5 Pentecost, Year C
1 Kings 19:15-16, 19-21
Galatians 5:1, 13025
Luke 9:51-62
It was a weekday afternoon and I received a call from the Mission Personnel Office in the Episcopal Church Center. This is the office responsible for sending foreign missionaries all over the world. The voice on the other end told me that they had a placement for me, "Cairo, EGYPT."
About a month prior to this phone call, I had a meeting with a representative from their office. I was very clear that I wanted to go to sub-Saharan Africa. I had romantic notions of living in a hut. After all, that is what missionaries do, right?
Cairo? I thought, "What is in Cairo? This is not what I had in mind." Don't you hate it when God does not comply with your plans? I told the Mission Personnel Office that I would have to think about and I would get back to them.
I could think of one thousand excuses NOT to go to Cairo. After my initial reaction, I found out I would be working with Sudanese refugees. I talked to some of my friends about my placement. I read about the civil war in Sudan. I began to re-orientate myself towards Cairo or rather God began to re-orientate me toward God's mission and not my own. A few days later I called the Mission Personnel Office and accepted my placement towards Cairo.
Sometimes the most difficult thing we can do as Christians is be willing to go where God leads us, willing to re-orientate ourselves towards God. It is not something that I always do.
In today's Gospel, Jesus had a mission. The lens through which we must view today's Gospel is easy to overlook. "He set his face to go to Jerusalem" This is the beginning of a journey, the eminent journey of Christ's suffering and death and then resurrection and ascension.
We are called to some places we may not want to go. God has a way of turning our sight to places we may not want to go or to be. Following God means that may find yourself in some pretty strange places. God is up to something and is inviting us all to join.
One important lesson I continue to learn in mission is that I am not in charge. It is God who extends the invitation and God who is in charge of the mission. Being open to God's mission means discerning where God is leading us, without our own expectations getting in the way. With this re-orientation, our mission is not a to-do list to remedy all the world's problems but rather begins with discernment on what God is calling us to do. We realize we are part of something beyond ourselves and we leave behind the delusion that this is dependent upon our performance. Our call to mission does not come from a sense of duty, rather from a sense of wondrous anticipation about what God has in store for us.
We realize we are NOT called to solve all the world's problems. We are called to participate in God's mission. For some this may mean burying your father AND following Jesus. We are called to constantly incorporate mission into our lives. This means not single-handedly ending hunger, but it may mean buying something for our food collection on Sundays. We are not responsible for clothing all the naked, but our mission may be to bring in clothes for one of our Southern Sudanese parishioners to take to Sudan. Mission work takes many forms.
After a few months in Cairo, I told my supervisor that I did not feel much like a missionary. I spent a lot of time talking to Sudanese refugees and drinking tea with them. My supervisor told me that is where mission work happens. It is the engaging with one another, in being present and sharing each other's stories. A large part of mission work is having tea.
I believe we are all called to be missionaries, whether in Cairo or at the corner of Temple and Chapel Streets. In mission work, it is not so much what we do, it is more about being present and open to where God is leading us. We are willing to show up and allow God to use us in whatever He sees we fit.
Woody Allen once said that 90% of life is showing up. I would say that at least 90% of mission work is showing up. My experience with most Episcopal churches is that we are moving farther away from our incarnational theology; that is that Jesus was in relation with us so we are called to be in relation with the world.
We are called not to be in relation through emails, text messages, iPhones, or even sending money. All are good things but cannot match physically engaging a problem.
The bishop of Haiti once told a group of Americans. "If you have $2,000, spend $1000 to come to Haiti and give $1000. If you have $1000, come to Haiti."
Not everyone is called to serve as a foreign missionary. The more difficult call is to serve as a domestic missionary. Wherever we go, we are called to be on the lookout for God.
God is up to something. Open your eyes to see God at work in the world. Open your ears to hear God calling. Discern what God is doing, then join God in that mission.
Amen.
Monday, July 9, 2007
June 24, 2007 - "Our Message To the World"
4 Pentecost, Proper 7, Year C
Zechariah 12:8-10; 13:1
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 9:18-24
I will never forget one of the first times I was visiting home from college and getting a haircut. The hairdresser asked me if I knew what I was going to major in yet. I replied, "Religious Studies." This prompted the inevitable question, "So what are you going to do with that?" With caution, I said, "I am thinking of becoming a priest" This was followed by a long awkward pause.... She gave me that look. The look as if she slowly wanted to back out of the room. She finally said, "Oh that's nice." The topic seemed to make her very uncomfortable. This was the first time I had ever had a negative reaction to me exploring the priesthood. This is also one of the first times I had told someone who was not a part of the church.
I would like to say that things changed when I was ordained, but there are still people who give me an unsure look when I am dressed in clerical collar or when my profession comes up. I remember riding the subways in New York in my clerical collar and feeling people staring at me.
Not all the reactions are negative, but I can safely say that it is not easy being a priest today; in fact, it is not easy to be a Christian these days.
We live in a world where the words "Christian" or "the Church" mean very different things to very different people. As a whole Christians send very mixed messages to the world. Christianity is a diverse religion with many differing views of the world. To many people with a negative view of Christianity, "Church" is all the same.
The first parish I worked at was in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City. I coordinated the Outreach Ministries of the parish. One ministry of the parish was a Saturday night program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth. Most of these youth were homeless, some were prostitutes, some were drug users and all were on the margins of society.
