Just Right. Acts 4:32-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13a. 03/03/2024

Just Right.

Acts 4:32-35; 1 Corinthians 1:10-13a.

Rev. Herb Freitag

March 3, 2024

A preacher died and went to heaven. When he arrived he was surprised to find that a New

York City taxi cab driver had been given a better dwelling place than he received. So he asked St.

Peter how this could be. St. Peter replied: Well, here in heaven we reward results. Outraged, the

preacher argued that he had devoted his entire life to his congregation. Okay, said St. Peter…but did

your parishioners always hear you and respond appropriately to what you had to say? The preacher

admitted that on numerous occasions several of them fell asleep during his sermons. There you

have it, said St. Peter. In contrast, the cab driver’s passengers not only always stayed awake…but

most of them also prayed! This was the same preacher who was once told by a parishioner at the

end of a service: Reverend, your words were akin to the peace and love of God. Highly flattered,

and wanting to hear more, the clergyman asked what he meant. The man answered: The peace of

God passes all understanding and the love of God endures forever! So, let’s see what happens this

morning.

Although this is my 2279 th sermon…it’s been seven years since I retired as pastor of the

Chapel and five years since I last stood in this pulpit. So I know what’s going through some of your

minds. Some of you are wondering: Does he still have it; some of you are thinking: I hope he’s

better than he was before; some of you are questioning: What’s he doing up there in the first place?

Well, all such concerns will be resolved for you in a couple of hours when I am finished with this

sermon…after all, I have a lot of catching up to do!

On this occasion of the Chapel’s 75 th anniversary, I am reminded of a phrase which was used a

great deal a few years ago, in that case regarding the United States. The two-word line spoke of

“American exceptionalism”. Now I had no problem with the concept itself…in fact I agreed with

it…but I objected to the implications connected with how it was applied. Because, you see, those

who seemed to use it most often (generally politicians) were speaking of United States

exceptionalism in comparison to and as better than other nations – in other words, they were

suggesting that the United States is exceptional but nobody else is.

I would offer that the United States, like a church or an organization or a family or, indeed, any

kind of grouping, is exceptional…but in its own way and with its own specialness. And as we

consider the Chapel-By-The-Sea as it celebrates 75 years of existence, its exceptionalism derives

from what it is and what it does, not from comparison with other churches, which are also exceptional

in their own ways. Frankly, it all depends upon the people who make up this church, any church –

along with what they want from it and what they put into it.

Most of you know the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. A family of bears – Papa Bear,

Mama Bear, and Baby Bear – lived in a small house in the woods (remember, this is a fairy tale).

One lovely day they woke up and, after making porridge for breakfast, decided to go for a walk while

their cereal cooled. A young girl with yellow hair appropriately named Goldilocks had gotten lost in

this forest and it wasn’t too long before she was tired and hungry. Fortunately, just as she got to the

point where she didn’t think she could take another step, she came upon the bears’ house. She tried

the door and, finding it unlocked (after all, why would bears worry about safety and security?), she

went in. She saw the kitchen table with the three bowls of porridge and, her hunger getting the best

of her, she “fell to” with a hearty appetite. She tried Papa Bear’s bowl – too hot; she tried Mama

Bear’s bowl – too cold; then she tried Baby Bear’s bowl and, finding it “just right”…ate all of it. Her

hunger satisfied, she went upstairs to the bedroom and the possibility of a nap beckoned. She tried

Papa Bear’s bed – too hard; she tried Mama Bear’s bed – too soft; then she tried Baby Bear’s bed

and, finding it “just right”...lay down and went to sleep. Soon after this the bears came home from

their walk. They quickly discovered that an intruder had been there. Papa Bear and Mama Bear

declared that someone had been eating their porridge and Baby Bear complained, “Someone has

been eating my porridge and it’s all gone!” Investigating further, they climbed the stairs, at which

point Papa Bear and Mama Bear observed that someone had been lying in their beds while Baby

Bear exclaimed, “Someone has been lying in my bed and she is still there!” With that, Goldilocks

woke up, screamed when she saw the bears, and raced down the stairs and out the door…to be soon

found by people who had been looking for her.

Okay, so what does this have to do with the Chapel’s 75 th anniversary (besides my wanting to

share with you some great literature)? At the risk of stretching a point somewhat thinly, I would

observe that Goldilocks searched for something – in this case food and rest – and found that which

was, for her, “just right”. Similarly, those of you who are here, and have been here over the years,

have looked for a church and found the Chapel, for you, to be “just right”!

