UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST in SIMI VALLEY
Seventh Sunday of Easter - June 1, 2003

Anne G. Cohen
Acts 1: 15-26

For Our Reflection:

The real leader has no need to lead - he [sic] is content to point the
way.
-  Henry Miller, American novelist (1891-1980)

In this world will alone, as it lies concealed from mortal eyes in the
secret obscurities of the soul, is the first link in a chain of
consequences that
stretches through the whole invisible realm of spirit.
-  J.G. Fichte (1762-1814) The Vocation of Man [sic]

Out of disbelief we have impudently assumed that all of life is now
subject to our own will.  And the disasters that have come from
willing what cannot be willed have not at all brought us to some
modesty about our presumptions.
- Leslie Farber, in Melvin Maddocks, "Can Therapists Be Running Out
of Talk?" The Christian Science Monitor, May 14, 1986


Betting on Number Twelve

I'm a gambling woman.
I've never dropped a dime in Vegas.
The track, bookies and the lottery have never lured me into their
clutches.
Even playing Spoons or Pounce makes me a nervous wreck.
But I'm a gambler all the same.

There is only so much that I can know or learn - within the bounds of
time - about people, life, relationships, the ways of nature and
nurture, the intentions of God, the existence of God.
I continually hone my skills for discernment, review experiences, do
instinctual statistical analyses on the "odds," scan the population with
my emotional radar - and check and re-check my assumptions.

But, in the end, there are limits to my ability to DISCERN the meaning
of life, the reliability of human intentions, and the consequences of
every word or act that issues forth from my SELF - especially with the
charmingly annoying handicap of low impulse control.

At some point, I have to guess, trust, make a semi-blind choice, pray
and toss my hat into the ring.
Immobility has never worked for me.
Chronic distrust and festering disappointment make me feel dirty and sad
and dead.  I've learned that, however dangerous it may be, I feel
cleaner and more alive when I harbor hope and practice forgiveness.

You can tell I'm a gambling woman just by counting the number of
husbands I've gambled on, the number of step-parents and step-siblings
I've eventually claimed, the number of churches I've served, the number
of weddings I've performed.  Feel free to do similar calculations on
your own life experiences.

When it comes right down to the very beginning of anything, all of life
is a crap shoot.  It's all in god's hands - and even God is betting on
the outcome of this cosmic gamble called "CREATION."

When we are conceived, our parents don't even know its US they're
expecting.  While we are breathing - beyond any illusion of control -
anything can happen.  I can't tell you HOW MANY TIMES I've wailed that
"I did everything right, followed all the rules and STILL got messed
over!"
There are likelihoods, but nothing is certain - not even our
understanding of God, God's will for us, God's intentions for the
world.  If we're lucky, we find ourselves betting WITH God rather than
AGAINST God a majority of the time... whatever that means.  But even
when we're losing by our own standards, we may be winning or breaking
even by divine standards.
We take our chances just getting up every day.

It can get confusing, frustrating - even, as my grandmother used to say,
INFURIATING - trying to figure out the next step, the right path, let
alone the POINT of the whole Existence Experiment.
It can also be an adventure, a challenge, a Rubrick's cube, Chinese
puzzle or Rohrshach drawing which WILL be deciphered with enough
willpower, persistence, motivation, intelligence, skill, imagination,
and faith - not to mention bravado and chutzpah.

The disciples, in recovery from murder, trauma and miracles, thought
they were on their way to understanding the tasks before them - as
survivors of a strange and troubling, transformative and miraculous
series of events.

The group closest to Jesus during his ministry were devout Jews who
turned to the Jewish scriptures for illumination (as did Jesus) and
counted on certain structures for the preservation of tradition, the promotion
of their Messiah Movement.  As God chose the 12 Tribes of Israel to bear
the tradition and do the work of righteousness, so Jesus had chosen the
12 Apostles to bear the message and do the work of salvation as they
understood it.  And Judas Iscariot, judged a traitor, was still
considered to be one of the 12 - until he died a horrible death in order
to fulfill a perceived prophecy in the ancient texts.

Upon his death, a void opened up and a new leader had to be chosen - so
that the 12 witnesses to Jesus' ministry - from baptism to ascension -
might still be 12.  [If I knew Jewish numerology, I'd be able to tell
you more about the significance of that.]
The 11 survivors felt that they had SOME clue to the criteria of
selection:
    length of time as a disciple
    a man like the rest of the perceived inner circle
    a willing partner in the mission
    someone with a good heart.
118 other candidates were rejected; two were nominated:
Joseph BarSabbas (son of), aka Justus
and Matthias.

