puja to Lord Krishna. There is worship to Brahman, who is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. There is a reading from the Bhagavad Gita: Krishna's wisdom. We practice darsan, which is moving our fingers over a lit candle and touching our eyes to let the light of God into each of us. We share Prasad: hot and spicy treats offered to Krishna, and then enjoyed by all.
It is Sukkot. The beginning of Sukkot this week--the Jewish festival of booths, the feast of the harvest. The Jewish students welcome everybody into their Sukka--I think you have one here--ours is built with corn stalks around a grove of hemlocks by our chapel. There are special prayers for Sukkot. We each have a lulav--a willow branch--in one hand, and an etrog--that's a citrus type of fruit--in another. And we wave them in praise of the God of creation. And then Domino's pizza is delivered to the Sukka.
On Friday at noon Muslim students gather in our mosque for Jummuah Prayers: "Allah Waback Allah...." It is Ramadan. The students are fasting and will gather again at sundown to break the fast with dates and raisins.
Sunday there is Catholic Mass celebrated with our priest, Father Javier Diaz. Originally he comes from Columbia, and this day he celebrates the mass in Spanish--a bit of home for our students for whom Spanish is their first language and a bit of a boost for our students who are hoping for Spanish to be their second language.
And on a given week, there might be a Quaker meeting; or a Universalist Unitarian gathering. There might be Taize worship or Kripalu Yoga, which for no apparent reason attracts our football players. Astonishing to see those bug solid guys attempt yoga position.
Now you might be asking, right about now, "What in tarnation is going on in that school next door, and why?" You might ask me, as I sometimes ask myself, "How did a nice Methodist minister--a Christian disciple--end up in a yoga position herself? Or how did I end up buying prayer rugs in Brooklyn, or Prasad, the Hindu Holy food, in Edison?" Well, at The Lawrenceville School we believe that the exploration of the religious and spiritual dimension of life is an essential component of our students' education. We believe for them to be citizens and leaders of our global village, they need to have the opportunity to develop understanding and respect for practices different than their own. We want them to be committed to their own faith, and we want them to be committed to learn about other faiths--to learn from each other. They have to go to Chapel twice a term, whether they want to or not!
So what happens for me when a minister like me bumps up against a text like the one appointed today from the gospel of John? "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." No one? No one? Does that mean the Hindu can't reach Brahman? Or the Buddhist Bodhi satva? What does it mean for those who practice Judaism right here? Or for the Muslim who holds Jesus dear as a prophet? "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." No One? No One? What do we do with a text like this in a world like ours? What do we do with a text like this in a world like ours?
Now up at Union Seminary, where Jeff and I were both students, the Bible classes were, hands down, the most rigorous and demanding. We were taught to study the texts, closely, thoughtfully, carefully, seriously. Some of us, like Jeff, were taught to study the texts in the original language: in the Hebrew and the Greek. We were taught to determine the date of the text and the writer. The place a particular passage has within its historical context. And for most of us, this Biblical study was a labor of love, and gave us enormous joy--a big part why we were there.
Here is some of what we learned about the Gospel of John. That John cared deeply about who Jesus was and described Jesus in the most beautiful language he could imagine: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." No shepherds come to the stable in John. No stars or angels to herald the birth. Words alone describe the birth of Jesus: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth."
And here is something else we learned: that John cared deeply about who Jesus was, yes, but also about who Jesus is to us. And so with language and imagination, again, John creates the great I AMs:
I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the light.
I am the true vine.
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
These are all precious descriptions of Jesus to those of us who practice Christianity. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Here is something else we learned: that because John's gospel was written at the end of the first century John's gospel is fraught with anti Semitism which is simply wrong. And that because John's gospel was written at the end of the first century and John is trying to encourage Christians in the face of persecutions, there are phrases like: "No one comes to the Father except through me." It's like a coach revving up a team before a big challenge, "We're # 1! We're the one and only! Let's go get 'em! No one but us!" Important for the game on that day perhaps, but maybe not for all days--for our day.
