The biggest church fight I ever caused was about prohibition. We were talking about the spiritual practice around food. I asked what I thought would be just a conversation starter, but it turned into a brawl. I asked, “If you could outlaw one fast food franchise what would it be?”

One young woman immediately said, “Golden Corral. It’s absolutely disgusting.”

To which another young woman stated, “Are you kidding me?! It’s so affordable. I eat there all the time! I would outlaw Taco Bell.” And it just escalated from there.

That encounter has never left me. I am reminded that we all carry personal prohibitions. Some of us don’t drink alcohol, even though we are of age, because of it affects our health, or if there’s alcoholism in our family. Many people choose not to smoke because of the health-risks. I grew up with smoking sections in restaurants and on airplanes. I’m so thankful that those are a thing of the past.

We each have our standards around what we eat and drink and how we act. There are things we just won’t do. We don’t really write these things down; we develop them over time. We all have what the monks would call “A Rule of Life.” There are things we prioritize that feed our souls or help us relax, and then there are things we don’t do, that we have prohibitions around.

I made a joke on Ash Wednesday of how I think pineapple on pizza should be a jail-able offense. It’s a prohibition for me. Yet I have heard from many of you that it’s your favorite pizza. Heretics. Here are a few others: I won’t eat cantaloupe or creamed corn. My wife Kate hates mashed potatoes. We each have our list of prohibitions.

Yet when we read Leviticus, we somehow lose sight of our own list. Leviticus is the holiness code for the nation of Israel. It has a list of do’s and don’ts. Laws and instructions on how to live. We often think it’s a backwards book. I sure did in the past until I realized that Leviticus is simply the written down version of our Fast Food argument. There are things we consider good. Loving your neighbor as yourself and looking out for the poor are things in Leviticus. Letting those in debt go free and having a prohibition around taking Hebrews for slaves are also good things. The Jubilee Year that I discussed last Sunday is an idea far ahead of its time. Leviticus also says don’t eat pork, shrimp, and cheeseburgers. Leviticus is the Nation of Israel’s “Rule of Life.”

We have our own “Rule of Life” both privately and together as a church. Our church was asked to host the final party of Medina’s Bicentennial in 2018. It was a great honor to host it. When Matt Weiderhold from Main Street Medina asked, I enthusiastically said… That I would have to check with council because we’re congregational. But personally, I was a YES! Then Matt asked, “Could we serve a milk and rum punch that was popular in the 1800s?”

I said no to that. It was easy to say that. Our church was known as the party poopers. We were all about Temperance and the prohibition of alcohol. We were so against alcohol that we were instrumental in setting up the Anti-Saloon League. We didn’t like what was happening down at the Tavern by Root Candles… what is now Serenitie Restaurant and recovery center. We didn’t like what was going on so much that we decided to excommunicate the owner. There were two problems with this.

The first problem is we didn’t know where he lived. We thought maybe he was in Fort Wayne, Indiana. So we wrote to the post master of Fort Wayne who wrote us back saying, “Never heard of the guy.” Which turns out wasn’t exactly true.

The second problem is we wanted to excommunicate someone from our church who never attended our church. He was Episcopalian. We believe in the prohibition of alcohol so much that we wanted to excommunicate someone who didn’t belong to our church.

We were so angry about alcohol because of the high rate of domestic violence. Prohibition was initially a family issue. It sought to save women and children from angry drunk men. The thinking was if we removed the fuel of alcohol, there would be no fire of violence. This thinking was wrong, but the intention was good. It seems backwards now, just like the prohibition on mixed fibers is in the last verse of today’s reading. Yet back then, if you put wool and cotton together, the fabric would contract at different rates and would tear the garment. This is a consumer protection law!

Leviticus has all the prohibitions. Don’t steal, lie, or rob people. The goal is to create a stable society. A community where people with shared values can trust one another and live together in some type of harmony. This list we read today should raise all sorts of questions. Why are these here? Which ones should we follow and which are outdated? There are all sorts of prohibitions, some that will fade over time and some that should never be crossed. It is our responsibility as thinking Christians to critically engage the texts and figure out how to live together.

Today we welcome three confirmands into the full life of the church. These are not “Youth members” they will be Full. Members. Any prohibitions we have around children in our church will now drop for them, and they can now serve on a committee, vote on the budget, and determine the boundaries and goals of this faith community. And they are not alone in this. Many in this room were there to hear their borning cry, and many will be here when they are old. Some witnessed their baptisms and pledged our support. We as a church body will confirm that today.

The promise is still the same. We, your church community, are here to cheer you on. We want nothing but love and blessings and to be here for you. Now and even in your middle age, and then if and when you decide to marry and have kids. We’ll be here if you wander off and fall on hard times or violate some prohibitions.

There are things you don’t understand now. You can’t understand now. Yet my advice for you now is to be viciously curious about your world, your church, and your life. It’s why we spoke in our classes about our homes and your family’s spiritual journey. It’s why we spoke about the 4 Elements in our classes, to provoke you to notice the world around you that we often take for granted. Don’t take this life for granted.

Look at these gathered folk. Many remember what it was like to be your age. Now we’re surprised that we’re as old as we are. Take this in. They are about to pledge their support for you.

Nate Staniforth writes, “I think you have to grow up twice. The first time happens automatically. Everyone passes from childhood to adulthood, and this transition is marked as much by the moment when the weight of the world overshadows the wonder… The second time is a rediscovery of wonder despite sickness, evil, fear, sadness, suffering—despite everything. The second time is a choice. Something that you have to seek out, find and value and protect. And you can’t just do it once and keep it forever. You have to keep looking.”[1]

These are wise words. Words that might make sense later on in your life. Words that you are prohibited from understanding until you live into them. May you do so and may grace and peace be with you. Amen.

Works Cited

 Here is Real Magic, pages 240-241.