Today’s Deuteronomy reading describes how God will replace Moses as spiritual leader of the people. Leading up to this, Moses has told them that they are not to indulge in magic as the Canaanites do; God demands complete loyalty and will not permit occult practices. Now God, through Moses, promises: to help them remain loyal by raising up a prophet (like Moses) from among the people.
In our reading from 1st Corinthians Paul is dealing with a major controversy about whether it is OK to eat meat that was offered to a pagan god. Paul's view is that since no other god exists but Jesus and his Father, how can one be upset by foods offered to idols. But, one is not to let this knowledge make them arrogant, that would be sinful. They are not to let this insight become a scandal for people of weaker hearts. You gain noting by eating such food and loose noting by abstaining from it. Paul's point is that members of a Christian community need to extend support to each other; not cause one another to fall.
Today's gospel story has many layers to it. Capernaum was a prosperous town on the Sea of Galilee. The Synagogue was the place people met to worship and study the Jewish faith. Anyone with sufficient knowledge could teach so an invitation opened to a new comer (in this case Jesus) was not uncommon. Most Rabi would quote scripture and even other teachers as a support for their teaching. Jesus impressed the people with his independent teachings. Jesus speaks directly, confident of his own "authority."
The "man with an unclean spirit" brings in one of Mark's themes, which will be repeated throughout his gospel: the secret or hidden Messiah. The devil, speaking through the man he has possessed, recognizes Jesus true identity and challenges his meddling in the domain of evil. He recognizes that Jesus' coming spells the end of the devil's power. Jesus silences him before he can reveal the secret. Wonder workers of the day healed using ritual or magic spells, but Jesus exorcises simply through verbal command.
Do we recognize his power for healing in our lives? Or is that something that only happed back in the bible days. Could God intervene in the natural order today and work mysterious things on our behalf? Dare we reach out for such miracles and still trust that God will do right by us even if our prayers are not answered the way we expected or wanted.....
Personally I believe that the power of modern medicine which removed the prostate cancer from me was one of God miraculous healing gifts to humanity. Perhaps the mysterious hand of God has been behind an amazing moment of healing in your life as well.....
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Homil for 3 Epiphany: January 22, 2012
We are called to be an example and a calling to others.
In our first reading, God relents against Nineveh because they repent after Jonah's half hearted preaching. The whole story is set in motion because Jonah hated the people of Nineveh. Earlier, in the story, God has called him to "go at once to Nineveh ... and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me" but he has tried to escape by sailing to the ends of the earth. God has punished him by having a large fish swallow him and we all remember how that story worked out. Obviously this is a mythological story, but it is one that teaches an important lesson. It illuminates the waywardness of Israel and God's all encompassing power. Also, it demonstrates God's freedom to favor whomever he chooses, even hated enemies of the past.
In our 1st Corinthians reading we get an explanation that we live in the era between Christ's first and second coming. This is the era in which God calls his church to bring as many as possible to believe in him and to follow his ways. This is an enormous task, and not one to be taken lightly, it requires maximum effort from a few. Paul expected the era to end in his own lifetime, so to him every minute of each day counted in a big way: time spent on other activities was time lost. Today we know that the last day will come in an unpredictable future and that our faithful stewardship includes a respectful calling of others. But not an all out rush!
Today's gospel story the Marks version of Jesus calling the first disciples. Just prior to this seen, Mark has just told us about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Now he returns to Galilee. His message begins with Athe time is fulfilled, that is, the time appointed by God, The kingdom of God has come near. With that He begins assembling his disciples. They immediately leave their previous occupations, and follow Jesus. The simplicity of these calling stories and the immediacy of the disciples' response are typical of this gospel. It demonstrates that the story telling is not meant to be historically accurate. Rather is an expression of faith in the power of Christ. These disciples owned nets and had employees, so they were people of means and rank; making their departure all the more dramatic. They gave up security and family to devote themselves to Christ's mission. This is a mark of conviction and dedication in any culture.
