Reading:OurreadingtodaycomesfromthefourthHarryPotterbook,HarryPotterandtheGobletofFire.ThisreadingisanexcerptfromaspeechgivenbyAlbusDumbledore,HeadmasterofHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardry,afterastudent,CedricDiggory,waskilledbythemostevilwizardintheWizardingworld,LordVoldemort.Heisspeakingnotonlytohisstudents,butalsostudentsfrominternationalwizardingschools,aboutthewaysthattheymustmoveforwardindarkanddifficulttimes.Wheneveryonehadonceagainreturnedtotheirseats,Dumbledorecontinued,“TheTriwizardTournament’saimwastofurtherandpromotemagicalunderstanding.Inthelightofwhathashappened—ofLordVoldemort’sreturn—suchtiesaremoreimportantthaneverbefore.EveryguestinthisHallwillbewelcomedbackhereatanytime,shouldtheywishtocome.Isaytoyouall,onceagain–inthelightofLordVoldemort’sreturn,weareonlyasstrongasweareunited,asweakaswearedivided.LordVoldemort’sgiftforspreadingdiscordandenmityisverygreat.Wecanfightitonlybyshowinganequallystrongbondoffriendshipandtrust.Differencesofhabitandlanguagearenothingatallifouraimsareidenticalandourheartsareopen.Itismybelief—andneverhaveIsohopedthatIammistaken—thatwearefacingdarkanddifficulttimes.SomeofyouinthisHallhavealreadysuffereddirectlyatthehandsofLordVoldemort.Manyofyourfamilieshavebeentornasunder.Aweekago,astudentwastakenfromourmidst.RememberCedric.Remember,ifthetimeshouldcomewhenyouhavetomakeachoicebetweenwhatisrightandwhatiseasy,rememberwhathappenedtoaboywhowasgood,andkind,andbrave,becausehestrayedacrossthepathofLordVoldemort.RememberCedricDiggory.”

TheGospelAccordingtoHarryPotterASermonbyRev.HeatherConcannonMarch20th,2016ForanyonewhoeverhadturnedtothepagesofabookOragoodstoryForcomfortOrinspirationForescapeOrperspectiveOrforchallenge:Thissermonisforyou.AndI’dventureaguessthatthatisallofus.Whetherornotthisparticularstoryhasaplaceinyourheart.Becauseweareastory-tellingandastory-lovingpeopleStoriesbeingacentraltoolinmeaningmakingAndthere’sareasontheMoth,orSerial,orThisAmericanLifepodcastsareallsopopularNottomentionthatoldclassic—theBibleInseminarywelearnedagainandagainThatasermonwithoutastorywasliabletobealecture.StoriesmakeushumanTheycaptureourexperienceTheygivecontexttowhoweareandwherewe’vebeenandhowwe’vecometobelievewhatwebelieve.Storiesgiveusachancetolookatourworldthroughneweyes,byenteringintoanotherworld,Toseetheworldasitmightbe—forbetterorforworse.WelltodayI’dliketoinviteyouintooneofthestoriesthathasmostshapedandinfluencedmeOneofmyfavoritestoriesAndbeforeIbeginIwanttotellyoualittlebitaboutwhatthisstoryhasmeanttomeovertheyears.IgotmyfirstHarryPotterbookwhenIwaseleven(Beforeitwascool,Ialwaysfeeltheneedtolayclaimtothat—likesomesortofHarryPotterhipster—IwasteasedinelementaryschoolformyloveofHarryPotterBysomeonewhotookjustabouteverychanceshecouldtomakefunofme).ButmysisterandI—whoisheretoday,Andwhowasmyexpertconsultantforthissermon,MysisterandIwouldspendhours—days,really—readingHarryPottertogetherWeevenhadasecretcodeatdinner,makingplans—“Amy,wannaRHP?”

