Reports, musings, sermons, happenings from a Presbyter (Priest) of The Episcopal Church who loves Jesus, the natural world, ice and snow, and is raising 3 children with his artist-wife, Erin McGee Ferrell. (This photo is of the Presidential range in NH taken from Vermont.)
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The end of "The Marriage Gap" - and the implications
The Pew Research Center recently released a study on the long-term changes in marriage between college-educated adults and non-college educated adults in the USA.
This corresponds to the sweeping changes in American society over the last 50 years (since 1960), all of which has direct implications for the church in America today.
There is a direct correlation of all of these factors: most non-college educated people live in urban areas (in my urban parish area, only 6% of adults have college degrees), most of these young adults are not married, many of them are having children out of wedlock, and most of them do not attend church or get involved in any civic organizations of any kind.
In contrast, most college-educated people live in suburban areas, more of these people are in stable marriages with children, and more of these people attend church and are involved in civic groups.
One can see the trends very clearly if you follow what has happened among the Christian churches in the USA. Until 50 years ago, all of the largest congregations were in urban areas. Today, all of the largest ones are in suburban areas. This helps to explain why the congregations I serve have steadily lost members over the last few decades. It is nearly impossible to fight against such sweeping changes in society.
How do we create a "need to attend church" among people who generally do not feel this need whatsoever? The truth is that we need a revival. Only the Holy Spirit can create this need. We need a revival of interest in the things of God, the things that have eternal meaning and value. At least we can pray for such a movement.
"In a reversal of long-standing marital patterns, college-educated young adults are more likely than young adults lacking a bachelor’s degree to have married by the age of 30" (The Reversal of the College Marriage Gap By Richard Fry).Pew Report - Reversal of the College Marriage Gap
This corresponds to the sweeping changes in American society over the last 50 years (since 1960), all of which has direct implications for the church in America today.
There is a direct correlation of all of these factors: most non-college educated people live in urban areas (in my urban parish area, only 6% of adults have college degrees), most of these young adults are not married, many of them are having children out of wedlock, and most of them do not attend church or get involved in any civic organizations of any kind.
In contrast, most college-educated people live in suburban areas, more of these people are in stable marriages with children, and more of these people attend church and are involved in civic groups.
One can see the trends very clearly if you follow what has happened among the Christian churches in the USA. Until 50 years ago, all of the largest congregations were in urban areas. Today, all of the largest ones are in suburban areas. This helps to explain why the congregations I serve have steadily lost members over the last few decades. It is nearly impossible to fight against such sweeping changes in society.
How do we create a "need to attend church" among people who generally do not feel this need whatsoever? The truth is that we need a revival. Only the Holy Spirit can create this need. We need a revival of interest in the things of God, the things that have eternal meaning and value. At least we can pray for such a movement.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Frosty or Milocinek?
Is this Frosty the Snow King? His real name is Milocinek, and he lives (for now, anyway! the locals built him last Friday) in Poland. He just might be the largest snowman (snowperson?!) in the world. What fun!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Those Who Wear Soft Robes
A Sermon for the Third Sunday of Advent (A RCL 12/12/2010),
offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Isaiah 35:1-10; Canticle 15; James 5:7-10; Matthew 11:2-11
My brothers and sisters: What does it mean to be a prophet?
What is the peculiar gift, the particular calling of a prophet? During this Advent season, we are called to remember the prophets, to recall the special gift of the prophet’s voice. They are the ones we recall now as preparing the way of the Lord, making the way clear for Jesus to come into the world as the long-promised Messiah.
But what exactly is a prophet? How do we define this calling? If you consult with secular authorities, they may say that a prophet is one who predicts future events. But, within the biblical sense, a prophet rather is one who speaks who special authority from God, one who is chosen to be a dedicated mouthpiece through which God can speak to humanity. Predicting events of the future, of course, is only secondary, peripheral to the task of communicating truth, to the mission of bringing light into places of darkness.
If you ever attend a Pentecostal or charismatic worship event, then you might discover that there are people even today in these congregations who claim to speak with a prophet’s authority. I heard a story of one such woman who stood up during worship, claiming that God had given her a word of prophecy for the congregation. Everyone listened with attention as she stood in a trance-like state and then spoke with a deep, commanding voice of authority and said: “Thus says the Lord – even as Moses led the animals into the ark, even so shall I lead my people to safety, if they will trust in me!”
Then she sat down, but people in that gathered community immediately started whispering amongst themselves. “Did she say Moses? I think she said Moses!” And suddenly, after a few minutes, the supposed prophetess stood up again and, once again in her trance-like state she declared: “Thus says the Lord – it wasn’t Moses, it was Noah!”
And everyone tried as hard as possible to muffle their laughter!
But it’s not just the way they speak that defines a prophet. James points to the prophets as showing us the way of faithfulness not only with their words but also in their lives: “As an example of suffering and patience, beloved, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord” (James 5:10).
John the Baptist surely qualifies in that regard. Thrown into prison, he patiently waited for Jesus to reveal himself as the Messiah. But he was only human after all, and it seems that eventually even his patience began to run out!
There’s a new commercial running right now for the new Windows phone. I bet that many of you have seen it. They call it “a phone to save us from our phones”.
The commercial shows a number of people doing ridiculous things while distracted on their phones. The things they are doing are ridiculous, but also common in the sense that we have seen others doing similar ridiculous things. And all the while in the commercial, puzzled bystanders are watching and asking the question: “Really?”
Well, this is John the Baptist’s “really?” moment. He’s in jail now. He cannot be active in his ministry any longer. And so as a puzzled bystander, he is watching and he is asking the question: “Really? Really, Jesus? Is this it? Is this what you are up to after all?”
It must have been hard for John the Baptist. After all, he is your classic Type-A personality, doing everything with precision, by the book. Don’t you get that sense when you imagine John the Baptist? Eating only locusts and wild honey, wearing very odd, rough clothing. Only sleeping out-of-doors. Never swaying from his task of bringing God’s message to the people with seriousness and sternness. If God is going to call him to be a prophet, then he’s going all out to be the best prophet possible!
But he is sent to prepare the way for Jesus, after all. And the Lord Jesus comes, and what does he do? He eats dinners with prostitutes and tax collectors! He drinks wine with Pharisees! This is not quite what John the Baptist had in mind! Can you blame him for being a bit perplexed and confused?
But there is another prophet who is brought before us today for our consideration. Another prophet who shows perhaps even more clearly an example of suffering and patience. For who can possibly exemplify patience and suffering better than a mother?
Even blessed Mary, the mother of the Lord, is a prophet, one who speaks with her life as well as her words. Today, in our responsive reading labeled in our Prayer Book as Canticle 15, Mary speaks to everyone with prophetic power and vision in her classic song of praise, the Magnificat.
I asked us to pray Mary’s song all together today, because I hope that you can feel the hope and the longing in her song which runs so deep in this text. Her song is our song. Her song is the church’s song. Her prophetic words reveal the two-edged sword of God’s word: it brings hope to those who suffer, but announces danger to those who are safe and secure. “God has filled the hungry with good things, and sent the rich away empty.”
These two sides are always present in God’s communication with us. It is commonly said that the task of a preacher is always twofold. It is said that the task of a preacher is to comfort the afflicted, and also to afflict the comfortable.
Each person is unique, and each situation in life demands a different response. But it is possible to look at society as a whole, and to discern certain movements and attitudes which hold sway within a given human society at one time or another. And so I ask you this: from your perspective, which one of these two aspects of preaching, do you think, is most needed today, in our own time and place? To comfort the afflicted, or to afflict the comfortable? To bring a word of hope, or a word of challenge?
I’m afraid that we need a bit of affliction right now. Even in the midst of this recession, this economic downturn which has affected so many of us, even now, we as a people are very comfortable. Jesus said that “those who wear soft robes are in royal palaces” (Matthew 11:8) and in his day, this was a simple observation. But in our nation today, we all like to wear soft robes, don’t we? We don’t have royal palaces here – thank God! – but instead we all wish to live like royalty, with all the luxuries that we can get our hands on.
But what have we lost, what have we given away with our rush to acquire luxuries and soft robes and to accumulate all of the finest things in life? As a whole, we have become weak, afraid to sacrifice, unwilling to be challenged for the greater good.
Do you know that back in the early centuries of the church, in Ireland and the Celtic lands, that anyone who wished to be ordained first had to demonstrate that they had memorized the entire book of Psalms? All 150 Psalms recited from memory? By listening to the requirements today, you would think that things have gotten more difficult rather than less!
Did you also hear how the United States Army recently revised its Basic Training program for the first time in 30 years?
General Interviewed about changes
They had to change it in order to address two general problems with new recruits: lack of fitness and excessive weight. In short, this means that the average Army recruit today is not physically able to handle the Basic Training program of past generations.
Look even at our Advent observance! How quick we are to bypass the rigor of Advent’s spiritual preparation in order to jump right into the cookies and parties and celebrations of Christmas! Let’s face it: we, as a people, we have become soft and weak. And so, I believe that God calls out to us today with a challenge and a rebuke. The One who casts down the mighty from their thrones is calling us to seek the things that are above, to renew our focus upon those things that have eternal meaning and value.
May you and I be among those who are able to hear this divine challenge and respond to it with energy, enthusiasm and trust. Amen.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
St. Andrew's Day - First Feast of the Christian Year
Happy St. Andrew's Day!
 |
| The saltire cross of St. Andrew - legend says that Andrew was martyred on a cross of this shape |
To all of you with any Scottish blood in your veins (like myself - my mother descends from the Clan MacLean of Duart Castle on the Isle of Mull), may you rejoice today in the blessed patronage of St. Andrew over the ancient land called Alba by the Romans. Of course, if you wish to know a bit more about why Andrew, the Galilean brother of Peter, is the patron saint of Scotland, then you need to study some history. Visit the National Archives of Scotland to find some scholarly background.
National Archives of Scotland
And pull out your bagpipes this afternoon for a quick toot. Your neighbors will love it, I promise!
Monday, November 29, 2010
Put on Jesus!
Sermon for the First Sunday of Advent (A RCL 11/28/2010), offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
Happy New Year, my friends! Happy New Year! And so, once again, we find ourselves at the start of another cycle of the Christian year, back at the beginning. And what is it that we hear now as that first initial call that the Church sends out to us at the start of this new year? What message do our appointed lessons give us here at the beginning of Advent? They are all a call to return to consciousness, to deep and continual awareness. What did our Lord command in this reading from Matthew’s Gospel? “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
Jesus uses the story of Noah as the framework for his discussion here. Let us think for a moment about this reference to the days of Noah. While Noah worked diligently at the building of the ark, those people around Noah continued on with their usual daily activities, oblivious to and unaware of what God was doing. “They knew nothing”, Jesus says, “until the flood came and swept them all away.” But they knew nothing because they chose to know nothing. It was a question of awareness, a matter of paying attention.
This is where it becomes personal for us. Do we not all struggle with paying attention? Do you not find it challenging and difficult to maintain awareness, to sustain focused consciousness upon God and upon what God is doing around you?
Our strategy for accomplishing this is given loud and clear in our reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).
Put on Jesus. Put on the Lord like you put on your clothing each and every morning!
Have you heard of the famous Saint Augustine of Hippo? Do you know the great story of his conversion? Though he was born into a poor family in present-day Algeria in the year 354 AD, Augustine had a brilliant mind. He was a gifted young man, but also troubled in many ways. As a master of speaking and of classical literature, Augustine became a teacher of rhetoric. After moving to Rome and to Milan, and he was very much sought-after as an excellent teacher for the children of the wealthy.
Augustine’s mother had become a Christian and she prayed for him. Augustine himself was very much impressed by the writings of the apostle Paul, but his was a divided soul. He was attracted by the wisdom and beauty of the Lord. He could see that truth was in Jesus, but he was afraid to give up his past life, afraid of the changes that God would require of him once he committed his life to Christ. Augustine did not want to give up the pleasures of his easy and successful life, but deep down he knew that he was being a coward. He knew that he was forsaking eternal truth for the sake of silly falsehoods of this world, and he despised himself for it.
Until one day, in July of the year 386, when this tension within him became too much. Pacing in a garden in Milan, Augustine heard the voice of a child calling out in Latin “Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege!” “Take and read. Or pick up and read.” He could not see a child and he could not tell from where the voice was coming. So Augustine accepted this as the voice of God calling him to return to his book of the letters of St. Paul which he had left nearby. He picked it up and turned to this very passage from the Letter to the Romans: “Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).
These very words struck him to the heart. These words chased away his cowardice, his lack of awareness. And right there, Augustine decided to take up the light of Christ and to leave behind the darkness of his sin once and for all. And immediately, he was overcome with joy and peace. He had been so afraid of letting go of his petty pleasures and secret desires, but once he had crossed this line – once he had reached out to Christ in faith and in trust – he could see right away how foolish his fear had been. When Augustine put on Christ, his eyes were opened and he could see himself for who he really was (Read Book VIII of Augustine's Confessions for the entire story).
Keep awake, the Lord calls to us. Wake from sleep, the apostle calls to us. But how? How are we to find the strength to do this? We cannot just buck ourselves up and make it happen. That might work for a while, but it can’t last. So where do we find the power, the energy, the strength to make this happen?