In theological terms we speak of the God's kingdom as being established but not fully or completely established. As Paul mentions to the Corinthians, Christ has come and will come again. In Paul's day Jesus' return was expected to be soon, with in their life-times. We know that it was not the case; the second coming has yet to happen. The kingdom is established, it is here, but it is not complete and that completion may yet be millennia away. In this era, we Christians are called on to be coworkers with Christ in building and completing the kingdom of God.
Spiritually this means that we must be open to the possibility that God will actually choose to work through us for the spiritual enrichment and salvation of another. Is that a spooky thought? But is it also a truth that expresses how much God values each and every one of us. Calling others to Christ (or preaching Christ) is much less about persuasive argument or catchy phrases than we think. St. Francis of Assisi is quoted by his followers as saying, "preach the gospel every day, and if you have to, you can use words." It’s really about whom we are and how we treat others.
There are several simple ways we can get out the word on what a great Christian life we share at St. Stephen's:
• We can each carry some cards to give away if and when the moment is appropriate.
• We can also use signage around our parish, we actually see a large of amount of traffic, many people know of the Golf Links - Foothills short cut.
• We can all make an ongoing effort to continue the warm and welcoming nature we have when new people come here in their search for a church.
• My sisters and brothers, in these kinds of simple ways, we answer the call of Christ.
In our first reading, God relents against Nineveh because they repent after Jonah's half hearted preaching. The whole story is set in motion because Jonah hated the people of Nineveh. Earlier, in the story, God has called him to "go at once to Nineveh ... and cry out against it; for their wickedness has come up before me" but he has tried to escape by sailing to the ends of the earth. God has punished him by having a large fish swallow him and we all remember how that story worked out. Obviously this is a mythological story, but it is one that teaches an important lesson. It illuminates the waywardness of Israel and God's all encompassing power. Also, it demonstrates God's freedom to favor whomever he chooses, even hated enemies of the past.
In our 1st Corinthians reading we get an explanation that we live in the era between Christ's first and second coming. This is the era in which God calls his church to bring as many as possible to believe in him and to follow his ways. This is an enormous task, and not one to be taken lightly, it requires maximum effort from a few. Paul expected the era to end in his own lifetime, so to him every minute of each day counted in a big way: time spent on other activities was time lost. Today we know that the last day will come in an unpredictable future and that our faithful stewardship includes a respectful calling of others. But not an all out rush!
Today's gospel story the Marks version of Jesus calling the first disciples. Just prior to this seen, Mark has just told us about Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Now he returns to Galilee. His message begins with Athe time is fulfilled, that is, the time appointed by God, The kingdom of God has come near. With that He begins assembling his disciples. They immediately leave their previous occupations, and follow Jesus. The simplicity of these calling stories and the immediacy of the disciples' response are typical of this gospel. It demonstrates that the story telling is not meant to be historically accurate. Rather is an expression of faith in the power of Christ. These disciples owned nets and had employees, so they were people of means and rank; making their departure all the more dramatic. They gave up security and family to devote themselves to Christ's mission. This is a mark of conviction and dedication in any culture.
In theological terms we speak of the God's kingdom as being established but not fully or completely established. As Paul mentions to the Corinthians, Christ has come and will come again. In Paul's day Jesus' return was expected to be soon, with in their life-times. We know that it was not the case; the second coming has yet to happen. The kingdom is established, it is here, but it is not complete and that completion may yet be millennia away. In this era, we Christians are called on to be coworkers with Christ in building and completing the kingdom of God.
Spiritually this means that we must be open to the possibility that God will actually choose to work through us for the spiritual enrichment and salvation of another. Is that a spooky thought? But is it also a truth that expresses how much God values each and every one of us. Calling others to Christ (or preaching Christ) is much less about persuasive argument or catchy phrases than we think. St. Francis of Assisi is quoted by his followers as saying, "preach the gospel every day, and if you have to, you can use words." It’s really about whom we are and how we treat others.
There are several simple ways we can get out the word on what a great Christian life we share at St. Stephen's:
• We can each carry some cards to give away if and when the moment is appropriate.
• We can also use signage around our parish, we actually see a large of amount of traffic, many people know of the Golf Links - Foothills short cut.
• We can all make an ongoing effort to continue the warm and welcoming nature we have when new people come here in their search for a church.
