On Aug, 28, 1963, 100 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Martin Luther King made his famous speech in our nation’s capital. With the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the background, Martin Luther King declared that the freedoms of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and the security of justice for all of God’s children, was still not a reality.

For MLK it was more than a political speech; it was more than his desire for justice for his people, it was more than personal gain. The freedom King was speaking about was motivated by his faith in God. He stood against the injustice that was being done to the black people of this country. But more than that, he stood for his God, our God, who declares that all are equal. MLK was not running for president; he was running for God.

He was unable to watch and say nothing; unable to push his faith to the side and hope someone else would change the situation. He could not stand by feigning helplessness and neither could the thousands of clergy and others from across our nation, both black and white, who joined him.

So MLK spoke up, first risking, and eventually losing his life, as he stood for those who had no voice. MLK could no longer live with the injustice being done that did not square with the truth of God’s word.

I think this momentous time in history, lives today because it was much more than a political issue. For MLK, and for us, injustice of any kind is against the will of God. MLK was speaking beyond the issue of civil rights. He was speaking of the freedom in Christ; a freedom given to all of us, that no one can kill; a freedom which calls the faithful.

You see, as Christians, our citizenship rights are first with the kingdom of God, and second with our country. The freedom of equality is not just for people of color, but for the handicapped, the mentally ill, the unemployed, the imprisoned, the sick and homeless, not just in our country but throughout our world.

In his book, God’s Politics, (with the subtitle: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It) Jim Wallis says that MLK was so successful in the civil rights movement, mobilizing people from all political persuasions and religious beliefs, because he accessed our faith in God, that held this nation to divine accountability.

Wallis states, some of the most progressive social movements for change in American history, like anti-slavery, women’s suffrage, the fight for child labor laws and the civil rights movement, all were motivated by people of faith. These people could no longer live with the discrepancy between their faith and the injustice being done. So they did something about it.

MLK knew something about the wisdom of God. He lived and worked in the inadequacy of human wisdom, just as you and I do. He knew that only the wisdom of God sets us free, really free. It is this wisdom of God that informs our decisions and our actions in ways that bring us the happiness and freedom so valued by us.

Most of us have trouble figuring out what is this wisdom of God and how do we get it? So in our desire to live our lives the best we can we often turn to others for answers, don’t we? Those with a high intellect; or the wealthy, who we figure must have a corner on wisdom, or to people of influence or position, those who appear to have it more together than we do.

But human wisdom has its limitations. We know this and so the apostle Paul. Today’s text finds Paul speaking to the people in Corinth who were dependent on human wisdom.

Corinth, the 3^rd most influential city in the Roman Empire at the time, was a center for trade between Asia and the West. It was a prosperous and wealthy city. It was a pagan culture into which the Romans brought their laws, culture and religion. It was a culture where many gods were worshipped.

Wealth became a primary value, causing the people to be vulnerable to immorality and vice. As one historian put it, "Money attracts people like dead meat attracts flies", and so it was in Corinth as Jew and Greek, free and slave swarmed into Corinth in search of wealth. Each brought their own world view of ethical behavior, accompanied by and the gains and ills of such growth. "Corinth", says one author, "was the New York, Los Angeles or Las Vegas of the ancient world."

So enter Paul, the pastor, the preacher, the new church development minister of the day. This is the context in which he finds himself; one of new believers, in a new church, learning about their faith and how to apply it to their world; not unlike MKL, not unlike you and me.

Within this context for new Christians, a Biblical foundation is pretty important. Rules are not the be all, end all, but they are intended to provide a framework within which we live and grow, are protected, find our happiness and freedom. All of society has rules: our country, our state, our places of work, our families, and even the work of the church. They are meant to provide freedom.

So Paul sets out to teach these new Christians about the wisdom of God. Now I don’t know about you, but I often feel like a new Christian. What does God mean in this passage? What does that have to do with me? How am I to become more mature in my faith?

So Paul explains by using the image of the temple, of which there were many in Corinth, and they were often involved in immoral activity. Paul reminds them that they are the temple, the only temple, in which the Holy Spirit resides. This temple is sacred, he tells them, and God will do just about anything to preserve us. Turning to the world for wisdom is risky business. In our search for human wisdom we can lose our freedom. We can become ensnarled in quarrelling among ourselves, in putting our will above God’s, of disregarding God’s commandments and Christ’s law that only gets us into a mess, instead of the freedom God intends for us.

It is in knowing the ways of God, the stories of the Bible, the teachings of Jesus that allows us to move away from being foolish. Learning more about God’s ways provides a doorway into the wisdom of God.

