Homily for Sept. 30, 2012: Proper 21 B

My sisters and brothers, we are called to grow in our Christian lives of virtue and ministry.  Resting on our past goodness or successes simply does not cut it.

Our first reading today, from the book of Esther, is the final coup in a very dangerous game of political intrigue and racial hatred.  There is a lot of back ground to the story.

King Ahasuerus (probably 486-464 BC) has banished his Queen Vashti for disobedience.  Esther is a Jewish orphan who was raised by her cousin Mordecai.  When the king seeks a new queen, Mordecai offers her as a candidate, without revealing that she is Jewish.  She is chosen.  Mordecai later discovers a plot to assassinate the king; he tells Esther, who tips off the king; winning his great appreciation.  After the foiled assassination plot the King names Haman his vizier (prime minister).  Haman is an arrogant fellow how deeply resents Mordecai for the favor he has from the king and manipulates the king into ordering the extermination of the Jews, for disrupting the harmony of the kingdom.  He keeps secret from the king that Mordecai is one of the Jews and none know that Esther is also.  Esther could have just laid low; she probably would have been missed by the executioners.  But, at Mordecai’s urging she stands up to champion her people and puts her neck on the line in the process. 

As Queen she actually did not have free access to the King.  Anyone who came into the King's presence uninvited ran the risk of being killed on the spot.  She showed up in his throne room dressed in her full royal regalia and when he extended to her the privilege of speaking to him she invited him to a banquet she planned in his honor.  Our story today picks up the matter during that dinner. 

When the King learns that some of his most trusted advisers (and his Queen) are part of the Jews being exterminated by Haman, he realizes the man’s treachery and condemns him instead; finally making Mordecai the next Vizier.  It is a great story of intrigue, loyalty and clever maneuvering.  The point of which is that God watches over and inspires his people even while they are oppressed captives in a foreign land. 

In our second reading James runs through a check list of items before closing his letter.  This text shows us the biblical roots of the sacrament of anointing the sick, also called Extreme Unction.  Christian Tradition has held onto James description of this sacramental gift and we still trust its effectiveness in for physical and spiritual illness. 

Today’s gospel is a rather convoluted collection of sayings some of which are a good illustration of way reading the bible literally is dangerous.  Although there have been noted individuals who have taken the “cut off your body parts” literally that is not what this text really means.  In retelling Jesus challenge to his disciples Mark is using the time honored literary tool of Exaggeration.  We do this in our every day speech and writing as well.  Exaggeration puts strong emphasis on the point being made.  The real message here is to be dedicated to growing in virtue and holiness, removing from your life (or keeping in control) the things that cause you to sin.  It is a strong warning for us that resting on our successes is not a good thing.  We are to be dedicated to continuously growing in Christian virtue and mission.  It is a lifelong process!  We must always ‘step up to the plate” (as Esther did in her place) when God calls us to work for his kingdom! 

The feast of St. Michael and all Angels

Today we celebrate the traditional Christian feast of St. Michael the Archangel and his companions whom we read about in the book of Revelation (12:1 – 12). In this archetypal story the evil one (who we later come to know as a fallen angel) is depicted as a dragon. This dragon tries to devour the Messiah and his birth. Thwarted, he and his followers (other fallen angels) enter into open warfare in heaven. Michael leads the other angels (who are loyal to God) into battle. They defeat this enemy and cast them out of heaven.

Today it is traditional to pray for and give our blessings to those who serve in law enforcement and the military. Below, the blessing prayer I will use at all our services this weekend. Please join me in praying for all who embrace of the vocation of standing between us and the evils of this world!

Blessing of Police and Military Personnel:  
Gracious God, in the scriptures we read of how you empowered the Archangel Michael and all angels to clear heaven of the evil one and his followers; bless these human beings as they serve our earthly society by standing between us and the evils of our day.  

Bless them with:
Courage in times of danger;
Patience in times of frustration;
Watchfulness in times of quiet;
Integrity in times of temptation;

Above all, dear God, keep them and all in the Military and Law Enforcement under your divine protection.  Fill them with your grace and let them always know of our gratitude for their service.  This we ask in your holy and ancient name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit +

Homily for September 22, 2012: Proper 20 B

 My sisters and brothers, to be great Christians we must focus our energies on those whose dignity is most abused or forgotten. 

In our first reading, the Prophet recognizes his enemies and prays for deliverance at the hands of God!  The plot against Jeremiah was instigated by his family and intimate friends.  Not all that different from Jesus being betrayed by one of his intimate disciples!

