Homily for November 15, 2009 - Proper 28 B

My sisters and brothers let us not be hesitate to draw inspiration from or ancestors in faith.    

Our reading from the book of Daniel is a powerful apocalyptic description of the end of time and God’s final victory.  Including a prophecy of the resurrection of the just and punishment of the wicked. 

The prince “Michael” who is spoken of is Michael the Archangel.  He was seen as the divinely appointed Guardian Angel of Israel.  Michael is also a central figure in the book of Revelation where he leads the forces of heaven in campaign to cast out the devil and the other “fallen angels.”  Through Christian history he has been seen as a protector and defender of God’s people and a spiritual patron of Police and Military. 

In our second reading the author of Hebrews continues describing the freedom from sin that Christ brought us and the new freedom we have to approach the thrown of God in joy!  Notice that this passage also talks about the end of time in terms of Christ defeating his enemies.  Although these enemies are not named, the since of a final purging of evil from the world is unavoidable in this passage. 

In our gospel reading, Jesus predicts the destruction of the Temple, as the prophets Micah and Jeremiah had done earlier.  This may not be the kind of prophecy that usually comes to mind.  The Temple and the whole religious system that revolved around it were destroyed by the Romans in 70AD.  This passage may be the reflection of the early Christians on their experience and Jesus’ condemnation of the abuses committed by the Temple authorities.  It could be a way of giving comfort to those early Christians who were traumatized by the destruction.  In essence the authors are saying that God intended things to happen this way. 

Today we are drawing close to the end of the liturgical year (the new year begins with the first Sunday of Advent and concludes with next week’s celebration of Christ the King).  That is why we have readings that focus so much on the “end of time” and God’s final battle.  The Archangel Michael leading the charge is an image that is quite old.  We know from the Qumran (Dead Sea) scrolls, that hope in this Divine intervention was wide spread in Jesus day.  Christian writers picked up on the literary tradition and we see the same images in the book of Revelation. 

The devotions to saints and angles is a piece of Christian tradition that has seen its share of excess and simple misunderstanding.  Some went to the extreme of treating certain saints as if they were demigods.  However, at its best, it fills the need we all have for heroes and heroines whom we can personally identify with and draw inspiration from.  We all have our personal heroes and heroines.  Such as that favorite aunt, uncle or grand parent who was a powerful and blessed influence in our lives.  The saints stand as examples worthy of our imitation.  We do not pray “to” the saints.  We ask them to pray for and with us, just as we would ask each other.  We can do this because we are spiritually united with all God’s servants through our oneness in Christ.  Both through our baptism into the Mystical Body of Christ that Paul talks about - and as Eucharistic members in the Communion of all believers past and present. 

My brothers and sisters let us not fear to draw on the best of this tradition for our inspiration and spiritual enrichment. 

NPR interview with Bishop Robinson & more Episcopal Church news

The last few days have brought us some grate news for and with in the Episcopal Church. 

First NPRs NEAL CONAN (Talk of the Nation) interview Bishop Robinson on ups and downs that the Gay Rights movement has experienced recently.  You can find the pod cast here. 

Second The San Diego Superior Court ruled in favor of the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego.  This is one more piece of the ongoing property disputes between TEC and groups who have left the Church, trying to take the Church's property with them.  It is especially important to me because one of the properties in question was St. Anne’s in Oceanside - the parish that first invited me into TEC.  You can find the story on The Lead.   Hopefully on my next visit to Oceanside I'll again be able to worship with a Continuing Episcopal Community! 

Significant amounts of water found on the moon

Yesterday NASSA announced the finding of significant water deposes on the moon. This has massive implications for both research and for the practicality of using the moon as a lauch base for further space exploration.

You can read the story at Scientific American.
 or
a the New York Times.

Enjoy!

Homily for Nov. 8, 2009, Proper 27 B

Homily for Proper 27 B
November 8, 2009

My sisters and brothers, Christian generosity is not just about monies, foodstuffs and household necessities. We are also called to give of our time and talent.

In our first reading we heard the famous story of the Elijah and the widow’s bottomless jar. It is one of many miraculous things God does through Elijah. Most importantly, it is an example of extreme generosity and sharing in the midst of calamity. A little background makes the story even more powerful. This story takes place in a region acknowledged as belonging to the pagan god Baal not Yahweh! Yet the power of Yahweh causes drought to descend there and protects those He favors with miraculous food. This is also a story of my God (Yahweh) is stronger than your god (Baal). At this point in their history, the Israelite people did not see other gods as false; only as alien and inferior to Yahweh!

In our Hebrews reading, Christ is described as removing sin by the sacrifice of himself.
The author sees Christ as coming “at the end of the age” of the first covenant. God has appointed that humans “die once” and later be judged (at the end of the current era); likewise Christ sacrificed himself once and will later return. But his second coming will be to complete and finalize the salvation of his followers.

