Consider how they grow

A Sermon for the 8th Sunday after the Epiphany (RCL A) 2-27-2011
Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts: Isaiah 49:8-16a; Psalm 131; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Matthew 6:24-34
Title: Consider How They Grow

Throughout this Epiphany season, we have been working our way through the better part of the Lord’s masterful Sermon on the Mount. We will leave this great teaching for a while, until we observe Ash Wednesday and hear once again our Lord’s call to pray and fast in secret, rather than in a way that is intended to impress others.

I hope that you are able to see the impressive structure and composition of this teaching session, this sermon on the mount. It has been intentionally put together in a way that is intended to deliver a compelling vision of life within the realm of God’s presence.

Let us be very clear about what we are given here in this most famous teaching. Jesus is not giving us a series of laws and rules to govern our behavior. These words are descriptive rather than prescriptive. That is, they are intended to describe life within the kingdom of God rather than to prescribe the precise way that we can experience it.

And what an amazing vision of life it is that Christ gives us here! It is a simple vision of life organized around one dominant priority, one overriding thought, one prevailing focus. That is, the goodness of God.

“No one can serve two masters.” So the teacher explains to us. This is not a rule that must be followed; it is a very simple and straightforward observation. It simple cannot be done, and besides, God is so much greater and better than wealth, why would anyone wish to serve a lesser master?

“Look at the birds of the air,” he says. “Consider the lilies of the field.”

I tell you, I would like to live in a community where flowers are considered to be far more beautiful than any royal person, and more worthy of our attention than any celebrity on the red carpet.

Who among us does not wish to live in a community where anxiety and worry are foreign concepts, because we all are embraced by an overwhelming sense of goodness and security?

All of this is a matter of orientation, of intentional direction, of perspective and priorities. “But strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

When Jesus says to strive first for God’s community and the inner goodness which is found in that community, it is implied that there will be other strivings after this.

Of course we need to sweat and labor by the work of our hands to procure food and clothing and housing for ourselves and those we love. But when we mesh our kingdoms with the kingdom of God, then all of these things lose their sense of importance. All of these things are temporary, temporal, short-term items which will fade and ebb away.

But the life of the kingdom, the life lived in conscious dialogue with God our Creator – that is a life which carries on and on into eternity.

At the very heart of Jesus’ vision for human life, there is a child-like simplicity which is vital for us to maintain. The birds of the air and the lilies of the field simply are what they are, and they glorify God. They don’t wring their hands in anxiety over their state of life; now do they fret over whether or not they are doing what God desires. They simply are, and in that simple being, they give praise and honor to God.

Now, let’s be clear. Simple is not the same thing as easy. Do we have any golf players here today? (Bart) Golf is a simple game. Hit the little white ball into 18 different holes. Very simple, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy, right?!

Just a few days ago, the Church remembered the missionary Eric Liddell in our daily round of commemorations (February 22). Do you remember the movie, Chariots of Fire? Eric Liddell was the Olympic runner for the United Kingdom; that movie was based upon his life. Liddell had a God-given talent for running fast, and he gave God the praise and glory for that. The best-known quote from the movie epitomizes his attitude: “God made me fast. And when I run, I feel [God’s] pleasure.” Have you ever watched birds fly in the air? Don’t you get the sense that they too feel God’s pleasure when they fly?

I think that we tend to over-complicate life, and we do the same with our journey of faith in Christ. To live a full life in Jesus Christ is quite simple. It is not complicated, not difficult to understand or to master.

In fact, this is one of the clear ways by which we can avoid being led astray by false teachers. A false prophet is one who comes with a claim to some secret knowledge, some esoteric wisdom, or a special formula by which you can know God, and experience God. But, in fact, there is no special language that we have to learn, no magical formulas that we have to memorize, no secret knowledge that we have to study in order to be close to God.

Did you notice this amazing psalm which we prayed together this morning?

Psalm 131:
O LORD, I am not proud; *I have no haughty looks.
I do not occupy myself with great matters, * or with things that are too hard for me.
But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother's breast; *
my soul is quieted within me.
O Israel, wait upon the LORD, *from this time forth for evermore.

What a testimony to the simple and quiet spirit of one who lives close to God. “I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; my soul is quieted within me.”

This truly is the very heart of prayer. Just to sit in God’s presence and to soak up the grace of God, like a springtime tulip opens up while basking in the morning light.

In fact, may I propose that this might be a wonderful discipline to consider for your Lenten observance? Just to sit quietly in God’s presence for 10 to 15 minutes every morning, eyes closed, thinking of nothing except for thoughts of gratitude and praise, soaking up the steadfast love of the Lord which never ceases.

