Hammond Street Congregational Church

Rev. Dr. Mark Allen Doty, Senior Pastor

Hammond Street Congregational Church, UCC

Bangor, Maine

September 5, 2010

A NEW IDENTITY

PHILEMON 1-21

DURING THE EARLY 1980'S, I PASTORED A SMALL COUNTRY CHURCH JUST OUTSIDE AUSTIN, TEXAS. THERE WAS IN THE CONGREGATION AT THAT TIME A PROMINENT ATTORNEY AND HIS WIFE WHOM I SHALL CALL WENDELL AND NANCY. THEY WERE THE PARENTS OF FOUR GROWN CHILDREN, AND I SHALL CALL ONE OF THEIR SONS BRENT. WENDELL HAD BEEN THE DEAN OF A LARGE LAW SCHOOL, AND WHEN I KNEW HIM, HE WAS A JUSTICE ON THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT. NANCY WAS A FAITHFUL CHURCH MEMBER AND WAS DEEPLY INVOLVED IN SOME AREA BIBLE STUDIES.

AFTER I HAD BEEN IN THAT CONGREGATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS, NANCY LINGERED OUTSIDE THE DOOR ONE SUNDAY MORNING AFTER CHURCH. "HOW ARE THINGS GOING?" I ASKED HER. NANCY'S EYES FILLED WITH TEARS. "PRAY FOR WENDELL, MARK. BRENT CAME OUT SIX MONTHS AGO, AND WENDELL HASN'T SPOKEN TO HIM SINCE. HE CANNOT TOLERATE THE FACT THAT BRENT IS GAY. BRENT IS A VERY SUCCESSFUL ACOUSTICAL ARCHITECT IN CHICAGO, AND HIS PARTNER IS AN INTERIOR DECORATOR. I KNOW IT'S KILLING WENDELL INSIDE, BECAUSE HE LOVES BRENT VERY MUCH. BUT WENDELL IS ALSO A VERY PROUD MAN."

SEVERAL YEARS PASSED. NANCY DID NOT WANT ME TO SPEAK WITH WENDELL ABOUT THIS MATTER, AND SO I REMAINED SILENT. AND DURING THE TIME I WAS HIS PASTOR, WENDELL DID NOT TALK WITH BRENT. LATER I WAS TRANSFERRED AS PASTOR IN CHARGE TO A CHURCH IN SAN ANTONIO.

ONE MORNING AFTER I HAD BEEN THERE FOR A FEW YEARS, THE TELEPHONE RANG. IT WAS NANCY. SHE SAID, "BRENT DIED THIS MORNING. HE DROPPED DEAD FROM A HEART ATTACK. WOULD YOU DO HIS FUNERAL?" AS WE SPOKE, I ASKED ABOUT WENDELL. "DID HE EVER SPEAK TO BRENT?" "NO, HE NEVER DID," SHE TOLD ME. "NOT DURING THE LAST SIX YEARS. AND OH, MARK, HOW WENDELL HAS CRIED AND CRIED THIS MORNING AFTER WE GOT THE NEWS."

WELL, I DID THAT FUNERAL WHICH WAS ONE OF THE SADDEST I HAVE EVER HAD TO OFFICIATE. LATER I TOLD THIS STORY TO MY CONGREGATION IN SAN ANTONIO. I AM ALWAYS AMAZED AT WHAT PEOPLE REMEMBER FROM THE STORIES I TELL. BUT THE PHONE CALL THAT I RECEIVED ON THE MONDAY MORNING AFTER I SHARED THIS ILLUSTRATION FLOORED ME.

THE CALLER WAS A DEAR FRIEND, ALSO A MINISTER WHO WAS NOT SERVING A CHURCH. HE HEARD MY SERMON AND THEN SAID THIS: "MARK, I WAS SO MOVED BY YOUR TELLING ABOUT WENDELL AND NANCY. BUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED THAT BRENT'S PARTNER WAS AN INTERIOR DECORATOR, YOU SAID IT IN A KIND OF DISPARAGING WAY. IT WASN'T WORTHY OF YOU."

I KNEW INSTANTLY WHAT HE MEANT. HE WAS RIGHT. THE CLOSETED GAY PASTOR DIDN'T WANT HIS

CONGREGATION TO GET ANY IDEAS! LATER I FOUND OUT THAT MY MINISTER FRIEND WAS ALSO CLOSETED. BUT THE POINT WAS THAT MY FRIEND WAS WILLING TO SPEAK THE TRUTH IN LOVE TO ME. HE CHOSE TO ADDRESS ME AS ONE CHRISTIAN BROTHER, AS ONE FELLOW PASTOR TO ANOTHER AND CALL ME TO A HIGHER STANDARD. EVEN AFTER ALL THESE YEARS, I REMAIN TOUCHED AND GRATEFUL FOR MY FRIEND'S COURAGE IN SHARING THAT EDIFYING WORD WITH ME.