We put on the Lord Jesus Christ. And how do we do this? Through prayer. Through continual prayer in the name of Jesus, the Lord, the Messiah, the coming Prince of Peace.
Is it possible actually to live our human lives with this continual awareness of God? Is it possible to stay awake and alert at all times? Some may wonder: how can I maintain this consciousness of God at all times, even when I am stuck in the midst of the crazy business of life, or when other tasks demand my full concentration?
Yes. It is possible, and you can do it. During this season of Advent, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of the Lord once again, let us welcome this season as a time when we can maintain the name of Jesus on our lips, and in our hearts, at all times, in all places. In this way, we can put on the Lord Jesus Christ and so stay awake and aware. Amen.
Texts: Isaiah 2:1-5; Romans 13:11-14; Matthew 24:36-44
Happy New Year, my friends! Happy New Year! And so, once again, we find ourselves at the start of another cycle of the Christian year, back at the beginning. And what is it that we hear now as that first initial call that the Church sends out to us at the start of this new year? What message do our appointed lessons give us here at the beginning of Advent? They are all a call to return to consciousness, to deep and continual awareness. What did our Lord command in this reading from Matthew’s Gospel? “Keep awake, therefore, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:42).
Jesus uses the story of Noah as the framework for his discussion here. Let us think for a moment about this reference to the days of Noah. While Noah worked diligently at the building of the ark, those people around Noah continued on with their usual daily activities, oblivious to and unaware of what God was doing. “They knew nothing”, Jesus says, “until the flood came and swept them all away.” But they knew nothing because they chose to know nothing. It was a question of awareness, a matter of paying attention.
This is where it becomes personal for us. Do we not all struggle with paying attention? Do you not find it challenging and difficult to maintain awareness, to sustain focused consciousness upon God and upon what God is doing around you?
Our strategy for accomplishing this is given loud and clear in our reading from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans: “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).
Put on Jesus. Put on the Lord like you put on your clothing each and every morning!
Have you heard of the famous Saint Augustine of Hippo? Do you know the great story of his conversion? Though he was born into a poor family in present-day Algeria in the year 354 AD, Augustine had a brilliant mind. He was a gifted young man, but also troubled in many ways. As a master of speaking and of classical literature, Augustine became a teacher of rhetoric. After moving to Rome and to Milan, and he was very much sought-after as an excellent teacher for the children of the wealthy.
Augustine’s mother had become a Christian and she prayed for him. Augustine himself was very much impressed by the writings of the apostle Paul, but his was a divided soul. He was attracted by the wisdom and beauty of the Lord. He could see that truth was in Jesus, but he was afraid to give up his past life, afraid of the changes that God would require of him once he committed his life to Christ. Augustine did not want to give up the pleasures of his easy and successful life, but deep down he knew that he was being a coward. He knew that he was forsaking eternal truth for the sake of silly falsehoods of this world, and he despised himself for it.
Until one day, in July of the year 386, when this tension within him became too much. Pacing in a garden in Milan, Augustine heard the voice of a child calling out in Latin “Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege!” “Take and read. Or pick up and read.” He could not see a child and he could not tell from where the voice was coming. So Augustine accepted this as the voice of God calling him to return to his book of the letters of St. Paul which he had left nearby. He picked it up and turned to this very passage from the Letter to the Romans: “Instead, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:14).
These very words struck him to the heart. These words chased away his cowardice, his lack of awareness. And right there, Augustine decided to take up the light of Christ and to leave behind the darkness of his sin once and for all. And immediately, he was overcome with joy and peace. He had been so afraid of letting go of his petty pleasures and secret desires, but once he had crossed this line – once he had reached out to Christ in faith and in trust – he could see right away how foolish his fear had been. When Augustine put on Christ, his eyes were opened and he could see himself for who he really was (Read Book VIII of Augustine's Confessions for the entire story).
Keep awake, the Lord calls to us. Wake from sleep, the apostle calls to us. But how? How are we to find the strength to do this? We cannot just buck ourselves up and make it happen. That might work for a while, but it can’t last. So where do we find the power, the energy, the strength to make this happen?
We put on the Lord Jesus Christ. And how do we do this? Through prayer. Through continual prayer in the name of Jesus, the Lord, the Messiah, the coming Prince of Peace.
Is it possible actually to live our human lives with this continual awareness of God? Is it possible to stay awake and alert at all times? Some may wonder: how can I maintain this consciousness of God at all times, even when I am stuck in the midst of the crazy business of life, or when other tasks demand my full concentration?
Yes. It is possible, and you can do it. During this season of Advent, as we prepare ourselves to celebrate the birth of the Lord once again, let us welcome this season as a time when we can maintain the name of Jesus on our lips, and in our hearts, at all times, in all places. In this way, we can put on the Lord Jesus Christ and so stay awake and aware. Amen.
The Tender Compassion of our King
Sermon for the Feast of Christ the King (C RCL 11/21/2010), offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
Today, my dear friends, is the last Sunday of the Church Year. It is called “Christ the King Sunday” and it is a time, here at the end of our annual cycle, for us to recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all of human history. Even though we celebrate this truth at this time every year, you and I still have to wrestle with this question once again: What does it mean to have Jesus as our king? To have him as our monarch, the one who governs all things in our lives, because of our willing and voluntary assent to his authority?
Now, I have to confess that I have no idea at all what it is like to live under a King’s rule. Nor, frankly, do I have any wish whatsoever to experience this! Our little mountain cabin is located is New Hampshire and, God willing, we will be going up there for Thanksgiving. One of the things I love about that state is its motto. Do you know it?
NH State Motto
“Live free or die.” This motto comes from a toast made by a New Hampshire Revolutionary War hero named General John Stark. His toast for a reunion of revolutionary war veterans was this: “Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils.” That’s how I think. Don’t try to tell me what to do! I’m not good at submitting to authority, so the very idea of having an earthly king to rule over me honestly is quite repugnant.
But I do have a king. We have a king, though I don’t think this title does any justice to who he is and how he governs the world. Because this Christ, this Messiah, this King is unlike any governor or president or emperor that this world has ever known. Doesn’t it seem a bit odd that we read about the crucifixion on this feast of Christ the King? There is a deep mystery here. Let us pay attention to it. Our King shows his majesty from the cross. This King reveals his worthiness to rule when he suffers such embarrassment, such ignominy, such cruelness, such pain. Even on the cross, even in the face of such apparent weakness, he wields his great power – the power to heal and to transform.
During Holy Week, of course we read this very text from Luke and we sing of the glory of the cross. One of the ancient hymns that we sing is #161 in the Hymnal. The words were written by Venantius Fortunatus in the 6th century and paraphrased in the hymnal in this way:
This past week, I and the members of St. Luke’s Church have dealt with an amazing wave of anger and bitterness from two neighbors there in Westville who object to the presence of homeless men in the Parish House. After listening to all of their threats and shouting, it seems that one of their primary arguments is that criminals cannot be trusted. That people who steal to support their bad habits will do so again. These neighbors have been robbed in the past and they are dreadfully afraid of this happening again. “You cannot change these people! You cannot trust these people!” they shouted in our face on Thursday night, at St. Luke’s Vestry meeting.
It’s funny how God works, because at the same time, while dealing with this conflict, I have been meditating on this reading from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus, the King, is on his throne of irony – the cross. And who is there present on his right and his left? Two criminals, two thieves. One proud and stubborn, bitter and angry. One remorseful and humble, sorrowful and honest.
Do you think that a criminal, a thief, can be changed? What does Jesus think? Which voice will you heed, the voice of hope and faith, or the voice of fear and despair?
The truth has spoken and the truth is this: no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy and grace. The King does what he wills, and even if it bewilders those in the world who see only in black-in-white, this Messiah offers forgiveness and a chance to start again to all those who will come to him in confidence and trust.
It is not hard to do, except for the proud who are certain that they are better than “those people,” who believe that they are the good ones, who feel no need for help.
Dwight Moody (1837 – 1899) told the story of a young soldier in the Union army during the Civil War who was court-martialed and sentenced to be shot. This young fellow had voluntarily enlisted, and he agreed to go and serve the Union along with his best friend. They were close friends, and so, one night when his friend was ordered to go out and take the night watch, his friend asked him if he would be willing to serve in his place. He did this, but it just so happened that the very next night, he himself was ordered to take the night watch. And since he had now been awake for the second straight night, and since this young man was not yet used to it, he was found asleep at his post. President Abraham Lincoln had just issued an order that no interference would be allowed in cases of this kind, since this kind of lack of discipline had become all too common in the Army. Therefore, this young man was court-martialed and sentenced to face the firing squad.
When the news reached this man’s father and mother up in Vermont, they were devastated as this was their only son and he had recently enlisted with such enthusiasm. But they knew that there was nothing that could be done. The President had spoken. However, they also had a young daughter who had read the biography of President Lincoln. She knew how much he loved his own children. So she made up her determined little mind to do something. She told herself, “If Abraham Lincoln knew how my father and mother loved my brother, he would not let him be shot.” Somehow, she got herself down to the White House. And when the Guards saw this young girl’s determined yet imploring looks, they were unable to refuse her a visit with Mr. Lincoln. When she entered the room, she found the President there with his generals and counselors, and when he saw her, he asked what is was that she wanted. She told him the whole story: how much her parents loved their brother, how he had been sentenced to be shot, and how much they were mourning for him and how, if the execution took place, it would entirely break their hearts. Mr. Lincoln’s own heart was touched with compassion, and he immediately sent a dispatch cancelling the young man’s sentence and granting him a parole so that he could go home and visit his parents in Vermont.
The closest thing that we have to a King in our land is the President, the executive officer whose power is balanced by our other branches of government. Now consider this parallel: if Abraham Lincoln, a wise yet deeply flawed human being, was able to show such compassion for the sorrow of this one family, in violation of his own recent order, how much more mercy and grace and love can we expect from Christ the King, the compassionate, the merciful One? How much grace he gives to anyone who comes to him and asks for help! Even to criminals, to thieves. Even to people like you and me. This, my friends, is the only kind of King to whose authority I can gladly and joyfully submit. Amen.
Texts: Jeremiah 23:1-6; Luke 1:68-79; Colossians 1:11-20; Luke 23:33-43
Today, my dear friends, is the last Sunday of the Church Year. It is called “Christ the King Sunday” and it is a time, here at the end of our annual cycle, for us to recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ over all of human history. Even though we celebrate this truth at this time every year, you and I still have to wrestle with this question once again: What does it mean to have Jesus as our king? To have him as our monarch, the one who governs all things in our lives, because of our willing and voluntary assent to his authority?
Now, I have to confess that I have no idea at all what it is like to live under a King’s rule. Nor, frankly, do I have any wish whatsoever to experience this! Our little mountain cabin is located is New Hampshire and, God willing, we will be going up there for Thanksgiving. One of the things I love about that state is its motto. Do you know it?
NH State Motto
“Live free or die.” This motto comes from a toast made by a New Hampshire Revolutionary War hero named General John Stark. His toast for a reunion of revolutionary war veterans was this: “Live free or die; death is not the worst of evils.” That’s how I think. Don’t try to tell me what to do! I’m not good at submitting to authority, so the very idea of having an earthly king to rule over me honestly is quite repugnant.
But I do have a king. We have a king, though I don’t think this title does any justice to who he is and how he governs the world. Because this Christ, this Messiah, this King is unlike any governor or president or emperor that this world has ever known. Doesn’t it seem a bit odd that we read about the crucifixion on this feast of Christ the King? There is a deep mystery here. Let us pay attention to it. Our King shows his majesty from the cross. This King reveals his worthiness to rule when he suffers such embarrassment, such ignominy, such cruelness, such pain. Even on the cross, even in the face of such apparent weakness, he wields his great power – the power to heal and to transform.
During Holy Week, of course we read this very text from Luke and we sing of the glory of the cross. One of the ancient hymns that we sing is #161 in the Hymnal. The words were written by Venantius Fortunatus in the 6th century and paraphrased in the hymnal in this way:
The flaming banners of our King, advance through his self-offering. He lived to rob death of its sting; he died eternal life to bring.The messiah reigning from a tree. When the repentant thief asks for mercy, when he pleads to be remembered kindly by Christ, the King replies with regal majesty: “Today you will be with me in Paradise.”
A Roman soldier drew a spear to mix his blood with water clear. That blood retains its living power; the water cleanses to this hour.
The crowd would have been satisfied to see a prophet crucified. They stumbled on a mystery: Messiah reigning from a tree!
With what strange light the rough trunk shone, its purple limbs a royal throne, its load a royal treasury: the ransom of a world set free.
The best are shamed before that wood; the worst gain power to be good. O grant, most blessed Trinity, that all may share the victory.
This past week, I and the members of St. Luke’s Church have dealt with an amazing wave of anger and bitterness from two neighbors there in Westville who object to the presence of homeless men in the Parish House. After listening to all of their threats and shouting, it seems that one of their primary arguments is that criminals cannot be trusted. That people who steal to support their bad habits will do so again. These neighbors have been robbed in the past and they are dreadfully afraid of this happening again. “You cannot change these people! You cannot trust these people!” they shouted in our face on Thursday night, at St. Luke’s Vestry meeting.