This is a very simple discipline, but – once again – this does not mean that it is easy. Distractions, both internal and external ones, make this difficult to maintain.

And so it is, my friends, with where we find ourselves now as the Church in this place. The remedy to our situation of dwindling numbers, shrinking budgets and falling influence is quite simple. Our task is simply to be the church of God: to love one another, to care deeply for the people in this town/city in all of their trials and difficulties, to boldly share the good news of God’s love with them, to worship God with heartfelt devotion, to invite everyone around to experience God’s grace along with us, and by doing all of this, to turn our world upside down, just like the earliest church after the resurrection.

None of this is particularly complicated. In fact, it’s quite simple. But this doesn’t mean that it’s easy! May God give us the grace to maintain our simple priority of focus upon what it means to live as the community of God here and now, seeking first everyday to live in the presence of God and to carry that presence to those we meet. Amen.

Secret & Hidden

A Children's Sermon for the 5th Sunday after the Epiphany (RCL A) 2-6-2011

Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts: Isaiah 58:1-9a; Psalm 112:1-10; 1 Corinthians 2:1-16; Matthew 5:13-20

Title: Secret & Hidden


God speaks to us today. And we are listening.

I lift my voice and I speak to you this morning in the name of God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

I invite all of the young people here today to come forward and sit with me to discuss the Gospel. All of the adults, please, may be seated.

Did any of you hear what Jesus had to say to us today in our Gospel reading?

Jesus said: “You are the salt of the earth! You are the light of the world!”

Wow! That’s awesome! That’s wonderful. The salt of the entire earth! The light of the whole world! Jesus tells us how wonderful and excellent it is to be his people, the community of those who love him and follow him.

That’s a wonderful thing, but what do you think it means to be the salt of the earth? What do you think that means?

Well, to help us all understand this teaching a bit better, I have a taste test for you. Maybe our mouths can help us to understand this better.

Here is one potato chip. And here is another. Please taste each one at a time. Pay attention to anything that might be different.

Do you notice a difference? Which one do you like better? What is the difference? (One batch is unsalted potato chips, and one is flavored with sea salt!)

What difference does the salt make? Let’s talk about the salt. Do you see it? No! It’s hidden. It’s secret! Kind of like God’s wisdom! The apostle Paul teaches us today that God’s wisdom, God’s teaching, is also secret and hidden. Not everyone sees it! Only those who know where to look!

But what else about the salt?

Let me ask you this: when you’re eating potato chips, what’s the most important part? Is it the salt, or the chip?

It’s the chip, of course! A little bit of the salt makes the potato chip better to eat. But it is the chip which matters the most, right? Would you eat just the salt, by itself? No, of course not! You only need a little bit of the salt added to the chip to make it taste really good!

And that is what Jesus teaches to us today! Even though the church is small, what we do is vitally important! We follow Jesus, and he sends us out into the world to make the world better!

The salt is here on the chip to make the chip better. We are here as God’s people to make the world better! After all, Jesus said that we are salt of the earth, and light of the world!

The special flavor and the light that we bring are not for ourselves, but for others! They are to be given away and shared with the people around us every day – people in school with us, our friends, our family, our neighbors.

So, back to the chips. Which one do you like better? Good! Then give one away! Here is an extra chip! Take it back to your seat with you and give it away to someone else! This is practice for what it means to follow Christ. Don't eat this one yourself, but rather give it awy and let someone else enjoy it.

This is Jesus’ idea of what we are to do! He feeds us, and teaches us, and blesses us, so that we might be able to give these things away to others!

This is the goodness that Jesus gives to us when we are baptized, when we learn to live with him every day. Amen.

The Cross of our Lord

Sermon for Proper 9 C RCL 7-4-2010, Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts: 2 Kings 5:1-14; Psalm 30; Galatians 6:7-16; Luke 10:1-11, 16-20

On this day, we celebrate the declaration of our nation’s independence from the rule of the King of Great Britain. This declaration took place 234 years ago, but it continues to have great significance for our lives and for many around the world.

We are proud – rightly so – of the bravery and resolve of our forebears in declaring this freedom from tyranny, and also in their willingness to risk everything to turn that declaration into a reality.

We are proud also of the role that our Episcopal Church played in the founding of this nation. The history of our Episcopal Church cannot be separated from the history of our nation’s founding. Just across the river in Philadelphia, the founding events of our nation and our church took place in the later years of the 18th century.

Of course, the first place we have to look for these connections is Christ Church in Old City, Philadelphia, about 5 miles as the crow flies from where we worship here today. How many of you have taken a tour of Christ Church?

