Thank you to presiding elder Jenny Gilles, organist Ann Doersam, and videographer Bill Arotin. The sermon begins at 9:08.
Here's the song I quoted during my sermon:
I once met a man who asked me, "Son,
do you believe in the holy ones?”
“I don’t think I do; it’s too good to be true.
And what kind of God would care for me and you?”
Ooh, ooh.
First it seemed as if he he did not know what to say.
I bet he never met someone who thinks this way
about religion and what he thought to be true.
I guess this world must be different for me and you.
With a glare and a smile the man stared at me for a while.
He asked, “Son, have you ever walked down a church aisle?”
“Yes, I have,” I said, “too many times before,
but now I am not a blind kid anymore.
And so please understand, Mister, my thoughts are full of flaws,
but at least I have escaped the dangers of religious laws.
We are young and free, so let us be,
so we can find the truth.”
It was clear that this man believed in the Gods,
so I asked him if they would know how far
faith can get us in this broken life.
He said, “Son, it’s all we have if we want to fight
against all evil.”
With shock I realized that what this man says might be so—
this broken world we f****d up needs a guiding light to glow.
Then he said, “When I leave for home I must just know
that us humans are more than just flesh and bones.
Religion and stories made us who we are.
Without it we are nothing we’ll perish under the stars.
And so please understand, Mister, my thoughts are full of flaws,
but I understand religion is more than only laws.
We are young and ignorant, so let us see
that there are more to us human beings.”
So I was about to turn around and head for home straight.
Then he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Strange thing, I thought, to be told by a man.
When I looked out, I saw two holes in his hands.
And so please understand, Mister, my thoughts are full of flaws,
but at least I have escaped the dangers of religious laws.
We are young and free, so let us be,
so we can find the truth.”
It was clear that this man believed in the Gods,
so I asked him if they would know how far
faith can get us in this broken life.
He said, “Son, it’s all we have if we want to fight
against all evil.”
With shock I realized that what this man says might be so—
this broken world we f****d up needs a guiding light to glow.
Then he said, “When I leave for home I must just know
that us humans are more than just flesh and bones.
Religion and stories made us who we are.
Without it we are nothing we’ll perish under the stars.
And so please understand, Mister, my thoughts are full of flaws,
but I understand religion is more than only laws.
We are young and ignorant, so let us see
that there are more to us human beings.”
So I was about to turn around and head for home straight.
Then he said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”
Strange thing, I thought, to be told by a man.
When I looked out, I saw two holes in his hands.
