Readings:

Isaiah 43:19: Behold I will do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

James 1:22: ... be doers of the word and not hearers only ...

Reinhold Neibuhr: Nothing worth doing is completed in our lifetime; therefore we are saved by hope.

Dorothy Day: A pebble cast into a pond causes ripples that spread in all directions. Each one of our thoughts, words and deeds is like that.

It's been a memorable week. The inauguration of our 44th President was surely historic. The fact that we now have America's first black president is an obvious reason, and we've heard much about that. Lists of activist forebears have been called up in honor and memory. With the inauguration falling just the day after Martin Luther King's birthday, with so many references to his words and actions, and especially with the frequent backdrop of the Lincoln Memorial, King's spirit was palpable. So many others helped to pave the path that led to this achievement: countless men and women who toiled on when hope seemed gone. Most of their names are lost to memory, especially those who predated the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s. I hope some of you saw the latest cover of The Nation magazine, with its sea of multiracial portraits forming the crowd of witness for Obama's swearing in. While only a sampling, it reminds us that many have made contributions leading to this day. So many dreams and longings envisioned it when it seemed utterly impossible. As a country, we have come a long way.

Less mentioned, though still important, is the change in generation taking place with this President, the first who came of age after the Viet Nam war. No one yet knows just what the implications of this change may be. I've heard quite a bit of conversation about moving the conflicts of the 60s off of center-stage, of leaving familiar categories behind. I can't say that I know what it means that Obama refused to give up his Blackberry or that he plays basketball but can't bowl. But I do know that his life has been shaped by a history different from that of his predecessors.

This inauguration may also go down as the longest and most elaborate - from the night time family visit to the Lincoln Memorial, through the train ride from Philadelphia retracing Lincoln's route to Washington, to the We Are One concert and public service efforts on the MLK holiday - all before Inauguration Day ever dawned. Then the official events - breakfast with the outgoing President and First Lady, the oath of office and inaugural address, the official departure, review of the troops, inauguration parade and ten - count 'em - official balls. (Who knows how many unofficial balls took place!?!)

It's been quite a party! Elaborately planned and symbolic in so many ways, the events of Inauguration week live in our memories - and in countless recordings, cell phone photos, newspaper special editions, 24/7 news coverage and commentary. Oh, and plenty of souvenirs. I even bought a Barack Obama cookie at a Turlock bakery this week. You may be wishing you could celebrate like this forever. Or you may find yourself worn down on repeated references and responses, on the dissection of every detail and gesture. Either way, the party's over. Now the real work has begun.

Our new President rides on a wave of hope from a large majority of our people. He has specifically called us to a new beginning, but a beginning rooted in our founding ideals and documents, in our better history. He asks for new dedication and effort to the best of our past ideals and practices. He reassures us that we can do politics beyond red and blue, conservative and liberal; that our multihued, multi-cultured people are our strength. He exudes confidence that regardless of the number, seriousness and complexity of our problems and challenges, we can - together - meet them.

These are not new ideas. We have heard similar promises before: promises about uniting us all and being everyone's President. Yet this time the phrases seem a bit different. Something in Barack Obama's person and presence, in his calm manner - sometimes serious, sometimes with a self- deprecating humor - something that has given many of us reason to hope that this time, this time, those promises are real. For a large number of Americans, it's a new feeling. They glimpse something different though familiar about their country. It seems the land they've dreamt of may be coming into reality.

Some early signs indicate that these hopes are already being borne out in action. The new Cabinet is multiethnic and includes appointees from both political parties and from across our geography. Signals from the international community are positive. But more telling to me are the signs from our streets and neighborhoods. Comments express awe that so many white Americans voted for an African American, and explain that this changes our understanding of ourselves and each other. And then there are the reports I've been seeing from schools. Bus drivers tell stories of teenaged boys who haven't been seen for months, now appearing at their bus stops, ready for their classes. Teachers report a change in attitude so that it's now cool to care about school. Dark-skinned kids on camera say, "I want to be the next President." Maybe a little unclear on the concept - but now embracing the possibility. I am hopeful that these aren't isolated examples, and that they will endure. If Barack Obama and his family provide inspiring role models to our young people - and our not-so-young ones as well - some very good things may be afoot.

Hope, of course, is one of those slippery concepts. We talk about it all the time, but it's not easy to pin down. It's different from optimism and certainly from wishes, but it's a little hard to explain just how. I'd say hope is more substantial, and that impels us to act in pursuit of the ideal that is its focus. Some of us may be cock-eyed optimists or wish on stars and then wait for those wishes to come true, but if we are hopeful, we have to do something to bring that hope about. It's not really hope when we don't want to get caught with our hand in the cookie jar or do want to get away without the speeding ticket we deserve. Rather, hope is present when we put our energies, talents and resources to work toward reaching a goal, when we keep at it even through setbacks or when progress is barely imaginable on the horizon.

