Living Into God’s Future 5:18-24 Jim Zazzera, Faith Presbyterian Church, 11.09.08

Tuesday night many of us watched as this country set a new course for the future. It is a future that many of us have been thinking about, praying about, even fighting about for almost two years. Some us are celebrating, some of us are concerned, and all of us know this historic nature of Tuesday’s election.

Directions for the future are always set by the actions we take today – whether that be in an individual life, a national election, or a global agreement. While often say we should “live for today,” we do well to always have our eyes on what is ahead, to look to the future. President Bush put it well when he said in 2004, “History is moving, and it will tend toward hope, or tend toward tragedy.”1 And so we all look ahead, seeking to avert tragedy, longing for hope.

Today’s reading is a look into the future. It is a look into the future of the people of at the time it was written. I will admit, this is a strange text to choose for a worship service, for this day, for any day, for any time. You see, at first glance, it seems bleak, it seems heavy with judgment, it seems bereft of any hope. In fact, as I researched this text – I noticed a striking lack of preachers willing to speak on this passage. Perhaps others have avoided this passage because of it somber and critical tone. But I think there is more here, so stay with me, and I think we can get somewhere today. Maybe even somewhere hopeful.

How many of you know what a is? What is one word you would use to describe a prophet?

The words you heard are part of the story and the message of a man named Amos. He was one of the first of (Israel) in the 8th century BC, a kind of “golden era” for prophets. It was a period of wealth, prosperity, and power for many in Israel & Judah. And prophets like Amos, Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah came on the scene to do the job a good prophet always does – to speak for God.

We often think that a prophet’s job is to tell us about the future – and it is true that at times they do that. But the real job of a prophet is to speak for God in a time when people are not listening to God. The real job of a prophet is to make people aware of God in a time when they would rather ignore God. The real job of a prophet is to bring a message from God that (quite often) people would rather not hear. Some people have said that a prophet’s work is less about “fore-telling” than it is about “forth-telling.”

The other thing to notice about a prophet is that he or she is usually not speaking to individuals, but to a whole society. Because of that, a prophet’s message can often sound political. And while the prophets’ message does address a whole community – it is

1 http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/05/20040524-10.html usually more theological (about God) than it is political (about communities and governments ands nations).

Though from the small town of Tekoa in the southern kingdom of Judah, Amos preached in the Northern Kingdom of Israel (whose capital was at ).2 Amos undertook his ministry at a time of strength, expansion, and great wealth. He was a small town preacher called to speak to the sophisticated and powerful.

Amos was not only a geographical outsider, but he himself tells us that he was not an official prophet of the court.3 He talks about himself as a herdsman and a kind of gardener, someone who takes care of sycamore trees. Amos was simple working man who was called out by God to bring people a not so popular message.

As you can imagine, Amos’ bleak and critical words during a time of prosperity and growth were not well received. But, in fact, Amos’ prediction of dire consequences for unfaithful behavior was to come true. Twenty-five years after Amos’ death Israel fell to the Assyrian empire.

Well, so much for the history lesson – what are all these words about? Amos’ message finds its focus in the call for justice – and it has been said that no prophet ever proclaimed it more passionately and powerfully than Amos.

You are probably familiar with the words you heard from the end of this passage, “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.” They were frequently used by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in his sermons and speeches. Now, when King and others use them, we cry – “right on!’ and “preach it!” But we usually hear these words outside of the full context of Amos’ world and message. “Let justice roll” and “righteousness flow,” sound great until we realize what they might really mean.

In this passage in particular, there are three things to notice. God speaks through the voice of Amos and: • Warns people about something called “the Day of the Lord,” • Criticizes the people’s worship practices • Calls for a new justice and righteousness The message of Amos seeks to correct corrupt beliefs and practices of his time.

