This sermon was delivered on the 10th Sunday after Pentecost at Trinity Lutheran Church in Galesburg, IL.
The last time I was with you I spoke about a polarizing issue we’re facing as a nation. Today, I want to switch gears and share with you something much more personal. I want to introduce you to my Cloud of Witnesses.
Today’s passage from Hebrews is a pretty common scripture passage, and most folks focus on the “let’s run this race with perseverance” bit. But let’s be very clear- I’m not a runner. In fact, if you SEE me running, you should probably start running too- cuz something bad is probably happening. So, I can’t preach about running a race with any sort of authenticity.
I’d prefer to focus on a tiny nugget of the text. “Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses…”
Now I’m not going to get into the great theological debate over who actually wrote the letter to the Hebrews- while historically it was attributed to Paul, later scholars would argue that the writing style and theology are definitely NOT Paul’s, so it’s still up for scholarly debate. We do, however, know that it was written to a group of second generation Christians who were at a time of crisis in their church. This letter is about helping them get through their crisis and strengthening their faith practices.
I’ll offer one caution about reading a letter like Hebrews, though. It is just that- a letter. Written from one person to a group of people in a particular time, place, and situation. My New Testament professor Jerry Sumney always put it this way- Reading these letters is like reading someone else’s mail. It might prove interesting, but it doesn’t really apply to you directly.
We never truly do anything alone.
This letter is about good examples of people to follow- Jesus, yes. But also a great cloud of witnesses who demonstrated faith at critical moments in their lives. In this case the writer has named Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, the prophets, and Jesus. This is a roll call of the faithful- a list of those who can serve as examples of faithfulness sent to a congregation that needed to hear that their faith was important. While I can understand the inclusion of some of these folks, I’m not sure about others, and I’m certainly sure that my list would look different. But I don’t necessarily think a list of biblical faith heroes is actually the point of this letter. I think the point is this:
We never truly do anything alone. Even if we are standing alone, we are likely standing on the shoulders of those who made that moment possible. Difficult choices and sacrifices were made to bring us to these moments, and even when we feel most alone, we are indeed surrounded by a cloud of witnesses.
Take this moment for example. Me. Here. In this pulpit. I’m standing on the shoulders of the early women who served as ministers.
I am standing on their shoulders.
The history of women in ordained ministries stretches back to 1852 when the first woman was ordained. The history of women in ministry, however, goes back much further indeed. The first female minister in the Bible was Miriam, who after the Exodus, led the Israelites in praise and worship. The biblical heritage of women in ministry continued from that moment. Women in the First Testament ministered on a daily basis. They taught the faith to the children in their homes, they led worship in domestic shrines, and held vital roles in the faith community.1 Miriam is in my cloud of witnesses, I am standing on her shoulders.
The contribution of women continued during the Exile, when women took on important roles. One such woman was Huldah, who during the reforms of Josiah authenticated the document that lead to the reforms. She “verified the authenticity of the ‘Book of the Law of the Lord given through Moses’ and triggered a religious renewal.”2 Huldah was chosen for this job instead of the prophet Jeremiah, so she must have been an important prophetess in her own right. Women were also important in funeral rights where they recited (and possibly composed) funeral rites, as evidenced in Chronicles and Jeremiah. Deborah served as a judge of Israel. Women led in festival settings as well as described in Exodus, Judges, and 1 Samuel.3 Huldah and Deborah are in my cloud of witnesses. I am standing on their shoulders.
The ministerial role of women continued into the New Testament and the early church. The story of the ministry of New Testament women began at the tomb. The Risen Christ sent the women to testify to the good news of the resurrection. On the first Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out upon all people—women and men. Paul specifically mentions and often praises the ministries of the women of the early church. Mary Magdelene, Martha, Mary the mother of Jesus, Tabitha, Euodia, Syntyche, Priscilla, Phoebe, Chloe, and Lunia are in my cloud of witnesses. I am standing on their shoulders.
The first woman to be ordained to ministry in a mainline denomination was Antionette Brown in 1853 in the Congregational Church. My own denomination began ordaining women in 1888 with Clara Hale Babcock. Antionette and Clara are part of my cloud of witnesses. I am standing on their shoulders.
In 1970, Elizabeth Platz was the first woman ordained by the Lutheran Church in America- she was the first woman ordained by any American Lutheran denomination. Elizabeth is part of my cloud of witnesses, and by standing in this pulpit today, I am standing on her shoulders.
