"Truly, I Tell You"
The Episcopal priest and writer Martin Smith tells a great story of a young child in his congregation who developed the habit of giving his mother a ‘high five’ after prayer. When she asked him why he was doing it, he replied, “Don’t we all say ‘I’m in!’ when we’ve finished a prayer?” The mother had to give it him. His own hearing or mishearing of the word “Amen” somehow brought him very close to understanding its meaning and its implications. “Amen” of course is an ancient Hebrew word of affirmation, a bold way of saying yes and expressing commitment to all that has been said or even done before. In saying “I’m in!” the child intuited his own form of saying yes to God at the end of prayers. What’s more, he even felt compelled to offer a little liturgical action to go along with his expression of desire to be in with God. High-fives, mom! I’m in! I’m on God’s team. Amen! (1)
In our gospel lesson today, we hear a similar, oft-repeated biblical phrase, though this one usually begins or comes in the middle of many of Jesus’ teachings, as if to call the team to a huddle. “Truly, I tell you” he says. “One who gives a cup of water to a child in the name of a disciple, truly I tell you, this person will not lose the reward of God’s favor. From Luke, “Truly, I tell you, whosoever does unto the least of these!” From John, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep!” These words are even among his last words from the cross. “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise”. You’ve heard this before, right? What you may not realize is that the word for “truly” is literally translated as “Amen”. Yes, King James may sound somehow smarter, “Verily, I say unto you” but it’s the New American Bible, oddly enough, that offers the most accurate translation. In the NAB, its “Amen, I tell you.”
In the Gospel of Matthew alone, Jesus uses this “Truly, I tell you” or “Amen, I tell you” expression some 31 times! In John’s gospel, he speaks it 25 times! He says it so often most of us assume its no big deal, just some peculiar first century habit of speech. Would you believe this expression is original to Jesus? Indeed, it was common to say “Amen” at the end of prayers, but a good New Testament scholar will tell you that Jesus was the first to move it to the beginning. No one can find any precedents for it! Using Amen at the beginning of a sentence would have sounded as strange to 1st century listeners as it does to us. So, what was Jesus up to? Why the rhetorical flare that would have grated on the ears of the rabbis and scribes of his time?
Scholars remind us that Jesus likely used this original expression to establish and cement his authority to speak a good and truthful word. He knew his words were drenched in truth before they even left his lips. He is alerting us to the power and importance of what he is saying. “Truly, I tell you”. Amen, I tell you, whoever welcomes a prophet, whoever welcomes a righteous person, whoever offers a cup of water to a child, welcomes me and the one who sent me.
Can you imagine speaking your every word assured that you were tapped into a truth that was bigger than you? When was the last time you felt yourself speaking the God’s honest truth, a truth that emerged not from your right brain or from your left brain, but from the depths of your whole heart? In Buddhism, the practice is called ‘Right Speech’. In Christianity, it is a matter of “Testimony”, when we speak the truth and know that no one can take that truth away. I imagine this is the way Jesus spoke pretty much all the time, dropping his “I’m in’s!” and his “Amen’s” whenever he could, beginning, middle or end. Smith reminds us that word “Amen carried a huge voltage of spiritual energy for early Christians. It was no mere noise to be muttered automatically at the close of a prayer. Amen throbbed with meaning.” So when was the last time you had something so important to say that you needed to add some of this high voltage spiritual punctuation?
I can give you a few hints. A few moments ago, you all made promises to and said a blessing over Adam and Charlotte. First Church, I know you meant those promises and blessings. An “I’m in” and a “Truly we say to you, Adam and Charlotte” was surely implied. Later today, when Evan and Christina get married and say their vows, they will be speaking their “I’m in” and verily and truly proclaiming their love to each other before God and their witnesses. Even when we move beyond liturgy and worship where our language takes on heightened meaning, I know this community has become well practiced in speaking truly to one another, perhaps all the more so in the midst of our recent pastoral transitions.