It’s funny how God works, because at the same time, while dealing with this conflict, I have been meditating on this reading from the Gospel of Luke. Jesus, the King, is on his throne of irony – the cross. And who is there present on his right and his left? Two criminals, two thieves. One proud and stubborn, bitter and angry. One remorseful and humble, sorrowful and honest.
Do you think that a criminal, a thief, can be changed? What does Jesus think? Which voice will you heed, the voice of hope and faith, or the voice of fear and despair?
The truth has spoken and the truth is this: no one is beyond the reach of God’s mercy and grace. The King does what he wills, and even if it bewilders those in the world who see only in black-in-white, this Messiah offers forgiveness and a chance to start again to all those who will come to him in confidence and trust.
It is not hard to do, except for the proud who are certain that they are better than “those people,” who believe that they are the good ones, who feel no need for help.
Dwight Moody (1837 – 1899) told the story of a young soldier in the Union army during the Civil War who was court-martialed and sentenced to be shot. This young fellow had voluntarily enlisted, and he agreed to go and serve the Union along with his best friend. They were close friends, and so, one night when his friend was ordered to go out and take the night watch, his friend asked him if he would be willing to serve in his place. He did this, but it just so happened that the very next night, he himself was ordered to take the night watch. And since he had now been awake for the second straight night, and since this young man was not yet used to it, he was found asleep at his post. President Abraham Lincoln had just issued an order that no interference would be allowed in cases of this kind, since this kind of lack of discipline had become all too common in the Army. Therefore, this young man was court-martialed and sentenced to face the firing squad.
When the news reached this man’s father and mother up in Vermont, they were devastated as this was their only son and he had recently enlisted with such enthusiasm. But they knew that there was nothing that could be done. The President had spoken. However, they also had a young daughter who had read the biography of President Lincoln. She knew how much he loved his own children. So she made up her determined little mind to do something. She told herself, “If Abraham Lincoln knew how my father and mother loved my brother, he would not let him be shot.” Somehow, she got herself down to the White House. And when the Guards saw this young girl’s determined yet imploring looks, they were unable to refuse her a visit with Mr. Lincoln. When she entered the room, she found the President there with his generals and counselors, and when he saw her, he asked what is was that she wanted. She told him the whole story: how much her parents loved their brother, how he had been sentenced to be shot, and how much they were mourning for him and how, if the execution took place, it would entirely break their hearts. Mr. Lincoln’s own heart was touched with compassion, and he immediately sent a dispatch cancelling the young man’s sentence and granting him a parole so that he could go home and visit his parents in Vermont.
The closest thing that we have to a King in our land is the President, the executive officer whose power is balanced by our other branches of government. Now consider this parallel: if Abraham Lincoln, a wise yet deeply flawed human being, was able to show such compassion for the sorrow of this one family, in violation of his own recent order, how much more mercy and grace and love can we expect from Christ the King, the compassionate, the merciful One? How much grace he gives to anyone who comes to him and asks for help! Even to criminals, to thieves. Even to people like you and me. This, my friends, is the only kind of King to whose authority I can gladly and joyfully submit. Amen.
NEWS REPORT: Mother Bradley in a good place!
Click on the link below or in the post title to read the article about the good work being done at St. Mark's and All Saints Church in Galloway. Praise be to God for the wisdom of their forebears in creating this new, combined congregation.
Galloway Patch.com article
Galloway Patch.com article
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
IHOC Hospitality Network at St. Luke's
What a great night at St. Luke's Church in Westville last night! We welcomed the Interfaith Homeless Outreach Council's Hospitality Network to stay in the Parish House for 2 weeks. The groups currently consists of 3 homeless men and 1 volunteer helper who stays with them.
I asked for volunteers after all 3 Eucharist liturgies who might help me to serve dinner last night to our guests, but no one could commit to helping! So I anticipated being alone and serving the leftovers from the Church of the Ascension's Ham Dinner on Saturday. However, 16 people showed up to help! Wow! It was great.
That is, until the neighbor started snooping around and taking pictures of all of our vehicle's license plates. We called the police and let them have a talk with the fellow. It was a little excitement to cap off a pleasantly surprising evening! Praise be to God who is always surprising us and doing wonderful things!
I asked for volunteers after all 3 Eucharist liturgies who might help me to serve dinner last night to our guests, but no one could commit to helping! So I anticipated being alone and serving the leftovers from the Church of the Ascension's Ham Dinner on Saturday. However, 16 people showed up to help! Wow! It was great.
That is, until the neighbor started snooping around and taking pictures of all of our vehicle's license plates. We called the police and let them have a talk with the fellow. It was a little excitement to cap off a pleasantly surprising evening! Praise be to God who is always surprising us and doing wonderful things!
Like the Days of a Tree
Sermon for Proper 28 C RCL (11/14/2010), offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19
We all know that change is difficult. Changes in our world, and particularly those changes that affect us personally, always seem uncomfortable and we often do not think clearly when confronting change. I think that many of us are like an elderly woman who recently attended a church meeting where the guest speaker was explaining all of the ways that our society has recently changed in regards to faith and the church. After this speaker then discussed all of the new things that churches need to do to stay relevant for people today, he opened the floor for questions. This elderly woman raised her hand. She was obviously nonplussed by these new ideas, so she asked, “Can’t we all just stay home and watch TV like the good Lord intended?”
Today, at the end of our annual cycle through the Christian year, we are given texts that speak to God’s vision for the end of time. We call this apocalypse, and it is always given to be a source of hope and encouragement for those who are oppressed, worried, stressed and anxious.
This text from Isaiah is written to those living in exile, those who are anxious and worried. This apocalyptic vision of Isaiah is meant to give courage and hope to those who cannot see any hope for their future. Into that darkness, that bleakness, Isaiah speaks a word of light, of hope, of truth.
No more shall they build houses, and create fruitful vineyards, and lose it all to those who are stronger than they. No more shall they be overcome by conquering armies who oppress them and force them to leave their homeland. No more, says the LORD. Because I am creating a new heavens and a new earth where illness and death and violence will not be the dominant power any longer. “They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD” (Isaiah 65:25c). This is a vision of a different kind of future!
There’s an old story of from the days of slavery that speak to the kind of vision that Isaiah had here, the vision that is at the core of all apocalyptic talk.
Once, a young slave woman was out in the fields, toiling and laboring under the hot sun, when she broke. She lost her stamina. She decided to quit. So she put down her hoe and she started to cry and she said, “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t take it anymore! I wanna die!” But an old man was there with her in the field. He heard her cry and called out to her. “Don’t die, baby,” he said. “Don’t die. Get dressed up and come with me!”
“So I got dressed up,” as she tells her story. “I got dressed so fine, in the finest clothes you ever saw. You should’ve seen me! We went walking together, and we walked around through heaven. Everyone was there. It was beautiful! And then we walked straight down into hell and there I spit on the devil. And we came back to heaven, and I walked right up to the throne of God, and I was just about to talk with the Father, when – SLAP! – the whip hit my back! It brought me back to the field and knocked me to the ground. And there was the Master standing over me with the whip in his hand. I looked up at him, and I laughed with secret laughter. Because he had the whip, but I had all the advantage!”
He had the whip, but I had all the advantage. The apocalyptic vision allows us to look beyond the evident, to see the shape of a new, God-given future even in the midst of the chaos of our human society. But, a word of warning! Much care is needed when we walk into the arena of the apocalypse. This kind of language, this kind of vision is very powerful, and many people misunderstand it and many misuse it for their own advantage.
Have any of you seen the signs posted around these parts about the end of the world? The signs read: “Judgment Day is coming, May 21, 2011.” And at the bottom of the sign there is the link to a website: www.wecanknow.com.
The people behind this advertising campaign (and it is an advertising campaign, after all!) are convinced that through the correct interpretation of the Bible we can know the exact date on which God will supernaturally destroy the world and end human history. And, of course, they alone are the ones who have this correct interpretation. No one else has it! But they have it!
But did you hear what Jesus said? “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8). When folks are fearful and confused, when people are anxious and worried about what is happening around them, then they become more vulnerable to these kind of shrill voices who falsely claim to have the secret knowledge which alone can deliver them from their distress.
Our Lord knows this about us human beings. This is why he gives us such common sense advice. Don’t listen to those voices; don’t be so foolish as to believe such lies.
Many of you will know that President Obama was on a tour of Asia last week. Perhaps many of you will also know that his trip to Indonesia was cut short by the eruption of Mount Merapi on the island of Java. Did you also hear about the appointed spiritual guardian of the mountain, Mr. Mbah Maridjan, the juru kunci, the servant of the Island’s Sultan, who died in the resulting lava flows?
The volcanologists, the scientists, warned everyone that the eruption was imminent. They could see it coming. But Mr. Maridjan was convinced by his secret spiritual sources that no eruption would take place. So the locals, who know him and trusted him as a local leader, were confused, and a number of people did not evacuate. And a number of people perished with him.
When crisis confronts you, when your world seems like it is changing for the worse, where do you turn for hope and guidance? To whose voice will you listen? I know that most of you are not anxious about the coming rapture and the end of the world, and thankfully, most of us are not facing such life and death kind of choices. But many of you are anxious about your test results, or anxious about what kind of people your children will end up being, or about whether or not you will have a job and money to pay the bills in the months to come. Some of you are anxious because your town is changing and becoming very different than it used to be, or perhaps even because your church is changing and becoming very different than it used to be.
Whatever it is that is the source of your anxiety and fear about the future, let those with ears to hear listen and heed the truth: there is no place where you will find comfort and security outside of the unfailing love and mercy of God. There is no secret source of hidden knowledge, no easy fix. Be wary of those who speak in that way. You already know where to turn. You must trust and rest in this Love of God that will never leave you or forsake you.
At the end of our apocalyptic Gospel reading today, Jesus offers words of promise and hope: “They will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:16-19).
I confess that this text confuses me a bit. Obviously, if those disciples are to be put to death, I would imagine that this would include damaging their hair in the process! And this is indeed what happened to them on this earth. But, by their endurance, they gained their souls.
And by your enduring trust and love and commitment as disciples of this wise and loving Master, even in the face of impending trouble and change, you will gain your souls. By seeing with the eyes of faith, you can laugh at those things in your world that seem to threaten you. By steadfast endurance, faithfulness and fidelity, you will find a life, secure in Christ, beyond the reach of any worry or anxiety. Because in Christ, no matter what the outward circumstances might suggest, we have all the advantage. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Texts: Isaiah 65:17-25; Canticle 9; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-13; Luke 21:5-19
We all know that change is difficult. Changes in our world, and particularly those changes that affect us personally, always seem uncomfortable and we often do not think clearly when confronting change. I think that many of us are like an elderly woman who recently attended a church meeting where the guest speaker was explaining all of the ways that our society has recently changed in regards to faith and the church. After this speaker then discussed all of the new things that churches need to do to stay relevant for people today, he opened the floor for questions. This elderly woman raised her hand. She was obviously nonplussed by these new ideas, so she asked, “Can’t we all just stay home and watch TV like the good Lord intended?”
Today, at the end of our annual cycle through the Christian year, we are given texts that speak to God’s vision for the end of time. We call this apocalypse, and it is always given to be a source of hope and encouragement for those who are oppressed, worried, stressed and anxious.
This text from Isaiah is written to those living in exile, those who are anxious and worried. This apocalyptic vision of Isaiah is meant to give courage and hope to those who cannot see any hope for their future. Into that darkness, that bleakness, Isaiah speaks a word of light, of hope, of truth.
No more shall they build houses, and create fruitful vineyards, and lose it all to those who are stronger than they. No more shall they be overcome by conquering armies who oppress them and force them to leave their homeland. No more, says the LORD. Because I am creating a new heavens and a new earth where illness and death and violence will not be the dominant power any longer. “They shall not hurt or destroy on all my holy mountain, says the LORD” (Isaiah 65:25c). This is a vision of a different kind of future!
There’s an old story of from the days of slavery that speak to the kind of vision that Isaiah had here, the vision that is at the core of all apocalyptic talk.
Once, a young slave woman was out in the fields, toiling and laboring under the hot sun, when she broke. She lost her stamina. She decided to quit. So she put down her hoe and she started to cry and she said, “I can’t take it anymore! I can’t take it anymore! I wanna die!” But an old man was there with her in the field. He heard her cry and called out to her. “Don’t die, baby,” he said. “Don’t die. Get dressed up and come with me!”
“So I got dressed up,” as she tells her story. “I got dressed so fine, in the finest clothes you ever saw. You should’ve seen me! We went walking together, and we walked around through heaven. Everyone was there. It was beautiful! And then we walked straight down into hell and there I spit on the devil. And we came back to heaven, and I walked right up to the throne of God, and I was just about to talk with the Father, when – SLAP! – the whip hit my back! It brought me back to the field and knocked me to the ground. And there was the Master standing over me with the whip in his hand. I looked up at him, and I laughed with secret laughter. Because he had the whip, but I had all the advantage!”