James has previously identified one sin commonly found in the community: intemperate speech. Now he seeks to correct a second: arrogance – and in the process, tells us the qualities of wisdom. His understanding of wisdom is like that of the Old Testament wisdom writers, and of Paul. If you live your life with “gentleness”, moderation, courtesy and humility (all qualities bound up in the same Greek word) then you are motivated by “wisdom.” 

But quarrels (“conflicts and disputes”) in the community show a lack of peace; they should be resolved. Are they not the result of conflicting inner urges (“cravings”)? The author gives two examples: murdering to gain what you do not have, and desiring something belonging to someone else. 

Ultimately he calls them to return to God.  To do this, they must “Submit … to God” and resist the devil’s influence.  God will not reject them but they must make the necessary effort. 

In our Gospel the disciples demonstrate the jealousy and competition that James preaches against.  To be great in the Kingdom of God, one must be peaceful and humble, respecting all (AKA, Wise). 

As you know, the disciples have been arguing over rank.  Jesus says, in effect: to be my disciple, you must abandon seeking positions and prestige.  To welcome a child “in my name” (because of regard for who and what I am) is to welcome me, and indeed God.  In Aramaic and Greek the word for “child” is the same as for servant, so one could also speak of welcoming a servant, one sent by his master.  If so, Jesus is saying: whoever receives the servant receives the master. Whoever receives a child receives Jesus, and whoever receives Jesus receives God, who sent him. Both child and servant are without status. They are unable to repay a kindness, in earthly terms. 

We humans do like our pecking orders, our signs of status, influence, etc.  Men and Women go about it very differently but we each experience the drive to have things our own way.  We each experience self-centeredness or egotism of some sort even though we act it out in very different ways.  The calling from God is to be “other centered.”  That is to lovingly and generously give of our selves rather than “take” for ourselves.  As Christians, we are to put the focus on those members of society who are the lowliest and most abandoned.  In our modern (American) society we have a certain base status, or individual rights, which are guaranteed by law.  However, we all know that if one is unable to defend those rights (fight back in some way) one can be grossly abused none the less.  In our society, we must focus on the people who are the most marginalized, who’ rights are most commonly abused or neglected.  They are the people without status in our society. 

Remember Jesus example from today’s gospel, children and servants were without legal standing or rights as we would say today.  Jesus is telling us that if we wish to be Great Christians we must put the focus on loving the lowliest and most abandoned of our society.  Those whose rights are most denied. 

“Jesus said to them, my wife…”

On September 18, 2012, the Harvard Divinity School issued a press release. They're announcing the discovery of a gospel fragment written on ancient papyrus in the Coptic language. Among the few readable lines on this fragment are the following: "Jesus said to them, my wife."

There are several points we need to be clear on in our discussions about this discovery. First, this is not a silly hoax or a ploy to attain notoriety. This fragment of a lost gospel has already been studied by serious scholars here in the United States and in Europe. They have found it authentic to the era and see no signs of fakery.

Second, it dates back between the years 150 and 200. This is well into the third generation after the time of Jesus. It cannot stand for us as an eyewitness account. It also cannot be dismissed as the idle musings of a later generation because the author could have recorded an accurate oral tradition; although that is unlikely. We simply do not know.

Third, Professor Karen King of Harvard University is being completely truthful when she says: "Christian tradition has long held that Jesus was not married, even though no reliable historical evidence exists to support that claim."  None of the New Testament authors talk about Jesus marital status, one way or the other. None of the non-biblical historical sources that have been discovered so far comment about his marital status. Once again we simply do not know.

To the best of my recollection, Prof. King is also correct in stating that the earliest texts proclaiming Jesus as single or celibate come to us from about the year 200 and the hand of Clement of Alexandria. This question was seriously debated during the era we are talking about and the newly discovered fragment simply represents the other side of that debate.

Here is a link to the actual news release on the Harvard website; there is a video on this webpage you can click on and watch. [Click Here]

And here is a link to some questions and answers about the fragment. [Click Here]

Homily for Transfiguration of Jesus Christ, Celebrated August 5, 2012

Today we celebrate the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ.  Today is not simply about celebrating a moment of revelation in which Jesus divinity was made clear to his disciples.  This event also includes the experience and example of Peter James and John who become an archetype for us.  They symbolically express how the presence of God in our lives can be both awe inspiring and transformative. 

Beginning with our story from the book of Exodus we see that Moses is transformed by the time he spends close to God.  The author expresses this transformation by describing the glowing or shining nature of Moses face.  Old Testament scholars will talk about this as expressing Moses privileged status as God's servant.  But I believe there's a deeper message for us Christians here, Moses as another archetypal example for the rest of us. 

