George Hermanson

Paradise and Prayer

September 28, 2008
Edwards (Knox) United Church
Twentieth Sunday After Pentecost

1 Thessalonians 5:12-22
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Mark 6:41-47
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The Rev. Dr. George Hermanson

The poet George Herbert called prayer the “churches banquet.” Prayer is the food that creates and sustains the community dedicated to living out Paradise in this world. Paul suggests that we pray unceasingly. Our living is prayer.

The community of faith begins in prayer. It is not a last resort, as it is for many, but that which forms us. It is a way of bringing to our attention that God is present in this moment and that this ground we stand on is holy ground, sacred space. In prayer our minds are quieted and focused; it clarifies intention; it awakes the imagination. As a communal practice it creates the community for we become one voice even as we pray in silence, for our attention is always directed. In that moment we have one voice and one hope.

Paradise and Hospitality

September 21, 2008
Edwards (Knox) United Church
Nineteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Exodus 16:9-15
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1 Peter 4:8-11
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The Rev. Dr. George Hermanson
with thanks to Suzanne E. Sykes for her work used here.

I have been exploring the understanding we have about paradise.  The idea begins in the myth of Genesis with the insight that God calls this world of ours good.  The affirmation made is that God is intimately involved in the evolution of this world and offers beauty and abundance. Genesis suggests we begin in the garden of beauty.  This is an affirmation that our world is seen by God as good and creative and we belong here and can add both good and evil to our world.

Paradise and Friendship

September 14, 2008
Edwards (Knox) United Church
Eighteenth Sunday After Pentecost

Luke 10:29-37
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John 15:12-15
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The Rev. Dr. George Hermanson
with thanks to Suzanne E. Sykes for her work used here.

One of the terms we often use about the church is, it is a family.  However, there is a phrase that we grow in families and then grow out of them.  So many of us find that our actual social relationships have more to do with friends than families. The rise of on-line friendship sites like Facebook signals this change. When we hear the phrase, "my mother is my best friend," it suggests a shift in how see the world.  Some commentators suggest this can be problematic because it confuses two important and different roles.  Our friends are important to us. In a very real sense, we are who we are because of them. Our parents and families are our principal guides and inspiration when we are young; more often it is our friends who have that role when we are adults. Friends and friendship matter.

Paradise

September 7, 2008
Edwards (Knox) United Church
Seventeenth Sunday After Pentecost

Genesis 2:4-23
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Isaiah 11:1-9
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The Rev. Dr. George Hermanson
with thanks to Suzanne E. Sykes for her work used here.

This past April we had a continuing education event with Rita Nakashima Brock on her new book, Saving Paradise.  It was a transformational event for those there.  She offered images of paradise as focused on this world, in this moment.  Paradise is a worldly spirituality, a metaphor that can enliven our Christian faith.