Asthoughweweresneakingaround,whichreallyjustmeant“Amy,wanttogoReadHarryPotterafterdinner”?Weweresoinfluencedandabsorbedbythesestories,Wetookthebeautifulpapercoversofourfirsteditionhardcoverbooksoff,Andplacedthemreverently,carefully,ontheshelfwheretheywouldn’tgetcrushedTreatingthemlikesacredobjects.Ilearnedrecentlyaboutthisyear-longcourserunningatHarvardrightnow,BytheHumanistgroup,called“HarryPotterasSacredText”.WhichNathanlaughedaboutwhenItoldhimButwhenIsawitIsaid“oh,thatmakessomuchsense”.Me,whogrewupwithoutacentraltextofmypeopleTheBiblebeingahotlydebatedtextinUnitarianUniversalismAndcertainlynotasharedtextMypeers,mysisterandI,ageneration,adults,too,wefoundourwayintoastorythatmadeusaskdeepquestionsasthestoriesunfolded:“WhydoPetuniaandVernontakeHarryinwhentheyhatemagicsomuch?”“Whywasn’tHarrykilledbyVoldemortinthefirstplace?”“HowdidVoldemortbecomesoevil?”“Whydoeventhegoodwizardsrefertohimas“Lord”Voldemort,withanhonorific?”“Whatdidtheprophecyreallymean?Wasitfateorchoice?”“ShouldHarryhavekeptandusedtheDeathlyHallowshimself,totriumphoverdeath?”IjokedwithmysisterthatifthiswasthefirstplaceIlearnedtoexegete—Afancyseminarywordthatjustmeanstocriticallyinterpretatext—AndifwetreatedthosebooksassacredtextsThenpreachingonesermonontheHarryPotterseriesfeltlikeaskingaChristianministertopreachjustonesermonontheBible.Andso,beforeanyonewritesthisseriesoffasa“kidsbook”,letmeassureyouthatIstilllovethesebooks,andthatthefactthattheywerewrittenprimarilyforyoungpeople,atleastatfirst,thatdoesnotmeanitdoesnotwrestlewithhardordarksubjects.Infact—storiesareawayforallofus,childrenandadults,toprocesstheworldAndtolearnaboutscarytopicsinacontainedway:Thesebooksarefilledwiththemesofdeath,andcourage,andfriendship,Themesofloveasprotectionandjusticeforhouseelvesandthelinebetweenpropheciesandchoicesandwhethermagicalbloodismorevaluablethannon-magicalmuggleborns

andmagicandgoodandevilandwhatitmeanstohaveasoul.ScaryandrealandhardandcomplextopicsStoriesthathelpustomakesenseoftheworldaroundus.Becauseit’sascaryandcomplexandrealandhardworldouttheremyfriends,isitnot?Wemaynotliveinaworldwithliteraldementors,thatwillsuckoursoulsoutofusOrDeathEatersfollowingtheevilwizardVoldemortButwehaveotherevilsandterrorslurkinginourworldSoul-suckingpartsofourworldAndpeoplewhowouldperpetuateevilideals.Unexpectedoruntimelydeaths—Wehadtwomemorialsforunexpected,heartbreakingdeathsherethisweekendFriends,youarefamiliarwiththewaysinwhichweliveinascaryandcomplexandhardworldsometimes,Andalsoaworldbalancedbyfriendship,andlove,andcourage.Soareyoureadyformyself-admittedlysomewhatnerdyinterpretationoftheGospelAccordingtoHarryPotter?(waitforanswer)Thisisalittlebitofa“yousingmyhymnI’llsingyours”sermonsituation,friends:SoifyouareaHarryPotterlover,bearwithmeasIexplainalittleoftheplotAndifyou’veneverreadtheseries,bearwithmeasImovealittlemorequicklyandjumparoundalittlemorethanyoumightbeabletofullyfollow.And,Isaiditinemails,ButI’llsayitagainjusttocovermyself:SPOILERALERT:Iwilltalkabouttheendingofthebooks.Iwon’tbeoffendedifyousneakoutthebackforthenext10minutes.InourreadingweheardProfessorDumbledore,theHeadmasterofHogwartsSchoolofWitchcraftandWizardryAttheendofHarryPotter’sfourthyearatHogwartsSharewiththegatheredcommunitythatLordVoldemortThemostevil,ruthless,powerful,andterrifyingwizardthewizardingworldhaseverseenHasreturnedfromhisweakenedstateofhiding,hispowerdiminishedafterhehadtriedtokillbabyHarrythirteenyearsearlier,AndDumbledoresharesthatVoldemortisbackintheflesh,stronger,beginningtogatherhisfollowersonceagain.VoldemorthasjustkilledCedricDiggory,thefirstpersontodieasVoldemortreturnstopower,AndDumbledore’sspeechtothestudentsattheendoftheschoolyearWhichwereadasourreading,Foreshadowstheyearsandthelongbattlethatistocome.