He had the whip, but I had all the advantage. The apocalyptic vision allows us to look beyond the evident, to see the shape of a new, God-given future even in the midst of the chaos of our human society. But, a word of warning! Much care is needed when we walk into the arena of the apocalypse. This kind of language, this kind of vision is very powerful, and many people misunderstand it and many misuse it for their own advantage.
Have any of you seen the signs posted around these parts about the end of the world? The signs read: “Judgment Day is coming, May 21, 2011.” And at the bottom of the sign there is the link to a website: www.wecanknow.com.
The people behind this advertising campaign (and it is an advertising campaign, after all!) are convinced that through the correct interpretation of the Bible we can know the exact date on which God will supernaturally destroy the world and end human history. And, of course, they alone are the ones who have this correct interpretation. No one else has it! But they have it!
But did you hear what Jesus said? “Beware that you are not led astray; for many will come in my name and say, ‘I am he!’ and ‘The time is near!’ Do not go after them” (Luke 21:8). When folks are fearful and confused, when people are anxious and worried about what is happening around them, then they become more vulnerable to these kind of shrill voices who falsely claim to have the secret knowledge which alone can deliver them from their distress.
Our Lord knows this about us human beings. This is why he gives us such common sense advice. Don’t listen to those voices; don’t be so foolish as to believe such lies.
The volcanologists, the scientists, warned everyone that the eruption was imminent. They could see it coming. But Mr. Maridjan was convinced by his secret spiritual sources that no eruption would take place. So the locals, who know him and trusted him as a local leader, were confused, and a number of people did not evacuate. And a number of people perished with him.
When crisis confronts you, when your world seems like it is changing for the worse, where do you turn for hope and guidance? To whose voice will you listen? I know that most of you are not anxious about the coming rapture and the end of the world, and thankfully, most of us are not facing such life and death kind of choices. But many of you are anxious about your test results, or anxious about what kind of people your children will end up being, or about whether or not you will have a job and money to pay the bills in the months to come. Some of you are anxious because your town is changing and becoming very different than it used to be, or perhaps even because your church is changing and becoming very different than it used to be.
Whatever it is that is the source of your anxiety and fear about the future, let those with ears to hear listen and heed the truth: there is no place where you will find comfort and security outside of the unfailing love and mercy of God. There is no secret source of hidden knowledge, no easy fix. Be wary of those who speak in that way. You already know where to turn. You must trust and rest in this Love of God that will never leave you or forsake you.
At the end of our apocalyptic Gospel reading today, Jesus offers words of promise and hope: “They will put some of you to death. You will be hated by all because of my name. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your souls” (Luke 21:16-19).
I confess that this text confuses me a bit. Obviously, if those disciples are to be put to death, I would imagine that this would include damaging their hair in the process! And this is indeed what happened to them on this earth. But, by their endurance, they gained their souls.
And by your enduring trust and love and commitment as disciples of this wise and loving Master, even in the face of impending trouble and change, you will gain your souls. By seeing with the eyes of faith, you can laugh at those things in your world that seem to threaten you. By steadfast endurance, faithfulness and fidelity, you will find a life, secure in Christ, beyond the reach of any worry or anxiety. Because in Christ, no matter what the outward circumstances might suggest, we have all the advantage. Thanks be to God. Amen.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Live for the Praise of His Glory
A Children's Sermon for All Saints’ Day 2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Daniel 7:1-3,15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31
To the children gathered together:
Let me ask you a question: what do you want to DO when you grow up?
OK, here’s a different question. Are you ready? Who do you want to BE when you grow up?
Do any of you want to be a saint when you grow up? No? I don’t blame you for that, but I do hope that you will change your mind.
Now I have still another question for you. Can you think of an important person? Who is it?
This past week, our nation held its annual Election Day. Did any of you hear about senators and representatives and governors who were elected to serve in government?
Do you think these are important people? Well, let me tell you a secret. Listen: the most famous President, the mightiest King and Emperor, the longest-serving Senator – none of these have any importance when compared to the smallest little saint in the kingdom of God!
This is the truth, and here is a true story. On Monday nights, I play basketball with a group of other adults in my town. We do there what a lot of you have probably done on the playground, at recess or after school. We pick 4 captains who then pick players for their team. We end up with 4 teams and we play on two courts.
But do you know what happens every Monday night when we pick teams? I’m the last one to be picked. The very last one! (That’s because I can’t shoot at all! I can run faster than nearly all of them, but I can’t shoot and they know that about me.)
I don’t mind. It’s very good to be humbled like that. God knows that I need it.
But for me, this is a parable for the saints of God. Out in the world, the saints are the ones who are always the last ones to be picked by others for their team. They don’t look like much on the outside. They are not the superstars, the celebrities, the famous ones, the mighty that people in the world follow and obsess over.
The saints are the hidden ones, the ones who never look for fame or recognition. The saints are not interested in power. They don’t want to be better or richer than others.
The saints are the ones who do what Jesus taught us. Did you hear today a bit of what he taught us? Did you hear any of the words of Jesus that I just read?
Love those who hate you and those who try to hurt you. Do good to them.
What did he say? If someone hits you, do not hit them back.
If someone takes your things, do not ask for them back again.
Do to other people the same as you want them to do to you.
Let me tell you a story about a true saint. We do not know his name. He lived a long time ago in the desert, in Egypt. He was what we call a monk, which means that he never married so that he could pray as much as he wanted. When this monk was an old man, a group of strong, young thieves came to his room and told him, “We have come to take away everything that is in your cell.” The old man replied, “My sons, take all that you want.” So they took everything that they could find and they left. But after they left, the old monk noticed a little bag in the corner behind a chair which the robbers didn’t see.
So do you know what he did? He took that little bag and ran after the thieves and told them, “My sons, stop! Take this! You forgot it in my room.” And then he went back to his empty room so that he could pray.
But the thieves were amazed. So do you know what they did? They were convicted in their heart! They brought all of the old man’s things back to him, and they knelt down before him and asked to be forgiven, because they said, “This one really is a man of God!” And they were right! He is one of the countless number of saints who we celebrate today. (The Wisdom of the Desert, P.59).
Now let me ask you: who, in this story, was actually stronger, more courageous, braver? The robbers or the old man?
That's right. The old man! It is easy, isn't it, to grab and rob and steal. It is much harder to give away your belongings. You have to be brave and strong to do that.
When you grow up, you will do lots of different things in your work, in your lives. And as you do these things, you can BE a saint of God. You can be one who does what Jesus teaches us, who loves everyone, no matter what. I hope and pray that God will give you that desire.
Please close your eyes and let us pray:
Dear God, please help us to listen to Jesus and to do what he teaches us. Thank you for all of your saints who also teach us how to live a good life, how to be strong and brave and courageous. Help us to be like them, to love everyone in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
FOR THE BAPTISM
Let me say a few words also in consideration of the baptism which brings many of you here today. Sean and Laura: do you realize what you are doing? It is a dangerous thing that you are doing today! It’s not safe to entrust your newborn child to the care of this Jesus, this revolutionary Messiah who will lead Tyler down a path of humility and self-sacrificial love. It costs us a lot to love our enemies and never to retaliate, never to get revenge. It costs a lot to give and not to grab.
To be baptized into the body of Christ is to be brought into a family full of people from all over the world, from every language and color and class, who are all a little bit crazy because we are learning from this Jesus how to live a life very different from the world around us. We don’t usually do a good job of this, but we are learning, and we are growing in grace and wisdom.
In just a few minutes, you parents and godparents will stand here and will promise to be part of this revolutionary, learning, serving, worshiping community, and to do everything in your power to guide Tyler into this way of life. It’s a little dangerous, but it’s a good thing that you do today. Because this way of life is the path to a life of joy and peace beyond anything else that this world can offer. And that is why we are here. Amen.
Texts: Daniel 7:1-3,15-18; Psalm 149; Ephesians 1:11-23; Luke 6:20-31
To the children gathered together:
Let me ask you a question: what do you want to DO when you grow up?
OK, here’s a different question. Are you ready? Who do you want to BE when you grow up?
Do any of you want to be a saint when you grow up? No? I don’t blame you for that, but I do hope that you will change your mind.
Now I have still another question for you. Can you think of an important person? Who is it?
This past week, our nation held its annual Election Day. Did any of you hear about senators and representatives and governors who were elected to serve in government?
Do you think these are important people? Well, let me tell you a secret. Listen: the most famous President, the mightiest King and Emperor, the longest-serving Senator – none of these have any importance when compared to the smallest little saint in the kingdom of God!
This is the truth, and here is a true story. On Monday nights, I play basketball with a group of other adults in my town. We do there what a lot of you have probably done on the playground, at recess or after school. We pick 4 captains who then pick players for their team. We end up with 4 teams and we play on two courts.
But do you know what happens every Monday night when we pick teams? I’m the last one to be picked. The very last one! (That’s because I can’t shoot at all! I can run faster than nearly all of them, but I can’t shoot and they know that about me.)
I don’t mind. It’s very good to be humbled like that. God knows that I need it.
But for me, this is a parable for the saints of God. Out in the world, the saints are the ones who are always the last ones to be picked by others for their team. They don’t look like much on the outside. They are not the superstars, the celebrities, the famous ones, the mighty that people in the world follow and obsess over.
The saints are the hidden ones, the ones who never look for fame or recognition. The saints are not interested in power. They don’t want to be better or richer than others.
The saints are the ones who do what Jesus taught us. Did you hear today a bit of what he taught us? Did you hear any of the words of Jesus that I just read?
Love those who hate you and those who try to hurt you. Do good to them.
What did he say? If someone hits you, do not hit them back.
If someone takes your things, do not ask for them back again.
Do to other people the same as you want them to do to you.
Let me tell you a story about a true saint. We do not know his name. He lived a long time ago in the desert, in Egypt. He was what we call a monk, which means that he never married so that he could pray as much as he wanted. When this monk was an old man, a group of strong, young thieves came to his room and told him, “We have come to take away everything that is in your cell.” The old man replied, “My sons, take all that you want.” So they took everything that they could find and they left. But after they left, the old monk noticed a little bag in the corner behind a chair which the robbers didn’t see.
So do you know what he did? He took that little bag and ran after the thieves and told them, “My sons, stop! Take this! You forgot it in my room.” And then he went back to his empty room so that he could pray.
But the thieves were amazed. So do you know what they did? They were convicted in their heart! They brought all of the old man’s things back to him, and they knelt down before him and asked to be forgiven, because they said, “This one really is a man of God!” And they were right! He is one of the countless number of saints who we celebrate today. (The Wisdom of the Desert, P.59).
Now let me ask you: who, in this story, was actually stronger, more courageous, braver? The robbers or the old man?
That's right. The old man! It is easy, isn't it, to grab and rob and steal. It is much harder to give away your belongings. You have to be brave and strong to do that.
When you grow up, you will do lots of different things in your work, in your lives. And as you do these things, you can BE a saint of God. You can be one who does what Jesus teaches us, who loves everyone, no matter what. I hope and pray that God will give you that desire.
Please close your eyes and let us pray:
Dear God, please help us to listen to Jesus and to do what he teaches us. Thank you for all of your saints who also teach us how to live a good life, how to be strong and brave and courageous. Help us to be like them, to love everyone in the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.
FOR THE BAPTISM
Let me say a few words also in consideration of the baptism which brings many of you here today. Sean and Laura: do you realize what you are doing? It is a dangerous thing that you are doing today! It’s not safe to entrust your newborn child to the care of this Jesus, this revolutionary Messiah who will lead Tyler down a path of humility and self-sacrificial love. It costs us a lot to love our enemies and never to retaliate, never to get revenge. It costs a lot to give and not to grab.
To be baptized into the body of Christ is to be brought into a family full of people from all over the world, from every language and color and class, who are all a little bit crazy because we are learning from this Jesus how to live a life very different from the world around us. We don’t usually do a good job of this, but we are learning, and we are growing in grace and wisdom.
In just a few minutes, you parents and godparents will stand here and will promise to be part of this revolutionary, learning, serving, worshiping community, and to do everything in your power to guide Tyler into this way of life. It’s a little dangerous, but it’s a good thing that you do today. Because this way of life is the path to a life of joy and peace beyond anything else that this world can offer. And that is why we are here. Amen.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Post-Traumatic Growth: a framework for personal development
I have been thinking much lately about how change happens within individuals and within organizations. There is a growing field of study and thought in the world of psychology around the issue of Post-Traumatic Growth.
Most of us have heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a debilitating mental disorder that afflicts many. However, most people in fact survive experiences of trauma in their lives without the development of any mental disorders. And many attribute much personal growth to these experiences.
For me, this links to the idea of stress vs. anxiety. In order for change to occur, there must be stress. Depite the negative connotations given to this term in our society today, stress is not a negative. It is a force, a factor, that necessitates change. I would go further and suggest that stress is absolutely necessary in our lives. In every different area of our lives, the intentional application of stress is necessary in order for growth to occur. This is true in education, exercise, health, relationships, and also in our spiritual development. The idea of spiritual disciplines is precisely this: we practice something different, out of the ordinary, something intentionally uncomfortable, in order to push forward our growth.