Do you know that Benjamin Franklin, Betsy Ross and their families attended Christ Church? Did you know that George Washington and John Adams, when they lived in Philadelphia as the nation’s President, both attended Christ Church and worshipped by using the Book of Common Prayer?

Did you know that the one-time rector of Christ Church, William White, served as the Chaplain of both the Continental Congress and the new United States Senate?

Once the Continental Congress moved to New York in 1785, they elected a new Chaplain who was Samuel Provoost, the rector of Trinity Episcopal Church now on Wall Street. Provoost also presided over the prayers for the inauguration of General Washington as first President of the United States.

This inter-connected history continues even to this day. Most major national celebrations take place today within our National Cathedral in Washington. We built this in fulfillment of our vision to serve as the nation’s church. It has always been the vision of the Episcopal Church.

The Episcopal Church as we know it today was created at the first General Convention which met at Christ Church, Philadelphia in 1785. That Convention authorized a new Prayer Book, and the Preface of that book is included in our Prayer Book today. Let’s turn to it and read 2 key paragraphs together:

(Paragraphs 5&6 of the Preface to the first Book of Common Prayer in these United States ,Philadelphia, PA, October 1789)

“But when in the course of Divine Providence, these American States became independent with respect to civil government, their ecclesiastical independence was necessarily included; and the different religious denominations of Christians in these States were left at full and equal liberty to model and organize their respective Churches, and forms of worship, and discipline, in such manner as they might judge most convenient for their future prosperity; consistently with the constitution and laws of their country.

The attention of this Church was in the first place drawn to those alterations in the Liturgy which became necessary in the prayers for our Civil Rulers, in consequence of the Revolution. And the principal care herein was to make them conformable to what ought to be the proper end of all such prayers, namely, that "Rulers may have grace, wisdom, and understanding to execute justice, and to maintain truth;" and that the people "may lead quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty."

All of these truths cause us to be very proud: proud of our American heritage, and proud of our church’s key role in the formation of this nation. We have a reason to be proud; we have a right to celebrate today.

But there is a difficulty for us as Christians in displaying this pride. What is it that St. Paul wrote to the Galatians, which we heard read in our midst here today?

“May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!” (Galatians 6:14-15).

What does it mean to boast in nothing except our Lord Jesus Christ? What does that mean for nationalism, for patriotic pride?

Let me briefly suggest that patriotism and pride in our human institutions are natural and normal. These are not to be rejected, because love of country is an important part of that love of neighbor which God longs to see within us. But this love for country must always be held in tension with our deeper identity as Christians, with our first love for our Lord.

When we finally go the way of all flesh and are joined with our ancestors, it will not matter then whether our nationality is American or French or Kenyan or Brazilian. Those labels belong only to this fleeting world; they represent temporary arrangements among human beings.

But this Church of Jesus Christ to which we belong, within which we worship and learn and grow, this is a distinctive community of human beings which outlasts any empire or confederation or nation.

When we here stand up and declare our faith in the words of the Nicene Creed, we are in fact declaring our truest and deepest allegiance. This never-failing Church of Christ has no flag toward which we face; instead we face the cross. And there it is that we turn when we pledge our allegiance, this Cross of our Lord, by which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world.

In our Gospel reading today, we are reminded of our mission as the Church: to go forth and cure the sick and bring the message of the kingdom of God to all people.

This kingdom includes people of every race, language, people and nation. It is God’s kingdom, and it is the only one which is worthy of our deepest loyalty.

So, go out and celebrate this Independence Day. Celebrate with pride in this wonderful nation. But remember to keep proper perspective. As you celebrate, remember your calling as a laborer in the kingdom of God, and “rejoice that your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

Let us pray (Collect for Independence Day from the Book of Common Prayer):

Lord God Almighty, in whose Name the founders of this country won liberty for themselves and for us, and lit the torch of freedom for nations then unborn: Grant that we and all the people of this land may have grace to maintain our liberties in righteousness and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Gave Himself for Me

Sermon for Proper 6 C RCL 6/13/2010, Offered by Nathan Ferrell for Trinity Episcopal Shared Ministry

Texts: 1 Kings 21:1-10, 15-21a; Psalm 5:1-8; Galatians 2:15-21; Luke 7:36-8:3

I must confess to you that I truly love the stories of the prophet Elijah, that feisty and fiery man of God who was fearless and brave and filled with the Spirit of God. Throughout the summer, we will be hearing the stories of his life and of the life of his successor, the prophet Elisha. If you have not read these stories in a long time, or perhaps ever before, let me strongly encourage you to pick up your Bible at some quiet point over the course of this summer, and read through the 2 Books of Kings, 1st and 2nd Kings. These books might not be quite as saucy as the mystery thriller or bodice-ripper novel that you are eyeing up for the beach, but these ancient stories and rich and deep and offer much in the way of intrigue and insight.

