Open Minds

As most of you know, we are in the middle of our small series discussing what it means to have Open Hearts, Open Minds and Open Doors and what these things mean for us as a United Methodist Church and as individuals. Last week we talked about Open Hearts. We learned that open hearts are: loving, forgiving, serving, vulnerable and open to God. But open hearts are only part of the equation.

Today we will be exploring the concept of an open mind and it is fitting that today we will be celebrating communion together. You see, the communion table is where we truly practice open minds. Having an open table means that we can’t keep anyone from partaking in Christ’s holy meal. Having an open table requires that we have an open mind. How do we, then, practice this idea of an open mind? First, an open mind is NOT an empty mind. Having an open mind doesn’t mean that you don’t have opinions or values. Having an open mind DOES however mean that you are willing to allow OTHER people to have their own opinion and values. Above all, an open mind is questioning. An open mind learns new things. An open mind is creative. An open mind is accepting. And an open mind is open to God and Christ.

An open mind is questioning. An open mind questions the world and others and really digs for information. An open mind doesn’t just accept information for the sake of accepting it, but looks deeper and gets to the heart of an issue before making a decision. An open mind doesn’t just toe the party line, but questions it, works through it, and develops its own ideas and opinions. As people of faith, we are often told that we shouldn’t question. But I believe that it is the very act of questioning that develops our faith and gives us an open mind! One of the most trying experiences I had during seminary was with people who weren’t very open minded. Here I was at a fairly “liberal” seminary, but there was an issue. His name was Michael. Michael was as conservative as a person can get. He held an extremely literal interpretation of scripture. He believed there was no room for women in church leadership. He even wore a tie to class every day. But Michael wasn’t the issue. My fellow seminarians were the issue. They treated him with such disdain and cruelty because of his beliefs, and yet, in class, Michael was the one who raised the tough questions—thoughtfully pondering the answers. Michael asked his more liberal classmates to clarify their beliefs. Michael questioned. And because of his ability to question, he was actually more open minded than the other students who claimed to be the open minded ones! The ability to question is one of the keys to having an open mind. When we are afraid to question, we are afraid to expand our minds beyond what we already know. When we ask questions, our mind flowers in response and opens more. An open mind isn’t afraid of new information. An open mind is questioning.

An open mind also takes that questioning one step further. An open mind is a learning mind. Education is an important part of opening one’s mind. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone is required to run out and get a doctoral degree, but it does mean that if we want to have open minds, we can never stop learning. We’ve got this idea in our heads that education stops when we graduate from school. But learning is a lifelong process, and not just secular learning, but our Christian education continues too! There is more than a lifetime of knowledge just in the Bible alone, not to mention all of the things outside of scripture that shape our faith. Our middle school youth just had a great learning experience this weekend. Thursday through Saturday we took part in a Junior High Work camp through Christ UMC. Nine different groups of middle schoolers went out into Rockford and did great work. Each of our participating youth were involved in a different project. Morgan learned how to paint and how to help the community. Nichole learned how to take down a wall the right way and how to use a paint roller. Ryan learned how to mulch. Kirstie learned that we shouldn’t hide from God. Holly learned that no matter where you go, God will find you. And Anna learned that God’s grace can bring us all together, and together we can really make a difference. In learning these lessons, our youth found ways to open their minds and hearts to new parts of our city. Education and learning take place in more ways than classrooms and lectures, even work trips are a great place to grow a more open mind! An educated mind is an open mind. An open mind loves to learn.

An open mind is creative. Now I don’t necessarily mean crafty or artsy. What I mean by creative is that an open mind is a co-creator with God and is always looking for a new or exciting way to do something. Innovation is one of the distinct features of the open mind. An open mind is always looking for a new way…a new idea…but more than that, an open, creative mind is willing to accept the new…willing to deal with change and thrives on change in such a way that it actually becomes MORE open in the process. Yes, crafty or art or such projects can also serve this purpose, because opening up the mind in the creative process opens it up to do more creative things. I love to do arts and crafts…I love painting, making pottery, making jewelry, even just coloring in a coloring book. I find that when I lose myself in the activity at hand, I become more open to what God might be saying to me. Some of my best ideas have come while I’m doodling away or working on a scrapbook. Taking part in creation with God helps us to be more open to the things God might be offering us. Looking for new and innovative ideas opens our minds to even more possibilities. Being willing to take a step in a new direction gives God even more room to work in and through our lives. An open mind is both inspired by and expressed in innovation. An open mind is creative.

An open mind is above all things accepting. Acceptance doesn’t mean just opening up your head and allowing anyone to pour stuff in. Acceptance doesn’t mean agreeing with every new opinion that comes along. Acceptance means allowing for other opinions, lifestyles, and choices whether or not they have anything to do with you. One doesn’t have to agree with someone in order to accept them. This is one of those tricky areas, but this goes directly back to the life of Jesus and how he worked in the world. Remember the woman who was accused of adultery? Jesus stopped the people from stoning her and accepted her as person. Did this mean that he condoned adultery? What about the woman at the well who was troubled and thirsting for living water? Did Jesus cast judgment on her for who she was? No, he simply shared water with her and accepted her. Jesus ate with tax collectors. Did this mean he approved of the taxation of the people? No. He just accepted them for the people they were. Jesus had an open mind. He accepted people, allowed for their differences, and that acceptance did NOT require him to agree with them or condone their actions. He just loved them. Jesus had an open mind and because of that he was also able to have an open heart. Acceptance does not mean agreeing with everyone or with everything people may say or do. Acceptance means having room for opinions and lifestyles and choices other than your own.

