Preamble

A number of years ago, there were no pets in our house. Life was complicated enough I thought. We had two young children, a busy and hectic work life. I did a lot of business related travel, and we travelled to Ireland and West Virginia frequently to see family, and on and on and on. Pets would just add to the complications and issues. But certain members of the family were becoming more and more interested in having a pet. As the children grew up, there was a growing pressure for a pet. Now, it has been our family tradition to create wish-lists for birthdays and Christmas. One year, one memorable year, my son Nolan put a single thing on his Christmas wish list. His list was a blank piece of paper with a single phrase on it. I wonder if you can imagine what he wished for? Can you guess?

A number of years ago, there were no pets in our house. Life was complicated enough I thought. We had two young children, a busy and hectic work life. I did a lot of business related travel, and we travelled to Ireland and West Virginia frequently to see family, and on and on and on. Pets would just add to the complications and issues. But certain members of the family were becoming more and more interested in having a pet. As the children grew up, there was a growing pressure for a pet. Now, it has been our family tradition to create wish-lists for birthdays and Christmas. One year, one memorable year, my son Nolan put a single thing on his Christmas wish list. His list was a blank piece of paper with a single phrase on it. I wonder if you can imagine what he wished for? Can you guess?

Introduction to the Scripture

Iona

There is a boy, 13 years old. I guess you would call him a prodigy. He plays the piano extraordinarily well, and the organ. He is so good that they have made him their church’s accompanist, and that’s where you can find him on Thursday nights, rehearsing Bach in four-part harmony with Mabel and Betty and Fred.

U2 fans will recognize that the title of this sermon bears a striking resemblance to one of that band’s more-well known songs. Early morning, April 4, shot rings out in the Memphis sky, free at last, they took your life but they could not take your pride. The song pays homage to one of the church’s pastors and theologians, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As an 11 year old kid growing up in NH, I remember when this song and album first came out. Then and over time, the lyrics of the song served as a kind of entry point into exploring the history of the civil rights movement, the thought and activity of King as a public theologian, and the way that faith can transform the world. Although there are many ways of understanding the civil rights movement, at the heart of it all was a vision of the way things ought to be. This vision, of a just and fair society, of people living and working together regardless of their differences, is one that has been handed down to us as a precious heirloom from our ancestors in faith.

There are some perks that come with having cancer. Peter said to me the other day, “You know, you don’t even really have to come up with a sermon this week. You could just get up and recite Mary Had a Little Lamb, and people would put their hand on the hearts and say ‘that is the most touching thing I’ve ever heard.’” But maybe I’ll save that card for when I really need it, because there is something I actually want to talk to you about today. We’re starting a new sermon series on Pride, and the first order of business is for us to ask ourselves the question, “Are you proud to be a Christian?”

There are some perks that come with having cancer. Peter said to me the other day, “You know, you don’t even really have to come up with a sermon this week. You could just get up and recite Mary Had a Little Lamb, and people would put their hand on the hearts and say ‘that is the most touching thing I’ve ever heard.’” But maybe I’ll save that card for when I really need it, because there is something I actually want to talk to you about today. We’re starting a new sermon series on Pride, and the first order of business is for us to ask ourselves the question, “Are you proud to be a Christian?”

You know that I'm a big fan of the lectionary, a set of daily readings from scripture.