San Lorenzo Community Church United Church of Christ Sermon: Preached extemporaneously by Rev. Annette J. Cook Sunday, August 21, 2016

A reading from the Gospel of Luke 13:10-17

10 On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, 11 and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 13 Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

14 Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

15 The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? 16 Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

17 When he said this, all his opponents were humiliated, but the people were delighted with all the wonderful things he was doing.

This ends the reading from the Gospel of Luke. Thanks be to God.

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San Lorenzo Community Church United Church of Christ Sermon: Dionne Warwick Preached extemporaneously by Rev. Annette J. Cook Sunday, August 21, 2016

Dionne Warwick has the silkiest, smoothest, most soothing voice. No hard edges, no brash in- your-face guttural sounds. No screaming or screeching at you. Just a voice that floats with clarity and precision. It seems to land on the note with grace and a delicate touch.

When she first went to to start her singing career that voice of hers quickly became a regular appearance as part of the background singers for some of the biggest recording stars of the – , and Brook Benton. It was during a studio session with that first heard her sing. They got to talking – at the time Bacharach was songwriting with out of the which was considered the “music factory” of New York.

The two songwriters had had a couple of hits but nothing that was sustainable . . . until that meeting with Dionne Warwick. They asked if she would make some demo tapes with them and she did. And with the speed of sound, one demo tape became a 12-year record deal with and a string of number one hits within four years. This partnership would result in 40 of the biggest hits of the 1960s and . And, over her career, Dionne would be second only to with the most songs to hit the Billboard 100 than any other female recording artist of all time.

Talk about a creative outlet, a business relationship, an enduring friendship.

Hers is a voice with emotion and complexity – a subtle yet lively tone that made listeners lean in and get hooked. She makes singing seem easy and, as we can now all attest, Burt Bacharach’s music is anything but easy. But her voice with his music – well, it just works. Like a hand and a glove. Like pancakes with syrup. The stars and the moon. Arts and crafts. Milk and cookies. They just go together.

That, my friends, is a God-thing. When so much resonance is shared and created. When commonality is found from across the boundaries, across whatever divides us. Whether it is race or ethnicity, whether it is social class or education, whether it is age or experience – God bridges those gaps and builds a bond. One of us has a voice and the other has a composition. One of us can build something, the other can design something. One of us can keep a garden green, the other can create floral arrangements. One of us is old and one of us is young but we can still connect.

We read this morning that in the middle of one of his teaching sessions, Jesus sees a woman who has been bent over and crippled for nearly two decades. Without the woman even asking for his healing touch, Jesus notices her, calls out to her, and tells her that she is free from her ailment.

Jesus doesn’t say or do much of anything to heal the sick woman; he doesn’t have to. It’s as if compassionate, merciful healing is just who Jesus is. It’s as if the moment Jesus shows up; the mercifulness begins to overflow.

Oh yes, you know, those religious leaders bellyache about Jesus doing such bodily, physical healing on such a spiritual day – it’s the Sabbath after all. Yet the gaping crowd “rejoices” at Jesus’ revelation of who God really is. God is the bridge making a connection, offering healing and mercy.

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San Lorenzo Community Church United Church of Christ Sermon: Dionne Warwick Preached extemporaneously by Rev. Annette J. Cook Sunday, August 21, 2016

When we look at Jesus in action, we also believe this is who God is and what God does. For some (like the sick woman) that’s incredibly good news. For others (like the religious authorities), there is first a conviction before there is freedom.

Now some of us might say that God is high and lifted up, distant, great, all powerful but very far away. I suspect that many of the 90% of American who say they believe in God believe in this kind of distant, far-away God. It makes sense. God is too big, too abstract – all of those religious words of omnipotent, omniscient, eternal, immortal.

But Jesus, our touchstone of God, our teacher and guide, our sufferer and our healer, well, Jesus exudes mercy and love. It just flows with every encounter. That’s a God-thing.

Can you imagine being in church – well, of course you can because here you are – so can you imagine being in church and, without notice or prompting, without request or a call-out from prayer, I invite you up here with me? And we just stand here. I don’t do anything, really, I’m just with you and I’m for you. I believe in you. And I remind you that you are healed. You are whole. You are free.

I am not the active ingredient in the moment. Yet, something has changed as we stand side by side. A gap has been closed between us. We both know and we both experience a God-thing.

There is a story about what is arguably Dionne Warwick’s most famous song and collaboration with Bacharach and David. It’s also said to be Bacharach’s personal favorite of his compositions – the song “Alfie” that was written for the 1966 movie by the same name.

It’s an interesting story because Dionne Warwick was not the first artist to record the song – that honor went to , a British performer. Dionne Warwick was not the second artist to the record the song – that was . It seemed at the time that every recording artist was making a version of “Alfie.” And, in fact, they were. 42 artists had covered the song before it was Dionne’s turn. She had to be talked into doing the record. She was more than a little miffed at the movie producers for not allowing her to perform the song originally – but they insisted on a British performer since the movie was based in England.

As you probably know, the movie, “Alfie,” starring in the 1966 version, tells the story of a young man, a womanizer, who leads a self-centered life, purely for his own enjoyment, until events force him to question his uncaring behavior, his loneliness and his priorities. Even if you haven’t seen the movie, you can guess where this goes. It leads to self-doubt and then to self-awareness. So you get the picture. Alfie is damaged goods. Isolated and alone and yet surrounded by people. So broken that the simple act of making a friend is near to impossible. So broken that he finds himself asking life’s big questions:

“What’s it all about, Alfie?

Is it just for the moment we live.

What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie,

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San Lorenzo Community Church United Church of Christ Sermon: Dionne Warwick Preached extemporaneously by Rev. Annette J. Cook Sunday, August 21, 2016

Are we meant to make more than we give

Or are we meant to be kind?

And if only fools are kind, Alfie,

Then I guess it’s wise to be cruel,

And if life belongs only to the strong, Alfie,

What will you lend on an old golden rule

As sure as I believe there’s heaven above, Alfie.

I know there’s something much more

Something even non-believers can believe in.

I believe in love, Alfie.

And yet, Dionne’s voice -- all of those silky and subtle tones, all of those clear tones and notes and rhythms, all of those complex feelings come through and this record, the 43rd recording of the song in less than two years, this is the record that hits number one on the charts. This is the recording that becomes the standard-bearer. An indelible and iconic version of the song.

It is said that the best performers are the ones who put their heart and soul into their art. They make you feel something; they make you understand that they are a vessel, channeling a particular talent and yet vulnerable to all of the world as that leave it all on the stage. And that is a God-thing.

I can imagine Jesus, in the middle of his teaching, looking up and seeing someone like Alfie and inviting him forward and saying these words: I believe in love. It’s a moment when damaged goods meets self-awareness and vulnerability. When a bent-over woman meets healing and love. When you or I reach out and stand with and for one another.

You know that this is true – God is not far away. God is here. Jesus could have kept on teaching that day in the synagogue. He could have averted his eyes from the woman in need. He could have focused on his lesson plan and not gotten side-tracked. He could have preached some sweet sermon about bearing up under misfortune. He didn’t have to call her out. He didn’t have to help her stand. He didn’t have to make that connection.

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San Lorenzo Community Church United Church of Christ Sermon: Dionne Warwick Preached extemporaneously by Rev. Annette J. Cook Sunday, August 21, 2016

Or maybe he did – maybe he did have to. Because that is what God does, that is what is necessary for God to do. To heal. To bring grace and mercy among us. To bridge the gaps that exist between us. To love. That is the all and everything of a God-thing. Love.

Amen.

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