"I am the way the truth and the life"--yes. "No one comes to the Father except through me"--maybe for those first century Christians. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe not for the twenty-first century Christians
And lastly, one other little learning from heart of John's gospel. Served up to us as if on a silver tray: the reality of God's love for us. Two hundred and eighty two times, John refers to this great love. We know--Raymond Brown made us count them. At the heart of John's Gospel--at the heart of "the way, the truth, and the life"--in John's gospel is God's love for each of us and all of us together. And our capacity as a result to love neighbor as self. That great love divine, all loves excelling, beckons us to reach out and to love all our neighbors! And in our global village our neighbors are people of all faiths, and our love is filled with respect and understanding because we are Christians. Our love is open and ready for reciprocity because we are followers of Jesus. We have decided to follow Jesus. That great love divine, all loves excelling has an equal regard for all faiths; a love for our own faith; a commitment to who we are as Christians; and an equal regard to the faiths of others.
Now I'd like to ask you to look at your bulletin. Take a look at your sermon, where it says, "Sermon." And I would like you to just take a look at that. Now look up at me. Will you repeat* after me, please: Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. So well done!
This is Gandhi's principle of equal regard for all faiths. Gandhi, as you know, was a practicing Hindu who read the sacred texts of all faiths, and for whom the teachings of Jesus were of utmost importance. The teachings of Jesus, our Jesus guided Gandhi every day of his life.
Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Come, my way, my truth, my life. Guide us to an equal regard for all faiths. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Christ is made a sure foundation to create a faith in us that frees us to love our neighbors--love that is divine and all-excelling. They will know we are Christians by our love.
Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sama. Sama. Natva. Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva.
Amen.
*Italics indicate congregational response.
June 1 , 2008
The Reverend Sue Anne Steffey Morrow
Pray for revival, seriously.
*************************
The Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville
SARVA DHARMA SAMA NATVA
1 Peter 2:4-10, John 14:1-14
Wow, it's such a pleasure and an honor for me to be here among you, to be blessed by this worship--by that music--to see so many colleagues and friends from former lives and from this life, now. To count on Catherine and Jeff and Will and neighbors and friends. Disciples of Jesus together.
Well, here's a week in the religious life at The Lawrenceville School--a week from last fall:
On Sunday evening, Greg Jones, a Baptist preacher and our Hallelujah Chaplain--tall, dark, regal--preaches a sermon called Standing on Tiptoes. And he has our students standing on their tiptoes looking for God's love that is coming their way and he has the students singing and clapping and swaying in praise--in praise of that loving God.
On Monday evening students come into the Chapel, slip off their shoes, and quietly take their places on Zen cushions. Phil Jordan, the Chair of the Religion and Philosophy Department who spent four years living in a Zen Monastery, leads the ZaZen, or sitting mediation. We begin with a chant, and then chimes. Incense is lit. We bow to one another, focus and breathe.
Wednesday morning at 7:30: students come for Holy Communion from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer--some sleepy eyed and still in their pajamas, some showered and ready for the day. We break the bread and take the cup.
Wednesday evening is the Hindu puja--a puja to Lord Krishna. There is worship to Brahman, who is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient. There is a reading from the Bhagavad Gita: Krishna's wisdom. We practice darsan, which is moving our fingers over a lit candle and touching our eyes to let the light of God into each of us. We share Prasad: hot and spicy treats offered to Krishna, and then enjoyed by all.
It is Sukkot. The beginning of Sukkot this week--the Jewish festival of booths, the feast of the harvest. The Jewish students welcome everybody into their Sukka--I think you have one here--ours is built with corn stalks around a grove of hemlocks by our chapel. There are special prayers for Sukkot. We each have a lulav--a willow branch--in one hand, and an etrog--that's a citrus type of fruit--in another. And we wave them in praise of the God of creation. And then Domino's pizza is delivered to the Sukka.
On Friday at noon Muslim students gather in our mosque for Jummuah Prayers: "Allah Waback Allah...." It is Ramadan. The students are fasting and will gather again at sundown to break the fast with dates and raisins.
Sunday there is Catholic Mass celebrated with our priest, Father Javier Diaz. Originally he comes from Columbia, and this day he celebrates the mass in Spanish--a bit of home for our students for whom Spanish is their first language and a bit of a boost for our students who are hoping for Spanish to be their second language.
And on a given week, there might be a Quaker meeting; or a Universalist Unitarian gathering. There might be Taize worship or Kripalu Yoga, which for no apparent reason attracts our football players. Astonishing to see those bug solid guys attempt yoga position.