And then, as was the custom for centuries, they prayed and cast lots -
lots being sacred dice used in discerning oracles - so that God could
make the ultimate decision.  Now why they didn't let God decide out of
ALL 120 men and women, only social history can explain.  But, after
narrowing the field, the 11 Apostles bet on number 12  - and came up
with Matthias - who is never again written about in our sacred texts.

All we know is that the Apostles did their best to understand the
criteria Jesus used when selecting THEM, the criteria obvious from the
history of the 11 survivors, the meaning and intention of the sacred
texts, and the requirements of the tasks ahead of them.  They prayed for
discernment and then let chance tell them the will of God.  They gambled
- and, as recipients of their legacy, it looks like gambling paid off in
terms of THEIR mission being accomplished.

As a recipient of the message 1900 years later, I'd say its been a bit
of a game of telephone - the meaning of the words seriously garbled in
many cases.  I would even wager that some of the words got garbled as
soon as they passed from Jesus to the disciples - just my opinion, of
course.

The Apostles appear to have won - and lost - big time throughout the
last two millennia.  And the ultimate outcome has yet to unfold.

At the heart of this story is an unavoidable truth.  You can do
everything right and play by all the rules as you understand them, you
can do your homework and grow in wisdom and insight - but the final
decision is a crap shoot.  And that's what makes life so hard and so
much fun.

Your ministerial search committee will be asking for your input as they
develop criteria for the selection of your new Installed Minister.  They
will learn a lot and investigate a lot, call witnesses and references,
pray ceaselessly and trust their instincts.  And they will recommend -
HOPEFULLY - not two but ONE candidate that fits the bill.  You will vote
- much as you did in the last presidential election.  And, beyond that -
nothing is certain. Openness and honesty, perseverance rather than
blame, will determine whether the new relationship is an adventure or a
romance, science fiction or a cosmic tragedy (often referred to as a
divine joke).

I urge you to give your search committee what they ask for and more.  Be
intuitive, honest, supportive (thrifty, brave, reverent, clean) and
patient.  They will do the best that they can.  And, in the end,
remember that the sacred dice must be cast.  The outcomes will unfold.
And you will know more with the passage of time and an open mind.

These are exciting times, as usual.
May God blow upon the lots as they are cast
and bless this company of saints with discernment.


************
BULLETIN

                   WE GATHER FOR PRAYER AND CELEBRATION

Music for Gathering
Welcome and Perspective on the Day
Musical Preparation for Worship - A Time for Centering

+ Call to Worship                   Hymnal #824 (responsive)

+ Opening Hymn        A Hymn of Glory                Hymnal #259

+ Our Common Prayer (unison)
Creator God who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done,
on Earth as it is in Heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our debts
As we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil,
For Thine is the kingdom and the power
And the glory forever.  Amen.

Time for Silent Reflection
            One:     My soul waits in silence.
            All:      God is my rock and my fortress.  I will be at
peace.
            Silent Reflection
            The Assurance of Good News (unison)
God cares about our well-being and provides for our needs.
All possibilities are laid before us and the choices are ours.
Thanks be to Our Creator and Sustainer, Our Partner, Our Guide.
            Sung Response                                            CSB
# 5 (Refrain)
                                     "Hallelujah. God be praised!"

                         WE TEACH, REFLECT AND PROCLAIM

Conversation with Our Children

Reading from the Christian Texts    Acts 1:15-17, 21-26

Sermon        Betting on Number Twelve     Anne Cohen

                          WE RESPOND TO GOD'S INVITATION

Intercessions, Celebrations and Encouragements
            Call to Prayer         Be still and know that I am God
Hymnal # 743
            Time for Silence
            Our Joys and Concerns and an Offering of Prayer
Sung Response                In Solitude                     Hymnal #521
(vv.1 & 2)

We Offer Our Gifts So That Our Lives May Be Our Prayer
            Offertory
            Prayer of Dedication (unison)
All gifts have their origin in You, O God, the source of all creative
and healing energy.  We rejoice when Your love finds a faint echo
 in our lives.  We sense our destiny when Your grace moves through
us to touch another.  Help us to learn to be open and vulnerable to
the needs of Your world and to respond with the generous spirit of
Christ.  Amen.

+ Sending Hymn         You Are Salt for the Earth, O People   Hymnal #
181

+ Commissioning (responsive)
            One:     Women of the church:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     Men of the church:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     Children of the church:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     Challengers and disturbers:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     Questioners and provokers:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     Leaders and followers:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
            One:     All of God's people:
            Many: You are our blessing and you are blessed!
                        Go out in peace. Amen!

+ Sung Response (we gather in some semblance of a circle) Hymnal # 236
Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,  Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,
Halle, halle, halle - lu - ja,  Halleluja, halleluja.

+ Postlude

WORSHIP NOTES
Commissioning is from Seasons of the Spirit, Congregational Life Lent,
Easter p.122