My brothers and sisters, humility is a much maligned but very genuine virtue.
In our reading from Sirach we heard that pride, or more precisely “arrogance,” is the root of all sin! Through excessive pride humanity proliferates every kind of evil. In essence the author is telling us that personal glory displayed through arrogance and pride is false and displeasing to God and other human beings. It is certainly true that most of us don’t like to be around individuals who are arrogant or egotistical. Spiritually speaking, this kind of excessive pride is the denial of the glory due to God, and therefore the source of all sin.
In our reading from Hebrews, the author is ending his letter with a list of encouragements for the reader. Showing hospitality to strangers, i.e., to other Christians from other churches. Inns did exist at the time, but because they were frequented by prostitutes and bandits, Christian travelers generally stayed with other Christians.
Further, we are to avoid marital irresponsibility (unfaithfulness to one’s spouse) and greed. These are seen as corrupting the life of the community. The author sums up all his admonitions with a reminder to remain focused on eternal life not earthly life.
Finally in Luke we see Jesus teaching against the sins of arrogance. Rather than looking for personal glories and lucrative relationships, we should be about the acts of compassion that build us a reputation in Heaven!
Jesus’ host is a prominent Pharisee. We can easily recognize that the “parable” is about membership in the Kingdom not simply good manners at a dinner party. This is even clearer in the Greek. The word rendered as “guests” has a meaning that is closer to chosen or recognizing oneself as chosen. The punch line is certainly about good manners, but Jesus is drawing a conclusion about the kingdom. Attendance at God banquet depends on God’s invitation and God will not be fooled by self-promotion!
Finally, Jewish and Greco-Roman societies both spurned the “poor” and the disabled. Jesus turns this view upside-down and instructs his host to share with the needy.
My sisters and brothers, it’s easy to reflect on our social reality as a nation and see the evils that come from egotistical pride. Our country’s prisons are loaded with thuggish individuals who believe they are entitled to do whatever they want. This underlies many “white collar” and political crimes as well.
In much smaller, but still important, ways it also affects our daily Christian lives. False pride, arrogance or an over blown sense of entitlement is behind many of our sins as well. Things like: the nasty (vengeful) remarks that we sometimes make to each other; or petty cheating at games; or the flat out unwillingness to admit we made a mistake.
Jesus’ recommends a medicine for this ailment; we should be honest with ourselves. Remembering that the “Golden Rule” applies to this part of our Christian life just as it applies to every other part. In God’s eyes, we should treat each individual with the same forgiveness, understanding and respect that you want for ourselves!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Homily for Proper 16 C - August 22, 2010
Being an Authentic Christian means always patterning our lives after “The Way” of Jesus!
Today we hear from the Prophet Isaiah that merely external worship does not cut it with God. Worship must be joined to internal sincerity. Those who conduct their affairs with justice are the ones who are acceptable in the eyes of God. Then our prayers will be heard, our efforts blessed and the Lord will find delight in our worship.
The author of Hebrews contrasts the assembly of the Israelites, when the old covenant was given, with the first Christians, who have entered the new covenant brought by Jesus. That old covenant was made on earth, but the new is in heaven. The author interprets God’s words spoken through the prophet Haggai as a reference to the Last Judgment. The kingdom that Christ has brought is unshakable, permanent, but those who “reject” him and his message will perish at the Last Day when God will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
From Luke we hear of Jesus healing a woman from her suffering. He also sternly corrects the foolishness of detractors. Surly the Sabbath Day is a fitting day to relive suffering!
Jesus shows what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom – through his actions. That he heals a woman and refers to her as a "daughter of Abraham,” that is, a full member of Jewish society, is remarkable. The kingdom is equally open to women as to men and the sick; which is a radical departure for Jesus’ day. At that time, physical and mental ailments were seen as the work of evil forces; the very being of someone with a serious ailment was thought to be hostile to God. The woman does not ask to be cured and no one asks on her behalf. Jesus notices her and responds with compassion. Her response to his saving action is to praise God! The message, within the message, here is that the Kingdom of God is open to all; even those without status or who are shunned.