So, for us the Chapel-By-The-Sea is special! Why? Well, I would submit that it has a lot to

offer…certainly in those areas that every church offers, but with varying degrees of excellence.

How about music? We have, and have always had, a great music program. When Lorraine

and I came here in 1981 for my trial sermon, we walked across the parking lot by the side door of the

sanctuary. We heard the choir practicing before the service and we thought: Wow, that sounds like

about thirty singers! Well, it turned out to be a handful. Some things haven’t changed here, and

that’s one of them. How about preaching? If the preaching wasn’t any good and the messages didn’t

“hit home”, you wouldn’t keep coming, would you? So those who have occupied this pulpit must have

had some skill in this department. How about activities? Over the years the Chapel has offered

religious and secular education opportunities on numerous subjects to individuals of all ages…as well

as retreats and lectures and dinners and concerts and plays and bazaars and sports (think volleyball

here) and the list goes on. How about missions? Especially for a church our size, we give a large

amount of money to charitable causes in the community and in the world (as well as volunteer hours

by our members). As examples: we have been one of the major contributors to such organizations

as RCS (now Hope Villages), HEP (Homeless Empowerment Program), and the ICCC (the

International Council of Community Churches); we have donated a refrigerated truck and an entire

room to Hope Villages; we have built, with our money and our labor, a house for Habitat for Humanity.

And again, the list goes on. How about finances? We have always had financial stability because of

wise leadership (I’m speaking here of lay leadership) and because of the generosity and support of

those in the Chapel “family”, whether or not they have ever “officially” joined in terms of membership.

Let me now share a few of the qualities and characteristics which I believe every church

“should” possess…and which I think we do. Openness. We welcome everyone to all that the Chapel

offers and if there are any who have trouble with this…well, I am sure they can find a church

somewhere else more to their liking. Acceptance. We take people as they are, and the specifics of

their beliefs are between them and God – there is no litmus test for becoming part of this church

community. Inclusiveness. Take a look at those who attend the church’s services and activities – old

and young, male and female, straight and gay, liberal and conservative, rich and poor, of differing

ethnicities…about as hearty a mix of humanity as can be found and all seem to somehow get along

with one another. Dedication. No organization can long exist without the dedication of its members

and the Chapel is no exception…as has been proven throughout its 75 year history. Vision. The

church was founded with vision and continues with vision…vision of what could and can and might be

as we move into an ever-changing future. Flexibility. If “the times they are a’changin” (and they are)

then we must be ready to do the same – but always without losing our commitment to what we

believe to be our purpose and mission. So it is that the Chapel has never clung to anything just

because “that’s the way it has always been done” and was thus able to not only survive, but thrive,

during the Covid crisis. Warmth. I always asked those seeking to join the Chapel what they found

here that made them want to be part of this “faith family”…and invariably one of the answers was the

genuine warmth exhibited by those they met when they entered our doors.

Is the Chapel-By-The-Sea perfect? Of course not. It is not perfect as an organization, nor are

the people who comprise its membership perfect. And that has always been true of the Christian

Church. Oh, in our down and questioning moments we can talk about how wonderful it would all be if

we could just return to what the church was like in the very beginning of its existence…how those first

Christians were totally right in their faith in and commitment to the teachings of Jesus; how those first

Christians were “perfect” Christians. But if we take that tack, we reveal biblical and historical

ignorance while demonstrating the kind of unrealistic thinking that would have doomed the church in

its infancy if its founders had thought the same way.

After Jesus left this world, the movement which began in his name was long considered just

another offshoot of Judaism, following Jewish laws and meeting in synagogues…the only real

difference of note being that these followers believed that the promised messiah had come. When

that position became untenable, those now being called “Christians” met in homes as relatively small

groupings and shared everything in common for the benefit of all. More and more people were

attracted to what they taught and how they lived…so the movement grew and grew. Indeed, it grew

to the point that organization became necessary. And with organization came rules and

structures…and disagreements - not that there weren’t also disagreements when the fledgling church

consisted of little more than religious support groups centered on loyalty and devotion to Jesus Christ.

Today’s reading from Acts portrays what the church was to begin with – people who shared

what they had with one another so that all were equal and no one was in need. Sounds quite

splendid in a Christian sense, doesn’t it? But right after the passages I read to you, the next ones tell

of Ananias and Sapphira who pretended to give all they had to the fellowship, but held back a portion

for their own use and lied about it. So, there were “worms in the apple” pretty much from day one.