These youth hung out around the piers just a few blocks from the church. Every Saturday night, this church opened the doors of the church school to them and provided an art workshop and dance workshop, hot meal, and social workers.
I would put on my clerical collar each Saturday and show up at the program. I was beginning to wonder how effective my presence was there and whether I should wear a clerical collar or dress more casually. The Social Worker encouraged me to continue to wear my collar because it was important for these youth to see a representation of the church.
Then one day I realized just how important it was. A group of about 4 or 5 teenagers entered through the back door closest to the piers. I answered the door dressed in my clerical collar. I recognized the first couple of youth who entered, but the last youth in the door exclaimed, "Hold up, is this a church?" His friends exclaimed, "Uh, yeah" and proceeded to make their way through the door. The last youth then said with a skeptical voice, "I thought the Church hated us." My heart sank. I somehow had the sense to say, "Not this church."
This gay youth had been taught somewhere that the church hated him just because he was gay. Unfortunately, this lesson has been taught to other groups throughout church history. Women were told they could not teach or preach. People of color were told that the Bible justified their slavery. Even closer to home, these galleries above were once reserved for people of color and later for Yale students. The church has not always sent the best messages of who we really are.
The message of Paul's letter to the Galatians, "...in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." In Paul's time it was the Gentiles who stood on the margins of society and who he strived to have included in the Body of Christ.
The Church and the world have always had an interesting relationship. As Christians, we need to have a voice in the world. There are many people who claim to follow Jesus and who see taking up the cross as excluding those who do not fit their idea of what the church should be. The world needs to hear our voice as well.
In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" There are a variety of answers. Jesus knows who he is, but he still asks the question. He wants to know what people are saying about him, he wants to know what message he is sending to the world.
It is important in a relationship to listen and to ask questions. What message are we sending to the world? Do we know what the crowds are saying about us? Who do the crowds say the church is? What do those living in New Haven say about Trinity Church on the Green?
A few weeks ago, I visited my home parish in Virginia Beach to preach while the rector was on sabbatical. After the service a new couple came to me and asked me, "You are at Trinity on the Green in New Haven, right?" and I said, "Yes, do you know it?"
The woman replied, "Yes, our son worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital and we attended with him when we were in town. I remember when we entered the church there was a homeless man directly in front of us. He was handed a bulletin and shown to his seat just as cordially as we were."
That is the Trinity Church that I have come to know; Trinity is a place where all are welcome. Trinity is a place where we invite all to come as they are, a place that strives to welcome all who enter their doors. This is a message that the world desperately needs to hear.
I am sure there are others that have a different impression of us. Maybe they know of our great music program, maybe of our outstanding preaching, or maybe it is just that pretty stone church on the Green. It is our job to tell them what Trinity really is.
St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words." Sometimes it is necessary to use words, sometimes we need to verbalize our stories; to verbalize what the church is to us. It is one thing to hang a banner outside a church, but it quite another to hear it from a person.
It is not easy to be a Christian these days. People may look at us a little funny or not understand why we do the things we do. People may not understand why we are so committed to God and to this Church. We live a world where the Church sends mixed messages and these messages have wounded countless people.
Part of following Jesus is committing to heal these wounds. It could be as simple as treating someone on the margins just as you would like to be treated. It could mean taking a risk and telling people what Trinity is to you.
What does the world say about Trinity on the Green? What do you say to the world?
Amen.
Zechariah 12:8-10; 13:1
Galatians 3:23-29
Luke 9:18-24
I will never forget one of the first times I was visiting home from college and getting a haircut. The hairdresser asked me if I knew what I was going to major in yet. I replied, "Religious Studies." This prompted the inevitable question, "So what are you going to do with that?" With caution, I said, "I am thinking of becoming a priest" This was followed by a long awkward pause.... She gave me that look. The look as if she slowly wanted to back out of the room. She finally said, "Oh that's nice." The topic seemed to make her very uncomfortable. This was the first time I had ever had a negative reaction to me exploring the priesthood. This is also one of the first times I had told someone who was not a part of the church.
I would like to say that things changed when I was ordained, but there are still people who give me an unsure look when I am dressed in clerical collar or when my profession comes up. I remember riding the subways in New York in my clerical collar and feeling people staring at me.
Not all the reactions are negative, but I can safely say that it is not easy being a priest today; in fact, it is not easy to be a Christian these days.
We live in a world where the words "Christian" or "the Church" mean very different things to very different people. As a whole Christians send very mixed messages to the world. Christianity is a diverse religion with many differing views of the world. To many people with a negative view of Christianity, "Church" is all the same.
The first parish I worked at was in the heart of Greenwich Village in New York City. I coordinated the Outreach Ministries of the parish. One ministry of the parish was a Saturday night program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender youth. Most of these youth were homeless, some were prostitutes, some were drug users and all were on the margins of society.
These youth hung out around the piers just a few blocks from the church. Every Saturday night, this church opened the doors of the church school to them and provided an art workshop and dance workshop, hot meal, and social workers.
I would put on my clerical collar each Saturday and show up at the program. I was beginning to wonder how effective my presence was there and whether I should wear a clerical collar or dress more casually. The Social Worker encouraged me to continue to wear my collar because it was important for these youth to see a representation of the church.