However, anxiety is negative. Anxiety, as I see it, is the pre-determination of a negative outcome. Anxiety is one's disposition to expect the worst in any particular situation. As we know, the Lord Jesus taught us not to worry about anything (see Matthew 5:25-34), and the apostle St. Paul as well taught us not to be anxious (see Philippians 4:4-7). If we indeed live by faith in Christ, then we can accept each difficult situation as a growth scenario. This, I believe, is what St. Paul meant when he affirmed that "all things work together for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28). God uses the stress of our lives to produce deep growth which bears fruit of an eternal variety, if we are willing participants in the process.
Most of us have heard of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This is a debilitating mental disorder that afflicts many. However, most people in fact survive experiences of trauma in their lives without the development of any mental disorders. And many attribute much personal growth to these experiences.
For me, this links to the idea of stress vs. anxiety. In order for change to occur, there must be stress. Depite the negative connotations given to this term in our society today, stress is not a negative. It is a force, a factor, that necessitates change. I would go further and suggest that stress is absolutely necessary in our lives. In every different area of our lives, the intentional application of stress is necessary in order for growth to occur. This is true in education, exercise, health, relationships, and also in our spiritual development. The idea of spiritual disciplines is precisely this: we practice something different, out of the ordinary, something intentionally uncomfortable, in order to push forward our growth.
However, anxiety is negative. Anxiety, as I see it, is the pre-determination of a negative outcome. Anxiety is one's disposition to expect the worst in any particular situation. As we know, the Lord Jesus taught us not to worry about anything (see Matthew 5:25-34), and the apostle St. Paul as well taught us not to be anxious (see Philippians 4:4-7). If we indeed live by faith in Christ, then we can accept each difficult situation as a growth scenario. This, I believe, is what St. Paul meant when he affirmed that "all things work together for good for those who love God" (Romans 8:28). God uses the stress of our lives to produce deep growth which bears fruit of an eternal variety, if we are willing participants in the process.
Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows, but only empties today of its strength. C.H. Spurgeon
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
WOW! The Benefits of Sunday School!
Did you know that having children regularly engaged in worship at church and in Sunday School can have enormous positive benefits in their lives and in the lives of their parents?
The practical and measurable benefits of active church membership among our young people include the following:
Need we say any more? Why are we so quick to ignore such a wealth of benefits and blessings that are all FREE and available to all of us? Let's spread the word to our neighbors and friends about how good it is to join in the fellowship of the saints in our local parishes!
The practical and measurable benefits of active church membership among our young people include the following:
- An increase in the average life expectancy of children by 8 years
- A significant decrease in a child's likelihood to use alcohol, tobacco and drugs
- A dramatically lower risk of suicide among young people
- 70% faster recovery from depression for young church-goers
- A dramatically lower risk of committing a crime
- A reduced risk of rebelliousness
- A reduced risk of binge drinking in college
- Improved odds for experiencing a "very happy" life (self-defined)
- Improved likelihood of wearing seat belts regularly
- Receiving a life-long moral compass to help in decision-making
- Inheriting an extended family environment of care and support within the congregation.
- (All statistics are readily available.)
Need we say any more? Why are we so quick to ignore such a wealth of benefits and blessings that are all FREE and available to all of us? Let's spread the word to our neighbors and friends about how good it is to join in the fellowship of the saints in our local parishes!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Healing Liturgy for St. Luke's Day
Here are a few photos from our Shared Ministry healing liturgy on October 24, in honor of blessed Luke the evangelist and physician. We gathered at St. Luke's Church for a Healing Liturgy and Holy Eucharist.
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| our simple gospel procession |
Monday, October 25, 2010
This Love and Power to Heal: St. Luke's Day
Sermon for the Feast of St. Luke 10/24/2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: 2 Timothy 4:5-11; Psalm 147:1-12; Luke 4:14-21
But if you evaluate any activity within the church and you find that you cannot answer in the affirmative to any of these questions, then we shouldn’t be doing it.
It may be a nice activity, but it belongs somewhere else. As the church, we have too much to do to carry on this bold mission of Jesus in our world today. We have too much to do, and we cannot afford to be distracted in this way.
In particular, we have much to do to carry forward the healing ministry of Christ, this work which we remember today in honor of St. Luke the Physician. This is not something with which most of us here are very familiar. When we consider the healing work of Jesus, many of us today can find it difficult to understand this work.
How does God heal people? And what kind of healing are we talking about after all? Most of us have seen really bad healing preachers on TV, right?! Those who use manipulation to achieve fantastic displays. This helps them to raise lots of money and buy big houses in southern California!
Well, forget all about those false images. What we are talking about is true healing from God, the real work of healing in many different ways, and on many different levels. It is not something to be predicted, not something we can control.
Tony Campolo tells a story of a healing that God accomplished through his willing hands.
Tony is a Baptist from Philadelphia, a long-time Professor of Sociology at Eastern University. He is not one who regularly experiences works of healing, but, when he is invited to preach, Tony often asks whether there are any who would like to receive the laying on of hands, like we will do here shortly.
Once, when Tony was preaching at a church out in Oregon, he did exactly this. He spent nearly an hour talking with each person and praying for them. Nothing obvious happened at that time, but four days later Tony received a phone call. The woman on the other end said, “Tony, on Sunday you prayed for my husband. He had cancer.”
When he heard the word “had”, Tony perked up. “Had cancer?” he asked. “Well,” she said, “he’s dead now.”
Oh great, thought Tony. She’s probably calling to rip me, to complain about my total lack of healing ability! But she went on and said, “You don’t understand. When my husband and I walked into that church on Sunday, he was angry with God. He had cancer and he knew he was going to be dead soon, and he hated God for letting it happen. He wanted to see his grandchildren grow up more than anything. At night, he would lie in bed and curse God. It was horrible. And the angrier he got toward God, the meaner he was to everyone around him. It was unbearable to be in the same room with him. His nastiness just kept getting worse and worse. But then you laid hands on him on Sunday morning and you prayed for him. When he walked out of church, I knew there was something different. I could feel it. He was a different person. The last four days of our lives have been the best four days we’ve ever had together. We talked and laughed. We even sang hymns with each other. It was a good, good time.”
She paused, then added something very profound. She said, “Tony, my husband wasn’t cured, but he was healed.” (Let Me Tell You a Story, p. 34-36)
My sisters and brothers, let us be assured that God desires and intends for us to be healed. After all, this is the ministry of Christ, which Luke has recorded for us with suck skill. This healing work is still made effective today by the Holy Spirit, but only when we ask and when we put ourselves in a position to receive this healing grace.
We can’t control it; we can’t predict it, but this healing grace is at work today, and we all have access to it today because of Jesus our Savior. Thanks be to God. Amen.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.”
Today, my friends, we are gathered together to remember our beloved ancestor in the faith, blessed and holy Luke. We do not know much about him, of course. Tradition tells us that he was a companion of St. Paul in his travels. It seems clear that he was a well-educated Greek, and thus he became one who wrote down what he heard and saw. Luke has left us with two well-written books: his eponymous Gospel and its sequel, the Acts of the Apostles.
Both of these books contain Luke’s unique perspective on the ministry of Christ in the world. Our reading today from Luke’s Gospel was given to us as Jesus’ mission statement. It is Luke’s clear and concise statement for Jesus’ mission in the world.
If we wished to summarize this mission, we could say that the work of Jesus, the work that God had sent him into the world to do, was to preach, to teach and to heal.
His task was to preach: to proclaim to all who would listen the good news of a different and better way to live in connection with God.
His purpose was to teach: to reveal the errors of typical human ways of thinking and to show and explain the way that we can obtain this new and better life.
But the work of Christ was also to heal: to make God’s desire for wholeness and completeness a visible reality among us human beings.
These three – preaching, teaching and healing – are the essential components of Christ’s ministry. And do you know what that means for us? That means that these are also the essential components of our work as well.
As the church, our entire reason for existence is simply to carry on the work that Jesus began! Let this then be our lens by which we view and evaluate all that we do in the church. In every decision, and every activity, you can ask yourself these questions:
- Does this project help to proclaim the possibility that all people can find new life in Christ?
- Does this activity help to teach people how to practically live the abundant and full life that God desires for us?
- Does this meeting provide a way for people to experience God’s healing touch within their lives?
If you can answer yes to any of these, then you can feel confident that this project is indeed faithful to Jesus, and inspired by the Spirit.
Not to Lose Heart
Sermon for Proper 24 C RCL 10/17/2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
In our Gospel reading today, the Lord tells a parable to his disciples so that they would learn to pray always and not to lose heart. There are only 3 parables on prayer in all of the gospels, and all 3 of these prayer parables are found only here in Luke. We heard the first earlier in the summer, and next Sunday we will hear the 3rd of these. But today we are given this brief little parable for our meditation. And what is more, we are even told before hand what the lesson of this parable is meant to be!
“Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.”
What does it mean to lose heart? It’s an unusual Greek word that is used here and it means something like becoming weary or tired, losing heart, beginning to despair.
What a fitting word given to us today, I believe. I know that there are many among us here who are feeling weary and tired; many who are tired of carrying such a heavy load in the church all alone.
Well, if you are in that category, then listen well to this message of hope that the Lord brings to you today. The persistent widow who finally receives justice from the wicked judge because of her patience and perseverance is a lesson for all of us who labor in the Lord’s work but see little fruit for our efforts.
I spoke with you a few weeks ago about prayer, particularly about the woman who was praying a novena to St. Joseph. And I suggested that she was misguided in her prayers because she did not, first and foremost, seek after the will of God above all things. (10/3 Sermon - Life that really is life)
But there is, of course, a place for pleading to God for those things which are on our hearts. We call that the work of petition and intercession.
Let’s take a minute to get our understanding of prayer straight before we go any further. Please turn to the Catechism in the Prayer Book on Page 856. Let us look together at how the church has defined prayer, and particularly this discipline of asking God for help and relief.
Prayer and Worship (the first question)
Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.
All that we can ever do in prayer is to respond. God always initiates; we are always in the position of reacting and responding to what God has done.
Q. What are the principle kinds of prayer? (at the bottom of the page)
A. The principle kinds of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession, and petition.
There, at the end, are the forms of prayer that we are considering today: intercession and petition.
(on to the next page, about in the middle – the 6th question down)
Q. What are intercession and petition?
A. Intercession brings before God the needs of others; in petition, we present our own needs, that God's will may be done.
This work of prayer is nothing other than the work of love. If we love others, and if we love God, then it is natural and completely expected that we would bring to God the needs of those who love, and our own needs as well.
But this is not intended to be simply an individual effort. When we get down to it, the work of the church is prayer. Remember that the Lord’s concern when he entered the temple and overturned the tables was that the temple is to be “a house of prayer for all nations.” Our relationship with God – on an individual level – is our life of prayer. But this is true on a community level as well. Our collective connection with God begins and ends with prayer. It is our task to fulfill the vision of Jesus and to become a house of prayer for all people.
In his classic book called Prayer, Richard Foster shares the remarkable story of a prayer movement among churches in South Korea. Over the last 50 years, the church in Korea has absolutely exploded with exponential growth and, at least in terms of people who identify themselves as Christians when asked, South Korea today ranks as one of the most Christian nations on earth. One of the keys to this growth has been their commitment to prayer. Foster tells the story of Myong-Song Presbyterian Church in Seoul. Koreans are known for their early-morning prayer meetings, but this church has taken this to a new level. Back in the 1980’s, about 40 members of the church gathered together early in the morning to pray. By the mid-90’s, around 12,ooo people were coming out each morning simply to pray, and that’s all. They began at 4 AM. Once the church was completely full, they closed the doors and a large crowd waited outside until 5 AM when the doors opened and the next group was allowed inside. Another group entered at 6 AM. Even during cold winter mornings, with the temperature well below freezing, these crowds continue to gather each morning.
And why do they do this? Simply for the ability, and the privilege, to pray together.
By the way: isn’t it remarkable how quick we are to complain when things aren’t precisely as we would want them? And yet, here are thousands of Christians who are so eager to pray with their fellow believers, that they will wait up to 2 hours in the dark, in the cold, on the street, solely for the sake of that privilege of praying together?
This work of ongoing and unceasing prayer is what the church is all about. Thomas Merton wrote this about the ever-present call to prayer that we experience: “The ever-changing reality in the midst of which we live should awaken us to the possibility of an uninterrupted dialogue with God.”
Because change is the one constant in our human experience, this change offers us an opportunity to bring everything we experience before God in reverence and expectation, patiently waiting for the Spirit to move.
This is something that we are not particularly good at. Patiently waiting for God. I know that I am not very good at it. I’m a fix-it kind of guy. If something is broken, then let’s get to work and fix it. That’s how I think. That’s how I operate.
But, when things are broken within ourselves, or within our church, what kind of response does God teach us to take? Stop and pray and wait.
Right now, we have challenges in our congregations that keep us from being able to effectively bear witness to the gospel in our communities. What is the answer? What is the solution to our challenges? It is prayer. I can’t explain to you why or how this works. But prayer is why we are here, and prayer is the unique offering that we give to the world around us.