DumbledoreknowsthestrengthofLordVoldemort’spowerperhapsmorethananyone.AndheknowswhatfightinghisevilwilltakeAshetellsthestudents“inthelightofLordVoldemort’sreturn,weareonlyasstrongasweareunited,asweakaswearedivided.LordVoldemort’sgiftforspreadingdiscordandenmityisverygreat.Wecanfightitonlybyshowinganequallystrongbondoffriendshipandtrust.”Andcourage,whichisthelensthroughwhichIwanttolookatthisstorySinceitisourmonthlythemehereatchurchAndsincecourageisathemewoventhroughouttheseries.AndsincefacingtheevilsthatVoldemortrepresentstakesanenormousamountofcourage.Now,Harryandhisbestfriends,RonandHermione,AreallpartoftheGryffindorhouse,oneoffourdormitoryhousesatHogwarts.Gryffindor,whosemascotisthelion,Hasareputationforattractingthemostbravestudents“wheredwellthebraveatheart”TheyhearfromthemagicalhatthatsortsthemintoGryffindortheirfirstyear.Whatbraverylookslikeisacommon,yetunderstatedquestioninthesestories.Harry,oftenfindinghimselfinsituationsofgreatdangerSincehehasbeentargetedbyLordVoldemortasVoldemort’sonlypotentialdownfallfromultimate,evilpowerWhichhasbeenprophesiedsincebeforeHarry’sbirth,HarryregularlyfindshimselfthetargetofpowerfuldarkmagicAndgreatthingsarerequiredofhim.YetHarry’sbraveryoftenlooksalotlikestupidity.Infact,inthefirstbook,asHarrylauncheshimselfontothebackofagiantmountaintroll,theauthorwritesthat“Harrythendidsomethingthatwasbothverybraveandverystupid”alinewhichisusedonlyonceintheseriesbutwhichcouldbeappliedtomany,manycountlessmoments.He’sfrequentlycourageous,buthe’softennotpracticalorstrategic,andsometimesisalittlerashanddumb,andnotveryfocusedonself-preservation.Andthatwasonlywhenhewasfightingatrollatage11.Harryonlyblursthatlinebetweenbraveryandstupiditymoreastimegoeson.SofastforwardsixyearsfromthetrollincidentWhenVoldemorthasreturnedtohisfullpowerAndHarryhasdecidedthatitistoodangerousforhimtogobacktoHogwartsSchoolWhereheknowsthatVoldemortandhisfollowerswillbelookingforhimAndthatinsteadhemustgooutonhisownandfindVoldemort

AndoneofthemmustdieAswasforetoldintheprophecy.Soatthebeginningofthefinalbook,Harryhastoldhisfriendsthatheisleavingthem.Andinfact,hetriestoleaveRonandHermione,nowlikefamily,manytimes.Hermione(arguablythebestcharacterinthebooks),finallysaystohim:“Harry,yousaiditoncebefore,thattherewastimetoturnbackifwewantedto.We'vehadtime,haven'twe?We'rewithyouwhateverhappens.”Harry,whoissoinsistentondoingthisaloneOnnotputtinganyoneelseindangerFailstoconcedethathecan’tdoitallonhisown.ButHermione,everthepracticalTypeA,hadhadabagpackedforweeksFortheexactmomentthatallthreeofthemwouldhavetoflee.Harryfailstorealizethatthisisn’tonlyhisfightHethinksthisisbetweenhimandVoldemortButit’sreallyamuchlargerfight,acosmicbattlebetweenallthatisgoodandholy,andallthatwoulddesecrateitThatheissmallbutsignificantpartof.Soattheendoftheseries,HarryhasdiscoveredthatthereasonheandVoldemortaresocloselyboundThereasonthathehasvisionsofVoldemortAndcanseeandfeelwhatheisthinkinganddoing,IsthatapieceofVoldemort’ssoul,WhenVoldemorttriedtokillHarryasababyApieceofVoldemort’ssoulenteredintoHarryAndinorderforVoldemorttodie,onceandforallAllpiecesofhissoulmustdieWhichmeansthatHarry,too,mustdie.AndsoHarrymakesathis-timecalculatedandcourageouschoice:TowalkintotheforestwhereVoldemortishidingAndwalktohisdeath.ButinorderforHarrytodothatHemusttrustthatsomeoneelsewillfinallydefeatVoldemortThatsomeoneelsewillfinishthemission.Thistransformation—frombelievingthathehadtodoitallbyhimselfTotrustinghiscommunityandhisfriendsAndtoseeingthathewasapartofsomethingmuchlargerthanhispersonalfightwithevilThistransformationtookgreatcourage.Because,itwasonlywhenHarryfinallyreliedonthecourageofthewholecommunityaroundhimThatsomethingtransformativewasabletohappen.

ThatevilwasfinallyabletobefacedinawaythatdisarmeditThatlovewasabletowinAndlovedoeswin,intheend,inthisstory.Thesameloveandcourageandself-sacrificethatprotectedHarryasababyIntheendprotectedHarry’sfriendsAndultimatelyHarryhimself.AndthecourageofthecommunityHelpingHarrytoholdittogetherBagspackedMealsmadeWandsreadyReadytopickupthefightandcarryonKnowingthattheywerepartofsomethinggreaterthanthemselvesThatallowedlovetowin.Friends,itisloveandcommunityandamagicbeyondourunderstandingthatgiveusthecouragetofacethehardestandthescariestthingsinthisworld.Thatofferuspresence,butnotprotectionButhelpushavecourageToknowthatwedonotwalkaloneButthatotherswalkwithusAndsingourspiritshome.Mayitbeso,andamen.