Then one day I realized just how important it was. A group of about 4 or 5 teenagers entered through the back door closest to the piers. I answered the door dressed in my clerical collar. I recognized the first couple of youth who entered, but the last youth in the door exclaimed, "Hold up, is this a church?" His friends exclaimed, "Uh, yeah" and proceeded to make their way through the door. The last youth then said with a skeptical voice, "I thought the Church hated us." My heart sank. I somehow had the sense to say, "Not this church."
This gay youth had been taught somewhere that the church hated him just because he was gay. Unfortunately, this lesson has been taught to other groups throughout church history. Women were told they could not teach or preach. People of color were told that the Bible justified their slavery. Even closer to home, these galleries above were once reserved for people of color and later for Yale students. The church has not always sent the best messages of who we really are.
The message of Paul's letter to the Galatians, "...in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith...There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise." In Paul's time it was the Gentiles who stood on the margins of society and who he strived to have included in the Body of Christ.
The Church and the world have always had an interesting relationship. As Christians, we need to have a voice in the world. There are many people who claim to follow Jesus and who see taking up the cross as excluding those who do not fit their idea of what the church should be. The world needs to hear our voice as well.
In today's Gospel lesson, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do the crowds say that I am?" There are a variety of answers. Jesus knows who he is, but he still asks the question. He wants to know what people are saying about him, he wants to know what message he is sending to the world.
It is important in a relationship to listen and to ask questions. What message are we sending to the world? Do we know what the crowds are saying about us? Who do the crowds say the church is? What do those living in New Haven say about Trinity Church on the Green?
A few weeks ago, I visited my home parish in Virginia Beach to preach while the rector was on sabbatical. After the service a new couple came to me and asked me, "You are at Trinity on the Green in New Haven, right?" and I said, "Yes, do you know it?"
The woman replied, "Yes, our son worked at Yale-New Haven Hospital and we attended with him when we were in town. I remember when we entered the church there was a homeless man directly in front of us. He was handed a bulletin and shown to his seat just as cordially as we were."
That is the Trinity Church that I have come to know; Trinity is a place where all are welcome. Trinity is a place where we invite all to come as they are, a place that strives to welcome all who enter their doors. This is a message that the world desperately needs to hear.
I am sure there are others that have a different impression of us. Maybe they know of our great music program, maybe of our outstanding preaching, or maybe it is just that pretty stone church on the Green. It is our job to tell them what Trinity really is.
St. Francis of Assisi said, "Preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words." Sometimes it is necessary to use words, sometimes we need to verbalize our stories; to verbalize what the church is to us. It is one thing to hang a banner outside a church, but it quite another to hear it from a person.
It is not easy to be a Christian these days. People may look at us a little funny or not understand why we do the things we do. People may not understand why we are so committed to God and to this Church. We live a world where the Church sends mixed messages and these messages have wounded countless people.
Part of following Jesus is committing to heal these wounds. It could be as simple as treating someone on the margins just as you would like to be treated. It could mean taking a risk and telling people what Trinity is to you.
What does the world say about Trinity on the Green? What do you say to the world?
Amen.
June 10, 2007 - "It's All About Me"
2 Pentecost, Year C
1 Kings 17:17-24
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17
My mother gave me a large coffee mug with the words... "It's all about me" blazoned across the front. Um...gee Mom, thanks. Like most people, this cup is appropriate for me in many ways. From time to time, I fall into the sin of self-centeredness. I like to think that it is all about me. So whenever I use this coffee mug, I have this reminder to tell myself that it is actually not all about me.
We all need these reminders because we live in a world that promotes the individual or one's own self-interests over almost everything. "It's all about me" is not just printed on coffee cups; it is imprinted on the fabric of our society. I would like to say that this is a recent phenomenon, but that would be naïve. Seeing beyond one's own self-interest is something that God's creation has always struggled with throughout history.
It is true that God loves us each as individuals and knows us each so intimately as to know the number of hairs on our head, but it is because of this love that He constantly calls us to look beyond our own selfish desires. Scripture reminds again and again that is not all about me.
I have heard that anyone who joins one of our choirs soon realizes that it is not "all about him or her." When a good choir sings in unison, you cannot pick out one voice. Each member sings his or her part and the sound produced is always greater than just one individual.
Christ shows us that we are not alone, but a part of a larger community, a community called to do great things. We are called to do great things not for ourselves, but for all of God's Creation. Archbishop William Temple once wrote, "The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members." Christianity, at its best, opens our eyes to all that is around us. It shows us a world that is in need of love and action.
Unfortunately, it often takes a lot for us to realize God's call to look beyond ourselves.
I knew of a church on the outskirts of Chicago named All Saints. A few years ago, a female priest was asked by the bishop to close All Saints. This once healthy and vibrant church had dwindled to about thirty people on a Sunday. The newly appointed rector had a different idea than the bishop. After being at All Saints for a few weeks, she remarked, "it was so close to death, that you could smell resurrection."
Resurrection is around almost every corner, if we are open to it. Instead of closing the church, she seized the opportunity for resurrection. She took a risk; a risk on resurrection, and this risk paid off. This little church stopped looking inwards towards its own death, and started looking outward towards new life. All Saints' Church began to grow. They opened a food pantry, now one of the busiest in Chicago, and their attendance continues to grow. Resurrection became a reality.