SPEAKING THE TRUTH IN LOVE IS AT THE VERY HEART OF OUR LESSON THIS MORNING. PHILEMON IS THE SHORTEST OF PAUL'S LETTERS--ONLY 335 WORDS. ON THE ONE HAND, IT IS SURPRISING THAT THIS LETTER WAS SELECTED FOR INCLUSION IN THE BIBLE, BECAUSE IT READS LIKE PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE. ON THE OTHER HAND, PHILEMON CLEARLY WAS INCLUDED BECAUSE IT CONTAINS IMPORTANT LESSONS FOR THE FELLOWSHIP OF ALL BELIEVERS.

BRIEFLY THE LETTER IS ONE THAT PAUL WROTE TO PHILEMON, A WEALTHY CHURCH LEADER ABOUT THE RETURN OF HIS RUNAWAY SLAVE, ONESIMUS. AS WE LOOK AT THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE LETTER, IT SEEMS THAT IN THE OPENING VERSES, PHILEMON INCURS A DEBT TO PAUL. IN VERSE 9, WE READ THAT PAUL IS IMPRISONED. WE'RE THEN TOLD THAT ONESIMUS HAS RUN AWAY AND HAS INCURRED A DEBT TO PHILEMON. ONESIMUS IS CONVERTED BY AN IMPRISONED PAUL. SOON AFTER, PAUL HEARS ABOUT THE LOVE AND FAITH OF PHILEMON. THE LETTER ENDS WITH PAUL SENDING AN APPEAL TO PHILEMON TO TAKE BACK HIS SLAVE, ALONG WITH AN OFFER TO REPAY THE DEBT OF ONESIMUS (Norman R. Petersen, quoted by Ralph P. Martin, INTERPRETATION: Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon).

AS WE READ THE TEXT, THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE BY ONESIMUS IS UNCERTAIN. IT IS GENERALLY ASSUMED THAT HE STOLE MONEY FROM PHILEMON AND THEN RAN AWAY.

IT APPEARS THAT ONEISMUS THEN SOUGHT PROTECTION BY PAUL. WHILE ATHENIAN LAWS SPECIFIED THAT AN INDIVIDUAL COULD FIND ASYLUM IN THE HOME OF A PATRON, ROMAN LAW SPECIFIED THAT ONE WHO GAVE HOSPITALITY TO A SLAVE WAS LIABLE FOR EACH DAY OF WORK MISSED.

SO PAUL IN THIS LETTER TO PHILEMON, TO THE OWNER OF ONESIMUS, IS STATING HIS WILLINGNESS TO BE THE GUARANTOR OF HIS DEBT. PAUL TELLS PHILEMON THAT HE HAS BECOME A FATHER TO ONESIMUS DURING HIS INCARCERATION. WHILE THERE CERTAINLY WAS A TRADITION OF RUNAWAY SLAVES BEING ARRESTED BY THEIR OWNERS AND PUNISHED HARSHLY--EVEN WITH DEATH-- PAUL IS URGING PHILEMON TO DO THE OPPOSITE--TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND FORGIVE THE TRANSGRESSION AND THE TRANSGRESSOR. PAUL'S REAL PURPOSE IN SENDING THE LETTER IS TO LET PHILEMON'S CONSCIENCE DECIDE THE MATTER, BUT IT IS CLEAR HOW PAUL VIEWS THIS SITUATION. PAUL OBVIOUSLY FEELS THAT ONESIMUS SHOULD BE RECEIVED HOME HOSPITABLY. IN ADDITION, SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT PAUL IS PUTTING PRESSURE ON PHILEMON TO GRANT HIS SLAVE MANUMISSION, SO THAT ONESIMUS CAN RETURN TO PAUL A FREE MAN TO HELP HIM CARRY OUT HIS MINISTRY.

PAUL'S PLEA TO THE SLAVE OWNER IS A REVOLUTIONARY ONE. BY SENDING THIS LETTER, HE IS NOT ONLY INVOLVING PHILEMON BUT ALSO THE HOUSE CHURCH WHERE HE PARTICIPATES. PAUL IS VERY MUCH WANTING ALL GOD'S PEOPLE--SLAVE AND FREE--TO BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AND SO PAUL SETS TRADITION AND CUSTOM ASIDE AND TELLS PHILEMON THAT HE IS TO REGARD ONESIMUS AND PAUL AS EQUALS: "SO IF YOU CONSIDER ME YOUR PARTNER, WELCOME HIM AS YOU WOULD WELCOME ME." PAUL CLEARLY WANTS TO MODEL FOR THIS CHRISTIAN BROTHER WHAT HE CONSIDERS TO BE THE MORAL AND ETHICAL THING TO DO IN THIS CASE: "IF HE HAS WRONGED YOU IN ANY WAY, OR OWES YOU ANYTHING, CHARGE THAT TO MY ACCOUNT," SAYS PAUL. HE WANTS PHILEMON--WHO IS ALREADY INDEBTED TO PAUL--TO KNOW WITHOUT ANY FEAR OF RETRIBUTION--THAT HE IS GOOD FOR THE DEBT: "I, PAUL, AM WRITING THIS WITH MY OWN HAND. I WILL REPAY IT."