Without question, Elijah is one of the most important figures in the whole of the Bible. Today, we see him in his characteristic role of speaking truth to power, serving as the conscience of the powerful, to remind them that they have a duty to protect the innocent and to serve justice within the community.

More specifically, Elijah was called and commissioned by God to controvert the wickedness of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. In a very real way, his calling was direct and personal. God knew the thoughts and desires of Ahab, and knew the scheming greed of Jezebel, and sent Elijah to protect the innocent who stood in their path.

After all, God is the one “to [whom] all hearts are open, all desires know, and from [whom] no secrets are hid” (BCP P. 355).

In the Gospel of Luke, we are today presented with a woman very different from Queen Jezebel: the anonymous sinner, a woman of the city, who wept at Jesus’ feet, seemingly for no other reason but for the great love and compassion that she felt when he was near.

Both of these stories point to the direct and personal nature of God’s interactions with us. It is not enough to consider the gracious salvation that God offers to humanity in the abstract, and to give thanks for God’s actions with a detached sense of gratitude. With God, there is no abstract.

Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” It is the same with us today: Jesus has something to say to me, to you, something direct and personal to the state of our hearts today. We must open ourselves and allow the word of the Lord to our hearts directly and with immediate effect.

Like the woman of the city, we have to come to Jesus himself. This Christian life that we are leading: it is always direct and personal. It is never indirect and theoretical.

We are called to come to Jesus, the living Christ who loves you and gave himself for you. This is the same message that we hear in St. Paul’s letter to the Galatians. Commenting on this letter of the apostle, the great St. John Chrysostom, the Bishop of Constantinople in the 4th century, spoke these words in one of his homilies:

"What are you doing, Paul, making common things your own, and claiming for yourself what was done on behalf of the whole world? For he says not [the Son of God] “who loved us” but “who loved me”…Burning with desire toward [Christ], [Paul] utters this. ..He shows that each of us ought to render as much thanks to Christ as though Christ had come for him alone. For God would not have withheld this gift even from one person. [God] has the same love for every individual as for the whole world.”

This is the peculiar distinctiveness of the Christian Church. It is not commitment to an ideal that brings us together, like a political party or philosophical club. It is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ, and our personal relationships with one another.

There is so much misunderstanding about this in the world around us. Just a few weeks back, I received a phone call that displays this perfectly. Haven gotten my cell number from the Church of the Ascension voicemail, a woman called me and asked, “Yeah, I’d like to know, Pastor, does your church do weddings?” You know, that’s a pretty odd question, I think. So I said, “Yes, we bless the marriages of our people in our church. Yes, that is what we do. And who, may I ask, is calling?” She quickly replied, “Oh, I am calling for my mother-in-law. But we’re not church-goers. We believe in God but we don’t attend any church right now.”

Well, I thought at that moment, if that’s the case, then why bother with getting married in the church at all? I didn’t say it this time, but my usual response is, “Well, my friend, that doesn’t make a lot of sense. If you’d like to join the church and learn more about Jesus, then I’d be glad to talk with you about getting married in the church. Otherwise, you’re putting the cart before the horse.”

Think about it, my friends: to say that you believe in God but will not be part of a church community is exactly like saying you believe in marriage but are not willing to be married! You like the idea of being married but you are not willing to make the direct and personal commitment to another particular human being, which is what marriage is all about! It's like saying you believe in education but are not willing to ever enter a classroom! Like saying you believe in the practice of medicine but are unwilling to consult with a trained doctor!

Likewise, many people like the idea of God, but they have no plan to invest in a direct and personal relationship with Jesus, and so they are not ready or willing to make the commitment to be part of what God is actively doing in the world by joining together in the fellowship of the church.

But what really matters in life is not the abstract ideas in your head, but the practical, real-life, daily living with others, working together to do something important, to be something important, to live in a loving relationship with Jesus and with those others who have been baptized into his family.

This is why in reality I cannot be a Christian if I am unconnected to the Body of Christ! For then I am an orphan, cut off from my natural family. Then I am a Christian in an abstract sense only, but not in any sense that is real or meaningful.

And that is why I say over and over again that there is no such thing as Christianity. That abstract idea doesn’t exist. But what does exist is a real-life person, Jesus Christ, who is in relationship with real-life human beings, who gather together to love one another and to serve the poor, to worship and to learn. What does exist is concrete and tangible real: it is Jesus and his church.

What about you? How has Jesus spoken to you directly? Can you join with St. Paul in his passionate affirmation of what Christ has done in his heart?

“I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:19).

May it be so among all of us who are called by the name of Christian. Amen.