In today's gospel lesson, Jesus interrupts a large crowd gathered for a funeral procession. The crowd is gathered in mourning. As they process to bury their friend and son, a resurrection moment occurs. Jesus raises the dead. God can appear in what often seems to be the unlikeliest of places and times. God is full of surprises, so much so that it often takes a community to recognize these resurrection moments. What was a moment of mourning for this community became a moment of joy.
We need to share our moments of resurrection; our moments of how God works in our lives. Jesus' actions caused people to spread the word throughout all Judea and the surrounding country. While we may not have witnessed bodily resurrection, we have experienced God working in our lives. We have hopefully experienced moments of sadness turn into moments of joy. Resurrection comes in many forms.
Can we smell resurrection? God is amongst us and is working through us. What are we doing about it? Right now, we are not in danger of closing our doors. We are not in danger of dying. However, I can still smell resurrection. In every community there is opportunity for renewal. It is easy to join the funeral procession towards self-interest and the "it's all about me" mentality.
God calls us individually to a community that looks beyond the self. Most of the world is so consumed with themselves, that they cannot even see the opportunities for resurrection.
I have been at Trinity almost six months now. I have seen many moments of resurrection, moment where God is working in our lives. Each week, we all gather, to remind each other that resurrection is possible. Each week we are reminded of a God who cares for us and loves us.
Each week, we gather not to drink from this cup (coffee mug), but from a cup that calls us to action. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we all drink from one cup, a cup that reminds us of a love that surpasses all human understanding. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, I can smell resurrection. It is in this place that I get my greatest reminder that it is not all about me, but rather God is all about us.
Amen.
1 Kings 17:17-24
Galatians 1:11-24
Luke 7:11-17
My mother gave me a large coffee mug with the words... "It's all about me" blazoned across the front. Um...gee Mom, thanks. Like most people, this cup is appropriate for me in many ways. From time to time, I fall into the sin of self-centeredness. I like to think that it is all about me. So whenever I use this coffee mug, I have this reminder to tell myself that it is actually not all about me.
We all need these reminders because we live in a world that promotes the individual or one's own self-interests over almost everything. "It's all about me" is not just printed on coffee cups; it is imprinted on the fabric of our society. I would like to say that this is a recent phenomenon, but that would be naïve. Seeing beyond one's own self-interest is something that God's creation has always struggled with throughout history.
It is true that God loves us each as individuals and knows us each so intimately as to know the number of hairs on our head, but it is because of this love that He constantly calls us to look beyond our own selfish desires. Scripture reminds again and again that is not all about me.
I have heard that anyone who joins one of our choirs soon realizes that it is not "all about him or her." When a good choir sings in unison, you cannot pick out one voice. Each member sings his or her part and the sound produced is always greater than just one individual.
Christ shows us that we are not alone, but a part of a larger community, a community called to do great things. We are called to do great things not for ourselves, but for all of God's Creation. Archbishop William Temple once wrote, "The church is the only organization that exists for the benefit of its non-members." Christianity, at its best, opens our eyes to all that is around us. It shows us a world that is in need of love and action.
Unfortunately, it often takes a lot for us to realize God's call to look beyond ourselves.
I knew of a church on the outskirts of Chicago named All Saints. A few years ago, a female priest was asked by the bishop to close All Saints. This once healthy and vibrant church had dwindled to about thirty people on a Sunday. The newly appointed rector had a different idea than the bishop. After being at All Saints for a few weeks, she remarked, "it was so close to death, that you could smell resurrection."
Resurrection is around almost every corner, if we are open to it. Instead of closing the church, she seized the opportunity for resurrection. She took a risk; a risk on resurrection, and this risk paid off. This little church stopped looking inwards towards its own death, and started looking outward towards new life. All Saints' Church began to grow. They opened a food pantry, now one of the busiest in Chicago, and their attendance continues to grow. Resurrection became a reality.
In today's gospel lesson, Jesus interrupts a large crowd gathered for a funeral procession. The crowd is gathered in mourning. As they process to bury their friend and son, a resurrection moment occurs. Jesus raises the dead. God can appear in what often seems to be the unlikeliest of places and times. God is full of surprises, so much so that it often takes a community to recognize these resurrection moments. What was a moment of mourning for this community became a moment of joy.
We need to share our moments of resurrection; our moments of how God works in our lives. Jesus' actions caused people to spread the word throughout all Judea and the surrounding country. While we may not have witnessed bodily resurrection, we have experienced God working in our lives. We have hopefully experienced moments of sadness turn into moments of joy. Resurrection comes in many forms.
Can we smell resurrection? God is amongst us and is working through us. What are we doing about it? Right now, we are not in danger of closing our doors. We are not in danger of dying. However, I can still smell resurrection. In every community there is opportunity for renewal. It is easy to join the funeral procession towards self-interest and the "it's all about me" mentality.
God calls us individually to a community that looks beyond the self. Most of the world is so consumed with themselves, that they cannot even see the opportunities for resurrection.
I have been at Trinity almost six months now. I have seen many moments of resurrection, moment where God is working in our lives. Each week, we all gather, to remind each other that resurrection is possible. Each week we are reminded of a God who cares for us and loves us.
