Acts 17: 16-21;
August 02, 2009
Psalm 82
Patrick Preheim
Market Driven Gods
I found preparation for this sermon one of the most difficult of my short
time at Nutana Park Mennonite. A gorgeous lake surrounded by beautiful hills
lent themselves more to meditation than exposition. Invigorating games of
ultimate Frisbee and Settlers of Catan were often too tempting to ignore,
especially when compared to work indoors on a lap top. Daily preps for Bible
Study and camp fires further depleted my weakened compositional constitution.
The typically campy cots and campy cabins made sleep less than restorative. No,
camp pastoring at Camp Elim was not conducive to regular pastoral tasks. And
then there is this text from Acts 17 which begged me to be chosen several weeks
ago when I needed to select a scripture passage for today. “The scholarly
literature on this passage is voluminous and comes from biblical scholars and
theologians ancient and modern--- probably more than on any other passage in
Acts” (Robert W. Wall, The New Interpreter’s Bible commentary on Acts; volume
10; p. 243 footnote 568). Robert Tannehill sees this as Luke’s best model for
engaging secular culture with the gospel (Robert Tannehill, The Narrative Unity
of Luke Acts; volume 2, p.215), and as such it is no wonder everyone and the
family cat has felt it necessary to say something about the text. And I am no
different. In fact, we would be remiss as a faith community if we did not
actively struggle with Luke’s best model for engaging culture. So, I toiled
away-- an afternoon here an afternoon there-- while kids and staffers raised
shouts of glee from the recreation field, or the lake, or the game table.
I will begin with a couple of thoughts on the scripture and then reflect on this
passage in light of our context. Luke opens this episode with the recognition
that Athens is full of gods. We get the sense that there is an idol on every
corner with hardly a place to sit. This opening line reminded me of Psalm 82. In
that Psalm God takes his place in the midst of a heavenly host where it seems
Yahweh needs to elbow into the group of lesser gods caucusing in the divine
council. Both of these verses invite us to admit (in the words of..)
that even pagans seek spiritual satisfaction…While we should admit that some
sceptics reject out of hand the very idea of a spiritual reality, most do give
expression to their spiritual yearning by their adherence to values and core
convictions of one or another “ism”-- scientism, materialism, individualism,
nationalism, naturalism, humanism, and so on. A commitment to any of these
worldviews shapes loyalties and informs decisions. (Wall, p. 249)
In this respect it does us and others well to acknowledge that most people
who are not attending church are still religious. We are not trying to convert
people to religion, rather inviting people to a comparative analysis of various
religious systems. This means that we need to know why it is we choose
Christianity. For many of us who have attended church simply because that is
what we do, such prospects can be scary.
The response of Paul to the highly religious but polytheistic city of Athens is
a curious one. His first reaction is not to engage the Athenians. His first
course of action is to visit the synagogue. It seems the city synagogue has made
few inroads with the community. In fact, based on the conversation Paul has in
the marketplace a bit later in verse 19 it becomes clear that the Athenian
intellectuals are basically ignorant of Jewish history and religion which means
the Jews and god-fearers of Athens haven’t been engaging the community at all.
They probably believed that the sole reason for a local faith community was for
the support of those who attend it-- support of the family if you would. This
kind of thinking disturbs the author (Luke) as well as Paul who view the good
news entrusted to the Jewish people as meant for all the nations. So Paul argues
with them in the synagogue.
We notice in the text that Paul argues (dialegomai) with the synagogue while he
debates (symballo) in the agora with Epicurean and Stoic philosophers. In the
book of Acts argument is different than debate. Robert Wall suggests that
“debate” has the connotation of “an honest, not hostile exchange” (Ibid., 244).
Luke acknowledges that people raised in the synagogue (or church) are often
difficult conversation partners on matters of belief and practice. We, who have
grown up with the faith, think we understand it completely. We don’t want to
have our experiences invalidated. We have decided what it means to be Jewish or
Mennonite and are often less than flexible in alternative or expanded
definitions of belief/ practice /worship style. Those of the polytheistic market
place are often more open to entertain new ideas than those of church.
These particular nuggets from Acts 17 generate several thoughts for me. In this
story we people of the church locate ourselves either in the synagogue camp or
the Pauline camp. If Nutana Park Mennonite Church is not actively engaging the
various religious systems found in Saskatoon, Rosthern, Clavet and the other
towns from which we come, then God will bring a Paul like prophet to our town to
do this important work. And it could be that God has done so already. I am a
proud enough Mennonite that I do not relish the Alliance church, or Baptist
church, or (goodness sake) the Mennonite Bretheren church chosen as a substitute
for a role I should have filled. I firmly believe that NPMC, and Mennonite
Church Saskatchewan, have a compelling message for the 21st century. The focus
of Adult Education on the journey of faith resonates deeply with our post-modern
society that centers on experience as a keystone of discerning truth. In another
area the philosophy of service is quite palatable for a 21st century generation
more comfortable with right practice (ortho-praxis) than discussion of right
belief (orthodoxy). And people at NPMC do serve. A staggering percentage of this
congregation is involved with some form of service-- volunteering on
denominational boards, in community programs, on vocational fraternities, at
summer camps, etc. Wendy has worked hard to pass on the value of Christ centered
service to our youth-- even when they are less than happy to be picking garbage
out of the ditch on circle drive or helping at an MCC sale. A third example of
NPMC’s relevance for people today comes in stewardship. This congregation takes
stewardship seriously-- be it financial or environmental-- and conscientious
living is a non-negotiable for a substantial portion of people under 40. While I
am aware of these wonderful qualities of NPMC the question remains if the
religious but un-churched or de-churched of our communities are aware of the
goodness found here. If people know what we do and how that is inspired by what
we believe, then we are doing all can. If, however, people do not know of our
actions and the way our beliefs inspire them, then we have placed ourselves in
the synagogue camp. We will have privatized our faith. Based on the stories of
Acts this would not be a good thing.
