Amazing and shameful
How do you preach an entire homily in a Christian church without naming Jesus even once? Especially a funeral homily, the moment when Jesus Christ and his resurrection are the only thing that matters?
Rev. John Danforth just did it in Washington, D.C., a few moments ago.
Sure he quoted scripture like the first chapter of John, where Jesus is referred to as "the Light". Sure he mentioned "the resurrection" and "our faith." But each verse was carefully selected and edited to ensure that the name "Jesus" was never uttered from the pulpit. The name "Ronald Reagan" was uttered a maximum number of times.
How shameful.
Danforth said earily on in his homily that the point of such a message is to connect the life of the deceased to the faith of the church. And Danforth did actually strive to connect Ronald Reagan's life to the notion of faith. He hit on an appropriate biblical image - light - and argued that Ronald Reagan was an example of a person filled with light. (We'll let slide the theologically absurd proposition Danforth made that Reagan had "no dark side" at all. No pastor of the Church could ever utter such a thing and keep a straight face, yet there it was.) In other words, Danforth found a "hook" for his sermon, like any good preacher, and his words were well-chosen and solemn.
But they were generic. The "faith" that he connected Reagan's life to is the faceless, shapeless idol that is American civil religion. The faith of the Church is that Jesus Christ, God's only Son, lived and died so that our darkness might be made light (to use Danforth's image), and he rose so that in his life we might live also. That's the Church's faith.
Our national civil religion goes more like this: There is some sort of God who is good and on our side. When we do what we think is right, he's pleased with us, and rewards us. "Good" people like Ronald Reagan will go to some kind of heaven. "Bad" people like Hitler and the Iraqis will go to hell, whatever that means. But we're not so sure about all of this, and especially the specifics, so if you believe something else, it's all good - what's important is that you have faith in SOMETHING.
No matter how much he dressed it up with allusions to a Jesus of sorts, and with Christian trimmings, the faith Danforth's sermon professed was that watered-down abomination of civil religion. It was made for TV, but had no place in the Church.
You can almost imagine his predicament - I'm a Christian minister. I've been asked to preach at the funeral of a former president. My words will be heard by millions of Americans, people of great faith, people of little faith, and people who do not share my faith at all. I am called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially when the Church is at worship, but there will be many, many people who do not watch or listen to worship, but because it is news, or to pay honor to Mr. Reagan, or any of a hundred other reasons. How should I preach? Should I proclaim the Gospel boldly and risk offending countless people on the biggest sermon of my life? Or should I make my sermon bland and palatable to people of any and no faith, everyone else who accepts the vague idea of "being good"?
Rev. Danforth had an opportunity (and an obligation) to bring a bold message about God's saving love for Ronald Reagan in Jesus Christ to a national (and international) audience. He had a chance (and a responsibility) to let the church's REAL light - the light of the Gospel - shine forth through his words. Instead he chose to talk about Ronald Reagan's light, and America's light. He chose to be bland and inoffensive, and will probably be widely praised for his "wise" choice.
But not in this blog. Me? I'm ashamed that any colleague of mine could make a choice like that.
Rev. John Danforth just did it in Washington, D.C., a few moments ago.
Sure he quoted scripture like the first chapter of John, where Jesus is referred to as "the Light". Sure he mentioned "the resurrection" and "our faith." But each verse was carefully selected and edited to ensure that the name "Jesus" was never uttered from the pulpit. The name "Ronald Reagan" was uttered a maximum number of times.
How shameful.
Danforth said earily on in his homily that the point of such a message is to connect the life of the deceased to the faith of the church. And Danforth did actually strive to connect Ronald Reagan's life to the notion of faith. He hit on an appropriate biblical image - light - and argued that Ronald Reagan was an example of a person filled with light. (We'll let slide the theologically absurd proposition Danforth made that Reagan had "no dark side" at all. No pastor of the Church could ever utter such a thing and keep a straight face, yet there it was.) In other words, Danforth found a "hook" for his sermon, like any good preacher, and his words were well-chosen and solemn.
But they were generic. The "faith" that he connected Reagan's life to is the faceless, shapeless idol that is American civil religion. The faith of the Church is that Jesus Christ, God's only Son, lived and died so that our darkness might be made light (to use Danforth's image), and he rose so that in his life we might live also. That's the Church's faith.
Our national civil religion goes more like this: There is some sort of God who is good and on our side. When we do what we think is right, he's pleased with us, and rewards us. "Good" people like Ronald Reagan will go to some kind of heaven. "Bad" people like Hitler and the Iraqis will go to hell, whatever that means. But we're not so sure about all of this, and especially the specifics, so if you believe something else, it's all good - what's important is that you have faith in SOMETHING.
No matter how much he dressed it up with allusions to a Jesus of sorts, and with Christian trimmings, the faith Danforth's sermon professed was that watered-down abomination of civil religion. It was made for TV, but had no place in the Church.
You can almost imagine his predicament - I'm a Christian minister. I've been asked to preach at the funeral of a former president. My words will be heard by millions of Americans, people of great faith, people of little faith, and people who do not share my faith at all. I am called to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ, especially when the Church is at worship, but there will be many, many people who do not watch or listen to worship, but because it is news, or to pay honor to Mr. Reagan, or any of a hundred other reasons. How should I preach? Should I proclaim the Gospel boldly and risk offending countless people on the biggest sermon of my life? Or should I make my sermon bland and palatable to people of any and no faith, everyone else who accepts the vague idea of "being good"?
Rev. Danforth had an opportunity (and an obligation) to bring a bold message about God's saving love for Ronald Reagan in Jesus Christ to a national (and international) audience. He had a chance (and a responsibility) to let the church's REAL light - the light of the Gospel - shine forth through his words. Instead he chose to talk about Ronald Reagan's light, and America's light. He chose to be bland and inoffensive, and will probably be widely praised for his "wise" choice.
But not in this blog. Me? I'm ashamed that any colleague of mine could make a choice like that.
posted by Bob at
11:44 AM
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