Each week, we gather not to drink from this cup (coffee mug), but from a cup that calls us to action. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, we all drink from one cup, a cup that reminds us of a love that surpasses all human understanding. Each time we celebrate the Eucharist, I can smell resurrection. It is in this place that I get my greatest reminder that it is not all about me, but rather God is all about us.
Amen.
April 1, 2007 - "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
Sunday of the Passion
Palm Sunday, Year C
Isaiah 52:13 - 53:12
Philippians 2:5-11
Luke 23:1-49
Psalm 22:1-21
"You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you just might find you get what you need." This is the gospel according to the Rolling Stones. It is something that I have had to learn over and over again. We think we know what we want, but we often don't know what we need.
Today we started out today's service with a triumphal welcome of the king. We greet our messiah, the one who has come to save us. We will end this service with a reading of the passion or the trial and death of our messiah. The same people who lay the palms at the feet of Jesus are the same people who yell, "Crucify him" and then stand at the foot of the cross.
It almost seems ridiculous that this happened in such a short time. So ridiculous that we often want to think those people could not be like us. We would never do something like that, would we?
Palm Sunday forces us to realize we could do this. When we reenact the passion, it is the entire congregation who is charged with yelling, "Crucify him." Liturgy compels us to look at ourselves in ways we may not even want to see ourselves. As followers of Christ, we are forced to look at what we need versus what we desire.
The crowd yearned for a savior who would rescue them and deliver them from Roman occupation. They wanted someone who would make them feel real good real fast. It is tempting to try and make God do what you want.
So often, we become like those standing at the foot of the cross; we taunt God to demonstrate his mighty power at our command. They said it this way: "You who would destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross."
We say something like, "If you love me, God, lift this burden from me," or "You who are so powerful, why won't you just give me a little help?"
But God rarely responds with a quick fix for our problems. And God does not make bargains with us. God's saving help does come to us when we really need it - but not necessarily when we think we need it.
The people of Jerusalem wanted freedom from Roman occupation and what they needed and received was freedom from death.
Holy Week forces us to deal with the reality of the cross and the resurrection. We may not want to enter into the shadows of Good Friday, but we are called to experience the entire journey to the destination of Easter. We, unlike the original followers of Jesus, have the benefit of knowing the light of Easter is coming.
Through the services of Holy Week we are given a mirror to our own true selves. We are compelled to look at our entire selves.
Like Jesus, we give ourselves up to death, so that we, too, are resurrected. We die to sin, to selfish ways, to all that has held us captive. We let go of our need to control, of our anger and our envy, of our intemperate love of power, status, and wealth. We make this journey every year because we, as a community, need to be reminded of where we have been to know where we are going.
We look to what we truly need, and we rediscover what we already have been given. So let us once again muster the courage to look into the face of death this Holy Week and travel the entire journey. For then and only then can we genuinely say, "Father, into your hands I commend my spirit."
Amen.
March 18, 2007 - "Inviting Siblings to the Feast" - "Inviting Siblings to the Feast"
4 Lent, Year C
Joshua 4:19-5:9-12
2 Corinthians 5:17-21
Luke 15:11-32
I have to admit, I have always felt that the older son gets a raw deal in this story. I mean after all he is the one who stays behind, who remains faithful; he did all that his father asked. I think it would be hard for me to hold my tongue, if my brother returned from squandering what had been given to him.
I don't think you have to be in church a very long time to slip into the mindset of the older brother. In fact, I am willing to bet that the older brother was one of the first Episcopalians. If we are lucky, younger brothers come to us. We do not know their stories. We do not know where they have been or what they have done, and we really don't need to know. Something has brought them here to us. Something has brought them home. Our job is to welcome them with open arms and open minds.
Although, instead of killing a fatted calf and rejoicing, Episcopalians often have a way of being skeptical of our younger brothers. We all too often send inhospitable messages without even knowing it.
I know a priest who was rector of a church in California. After being there a few weeks, he noticed that the liturgy really began before he even arrived. People would gather in the parish hall over a cup of coffee and then about five minutes before the service, they would all enter in the door beside the pulpit. He always wondered why people never entered through the front doors. He finally went to the front doors shortly before the service and noticed they were locked. When he questioned the senior warden about this, the warden remark, "Oh, everyone knows to enter in the back door."
While many churches do not go as far as locking the front doors, we may place other barriers without even realizing it. Breaking into a new community is never easy, and it is different for each person.
We Episcopalians, like every community, have our own customs. We even have our own language; most of it is in Latin or in acronyms, like ECW, sacristy, narthex, and so on. Then you have to know all the moves: stand, sit, kneel. Being an Episcopalian may be viewed as complex. What is second nature to longtime Episcopalians can be off-putting for many newcomers and visitors.
Coming home may be difficult. In my first few months at Trinity, I have noticed some very concrete ways we are seeking to invite everyone back home: people seeking out new faces and inviting them to coffee hour, the warm smile of an usher at the door, free parking, and making our worship more accessible.
Part of my position is new member ministry. The mere fact that Trinity, one of the largest parishes in the diocese and in New Haven, is willing to hire a priest to attract more people speaks volumes.
However, we still have ways we can improve our welcome. We still have room at the feast. We still have pews that need to be filled. God calls us to examine the ways in which we still play the role of the older sibling; it is so easy to do. We must be willing to welcome all into our community. We must be willing to share all that we have with all that we meet. God calls us to constantly look at new ways we can reach people.