• My sisters and brothers, in these kinds of simple ways, we answer the call of Christ.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Homily for the Epiphany of our Lord (Transfered to Sunday Jan. 8, 2012)
My sisters and brothers, let us put Christ in the first place in our lives and keep all else in balance under his grace.
Our first reading today we see Isaiah=s prophecy of the Epiphany story. As familiar as it is, there are a few details that are worth noting. Darius, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem. Isaiah is basically telling the people to enjoy this event as a blessing from God. God is with them; their life in the city will reflect the presence and power (Glory) of God.
Most importantly for us today is the promise that many nations will seek the wisdom of God and come to pay homage to God in Jerusalem. We see this in the symbolic language “thus the wealth of Arabia will come to the city.”
One of the key elements of Matthew=s gospel is the demonstration that Jesus fulfills prophecies and is, undoubtedly, The One. In the Gospel story we just heard, Matthew illustrates his point about Jesus by relating how stories of his birth fulfill the prophecies of the anticipated Messiah.
You may know that we are not all that sure about just when Jesus was born; we do not know the actual day and can only make an educated guess as to the year. Our modern calendar was originally based on the birth year of Christ and time was counted forward from then. But, it’s off by several years.
When Matthew states, "In the time of King Herod," he sets a time for Jesus= birth in or before the year 4 B. C. E. We know this because The King Herod Matthew refers to (Herod the Great) died in 4 BC. So our calendar is off between 4 and 6 years.
"The Wise men" Matthew speaks of would have been members of a Persian caste of astrologers and interpreters of dreams. Astrology was widely accepted then. A star was commonly associated with each person, the way the star rose told the astrologers that a king had been born. The book of Numbers 24:17 24 prophesies that A "a star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel," and that this ruler will conquer surrounding nations. Once again, Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the one who truly fulfills prophecy.
As I mentioned, one of the key points of this prophecy and fulfillment is that foreigners came to recognize God=s presence in Israel and travel there seeking God out. The Gentiles are meant to receive the blessings of the messiah just as the Jewish people.
In our second lesson today, Paul is talking about how he dedicated his entire life to this mission. Paul sees the non-Jewish Christians, Gentiles, as equal in every way to the Jewish Christians. Paul calls them coheirs and co-members and co-partners in Christ.
This is a very important piece of our story today. It's not enough that we recognize that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah and Numbers; we must also recognize that in him the prophecy about foreigners seeking God and worshiping God is fulfilled. It was this awareness that led the early Christians to share the gospel with non-Jews. Paul ran hard with this idea and gave his life to the mission.
In our day and age we need to take to heart this call and remind ourselves that any prejudice is out of place in a Christian community. We are not of higher status because of our color, language, education, citizenship or ethnic heritage. It's not about Republican or Democrat, it’s not about view points or perspectives, insider knowledge or anything else that makes us different from one another. God has made us all in God's image and holds a place at the table in heaven for each of us. Because the early Jewish Christians were not elitists, and did not hold the gospel to themselves, neither can we. It is our responsibility to lay out the welcome mat for all who seek Christ in an authentic way and wish to share in God=s Word and Sacraments with us. In this way we put Christ first and keep all else in his graced balance. It is in this way that we follow the example of our ancestors in faith.
Our first reading today we see Isaiah=s prophecy of the Epiphany story. As familiar as it is, there are a few details that are worth noting. Darius, King of Persia, has permitted the people of Israel to return to Jerusalem. Isaiah is basically telling the people to enjoy this event as a blessing from God. God is with them; their life in the city will reflect the presence and power (Glory) of God.
Most importantly for us today is the promise that many nations will seek the wisdom of God and come to pay homage to God in Jerusalem. We see this in the symbolic language “thus the wealth of Arabia will come to the city.”
One of the key elements of Matthew=s gospel is the demonstration that Jesus fulfills prophecies and is, undoubtedly, The One. In the Gospel story we just heard, Matthew illustrates his point about Jesus by relating how stories of his birth fulfill the prophecies of the anticipated Messiah.