David Brooks had an Op-Ed piece in a recent Modesto Bee which took up questions about the way people make decisions. He referred to a forth-coming book by Jonah Lehrer called How We Decide. I looked at some of the advance material. It discusses new research which reveals that decision-making is much more complex than we have thought. Rather than being either rational or emotional, it's a complex interaction of strategy, context, practice, paradigms, feelings and habits.

I think this is consistent with the motivating power of hope, and especially shared hope. When we are hopeful, we mentally toy with our vision. We talk with others and begin to fill in detail, to strategize about how it might work, how we might reach it. We may get excited about the possibilities and gather information. All this assembles the factors in that list I just read you, and our decisions are affected. We begin to act in ways that foster our vision. We may choose to act as if it were already true. We may, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, "choose to be the change we wish to see in the world." And Dorothy Day was right. Each of our thoughts, words and deeds causes ripples that spread out in all directions. We can't see the extent of their reach or discern their distant effects, but we know that something is happening.

Our new President has taken pains to warn of the difficulty, complexity, seriousness and number of problems and challenges facing us. And he assures us that those challenges will be met. But it will take work and sacrifice, patience and united action. If President Obama has inspired hope, it's time for that hope to move us into action. The work of moving forward has begun. It needs all of us.

The first few days of this new administration have already produced some distinct steps. I'm sure you can list some of them. Many of us applaud these actions, some of us may not. Either way, part of our charge is to pay attention to the actions of our government and the proposals of our government, and to involve ourselves in furthering or modifying them. We have many ways to do this - time honored methods, sometimes maligned or discounted - like writing letters to our representatives, being involved in political action groups and providing financial support to causes that pursue our values. Certainly we have plenty of issues to consider - population growth, environmental concerns, fair wages, health care, civil liberties and equal rights for all our citizens. All those, of course, only begin the list.

We know we can't do everything, but that must not put us in paralysis, keep us from being part of the path to solutions. You may well have your own favorite ways of being active, but I want to mention three opportunities available here in our area right now. The Newman Board of Education has not yet announced its decision in the censorship case involving the use of Bless Me Ultima in its advanced classes. Another hearing was held just yesterday. You can speak to Martin Zonligt or Fred Herman about plans for next steps.

This Thursday, two very worthwhile activities are scheduled. Supporters of marriage equality will be meeting at the Pride Center to organize support and activity here in the Central Valley. It's a chance to widen our efforts and make some new connections. The Pride Center is on Needham a block west of McHenry. The meeting starts at 6:30. That same night, we will show the first segment of the PBS series Race: The Power of an Illusion here at the Fellowship. This acclaimed series looks at recent research, including genetic analysis, and challenges many of our ongoing assumptions and understandings. That session begins at 7:00pm in the Johnson Room. We'll take time to talk about the implications of the information after watching the segment. The second and third segments will be shown on successive Thursday nights. They are somewhat independent, but I hope most of us will be able to watch all three parts of the series. I know the two Thursday night events present many of us with a hard choice, but it can't be helped.

Whether or not you participate in one of these events and efforts, the question remains. What will our shared hope prompt us to do? In his inaugural address, President Obama urged us all to "reaffirm our enduring spirit, to choose our better history," to remember "what this country has already done, what free men and women can achieve ..." He proclaimed that the ground has shifted. Now we must act on that spirit, combining the inspiration of the best of our past and the courage, energy and imagination rekindled by a new sense of possibility. We move onto this new ground with actions may be political, interpersonal or personal-or some combination of those.

What does it mean if we have seen a day we never expected, never believed would happen? Yes, we've celebrated. Now that the party's over, how will this new reality, this unexpected achievement change us? If we are more hopeful about our common future, how will we go forward differently? If we see a new, more united America moving beyond the categories which have so long divided us, how will we encourage this development? What will be different tomorrow, next week, next year? The invitation has been made. What does it take to join this journey?

If indeed the ground has shifted, but we are still guided by America's promises of equality, and freedom, we are entering a new day. If we hope to truly honor and promote the Principles we often quote about dignity and worth; compassion, equity and justice; about ongoing growth in understanding and spirit, and the interconnections among and between all Earth's creatures and features, we are envisioning a new awareness. Following our hopes, we enter new territory. Things will not be the same. We must choose what to take with us and what to leave behind. We may find things clinging to our sandals that we must still shake off. We may `send back' for something we left behind but now find that we need. But this new day has begun.

I find myself remembering a spoken chant I learned in the early years of the women's movement. It went like this:

Sisters, there is no road.
We make the way by walking.
Move, sisters, move.

January 25, 2009

This is one of our Minister's Sermons. We also have a brief biography of Rev. Simons, and the latest edition of Grace Notes, a column she writes for our newsletter.
We have another sermon collection, from our Guests.