The Transforming Power of God

There are many who think that Christianity is just a collection of platitudes, but it really doesn't make much practical difference. Peter, the Apostle, said in our passage, "I truly understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him." This is a staggering statement, particularly from the mouth of Peter. These words, "shows no partiality", literally means "not lifting the face of anyone." In Near Eastern culture, when people were in the presence of another of greater prestige, they would turn the face away, not look at the person in the face as a sign of respect. What a person of high prestige might do is reach out and raise the head of someone they wanted to single out and to whom they wanted to show partiality by saying, in effect, "You can look at me." The passage speaks of God not having favorites, not being partial.

Today we often hear the Irving Berlin song, "God Bless America" and see a sign with those words. We say, "Yes, of course; God Bless America; may God guide and bless our land." This is a good and valid prayer. These words do not mean, however, that God especially picks out America as better or superior or special, and that we deserve -- ought to have -- a special blessing from God as no other country has had. I would like to suggest that if Irving Berlin were alive today, he should write another verse, which would go something like, "God Bless America and people of good will in every nation." That is exactly what our passage for this morning says, "I understand that God shows no partiality; God doesn't lift up the face of people in an impartial manner. In every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him."

Let us apply this perspective to church life. There are those who say that they don't like the old hymns; and they say they like up-tempo, a little more pizazz. Then there are other people that say, "I don't like that up-tempo pizazz. It's too noisy; it makes too much racket; I don't like that." So, some smart person sitting in a corner says, "Hey, I know what we'll do! Let's have a service that has the up-tempo stuff at one time, then we'll have another service for the slower music. We'll have the under-30 crowd here and the over-30, 40, 50, 60 or 70, 80 or 90's crowd there Then everybody will be happy." This idea is based on the market principle of "give them what they want." And, what do you know, it works... in a way. However let's think about the price that is paid. One price is that we are segregating the Church; we are breaking the Church into interest groups, and we are giving people what is in their age-appropriate, culture-appropriate range. The downside of this approach, and I think this is a big downside, is that by segregating the young from the old and the old from the young, we lose the opportunity of the young knowing and loving and learning from the old. We miss the opportunity of the old knowing and loving and learning from the young. The young have much to teach the old, and the older have much to teach the young. Scripture says that in Jesus Christ there is neither Greek nor Jew; there is neither male nor female; but we are all one in Jesus Christ. I say if you don't like the slow music, learn to like it; appreciate it; love it; expand yourself; love the people who love that. If you don't like the fast, loud music, learn to open your hearts to it and appreciate it.

Richard Niebuhr, over fifty years ago, wrote a book called The Social Structure's Denominationalism. Richard Niebuhr was a great theologian of that time, brother of the famous theologian Reinhold Niebuhr. Richard Niebuhr made the point in his book that Protestant denominations are divided up pretty much not according to theology, but according to class. People like to be around others of about the same class as they are. It has been found that most people won't go to church in a neighborhood in a lower class than the neighborhood in which they live. People like to be with other people like themselves -- of the same social status, that wear the same clothes, the men get about the same kind of hair cut, the women have about the same kind of coiffure, and households make about the same amount of money. People outside the church sometimes say, "The church is like a club; everybody in the church is pretty much alike. What is this business about Christ cutting through differences? Overcoming differences?"

The church ought to be a place where we have rich and not so rich; we have young and not so young; we have white collar and blue collar. A church ought to be a place in which we have a variety of races. You know, didn't we learn the song as kids, "Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in His sight." The Church should have a multiplicity of racial and cultural expressions joined together in worship.

Somebody will say, "What you're asking is too hard to do; it's just human nature; people like to be around people like them; it's natural." I would say, yes, indeed, it is natural; it's natural for people to commit adultery; it's natural that people sometimes hate and kill. We should challenge nature. If we have a vision like this for our Church, we pay a price. But it's a price worth paying.

I have heard people comment that you cannot be a Republican and a Christian. I have heard, with the other ear, people say that if you're really a Christian, how could you be a Democrat? I think both statements are complete malarkey. I can't find anywhere in scripture where it says, "Woe unto you who are Republicans; woe unto you who are Democrats." I'm very happy having a Democrat over here and a Republican over there. There isn't one, politically correct philosophy. We don't all have to be the same theologically.

There are those who want sameness in a church. There's much strength in that perspective because everybody's alike; everybody agrees. It makes people good because they get a lot of support. However, one also pays the price of having one's ideas challenged. I'm here to tell you that there is not one correct view in the face of which all others are wrong. We look at a diamond and we see different colors; we see different perspectives. Of course there are boundaries. There comes a time where we draw the line, and we say, "That's just off the chart." I'm just saying and applying what Peter has said in our passage. That's the place for us to be as a Church. I'm willing to pay the price of going in that direction.

In football it's called a reverse. The quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, who goes to the left, drawing the opposition. He then hands the ball to another running back who goes to the right. Positive reverses happen in life. People who have been terribly sorrowful will say after a period of time, "I have life like I never had it before." It happens all the time. Life from death. Death and resurrection aren't just about Jesus Christ.

There is a woman who was admitted to a psychiatric hospital many years ago. In those days they gave people insulin shock. She had a number of those insulin shock treatments. I believe then later she had electric shock; she also had innumerable medications and kinds of psychotherapy; she was in and out of hospitals for decades. Finally she was better and it lasted. I asked her, "You've had it all; what was it that turned your life around; what made you whole out of all of that treatment?" And she said, "It wasn't the shock treatment; it wasn't the psychiatrists; it wasn't the medications." I said, "Then what was it?" She said, "It was that the last time I was in the hospital the other patients accepted me." She could be wrong. Maybe the shocks and drugs really did help her. However, from her recounting, it was her being in a community in which she was embraced. She was accepted. She was accepted for who she was, warts and all, differences and all. It was a transforming experience. Many people's lives have been transformed because they have experienced forgiveness and acceptance from other people and ultimately from God. Our mandate is that we are commanded to testify that He is the One ordained by God, who calls us to accept people as they are, differences and all. Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name. And that is a transforming experience. That's not just an idea. That's just not a platitude. That's reality. That's powerful.

The Gospel is more than good intentions. It is power to transform our lives. It transforms our narrow, provincial interests. It transforms us so that we can hear and listen and embrace people who are different and who may be seeking and troubled. The gospel transforms sometimes from death to life. May this power be a reality in our church and in all of us.

The foregoing is from a sermon by Carl O. Bickel at the United Parish of Bowie on January 13, 2002.

© 2002 Carl O. Bickel

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