Prayer is our task. Both individually and collectively, to come before the presence of the living God with trust and to present our needs with hopeful expectation. This is not the easy path to take, but it is the faithful path, the one that leads to joy and abundance in our life together in Christ. Amen.
Texts: Jeremiah 31:27-34; Psalm 119:97-104; 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5; Luke 18:1-8
In our Gospel reading today, the Lord tells a parable to his disciples so that they would learn to pray always and not to lose heart. There are only 3 parables on prayer in all of the gospels, and all 3 of these prayer parables are found only here in Luke. We heard the first earlier in the summer, and next Sunday we will hear the 3rd of these. But today we are given this brief little parable for our meditation. And what is more, we are even told before hand what the lesson of this parable is meant to be!
“Jesus told the disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.”
What does it mean to lose heart? It’s an unusual Greek word that is used here and it means something like becoming weary or tired, losing heart, beginning to despair.
What a fitting word given to us today, I believe. I know that there are many among us here who are feeling weary and tired; many who are tired of carrying such a heavy load in the church all alone.
Well, if you are in that category, then listen well to this message of hope that the Lord brings to you today. The persistent widow who finally receives justice from the wicked judge because of her patience and perseverance is a lesson for all of us who labor in the Lord’s work but see little fruit for our efforts.
I spoke with you a few weeks ago about prayer, particularly about the woman who was praying a novena to St. Joseph. And I suggested that she was misguided in her prayers because she did not, first and foremost, seek after the will of God above all things. (10/3 Sermon - Life that really is life)
But there is, of course, a place for pleading to God for those things which are on our hearts. We call that the work of petition and intercession.
Let’s take a minute to get our understanding of prayer straight before we go any further. Please turn to the Catechism in the Prayer Book on Page 856. Let us look together at how the church has defined prayer, and particularly this discipline of asking God for help and relief.
Prayer and Worship (the first question)
Q. What is prayer?
A. Prayer is responding to God, by thought and by deeds, with or without words.
All that we can ever do in prayer is to respond. God always initiates; we are always in the position of reacting and responding to what God has done.
Q. What are the principle kinds of prayer? (at the bottom of the page)
A. The principle kinds of prayer are adoration, praise, thanksgiving, penitence, oblation, intercession, and petition.
There, at the end, are the forms of prayer that we are considering today: intercession and petition.
(on to the next page, about in the middle – the 6th question down)
Q. What are intercession and petition?
A. Intercession brings before God the needs of others; in petition, we present our own needs, that God's will may be done.
This work of prayer is nothing other than the work of love. If we love others, and if we love God, then it is natural and completely expected that we would bring to God the needs of those who love, and our own needs as well.
But this is not intended to be simply an individual effort. When we get down to it, the work of the church is prayer. Remember that the Lord’s concern when he entered the temple and overturned the tables was that the temple is to be “a house of prayer for all nations.” Our relationship with God – on an individual level – is our life of prayer. But this is true on a community level as well. Our collective connection with God begins and ends with prayer. It is our task to fulfill the vision of Jesus and to become a house of prayer for all people.
In his classic book called Prayer, Richard Foster shares the remarkable story of a prayer movement among churches in South Korea. Over the last 50 years, the church in Korea has absolutely exploded with exponential growth and, at least in terms of people who identify themselves as Christians when asked, South Korea today ranks as one of the most Christian nations on earth. One of the keys to this growth has been their commitment to prayer. Foster tells the story of Myong-Song Presbyterian Church in Seoul. Koreans are known for their early-morning prayer meetings, but this church has taken this to a new level. Back in the 1980’s, about 40 members of the church gathered together early in the morning to pray. By the mid-90’s, around 12,ooo people were coming out each morning simply to pray, and that’s all. They began at 4 AM. Once the church was completely full, they closed the doors and a large crowd waited outside until 5 AM when the doors opened and the next group was allowed inside. Another group entered at 6 AM. Even during cold winter mornings, with the temperature well below freezing, these crowds continue to gather each morning.
And why do they do this? Simply for the ability, and the privilege, to pray together.
By the way: isn’t it remarkable how quick we are to complain when things aren’t precisely as we would want them? And yet, here are thousands of Christians who are so eager to pray with their fellow believers, that they will wait up to 2 hours in the dark, in the cold, on the street, solely for the sake of that privilege of praying together?
This work of ongoing and unceasing prayer is what the church is all about. Thomas Merton wrote this about the ever-present call to prayer that we experience: “The ever-changing reality in the midst of which we live should awaken us to the possibility of an uninterrupted dialogue with God.”
Because change is the one constant in our human experience, this change offers us an opportunity to bring everything we experience before God in reverence and expectation, patiently waiting for the Spirit to move.
This is something that we are not particularly good at. Patiently waiting for God. I know that I am not very good at it. I’m a fix-it kind of guy. If something is broken, then let’s get to work and fix it. That’s how I think. That’s how I operate.
But, when things are broken within ourselves, or within our church, what kind of response does God teach us to take? Stop and pray and wait.
Right now, we have challenges in our congregations that keep us from being able to effectively bear witness to the gospel in our communities. What is the answer? What is the solution to our challenges? It is prayer. I can’t explain to you why or how this works. But prayer is why we are here, and prayer is the unique offering that we give to the world around us.
Prayer is our task. Both individually and collectively, to come before the presence of the living God with trust and to present our needs with hopeful expectation. This is not the easy path to take, but it is the faithful path, the one that leads to joy and abundance in our life together in Christ. Amen.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Erin painting at Pat's King of Steaks!
IF YOU DO NOT KNOW ERIN, MY SOUL-MATE, THEN PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO VIEW A RECENT INTERVIEW WITH HER WHILE PAINTING ON THE STREET IN SOUTH PHILLY. THANKS TO ALEX ONKOW AT TEMPLE UNIVERSITY FOR PRODUCING THIS!
http://astro.temple.edu/~tub66955/erin.html
http://astro.temple.edu/~tub66955/erin.html
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| Erin painting at Pat's on Passyunk Ave |
But the Word of God is not chained!
Sermon for Proper 23 C RCL 3/21/2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 29:1,4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19
Help us, O Lord, to become masters of ourselves so that we might become the servants of others. Take our minds and think throw them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.
In our Gospel reading today, the Lord heals ten lepers who beg for his help. Only one returns, the one who is the foreigner. The Samaritan. You and I, who are Gentiles in the flesh – we, of course, represent the Samaritans in this gospel story. And this week, as I read this story, I wondered about how often we take for granted the amazing healing grace which we have received from the Lord. Do we even recognize it and acknowledge it? Or do we continue to go on our way, never ceasing to give our thanks and praise?
Today’s reading from the letter to Timothy speaks of St. Paul being chained in prison for the sake of the Gospel. Then he adds a remarkable little sentence after this. “But the Word of God is not chained.”
But the Word of God is not chained! Of course, the writer of this is not speaking of the Bible as we know it, but rather of “the message”, the euangelion, the proclamation of Jesus as the Master of all. The Greek quite literally says that the logos of God is not bound, restrained or hindered. Jesus is the logos, but he speaks to us today primarily through the words of scripture.
But how often do we stop and recognize this?
Do we Samaritans stop to give thanks to God for this amazing gift of the Bible? To recognize and give thanks for the healing and transforming effects of these sacred texts?
I think that we take them for granted. Oh, yeah, it’s the Bible. We are supposed to read it.
Do we remember and recognize know how many millions of people in the world are craving and praying for the privilege to read the Bible in their own language, in a way that they can understand, and yet they are not able?
The old proverb is that “familiarity breeds contempt” and in this case I believe it is true. We here in the Church – we have heard the Bible so much, and talked about it so much, that it has become almost boring. Most of us can hear it now with such nonchalance that we barely even listen any more.
But the Word of God is not chained. And this message of the Gospel has amazing power to touch people and change them forever.
Let me share with you and amazing story of the effect that the word of God can have on people. Mosab Hassan Yousef is a young man living right now in exile. The reason for this is complicated. You see, he grew up in Ramallah, in Palestine. His father is Sheik Hassan Yousef. This man is the imam, the one spiritual leader behind the founding of Hamas, the Islamic Palestinian terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel. Mosab grew up then as a prince among his people, the first-born son of a very important and very influential (and dangerous) person.
Growing up in that place, Mosab learned the spiritual practices of Islam. He never missed a time of prayer with his father at the mosque. He loved his father and admired his father’s devotion. But, unfortunately, Mosab also learned there how to hate. And as he grew up, his list of those who were worthy of his hate grew longer and longer. When he was 18, he secretly bought a few guns so that he might attack Israeli settlers and soldiers as part of the first intifada, but he was caught and arrested by the Israelis. While being held in the large prison in the valley of Armageddon for 16 months, he watched with horror as the leaders of Hamas tortured and brutalized one another under suspicion of collaboration with the Israelis.
Mosab’s faith in and commitment to his people began to waver. If they did this to one another in the name of Islam, of what other horrors were they capable? He became confused and began searching for truth. Mosab grew unsure now of who were the bad guys and who were the good guys, who he should hate and who he should trust.
Until one day in 1999. By this time, Mosab was free and on this day he was walking with his best friend, Jamal, past the Damascus Gate in Old Jerusalem. A man from the United Kingdom, who spoke Arabic, was there and he invited Mosab to join a group studying the New Testament at the YMCA in West Jerusalem. The invitation came at just the right point in his life, and Mosab accepted. After all, every Muslim considers Jesus to be a great prophet from God, so why not learn about what he actually did and taught?
Mosab was given a New Testament as a gift for him to take home. This was dangerous for Mosab, as conversions are not allowed and any hint of disloyalty to the cause of Hamas could cost him his life. But the giving and receiving of gifts is a vital part of Arab hospitality, and so Mosab accepted this gift and secretly he took it home.
He had no idea of how to read this Arabic New Testament, so he began in the beginning. Mosab read the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. He found it interesting, but not terribly overwhelming. That is, until he came to the Sermon on the Mount and these specific words, which seemed directly spoken to his heart: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
What? Love your enemies? Pray for those who are attempting to hurt you? Instantly, Mosab felt as if he were struck by lightning! Never before had he heard a message like this. Never before. And yet he knew with an abrupt awareness that defies rational description “that this was the message [he] had been searching for all [his] life” (The Son of Hamas, p. 122).
Since that day, Mosab has become a devoted disciple of this prophet from Nazareth, the one who taught him that there is no enemy out there who we must hate and attack. Jesus taught him that his only true enemy is in fact the hatred and anger and violence that had taken hold of his heart.
But the Word of God is not chained. Just let that gospel message loose into the world and who knows what effect it might have! Let those trapped in cycles of violence hear words of truth and beauty from the Prince of Peace, and who knows how the Spirit might begin to transform them and their communities!
Do you think that you and I here remember and recognize how truly radical and revolutionary this Word of God is? How life-altering is this message of the Gospel? Let’s face it. It is not our primary instinct to love our enemies. It is not a natural reaction to never seek after revenge. It is not normal to reject all anger and hatred, to never allow a root of bitterness to grow up within our hearts.
When Paul was held in prison for the sake of the gospel, he writes letters to his friends. But does not ask for help with organizing a raid party, to organize a prison break? Never does not write to his friends to organize a secret militia to attack the prison. Never does he seek revenge by plotting to assassinate the Roman official who put him there. Never does he do this, because the logos of God has gripped and changed his heart.
This word, this message, this Gospel has power to change people, to change communities, to change the world.
Do we come back to God and give thanks for the healing and grace which we have received through this Word? Or are we like the nine others who take it for granted, and consider this gift of little value?
Let us be the ones who do not take the word of God for granted, but who continually recognize and give thanks for the amazing gift that we have received here in the message of the Gospel. Amen.
Texts: Jeremiah 29:1,4-7; Psalm 66:1-12; 2 Timothy 2:8-15; Luke 17:11-19
Help us, O Lord, to become masters of ourselves so that we might become the servants of others. Take our minds and think throw them. Take our lips and speak through them. Take our hearts and set them on fire. Amen.
In our Gospel reading today, the Lord heals ten lepers who beg for his help. Only one returns, the one who is the foreigner. The Samaritan. You and I, who are Gentiles in the flesh – we, of course, represent the Samaritans in this gospel story. And this week, as I read this story, I wondered about how often we take for granted the amazing healing grace which we have received from the Lord. Do we even recognize it and acknowledge it? Or do we continue to go on our way, never ceasing to give our thanks and praise?
Today’s reading from the letter to Timothy speaks of St. Paul being chained in prison for the sake of the Gospel. Then he adds a remarkable little sentence after this. “But the Word of God is not chained.”
But the Word of God is not chained! Of course, the writer of this is not speaking of the Bible as we know it, but rather of “the message”, the euangelion, the proclamation of Jesus as the Master of all. The Greek quite literally says that the logos of God is not bound, restrained or hindered. Jesus is the logos, but he speaks to us today primarily through the words of scripture.
But how often do we stop and recognize this?
Do we Samaritans stop to give thanks to God for this amazing gift of the Bible? To recognize and give thanks for the healing and transforming effects of these sacred texts?
I think that we take them for granted. Oh, yeah, it’s the Bible. We are supposed to read it.