For our gospel story today we heard the widow’s might. She contributes out of her “poverty” while others contribute out of their abundance. She clearly makes the greater sacrifice!

Prior to this, scribe has asked Jesus: which is the greatest precept in the law? His agreement that to love God and to love one’s neighbors are the most important has led Jesus to tell him that he is almost ready for the kingdom of God.

Now, as Jesus teaches in the synagogue, he warns of certain scribes (professional interpreters of the Law) who walk around ostentatiously, seek honor in public places and seek prestige. They where showy cloths and expect the best seats in the synagogue (near the Ark where the scrolls were kept).

Certain scribes, as legal trustees of a widow’s estate, charged exorbitantly for their services. Jesus proclaims that they will be judged harshly in the greatest court of all on Judgment Day. Jesus’ disciples are not to be like them. On the other hand, the poor widow is an example of good discipleship because she made a far greater personal sacrifice than the rich people who only give what they do not need.

In our modern world, many have wondered (and I am one of them) if our time is even more precious to us than any other possession. The widows’ gift to Elijah was not just her bread but her labor as well.

How do we contribute from our time, abilities? Are we truly looking for honor and status or are we truly doing acts of charity? Our parish stewardship committee has envisioned some opportunities for us to help clarify the gifts that God is calling us to share. Each of us is blessed with talents, aptitudes, education and experience. We simply need to grow in the awareness that God has not only blessed us with them but calls us to use them for the growth of the Divine Kingdom.

Doing the work of the Kingdom is demanding. It takes time, energy and heart. For us it manifests in many volunteer activities: baking cookies and making crafts, singing, teaching children and youth, fixing this and that, and the dreaded: “committee meetings.”

Yet, we cannot exist and carry forward our calling as God’s people in Sierra Vista without all of the above. My brothers and sisters let us roll up our sleeves and do our part!

Homily (All Saints) November 1, 2009

My sisters and brothers, spiritually speaking, our extended family is vast and inspiring.

In our first reading from Isaiah we hear about the final fulfillment of God promises at the end of time. In God’s Kingdom there will be rich party fare and there will be no cause for grief or pain.

In this passage, the deceased are pictured as being covered with a “shroud” or “sheet”; this will be removed when God does away with death forever. In the eternal life of the Kingdom, God will “wipe away” one of the roots of all misery, our mortality. The remnant, the godly, will acknowledge God, for whom they have waited and who has saved them.

Our second reading is from John’s record of his vision of the end-times. Previously he has told of the destruction of the old city, Babylon (code name for Rome) and of the old heaven and earth; the ungodly have been driven off to punishment. Only the godly, a remnant, remain. Now John sees the new creation. The sea, a symbol of turbulence, unrest and chaos, is no more. He sees the New Jerusalem, a holy city of divine origin, beautiful and lovely. Some have interpreted this city as the church, set apart for God’s use in the world while others view this as a glimpse at the reunion of heaven and earth. Once again, God makes all things right and joyful for his people.

Alpha” and “Omega” is the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet; this imagery is intended to describe God as all encompassing.

Our gospel story today (resurrection of Lazarus) is one of Jesus’ most powerful miracles. Four days in the tomb, there is little doubt to the crowd that the man was truly dead. Reviving him from a near death illness was not possible. Yet, Jesus’ mere command makes it happen. Most likely John relates Jesus’ weeping because to express how he is touched by the pain of those he loves and shares that pain in some real way. Martha tries to restrain Jesus from viewing the decomposing corpse of his friend. And Jesus responds: did I not tell you that if you believed you would see God’s power to end death? After giving this reassurance, he issues the Divine Command and Lazarus is fully restored.

Our readings and celebration today revolve around Christian belief that in Christ we have a spiritual connection in all the virtuous people who have gone before us. All saints and All Souls days celebrate the final fulfillment of God’s promises of a holy paradise and the foretaste we experience now as God’s people. Do you remember Jesus’ preaching; the Kingdom is at hand, even among you? Today we celebrate that what Christ announced is true and our unity with Christ and one another extends not just we other believers in this life but in the life to come as well.

It is believed by many scholars that the commemoration of all the saints on November first originated in Ireland, spread from there to England, and then to the continent of Europe. That it had reached Rome and had been adopted there early in the ninth century is attested by a letter of
Pope Gregory the Fourth, who reigned from 828 to 844, to Emperor Louis “the Pious,” urging that such a festival be observed throughout the Holy Roman Empire.

The desire of Christian people to express the intercommunion of the living and the dead in the Body of Christ by a commemoration of those who had lived the faith in days past, is was far older than the early Middle Ages. The patriarch John Chrysostom, who died in 407, says that a festival of All Saints was observed on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Constantinople at the time of his episcopate.

Today, we join this tradition in celebrating our vast spiritual family, in Christ.