When we allow our minds to be opened through questioning, learning, creating, and accepting we in turn become more open minded to the possibilities we have in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. When our minds are open, we can begin to learn and understand the true depths of God’s loving acts through Christ. When our minds are open, we can begin to see all of the possibilities that God can offer our lives and that we can offer others. When our minds are closed, we not only close out other opinions and learning opportunities, but be begin to close out God. Imagine what would have happened when God spoke to me if I had closed my mind and said “God could never speak to someone like me”. What if Moses had said that? What if Mary had said that? With a closed mind would the exodus have happened? With a closed mind, would Jesus have ever been born? If I had had a closed mind, would I be in Rockford today? No.

In today’s scripture, Jesus takes this concept of an open mind one step further. He goes so far as to call Peter Satan because Peter has closed his mind off to divine things and is only thinking in the realm of the human. This is the danger of a closed mind! When we close ourselves off, we shut out God’s word and disable our ability to think divine thoughts. We become just as secular as those who don’t believe. In Romans, Paul reminds us that we should, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.” This renewal of the mind…this making new of our thoughts so that we can discern God’s will… this is what an “open mind” truly means. An open mind becomes renewed in God and begins to think and act in new ways. An open mind is constantly renewing and growing and learning so that it might more fully understand and discern the voice of God. Without renewing our minds we become so lost in the realm of the human that we forget that we each carry a part of the divine in us! When we don’t open our minds, we become like Peter. We have to be told, “Get behind me Satan” because our closed minded thinking gets in the way of God’s redeeming work through Jesus Christ.

So, what can we do to get out of God’s way? How do we open our minds so that we are renewed and able to understand more fully God’s work? How do we become more open minded people?

We question.

We learn.

We create.

We practice acceptance.

We question! An open mind asks questions. We don’t take at “face value” the things we hear, see, or read. We ask the tough questions, we ask the obvious questions, we ask the questions we are afraid to ask. It is through these questions that we are able to grow and learn. This is hard. We’ve all been told “don’t question” or “questioning is disrespectful”, but, we’ve also always been told “the only stupid question is the one you don’t ask!”. Ask questions! If you don’t understand something, ask! If you want to know more, ask! If you don’t agree, ask questions! Questioning is one of the building blocks of an open mind, each question we ask opens our minds a little more and each question that goes unasked closes our minds a little more. Each time we stunt our own growth by not asking questions we block God out of our minds a little more. An open mind will ask the questions! An open mind is questioning.

We learn. An open mind is a learning mind and to open our minds further we take part in activities that will help us to learn new things. This is actually the easiest of the steps to take to have a more open mind. Educational opportunities are everywhere in this community! We have fine colleges that offer an abundance of courses. We have community organizations that offer opportunities for learning. And right here at Court Street we have an improved Prime Time that will include a huge variety of classes including Wild Flower Folklore, Photography, Car Care, Internet and E-mail, Palm Weaving, Gift Wrapping, Hand Spindling and spinning, Book Binding and many many more! We have Sunday School classes for all ages! We have so many opportunities for learning for adults. We have Sunday School and Wednesday night programs for our youth including the new Amazing Bible Race program and a fantastic new Sunday school program for our kids. Learning here at Court Street is important to us…it’s personally important to me. I’ve dedicated my whole life to Christian Education and it’s such a joy to get to share these opportunities with you. I pray that you will partake in the learning that we can have here and that through it we can all open our minds just a little more. Education is one of the greatest exercises in mind opening and we can do that here together. An open mind never stops learning—an open mind is a learning mind!

We create. We join God in the creation process and we too create and become more innovative. Like I said before, this doesn’t necessarily mean doing arts and crafts projects, but if that is something you are good at, that is a great way to open your mind. This can be quilting, knitting, wood work, scrapbooking, jewelry making…building things with your hands or with tools. But it creativity can also take a different form. You can be the source of new ideas and new energy for a variety of projects. Maybe you’re serving on a committee and you have a new idea…share it. When you do so you are being innovative and opening your mind up to what God might offer through that idea AND you’re encouraging others to open their minds as well. If you have constructive ideas for improving life here at Court Street, share them. Do you know I have a file in my office that’s nothing but “good ideas”? No, not all great ideas can be implemented immediately, but sharing the ideas can often create OTHER new ideas and create growth and development in new and exciting ways. To open our minds and help others open theirs we must act with creativity and innovation. And open mind is creative!

We accept. Of all the parts of becoming more open-minded this is the hardest part. We all have these internal “lines in the sand” that we have drawn about what we will and will not tolerate or accept. Here’s the thing, those lines aren’t really ours to draw. We have every right to say what we agree with and disagree with. We can even say that there are choices we could never make for ourselves, but the open mind accepts others despite all of that. Just as Jesus didn’t necessarily agree with those he accepted and loved, he loved and accepted them anyway. You as a congregation are really very good at doing this. Just 7 months ago, you accepted a person who is not of your denomination, not from your area, and not exactly the most “normal” person in the world. You not only accepted that person, but you opened your arms to her and opened your mind to the things she might have to share with you. You took me into your hearts and in so doing you demonstrated this spirit of an open mind in a way that has come to bless us all. Through you acceptance of my country accent and wacky ideas, we have already started to do really great things together. Just imagine what more we can do if we continue to open our minds through our acceptance of those different than us. An open mind is one that accepts others, an open mind is accepting!

If we can do these things together…if we can grow into open minded people through questioning, learning, creating and accepting, we can grow our church into something even bigger and better than it already is. Imagine the blessings we can share with our community if we combine our open minds with our open hearts. Imagine the power that we can share with each other and with the community as a whole if we are a church that doesn’t just open its arms to new people, but if we are a church that opens its hearts and minds to all of the possibilities God is offering. Just imagine the power of truly open hearts and minds! May God give us the clarity of vision to develop open minds.

Amen.