I did not choose these women as members of my cloud of witnesses, and yet, they surround me. History has chosen some of the people in my cloud for me. Family history has also chosen some folks in my cloud:
My Dad’s parents, Robert and Esther Yowler were founding members of the Kemper Road Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) near Cincinnati, OH. In 1958 they hosted the very first service of the church in the basement of their home. They were faithful members of the church throughout their lives, and raised both of their sons in the congregation. My grandfather would often sing The Lord’s Prayer at services at the church, and he and my grandmother were both very proud to have been members since the very beginning.
This deep heritage in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is something my dad shares with my mom, and I’m pretty sure it’s part of what brought them together. My mom was raised in the Carrollton Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Carrollton, KY. My grandfather Eke was an elder there, and my grandmother Nancy was a deacon. She was also a member of the widow’s group at the church and a devoted member of her Sunday school class. She LOVED her church. I remember sitting curled beside her on Sunday mornings listening to Paul Livasey preach as my mother played the organ, my dad sang in the choir and my grandfather served at the table.
My mom was dedicated, baptized in that same church. She met my dad in Lexington, KY where they were both in college. She and my dad were both members of Central Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) when they were in college, and there, they were part of a music outreach program to youth. They fell in love and got married at the Carrollton Christian Church. They were members there when they adopted both of their children- my brother and myself. So my brother and I were both dedicated in that church. I was baptized there and my first wedding was held there.
Both of my parents are still active in church- now at the Bedford Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)- the church where my dad has served as board chair numerous times, often serves as the worship leader, and sometimes gives the children's sermon. The church where my mom plays the piano or organ most Sundays. The church where over two hundred people laid hands on me as I was ordained into Christian ministry- the first and only woman to be ordained in my home county.
The members of Kemper Road Christian Church, Carrollton Christian Church, Bedford Christian Church and all of their members are a part of my cloud of witnesses. My grandparents, Robert, Esther, Eke and Nancy are part of my cloud of witnesses. Reverend Paul Livasy is a part of my cloud of witnesses. And although my parents are still living and still active in their church, they too are a part of my cloud of witnesses. I stand on all of their shoulders.
Now, I know this scripture isn’t talking about the electronic storage cloud, but bear with me a minute, because I kind of think about it in the same way. In this technologically advanced time, we all have something in the cloud- our music, pictures of loved ones, files, documents, movies. Even if you aren’t aware of it, you probably have a bit of yourself stored up in some cloud somewhere. Your social security number, a credit card number, your driver's license picture- yep- it’s all up there in the cloud somewhere.
What if we are doing the same with our cloud of witnesses. With each meaningful relationship we cultivate in our lives, we are also cultivating our cloud. We are storing up a piece of that person, that relationship, that love into our great cloud of witnesses. Y’all are becoming a part of my cloud. Friends, former pastors, co-workers- I store up a piece of each of them in my cloud.
I think I’m a little extra introspective about my cloud this week because I’ve recently lost two people that meant a lot to me. One, Jennifer, was one of my few friends from high school and someone who really took me under her wing when I was a freshman. The other, my cousin Dutch, was a dashingly handsome Tom Selleck kind of guy who had the best laugh and who let me stand on his feet to dance at my Uncle’s wedding. Both losses have hit me hard, but I am grateful that I can carry pieces of these folks with me in my cloud of witnesses.
But also this week? I had the unique experience of finding someone in my cloud of witnesses IN the cloud. My grandmother. I hadn’t heard her voice since before she passed away in 2013, but there- in the great cloud online, I found her voice as part of the International Dialects of English Archive. I heard her- talking about cows and chickens and my grandfather and laughing. I heard her laughter again. All because my cloud has a spot in the cloud.
I encourage you this week to take a few minutes to cultivate your cloud- to look deeply at your life and find the shoulders upon which you stand. Make a list if you want. Think about whose sacrifices have led to your success. And if that person is still alive, let them know that they are a part of your cloud. Cultivate your cloud, and you will surely be blessed.
Watch Rev. Yowler deliver this sermon:
1 Lisa W. Davison, "Role of Women in the First Testament," lecture delivered to Women in Ministry Course, 14 February2002, Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY.
2 Bruce A. Robinson, "Women's Ordination: Priests, Pastors, Ministers, Rabbis," [online] Religious Tolerance, 2000, cited 06 April 03, available from <www.religioustolerance.org>.
3 Lisa W. Davison, "Role of Women in the First Testament," lecture delivered to Women in Ministry Course, 14 February2002, Lexington Theological Seminary, Lexington, KY.