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Acts 1:3-11
The musical Hamilton begins with Alexander Hamilton wanting to make a mark, wanting to make a name for himself. His lines include: “Don’t be surprised if your history books mention me.” and “I wish there was a war! Then we could prove that we’re worth more than anybody bargained for.” He begs for a command so he can “rise above his station.” Near the end of Act 1 when George Washington is finally giving him that leadership role, Washington says:
I was younger than you are now when I was given my first command.
I led my men straight into a massacre; I witnessed their deaths firsthand.
I made every mistake and felt the shame rise in me,
And even now I lie awake, knowing history has its eyes on me.
Let me tell you what I wish I’d known when I was young and dreamed of glory:
You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.
Once Alexander does make a name for himself, he becomes increasingly obsessed with his legacy. For example, when news of his affair is threatening to get out, he himself shares the news—and the details—in what is called The Reynolds Pamphlet. He says he does it to protect his legacy. Then his wife Eliza has to deal with his double betrayal—first, the affair and second, the public announcement of it. She accuses him of being obsessed with his legacy.
And finally, there is a powerful scene in the duel that will end up taking Alexander’s life. Aaron Burr fires a shot, and before Hamilton is hit the action freezes. Everything around him stops as we hear his thoughts:
I imagine death so much it feels more like a memory.
Is this where it gets me, on my feet, several feet ahead of me?
I see it coming, do I run or fire my gun or let it be?
There is no beat, no melody.
Burr, my first friend, my enemy, may be the last face I ever see?
If I throw away my shot, is this how you remember me?
What if this bullet is my legacy?
Legacy. What is a legacy?
It’s planting seeds in the garden you never get to see.
I wrote some notes at the beginning of a song someone will sing for me.
And they did sing it for him. The last song begins with the repeat of George Washington’s words:
Let me tell you what I wish I’d known when I was young and dreamed of glory:
You have no control who lives, who dies, who tells your story.
Then two of Hamilton’s adversaries, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, speak of his accomplishments. The line is repeated: Who tells your story, who tells your story? And the women answer: Eliza. The rest of the song belongs to Eliza, Hamilton’s wife. Even though he betrayed her, even though one time she wanted to erase herself from the story of his life, she had already come to a point of forgiveness before he died. So in that last song she tells of how she did everything she could to understand him better, and to do things he would have done if he’d had more time. She interviews the soldiers who fought by Alexander’s side. She speaks out against slavery. She raises funds for the Washington Monument. And then she sings:
Oh. Can I show you what I’m proudest of?
I establish the first private orphanage in New York City.
I help to raise hundreds of children. I get to see them growing up.
In their eyes, I see you, Alexander. I see you every time.
A legacy.
Planting seeds in the garden you will never get to see.
The notes at the beginning of a song someone else will sing.
With that as our background, let’s look at Acts 1:3-11 (CEB). After his suffering, [Jesus] showed them that he was alive with many convincing proofs. He appeared to them over a period of forty days, speaking to them about God’s kingdom. While they were eating together, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what God had promised. He said, “This is what you heard from me: John baptized with water, but in only a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
As a result, those who had gathered together asked Jesus, “Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now?” Jesus replied, “It isn’t for you to know the times or seasons that God has set by God’s own authority. Rather, you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
After Jesus said these things, as they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going away and as they were staring toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood next to them. They said, “Galileans, why are you standing here, looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you saw him go into heaven.”
You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And then the Holy Spirit came to give them the power Jesus promised, and then the church of Jesus Christ was born. You will be my witnesses. You will be my garden. You will sing the song that I began. And so we do. Or so we try. Sometimes we do a really good job, and other times . . . not so much.
I’m speaking here of the church at large, rather than solely our congregation, but the church, like Hamilton, has at times been unfaithful. The church has been far too enamored with power. The church has had inappropriate relationships with authoritarianism. The church has had liaisons with violence. I’d like to say the church has flirted with racism, but we all know it’s been a long-standing affair. Our infidelity to the message of Jesus has planted harmful seeds and has added discord to the song. Jesus’ words “You will be my witnesses” means sharing Jesus’ message: a message of welcome for the outcast and grace for the fallen.
We as a congregation have not been perfect. We have at times given in to the culture around us. We have at times been unfaithful to the boldness our calling demands. But we also have a legacy that means something. We also have a history of taking stands, even when it was difficult. Do you realize we are coming up on our 20th anniversary of being an Open and Affirming congregation?! That is a legacy to celebrate—which we will do later this year!
But it is not enough to lean back and let our legacy speak for us. Our voice is needed today. Notice that Jesus says, “You will be my witnesses,” not “you will be my spectators.” The Holy Spirit has already come. We don’t need to stand around and wait. We already have all the strength we need to plant seeds of love, to sing songs of grace. To continuing planting seeds of love, to continue singing songs of grace.
There are people in your life who need to hear the message. There are people in your life who have had harmful seeds planted in them by the church. Those aren’t going to be changed unless we show them something different, unless we show them a different way of reading scripture and being church. How wonderful would it be if next year when we celebrated Homecoming Sunday there were new people who had found a home with us because you invited them?
We have something special here. And there has never been an easier time to invite people to participate. I mean, they can watch worship from their couch! Their children can participate in online Sunday school in their pajamas! They can come to our Sunday evening worship and get ice cream treats! Let’s broaden our Homecoming welcome to others who need a spiritual home. Let’s be Christ’s witnesses. Let’s plant seeds of love and sing songs of grace. Who lives, who dies, who tells your story? We tell Christ’s story: Christ’s story of love.
Now let’s hear a couple of people share their stories about our church.