Over the last year I have been privileged to visit a number of you in your homes. I have listened to your stories, your histories, your hopes and dreams. We have talked of the church in each visit and I have sought to listen beyond your words, to the truth that under girds their meaning. What I have found is a deep yearning a deep yearning to be connected to God and to each other. I yearn for this too and I think the wisdom of the Spirit is reaching out for us too.

However we express it, whether in a complaint or a dream we hold dear, the bottom line is the same: We want to be connected to each other and we want to feel closer to God, for you see, at some level, we understand the need to tap into God’s wisdom for our lives. Sometimes in our frustration we react in unhelpful ways; we send an angry email, or point the finger of blame at someone, or gather in the parking lot with others, to complain. But in all of this, I think it is our deep desire to be connected that we are seeking.

At some level we know that the wisdom of God does not just reside in us alone. The wisdom of God is in each one of us. The key that opens that door, is knowing something about our faith, so that when God speaks inspiration, or hope, or promise through another person or event, we can hear it. This is the freedom that can be ours.

What a relief! Right? We can stop following rock stars, movie celebrities or politicians. We can stop worshipping the most attractive, the funniest, the smartest, anyone who has what we do not. We can quit wishing we were wealthy, for in Christ, we already are.

Paul is not talking about independence, defined by the dictionary as being separate, not under another’s rule, or needing others. I think Paul is talking about freedom; freedom from the opinions of others; freedom from not knowing what to believe or how to live our lives; the freedom that Christ offers us if we do our part.

Paul is talking here about spiritual maturity. For example: those who do not pray do not understand the power of prayer. Those who do not know some of the stories of God, do not see God in the stories of their own lives. Those who say all this faith business is foolishness have missed the presence of God in their lives. For those who crucified Jesus thought it was all foolishness too.

Many years ago now, the minister of our church invited 12 of us to be in a small group together. We were new to the church and didn’t have much sense of what a small group was, but getting acquainted appealed to us. Using a book, over the six weeks of our commitment, we began to share something of who we were as people of faith, at the time. We thought we were getting acquainted, and we were. But God had a much deeper plan in mind. Those 6 weeks stretched into 15 years of meeting weekly, and what we received was our connection to God and to each other. Along the way we learned some of the stories of faith and learned something about who Jesus was to us. We walked through illness, divorce, the death of a child, the challenges of raising kids, mental illness, and the death of two spouses, within this small group.

We went when we didn’t feel like it, or had other commitments, or were tired or unprepared. We shared many a book and discussion, but it was the Spirit among us that brought us back week after week. When we disagreed with each other’s choices, felt helpless to comfort, didn’t have answers for problems, we learned that it wasn’t our job to do these things; it was God’s. We learned how to pray together, to listen for God together and to be a small community of faith together. You see, it was more than a support group and it was much more than a social gathering. It lasted as long as it did because it was the wisdom of God present among us. I cannot tell you how precious this time was, for in the midst of our time together God’s wisdom raised up out of our collective human wisdom.

We didn’t know it then but God was helping us make deposits into our bank of faith so that when we needed to make a withdrawal, we wouldn’t be overdrawn.

The early church who met in homes also studied God’s word together, built long and lasting friendships and developed a faith that would carry them. I believe it is in such a small group that the church comes alive today, as well.

It is my dream for this church that we create such a place, where all of us have a place; a place where we can hear the spirit speaking to us through other people. A place to gather around the same table, at church or in homes, where you and I can be fed, connected, made whole again. I dream of a place where it is OK to share our faith, or our lack of it; a place where people are glad to see us, and will pick us up when we fall short. Such a place is where we can hear the wisdom of God.

God’s wisdom can burst into our lives in the most unusual circumstances. We can receive God’s wisdom in the midst of our helping another; we can feel God’s presence in a book, a movie, a garden, or in the rain, anyplace we find ourselves. Sometimes God speaks to us in a committee meeting of all places! Or while doing the laundry. Other times inspiration can come from a total stranger. Or we may feel a repeated nudging to reconcile with someone we avoid. Whatever, or wherever it comes, God’s wisdom is the gift of freedom to us.

This is what Paul means when he quotes Isaiah:

No eye has seen;

no ear has heard,

No mind has conceived

What God has prepared for those who love him.

You and I are not capable of discovering the mystery of God on our own. We do not inspire ourselves. We do not understand all mysteries or have all knowledge. This comes from the Holy Spirit in us, among us, and through us. All we have to do is show up.

So when a group is offered to know more about God, consider signing up. When you gather with friends or family, know that God is connecting you. When you take the risk to reconcile a relationship, know that you are connecting to God. When you watch the fireworks this weekend, remember the bright sparklers of God’s wisdom within you, and celebrate.

Because through Jesus Christ "We are free at last. Free at last. Thank God Almighty we are free at last." Amen