One of the latest church buzz words is "radical hospitality." Hospitality had to become radical because there are far too many places in the world where exclusivity is the norm. In fact the more exclusive it is, the more popular it is. That fantastic restaurant that no one can get reservations for, gated communities, country clubs. Exclusivity is not always a bad thing, but it has no place in church.
As a community following Christ, we cannot expect people to find the back door to the church. God calls us to fling our doors open to all who want to come home.
This may mean we will have to make personal sacrifices. The older brother thought things were going pretty well without his younger brother. Then all of a sudden the circumstances changed. He was forced to share, and worse of all there was a drastic change.
I can almost hear the older brother exclaiming the same words echoed throughout many a church, "but, we've always done it this way." We as a community have been willing to try new things, and we must continue to push ourselves to explore new ways to open our doors for others. This may mean stepping aside to allow new leaders to find their ministry or inviting a new member to serve on your committee. As the priest for new member ministry, I need your help to explore more concrete ways that we can reach out to those who are hungry for a place like Trinity.
If we are lucky, they will come to us. A more likely situation is that we will have to invite them to the feast. God calls us to invite all our brothers and sisters to the feast that He has prepared for them, there is plenty to share.
Whatever brought you to Trinity, you have found your home. We are now charged with inviting more to join us. The reading from Corinthians charges us to be "ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us." God extends the invitation through you. Are we willing to invite everyone into our family?
There is a story of a rabbi asking his students, "How do you know that the light has overcome the darkness and dawn is approaching?" One student said, "When you can tell the difference between a cow and a deer in the distance, then the dawn is approaching." Another student replied, "When you can tell the difference between an apple blossom and a pear blossom, then the dawn is approaching." The rabbi said, "When you can recognize the face of anyone approaching as your sister or your brother, then the dawn is approaching."
Brothers and sisters, the darkness is being overcome and the dawn is approaching. Open your eyes. Open the doors. God has called us to the feast, who are we bringing with us?
Amen.
February 25, 2007- "Tempted to Take the Easy Way"
2 Lent, Year C
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91
Romans 10:5-13
Luke 4:1-13
With this being Lent and being my first sermon here at Trinity, I thought I would start out my sermon with a confession... I am not your typical Episcopalian. I grew up virtually un-churched until age 15, when I was baptized. I remember going out for lunch the day of my baptism and my mom asking me, in front of family and friends, whether I felt any different. I paused for a moment and said, "No, not really." It is funny, but I did expect to feel a little different. However, this was the first step in my journey, a journey that I had no idea where it would take me, for that matter, where it is going to take me in the future.
The passage before the gospel we read today tells of Jesus' baptism. This marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Gospels tell of a voice coming down from heaven declaring Jesus as God's Son and then what happens... How does Jesus begin his public ministry? What is Jesus' first act as the Son of God? He goes off into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray.
This is where today's gospel lesson picks up. It is referred to commonly as the temptation of Christ. This is one of the best examples of the humanity and divinity of Jesus colliding. Most Christians have no problem with the divinity of Jesus or the humanity of Jesus. As Christians we claim Jesus is fully human and fully divine. Since the beginning of Christianity, we have struggled with what that statement means.
Temptation is an unavoidable part of humanity. We often demonize temptation. Most of us have seen the cartoons with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. However, temptation is much more complicated than good versus evil.
Temptation is complicated because it is so hard to recognize. Temptation usually involves being tempted by good things. Most of us are able to recognize the extreme evil around us. However, what gets most of us in trouble is when we think we are doing the right thing or the good thing and it turns out to be the complete opposite. We also can take something good and use it in the wrong way.
We see that in today's gospel lesson. Christ is tempted by three things: ending suffering, power, and security. These of themselves are not bad things; however, Satan tries to tempt Jesus to misuse them.
Satan, or Jesus' opposition, first tries to tempt Christ with meeting his basic need for food; to go without food causes suffering. However, to meet his bodily comfort means that he would reject a condition set by God, that is, that we as humans are vulnerable to starvation. To be fully human is to know how fragile we are. We cannot live by bread alone, but we cannot live without it either. We need to feed ourselves, but we are called to also feed others.
We still live in a world where people die from starvation. It must have been tempting for Jesus to want to make his mission about satisfying all the human needs of the entire world in one dramatic gesture. Jesus could have set out to simply clothe the naked and feed the hungry in one single act. For whatever reason he chose not to; he chose not to change the created world. He chose to continue his journey.
The reality is, we still live in a world where some people have bread and others do not. Christ did show us through the rest of his ministry that being human does not mean God calls us to suffer. For alleviating suffering is a good thing; however, giving someone a loaf of bread only begins to address the problem. We must take the next steps to help a person provide for their entire life.
Christians have often not known what to do with the suffering of the world. We live in a world where there are too many people who suffer way too much, for way too long. Over the centuries, many times we have chosen to ignore the suffering of the world; thus, allowing it to grow.
Christ taught us that we cannot wave a magic wand and make suffering disappear nor can we ignore it. Jesus calls us to walk with those who suffer. We are called to use the gifts we have to prevent suffering. We live in the tension of needing enough for our own survival and following a God who calls us to abundantly give.