The question of authenticity rings through our readings today. It contrasts the worship of people who really don’t live the life with the worship of people who truly strive to embody God’s ways. Christianity was originally called “The Way” it is understood by the first disciples to be an entire “life style.” Not simple a Sunday thing, or a prayer and social thing. Prayer, fellowship and charity for the poor are only starting steps in the Christian way of life. Calling other’s to this life, using our abilities to make a better more just society and passing on “The Way” to another generation are equally important. Being authentic means striving to live the whole package, not just the easy parts.
We cannot each do it all at any one moment in our lives. But we can look honestly at our abilities and at the opportunities in our church (and city) and get involved in what we are able to do. You have heard me quote the saying before, “Do the good that presents itself to be done.”
Skating by on the bare minimum is not what Christianity is about. Nor is Christianity about being perfect, only Jesus accomplished that. CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT AUTHENTISITY AND INTEGRATY! It is about growing towards the maximum good with the time, talent and finances that we have available to us.
Today we hear from the Prophet Isaiah that merely external worship does not cut it with God. Worship must be joined to internal sincerity. Those who conduct their affairs with justice are the ones who are acceptable in the eyes of God. Then our prayers will be heard, our efforts blessed and the Lord will find delight in our worship.
The author of Hebrews contrasts the assembly of the Israelites, when the old covenant was given, with the first Christians, who have entered the new covenant brought by Jesus. That old covenant was made on earth, but the new is in heaven. The author interprets God’s words spoken through the prophet Haggai as a reference to the Last Judgment. The kingdom that Christ has brought is unshakable, permanent, but those who “reject” him and his message will perish at the Last Day when God will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.
From Luke we hear of Jesus healing a woman from her suffering. He also sternly corrects the foolishness of detractors. Surly the Sabbath Day is a fitting day to relive suffering!
Jesus shows what it means to be a citizen of God’s kingdom – through his actions. That he heals a woman and refers to her as a "daughter of Abraham,” that is, a full member of Jewish society, is remarkable. The kingdom is equally open to women as to men and the sick; which is a radical departure for Jesus’ day. At that time, physical and mental ailments were seen as the work of evil forces; the very being of someone with a serious ailment was thought to be hostile to God. The woman does not ask to be cured and no one asks on her behalf. Jesus notices her and responds with compassion. Her response to his saving action is to praise God! The message, within the message, here is that the Kingdom of God is open to all; even those without status or who are shunned.
The question of authenticity rings through our readings today. It contrasts the worship of people who really don’t live the life with the worship of people who truly strive to embody God’s ways. Christianity was originally called “The Way” it is understood by the first disciples to be an entire “life style.” Not simple a Sunday thing, or a prayer and social thing. Prayer, fellowship and charity for the poor are only starting steps in the Christian way of life. Calling other’s to this life, using our abilities to make a better more just society and passing on “The Way” to another generation are equally important. Being authentic means striving to live the whole package, not just the easy parts.
We cannot each do it all at any one moment in our lives. But we can look honestly at our abilities and at the opportunities in our church (and city) and get involved in what we are able to do. You have heard me quote the saying before, “Do the good that presents itself to be done.”
Skating by on the bare minimum is not what Christianity is about. Nor is Christianity about being perfect, only Jesus accomplished that. CHRISTIANITY IS ABOUT AUTHENTISITY AND INTEGRATY! It is about growing towards the maximum good with the time, talent and finances that we have available to us.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
More on Immigration and Border Security
The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has expressed her views of these issues in a Sunday bulletin insert that can be freely reproduced by parishes around the country.
In short, she examines the Biblical teachings on hospitality to strangers and calls us all to reflect on our national situation from the perspective of our Christian Faith.
Here is the Link!
Any thoughts?