And then we have Paul writing numerous letters to numerous churches which he had founded (like

the one in Corinth), trying to straighten out disagreements among the members who, in his opinion,

were going astray in their thinking and practices.

Indeed, the history of the Christian Church is a history which reveals, over and over, divisions

and disagreements, starting with Peter and Paul and James (the brother of Jesus who headed up the

church in Jerusalem). One of their stumbling blocks was whether the church was open to everyone,

Jews and non-Jews, or just those who had to be Hebrews before they could become Christians. Paul

talks in his letters about all sorts of anti-Christian acts, including those sexual in nature, and when we

consider the deeds of the church in later years, like the crusades and the inquisition, we realize that it

could not get much further away from what Jesus was all about.

Unfortunately, some things never change. On the personal and the organizational level, there

is still trouble within the body of Christ. Regarding the personal, my mother, who worked for some

years as a church secretary, said that what happens in the church is the same as what happens in

the world…the only difference is that it shouldn’t! Regarding the organizational, look at the splits in

Christian denominations over theological differences and power grabs based on all kinds of issues

and excuses, including abortion, homosexuality, and the role of women.

Is it then any wonder that the Christian Church is declining in membership? Is it any wonder

that the non-churched are not all that interested in becoming part of something that pushes “don’ts”

rather than “dos”; that uses guilt and judgmentalism to keep people in line; that claims it is the only

road to a relationship with God and that anyone who differs with its position is going to hell? Is that

not the height of arrogance – to claim that we have all the answers, and that God loves only us and

those like us, and that there are some who don’t deserve our love because, after all, we think that

they don’t deserve his?

So how can this be combated? One person at a time. God works in the world through people,

and as those who claim to follow the Christ, we are responsible for bringing that word and that God to

the world. And we do this by how we act…particularly how we act toward others. This has always

been the position and purpose of the Chapel-By-The-Sea. How is it doing? More to the point: how

are we, as its members, doing? Well, after 75 years we are still here – working on our mission and

our imperfections. But the road ahead is still long and our destination, whatever that is, is not yet

reached.

So, were do we go from here? The theme of and the symbol for this 75 th anniversary

celebration has been, in attempting to describe the Chapel and its hopes and visions: “A beacon of

faith shining into the future”. A “beacon” is defined as being: “A lighthouse, or other signal, for

guidance”…or…”A source of light or inspiration”. That’s how we see ourselves – a grouping of

people who, corporately and individually, strive to bring light to an often dark world while guiding and

inspiring others to strive to do the same! And, you know, a beacon can be one big bulb producing a

large light or a bunch of little bulbs working together to do the same thing. So it’s up to each of us,

who are serious about our mission, to be “little lights” working with other “little lights” to produce that

big “lighthouse” of faith which can positively impact all those around us with hope and happiness. Am

I committed to that purpose; are you committed to that purpose? As a church – that’s all of us

together – are we committed to that purpose? Guidance, inspiration, light, faith!

One other thought regarding beacons; regarding lighthouses. A lighthouse guides ships into a

safe harbor – a safe harbor in which they rest and refuel…and from which they again go forth into the

world. That illustration applies to the Chapel as it seeks to be a beacon. It invites “voyagers” on the

“sea of life” (“voyagers” like us) into it as a refuge…and then sends them and us back into the world

to be about, in this case, God’s business – that business being, so we believe and proclaim,

emulation of Jesus and the life he lived.

There was considerable discussion at the “For a time such as this” meeting on January 20

regarding emphasizing our identity as a Christian church while, at the same time, utilizing our

diversity and inclusiveness as “tools” with which to attract others into communion with our faith

community…”others” who might even be members of different religious bodies or no religious body.