Now you might be asking, right about now, "What in tarnation is going on in that school next door, and why?" You might ask me, as I sometimes ask myself, "How did a nice Methodist minister--a Christian disciple--end up in a yoga position herself? Or how did I end up buying prayer rugs in Brooklyn, or Prasad, the Hindu Holy food, in Edison?" Well, at The Lawrenceville School we believe that the exploration of the religious and spiritual dimension of life is an essential component of our students' education. We believe for them to be citizens and leaders of our global village, they need to have the opportunity to develop understanding and respect for practices different than their own. We want them to be committed to their own faith, and we want them to be committed to learn about other faiths--to learn from each other. They have to go to Chapel twice a term, whether they want to or not!
So what happens for me when a minister like me bumps up against a text like the one appointed today from the gospel of John? "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." No one? No one? Does that mean the Hindu can't reach Brahman? Or the Buddhist Bodhi satva? What does it mean for those who practice Judaism right here? Or for the Muslim who holds Jesus dear as a prophet? "I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." No One? No One? What do we do with a text like this in a world like ours? What do we do with a text like this in a world like ours?
Now up at Union Seminary, where Jeff and I were both students, the Bible classes were, hands down, the most rigorous and demanding. We were taught to study the texts, closely, thoughtfully, carefully, seriously. Some of us, like Jeff, were taught to study the texts in the original language: in the Hebrew and the Greek. We were taught to determine the date of the text and the writer. The place a particular passage has within its historical context. And for most of us, this Biblical study was a labor of love, and gave us enormous joy--a big part why we were there.
Here is some of what we learned about the Gospel of John. That John cared deeply about who Jesus was and described Jesus in the most beautiful language he could imagine: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." No shepherds come to the stable in John. No stars or angels to herald the birth. Words alone describe the birth of Jesus: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth."
And here is something else we learned: that John cared deeply about who Jesus was, yes, but also about who Jesus is to us. And so with language and imagination, again, John creates the great I AMs:
I am the bread of life.
I am the light of the world.
I am the good shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the light.
I am the true vine.
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
These are all precious descriptions of Jesus to those of us who practice Christianity. "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Here is something else we learned: that because John's gospel was written at the end of the first century John's gospel is fraught with anti Semitism which is simply wrong. And that because John's gospel was written at the end of the first century and John is trying to encourage Christians in the face of persecutions, there are phrases like: "No one comes to the Father except through me." It's like a coach revving up a team before a big challenge, "We're # 1! We're the one and only! Let's go get 'em! No one but us!" Important for the game on that day perhaps, but maybe not for all days--for our day.
"I am the way the truth and the life"--yes. "No one comes to the Father except through me"--maybe for those first century Christians. Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe not for the twenty-first century Christians
And lastly, one other little learning from heart of John's gospel. Served up to us as if on a silver tray: the reality of God's love for us. Two hundred and eighty two times, John refers to this great love. We know--Raymond Brown made us count them. At the heart of John's Gospel--at the heart of "the way, the truth, and the life"--in John's gospel is God's love for each of us and all of us together. And our capacity as a result to love neighbor as self. That great love divine, all loves excelling, beckons us to reach out and to love all our neighbors! And in our global village our neighbors are people of all faiths, and our love is filled with respect and understanding because we are Christians. Our love is open and ready for reciprocity because we are followers of Jesus. We have decided to follow Jesus. That great love divine, all loves excelling has an equal regard for all faiths; a love for our own faith; a commitment to who we are as Christians; and an equal regard to the faiths of others.
Now I'd like to ask you to look at your bulletin. Take a look at your sermon, where it says, "Sermon." And I would like you to just take a look at that. Now look up at me. Will you repeat* after me, please: Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. So well done!
This is Gandhi's principle of equal regard for all faiths. Gandhi, as you know, was a practicing Hindu who read the sacred texts of all faiths, and for whom the teachings of Jesus were of utmost importance. The teachings of Jesus, our Jesus guided Gandhi every day of his life.
Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Come, my way, my truth, my life. Guide us to an equal regard for all faiths. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Christ is made a sure foundation to create a faith in us that frees us to love our neighbors--love that is divine and all-excelling. They will know we are Christians by our love.
Sarva. Sarva. Dharma. Dharma. Sama. Sama. Natva. Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva. Sarva Dharma Sama Natva.
Amen.
*Italics indicate congregational response.
June 1 , 2008
The Reverend Sue Anne Steffey Morrow
Oh we need to repent and beg for mercy. 