Across the Episcopal Church our new Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, is calling Episcopalians to do something to end suffering. Today, the first Sunday of Lent, is ONE Sunday. Our Presiding Bishop is urging all Episcopalians to join the fight to end global poverty and hunger, combat HIV/AIDS, provide a basic education to all people, empower women, and reduce child mortality. We have the technology and means to end extreme world poverty and hunger. It will not be happen overnight, but it can happen in our lifetime.
One does not live on bread alone, but on the Word of God. God's Word calls us into action. God calls us to use the gifts we have and to use them wisely.
Christ's second temptation is about power. He is promised false power over the world. Satan offers Jesus the world, if he follows him.
It would have been tempting after receiving his baptism to take over and make everything better; rather, Jesus pioneered a new way for us. The world offered to Christ is one where power is obtained by seeking after one's own self-interest. Christ is offered a world full of nations who fear competitors and assert power to protect themselves or conquer others.
Jesus demonstrates a new power, a power that no longer lives in fear nor seeks to protect our own interests. Being a leader is not about seeking your own interest, but listening to the entire community. Jesus calls us to share power even with those who we do not like or agree with, with those who have had power taken away from them. This means that we will be forced to travel the road with people we do not like or do not understand.
We do not get to play border patrol for the Kingdom of God. Church is not all about me and it is not all about you; it is about all of us. We are forced to travel the road together. It is in this togetherness that we realize our own potential. It is in community that we are able to recognize our own gifts more clearly. I recently heard an African proverb that went something like, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
Even today there are too many of us who seek our own interests and not that of our neighbors. In today's society it seems much easier to do things your way. As a church, it is important for us to model a sense of the communal power in which Christ modeled for us. This may mean letting go of what you want or what you think is best. Trinity is about a willingness to serve and more importantly a wiliness to let and encourage others to serve.
Letting go is never easy. The final temptation in today's Gospel lesson is perhaps the most difficult. It involves letting go and trusting in God. This does not mean that your life will be filled with puppy dogs and sunshine. The journey we travel as Christians is not always easy. Trusting in God can be difficult.
When things are not going the way that we would like, we become frustrated. Jesus is tempted to put God to the test. Satan quotes the Scripture, "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone." Life without some misfortune is not life.
Following God means taking a risk and there will be some bumps on the road. One of my favorite prayers in the Prayer Book give thanks for many things including, "We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us. We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone." If we truly live life then we will succeed and will fail.
There are no easy answers when it comes to following God nor is there always a clear path. We may be called to places where we do not want to go. Christ set out in the wilderness to prepare for his mission. All his temptations centered on the temptation to take the easy way out, to take the path of least resistance.
The temptation for the quick fix is an all too common temptation. However, what kind of example would that set? Christ chose to continue his ministry. He chose not to escape our humanity by misusing his divinity.
God became fully human in order for us to realize our divinity. Our baptism calls us to engage the world fully. We are called to use our gifts for whatever purpose God has given us. We are called to take a risk on ourselves and to realize all that God has in store for us.
I think I came to the realization at age 15 that baptism is not magic. God continues to show me new ways I can live out my faith. Living into your ministry is not easy and is a long, never-ending road. We may be called to take up our cross at times. We must also be willing to bear each others crosses.
As we begin this season of Lent, I invite you to examine ways you can give of yourself. Lent is traditionally a time Christians fast and give alms or the more modern disciplines of giving up chocolate or ice cream. This Lent I invite you take on something rather than simply to give up something. I invite you to look within yourself and not give in to the temptation to take the easy road. Take a risk on yourself. Be open to how God can use you. Find your ministry.
Amen.
Deuteronomy 26:1-11
Psalm 91
Romans 10:5-13
Luke 4:1-13
With this being Lent and being my first sermon here at Trinity, I thought I would start out my sermon with a confession... I am not your typical Episcopalian. I grew up virtually un-churched until age 15, when I was baptized. I remember going out for lunch the day of my baptism and my mom asking me, in front of family and friends, whether I felt any different. I paused for a moment and said, "No, not really." It is funny, but I did expect to feel a little different. However, this was the first step in my journey, a journey that I had no idea where it would take me, for that matter, where it is going to take me in the future.
The passage before the gospel we read today tells of Jesus' baptism. This marks the beginning of Jesus' public ministry. The Gospels tell of a voice coming down from heaven declaring Jesus as God's Son and then what happens... How does Jesus begin his public ministry? What is Jesus' first act as the Son of God? He goes off into the wilderness for forty days to fast and pray.
This is where today's gospel lesson picks up. It is referred to commonly as the temptation of Christ. This is one of the best examples of the humanity and divinity of Jesus colliding. Most Christians have no problem with the divinity of Jesus or the humanity of Jesus. As Christians we claim Jesus is fully human and fully divine. Since the beginning of Christianity, we have struggled with what that statement means.
Temptation is an unavoidable part of humanity. We often demonize temptation. Most of us have seen the cartoons with the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. However, temptation is much more complicated than good versus evil.
Temptation is complicated because it is so hard to recognize. Temptation usually involves being tempted by good things. Most of us are able to recognize the extreme evil around us. However, what gets most of us in trouble is when we think we are doing the right thing or the good thing and it turns out to be the complete opposite. We also can take something good and use it in the wrong way.