In short, she examines the Biblical teachings on hospitality to strangers and calls us all to reflect on our national situation from the perspective of our Christian Faith.
Here is the Link!
Any thoughts?
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Homily fo Proper 14 C, August 8, 2010
Homily for Proper 14 C
August 8, 2010
My sisters and brothers, we must be prepared, you simply can’t know when you will meet the Lord!
As Bill was approaching mid-life, physically he was a mess. Not only was he going bald, but years of office work had given him a large pot belly. The last straw came when he asked a woman co-worker out on a date, and she all but laughed at him. That does it, he decided. I'm going to start a whole new regimen. He began attending exercise classes. He started working out with weights. He changed his diet. And he got an expensive hair transplant. In six months, he was a different man. Again, he asked his female co-worker out, and this time she accepted.
There he was, all dressed up for the date, looking better than he ever had. He stood poised to ring the woman's doorbell, when a bolt of lightning struck him and knocked him off his feet. As he lay there dying, he turned his eyes toward the heavens and said, "Why, God, why now? After all I've been through, how could you do this to me?"
From up above, there came a voice, "I’m sorry Bill. I didn't recognize you."
Our first reading today introduces some of the prophet Isaiah's most famous themes. He poetically dramatizes God’s detest of empty worship. If people will not live by the divine ethic, there worship is hypocrisy. Specifically Isaiah calls us all to: seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. In our modern way of speaking he is telling us to care for and champion people who have been pushed to the margins of society. Isaiah speaks mostly to the rulers or nobles of his day, but also to the entire populous. All share responsibility to right injustice and callousness of their day, as we do in our day.
The author of Hebrews uses the Abraham “Father of the Nation” to illustrate the importance of faith in and faithfulness towards God. Earlier he has urged his readers to recall the time after they were baptized. They had endured many hardships: public abuse, persecution and plundering of your possessions. He urges them to be like Abraham and not abandon their confidence in God. Christ will come again; keep your faith in him.
From Luke we heard Jesus urge us to not be afraid of God’s judgment or the day of our death. All who strive to live by God’s plan are beloved by God and need not fear God. We are citizens of Heaven. Jesus nuances God’s ethical call in different ways than Isaiah but they are deeply complimentary. We are to avoid an over-attachment to possessions and share what we have with the needy. We are also to emphasize your relationship with God, integrity with God is lasting, but wealth ends with the grave. In short, be loyal and prepared servants of the Creator.
These readings pick up where our readings from last week leave off. Last week we were called to keep our priorities straight, not letting the demands of this world blind us to our place in the next. Now we hear more details about what that really means. 1, live by God’s ethical standards not those of this world; 2, keep the faith through good times and bad; 3, don’t be afraid of the end (God truly does love you) rather be prepared for the end!
My sisters and brothers, let us take this to heart, not fearing our final day but using each day simply and honestly to be ready to meet the one who made us and cares for us.
August 8, 2010
My sisters and brothers, we must be prepared, you simply can’t know when you will meet the Lord!
As Bill was approaching mid-life, physically he was a mess. Not only was he going bald, but years of office work had given him a large pot belly. The last straw came when he asked a woman co-worker out on a date, and she all but laughed at him. That does it, he decided. I'm going to start a whole new regimen. He began attending exercise classes. He started working out with weights. He changed his diet. And he got an expensive hair transplant. In six months, he was a different man. Again, he asked his female co-worker out, and this time she accepted.
There he was, all dressed up for the date, looking better than he ever had. He stood poised to ring the woman's doorbell, when a bolt of lightning struck him and knocked him off his feet. As he lay there dying, he turned his eyes toward the heavens and said, "Why, God, why now? After all I've been through, how could you do this to me?"
From up above, there came a voice, "I’m sorry Bill. I didn't recognize you."