When we enter the marketplace for conversation we will encounter all kinds of
people. There will be those who are de-churched--- people who have experienced a
faith community and felt driven away. At the 2008 MC Canada assembly I attended
a workshop that centered on “the once churched”. The panel of speakers listed
factors that have drawn them and others away from church: time (family / work /
sports / sleep have taken priority), consumerism (people go for a better return
on their time and money), domestication of the church (the prophetic edge is
found elsewhere), fear (of others/ being odd/ being judged/ breaking into
cliques), inhospitality (to singles/ to glbt/ to the poor), a focus on belief
rather than on action. This was a general list shared by that panel; I am not
suggesting NPMC is guilty of these or other transgressions. At times it felt
like some members of the panel found it easier to exit church than struggle to
help reform the church, and I personally do not have a lot of patience for that
kind of attitude. Obviously, the church must confess the attitudes and practices
which have fallen short of God’s commission. It is also true, however, that
church must not define itself or allow itself to be defined by past errors. We
are resurrection people who live in the present and future rather than the past.
When we confess our sins, individually and institutionally, and make efforts to
live as new creatures we are not bound by the people we have been. This was true
of Moses the murderer, Paul the persecutor, and the Crusading church.
In the marketplace we will also meet modern day Epicureans and modern day
Stoics. Epicureans were the ancient equivalent of the materialists of today who
seek every measure to avoid pain and postpone death. The Stoics were the ancient
equivalents of the relativists, pantheists, and postmodernists. There are many
people today, Christians included, whose carry either the Stoic motto “to each
their own” or the Epicurean motto “the more toys the better”. While an honest,
not hostile, conversation about the personal and social merits of each religion
is important, actually living the faith will be the most convincing proof to
market driven gods. The guiding principles for this faith in action are outlined
in Psalm 82 and reaffirmed by Jesus. We are to worship the God above all gods,
practice justice, and care for the weakest and most needy in our communities.
What might it mean to live our faith in the 21st century? It certainly will mean
that we live our life with joy-- not a contrived joy, but a joy that comes
communion with God in worship and on the street. Living our faith will mean we
fold our doctrinal conversations into a service framework trusting that God will
be better understood as we follow after Jesus the Christ. It will mean that we
actively engage the issues of poverty and justice present in our own cities. It
will mean we create new avenues of shared life-- shared vehicles, shared
gardens, shared children’s toys. It will mean that we welcome, that we actually
welcome, people into our lives and church. It will mean trusting young adults
and new members into leadership of our congregation. It will mean talking about
our faith- inviting others to live and grow in understanding alongside us. NPMC
has a start in many of these categories, and we can always be sensitive to new
ways of incarnating the good news in our time and place. We will sort out a
direction together.
Perhaps I needed to be out of the city at a place like Camp Elim to reflect on
this text. Sometimes a retreat can be helpful to gaining a bigger view of the
issues at play. Maybe listening to the random conversations of senior high
campers and young adults staffers made me hear Acts 17 in a different way. May
our worship of God in this place so ground us in the power of Christ that we
fearlessly share the love of God in word and deed. Amen.
“Great learning has not eliminated false religion from Athens, but neither has the city’s synagogue, which apparently exerts little influence on the beliefs of its citizens….Although Athens has a Jewish synagogue, we infer that the misunderstanding of Paul’s proclamation of Jesus in agora is due to an ignorance of Jewish history and religion, which have proved unimpressive to the citizens”
-17:17
-Ibid., 243-244“Epicureans were materialists and believed that human life exists by natural chance. Avoidance of pain and suffering is the true aim of this life and not religious devotion, since a personal, provident god—a god who could make a practical difference in the outcome of a happy life—simply does not exist. Significantly, Epicureans were harsh critics of idolatry as well; their primary criticism of Athenian folk religion was that offering sacrifice to gods who are neither person nor provident may be religious but not rational: Impersonal deities cannot produce personal happiness. Stoics believed in the solidarity of the human race and in a deity in whom we live and move and have our being because conversely the deity is in all things, not transcendent, as is the Most High God. Ibid, 244.
The two primary claims of Paul
1. God is one God-- the God who is not dependant of Paul or any of us
2. God made the world (and everything in it) and can not be domesticated in
shrines or manipulated with offerings
The underlying tenants of the various religions of people can be teased out with
questions as simple as: that seems like interesting work— how did you get
started in it, or what excites you about it.
Current gods: money and power-- the influential Christians need to demonstrate
to their peers the joy and meaning of charity. The
The right reasons: selfish as opposed to selfless. A Christian identity does not
legitimize an act of service; it should, however, positively influence the
Christian behaviour. Psalm 82 is an important piece.
“Following Paul’s pattern, then, the initial moment in conversion is a people’s recognition that they order their lives according to some ultimate loyalty, staking their futures on something or someone in which they believe. In this sense, all people are religious. Such an agreement about religious pluralism marks the beginning point of a conversation that narrows the choices to Christ.” Robert W. Wall, The New Interpreter’s Bible commentary on Acts; volume 10; p. 249.