Friends, over these past two months, we have been telling each other our truths, and doing so as deeply and as truly as we know how. Out of our grief, out of recent turmoil, we have become attuned to how strong and fragile this place can be. Most of all, out of our deep care and concern for one another and for this incredible community we call church, we have been driven, compelled to speak out our truths and to hear those of others. I’ve been hearing lately some general impressions of what has gone in the listening sessions and in the congregational meetings. I’ve been catching glimpses of they ways that many of you have been speaking heart to heart and soul to soul.
We have spoken deeply and truly to Mary, telling her how much she has meant to us and how much we will miss her. We have spoken deeply and truly to each other about the future of this community. A part of what has made this time so gut-wrenching and fascinating, is that we have not always arrived at the same truth and yet we have pressed through to speech and to listening despite difference. Its one thing to be a church that has a bunch of different people and different opinions and different ideas for how things should get done. It’s an entirely different thing to be a church that can name and claim those differences and speak openly and honestly and face to face about them.
Truly I tell you, First Church, looking mostly from the outside in on this process of leave taking and discernment I come away with great faith in this congregation’s capacity to speak the truth in love with courage, come what may. This bodes well for any Christian community. From what I’ve been able to surmise about how you’ve been treating each other and speaking to one another in meetings, there was a sense in which you all started these meetings with an Amen and an “I’m in”! I’m in this with God. I’m in this for myself and for my family. I’m all in, come what may! And, by the grace of God, I gather you ended even sometimes tense and difficult meetings with Amen and I’m still in.
First Church, hear me when I say this…I thank God for every word that you have so truly spoken. I give God thanks for those of you who spoke up for the process, and for those who spoke against it, for those of you who spoke up for me and for those who spoke against me. For how else can we expect to be Christ disciples, and welcome the prophet, and the righteous, and the least of these, if we can’t do it for each other, and if we can’t do it for those sometimes unseemly voices within ourselves.
I’m reminded of a poem by Rumi that I have shared with many of you before. It’s called the Guest House. I think you’ll see why it bears repeating…
This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
As we ponder this church, our Guest House of God, I hope Rumi’s gorgeous imagery resonates for you as deeply as it does for me. A crowd of sorrows that have violently swept through us, clearing space in which new lay leaders have emerged, new voices have been heard, and new delights have been felt. Indeed! Invite them all in, along with the prophet, the righteous and the little children. And let us all say, “I’m in!”
Friends, we need to give ourselves an Amen for all that has already been said and done. But even more, we need to place an Amen and “I’m in” before what is still to come. With confidence and commitment, and after some time to rest our weary bones from all the heavy lifting of these past few months, we will come back together as a community ready to welcome and entertain guests old and new, expected and unexpected. We have hearts in need of healing. We have some distances to close. We have grieving to do. Some of this will happen with time but some will only come as we continue to speak truly to one another. Some of us may need to get to know each other again or the first time, especially across whatever lingering differences. We have some work to do after a very intense transition. Even more importantly, we have a ministry and a truth that needs to be spoken to the wider world. Are you in? Can I get some high fives? Can I get an Amen? (Thank you!)
These past few months have only served to deepen my commitment to this community and my confidence in our shared ability to accomplish whatever God has in mind for us next. And so truly I say to you, having been called as the 17th Senior Minister of First Church in Cambridge, I am in. I’m in with all my heart, with all my mind and with all my soul. I’m in, trusting and profoundly relying on God’s grace. Truly I tell you, verily I say unto you, I cannot thank you or God enough for this call and privilege to serve. I cannot imagine a better team with which to huddle. Together, may we all say “I’m in” as we continue heed God’s call to speak God’s truth in love, to serve the least of these and to welcome all in God’s name. Amen? Amen!
(1) http://www.episcopalcafe.com/daily/spirituality/ “Amen. I’m in!” by Martin L. Smith Posted by Jim Naughton on April 30, 2008 4:11 AM