Our first reading today introduces some of the prophet Isaiah's most famous themes. He poetically dramatizes God’s detest of empty worship. If people will not live by the divine ethic, there worship is hypocrisy. Specifically Isaiah calls us all to: seek justice, rescue the oppressed, defend the orphan, and plead for the widow. In our modern way of speaking he is telling us to care for and champion people who have been pushed to the margins of society. Isaiah speaks mostly to the rulers or nobles of his day, but also to the entire populous. All share responsibility to right injustice and callousness of their day, as we do in our day.
The author of Hebrews uses the Abraham “Father of the Nation” to illustrate the importance of faith in and faithfulness towards God. Earlier he has urged his readers to recall the time after they were baptized. They had endured many hardships: public abuse, persecution and plundering of your possessions. He urges them to be like Abraham and not abandon their confidence in God. Christ will come again; keep your faith in him.
From Luke we heard Jesus urge us to not be afraid of God’s judgment or the day of our death. All who strive to live by God’s plan are beloved by God and need not fear God. We are citizens of Heaven. Jesus nuances God’s ethical call in different ways than Isaiah but they are deeply complimentary. We are to avoid an over-attachment to possessions and share what we have with the needy. We are also to emphasize your relationship with God, integrity with God is lasting, but wealth ends with the grave. In short, be loyal and prepared servants of the Creator.
These readings pick up where our readings from last week leave off. Last week we were called to keep our priorities straight, not letting the demands of this world blind us to our place in the next. Now we hear more details about what that really means. 1, live by God’s ethical standards not those of this world; 2, keep the faith through good times and bad; 3, don’t be afraid of the end (God truly does love you) rather be prepared for the end!
My sisters and brothers, let us take this to heart, not fearing our final day but using each day simply and honestly to be ready to meet the one who made us and cares for us.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Homily for Proper 13 C; August 1, 2010
There was a rich tycoon known only as Mr. Frump, who profited from hostile corporate takeovers, often evicted hundreds of people at once from their Manhattan apartments to make way for his building projects, and was known for his ruthless firing policies. He also cheated on his income taxes, and had no concern for the safety and welfare of his employees. Maximum profits was all the really cared about. Unlike other supper wealthy individuals he had no use for philanthropic endeavors, and was curt to any who would solicit his goodwill on behalf of the poor. He was a true living Scrooge!
The only remotely charitable act he did was really self-serving. He was in a hurry to get to a meeting, and on his way he gave a paper boy a dollar bill for a 50-cent newspaper. Not wanting to wait for the boy to fish out the other 50 cents, he briskly said, "Don't worry about it. Keep it."
Mr. Frump finally died and found himself before the pearly gates. Having been used to a sense of entitlement his whole life; he approached St. Peter and, rather presumptuously said, "Well, it's me! You can let me in now."
"Well, hold it just a second, here, Mr. Frump," replied St. Peter. "I'm looking in the books here, and it seems you've been a pretty greedy fella all your life. You've run people out of their homes, you've robbed even from the poor and you've made life miserable for everyone with whom you've had contact. Now, in light of that, can you think of any reason why I should let you into this holy place?"
Mr. Frump was in a panic. This was the first time he did not have the upper hand in a "negotiation," and this was for all the chips. In his panic, he grasped at the only straw available to him. "Well, once I gave a paper boy a dollar for a 50-cent newspaper, and told him to keep the change." St. Peter scratched his chin as he puzzled over this for a few seconds, and finally said, "I'd better run this one past the Boss. Wait right here."
Mr. Frump was on pins and needles as he waited. Finally, St. Peter returned. "Well?" St. Peter took his hand, placed two quarters in it, and said, "Jesus said to give you your 50 cents back and tell you to go to hell!"
My sisters and brothers let us never lose perspective on the greatest priorities in this life.
Qoheleth, author of our first reading, bemoans the shortness of human life and the truth than none of our labors on this earth bring us anything that is truly lasting. The superlative: Vanity of vanities is a Hebrew expression for a supreme degree of futility and emptiness. Ultimately the only lasting benefit to this life is making our way into the eternal reward of the next life. Christ paved the way for us and living by his way is the only work that has truly lasting value.
