"What Kind of Rules are These?"
a condensed version of the sermon delivered by Rev. Kirk Moore on Sunday, October 5, 2008 at Union Congregational Church, United Church of Christ, in Somonauk, Illinois.

PODCAST of "What Kind of Rules are These?"

Mel Brooks had fun with the 15 . . . (Drops one tablet) 10 commandments in his film, History of the World, Part 1. Sometimes it takes a bit of comedy to draw attention to something important. Other times it takes a little controversial re-imagining. A few years back, the United Church of Christ published a controversial re-imagining of the 10 commandments – called "God is still speaking through the 10 C’s"

I mentioned a few in a sermon a few years back – and I got letters.

I’ll give you a chance to get pens and paper out – to take notes. The topics I’m going to mention during this sermon are not at all uncontroversial. My guess is that everyone here, including me, will take issue with something on the list. I really hope it makes us think. I really hope it makes us want to learn more about this list of 10 commandments and what they mean for us – here – today.

Let’s review what the 10 commandments are.

Most people can’t name any more than four – so let’s name all 10.

1. No other gods before God
2. No Idols
3. No misusing God’s name
4. Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy
5. Honor your father and your mother
6. No murdering
7. No committing adultery
8. No stealing
9. No lying
10. No coveting – wanting something so bad you make a plan how to steal it

Some relatively recent news relating to the 10 commandments came up when (now former) Alabama Supreme court chief justice Roy Moore (no relation) in 2003 refused a federal order to remove a display of the 10 commandments from a prominent location in a federal courthouse. There was quite a bit of media furor and Justice Moore was removed from the bench. And the display was removed (a replica made a short tour of 5 states to garner support for it’s return – the Supreme court said no. I don’t know where the monument is now. But I do find it a least a little funny to know that the monument have an inspiration in the more than 4000 granite displays that were made as marketing tools for Cecil B DeMille’s "The Ten Commandments" way back in 1956. Many of those still stand on public property - an enduring legacy to Hollywood? Or is it an enduring legacy that has deeper roots, became a Hollywood marketing tool, went back to its roots and then started being worshipped as sacred?

That starts things off -- Now let’s get to the controversial list:

• OUR CULTURE THINKS have no other Gods before me is "nice" unless it’s Super Bowl Sunday or the Final Four.

PERHAPS GOD says you shall neither worship your car, your "ice," or your wide-screen.

• OUR CULTURE THINKS you shall not make for yourself an idol except for Madonna; Starbucks; X Box; Nike; Chief Wahoo, et al.; the American flag; and Wall Street.

MAYBE GOD says you shall not worship the idol of individualism that leads to the American dream of "success" only for some of God’s children. (My note: Or your granite display of the 10 commandments!)

• OUR CULTURE THINKS you shall not take the Name of the Lord, thy God, in vain unless you lose something you thought was yours, you don’t get something you thought you deserved, or you smash your finger.

MAYBE GOD says you shall not take God’s Name in vain EVER, especially not as justification for the separation of peoples/cultures or to strip civil liberties or as justification for war on terrorism.

• OUR CULTURE THINKS remember the Sabbath day means to keep it Holy by shopping or watching the kid’s soccer game instead of going to church.

PERHAPS GOD says spend some time with me, your family, and a community of faith.

• OUR CULTURE THINKS the meaning of honor your father and mother expires when our parents reach the age of 75 or can’t care for themselves.

PERHAPS GOD says honor older parents with needed Medicare and affordable prescription drugs. Honor younger parents with affordable, available, quality child care so that they can earn a living.

• OUR CULTURE BELIEVES you shall not commit adultery unless you know you won’t get caught.

POSSIBLY GOD says you should be faithful to the one you love no matter your sexual orientation.

• OUR CULTURE THINKS you shall not steal unless you really, really want something and a) don’t have it; b) don’t want to pay the money; c) it’s a natural resource we need and another nation has; d) it’s for the protection of our national security.

MAYBE GOD SAYS you should not siphon oil from the Middle East, Africa, or Latin America in order to satisfy our industrial need for fossil fuel. You should not bankrupt small family farmers by disproportionately supporting corporate farms. You shall not mouth "high" academic expectations for our nation’s children and then steal money from schools to pay for war and huge tax cuts.

• OUR CULTURE SAYS you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor unless your neighbor doesn’t look like you, doesn’t live like you, doesn’t speak the English language, or calls God by another name.

POSSIBLY GOD says tell the truth about our relationship with the Saudi government and with oppressive leaders around the world. Release dozens of Arabs and Muslims still in American jails since 9/11. Come clean about using the Patriot Act to regenerate a new brand of McCarthyism.

• OUR CULTURE BELIEVES you shall not covet your Neighbor’s property unless your neighbor’s crib is bigger than yours or has more "toys" that bling-bling. Note: "neighbor" includes other countries and planets.

PERHAPS GOD SAYS you shall not covet another culture’s land or tax benefits obtained on the backs of the poor or global trade advantages . . . water . . . air . . . women . . . or immigrants . . . as personal property.

• OUR CULTURE MAINTAINS you shall not kill unless you are one of the states with the death penalty, look different, talk different, think different or you’re trying to off Osama bin Laden, (My note: other high ranking Al Qaeda officials or any leader you’ve determined is part of an "evil empire.") (Note: Collateral damage, maimings, casualties, and the like are unavoidable, regrettable, justifiable, and patriotic).

PROBABLY GOD SAYS you shall not kill, period. Not by lethal injection, not by surgical air strikes, or by endangering the lives of millions of Americans by failing to provide health insurance or food or AIDS meds.

Quite a list, eh? These 10 commandments aren’t safe. They aren’t so "set in stone" that they can’t still inspire and guide us. They live and breathe and they are an unnerving, controversial, life-affirming, spirit-filled, God-breathed list.

And they are common ground for Jews and Christians all over the world. They are common ground for Christians of all denominations – especially today on this World Communion Sunday. Today at the table we acknowledge that though we do not agree on everything, we share a commitment to following God and to our risen savior, Jesus the Christ.

So today and this week – live with and through the tension of being one in Christ while at the same time having significant differences of opinions about what calls us to do and to be. Live with the questions about how these 10 commandments inspire us to live in a world where it seems all that is really important to so many are the granite copies and where they’re displayed.

Live with and through the thought - the question. "What kind of rules are these?"

Close with prayer.

© 2008 Union Congregational Church, All Rights Reserved