Do we remember and recognize know how many millions of people in the world are craving and praying for the privilege to read the Bible in their own language, in a way that they can understand, and yet they are not able?
The old proverb is that “familiarity breeds contempt” and in this case I believe it is true. We here in the Church – we have heard the Bible so much, and talked about it so much, that it has become almost boring. Most of us can hear it now with such nonchalance that we barely even listen any more.
But the Word of God is not chained. And this message of the Gospel has amazing power to touch people and change them forever.
Let me share with you and amazing story of the effect that the word of God can have on people. Mosab Hassan Yousef is a young man living right now in exile. The reason for this is complicated. You see, he grew up in Ramallah, in Palestine. His father is Sheik Hassan Yousef. This man is the imam, the one spiritual leader behind the founding of Hamas, the Islamic Palestinian terrorist group committed to the destruction of Israel. Mosab grew up then as a prince among his people, the first-born son of a very important and very influential (and dangerous) person.
Growing up in that place, Mosab learned the spiritual practices of Islam. He never missed a time of prayer with his father at the mosque. He loved his father and admired his father’s devotion. But, unfortunately, Mosab also learned there how to hate. And as he grew up, his list of those who were worthy of his hate grew longer and longer. When he was 18, he secretly bought a few guns so that he might attack Israeli settlers and soldiers as part of the first intifada, but he was caught and arrested by the Israelis. While being held in the large prison in the valley of Armageddon for 16 months, he watched with horror as the leaders of Hamas tortured and brutalized one another under suspicion of collaboration with the Israelis.
Mosab’s faith in and commitment to his people began to waver. If they did this to one another in the name of Islam, of what other horrors were they capable? He became confused and began searching for truth. Mosab grew unsure now of who were the bad guys and who were the good guys, who he should hate and who he should trust.
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| Damascus Gate in Old Jerusalem |
Mosab was given a New Testament as a gift for him to take home. This was dangerous for Mosab, as conversions are not allowed and any hint of disloyalty to the cause of Hamas could cost him his life. But the giving and receiving of gifts is a vital part of Arab hospitality, and so Mosab accepted this gift and secretly he took it home.
He had no idea of how to read this Arabic New Testament, so he began in the beginning. Mosab read the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew. He found it interesting, but not terribly overwhelming. That is, until he came to the Sermon on the Mount and these specific words, which seemed directly spoken to his heart: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44).
What? Love your enemies? Pray for those who are attempting to hurt you? Instantly, Mosab felt as if he were struck by lightning! Never before had he heard a message like this. Never before. And yet he knew with an abrupt awareness that defies rational description “that this was the message [he] had been searching for all [his] life” (The Son of Hamas, p. 122).
Since that day, Mosab has become a devoted disciple of this prophet from Nazareth, the one who taught him that there is no enemy out there who we must hate and attack. Jesus taught him that his only true enemy is in fact the hatred and anger and violence that had taken hold of his heart.
But the Word of God is not chained. Just let that gospel message loose into the world and who knows what effect it might have! Let those trapped in cycles of violence hear words of truth and beauty from the Prince of Peace, and who knows how the Spirit might begin to transform them and their communities!
Do you think that you and I here remember and recognize how truly radical and revolutionary this Word of God is? How life-altering is this message of the Gospel? Let’s face it. It is not our primary instinct to love our enemies. It is not a natural reaction to never seek after revenge. It is not normal to reject all anger and hatred, to never allow a root of bitterness to grow up within our hearts.
When Paul was held in prison for the sake of the gospel, he writes letters to his friends. But does not ask for help with organizing a raid party, to organize a prison break? Never does not write to his friends to organize a secret militia to attack the prison. Never does he seek revenge by plotting to assassinate the Roman official who put him there. Never does he do this, because the logos of God has gripped and changed his heart.
This word, this message, this Gospel has power to change people, to change communities, to change the world.
Do we come back to God and give thanks for the healing and grace which we have received through this Word? Or are we like the nine others who take it for granted, and consider this gift of little value?
Let us be the ones who do not take the word of God for granted, but who continually recognize and give thanks for the amazing gift that we have received here in the message of the Gospel. Amen.
A Spirit of Power and Love
A Youth Sermon for Proper 22 C RCL 10/3/2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lam. 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
Did you hear and notice that powerful little sentence from our readings today? “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
What is cowardice? What does it look like? Can you show me what cowardice looks like?
What does it feel like to have cowardice, to be cowardly?
So the great apostle Paul taught us that God did NOT give us that kind of spirit. God does not want us to look or to feel that way.
Instead, God gave us a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline!
That spirit of power, the spirit of love, looks different that cowardice, doesn’t it? What does it look like to be filled with power and with love? To be bold?
Yesterday, we had a retreat out at a nature preserve where a group of us gathered together to learn about St. Francis of Assisi. Do you know anything at all about St. Francis?
Well, when Francis was a young man, he faced a really tough situation where he had to choose whether to live with a spirit of cowardice or with a spirit of boldness. Francis’ father ran his own business and he wanted Francis to join him and to learn the business so that he could take it over when his father grew old. But instead, Francis was more interested in working in churches! What’s worse is that Francis was giving away his father’s money to poor people! Finally, his father was fed up with this. He had had enough of this strange behavior. So he dragged his son, Francis, into church to stand before the bishop to make Francis swear to give up this craziness and to be a good son.
Francis had to choose! Was he going to cower under his father’s anger and do what his father wanted? Or was he going to listen to God, follow Jesus and be bold and courageous?
Do you know what he did? He decided to follow Jesus! He took of all of his clothes, gave them back to his father, and walked away totally free to begin a brand new life!
Francis was a Christian, and he chose to live with that spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline that Jesus had given to him.
Do you know how to live with that Holy Spirit inside of us? That Spirit does not allow us to be ashamed of the Gospel. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit like Jesus and like Francis, then we can stand up with boldness and say to others,
“I don’t care what you say, because I am going to love you no matter what! And I don’t care what you do, because God is going to love you no matter what! And there's nothing you can do to change that!”
That’s the freedom that we have in the Holy Spirit! To speak and act in a spirit of power and love and self-control.
Let’s pray together:
O God, you made us and you have given us this Spirit of power and love: help us to not be cowards, but to be bold and brave and strong so that we can love everybody and so that we can tell everybody that you love them too. Thank you for giving us such great and wonderful gifts, and thank you for teaching us through the example of people like Francis of Assisi. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Texts: Lamentations 1:1-6; Lam. 3:19-26; 2 Timothy 1:1-14; Luke 17:5-10
Did you hear and notice that powerful little sentence from our readings today? “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline” (2 Timothy 1:7).
What is cowardice? What does it look like? Can you show me what cowardice looks like?
What does it feel like to have cowardice, to be cowardly?
So the great apostle Paul taught us that God did NOT give us that kind of spirit. God does not want us to look or to feel that way.
Instead, God gave us a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline!
That spirit of power, the spirit of love, looks different that cowardice, doesn’t it? What does it look like to be filled with power and with love? To be bold?
Well, when Francis was a young man, he faced a really tough situation where he had to choose whether to live with a spirit of cowardice or with a spirit of boldness. Francis’ father ran his own business and he wanted Francis to join him and to learn the business so that he could take it over when his father grew old. But instead, Francis was more interested in working in churches! What’s worse is that Francis was giving away his father’s money to poor people! Finally, his father was fed up with this. He had had enough of this strange behavior. So he dragged his son, Francis, into church to stand before the bishop to make Francis swear to give up this craziness and to be a good son.
Francis had to choose! Was he going to cower under his father’s anger and do what his father wanted? Or was he going to listen to God, follow Jesus and be bold and courageous?
Do you know what he did? He decided to follow Jesus! He took of all of his clothes, gave them back to his father, and walked away totally free to begin a brand new life!
Francis was a Christian, and he chose to live with that spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline that Jesus had given to him.
Do you know how to live with that Holy Spirit inside of us? That Spirit does not allow us to be ashamed of the Gospel. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit like Jesus and like Francis, then we can stand up with boldness and say to others,
“I don’t care what you say, because I am going to love you no matter what! And I don’t care what you do, because God is going to love you no matter what! And there's nothing you can do to change that!”
That’s the freedom that we have in the Holy Spirit! To speak and act in a spirit of power and love and self-control.
Let’s pray together:
O God, you made us and you have given us this Spirit of power and love: help us to not be cowards, but to be bold and brave and strong so that we can love everybody and so that we can tell everybody that you love them too. Thank you for giving us such great and wonderful gifts, and thank you for teaching us through the example of people like Francis of Assisi. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Retreat with the Little Poor Man of Assisi
On Saturday, October 2, we held a "Mini-Retreat with St. Francis of Assisi" at the Wheelabrator Wildlife Refuge in Westville, NJ. Here is an outline of the life of St. Francis. He is, without question, one of the greatest followers of Christ ever to walk the earth. We have much to learn from him.
Outline of Francis’ Life
The primary source for fruitful meditation upon the life of St. Francis is the Little Flowers. Buy it, and read it often!
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| "We happy few" - our small mini-retreat group! |
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| Reading about St. Francis in the Wheelabrator Picnic Shelter |
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| The view from Tie-Off Point due north to Center City |
Outline of Francis’ Life
- 1182a.d. Birth of Francis in Assisi. The son of Pietro di Bernardone, a wealthy middle-class linen merchant, and Pica, a French woman.
- He studied at St. George’s Church School in Assisi as a youth. He was deeply influenced by the ideals of medieval chivalry and dreamed of being a brave knight.
- 1200 He joined the war between Assisi and neighboring Perugia, was captured and spent 1 year as a POW. During an illness, he received a vision urging him to serve the Lord rather than men.
- 1202 He returned to Assisi and began to help poor priests and the needy by selling his father’s goods. He also began to pray intently. He received a vision of Christ saying, “Francis, go and repair my church which, as you see, is falling into ruins.”
- 1206 Confrontation between Francis and his father over wealth given away. Francis stripped away and left everything behind him now.
- 1209 He received his “gospel way of life” and begins to gather followers (called Friars Minor, meaning “little or insignificant brothers”).
- 1210 Now as a group of 12, they wrote a short Rule of Life and received verbal and direct approval from Pope Innocent III for the Order (the Order of Friars Minor).
- 1212 Desiring to preach the Gospel to everyone, Francis traveled and tried, but failed, to reach the Muslims in North Africa, Spain, and Syria.
- 1219 Francis traveled with Crusaders to Egypt where he preached to the Sultan and attempted to forge a cease-fire agreement.
- 1220 Suffering from malaria and glaucoma, he retired as leader of his growing movement and entered a time of deep struggle and disappointment.
- 1223 Finally regaining peace, Francis created the first Nativity crèche to make the celebration of Christmas more real to the people.
- 1224 He received the Stigmata on his body while in prayer on Mount Alverna on September 14 (Holy Cross Day).
- 1226 After two more years of painful illness, Francis died peacefully in nakedness on the bare ground. He was 44 years old.
- 1228 Francis was canonized as a Saint by the church and his following continued to grow.
- 2010 Today, more than 1.5 million people around the world are vowed Franciscans. Many more are influenced by his example.
The primary source for fruitful meditation upon the life of St. Francis is the Little Flowers. Buy it, and read it often!
The Life That Really is Life
A Sermon for Proper 21 C RCL 9/26/2010, offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31
During this season of Pentecost, as we move into the Autumn months, the lectionary bombards us with readings about money and wealth and giving. It certainly seems like a carefully planned conspiracy by church leaders to prep us all for the coming stewardship season, doesn’t it?. But we have talked about money and wealth quite a bit here recently, and today I think we are ready to pursue a different tact.
Of course, the truth of the matter is that Jesus is not, in fact, primarily speaking about money and wealth in this parable today. What he is speaking about is the quality of our character, our ability to see our neighbor in need, the state of our heart. The question at the heart of the matter is this: what is the goal of our relationship with God, our journey with God through this complicated and confusing life?
Last week, a stopped by a local coffee shop to grab a cup of coffee, sit for a few minutes and go through my e-mail. I was the only patron at the time, and so the woman working at the coffee shop felt comfortable to talk with me. Of course, I had my collar on, so she talked with me about her prayers. Her daughter stopped by quickly and talked with her mother. When she left, the mother explained to me that her daughter is studying hard to pass the state nursing test, to become a licensed and registered nurse. The daughter has failed it three times already. This is her fourth attempt at it. Therefore, the mother explained that all her family is right now praying the St. Joseph novena in order for her daughter to pass the state nursing test. She said, “You know, the prayer to St. Joseph for special causes that my daughter has is slightly different from mine. So I’m praying them both, because we really need her to pass this test!”
What’s wrong with this picture? I am not opposed to the idea of praying to the saints. There are many different ways to pray, and the Scriptures do encourage us to pray for one another within the body of Christ. Whether the members of the Body are dead or alive, that doesn’t make any real difference in this. We can all pray for one another.
But look at her situation more deeply. What is the purpose of prayer? Is it simply a way for us to get what we want? Some kind of divine lottery game? So that, if we pick just the right numbers, or in the case, say just the right prayer for just the right number of days, then we will be the fortunate one who wins the prize?