In our reading from Colossians we hear a similar message. Seek the blessings and joys of the spiritual life. For the joys and accomplishments of this life are temporary and corruptible. Being baptized, we are expected to conduct ourselves according to the ethics of Christ; we are to cast aside both sins of the body and of the mind. In particular we are to remove from ourselves even the class, economic, racial and other distinctions that are normal in this world. In Christ all are made new and share the dignity of Christ himself.
Today’s gospel parable of the wealthy farmer repeats the message. Jesus points out the futility of obsessively gathering wealth in this life. No pleasure in this world will last beyond the grave except one. Being richly worthy in the eyes of God!
My brothers and sisters, we must live now as is necessities of this world demand. That is we must work for a safe, responsible and reasonably enjoyable life. But we must also remember and strive for the life and values that are eternal. We must never let our priorities get out of order.
The only remotely charitable act he did was really self-serving. He was in a hurry to get to a meeting, and on his way he gave a paper boy a dollar bill for a 50-cent newspaper. Not wanting to wait for the boy to fish out the other 50 cents, he briskly said, "Don't worry about it. Keep it."
Mr. Frump finally died and found himself before the pearly gates. Having been used to a sense of entitlement his whole life; he approached St. Peter and, rather presumptuously said, "Well, it's me! You can let me in now."
"Well, hold it just a second, here, Mr. Frump," replied St. Peter. "I'm looking in the books here, and it seems you've been a pretty greedy fella all your life. You've run people out of their homes, you've robbed even from the poor and you've made life miserable for everyone with whom you've had contact. Now, in light of that, can you think of any reason why I should let you into this holy place?"
Mr. Frump was in a panic. This was the first time he did not have the upper hand in a "negotiation," and this was for all the chips. In his panic, he grasped at the only straw available to him. "Well, once I gave a paper boy a dollar for a 50-cent newspaper, and told him to keep the change." St. Peter scratched his chin as he puzzled over this for a few seconds, and finally said, "I'd better run this one past the Boss. Wait right here."
Mr. Frump was on pins and needles as he waited. Finally, St. Peter returned. "Well?" St. Peter took his hand, placed two quarters in it, and said, "Jesus said to give you your 50 cents back and tell you to go to hell!"
My sisters and brothers let us never lose perspective on the greatest priorities in this life.
Qoheleth, author of our first reading, bemoans the shortness of human life and the truth than none of our labors on this earth bring us anything that is truly lasting. The superlative: Vanity of vanities is a Hebrew expression for a supreme degree of futility and emptiness. Ultimately the only lasting benefit to this life is making our way into the eternal reward of the next life. Christ paved the way for us and living by his way is the only work that has truly lasting value.
In our reading from Colossians we hear a similar message. Seek the blessings and joys of the spiritual life. For the joys and accomplishments of this life are temporary and corruptible. Being baptized, we are expected to conduct ourselves according to the ethics of Christ; we are to cast aside both sins of the body and of the mind. In particular we are to remove from ourselves even the class, economic, racial and other distinctions that are normal in this world. In Christ all are made new and share the dignity of Christ himself.
Today’s gospel parable of the wealthy farmer repeats the message. Jesus points out the futility of obsessively gathering wealth in this life. No pleasure in this world will last beyond the grave except one. Being richly worthy in the eyes of God!
My brothers and sisters, we must live now as is necessities of this world demand. That is we must work for a safe, responsible and reasonably enjoyable life. But we must also remember and strive for the life and values that are eternal. We must never let our priorities get out of order.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Clergy Burnout discussed on NPR
If you did not catch "Talk of the Nation" today on your local public radio I recommend you pick up on the podcast/archive version. Clergy burn out was the topic and they did a great job with the topic!
Here is the link
Here is the link
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