Anyone who's ever been to Tombstone, Arizona, has probably visited its most famous site - Boot Hill. There lies the wretched refuse of the Wild West, the remains of individuals who have been raised to near heroes by equal part amnesia and nostalgia. In no small measure this is the result of the Wild West itself which made even death something picaresque.

There you will find a headstone that reads: "Here lies Lester Moore, shot in the head with a 44. No Les, No More." But of all the graves marked, one stands out for its perfect economy, saying both the most and the least at the same time. It reads: "He Called Bill Smith a Liar."

Let that sink in for a moment. There is no hint who died. There is no information about Bill Smith. But in that one phrase you know exactly what happened. That's more than a name, a date or a poetic phrase could ever convey from the grave. Look at headstones sometimes. For all their information, there is no knowledge. While on this particular gravestone there is no information and a great deal of knowledge. In anonymity we know more of this man than we will ever know of those whose names are carved in stone against the weathering of time.

There may be a lesson lurking in this story. Remember what happened to Moses. After all his talking Moses goes up the mountain. The story says God showed him the land the people would inherit, whereupon Moses died and God buried Moses. No family, no funeral, no grave, no epitaph. His words are the record of others, set down hundreds of years later. What we actually know about Moses is only a little more than "He Called Bill Smith a Liar." Yet history records him as one of the greatest of religious prophets.

It's been said when a man's life is over, the truth of his life remains. It may be, as Moses and Boot Hill suggest, that only when a life is over can the truth of that life emerge. Only when its time is complete is the truth of that time complete. Whatever is good, or true, or beautiful, can only be found after its author has given them up. Only when it belongs to everyone can a life or a ministry be of use to everyone. Religiously, that means leaving this room. Just as there is no point in finding the truth just to keep it to yourself, or in obtaining peace of mind without seeking peace on earth, as church members we have a responsibility that goes beyond study or worship within these walls. The old Quaker saying is true: "The Service Begins Only After the Meeting Has Ended."

We live in a time where we find religious views that do not affirm the individual search for truth and meaning. We live in a time that does not respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person. We live in a time when many still do not see women as equal to men. We live in a time when a fundmanentalist minority would impose their beliefs on this country as a solution to growing social disorder. Not only are there challenges for us to meet at the community level, so there are spiritual challenges to be met in families and individuals lives that we can respond to .

University Baptist Church affirms and celebrates diversity. In a divided world, we claim this corner in Austin, Texas, as a hate-free zone. The people who might be helped and healed by our ministry may not know who we are or what we stand for. They may not even realize that we are here. It is our responsibility to reach out into the community to find these lonely lions. I say lions because ours is not a faith for sheep. It requires great courage to take responsibility for one's religious journey. This has always been a church of leaders. We are captains of our own ship and hold our own rudder. Yet we also know we cannot sail that ship without help and mutual support. We gather together not to judge or to control but to learn, to share and affirm.

It may sound simplistic but I think the real reason we are here is to serve the cause of love. I believe that is our legacy. The potential return for bringing more love into the world is tremendous and the evidence of the value of love is already within us. An important part of what happens here every Sunday is being reminded that love matters and has great value even though the drama of our daily lives may not always reveal it.

No matter how old or young we are, no matter what the condition of our health, no matter what our financial status, every one of us can find ways to practice love within and outside this congregation. When we join together to practice love, we greatly magnify it. The ability to give praise and thanks is a precious energizing gift.

When we are doing a good job of loving each other and our community, we will grow, most certainly in the satisfaction we find through giving ourselves away.

This is ultimately why we are here. We are here to learn how to love one another. It is that simple, and as all of us know from experience, that hard. Loving each other is very difficult. And yet I don't think there is anything more important, for all that is of ultimate value comes from love. Learning to love isn't something you can figure out only in your mind. it is something you learn by doing.

Jesus said whenever two or more are gathered in my name, I am there. We may not have a packed sanctuary every Sunday, but if even a few are brought together in the name of love, something remarkable happens. May we never lose sight that the work of love is the real work of this church. There is no better gift we could give to the world.

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