PAUL CLOSES THIS MISSIVE ON A NOTE OF HIGH OPTIMISM. HE FEELS SURE THAT HE CAN COUNT ON HIS FRIEND TO ACT APPROPRIATELY: "CONFIDENT OF YOUR OBEDIENCE, I AM WRITING TO YOU, KNOWING THAT YOU WILL DO EVEN MORE THAN I SAY."

SOME HAVE CHASTISED PAUL FOR NOT SPEAKING OUT AGAINST THE ISSUE OF SLAVERY. AND YET AS WE KNOW, SLAVERY WAS FIRMLY IMBEDDED IN THE CULTURE OF THE FIRST CENTURY. WHILE TRYING TO DISMANTLE THAT ENTIRE INSTITUTION COULD NOT HAVE BEEN A REALISTIC GOAL FOR AN IMPRISONED PAUL, SEEKING THE HUMANE TREATMENT FOR ONE SLAVE--FOR ONESIMUS--WAS. I WOULD SUBMIT THAT PAUL'S WITNESS ON BEHALF OF THIS CHRISTIAN BROTHER WAS AS EFFECTIVE AS ANYTHING HE COULD HAVE DONE. IT MATTERED THAT PAUL WAS SEEKING TO GIVE ONESIMUS A NEW IDENTITY, AND SO HE WAS SPEAKING TO PHILEMON OUT OF A RESERVOIR OF COMPASSION, GRACE AND INTEGRITY.

A PASTOR BY THE NAME OF GEORGE MUNZING SPEAKS ABOUT THE CONTRAST BETWEEN TWO FAMILIES WELL KNOWN TO HIM:

SOME YEARS AGO I WAS INVITED TO A HOME IN OUR COMMUNITY TO TALK WITH A FATHER ABOUT HIS SON, WHO WAS INTO DRUGS. AS I SAT IN HIS LIVING ROOM THAT EVENING, HE DESCRIBED THIS SON TO ME AND HOW UPSET HE WAS AT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WERE GOING ON IN THEIR FAMILY. HE SAID, "THE THING THAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST ABOUT HIS BEING INTO DRUGS IS THE FACT THAT DRUGS HAVE MADE HIM A LIAR."

HARDLY WERE THOSE WORDS OUT OF HIS LIPS WHEN THE PHONE RANG AND HIS WIFE WENT TO ANSWER IT. SHE CAME BACK AND SAID TO HIM, "SO-AND-SO IS ON THE PHONE AND WANTS TO TALK TO YOU."

HIS IMMEDIATE ANSWER WAS, "TELL HIM I'M NOT HOME."

"I ASK YOU," SAYS THE PASTOR, "WHO MADE THAT BOY A LIAR? DRUGS OR HIS DAD?

HE CONTINUES:

I THINK OF ANOTHER FATHER, THE FATHER OF ONE OF MY CLOSEST FRIENDS. MY FRIEND WAS REMINISCING AFTER HIS FATHER'S DEATH AND TOLD ME OF AN EXPERIENCE FROM MUCH EARLIER ABOUT THE SUMMER WHEN HIS SISTER WAS LOOKING FOR EMPLOYMENT. SHE HAD TWO JOB POSSIBILITIES. ONE SHE WANTED VERY MUCH AND THE OTHER SHE DIDN'T BUT WOULD TAKE AS A SECOND CHOICE. AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THE SECOND-CHOICE JOB CAME UP FIRST, AND SHE WAS OFFERED THAT JOB. SHE WANTED TO HOLD OUT FOR THE OTHER, BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW IF THE OTHER WAS GOING TO COME. SO SHE WENT AHEAD AND ACCEPTED IT FOR HER SUMMER EMPLOYMENT. A FEW DAYS LATER, AS YOU ALSO COULD EXPECT, THE OTHER JOB BECAME AVAILABLE TO HER, AND SHE WANTED TO QUIT THE FIRST VERY MUCH AND GO TO THE SECOND. SO SHE WENT TO HER FATHER.

SHE SAID, "DAD, I HAVE A PROBLEM." AND SHE PORTRAYED IT TO HIM.

HE LOOKED HER STRAIGHT IN THE EYE AND SAID, "DID YOU TAKE THE FIRST JOB?"

SHE SAID, "YES."

"DID YOU PROMISE YOU WOULD WORK THERE THIS SUMMER?"

SHE SAID, "YES."

HE SAID, "WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION?"

(George Munzing, "Living a Life of Integrity," Preaching Today).

THE APOSTLE PAUL WOULD BE THE FIRST AMONG US TO SAY THIS WORD: IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY OR NEVER TOO LATE TO DO THE RIGHT THING!