Could that work…especially as we proclaim our Christianity to the world? To some extent, I suggest,

it depends upon how broad and open is our concept of “Christianity”. Compassion International

defines a “Christian” as someone whose behavior and heart reflect Jesus Christ. Too often in our

consideration of Jesus Christ, we act as though Christ is Jesus’ last name. Jesus is a name; Christ is

a title. It is a mistake to over-emphasize the divinity of Christ and under-emphasize the humanity of

Jesus. It is the Christ aspect of God we are called to venerate; it is the Jesus example of humanity

we are called to emulate. I believe there are many who might not have come to the point of a

theological understanding or acceptance of Jesus Christ as savior…but who are Christ-like in the way

they live their lives. And there are certainly many non-Christians (in the orthodox sense) as well as

nones and dones (those who do not or no longer claim any particular religious affiliation) who are

more “Christian” in the way they live than some who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk! Can we be

open enough to welcome such as these into Chapel fellowship and work together, without total

theological agreement, for the creation of a more Jesus-oriented world? Can we interpret the words

of Jesus in John 14:6 when he says I am the way and the truth and the life as being more than a

proclamation of divinity but also an indication that living like Jesus (his way, his truth, his life) brings

us closer to God?

I think you see where I am going with this. I recently heard the host of a show on NPR

interview Rob Reiner. You may remember Rob Reiner, the actor and director son of Carl Reiner, who

played the role of Meathead, the son-in-law of Archie Bunker, on “All In The Family”. Reiner is

Jewish, but said that during a particularly bad time in his life, he was lifted up and turned around by

the words and life of Jesus. Would Reiner find welcome and acceptance at the Chapel as a fellow

traveler and seeker? I would suggest that if the Chapel is to be true to all that it claims to stand for,

our emphasis, as members, must be on striving to live, as much as possible, like Jesus without

demanding that all have the same theological understanding of Christ. That means that all of us,

“christians” (small-case letters) and “CHRISTIANS” (capital letters), must and will gather and work

together because we have the same common goals and purposes…and because Jesus is somehow

the beacon of light for all of us! Such an understanding of who and what we are would certainly prove

the truth of our assertion that we are non-doctrinal – an assertion at the very heart of the Chapel’s

founding and foundation, and an assertion that proclaims our welcoming acceptance of everyone

(including the Rob Reiners of this world).

So, again, where do we go from here? The bottom line is that on this, its 75 th anniversary, we

don’t know, we can’t know, what the future holds for the Chapel-By-The-Sea. We do know that

nothing stays static for long and change is all around us. We do know that organized religion is

having a hard time of it, and that even the mega churches, which seem to be blooming, represent a

very small percentage of the general population and, like shopping malls, need a constant infusion of

new members and/or visitors to keep their numbers even as the same amount of people go out the

back door as come in the front door. We do know that the fanatical branches of all religions seem to

be growing as they appeal to those who, feeling hopeless in an overwhelming world, grab onto

horrendous theological positions which make them feel better about themselves as they seek to

destroy any who disagree with them. So one thing is certain – our future will be full of surprises.

For several days, a burglar staked out a large house in an affluent neighborhood. When he

was sure the owners were away, he broke in at night to see what he could steal. As he walked

around with his bag, he suddenly was startled to hear a raucous voice say: Hey, my name is Twinkle

and you’re in big trouble because Jesus is watching you! The burglar couldn’t see anyone so he

continued on his “rounds”. Again he heard that squawky warning: Hey, my name is Twinkle and

you’re in big trouble because Jesus is watching you! He was almost done with what he wanted to

take but, getting nervous, he looked around as, again, the voice rang out, this time yelling: Hey, my

name is Twinkle and you’re in big trouble because Jesus is watching you! Now annoyed and

impatient, the burglar stared carefully into the darkness and spotted a parrot in a cage in a corner of

the room. He said: Who cares if Jesus is watching me and, besides, who in the world would listen to

you? And what kind of idiot would name his parrot Twinkle in the first place? The bird replied: The

same kind of idiot who would name his Rottweiler Jesus!

Talk about surprises! In a similar vein and regarding the future, our future – no guarantees,

just surprises. But we can help determine whether those surprises will be negative or positive by the

way we, as the members who comprise this congregation, live our lives. During this season of Lent, I

think it is particularly fitting that we are called to contemplate our pasts as a way to better our futures.

Many during Lent “give up something” as a way of demonstrating their spiritual devotion. Perhaps we

can concentrate on giving up the less than admirable aspects of our old lives in order to build and

improve our new lives. We are not perfect, nor is the Chapel…however, we can do our best to make

sure we support our church as it, through us, seeks to continue to be a blessing to the community in

which it exists and the people whom it seeks to serve. So, you see, it’s all up to us, individually and

corporately. If the Chapel is “just right” for us, let’s help to make it “just right” for others as well.

There lies its potential; there lie its possibilities; there lies its purpose…as it moves from the todays of

this 75 th anniversary year into its uncertain but exciting tomorrows.