You may know that we are not all that sure about just when Jesus was born; we do not know the actual day and can only make an educated guess as to the year. Our modern calendar was originally based on the birth year of Christ and time was counted forward from then. But, it’s off by several years.
When Matthew states, "In the time of King Herod," he sets a time for Jesus= birth in or before the year 4 B. C. E. We know this because The King Herod Matthew refers to (Herod the Great) died in 4 BC. So our calendar is off between 4 and 6 years.
"The Wise men" Matthew speaks of would have been members of a Persian caste of astrologers and interpreters of dreams. Astrology was widely accepted then. A star was commonly associated with each person, the way the star rose told the astrologers that a king had been born. The book of Numbers 24:17 24 prophesies that A "a star shall come out of Jacob, a scepter shall rise out of Israel," and that this ruler will conquer surrounding nations. Once again, Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the one who truly fulfills prophecy.
As I mentioned, one of the key points of this prophecy and fulfillment is that foreigners came to recognize God=s presence in Israel and travel there seeking God out. The Gentiles are meant to receive the blessings of the messiah just as the Jewish people.
In our second lesson today, Paul is talking about how he dedicated his entire life to this mission. Paul sees the non-Jewish Christians, Gentiles, as equal in every way to the Jewish Christians. Paul calls them coheirs and co-members and co-partners in Christ.
This is a very important piece of our story today. It's not enough that we recognize that Jesus fulfills the prophecies of Isaiah and Numbers; we must also recognize that in him the prophecy about foreigners seeking God and worshiping God is fulfilled. It was this awareness that led the early Christians to share the gospel with non-Jews. Paul ran hard with this idea and gave his life to the mission.
In our day and age we need to take to heart this call and remind ourselves that any prejudice is out of place in a Christian community. We are not of higher status because of our color, language, education, citizenship or ethnic heritage. It's not about Republican or Democrat, it’s not about view points or perspectives, insider knowledge or anything else that makes us different from one another. God has made us all in God's image and holds a place at the table in heaven for each of us. Because the early Jewish Christians were not elitists, and did not hold the gospel to themselves, neither can we. It is our responsibility to lay out the welcome mat for all who seek Christ in an authentic way and wish to share in God=s Word and Sacraments with us. In this way we put Christ first and keep all else in his graced balance. It is in this way that we follow the example of our ancestors in faith.
Monday, January 2, 2012
Homily for January 1, 2012
Our Parish's feast day, St. Stephen, fell on the Monday after Christmas. This year we exercised the option of celebrating it on the Sunday following Christmas which was January 1. My homily from that celebration follows:
Today we are celebrating the life and example of our patron saint, Stephen. His name means crown. Rather poetically fitting since he was the first to receive the martyr=s crown, having been killed by a crowed who were opposed to his preaching.
In our first lesson, Jeremiah speaks against the people of Jerusalem and the Temple. The people are sinning against God and and the prophet warns them that God will destroy them if they do not amend their ways.
Jeremiah's story is much like Stephen's. He speaks to the crowds and is rushed by them because they don't like his message. They plan to kill him but Jeremiah does manage to get away.
The story we heard form Acts, is part of a larger passage that recounts the progress of the Jerusalem community which includes a lengthy narrative regarding Stephen.
Stephen's defense is not a response to the charges made against him but takes the form of a discourse that reviews the fortunes of God's word to Israel and leads to a prophetic declaration: a plea for the hearing of that word as announced by Christ and now possessed by the Christian community. The charges that Stephen depreciated the importance of the temple and the Mosaic Law and elevated Jesus to a stature above Moses (Acts 6:13 14) were in fact true. Before the Sanhedrin, no defense against them was possible. Luke's account of Stephen's martyrdom and its aftermath shows how the major impetus behind the Christian movement passed from Jerusalem, where the temple and the law prevailed, to Antioch in Syria, where these influences were less pressing.
In today's Gospel we hear Jesus lamenting over the sins of Jerusalem. He remembers that the inhabitants (over many generations) have killed the prophets and turned their backs on God's messengers. Much as they did Jesus himself and the early Christian evangelists like Stephen.