In the second reading we heard today, the author (Peter) gives his testimony of hearing the voice of God declare Jesus as His Son!  In a sense reminiscing about the experience we hear of in today's gospel story.  He assures us of the reliability of the apostolic message by appeal to the transfiguration of Jesus in glory.  Here, as elsewhere, the New Testament insists on continued reminders as necessary to preserve the historical facts about Jesus and the truths of the faith; particularly that Jesus is the son of God. 

In the story we heard today of Jesus’ transfiguration, Moses and Elijah play a pivotal role.  They represent the Old Testament traditions of the law and the prophets; which acted as a counterbalance for each other.  At the end of this episode, the heavenly voice will identify Jesus as the one to be listened to now, Jesus fulfills both the law and the prophets and begins a completely new era of God's relationship with the human race.

Jesus transfiguration was a profound experience for the three disciples who were present.  Hearing from the tradition of Peter, we can see that it was held as a reality check or validation of Jesus' message and example.  It is also an illustration of how our lives will be transformed if we allow Christ to enter deeply into our spirit.  Just as it was a transformative experience for Peter James and John.  We will certainly not glow like Moses or like Jesus himself.  But, like Peter James and John we will be changed in gradual and yet noticeable ways.  We will become more tolerant of the irritating habits of others.  We will become more peaceful during times of stress; more thoughtful before taking action, i.e., we will become more Christ like.  We will even find that emotional and spiritual healing comes quicker after the many painful moments life in this world brings our way. 

My brothers and sisters let us take the example of Peter James and John deeply into our hearts and each day ask Christ to send us his transforming grace.

Homily for Proper 12 B, July 29, 2012

In our first reading today we heard about the Prophet Elisha and the multiplication of loaves.  As bible literature goes, this story sets the precedent for Jesus much larger miracle; feeding thousands. 

In our second reading Paul is following up last week’s message with a prayer for the Ephesians.  Because of his Gentile readers’ faith in the Lord Jesus, their love toward all the saints (God’s holy people) and sharers in the boundless riches of Christ; Paul encourages them not lose heart over his suffering.  He then prays to the Father, who is the source of life itself, for the Ephesians.  The prayer includes four petitions: inward strengthening through the Spirit; for the risen Jesus to be the grounding of their outward expression of love; that God may give them the power to understand the totality of Christ’s love; that they grow into full knowledge of God’s ways. 

The gospel stories we heard today are part of John’s plan to tell us about certain signs which he hopes will encourage belief, be a starting point for understanding Jesus, and recognizing Christ for who he is. 

In v.11, the word used to describe Jesus giving thanks is eucharistesas; many New Testament scholars see this as a deliberate reference to the Last Supper and the gift of the Eucharist.  A strong possibility since John’s telling of the Last Supper does not describe the sharing of the bread and wine.  John, in the second generation of Christians, already sees Eucharist has having power and implication which reach far beyond a finite moment of worship. 

Hunger and emptiness are themes that run through our lessons today, and God’s response to them.  Our world is a hungry place.  People are hungry for food, for jobs, for love, for care and for leadership that cares.  The list of our hunger goes on and on.  What the Bible knows is what we all know – our hungers include a spiritual void or emptiness.

We are hungry for God and that hunger is very real; yet people often deceive themselves into believing they can feed that void with other things such as food, money, fancy clothes, fancy cars, more technology, more stuff.  Accumulating so much stuff, stuff that some believe says something about whom and what they are – stuff that is somehow mistaken for who and what they are.  The more one define themselves by what they have (or consume), the more that still empty spiritual void hurts and the more we obsessively one acquires “cool stuff;” pushes excessive calories in their mouth or other dangerous substances…  The vicious cycle can even become self destructive, with over whelming credit card debt, diabetes from years of unhealthy diet, liver disease, etc. 

Our world has legitimate hunger also; many suffer from starvation or malnutrition.  We, like Jesus, have gifts to bring.  But, simple outreach, funds and foods to help the suffering don't go far enough.  We are also called to give the spiritual nourishment we have from Jesus.  To help fill that deeper void people experience.  Many in the US have neither adequate physical or spiritual food.  Others are bloated on many kinds of physical stuff but are starving deep inside for the presence of God.  It is our place to follow Jesus' example and reach out to provide support for both kinds of suffering; offering soup for the hungry and spirituality for the empty. 

Paul’s prayer today is a good reminder of the spiritual gift we each have to offer.  Both praying for others and teaching them how to pray!  Inviting them to the Lord’s Table, to read the Bible and join us in Christian community.  All these simple invitations and offers of spiritual support sound simple but lead to a profound gift in people’s lives. 