We see that in today's gospel lesson. Christ is tempted by three things: ending suffering, power, and security. These of themselves are not bad things; however, Satan tries to tempt Jesus to misuse them.
Satan, or Jesus' opposition, first tries to tempt Christ with meeting his basic need for food; to go without food causes suffering. However, to meet his bodily comfort means that he would reject a condition set by God, that is, that we as humans are vulnerable to starvation. To be fully human is to know how fragile we are. We cannot live by bread alone, but we cannot live without it either. We need to feed ourselves, but we are called to also feed others.
We still live in a world where people die from starvation. It must have been tempting for Jesus to want to make his mission about satisfying all the human needs of the entire world in one dramatic gesture. Jesus could have set out to simply clothe the naked and feed the hungry in one single act. For whatever reason he chose not to; he chose not to change the created world. He chose to continue his journey.
The reality is, we still live in a world where some people have bread and others do not. Christ did show us through the rest of his ministry that being human does not mean God calls us to suffer. For alleviating suffering is a good thing; however, giving someone a loaf of bread only begins to address the problem. We must take the next steps to help a person provide for their entire life.
Christians have often not known what to do with the suffering of the world. We live in a world where there are too many people who suffer way too much, for way too long. Over the centuries, many times we have chosen to ignore the suffering of the world; thus, allowing it to grow.
Christ taught us that we cannot wave a magic wand and make suffering disappear nor can we ignore it. Jesus calls us to walk with those who suffer. We are called to use the gifts we have to prevent suffering. We live in the tension of needing enough for our own survival and following a God who calls us to abundantly give.
Across the Episcopal Church our new Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefferts Schori, is calling Episcopalians to do something to end suffering. Today, the first Sunday of Lent, is ONE Sunday. Our Presiding Bishop is urging all Episcopalians to join the fight to end global poverty and hunger, combat HIV/AIDS, provide a basic education to all people, empower women, and reduce child mortality. We have the technology and means to end extreme world poverty and hunger. It will not be happen overnight, but it can happen in our lifetime.
One does not live on bread alone, but on the Word of God. God's Word calls us into action. God calls us to use the gifts we have and to use them wisely.
Christ's second temptation is about power. He is promised false power over the world. Satan offers Jesus the world, if he follows him.
It would have been tempting after receiving his baptism to take over and make everything better; rather, Jesus pioneered a new way for us. The world offered to Christ is one where power is obtained by seeking after one's own self-interest. Christ is offered a world full of nations who fear competitors and assert power to protect themselves or conquer others.
Jesus demonstrates a new power, a power that no longer lives in fear nor seeks to protect our own interests. Being a leader is not about seeking your own interest, but listening to the entire community. Jesus calls us to share power even with those who we do not like or agree with, with those who have had power taken away from them. This means that we will be forced to travel the road with people we do not like or do not understand.
We do not get to play border patrol for the Kingdom of God. Church is not all about me and it is not all about you; it is about all of us. We are forced to travel the road together. It is in this togetherness that we realize our own potential. It is in community that we are able to recognize our own gifts more clearly. I recently heard an African proverb that went something like, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together."
Even today there are too many of us who seek our own interests and not that of our neighbors. In today's society it seems much easier to do things your way. As a church, it is important for us to model a sense of the communal power in which Christ modeled for us. This may mean letting go of what you want or what you think is best. Trinity is about a willingness to serve and more importantly a wiliness to let and encourage others to serve.
Letting go is never easy. The final temptation in today's Gospel lesson is perhaps the most difficult. It involves letting go and trusting in God. This does not mean that your life will be filled with puppy dogs and sunshine. The journey we travel as Christians is not always easy. Trusting in God can be difficult.
When things are not going the way that we would like, we become frustrated. Jesus is tempted to put God to the test. Satan quotes the Scripture, "On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone." Life without some misfortune is not life.
Following God means taking a risk and there will be some bumps on the road. One of my favorite prayers in the Prayer Book give thanks for many things including, "We thank you for setting us at tasks which demand our best efforts, and for leading us to accomplishments which satisfy and delight us. We thank you also for those disappointments and failures that lead us to acknowledge our dependence on you alone." If we truly live life then we will succeed and will fail.
There are no easy answers when it comes to following God nor is there always a clear path. We may be called to places where we do not want to go. Christ set out in the wilderness to prepare for his mission. All his temptations centered on the temptation to take the easy way out, to take the path of least resistance.
The temptation for the quick fix is an all too common temptation. However, what kind of example would that set? Christ chose to continue his ministry. He chose not to escape our humanity by misusing his divinity.
God became fully human in order for us to realize our divinity. Our baptism calls us to engage the world fully. We are called to use our gifts for whatever purpose God has given us. We are called to take a risk on ourselves and to realize all that God has in store for us.
I think I came to the realization at age 15 that baptism is not magic. God continues to show me new ways I can live out my faith. Living into your ministry is not easy and is a long, never-ending road. We may be called to take up our cross at times. We must also be willing to bear each others crosses.
As we begin this season of Lent, I invite you to examine ways you can give of yourself. Lent is traditionally a time Christians fast and give alms or the more modern disciplines of giving up chocolate or ice cream. This Lent I invite you take on something rather than simply to give up something. I invite you to look within yourself and not give in to the temptation to take the easy road. Take a risk on yourself. Be open to how God can use you. Find your ministry.
Amen.
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