God’s words through Amos being this way in this passage: “Alas for you who desire the day of the Lord! Why do you want the day of the Lord?”4 Though we might mistake this “day of the Lord” as a kind of “Judgment Day” in some supernatural sense, Amos’ listeners imagined the “day of the Lord” as a military victory where God would step in

2 Some of the following comments are taken from the introductory notes to the in The Access Bible, p. 1175. 3 :10-17, NRSV. 4 Amos 5:18 NRSV. and defeat all the opponents of Israel. The people of Israel would then get all the spoils of battle – power and wealth and land.5 The people of Israel expected a kind of military jihad where they came out on top.

What Amos proclaims to them however is the ultimate irony, he tells them that the day of the Lord is darkness – not light. That it is not really a day of victory for them but a day of defeat. And that the people of God, are not God’s friends but God’s enemies.6 This is not exactly the kind of message that could make you popular.

The words of God in the voice of Amos are even stronger in the next paragraph. “I hate, I despise your festivals, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies.”7 For some reason – God was rejecting all the religious ritual and worship that the people offered – and doing so with great passion: “I HATE your festivals!”

I like the way Eugene Peterson uses a contemporary word picture to describe God’s unhappiness with Israel’s religion: I can't stand your religious meetings.  I'm fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects,  your pretentious slogans and goals. I'm sick of your fund-raising schemes,  your public relations and image making.  I've had all I can take of your noisy ego-music.  When was the last time you sang to me?8

Just as God tells the people not to depend too much on a “victorious day of the Lord,” God points out to people that the abundance of religious practice is not what God is looking for.9

In the very next verse we get to the heart of things. God doesn’t want the people of Israel to assume that God is on their side, God doesn’t want the people of Israel to assume that religious ritual and practice is enough, but what God wants is to “let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.”10

What does Amos/God mean here? What was the problem in that place and time?

Evidently Jewish society at the time of Amos was prosperous, but also corrupt.

5 Rev, Saundra Washington, http://ezinearticles.com/?Amos-And-Social-Justice--Part- 2&id=22705 6 Preaching the New Common Lectionary, Year A: After Pentecost, p. 263. 7 Amos 5:21 NRSV. 8 Amos 5:21-24, The Message. 9 See also another prophet, Micah 6:6-8, for a similar theme. 10 Amos 5:24, NRSV. It was one of the last glorious periods in Israel’s history, but it had a deep undercurrent of despair. It was a place and time where those in power felt little responsibility for the poor. It was a place and time where the legal system unjustly deprived many citizens of their land and possessions, and where a great economic gulf developed between the powerful and the powerless.11 God’s words through Amos himself sum it up well: they sell the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of sandals— they who trample the head of the poor into the dust of the earth, and push the afflicted out of the way; father and son go in to the same girl, so that my holy name is profaned; they lay themselves down beside every altar on garments taken in pledge; and in the house of their God they drink wine bought with fines they imposed.12

The personal, legal, and religious behavior of the people of Amos’ time all flies in the face of God’s demand for “justice and righteousness.” Justice was really a fairly simple concept, that Amos defined as “hating evil and loving good.”13 Righteousness was really the idea of being in right relationship with God and others. So what God calls for is relationships (with God and with humanity) characterized by “hating evil” and “loving good.” This righteousness that Amos called for was based on the God’s covenant (God’s agreement) with the people and was paired with “justice” because it found its full expression in doing justice.14 Both “justice and righteousness” find their source in faithfulness to God, a God, according to Amos, that many had turned their backs on.

So what does any of this have to do with us? God was talking to Ancient Israel—not the United States of America. Amos was preaching in Samaria—not in Sacramento. American society in 2008 is not the same as Jewish society in the 8th Century BC. Though we may need to do a little more work and thinking, perhaps there are hints and warnings and encouragement for our day.

How many of us have claimed God on our side as we have been through this recent election season? How many times have we named someone as foolish, narrow-minded, gullible, or (you fill in the blank)? How many of us have wanted to call down God’s wrath on our political enemies or believed that the victory of one candidate or issue was a victory for God? Maybe we have something to learn from Amos. Maybe we should be careful not to call for our own 21st century “Day of the Lord.”