Is this what prayer is about? Is this how we view our relationship with God? Perhaps that example is a bit too obvious for you, so let’s try another. How is it that we view the sacraments of the church, the usual channels of grace that God has appointed for us?
Do you honestly think if you come to church regularly, receive communion often, given to and support the church, that in some way God is going to give you more goods things than those who never darken the doors of a church?
The answer is no, no, no. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and gives rain to the righteous and to the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).
What is the primary purpose of prayer but to place ourselves intentionally in the presence of God so that we can draw close to God? What is the purpose of attending church, of joining together in worship but to be in a place where God can touch us and change us? What is the purpose of receiving communion, of participating in the sacraments but to embrace the grace that is given so that we might become the bearers of God in this dark and confused world?
What is the purpose of praying a novena to St. Joseph except to draw near to St. Joseph and to learn from him how to live a life of faithfulness and strength, commitment and devotion? What is the goal of our relationship with God but to be united to God and to our neighbor in love?
There is an old story of a man, a spiritual seeker, who visited a Sufi community and was very impressed by what he saw. Here’s a little background to help you understand this. Within the Muslim world, miracles have never been an important part of their faith. Muhammad never performed any miracles. But, over the years, Sufi communities within Islam embraced a more mystical, spiritual path, and thus they have tended to seek after and accept the miraculous.
So this man came to the Master of the Sufi community, and he said this: “Master, I am very impressed by the spiritual depth of your community, and I would like to join you here. But first, I must ask this question: Do you believe that God performs miracles?”
An understandable question, coming from a Muslim seeker. The answer from the Sufi Master is superb, in spite of its old-fasioned language. He said: “Yes, of course. But some believe it is a miracle when God does the will of man. We believe it is a miracle when man does the will of God.”
We believe it is a miracle when men and women do the will of God!
When Jesus shares this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in no way does he offer this as a way to curry God’s favor, so that if we act well then we can avoid the fate of this rich man. There is no special formula to win God’s blessing. The purpose of Jesus’ teaching is NOT to give us clues about how we can best manipulate God into giving us what we want.
Our task rather is to submit ourselves, with love and gratitude, to the purposes and dreams and visions of God, to learn the art of contentment. St. Clement of Alexandria explained the purposes of God in this way: “Providence is a disciplinary art.”
Providence, the working out of God’s plan in the actual realities of everyday life, is a disciplinary art. It is God’s way of shaping us, correcting us –so to speak, of guiding us toward a life of union with God, where we become one with God.
My friends, let us push forward to “take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6:19), as the apostle states so well. That life that is deep within us far beyond the superficial things of this world. That life that is lived in conscious and intentional harmony with the will and purpose of God, whatever that might be. Amen.
Texts: Jeremiah 32:1-3a, 6-15; Psalm 91:1-6, 14-16; 1 Timothy 6:6-19; Luke 16:19-31
During this season of Pentecost, as we move into the Autumn months, the lectionary bombards us with readings about money and wealth and giving. It certainly seems like a carefully planned conspiracy by church leaders to prep us all for the coming stewardship season, doesn’t it?. But we have talked about money and wealth quite a bit here recently, and today I think we are ready to pursue a different tact.
Of course, the truth of the matter is that Jesus is not, in fact, primarily speaking about money and wealth in this parable today. What he is speaking about is the quality of our character, our ability to see our neighbor in need, the state of our heart. The question at the heart of the matter is this: what is the goal of our relationship with God, our journey with God through this complicated and confusing life?
Last week, a stopped by a local coffee shop to grab a cup of coffee, sit for a few minutes and go through my e-mail. I was the only patron at the time, and so the woman working at the coffee shop felt comfortable to talk with me. Of course, I had my collar on, so she talked with me about her prayers. Her daughter stopped by quickly and talked with her mother. When she left, the mother explained to me that her daughter is studying hard to pass the state nursing test, to become a licensed and registered nurse. The daughter has failed it three times already. This is her fourth attempt at it. Therefore, the mother explained that all her family is right now praying the St. Joseph novena in order for her daughter to pass the state nursing test. She said, “You know, the prayer to St. Joseph for special causes that my daughter has is slightly different from mine. So I’m praying them both, because we really need her to pass this test!”
What’s wrong with this picture? I am not opposed to the idea of praying to the saints. There are many different ways to pray, and the Scriptures do encourage us to pray for one another within the body of Christ. Whether the members of the Body are dead or alive, that doesn’t make any real difference in this. We can all pray for one another.
But look at her situation more deeply. What is the purpose of prayer? Is it simply a way for us to get what we want? Some kind of divine lottery game? So that, if we pick just the right numbers, or in the case, say just the right prayer for just the right number of days, then we will be the fortunate one who wins the prize?
Is this what prayer is about? Is this how we view our relationship with God? Perhaps that example is a bit too obvious for you, so let’s try another. How is it that we view the sacraments of the church, the usual channels of grace that God has appointed for us?
Do you honestly think if you come to church regularly, receive communion often, given to and support the church, that in some way God is going to give you more goods things than those who never darken the doors of a church?
The answer is no, no, no. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and gives rain to the righteous and to the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).
What is the primary purpose of prayer but to place ourselves intentionally in the presence of God so that we can draw close to God? What is the purpose of attending church, of joining together in worship but to be in a place where God can touch us and change us? What is the purpose of receiving communion, of participating in the sacraments but to embrace the grace that is given so that we might become the bearers of God in this dark and confused world?
What is the purpose of praying a novena to St. Joseph except to draw near to St. Joseph and to learn from him how to live a life of faithfulness and strength, commitment and devotion? What is the goal of our relationship with God but to be united to God and to our neighbor in love?
There is an old story of a man, a spiritual seeker, who visited a Sufi community and was very impressed by what he saw. Here’s a little background to help you understand this. Within the Muslim world, miracles have never been an important part of their faith. Muhammad never performed any miracles. But, over the years, Sufi communities within Islam embraced a more mystical, spiritual path, and thus they have tended to seek after and accept the miraculous.
So this man came to the Master of the Sufi community, and he said this: “Master, I am very impressed by the spiritual depth of your community, and I would like to join you here. But first, I must ask this question: Do you believe that God performs miracles?”
An understandable question, coming from a Muslim seeker. The answer from the Sufi Master is superb, in spite of its old-fasioned language. He said: “Yes, of course. But some believe it is a miracle when God does the will of man. We believe it is a miracle when man does the will of God.”
We believe it is a miracle when men and women do the will of God!
When Jesus shares this parable of the rich man and Lazarus, in no way does he offer this as a way to curry God’s favor, so that if we act well then we can avoid the fate of this rich man. There is no special formula to win God’s blessing. The purpose of Jesus’ teaching is NOT to give us clues about how we can best manipulate God into giving us what we want.
Our task rather is to submit ourselves, with love and gratitude, to the purposes and dreams and visions of God, to learn the art of contentment. St. Clement of Alexandria explained the purposes of God in this way: “Providence is a disciplinary art.”
Providence, the working out of God’s plan in the actual realities of everyday life, is a disciplinary art. It is God’s way of shaping us, correcting us –so to speak, of guiding us toward a life of union with God, where we become one with God.
My friends, let us push forward to “take hold of the life that really is life” (1 Timothy 6:19), as the apostle states so well. That life that is deep within us far beyond the superficial things of this world. That life that is lived in conscious and intentional harmony with the will and purpose of God, whatever that might be. Amen.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Where God's Mouth Is
Sermon for Proper 20 C RCL 9/19/2010
Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13
We began with a fun dramatic script from the Iona Community in Scotland called, “Of mouths and money.” It imagined an "off the record" (meaning, not recorded in Scripture!) dialogue between Jesus and Peter about which subject the Lord spoke about the most. Peter wonders if Jesus is obsessed with money, since he speaks about it so often. Jesus contends that many people have "a money problem" that keeps them separated from God and from one another. You can find this dialogue (and many others directrly related to the Gospels) in this book here on Amazon.com:
Jesus and Peter: Off-the-record Conversations
Yes, my sisters and brothers: Jesus talks a lot about money! He talks more about wealth and money than perhaps any other single subject matter.
Now, this can be difficult for us to hear. Very often, I hear people complain that all they ever hear the church talk about is money. But I don’t think this is the same as the way Jesus talked about money. Jesus wasn’t concerned with fundraising or with budgets or pledges or anything like that.
Always, Jesus is focused laser-like on the disposition of the human heart and how this guides all of our actions.
All of his teachings on money reach their climax in the final saying from our reading today:
“You cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13). His point is this: here are two different paths that we can follow. The path of pursuing money or the path of pursuing God. It is a matter of eagerness and energy, of devotion and commitment.
This teaching is so crucially important for us, because we here in our nation are so easily distracted and blinded by the plethora of goods around us. This past week, our high school son, Angus, and I got into a little argument about the relative importance of technology. He reported to me that our upper elementary school just received a gift of 25 new I-Pads so that students can learn to use this new technology. I replied and said, “Angus, that’s stupid! How are I-Pads going to help 5th graders with their math and creative writing?” Of course, he responded that he felt it is important for kids to learn about new technology.
But is that really important? Is this the technology that matters, I told him? When thousands of children die every day because they do not have clean water to drink, is it really important for us here to learn how to use the newest touch screen computers? Is that what our children need to learn? For that matter, do we really need have to have the best flat screen TVs and the newest and fanciest gadgets when there are 1 billion people in the world today who suffer from chronic hunger?
I know that many of these folks are hungry because of their own dysfunctional governments. I know that. But still, we have to be careful not to excuse ourselves too easily. You and I have an extra responsibility to turn away from the sea of advertisements in which we swim every day, to not be fooled by these siren voices calling us to buy more and more.
What did we hear today from our Epistle reading? That God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Last week, we talked about what it means to be saved. That to be saved is to be released from the baggage of our past, the bonds of ignorance and foolishness and selfishness and greed which we have picked up over the years, in order that we might be healed and recover our true, natural selves.
This process of healing includes coming to the knowledge of the truth, and surely this knowledge includes an awareness that God calls us to lives of deep generosity and compassion. That kind of life is impossible as long as we continue to listen to the voices of greed and possession rather than the voice of God.
So may the Holy Spirit grant us grace to be among those who put our money where God’s mouth is as we live with the compassion of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry
Texts: Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Psalm 79:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:1-7; Luke 16:1-13
We began with a fun dramatic script from the Iona Community in Scotland called, “Of mouths and money.” It imagined an "off the record" (meaning, not recorded in Scripture!) dialogue between Jesus and Peter about which subject the Lord spoke about the most. Peter wonders if Jesus is obsessed with money, since he speaks about it so often. Jesus contends that many people have "a money problem" that keeps them separated from God and from one another. You can find this dialogue (and many others directrly related to the Gospels) in this book here on Amazon.com:
Jesus and Peter: Off-the-record Conversations
Yes, my sisters and brothers: Jesus talks a lot about money! He talks more about wealth and money than perhaps any other single subject matter.
Now, this can be difficult for us to hear. Very often, I hear people complain that all they ever hear the church talk about is money. But I don’t think this is the same as the way Jesus talked about money. Jesus wasn’t concerned with fundraising or with budgets or pledges or anything like that.
Always, Jesus is focused laser-like on the disposition of the human heart and how this guides all of our actions.
All of his teachings on money reach their climax in the final saying from our reading today:
“You cannot serve God and wealth” (Luke 16:13). His point is this: here are two different paths that we can follow. The path of pursuing money or the path of pursuing God. It is a matter of eagerness and energy, of devotion and commitment.
This teaching is so crucially important for us, because we here in our nation are so easily distracted and blinded by the plethora of goods around us. This past week, our high school son, Angus, and I got into a little argument about the relative importance of technology. He reported to me that our upper elementary school just received a gift of 25 new I-Pads so that students can learn to use this new technology. I replied and said, “Angus, that’s stupid! How are I-Pads going to help 5th graders with their math and creative writing?” Of course, he responded that he felt it is important for kids to learn about new technology.
But is that really important? Is this the technology that matters, I told him? When thousands of children die every day because they do not have clean water to drink, is it really important for us here to learn how to use the newest touch screen computers? Is that what our children need to learn? For that matter, do we really need have to have the best flat screen TVs and the newest and fanciest gadgets when there are 1 billion people in the world today who suffer from chronic hunger?
I know that many of these folks are hungry because of their own dysfunctional governments. I know that. But still, we have to be careful not to excuse ourselves too easily. You and I have an extra responsibility to turn away from the sea of advertisements in which we swim every day, to not be fooled by these siren voices calling us to buy more and more.
What did we hear today from our Epistle reading? That God “desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). Last week, we talked about what it means to be saved. That to be saved is to be released from the baggage of our past, the bonds of ignorance and foolishness and selfishness and greed which we have picked up over the years, in order that we might be healed and recover our true, natural selves.
This process of healing includes coming to the knowledge of the truth, and surely this knowledge includes an awareness that God calls us to lives of deep generosity and compassion. That kind of life is impossible as long as we continue to listen to the voices of greed and possession rather than the voice of God.
So may the Holy Spirit grant us grace to be among those who put our money where God’s mouth is as we live with the compassion of Jesus Christ. Amen.
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