Stephen was one of the first deacons of the Christian church. They were called and set aside to take charge of the charitable works of the church for its members. Because the Apostles were becoming overwhelmed by the size of the growing community, they asked the members to elect several individuals to help in the ministry of caring for the widows and orphans of the membership. Stephen's service went way beyond this basic commissioning. He was known as a great preacher and as a miracle worker.
If we are to follow this legacy of our patron in our lives of Christian service, we must become people who are engaged in the larger life of our community as well as the life of our parish. It means being of service to each other and to those outside our numbers. Caring for and helping out our neighbors. . .
Whether that means people who are sick or just having a hard time we are to help out with our time, talent and treasure. Most importantly it’s about caring and doing what can be done to help.
Stephen also gave us the example of being involved in the preaching ministry and from that starting point the ministry of deacons has grown to include the work at the Eucharist that we are most used to seeing. Once again, for us this it is a legacy. A legacy of dedication to worshiping God and doing so with great liturgy!
Although every community has room to grow in living its unique calling as a community of Christians, we need to take today to celebrate the great things that are getting done: the many charitable things we do for the people around us and the many ways we care for each other. Also, the growth and we are making in our prayer together, in music, and all the other parts of the service.
Today let us celebrate our patron and allow his example to call us forward into even greater examples of the Christian Life!
Today we are celebrating the life and example of our patron saint, Stephen. His name means crown. Rather poetically fitting since he was the first to receive the martyr=s crown, having been killed by a crowed who were opposed to his preaching.
In our first lesson, Jeremiah speaks against the people of Jerusalem and the Temple. The people are sinning against God and and the prophet warns them that God will destroy them if they do not amend their ways.
Jeremiah's story is much like Stephen's. He speaks to the crowds and is rushed by them because they don't like his message. They plan to kill him but Jeremiah does manage to get away.
The story we heard form Acts, is part of a larger passage that recounts the progress of the Jerusalem community which includes a lengthy narrative regarding Stephen.
Stephen's defense is not a response to the charges made against him but takes the form of a discourse that reviews the fortunes of God's word to Israel and leads to a prophetic declaration: a plea for the hearing of that word as announced by Christ and now possessed by the Christian community. The charges that Stephen depreciated the importance of the temple and the Mosaic Law and elevated Jesus to a stature above Moses (Acts 6:13 14) were in fact true. Before the Sanhedrin, no defense against them was possible. Luke's account of Stephen's martyrdom and its aftermath shows how the major impetus behind the Christian movement passed from Jerusalem, where the temple and the law prevailed, to Antioch in Syria, where these influences were less pressing.
In today's Gospel we hear Jesus lamenting over the sins of Jerusalem. He remembers that the inhabitants (over many generations) have killed the prophets and turned their backs on God's messengers. Much as they did Jesus himself and the early Christian evangelists like Stephen.
Stephen was one of the first deacons of the Christian church. They were called and set aside to take charge of the charitable works of the church for its members. Because the Apostles were becoming overwhelmed by the size of the growing community, they asked the members to elect several individuals to help in the ministry of caring for the widows and orphans of the membership. Stephen's service went way beyond this basic commissioning. He was known as a great preacher and as a miracle worker.
If we are to follow this legacy of our patron in our lives of Christian service, we must become people who are engaged in the larger life of our community as well as the life of our parish. It means being of service to each other and to those outside our numbers. Caring for and helping out our neighbors. . .
Whether that means people who are sick or just having a hard time we are to help out with our time, talent and treasure. Most importantly it’s about caring and doing what can be done to help.
Stephen also gave us the example of being involved in the preaching ministry and from that starting point the ministry of deacons has grown to include the work at the Eucharist that we are most used to seeing. Once again, for us this it is a legacy. A legacy of dedication to worshiping God and doing so with great liturgy!
Although every community has room to grow in living its unique calling as a community of Christians, we need to take today to celebrate the great things that are getting done: the many charitable things we do for the people around us and the many ways we care for each other. Also, the growth and we are making in our prayer together, in music, and all the other parts of the service.
Today let us celebrate our patron and allow his example to call us forward into even greater examples of the Christian Life!
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