Or what about our religion today? How often have we thought we could escape into religious practice instead of engaging the people and issues of our world? How many times have we thought our prayer, our worship, our religious service puts us above others? How many times have we let the claim that “I am a Christian” substitute for lack

11 Rev, Saundra Washington, http://ezinearticles.com/?Amos-and-Social-Justice---Part- 1&id=22624 12 :6-8, NRSV. 13 Amos 5:15, NRSV. 14 Dr. Claude Mariottini, http://www.claudemariottini.com/blog/2007/10/amos-and- social-justice.html of compassion? Maybe we have something to learn from Amos. Maybe we should be careful not to think that faith removes us from the world.

And finally, what of “justice and righteousness?” Isn’t it possible that these qualities are not incidental, but fundamental to following the God of Israel, the God we know in Jesus the Christ? Are not all commandments summed up by the challenge to love both God AND neighbor? Jesus, quoting the but referring to himself said: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”15

Here is a different kind of “day of the Lord.” Maybe Jesus’ marching orders are our marching orders. Maybe this is what God’s message from Amos means for us.

The morning after election night, several religious leaders wrote short articles that contained a message they would like to offer to the new president elect. I was especially taken by one written by Lynne Hybels, co-founder of Willow Creek Community Church, entitled “President Obama: Honor Your Call to the Common Good.” 16

Let me end today with a portion from that article: As I write, Christians across all denominational lines are praying for peace in Iraq and Afghanistan; donating money for refugees in the Eastern Congo and Darfur; restocking food pantries throughout the U.S. and sending food to Zimbabwe and Ethiopia; producing films about the impact of climate change on the world’s poor; sending medical kits to African volunteers who care for people with AIDS; rescuing women and girls from sex trafficking; calling on wealthy Christians to establish emergency funds for Americans who are losing their jobs or homes.

Centrist and progressive Christian leaders believe we have been called to advocate for peace and justice and to protect the vulnerable—from the unborn to senior citizens, from the poor in American cities to the desperately poor in African villages. Even during this financial downturn we are calling our constituencies to give generously of their money and their time. We ask and pray that you will similarly call your constituency—the American people—to wholehearted and personal sacrifice for the good of this country and the world.

Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. This is God’s future. And because of that, this is our future. Amen.

15Luke 4:18-19, NRSV. 16Lynne Hybels, http://www.sojo.net/blog/godspolitics/?p=3559&continue Next Step Questions 11-9-08

1. What is one hope or concern that came out of last week’s election for you? (Just state this in one sentence and listen as others state their hope or concern.)

2. How would you describe the role of a prophet? What is the difference between a prophet like Amos and someone we might call a “prophet” today? Since the prophets of Israel had such different social circumstances from ours, why do we listen to them today?

3. According to the sermon, what did Amos mean by the “day of the Lord?” Are there other ways of viewing that phrase? Why did the prophet urge people to be careful in yearning for the “day of the Lord?”

4. Do you ever call on God to just “come down and take care of this mess?” What mess do you want God to clean up? What might that mean in your life?

5. Do you think “religion” (even the Christian faith) ever gets in the way of God’s work? Describe how and why you think that might be so.

6. How would you describe justice? What does justice look like? Who, according to Amos, is the focus of God’s justice concerns in this passage? (Read Amos 2:6-8, 8:4-6) Is that same reality present in our world today? Does the message of Amos help us address this concern?

7. Do you think our faith is more about individual transformation or social change? Why do you think this? Is there a particular portion of scripture or a story of faith that makes you think this? How is this reflected (or not) in this week’s passage from the book of Amos?

8. Contemporary theologian N.T. Wright asserts, “The cry for justice in the world, then, must be taken up and amplified by the Christian church, as the proper response to the voice of the living God.” (Simply Christian, p. 327) Do you agree? If not, why not? If so, what might this look like?