Homily for Proper 11 B, July 22, 2012

My sisters and my brothers we must embrace as Christ unity.

In the first lesson we heard today Jeremiah denounces the "shepherds" who have failed to protect God’s flock; Israel.  The poetic use of the plum line is much like our sayings about “putting it up to the yard stick” to see if “it measures up.”  The point being that God has found the leaders of his people to be doing a poor job and will provide some one better to take over the role. 

In our second lesson Paul describes how the former distinction between "the people of God" and everyone else has been destroyed in Christ.  Now all can be one as citizens of God's kingdom; those not born into the kingdom (not of Jewish ancestry) are no longer aliens but welcomed through Christ.  In him all are joined together and grow into a holy temple in the Lord!

This is one of the biblical roots of our Anglican idealism; the Middle Way.  In the beginning of the Anglican Church it was about Protestant versus Catholic.  It grew to include many people, from many cultures, from many theological perspectives, united by Christ at Christ’s own table. 

In the gospel lesson, Jesus’ reputation is beginning to spread.  He and his disciples are being inundated with those seeking miraculous healing.  The demand is so heavy that we see Jesus counseling his disciples to take some time away to rest and pray.  We must notice though, that Jesus is still compassionate, even when his plans to get some rest are thwarted. 

Paul's description of the unity we have in Christ.  Gentiles and Jews in the context of Paul’s day – liberals, conservatives and everyone else in our modern-day context is timely as we mark the close of The Episcopal Church’s 77^th General Convention.  As has been the case over the last six or nine years controversial issues were addressed in convention this year and decisions made which will be good news to some and bad news to others.

One of these is the question of the Anglican covenant, you may remember more than a year ago we took some time together to reflect on this, collect our reflections and send them on to our diocese.  Internationally the covenant has proven to be controversial enough that a number of provinces around the Anglican Communion have voted it down.  It no longer has any real value except as a bone of contention between those provinces and the ones who voted in favor.  Our GC basically tabled the matter.  This is a legislative maneuver that basically tells the world we are not going to make a decision, we are not going to choose sides, were just going to let this sit.  With refusing to take sides, our GC voiced the hope of staying in conversation with both sides.  As you can guess this may or may not work very well over the long haul.

Another issue that was given a great deal of time at convention is the formal restructuring of the Episcopal Church; particularly our internal governance.  Two sets of concerns drove this conversation: one, the simple pragmatic need to economize and streamline; two, the need to reorient and refocus ourselves on the mission God calls forth from all Christians.  The decision was to form a task force that will investigate alternative ways the church could be organized and make recommendations at the next convention in 2015.  This will of-course require long and hard work before a change comes but it is far wiser than making a precipitous decision. 

Finally, there was a long and passionate discussion about the approval of a trial ritual for the blessing of same gender unions.  At the previous convention, three years ago, the standing commission on liturgy was given the task of preparing these rituals and presenting them to this year's convention.  The final vote was substantially in favor of this ritual.  It's important we understand what this vote actually means.  Congregations are not forced to take action one way or the other nor are any Bishops.  A trial, experimental, ritual has simply been approved for use with the support of the local Bishop.  Final approval of this new ritual would not take place until after this trial period which will conclude with convention and 2015. 

I believe in the broadness and idealism of the Anglican tradition, i.e., there should be room in the house of Jesus for everyone; conservative and liberal alike.  I've spoken before about Scripture passages like the one we have today from Paul which described how the Christian faith should be open to all.  We do not get to play exclusive games "everybody must think the way I do" kinds of games.  Liberals do not get to force conservatives to take part in things they are not comfortable with and conservatives cannot get to hold back liberals from doing things they believe God is calling them to do.  Does this make us complicated and sometimes confusing and an aggravating church to be a member of?  Yes. 

We must remember the family of God is not about Jew versus Gentile, as was the controversy in Paul's day, nor about protestant versus catholic as in the early era of the Anglican Church.  It is also not about liberal versus conservative as is our present day.  The Christian faith, the Christian spiritual life and Christian community is about a life shared in Christ.  It is about the blessings we receive through Christ, it is about the life we are called to live in Christ and it is about sharing these gifts with the world around us.  No one has exclusive right to interpret the Bible only their way and no one has exclusive right to the body and blood of Christ.  If we are to live our Christian faith authentically we must begin with a clear awareness that the one God revealed by Jesus Christ showers rain and sunshine (blessings and forgiveness) upon us all!  We must embrace Christ as our unity!